May 1, 2026
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Deep Something

The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters

Month: April 2026

Featured Politics Society Crack Pots County Commission 

The Architecture of Abandonment: The Performance of Josh Wostal

B. John 66 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

In the sterile halls of the Hillsborough County Center, he is known as “Hostile Wostal”—a man who treats the public treasury like a distressed asset ripe for liquidation. While he preens for social media as a fiscal hawk, his actual record is a masterclass in calculated abandonment, trading essential bus routes in South County for high-end sprawl subsidies that line the pockets of mega-developers like Lennar and Homes by WestBay. It isn’t “saving” when you strip the foundation of a community to pave the private driveways of the donor class; it is patrimonialism disguised as prudence.

Wostal’s governance is a performance of cruelty, evidenced by his crusade to defund the Supervisor of Elections and dismiss 100,000 of our neighbors as mere “ghost voters.” This isn’t about the bottom line; it is about rigging the game by silencing the voices he can’t win over. From stranding essential workers on the roadside to attacking the ballot box, Wostal has shown us that he knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. It is time to decide if we want a county that serves its people, or a family business that serves only its patrons. Follow the paper trail and learn more about how we can build a Hillsborough that belongs to everyone.

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Person sitting contemplatively in a crowd.
Stoicism Featured Society 

Hierocles: Expanding the Circle

B. John 70 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism
This entry is in the series The Stoics

Stoicism often begins as a philosophy of the self. What I control. How I respond. How I stay steady when life shifts in ways I didn’t expect. But the Stoics never intended it to stop there. At some point, the question changes from how I manage myself to how I show up for other people.

In this essay, I introduce the Stoic philosopher Hierocles and his idea of expanding circles of concern. It’s a simple image with challenging implications. Through his teaching and my own experience, I explore what it means to move beyond inward discipline and begin living with a broader sense of responsibility. Read more.

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Man walking along the bay
Featured Stoicism 

Musonius Rufus: The Stoic Who Made It Practical

B. John 99 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism
This entry is in the series The Stoics

It is easy to agree with good ideas. It is much harder to live them. Most of us know what matters. We know how to respond, what to prioritize, and what kind of discipline leads to a better life. The challenge is not understanding. It is carrying that understanding into the ordinary moments where it is easiest to let it slip.

In this essay, I explore the Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus, who believed philosophy should be visible in how we live, not just in what we think. Through his practical approach and my own experience with long-term health and discipline, this piece looks at what it means to stay aligned with what we believe, especially when it would be easier not to. Read more.

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Culture Books Featured Stoicism 

Marcus Aurelius: Meditations Was Never Meant for You

B. John 121 Views 1 Comment , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series The Stoics
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Most of us think philosophy is meant for big moments like crisis, loss, and life-altering decisions. But what if it’s actually meant for something quieter? The ordinary days when nothing falls apart, but something still feels off. The slow drift of attention, the small irritations that take more than they should, the moments where we lose our footing without even realizing it.

Marcus Aurelius never intended his Meditations to be read by anyone. They were private notes. Reminders to himself to stay grounded, to respond better, to return to what he knew mattered. In this essay, I explore how those quiet, personal corrections still speak to us today, and why we don’t need an empire to govern, just a Tuesday to get through. Read more.

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Featured Stoicism 

A Philosophy for Ordinary Days

B. John 98 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series The Stoics
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Most days don’t fall apart at once. They wear you down slowly. A delayed response. A shifting plan. A handful of small irritations that, by themselves, don’t seem worth mentioning. But by the end of the day, something feels off. Not broken, just diminished.

We think Stoicism is for big moments: war, loss, crisis. But what if it’s really for ordinary days? This essay explores how Massimo Pigliucci brings Stoicism out of ancient Rome and into the daily friction where character is tested.

