The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
This is the default category used as the catch-all. If couldn’t think of any other classification for the post, I will classify it as “general.”
CineBistro is a concept created by Cobb Theaters. Each features an upscale, yet inviting and comfortable atmosphere in which to dine while watching a major motion picture. It was, for us, a pleasant experience, but I think to do the whole thing (dinner and movie), the cost is a bit high. We’ll see how well the concept can catch on. Lay thinks they won’t make it. I think they might.
Read moreTurns out the Bible is just too progressive in its views for some. So the Conservative Bible Project has been formed to use Wiki technology to create a whole new, and more conservative, translation of the Bible. The group cites a few reasons why the Bible is too progressive: “Lack of precision in the original language … lack of precision in modern language” and “translation bias in converting the original language to the modern one.”
Read moreOver the weekend, I heard the term “Southpaw” used. Now I know it means a person who is left-handed, but never understood where it came from. So, I decided to find out.
Read moreOK, I know that about this time every year I write something about Autumn being my favorite time of year. I know, Tampa, FL is not the place to be thinking about Autumn. I think we get our Autumn here in January, the time of year when these nasty live oaks dump a big portion of their leaves. Still, there is a rhythm that comes with the seasons no matter where one lives, and I love this time of year for the sense of “settling-in.”
Read moreHere’s a video of some kids doing some amazing bicycle tricks. I was never able to ride my bike like, and I think I’m glad I didn’t try to learn. Along with the amazing tricks, there are some pretty rough looking falls.
Read moreI am glad I was not on the road for most of Sunday, and even then, we stayed on surface streets and around the neighborhood. Three crashes (I-75, I-4 and I-275) all had major accidents within a two hour window Sunday afternoon that involved over 100 vehicles, and sent 14 people to the hospital. Fortunately, no one seemed to have life-threatening injuries.
Read moreA younger Louis Armstrong Singing “What A Wonderful World.” I have always loved this song, and Armstrong’s rendition is the standard.
Read moreI can only hope that the day will come when Americans of all beliefs realize that Glenn Beck is either an incredible idiot who should not be on the air, or genius especially adept at raising false fears just to make a name for himself. Either way, it has truly gone beyond the pale.
Read moreWelcome to Adventureland, where the worst job imaginable is about to inadvertently turn into the summer that changes everything. Adventureland, a self-professedly “funtastic” Pennsylvania amusement park, appears to be the bane of recent college graduate’s James Brennan’s existence. He previously had big plans to spend the summer on a life-altering trek through Europe that would initiate him into real adult life. But when his family suffers an economic downturn in the middle of the Reagan 80s, James’ only summer trip is straight to a minimum wage job manning a game booth so existentially bankrupt, no one is even allowed to win the giant stuffed panda. Yet, Adventureland isn’t quite what it seems on the surface. And the movie itself, while very good, is not what you expect based on the marketing.
Read moreMore than 100 years ago a salt shaker sized object made of platinum and iridium was forged in London. This was then shipped to Paris where it was shaped and polished and carefully weighed until it was exactly one kilogram (about 2.2 pounds). By international treaty, this then became the international for the exact weight of a kilogram. The problem is, the mass of the cylinder may be changing.
Read moreOne can’t be as opinionated as I, and not post a message on Independence Day. As I have stated before, I remain concerned about the condition of our Republic. We no longer seem to be one nation…we have devolved into red and blue states, with the extreme right and left pulling the center apart. We’ve become a nation of “haves” and “have nots” We have lost touch with that primary Constitutional principle of “the common good.”
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