Joe Mannino shares his journey from a devout Catholic and staunch Republican to a self-guided moral life and Democrat. He highlights his experiences in the Marines, tech preferences, and evolving political beliefs, emphasizing the importance of understanding the stories that shape our philosophies.
Category Archives: Prose
Vito’s Legacy Workshop
Sometime early last spring, I impulse bought a totally gnarly, steampunk-inspired Nixie Tube clock from that bastion of truth in advertising platform, Facebook. I bought a clock; I received a kit. Not right away, mind you. Oh no, it took eight weeks for them to send me the tubes, circuit board, and a ramshackle pileContinue reading “Vito’s Legacy Workshop”
Anti-Claus
Christmastime, it seems to me, has become an increasingly melancholy holiday as of late. Despite my best intentions, the older I get, the deeper the ache seems to resonate. Perhaps it’s the weight of decades of exhausted anticipation, spent reverie, and cumulative disappointment that has taken its toll, resulting in a profound numbness that canContinue reading “Anti-Claus”
Dominate Your Lane
Why you should never pay the two dollars About 20 minutes into the ultimate celebration of 1980’s teenage malaise, “Better Off Dead,” the protagonist encounters Johnny, the vaguely mafioso paperboy who demands “Two Dollars” for what has already been established to be shoddy service. When at first Lane Meyers merely disregards the demand, it’s throughoutContinue reading “Dominate Your Lane”
The Moral Trade Deficit
This disparity isn’t merely an “agree to disagree” instance of polite political differences but rises to the level of breaching what I consider essential code of ethics.
From Hoax to Hubris
I am in constant awe at the continual recalibration of our moral compass to serve whatever fragile narrative we are pledged to support. From “hoax” to hubris to a rushed, unprepared, ill-advised reopening, this pandemic has been universally mismanaged by nearly every elected official up and down the hierarchy. Numbly posting numbers devoid of humanityContinue reading “From Hoax to Hubris”
Observations from the Other Side of the Wire
Watching the events of this past week unfold has stirred many emotions in me. In particular the encounters between protestors and riot control officers has reminded me of my own experience with crowd control, albeit from the other side of the wire. Back in mid September 1994, in the waning years of my Marine CorpsContinue reading “Observations from the Other Side of the Wire”
Living Fiction
It seems with increasing frequency that we the casual scrollers of the feed are subjected to a steady stream of home cooked conspiracy theories ranging from the plausible to the gratuitously absurd. The overshared viral sensation “Plandemic” is just the most recent entry in line for the Tinfoil Hat Society of America’s coveted Bug ShitContinue reading “Living Fiction”
Zen of the Unhurried
In the midst of an unprecedented business slowdown that has the potential to undo what took me 5 years to build, I’ve been forced to alter my approach to the workday in a small, yet significant way. Even as I’ve committed to adapting my business for survival there is significantly less for me to doContinue reading “Zen of the Unhurried”
Chaos From Within
OK, that’s one way to start the day. I just had an encounter with an irate homeless man who chose my office property to come unglued. From my 2nd floor window I witnessed him come down street, tear up flower beds all awhile yelling “fuck this, fuck that”. Figuring he was just having a badContinue reading “Chaos From Within”
Mannino Acid 