ATLmalcontent

Dude, It's a Goddamn Teddy Bear!

What the fuck is wrong with these people? And what conclusions can be made about a religion that's so easily perverted? I'm not necessarily drawing any, but I'm ready for the discussion.

Gallagher Has More Street Cred

Driving home from a long day at work, I flipped around the FM dial and heard something so abominable, so disturbing that I had to respond, post haste. A bland metal band, appropriately named Disturbed, has recorded a cover of that godawful Genesis hit, "Land of Confusion."

Remakes are inherently lame, but reviving a Phil Collins tune places you at least five notches below the lint in Mitt Romney's asshole on the uncool ladder. Worse still, the members of Disturbed probably think they're making some kind of statement.

Dude, man, Collins was a visionary!

*Note to any group that dares cover "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight": I will hunt you down, and I'll have no mercy. Let there be no debate -- it's the worst song ever recorded, and always will be. Michael Bolton would be justified in mocking it.

 

Republicans Boo Retired General

Sloppy vetting, at best, by CNN, which allowed an alleged Hillary plant to grill candidates at Wednesday's GOP debate.

Missed among the ensuing furor was the spectacle of flag-waving, Lee Greenwood-loving Republicans booing a retired general. Keep in mind they had no idea he was a Hillbot supporter at the time. They just didn't like his question (about gays in the military). So instead of giving him the proper respect, they responded in a way that, if it had happened at a Democratic debate, would've made Sean Hannity's head explode.

Republicans brag about supporting our men and women in uniform, but only if they follow the GOP establishment's template. Note the thinly veiled contempt most conservatives hold towards John McCain, the only veteran on the stage Wednesday night.

"What Happened to All the Monks?"

Remember Burma? Remember those two days when the media actually paid attention to a story outside of the U.S. or Iraq?

What have they (we) missed? At best, a forced displacement:

Thousands of Buddhist monks, a fixture in Myanmar's monasteries and temples, have vanished in the wake of the September crackdown by the military junta.

A report in the Dec. 3 issue of Newsweek says the few foreigners, who managed to visit the country since September, have noted how empty these places look in cities like Yangon, formerly Rangoon, and Mandalay.

HRC for HRC

The Petty Queer Establishment, fronted by the Human Rights Campaign, is in the tank for Hillbot. I'm not surprised, then, that a poll of LGB voters -- commissioned by the HRC -- finds the other HRC in the lead. (Acronym overload!!!)

But by a 3-to-1 margin? Is the queer electorate really that brainwashed?

Maybe not. The poll is a joke, with bisexuals accounting for 48.9 percent of the sample. That's hardly representative, and hardly believable. I can count on one hand the number of people I've met who identify as bi.

Of course all that matters to the HRC is that their candidate comes out ahead. Gay voters, not so much.

There's other troubling results in this poll. The most important issue to respondents? Lesbian, gay and bisexual (or should I say, bisexual, gay and lesbian) rights. While relevant, I hardly think gay marriage trumps terrorism, the environment or spending.

"No Tolerance: Execution"

So say thousands of protesters in Sudan who are not appeased with the sentence of 15 days in jail and deportation for a British teacher charged with naming her a teddy bear after Mohammed.

Inspired by Dan Savage, I suggest you buy some kind of sex toy and name it after the prophet. A dildo seems in order.

11/28: ATLmalcontent Says Something Nice About The Anchorman

Barely endured tonight's GOP debate, so forgive the kind words for my least favorite Republican candidate. I'm certain it won't happen again.

When asked by some redneck whether it's appropriate to fly the Stars and Bars, Romney -- after intially ducking -- somehow managed to sprout a very small pair (well-concealed by his Mormon underwear). The Confederate flag is a divisive symbol, and, like Mitt, I'm glad it's become largely irrelevant. For once, we agree.   

That being said -- don't fuck with McCain on torture, pretty boy. (Is waterboarding considered torture if Romney's hair remains in place?) And watching his feeble attempt to not answer the gays in the military question reminded me of a certain Miss South Carolina. Though to hear slot boy William Bennett's analysis, The Anchorman was the clear victor. Republicans really want to like this guy -- if he was a Methodist, the race would be over. Thank God he's not a Methodist.

Some other observations ...

*Telling, isn't it, that Mike Huckabee was put on the defensive about his support of a program that provided financial assistance to illegal aliens seeking a college education;

*What is it about politicians from Hope, Ark.? They sure know how to work a room. Huckabee may be a Bible thumper, but he's clever. And unlike that other Arkansas governor, I think he's genuine. I just don't want him to be president;

*McCain again came off as the only adult in the room; that'll hurt him within the party of Coulter and Hannity. Yet he's holding steady while Thompson drops and Huckabee rises. Perhaps it's the angel dust talking, but I wouldn't be shocked if McCain and Huckabee end up as the last Republicans standing. Rudy and Romney might very well destroy each other;

*Finally -- and this has nothing to do with aesthetics -- but Anderson Cooper is damn good at his job. I'm not going to compare him to Brinkley or Cronkite, but I'll take him over Couric or Brian Williams any day.

ATLmalcontent.LGBT

Defining yourself by race, ethnicity or sexual orientation is, of course, weak. I've never felt pride in being gay because it required no effort. It's like taking pride in having 10 toes. It's not an accomplishment.

Not that there's anything wrong with celebrating one's heritage or culture, but this is getting ridiculous:

The Latino community may soon have its own top-level domain, .LAT, if a proposal by two organizations goes through. eCOM-LAC, an organization that works to ensure regional representation of Latin America, and NIC Mexico, the entity that manages the top-level domain of .MX for Mexico, announced the new extension earlier this month as an effort to "identify, differentiate, and add value to Internet resources related with Latinos."

Anyone doubt this will become a trend?

We may one day see TLDs like .GLBT or .BIKE for the gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans and cycling communities, for example.

(via Andrew Sullivan)

I'm Waiting for Rip Taylor's Endorsement

No surprise that Hillbot has Babs on her side. But Fabio?

"She's so smart," he says. "And with her, you're getting two with one. You know I love women, because I owe my success to women. To me, it will be the biggest reward. I would love for the first time to have a woman president."

And with Hillary in charge, he says, the Iraqi insurgents better watch out. "When a woman gets pissed off at you," he says, "she's going to get you, you know?"

The Diversity Racket

Have you ever considered how many people are getting rich peddling tolerance?

Think about it -- an entire industry has been created to remind people they should play nice with others. The diversity culture has devolved into something a bit more insidious, as this video demonstrates.

Now if you'll excuse me I have some aggrieving to do.