This drag queen’s celebrity makeup transformations are jaw-dropping
Gagged.

www.queerty.com/drag-queens-celebrity-makeup-transformations-jaw-dropping-20171210?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Cheaper Generic Version of Viagra Is Hitting Shelves Imminently

Viagra is about to get much more affordable. Just in time for its 20th FDA-approval anniversary, the blue little pill—which is one of the most counterfeited drugs in the world—will now have a generic version, offered by Pfizer, the original manufacturer. The cheaper alternative will hit U.S. shelves next Wednesday and each pill will be sold…

The post Cheaper Generic Version of Viagra Is Hitting Shelves Imminently appeared first on Towleroad.

Cheaper Generic Version of Viagra Is Hitting Shelves Imminently

Angela Rayner Hits Out At £11,100 Tuition Fees For Two-Year Degrees
Angela Rayner has poured scorn on Government plans to introduce £11,100-a-year tuition fees for more “accelerated” two-year degrees.

The Shadow Education Secretary said there was “no concrete evidence” the new shorter courses benefited students and dismissed the shake-up as “another plan to raise tuition fees”.

Ministers have announced students on the two-year intensive degrees will have to pay fees up to £11,100-a-year but insisted the changes will save students money overall.

The maximum per-year fee for a typical three-year course is around £9,250 for 2017/18. A student on a fast-track course would pay £22,200 in tuition fees, compared with £27,750 for a standard three-year degree.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said this amounts to a saving of around 20% and the move could force universities to offer intense, fast-track courses that suit older students.

Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education, said: “It seems that every higher education policy from this government comes with another plan to raise tuition fees, with students on part time degrees now facing charges of over £11,000 a year.

“With universities facing uncertainty over Brexit, ministers must address concerns like the impact on staff workload before imposing more major changes.

“So far they have offered no concrete evidence that squeezing three years of learning into two will stem the huge drop in part-time students, or lead to better outcomes.”

Shorter degree courses have been mooted in the past, but only limited numbers have been on offer. According to Government analysis, around 2,500 undergraduates in England opt for accelerated degrees.

Tutors fear that shorter courses would hit staff contracts and research projects.

Students choosing accelerated courses have to work more intensively, while their holidays would be significantly shorter than on traditional degree programmes.

An amendment to the Higher Education Bill, allowing the Secretary of State to set higher fees for accelerated courses, was made earlier this year, and the Government will consult on the detail of how it will be implemented.

If approved by Parliament, the changes would apply to shorter courses starting from autumn 2019.

Johnson said: “For too long we have been stuck with a system that has increasingly focused on offering only one way of benefiting from higher education, via the classic three-year degree programme.

“The passage of the Higher Education and Research Act this year has finally enabled us to break the mould of this one-size-fits-all system so students have much more choice over how they learn.

“Many will want to stick with the classic three-year university experience, but for highly motivated students hungry for a faster pace of learning and a quicker route into or back into work, at lower overall cost, two-year degrees will be well worth considering.”

The proposals were met with a mixed response among university groups.

A spokesman for the Russell Group, which represents 24 leading UK universities, said: “I don’t think any university is necessarily ruling two-year courses out, but there are practical reasons why three-year programmes have generally been considered the most appropriate way to deliver courses at research-intensive institutions.

“Three-year courses provide opportunities to build the social and cultural capital of students beyond the remit of their degree programme. Summer is also traditionally a time when academics put a real focus on work with postgraduate students and move forwards with research.

“Ultimately universities need to have the freedom to deliver courses in the way which lets them provide students with the best possible learning experience.”

Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, said: “Several universities have been offering two-year, fast-track degrees for a number of years, but demand has been limited under the current system.

“But if these proposals help encourage even more flexible modes of study, and meet the needs of a diverse range of students and employers, it is to be welcomed. Universities UK will respond to the consultation.

“The priority is ensuring that each student is given good advice and information so that they can choose the course and university that is right for them.

“While the three-year undergraduate degree on campus will remain the preferred option for many students, accelerated degrees could also meet the needs of many students and their families.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/accelerated-courses-angela-rayner_uk_5a2d4cb1e4b073789f6a94b2

Kids Ask Santa About Roy Moore, Feminazis, and Matt Lauer’s Sex Toy in Hilarious SNL Cold Open: WATCH

In SNL’s cold open, Kenan Thompson’s Santa and a “libtard” elf played by Kate McKinnon discovered that kids these days are much more grown up than they used to be. They know all about current events and want to know more.