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Politics Stoicism Featured 

Seneca Would Feel Right at Home Today

B. John 91 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series The Stoics
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Some frustration doesn’t come from a single moment, but builds up slowly. You see decisions that don’t make sense and hear confident words that don’t match reality. Over time, it’s less about disagreement and more about a quiet, steady exhaustion that stays with you.

Seneca lived in a world like this. He didn’t write from a safe distance, but from inside a system full of power, instability, and contradiction. He didn’t ignore the chaos or pretend it didn’t matter. Instead, he asked a tougher question: What part of this is really mine to carry? And what if I let go of the rest?

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Watercolor image of pilot being shotdown
Featured Politics War Stoicism 

The Line You Carry Into the Fire

B. John 116 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism
This entry is in the series The Stoics

You don’t usually meet a man like Epictetus directly. Sometimes you meet him through someone else’s breaking point. For James Stockdale, it was the moment he realized he was about to spend years in a prison camp. His response wasn’t panic or denial. It was a quiet shift. “I’m leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus.” That line points to something most of us don’t think about until we have to. What do you carry with you when everything else is stripped away?

Epictetus developed his philosophy in conditions most of us will never face, yet its core principles apply to everyday life. The difference between what you can control and what you can’t sounds simple, but it changes everything once you start living it. If you’ve ever felt pulled in every direction by things outside your control, this perspective is worth sitting with. Read more to see how one quiet idea can change the way you meet your life.

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Image of man on shore
Featured Stoicism 

The Shipwreck That Built a Philosopher

B. John 124 Views 0 Comments , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series The Stoics
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Zeno of Citium did not set out to build a philosophy. He lost everything in a shipwreck and found himself standing in the space that follows when a life no longer makes sense. What came next was not a sudden breakthrough, but a slow rebuilding. One question, one step, one adjustment at a time.

As you read, pause and consider: When has your own life been disrupted? Was there a time when the loss of certainty or a sudden change became the ground for something new to grow? Reflect on what you discovered or how you changed in that space between what was lost and what came next.

This essay explores how that kind of disruption reshapes a life, and how Zeno’s response still speaks to us. When plans fall apart and the story changes without warning, the Stoic path is not about control. It is about learning where to stand when nothing else feels stable.

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Who Are The Stoics
Culture Featured Stoicism 

Who Are the Stoics?

B. John 112 Views 0 Comments , , , , , ,
This entry is in the series The Stoics
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

Let’s be honest: when you hear the word Stoic, maybe you picture a distant figure, an old philosopher in flowing robes, sitting far away from the noise and chaos of real life. But the real heart of Stoicism isn’t about detachment or shutting down your feelings. It’s actually a philosophy for living well in a complicated world. That neat, distant image isn’t just outdated—it completely misses the point.

The Stoics weren’t removed from life—they were in the middle of it. They argued in marketplaces, advised emperors, endured exile, and faced the same uncertainty, loss, and frustration we deal with today. And they weren’t all ancient relics either. Stoicism didn’t disappear with Rome; its ideas have carried forward across the centuries and still shape how we think about resilience, purpose, and how to live well.

This new sub-series begins by asking a simple question: Who were these people, really? We start at the beginning—with Zeno—and begin to see the Stoics not as distant figures, but as companions in a conversation that’s still unfolding.
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General Featured Friends Fun Stuff Places Stoicism Boone 

The Fortune Cookie Was Half Right

B. John 222 Views 1 Comment , , , , ,
This entry is in the series Journey Through Stoicism

I cracked open a fortune cookie expecting the usual vague wisdom and got this instead: “Your next Chinese meal will bring you more cookies.” Not exactly life-changing. I laughed, told my husband I’d been handed a prank fortune, and almost tossed it aside. But then I flipped it over.

“A fresh perspective on life is near.” That one stuck. Because lately, something has been shifting. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just a quiet realization that time isn’t as endless as it once felt, and that maybe the hardest lesson isn’t holding on tighter, but learning when to let go. Read the full piece>>

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