Hey Look! This Rich White Elderly Person Is Fed Up!

When I'm 81, I plan on being a curmudgeonly old coot who yells at strange children and smacks my own with a cane.  I like that Clint Eastwood has a similar philosophy, as he recently spouted off to GQ how fed up he is with the modern GOP's stance on gay marriage:

I was an Eisenhower Republican when I started out at 21, because he promised to get us out of the Korean War. And over the years, I realized there was a Republican philosophy that I liked. And then they lost it. And libertarians had more of it. Because what I really believe is, let's spend a little more time leaving everybody alone. These people who are making a big deal out of gay marriage? I don't give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody else! Why not?! We're making a big deal out of things we shouldn't be making a deal out of.

They go on and on with all this bullshit about "sanctity"—don't give me that sanctity crap! Just give everybody the chance to have the life they want.

Way to go, cranky old dude!

"Are You Saying That Society Should Let Him Die?"

Ron Paul, during tonight's debate on CNN, suggesting that if someone doesn't have insurance due to the exorbitant cost of premiums, we should let them die if unforeseen medical catastrophes ensue:


The "YES!" and applause on Wolf Blitzer's shocked question turns my stomach.

UPDATE:  Alan Grayson, a congressman who famously said two years ago "Republicans want sick people to die quickly," had this to say to the Huffington Post:

My speech was about the fact I had been listening to the Republicans for months, and they literally had no plan to help all those millions of people who can’t see a doctor when they’re sick. So I said, in sort of a wry manner, that their plan was "don’t get sick." All I really wanted to do was just call attention to the stark absence of a Republican plan. But Fox, trying to take the heat off Joe Wilson and Sarah Palin I guess, transmogrified that into a charge that Republicans want to kill people. 

What you saw tonight is something much more sinister than not having a healthcare plan. It's sadism, pure and simple. It's the same impulse that led people in the Coliseum to cheer when the lions ate the Christians. And that seems to be where we are heading -- bread and circuses, without the bread. The world that Hobbes wrote about -- "the war of all against all."

I agree, it seems that this farce is quickly devolving into nothing more than a circus without substance.

Buy Beatrice's Hat

I almost squeed in the DC coffee shop where I'm so dutifully trolling the news for juicy tidbits for you to consume.  Why?

Princess Beatrice is selling her hat.

"'She's putting it up on eBay to auction it for UNICEF and for Children in Crisis,' Beatrice's mother, Duchess Sarah Ferguson, announced Wednesday during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show."

At this point, Beatrice's hat is far more famous than Beatrice herself!  Imagine the magic powers it will convey to you should you purchase it and rest it on your locks!

[People]

Neocons in Hysterics About ElBaradei, the Rest of Us Surprised There Are Still Neocons

I didn't even know these guys were still around...

In a tantrum reminiscent of Bush-era foreign policy, DC war enthusiasts denounced the Egyptian opposition leader as a "stooge of Iran."  This isn't the first time they've done this-- ElBaradei, as the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, strongly opposed the Bush administration's assertions that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction.

"Nonetheless, the neocons who wildly hyped and distorted military intelligence in Iraq were determined to once again undermine ElBaradei when it came to Iran’s WMD program. 'Mohamed ElBaradei is an apologist for Iran,' Bolton said in 2007. Why did Bolton say this? Because ElBaradei has refused to endorse a US- or Israeli-led attack on Iran, much to the chagrin of neocon war cheerleaders. The former IAEA chief has publicly criticized the Iranian government for not cooperating sufficiently with his agency, but he’s also been careful to note that robust diplomacy is the ultimate solution to the Iranian nuclear standoff."

Now the same chumps-- such as Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Council of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and source of the "stooge" quote-- are attacking ElBaradei on the eve of Mubarak's fall from power in Egypt.

Listen, guys, you know very well we aren't going to suddenly storm off to war based on trumped up charges.  The fact that they are going to attack this guy-- who by the way is the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize-- simply because he is opposing Hosni Mubarak is a desperate move for attention, for reasons I don't even understand anymore.

What they need is to be tucked up in their armchairs by the fire with a nice glass of warm milk, where they can grumpily tell their "good ol' days" stories about the Bush era.  I mean, who takes these fogies seriously?

[TheNation]

The Most Horrifying Thing You Will Ever See On This Blog

At first I was horrified.  Then I heard it was a rapper's tattoo (T-Main) and I was like, "Oh.  Whatevs.  I get it."  Should I be ashamed, or should he?