Watch as Kris Kringle fields requests from the kids not for just toys, but to chat and know more about Al Franken and Roy Moore, why Trump hasn’t gotten in trouble yet, NFL brain injuries and players kneeling, Feminazis, opioids, factory jobs for Chinese kids, Bitcoin, the coal industry, the tax bill, and Matt Lauer’s sex toy.

But eventually, like all of us, there’s one little girl named Jenny who just wants everything to be all right in the world.

Watch:

The post Kids Ask Santa About Roy Moore, Feminazis, and Matt Lauer’s Sex Toy in Hilarious SNL Cold Open: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Kids Ask Santa About Roy Moore, Feminazis, and Matt Lauer’s Sex Toy in Hilarious SNL Cold Open: WATCH

Sunday Shows Round-up: David Davis, Keir Starmer And Trump’s Jerusalem Move
With the first phase of the Brexit deal squared off and Donald Trump making a controversial intervention in the Middle East, it has been another busy week in politics.

So, we will cut to the chase and bring you HuffPost UK’s Sunday shows round-up.

The Andrew Marr Show

First up on the flagship BBC show was the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford who wasted no time in calling for Labour to give its full support to staying in the single market and customs union.

Marr pointed out that voters were warned during the referendum campaign that leaving the EU meant leaving the single market.

Blackford said there were “other untruths” told during the campaign, referencing the £350m-a-week for the NHS bus claim, and added: ”I think the fundamental point is that nobody voted in that referendum to become poorer.”

SNP want Labour to get behind them and argue to remain in the single market and customs union – @IanBlackfordMP tells #marr pic.twitter.com/sG3EoOBqRi — The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) December 10, 2017
Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer was next up.

He said Brexit does not automatically herald the end of free movement of people, agreeing his party prefers “easy movement”.

He has said his party would continue some payments into the EU and would stay close to single market regulations – referred to as a Norway-style deal – before adding: “We do not want to deregulate.”

“I think that’s the right thing” – shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer says UK must stay close to EU’s single market after #Brexit t.co/0zXDanafSC #marr pic.twitter.com/bVx94nTaBU — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 10, 2017
Asked about how a new migration deal would work on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Starmer said: “The end of free movement does not mean no movement. Of course we would want people from the EU to come and work here.

“We would want people who are here to go and work in the EU. The basis of that would have to be negotiated.”

Seeking clarification, Marr asked if this meant “easy movement if not free”, and Starmer replied: “Yes, of course.”

He went on to answer “yes” when Marr asked if his position was that the UK should match future EU rules and regulations even if Brexit meant the country did not get a vote. 

Shadow Brexit Secretary @Keir_Starmer says Labour have been clear that it wants to retain ‘benefits’ of being inside the single market #marr pic.twitter.com/TVYXx8T3Yf — The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) December 10, 2017
“We do have a choice, do we want to stay aligned so we can trade successfully or do we want to tear apart,” said Starmer. “And I say we should stay aligned.

“We are talking about what sort of Britain we want to be and what the next 40 or 50 years might look like, and I don’t think anybody voted to make it harder to trade with the EU.”

Marr pointed out to Starmer that Labour’s position – continuing with “easy” movement of people and aligning all regulation – meant the party had opted to make Britain a “vassal state” of Europe, a phrase used by Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner.

Starmer replied: “We did a lot of work over the summer developing our policy,” adding “how we negotiate that agreement with the EU is up for negotiation, it doesn’t mean cut and paste”.

Next up was Brexit Secretary David Davis, who said that the deal struck by Theresa May was not legally binding and the Government could still come out of the EU without a deal.

That could mean, he told Marr, that the UK could still choose not to pay its 39bn divorce bill.

“Canada plus, plus, plus” – Brexit secretary David Davis outlines his vision of the deal he wants with the EU t.co/0zXDanafSC #marr #Brexit pic.twitter.com/5TAKDOmuN6 — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 10, 2017
When asked about the type of deal the UK would now seek with the EU, as it moves on to trade talks, Davis said he would be seeking a “Canada plus plus” model.

He said he wanted to see an “over-arching trade deal” based on Canada’s trade treaty with the European Union but  including services.

It would set out “individual arrangements for aviation, nuclear and for data”, as well, he said, describing it as “Canada plus plus plus”.

He also dodged a question on the ‘missing’ Brexit impact assessments, saying “imprecise language” was to blame. He said “impact” had a different meaning in the civil service.

