The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
Stories related to the economy and economic conditions.
One of the most frustrating aspects of this election has been watching Republicans continuously out-message Democrats. The GOP has mastered the art of stirring up fear and resentment, delivering simple but powerful narratives that resonate deeply. Instead of speaking to unity and progress, they speak directly to anxieties and frustrations, offering voters someone to blame for every challenge and setback.
Read more
Marva Johnson. Here’s a name you may not know, but you’d better learn who she is, and what here (and apparently her employer’s) agenda is for public education. She also is chair of the Florida State Board of Education, appointed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. In addition, In March, the governor appointed her to the 37-member statewide Constitutional Revision Commission.
Read more
Recently, I caught a story of an IT firm in Iowa that posted an advertisement for an H1-B only person. The ad by American Technology Consulting, posted to the recruiting website ZipRecruiter, sought a java developer to work in San Diego. Initially, it stated “H1B Only,” but has now been changed. This seems to bring home something I’ve seen frequently, and that is a perceived abuse of the H1-B program. I say perceived, because the law has changed so much people who passed it in 1952 wouldn’t recognize it.
Read more
I’ve posted before about the unusually high number of issues I’ve had with my supposedly New 2016 Nissan Rogue. Since purchasing, they’ve had to make a number of significant repairs including, replacing one of the power lift gate cylinders, the steering column, three replacements of seat trim piece that keep braking, and those are the major items. If you’ve been following, you’ll also know my experience with Courtesy Nissan here in Tampa hasn’t been good.
Read more
Some of you may know I had a bit of DVT scare (deep vein thrombosis) over Labor Day weekend, and spent 5 hours that Monday in the ER waiting on an ultra-sound. While there wasn’t a clot, it scared me enough to think about how much I sit at the desk and the problems that causes.
Read moreI don’t normally have a problem with UPS, but when things go wrong, they really go wrong. The latest is a new desk chair I ordered via Amazon. The chair, due to size and weight I assume, comes only via standard ground, but that was fine. Shipped a day or two sooner than promised, and actually arrived a couple of days sooner.
Read more
School starts in Pinellas County this weekend where the nieces go to school. This was the shortened tax-free weekend, so continuing a long-standing tradition, me and Lay took the girls shopping for their school supplies. We’re not rich, but compared to many others, we’re certainly comfortable. However, on the way home we got into a discussion, when Lay asked, “How do people making at or near the minimum wage take care of kids?” I did some quick math in my head, and realized that a person making around $8.00/hour would have to work nearly four hours (half a work day), when you account for taxes, to pay for the school supplies for just one child.
Read more
We’re starting to see the backlash against LGBTQ people as the likelihood of nationwide marriage equality increases, and LGBTQ people achiever equality under the law. One of the main ways the Christianists are trying to keep us in our place, is to pass these bogus, and clearly unconstitutional, religious liberty bills. We saw how cowardly they are in Oklahoma this week.
Read more
Today’s topic is a recent controversy related a pair of twin brothers from Charlotte, Davis and Jason Benham. The Benham brothers made a small fortune flipping homes, and were recently working on a HGTV show. What HGTV didn’t bother to find out was that the brothers have a particularly nasty streak when it comes to gays, abortion rights, and Muslims. When that came to light, that was the end of the show, and the beginning of their cries of persecution…because you know, the Constitution guarantees one the right to a TV show, and freedom from consequences.
Read more
The latest fabrication from the krazy kristian kooks is that a bakery in Oregon was “forced” to close because of gay marriage. If you read the stories cited by SPLC Designated Hate Group spokesperson, Brian Fischer, the bakery was forced out of business, and equally hateful and dishonest Matt Barber claims they were forced out of business by a “vicious boycott.”
Read more
Brian Brown of the anti-gay designated hate group National Organization for Marriage (NOM), and Bryan Fischer of the designated hate group American Family Association (AFA), both have their knickers in a twist over recent court ruling out of New Mexico. In this ruling, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled against a Albuquerque wedding photographer, Elane Photography who refused to work with a lesbian couple citing her deeply held religious beliefs.
Read more