I'm With Anderson On This....

Who is this chick and why is she famous? More importantly, why doesn't she know the words to her own song she's lip synching to? But then again, this is the Miss Universe contest, which glorifies beauty over substance. In that respect, Heidi is the perfect choice.

A Less Acerbic Post

Monday Morning Hiaku:

The alarm clock screams

As do I. Then I search. Where

the hell are my pants?

A Note to the Takers, I mean, Boomers

Dear Boomers,

Alright, alright, we get it. You had Woodstock, and it was the greatest cultural phenomenon ever. It was the best moment of your lives, even though most of you weren't at Woodstock, you just took LSD before seeing the movie in the drive-in and thought you were.

I know that Ang Lee's new Woodstock movie is just another studio attempt to get aging boomers back in the movie theaters (although Pixar has been doing that for years now). But how telling is it that your generation only has one moment in history that you're proud of? Because let's face it, after Woodstock, there wasn't much you really did. Not to discount what you did do, which was advance race relations, civil rights, civil liberties, and were the first generation to stand up to your own government over its decision to wage war. (Ironic that most of you probably supported the current war and criticized those who spoke out against it. But never mind--hypocrisy has been a mainstay of your generation.)

But once the 1980's came about, it was all over. The next film to detail you, dear Boomers, was Oliver Stone's Wall Street, and I think we can all agree that was not a positive portrayal of the former flower children.

I think your generation was mis-named. I think you should be re-dubbed The Takers. Think about it. In the 1960's and 70's, you took all the drugs and had all the sex you could find. In the 1980's, you took those same drugs and sold them to inner cities. You took all the executive jobs, advanced the art of money laundering, and created the corporate power structure that has been characterized repeatedly as soulless, gutless, and moral-less. In the 1990's, you took sexual identity away from teens, admonishing sex education, and turning a blind eye to those dying of a sexually transmitted disease because, hey man, loving your neighbor was so 1960's. In the 2000's, you took Wall Street and damn near killed it. And now, as you advance towards retirement age, you're going to take Social Security and the entire healthcare system.

Frankly, every time I see another movie or another T.V. show about your generation, I want to vomit. Enough about you! You haven't contributed anything to society other than greed, hypocrisy (Say No to Drugs! Even though I did my fair share when I was your age), and selfishness. My taxes are paying for your Medicare and your Walt Disney World monorail pass, and I'm sick to goddamn death of it. You're leaving me with catastrophic government debt, a broken healthcare system, a planet almost devoid of natural resources, and a bleak future of possible human extinction, because my God, you could not live without your precious Lexus or your Mercedes.

As far as I'm concerned, the flower children need to hurry up and push up some daisies. The sooner you are off my payroll, the better. That way, I can concentrate on how to pay off your debt.

In the meantime, please relive your former glory days with Ang Lee's new film. And that pang of sadness you feel? That isn't nostalgia--that's guilt. Look who you were and look at who you've become.

Sincerely,

Gen-Y.

Another Vote No. 1?

Yet another Vote No on No. 1 campaign, this time in Maine. When is this country going to grow the hell up? It's not like we're in an economic collapse and our healthcare system is one major illness away from bankruptcy. But hey! Let's spend time and money to overturn a state legislative decision to take away marital rights from gay people.

Hey America, you don't become and stay great by *destroying* things, only by *creating* them.

Amended: Power to the Patient

I had initially said that we currently have a socialist system in place for our healthcare system and have had one for 40 years. But that's incorrect and I do apologize. Socialism is defined as an "economic organization advocating state, public or common worker ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a more egalitarian method of compensation" (Wikipedia). I think anyone who reads the below post would be able to infer that the current healthcare system does not, in any way, have attributes that are described in the socialism definition.

Upon further review, I would have to say that our current healthcare system resembles fascism the most. Fascism is defined as "comprises a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology and a corporatist economic ideology. In the economic sphere, many fascist leaders have claimed to support a "Third Way" in economic policy, which they believed superior to both the rampant individualism of unrestrained capitalism and the severe control of state communism. This was to be achieved by establishing significant government control over business and labour (Mussolini called his nation's system "the corporate state") (Wikipedia).

Of course, the problem with labels is that they don't perfectly fit. There also isn't a clear cut definition for fascism, especially when it comes to economics. But after reading the definitions of socialism and communism, I have to say that our current healthcare system fits the fascist mold the best.

