November 25, 2024
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Deep Something

The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters

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This is for those posts that we wish to feature here at Deep Sand. It implies that these are a bit extra special.

Congress Constitution Featured Politics Presidency War 

War Powers

B. John 222 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,

I am certain I have previously discussed the idea that the President of the United States does NOT have the power to take the United States to war. That authority was reserved expressly for the Congress by the founders of this country. The Constitution is quite clear on this point, but that authority has been usurped by several Presidents in their over-reach. I usually find it best to defer to the founders in these matters, and when checking we find that James Madison once observed, “In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department… [T]he temptation would be too great for any one man.”

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Business Economy Featured Technology 

Storing Languages Forever

B. John 210 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As a records manager by trade (and having worked in the government sector for a bit), I have had to learn a thing or two about preservation. An article concerning the use some special eye readable technologies to store thousands of pages in a durable media to last thousands caught my eye, and I found it to be fascinating project. The Long Now Foundation has undertaken a project to try to preserve language for 1,000- 10,000 years, and has come up with a cool way to do that. It’s called a Rosetta Disk.

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Election Featured Politics Presidency Religion Right Wingnuts Science 

The Price Paid for Power

B. John 277 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , ,

John McCain’s military service deserves the thanks and respect of the American people, especially given his time spent as a POW in Vietnam. However, the over-use of this status for political gain becomes laughable after a while. It seems to be used to explain everything. Problem is, according to George Bush and the Military Commisions Act voted for by McCain, the techniques used on McCain while a POW are merely, “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Who wouldda thunk it?

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Congress Constitution Featured Politics Presidency 

Justice Department Continues the Assault on Justice

B. John 242 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,

Most likely it will come as no surprise that the Bush Administration’s Justice Department continues it’s assault on freedom and the Constitution. According to a report in the Washington Post, the Justice Department is about to issue guidelines for starting FBI investigations that a number of U.S. Senators believe could lead to innocent Americans being spied upon by government agents or informants, “all without any basis for suspicion.”

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Election Featured Politics 

Trading Places-The Karl Rove Wager

B. John 240 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,

Back in the early ’80s, a movie was released staring Dan Akroyd and Richard Prior called Trading Places. Two characters in the movie, Mortimer and Randolph Duke (played by Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) are wealthy commodity brokers who argue constantly over social issues, and enjoy a small wager from time to time. The $5 wager between the Mortimer brothers is that if they put the Pryor character into the right situation, he’ll rise to his new circumstances, and behave like a well-bread, educated wealthy person. On the flip side, if Winthrope has all the trappings of wealth and influence removed from him, he’ll quickly resort to a life of crime and scamming. In the end, the joke was on the Duke brothers, as Winthrope and Valentine came together to not only financial destroy the Dukes, but become rich themselves. I think Karl Rove made a similar bet some years back.

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Culture Featured Religion 

The Will of God?

B. John 304 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,

Recently, my Sunday School class has been involved in a study of the “The Will of God.” We’re using a book by Leslie Weatherhead. I don’t find I’m in complete agreement with his definitions, but he does offer a comprehensive interpretation of The Will of God. It has led me to do some deeper thinking about words I’ve heard often. The concept has mostly dumfounded theologians, and I believe is primarily a construct of people looking for some kind of logic in illogical situations.

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Books Culture Featured Fun Stuff Places Society Southern 

Gray Court Apartments

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The most recent book I’m “listening to” from my Audible.com subscription is David Sedaris’ When You Are Engulfed in Flames. It’s a collection of essays on the banalities of life. I was listening to one of his essays this past week during a drive to St. Pete, and it stirred up some strong memories about one of the best places I lived for some years. In his essay, Sedaris talks about an experience he had living in a rooming house in Chapel Hill, NC when he was between attending school. This reminded me of living in Gray Court Apartments in Winston-Salem, NC.

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Culture Featured Movies 

The Dark Knight – A Movie Review

B. John 168 Views 0 Comments , , , , , , , , ,

With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.

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