Manns Medium

Sometimes the best lessons are those things we learn from the past because history teaches us that human nature rarely changes, but the major difference between good history and bad history is not the person or people written about it’s the results of their actions.  Case in point:  The pilgrims ran from England and the result is them being credited with establishing a new nation later called America.  The slaves ran from their masters and the result is freedom and a much better opportunity at a better life.  These are examples of lessons from the past about running away from a problem that ultimately resulted in much better things for the runner and all those that came afterwards.  An example of bad history is when a young child run away from home to seek a better life which normally results in finding that the better life does not exist and results in  lonesomeness ,  isolation  and often times more trouble than staying home.  An...

It is so breath-taking and refreshing to see or hear about a human being that refuses to follow directions from their superiors that they object to and in some cases these objections are not very popular within the community as a whole but every once in a while it is.  This is one of such a case where standing up for right did come at a price but not one paid by those who make a courageous decision to display their spine.  The story in question comes to us from Reuters written by Daniel Wiessner and titled “ CVS required workers to racially profile shoppers, lawsuit claims” The story claims that “managers at CVS Pharmacy Inc. stores in New York City required loss prevention staff to racially profile shoppers and subjected minority employees to racist slurs, a lawsuit against the Rhode Island-based company claimed. The proposed class action lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan by four black and Hispanic former CVS "store detectives" who claimed the...

Many people would prefer to believe that no one is as smart or as worthy as they are but contrary to this style of thinking, the only real thing that separates us is the degree of desire we have toward whatever it is we are seeking.  Intelligence is never truly measured by any kind of test regardless of what that test is called.  Intelligence is measured by the degree of desires because even if I score quite low on any intelligent test but have a much higher desire to achieve something, there is no limit to what I would do to achieve that goal.  For those who think that they already possess that level of intelligence might not view obtainment with as much vigor. The same can be said for those who possess a desire to create, produce or manufacture.  A primary example of this can be found in an article titled “Production of dangerous synthetic marijuana is soaring and the DEA can't keep up” by Erin Brodwin here http://a.msn.com/05/en-us/BBkmxRN?ocid=se .  In ...

I make no claim as a movie critic nor do I attempt to play one on television but I do know a good movie when I see it and a great movie when I feel it.  Kevin Costner’s Black or White is a great movie. For those who have yet had the blessing of seeing it, Black or White is basically a story about a grandfather played by Kevin Costner who losses his daughter at child birth and later his wife in a tragic car accident.  This leaves him alone to raise his biracial granddaughter in a posh, affluent neighborhood.  The issue becomes complicated when the child’s maternal grandmother played by Octavia Spencer begins to seek to have a bigger role in the life of this child and is lead into filing for full custody with the help of her brother played by Anthony Mackie.  Now enters the father of the child played by Andre Holland who is convinced by both his mother and his uncle to take the lead and increase their chances of success. Make no mistake even with drug use, alc...

So much has been made about the rioting and looting seen in Baltimore, Maryland Monday, April 27, 2015 and many had decent questions and concerns but to a person those questions and concerns still remain because nothing was done to address them because so much energy was spent trying to make sure that yesterday was not a repeat of Monday.  All those meetings and not one to address the true concerns of those living in that community.  All those resources and not any of it was lent toward fixing the problems those citizens endure each and every day.  All that news coverage and nothing solid to help those who live and love that community feel better about their community.  All that money and none of it to be used to locate more jobs in that area or secure local financing to where those from that community to borrow and grow these jobs with a services that they know is greatly needed in that area.  So much time, effort and money wasted on reacting to an issue inste...

I have said several times and many times when no one seems to wish to wish or even care enough to consider, that PTSD is a factor but it is not the main cause of why so many who are treated for this or other mental issues flip out. The best evidence can be found in an article titled “White House intruder an Iraq war vet with "plenty of firepower" written for CBS News.  Notwithstanding, the title strictly worded to get more people to read it and so very misleading that it ignores the real problem.  The story should not be concerned with how much firepower Gonzalez has or the lack of security around the White House, it should have focused more on the drugs which are being handed out like candy by the legal drug dealers which make mental symptoms worse.  The evidence is there but the main topic of the piece is nowhere near it. The article reports that “The former stepson of a man accused of sneaking into the White House said the Iraq war veteran owns "plenty of fir...

Far be it for me to judge but the truth often hurts especially if it is a truth that no one really wants to hear.  This is the case with this article so for those with sensitive egos, you may wish to stop reading here. Speak to anyone who takes their parenting really serious and the first thing you will hear from them when addressing why they make some of the decisions that they make and you will hear “I don’t want my kids to grow up like me.”  That statement alone is not only a cop out and an excuse but a poorly constructed one to boot.  Think about it!  You don’t want your children to grow up like you. You who takes their parenting responsibilities so serious that they stay in a loveless marriage or in a thankless job in order to keep the family together.  You who take you’re parenting responsibilities so seriously that you make time to show up at each and every event that your child or children are involved in.  You who take you’re parenting so se...

ROCKFORD – 23-year-old Lorenzo Kent Jr. was found guilty of first degree murder in the death of 30-year-old Donmarquis Jackson in Jackson’s driveway of his home in the 1400 block of Nelson Boulevard last May.  Along with some witnesses saying that they overheard Kent threatening to kill Jackson, it was also reported that a major part of the evidence used to convict Kent was a Facebook posting which read something like “My way or the highway, killed in the driveway” posted on Kent’s page after the shooting.  Kent now faces 20 years to life for the choice that he made when he decided to take the actions that he did and because he choose to put it all out on Facebook. Now, for those who still think that Facebook is the best place to air your dirty laundry and make a name for yourself, proof of how much nonsense that makes should be overwhelming clear.  Using Facebook as your personal paparazzi and fan base not only can subject you to those who wish to do you harm knowin...

Some years ago I was asked about what I thought the meaning of life was and along that vain, I penned an article and a book calling it “The True Meaning of Life”.  The idea behind my definition of the true meaning of life was based on perception.  How you see things will determine where you stand.  If you see greed as good then you will defend it.  If you perceive that there is good in everybody then you will look for it. If you perceive that there is a heaven and a hell then you will stand firm on those grounds.  In the search for the true meaning of life, we tend to try and ascertain it for the sole purpose of understanding why people do some of the things that they do. We want to try and understand why people commit crimes and we have come to accept that there are sometimes outside forces that cause them to do so.  We have come to accept environmental, societal, physical and even mental excuses.  Once we find out which ones made them choose cri...