[Tosh.0]

McCain Reads the Writing on the Wall

The #1 opponent of Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal threw in the towel today and reversed his opinion, vowing to help the implementation of the bill in any way he can.

"McCain signaled that he had made peace with the lame-duck bill to do away with the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian service members, of which he had been an outspoken critic.

"'I think I have to do everything I can to make sure that the important moral, retention, recruitment, and battle effectiveness of the military is minimized as much as possible,' McCain said on Fox Business. 'It is a law and I have to do whatever I can to help the men and women who are serving particularly in combat cope with this new situation. I will do everything I can to make it work.'"

Gee, thanks, buttwad.  So, all that taxpayer money you wasted fighting progress and a battle you can't win...  Shall we just forget about that whole thing?  Not me! 

I really look forward to the day when old-ass cooters like this guy realize that obstructionist politics are not winning politics.  You think you can bad-mouth the queers, casting aspersions on our patriotism and ability to serve, and THEN suddenly still end up being a good guy?  Fuck off, you.

[Towleroad]

New Florida Governor is 100 Percent Punk

This guy!

"Omg!  I see gay people having the same protections as everyone else!  That gives me gas!"

Not only is kinda mangy lookin', he decided to celebrate his first day in office by kickin' the gays.  He issued an executive order outlining his state's non-discrimination policy-- and left out protections for gay and transgendered employees.

I mean, that isn't terribly surprising.  However, what's REALLY shocking is he REMOVED protections based on "handicap" and "marital status."  SRSLY?!

"By ignoring the categories of 'handicap' or 'marital status' in his new non-discrimination policy, Scott has actually managed to add discrimination to the Florida Government policies which was not previously there. Those two categories are protected by Florida Law under our Civil Rights Act and many advocacy groups have been working tirelessly to add 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' to the language as well."

Heaven help you if you're an unmarried gayboy FTM missing a limb.  It might just be time to move. 

*please note, Rick Scott is the possible perpetrator of one of the largest Medicare frauds in American history.  A medical group he founded pleaded guilty and ended up paying a massive $2 billion in fees.  He escaped any charges.  This guy! 

[South Florida Gay News]

HRC's Call for Complacency: Gay Rights Struggle Won and We Now Don't Have to do Anything. PS: Send Us Money.

 This motherfucker is the worst thing for gay rights EVER. 

Anyone who has ever discussed gay politics with me knows that the Human Rights Campaign is an organization that annoys me a great deal (yes, maybe even more than it should).  But today the reasons why were reiterated in an article on the Washington Post.

Via AMERICAblog Gay:

"'If you can fight and die for your country, there's absolutely no reason why you can't be granted the full set of rights' that others have, including the ability to marry a same-sex partner, said Fred Sainz, a vice president at the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group. With the military's policy repealed, he said, 'Americans will deduce that on their own. We won't have to say a thing.'"

 I mean, who is surprised?  HRC has proven over the past few years to be apologists for Democratic candidates, critics of people who ACTUALLY believe in activism (Dan Choi and company), and cautious buggers that refuse to make strong statements in the press supporting gay rights-- all the while raking in donor money.

Why the fuck are these guys still the most prominent gay rights organization in our country?  WTF?  I'm so pissed over this I can't even crack jokes. 

We fought for 17 years to get Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed.  17 years.  I'm sorry, Joe fucking Solmonese, I'm not going to wait another fucking two decades to get married so that you can keep your job as a fundraiser for do-nothing Democrats. 

[AMERICAblog Gay]

Richard Branson: AirAsia's Newest Lady Stewardess! In a Lady Dress!

Sir Richard Branson, the world's foremost rich guy who does crazy things, recently lost a bet to AirAsia's executive, with the penalty being-- dressing up as a lady and serving cocktails on an AirAsia flight! 

From the Huffington Post:

"This wasn't just a gentleman's bet, though: The two men gambled on whose Formula One team would finish higher in a recent championship; Branson bet on his Virgin Racing, while Fernandes bet on his Lotus F1 team. The bet? Whoever lost would serve as a flight attendant on the others airline. It's not what you may think, though: Branson will serve as a female flight attendant, dressed in heels, makeup and dress and will be cleaning the bathrooms (among other duties) on a February 21st flight from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur."

 Uh, I'll just have an OJ, thanks.  

 

They've said they most likely will be auctioning off seats and donating the proceeds to charity.  They've learned from the gays:  We've been using peen-tucking queens to raise money for important stuff (like lipstick and glitter gowns) for years!  Good for these guys!

[HuffPo]