John Masters, Author at Deep Something

The 22nd Street Santas

December 28, 2010 B. John 461 Views 0 Comments christian, Bill Donahue, Christmas, AFA, Santa Claus, Tony Perkins, FRC, Christianists, Micracle on 34th Street, Miracle on 22nd Street, Love thy neighbor, CFC

It’s been called Miracle on 22nd Street. A gay couple started getting hundreds of letters addressed to Santa Claus at their address on 22nd Street in New York City. They’ve been unable to figure how it was their address that got circulated as Santa’s address, but the miracle of it grew. While many so-called Christian organizations spent millions of dollars to defeat gay marriage initiatives and support themselves…FRC, AFA, Christian Family Coalition of Florida, Catholic Diocese of Minnesota, Bill Donahue of Catholic League who pays himself $400k per year, just to name a few…these two guys enlisted the help of friends and co-workers and went to work answering letters and helping children.

Culture Holidays Music

Take a Few Minutes Out of Your Day

December 25, 2010August 10, 2015 B. John 352 Views 0 Comments Christmas, Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade

This is selected especially for this Christmas Day and is something to make pause in reverence. Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade sing a medley of carols concluding with “Angels We Have Heard On High.” timpani, Brass, strings and two amazing singers. That’s Christmas.

Culture Holidays Music

Ave Maria

December 23, 2010August 10, 2015 B. John 402 Views 0 Comments Christmas, Ave Maria, Kathleen Battle, Christopher Parkening, Bach, Gounod

Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening Performing Bach / Gounod’s Ave Maria Live at the 1987 Grammy Awards. I have the CD of these two, and it is remarkable. What a beautiful performance of a wonderful piece of music. In case you never knew this Gounod wrote the melody superimposed? over the Prelude in C Major, so it’s the Prelude that Parkening is playing.

Culture Holidays Music Featured

Still, Still, Still

December 20, 2010September 5, 2012 B. John 301 Views 0 Comments Vienna Boys Choir, Christmas, Still Still Still

Many years ago, when I lived here in Tampa the first time, I attended the Gay Men’s Chorus Christmas Concert at the Tampa Theater. The ceiling there is painted blue and has tiny lights in it simulating a night sky. I hadn’t noticed that until the Chorus sang this song and my eyes were drawn upward as I enjoyed the music and saw this amazing sight overhead. I think this has been my favorite carol ever since.

Culture Holidays Music

Dreaming of a White Christmas

December 19, 2010August 10, 2015 B. John 321 Views 0 Comments White Christmas, Bing Crosby

No one does it quite like Bing Crosby, and while there’s not much of hope of snow here in Tampa, I can always hope for some while I’m home in Kings Mountain.

Culture Music

Christmas Time Is Here

December 13, 2010August 10, 2015 B. John 294 Views 0 Comments Christmas, Charlie Brown

The famous Christmas Time Is Here from A Charlie Brown Christmas. I still, to this day, want to see this show every year. I remember the excitement of watching it as a kid because I knew it meant that Christmas had to be close. Laying in the floor in front of the fire and watching…you just can’t go wrong, no matter how old you are.

Culture Movies Entertainment Fun Stuff

Get Him to the Greek-A Movie Review

December 12, 2010September 29, 2018 B. John 373 Views 0 Comments Comedy, Jonah Hill, Sean Diddy Combs, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Stoller

Aaron Green gets things done. The ambitious 24-year-old has been given a career-making assignment. His mission: Fly to London and escort a rock god to L.A.’s world famous Greek Theatre for the first-stop on a huge comeback tour. His record mogul boss, Sergio Roma, gives him one warning: “The artist is the worst person on Earth. Turn your back on him at your own peril.” British rocker Aldous Snow is a brilliant musician, but due to a bad break up and nose-diving career, has fallen off the wagon and is now a drunken disaster. This was better than expected.

Music Culture Holidays

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

December 11, 2010August 10, 2015 B. John 256 Views 0 Comments Christmas, Hippopotamus

I have no clue who wrote this, but I have always liked this song. How can it not bring a smile to your face.

Culture Holidays Music

The Christmas Song-Nat King Cole

December 9, 2010August 10, 2015 B. John 255 Views 0 Comments The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole

From 1946, Nat King Cole singing The Christmas Song. Hope this helps you get in the spirit, kids from 1 to 92.

Featured Business Economy

Karma in the Foreclosure Business

November 15, 2010October 3, 2018 B. John 324 Views 0 Comments foreclosures, foreclosure mill, DAL Group, David J. Stern, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae

There’s not much of a silver lining in a foreclosure, but some foreclosed homeowners can take a little stab of enjoyment from this story on TBO.com. The DAL Group, LLC of Plantation, FL, has defaulted on it’s $15 million loan from Bank of America. DAL Group is owned by Attorney David J. Stern, and is one of the many foreclosure mills operating here in Florida.

Culture Movies

It's Kind of a Funny Story

November 6, 2010 B. John 444 Views 0 Comments Lauren Graham, Jim Gaffigan, Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, Comedy, Drama, Viola Davis, Adaptation, Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts

What’s a 16-year-old boy doing playing music and table tennis with adult psychiatric patients – on a school day? It’s kind of a funny story… It’s @5:00 AM on a Sunday in Brooklyn. Craig Gilner is bicycling up to the entrance of a mental health clinic; this bright 16-year-old is stressed out from the demands of being a teenager. Before his parents and younger sister are even awake, Craig checks himself into Argenon Hospital and is admitted by a psychiatrist. But the youth ward is temporarily closed – so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby, soon becomes both Craig’s mentor and protege.