A Hillary Clinton Thought

Maybe Hillary Clinton decided to say something nice about Nancy Reagan by talking about her stance on stem cell research, and had a brain fart and said "HIV/AIDS" instead? If so, that was her second mistake. Her first was wanting to pander to the right-wing nuts in the first place.

In a situation like this, where the deceased isn't worthy of adulation but you want to be respectful, all you do is offer condolences to the family. That's it. Hillary, in trying to score points with conservatives -- who will never, ever, show her the same courtesy -- offended many of her core supporters (in November, if not necessarily during the primaries) -- people of a certain age who lived through the days of the despicable Reagan administration. In case you weren't alive then, or somehow have forgotten that bastard, here's Dan Savage's rant.

Nancy supported her husband's evil, reportedly abandoned her friend Rock Hudson when AIDS was killing him, and only started advocating for stem-cell research after Ronnie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And her puerile "Just Say No" anti-drug effort, if anything, did more harm than good.

If Donald Trump becomes our 45th President, remember this day.

Elizabeth Taylor

Almost non-stop since I heard the news that Elizabeth Taylor passed away, Michael Jackson's song "Leave Me Alone" has been stuck in my head. Of course, that's because of the music video...



In the midst of the surreal carnival ride, there's Michael's "shrine to Liz," and there she is in all her ageless beauty.

Her most iconic movie roles took place before I really began to watch a lot of movies, so I can't really speak about her acting career. For me, she's defined by her powerful advocacy in the fight against AIDS, dating back to the days when the stigma and prejudice was so extreme.

On a less important level, she's defined by a lot of the pop culture buzz that sprang forth from her life. Her many marriages. (Richard Burton, okay, but Larry Fortensky? Really?) Her illnesses. Her treatment at the Betty Ford Clinic. Her weight. Her appearances on "The Simpsons." And, of course, her friendship with Michael Jackson.

Rest in peace, Liz.