In any event, it most definitely isn't socialism. So replace all "socialism" with another "-ism" of your choice. Either way, it's an unsustainable system that is doing anything but benefiting society.

Power To The Patient!

It’s time to give the power back to the patient. Socialism doesn’t work in the long term, and our current healthcare crisis proves it. My complaint with the U.S. healthcare system and proposed reform is not that it will turn into socialism. My beef is that it won’t change the socialist system that’s already in place and has been for over 40 years.

We already have socialist healthcare, and like Satan, it knows many names and shapes. But for this argument, we shall call it Health Insurance.

I’ve heard people argue that with our current system, we have freedom of choice for our own healthcare. But do we? True, we can pick our own doctor, but first, we have to check to see if this doctor is in or out of our insurance’s medical network. And true, we can decide elected procedures and demand second opinions, but it’s a 50/50 odd if our insurance company will pay for those elected procedures and second opinions. And yes, we can shop around for different insurance rates and premiums. But simply paying those premiums is not a guarantee that the majority of your healthcare expenses will be covered.

It all looks like we have a choice. But consider this: all economic theory is based upon elasticity. Elasticity is the reaction to price. When are we ever given the opportunity to react to price? As healthcare consumers, have we ever been told how much a doctor’s visit will cost us? We know the co-pay up front, but there could be tests, labs, medications, administered vaccinations, and diagnosis, which may or may not be covered by your insurance company. You could be sent downstairs to have a MRI scan, and no one, not your doctor, not your insurance company, will tell you up front if that MRI is 1) in a lab that’s in or out of network, 2) will be covered under your insurance plan, or 3) how much it would cost you with insurance coverage and without insurance coverage.

How can this be a true capitalist system if the customers are never told the price? Healthcare is the only service industry I can think of that refuses to tell its own customers how much the purchased service will cost them. Go ahead. Ask your doctor how much a blood test would cost you. He/she won’t know. Call up your insurance company, and ask them if they’ll cover a simple blood test. They can’t say.

The patient has been completely taken out of the equation when it comes to his or her own health. The financial decisions are being made for them. If this were a true free market with true freedom of choice, doctors, labs, and hospitals would give us a list of services and their charges. But they don’t. We’re not even told if one hospital is cheaper than another. And even if we were, chances are, the cheaper hospital would be outside of your insurance company’s network. So you couldn’t go there anyway.

What most people forget is that the healthcare system used to be different. You paid your doctor an upfront fee for a visit. If there were something wrong that required more tests, medication, or a procedure, your doctor could tell you what it would cost. And then you, the patient, could make an informed decision based upon the doctor’s opinion as well as your own available financial resources. It’s true. Go ask a senior citizen who was alive during the 1950’s and 1960’s. It all changed in the 1970’s when health insurance became more prominent. And as such, the patient now has the illusion of choice without actually making any decisions.

Because again, if our healthcare system were a true capitalist market, the consumer would be able to compare prices of different doctors, different labs, and different hospitals, and then make a decision. For most people, price would be an issue. For some, it wouldn’t. But at least the patient could have the opportunity to consider an alternative. As of now, you’re told you need treatment, but you’re not given a cost amount until six to twelve months later. Hell, they don’t even give you an estimate!

How can a nationwide populace collectively stay out of debt if they don’t know the financial cost of their own healthcare decisions? In 2007, 62% of bankruptcies filed in the United States were due to medical bills. 75% of those were people who had health insurance. (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/bankruptcy.medical.bills/)

According to Steffie Woolhandler, M.D. of Harvard Medical School, “Unless you’re a Warren Buffet or Bill Gates, you’re one illness away from financial ruin in this country.”

How can this be? If the majority of the people in this country have some sort of health insurance coverage, why are they in debt because of medical bills? Simple. They’re not told beforehand how much their medical services cost and if those services will be covered by their insurance. And as such, they are not given nor allowed to pursue other alternatives.

So to everyone who believed that the current system offered you freedom: you’ve been had. You’ve been had for 40 years, and now you believe a lie that Satan, I mean, health insurance companies have spent a fortune to perpetuate in Congress, in hospitals, and in your own doctor’s office.

A Calm Response From The President's Office...

...as opposed to the wild, hysterical shrieking of FOX News.

