Shit that Pissed me Off – 5/22

Jeb Bush Criticizes Intellectual Arrogance in Climate Change Debate

Bush is looking to raise money so he can be the third member of his family to be President.  To do so, he has to pander to the extreme right wing of his own party and that means his personal opinion on global Climate Change is irrelevant.

The evidence shows that our climate is changing so the right is now simply suggesting that it may or may not be caused by human beings.  Who knows? Aside from almost all of the scientists studying the phenomena.  Most of them seem pretty certain.

I’m going to be working in hostile environments and paying off student loans until I’m 50 just so people can call me “intellectually arrogant.”

Anyway, Bush goes so far as to say believing the scientific community amounts to intellectual arrogance.

It’s all so cynical because Bush is saying these things to raise money.  Solving a potential global crisis doesn’t matter to him or the people giving him money.  They genuinely don’t give a fuck if climate change is caused by humans or not.

Because no matter what is causing it, they don’t want to do anything about it.

Cardinal Burke Dispenses Some Advice About Dealing with a Gay Family Member

His response is laughably tone deaf.  In a nutshell, he says “think of the children.”

The way your church has been thinking of the children when they have covered up the actions of pedophile priests, Cardinal?

He goes further, though. Of same-sex relationships he says, and here I quote:

And we know that with time, these relationships leave the person profoundly unhappy.

Really, Cardinal?  We know that, do we?

I’ve had gay friends who have broken up and yeah, they were unhappy.  Funny thing is, the straight people I know have experienced exactly the same emotions.

It is almost like one of the potential outcomes of a romantic relationship is unhappiness.

I can see how a Cardinal would fail to understand this fact because his church forbids him from having a romantic relationship.

Josh Duggar was a Child Molester

I only say he “was” a child molester because he claims that he doesn’t do that any longer.  Given issues the Catholic Church has faced over time, I’m not positive his family has been able to pray this behavior away.

Even so, what really pisses me off is the fact this hypocrite was, until recently, the head of the Family Research Council.  He spewed hateful things about same-sex marriage and had no difficulty judging others for behaviors he considered deviant.

Turns out he shouldn’t have been casting stones (that was a biblical reference Josh) because his own behavior was even more deviant.

I say that because being gay isn’t actually deviant.  Sexually molesting your sisters is.

Apparently, Maggie Gyllenhaal is too Old To Date a 55-Year-Old

Gyllenhaal is 37 and in Hollywood terms, that means she is too old to play a romantic lead for any guy under the age of 60.

The standard isn’t new.  20-year-old actresses have been romantically paired with 60-year-old actors for as long as the film industry has existed.  The biggest superstars in the industry (who aren’t Meryl Streep) have dealt with the concept their careers are closer to over the closer they are to forty.

It is funny that the right will constantly rail against liberal Hollywood and yet, when it comes to gender roles, they are alarmingly conservative.  They want the fresh, young, beautiful face when they are looking for female leads.  For men, there is no such standard.

They will tell you it is all about selling tickets but I’ve always gotten the feeling the folks running movie studios aren’t all that interested in data that would indicate whether they are right or wrong.  Their gut tells them movie audiences aren’t interested in a 37-year-old dating a 55-year-old.

Their gut also gave us Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor.

Bobby Jindal Can’t Get Religious Freedom Legislated so he Issues an Executive Order

I love how politicians will spend one minute bitching about Obama’s executive orders right before they issue one themselves.

The simple fact is this: nobody gives a fuck about an executive order unless they disagree with it.  If Jindal makes a run for the Presidency (as expected) and somehow wins (not expected), he will probably issue a bunch of executive orders.

I am shocked to learn there is gambling going on in this establishment!

Because that is something Presidents do.

But Jindal is happy to say that his executive order is “different.”

Right, pal.  We get it.  This executive order is something that will get you votes.  Obama’s executive order wasn’t.

Rand Paul Makes a Really Absurd Argument About the Right to Health Care

I know we aren’t all on the same page when it comes to universal Health Care.  So Rand Paul gets to have his opinion about it the same as everyone else.

However, he seems to think that saying people have the right to health care is the same thing as saying doctors don’t have a right to privacy.

Actually, Rand.  It doesn’t fucking imply that at all.  What it implies is I should be able to go into a hospital and I shouldn’t have to worry about taking out a loan to pay for my care.

It implies that senior citizens, who naturally are going to have more health issues, will not be burdening their families with crippling dept.

It means that the amount of money someone makes shouldn’t stand in the way of getting a broken arm set.

In case you are wondering if this is a joke, no it isn’t.  He actually fucking said this.

I was all set to give Mr. Paul props for his anti-Patriot Act filibuster because seriously, fuck the Patriot Act.  Then I am reminded that he is also capable of this crazy argument from absurdity BS.

Thanks for reminding me why I don’t like you, Rand.  If you don’t like the idea of universal health care, I get it.  Why do you need to make shit up?