Sunday With Niall Paterson

Sky News’ Niall Paterson’s first guest was Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire.

Paterson asked Brokenshire if the UK could in future support a closer relationship with Europe, to which he answered: ”No government can bind a future government, that is the simple point of our democracy.”

He added that after settling the first-hurdle deal, the UK was now “moving forward” with a “bold and ambitious” trade agreement with Europe.

“One government cannot bind a future government” says @JBrokenshire on the subject of diverging from #Brexit agreement #Paterson pic.twitter.com/z9an7XJw8S — Sunday with Paterson (@RidgeOnSunday) December 10, 2017
Next up was Mark Regev, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to discuss US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Israel’s capital as Jerusalem by moving the country’s embassy there.

He said the news has been welcomed by Israelis and was regarded as a “just decision and it helps makes peace more likely”.

Regev added: “It says to the extremists on the other side that your dangerous fantasies that somehow that the Jews will be thrown out of Jerusalem or that the Jews have no national rights in Jerusalem, have no right to a capital, it puts to bed those fantasies that make peace impossible.”

.@realDonaldTrump’s Jerusalem decision is a “just decision” that “helps make peace more likely” says Israel’s Ambassador to the UK @MarkRegev #Paterson pic.twitter.com/SC9bKmFgW8 — Sunday with Paterson (@RidgeOnSunday) December 10, 2017
Regev went on to say there were “countless examples” of where countries had changed their capitals, citing Germany and China.

He refused to interpret what the US decision meant for East Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim this part of the city – occupied by Israel in the 1967 war – as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

And when challenged over the fact there is no international consensus on the Israeli’s laying claim to Jerusalem as their capital – the UK favours a two-state solution – Regev said: ”What we know is that Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years.”

He added Jewish people’s culture was intertwined with Jerusalem, before adding: “Those who want to divorce Israel from the Jewish people are making a mistake.”

There are “countless examples of where countries have changed their capital” says Israel’s Ambassador to the UK @MarkRegev #Paterson pic.twitter.com/k2CV1FQ44y — Sunday with Paterson (@RidgeOnSunday) December 10, 2017
Arch Brexiteer Peter Bone was also interviewed by Paterson, telling the programme he did not believe there would be a deal with the EU and that the £39bn divorce bill would instead be spent on the NHS and social care.

Tory Brexiteer Peter Bone says he expects there will be no proper trade deal and the UK should be ready to say “we’re going to come out… we’re not going to give you that £39bn and we’re going to spend it on the NHS and social care” #Brexit #Paterson pic.twitter.com/NLFTPsdm9Q

December 10, 2017
Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti told Paterson she was “disappointed” by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, who said in an interview with the Daily Mail that anyone who fought with the so-called Islamic State should be killed.

She said criminals should be brought to justice rather than be part of a Government “kill list”.

“I was very disappointed” with Defence Secretary comments about “killing Jihadis” says Shami Chakrabarti #Paterson pic.twitter.com/H7LoWq8ND3
Addressing the decision by Trump to shift the US Israeli embassy, Chakrabati said the President had “lit the matches in a tinderbox” in the Middle East.

She said Jerusalem was “loved and cherished by Christians and Muslims” as well as Jews.

“And for the Palestinians, there will be no Palestinian state without East Jerusalem,” she said.

She called Trump’s decision “a wonderful, symbolic but hostile act”.

.@realDonaldTrump has “lit the matches in a tinderbox” with his #Jerusalem decision, says Shami Chakrabarti #Paterson pic.twitter.com/6Na7DnYXqR — Sunday with Paterson (@RidgeOnSunday) December 10, 2017
Sarah Smith also had an interview with Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, who said the first-stage deal Theresa May had struck this week “shows the framework” of how the border with Ireland would work, but allowed the Government to move into trade talks.

“We were never going to solve this in the first phase,” he said, before adding that securing a free trade deal with the EU was also in Ireland’s interest.

“We were never going to solve this in the first phase” – admits Northern Ireland Secretary @JBrokenshire on avoiding a hard border if Britain has a free trade deal #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/llSG4knNCd — BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) December 10, 2017
“We have to leave the EU” but “we don’t have to go a long way” @BBCsarahsmith questions @EmilyThornberry on Labour’s Brexit position #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/bMEeeFHWJp — BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) December 10, 2017
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry told Sarah Smith that while the UK has to leave the EU, “we don’t have to go a long way.”