Obama and The Joker

Um...The Joker was an ANARCHIST, not a socialist. A socialist would have nothing to do with anarchy b/c anarchy breaks a society down. Socialism, republicanism, democracy, communism, and even dictatorships have no interest in having their societies break down. If you want to get your message across effectively, it would help if you've read a book or two. And let's not even discuss the white-face...

Random Thought Of The Day

There's nothing like being touched inappropriately. It really raises a boy's self-esteem.

Straight Guy Pride!

I'm an anomaly in the gay community: I'm a gay guy who isn't particularly talented in fashion, style, or dance. I'm not a full blown bear nor am I proficient in the areas of athletics. Needless to say, the gay community has no idea what to make of me.

And now I shall add yet another conundrum to the list: I like straight guys.

Not in that way. It's a platonic relationship that's worked well for me over the years. I simply prefer hanging out with straight guys more so than spending time with women, gay or otherwise, or other gay men. My reasoning is really quite simple: straight guys are more fun.

With straight guys, I never have to know if there is a hidden agenda. There never is. There's no cattiness or needless bullshit. If bullshit were to ever enter the conversation, one or more of them will simply say "That's a bunch of bullshit," a thirty second argument will ensue, and then everyone goes back to their beer.

How awesome is that?! No intentional drama, no backbiting, no double dealing (unless it's a business meeting, that is), just a relaxing good time. And that's not to say my straight guy friends aren't supportive and that they don't have any emotional depth. During my horrendous break up, they offered me a hand and an ear to listen, commiserated with breakup stories of their own, then told me I made the right decision, bought me a drink and we toasted to the asshole that I left.

The entire exchange took less than 5 minutes, and then we were on to other things. If it were another gay guy or a woman, that conversation would've lasted for years. But to the straight guy, what's done is done, it was either the right decision or the wrong decision, can't go back in change it, fuck it, let's look to tomorrow.

God, I love that. Especially because I tend to over think everything.

As a consequence, I feel strangely protective of my straight male friends. Because as I've observed their relationships and their attempts at dating, I've come to this conclusion: Jesus, the majority of women treat them like shit! I've never seen anything like it. You hear all the time about misogyny and how men mistreat women. But you never, ever hear about women mistreating men.

And popular culture seems to patronize straight guys, as if they can't help themselves for being straight. Women and other gay guys do this and it pisses me off. ("Oh look at the clueless hetero-male.") Just watch an episode of Everybody Loves Ramond or My Life According to Jim to see what I'm talking about.

Straight guys aren't clueless, they're beleaguered and wary. And how could they not be? We raise little girls to respect themselves and not to put up with shit from guys. But we don't tell that to little boys. So the boys grow up to be men who mistakenly think that getting bossed around, manipulated, and yelled at is a price for loving women.

It's not. I tell my straight guys, if you've only been dating for a few weeks and she's already treating you like a dog she's trying to house train, it's only going to get worse. Dump the bitch.

Sounds harsh? Probably. But I'm tired of a lot of girls in their 20's thinking that the only way to treat a man is like a neanderthal who needs grooming and obedience training. As if your man is supposed to be your personal slave and servant. (And we're not talking about a BSDM relationship here.) If you treat your man like that, ordering him around, denying him time with his friends or to himself, denying him sex, denying him a life basically; then ladies, don't be surprised if he leaves you for somebody else.

A relationship should be not about who's in charge (again, if you're into BSDM, then by all means, hash out who's going to be top dog), it should be about mutual attraction, respect, and decision making. Which isn't to say that one can't make a ruling decision. But there's a fine line between "being the lead" and "being a selfish asshole."

Then there's the issue of sex. While women, gay or otherwise, and gay guys are told to be proud of what they like, how they like it, and from whom they like it, straight guys have to define their sexuality by what they're not. Already, it's using negative language. Straight guys don't listen to this kind of music, they don't like to see these kinds of movies/t.v. shows, they don't like having this part of their body played with, etc. etc. etc.

What a bummer. Imagine having to constantly define yourself by what you can't be instead of what you are. No wonder so many straight guys are fucked in the head. I think it's time for a little straight guy pride, don't you? A moment when they can just be themselves and not have to worry about women or other gay guys jumping down their throat for simply liking vaginas, cold beer, red meat, action movies, and maybe, just maybe, a rerun of Designing Women or two.