The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
A general category for things related to our society and how we interact with one another.
The peanut gallery has long been a source of unsolicited commentary. Once upon a time performers played to it (instead of telling it to hush up). Times change, but one thing remains the same — the audience in the cheap seats may feel little compunction about keeping their opinions to themselves.
Read moreBoys cannot audition for soprano or alto roles in that state’s All-State Choir. Girls cannot audition for tenor or bass. No matter where their talents lie. As a result, 17-year-old Mikhael Rawls, who already has won awards for his countertenor ? the male parallel to soprano ? can’t try out in the part where he excels.
Read moreTo maintain political power, the right wingnuts continually beat the drum of hatred for Gay people. It is time for Christians and good people in this country to call out their flawed “preaching” and their vile rhetoric. These people need to know that their words and teachings have consequences. When you pound this drum loud and long enough, CHILDREN DIE.
Read more“U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn challenged the accuracy of Terri Schiavo’s autopsy Thursday, saying he has a copy of the Florida woman’s medical file. I have on my desk a complete medical file of Terri Schiavo, and I would challenge the accuracy of many of the statements by people involved in that case in terms of her medical condition, and I would also challenge some of the autopsy findings based on what I have on my desk in Washington,” Coburn said.
Read moreAs you may know, the British invested a lot to cover a huge part of London with a closed circuit television system for “identifying terrorists.” Much is being made right now about the fact that officers have uncovered a shot of one of the terrorists from this system. I expect to see the U.S. Government and major U.S. cities now clamoring to install such systems, and they’ll point to this as the grand example for why we need it.
Read moreConservatives who have long taken the support of evangelical Christians for granted are beginning to pay the price.
Read moreThe Catholic Archbishop of Vienna tells us to back off on that wacky, scientific approach to science and evolution in particular. Never mind that the entire world has taken at face value Pope John Paul II’s statement in 1996 that evolution is “more than just a hypothesis.”
Read moreThe White House and the Senate Republican leadership are pushing back against pressure from some of their conservative allies about the coming Supreme Court nomination, urging them to stop attacking Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales as a potential nominee and to tone down their talk of a culture war.
Read moreThe New York Times is reporting on a new study which claims there really aren’t any “bi-sexuals,” at least when it comes to men. This is another really poorly done study, but of course that qualifies it for main-stream-media coverage.
Read moreJustice Sandra Day O’Connor resigned from the Supreme Court yesterday. Despite being placed on the Court by arch-conservative Ronald Reagan, Justice O’Connor was often the swing vote maintaining some sanity and progressive thinking within the Court. Here thoughtful votes and reasoning, and her protection of civil rights will be sorely missed. You have to wonder why she’s really leaving the Court at this point.
Read moreMildred, the church gossip and self-appointed monitor of the church morals, kept sticking her nose into other peoples’ business.
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