She said: “It would not be respecting the referendum and the sentiment that was expressed during the referendum if we didn’t move, after leaving the EU, to a system where we had fair rules and managed migration.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/trump-starmer-davis_uk_5a2d1170e4b069ec48adfeb5

Tom Chaplin Compares Writing A Classic Christmas Song Is ‘Like Breaking Into Fort Knox’
As the title might suggest, Keane frontman Tom Chaplin is trying something a little different with his second solo album, ‘Twelve Tales Of Christmas’.

But creating a festive record capable of entering the history books isn’t easy and as Tom points out, timing the release correctly involves sitting down to write the tracks in the spring.

“It was quite weird to be sat in the middle of the English countryside in my studio, in the garden, with everything fully in bloom, writing Christmas songs,” he tells HuffPost UK.

Of course, it goes without saying that a festive hit can also put plenty of money in the bank, just ask Mariah Carey, who makes an estimated £370,000 a year from ‘All I Want For Christmas’ royalties.

But creating a track that could “get into the Christmas playlists for the rest of time so it can pay my pension” wasn’t at the forefront of Tom’s find.

“I think that’s a really dangerous way of doing things,” he insisted. “For the most part, I just try and write about what I know and my view of the world, and my experience.

“If by some minor miracle, one of those songs enters the Christmas ouvre then I’ll be a very, very happy man.

“I do know it’s like breaking into Fort Knox so I’m not holding out for that but it would be lovely.”

Tom’s reasons for making the record – and his voice does ring of genuine sincerity as he says this – come from a far more genuine place.

“Christmas is this light in the middle of a dark, cold winter,” he explains. ”[It’s] being with your family and friends.

“It’s taking a break from the manic, fast pace of life and it’s one of the few opportunities where we have to put the brakes on our busy lives and take stock. All of that gave me lots of inspiration.

“In the end, I wrote quite a few sad songs or songs that are bitter sweet rather than just kind of sunny, jolly Christmas songs.

“My favourite is a song called ‘We Remember You This Christmas’ which is really a song about how Christmas can make us think of people we’ve lost along the way, but not to be completely sad and melancholy about it.

“We can come together and remember them, it doesn’t have to be an entirely negative thing.”

It’s hard not to sound cheesy when talking about festive cheer, but with the album, Tom has managed to take a series of classics and give them indie makeovers, with original tracks peppering the spaces in between.

Take his favourite track from the album, a cover of ‘Walking In The Air’, which he has a new “real David Lynch style, dark Americana vibe”.

“I think in terms of the production and the sound, you’ve got to be careful not to fall into being too overly sentimental, with sleigh bells and big string sections and choirs.” to said. “We did use those elements but we were quite subtle about how we introduced them.”

The big question is, will Tom be pressing play on his own album on Christmas Day?

“To be honest with you,” he laughs. “Through writing it and recording it in such a short space of time, I have had those songs in my head and in my orbit for the last, kind of, couple of months… I need a break from them.”

‘Twelve Tales Of Christmas’ is out now.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tom-chaplin-interivew-christmas-album_uk_5a2c1eb5e4b073789f6a48b7

‘Strictly Come Dancing’: Mollie King And AJ Pritchard’s Rumoured Romance Becomes Subject Of ClaudianWinkleman Skit

Strictly Come Dancing’s Mollie King and AJ Pritchard have got the whole nation asking ‘Are they? Aren’t they?’ as rumours of a secret relationship continue to swirl – something which Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman couldn’t help but joke about on Saturday’s (9 December) show. 

The presenting duo branded Mollie and AJ’s so-called secret romance “the elephant in the room” as they shared a laugh on the BBC ballroom competition.

 

Introducing their “romantic Waltz”, Claudia then said: “I think it’s about time we all addressed the elephant in the room.”

“What?” Tess asked. “If Mollie and AJ are a couple or not?” 

“No,” Claudia responded. “I mean that elephant in the room,” pointing off camera before an elephant noise was heard and the audience burst into laughter. 

While the pair have insisted they are not a couple in numerous interviews, various reports have still claimed they are enjoying a romance behind the scenes. 

It is not the first time the topic of their relationship has been address on the show either, as last month, their co-stars chanted for them to kiss after one performance. 

I think that’s what comes with the territory of the show, they do it to married people so they’re going to do it to a single girl, that’s just how it goes.

“They look so lovely dancing together that everyone wants it to be true. When you go on that show you know they do it, oh the Strictly Curse.

“Whether you bring it on or not it’s an easy rumour to make up.”

However, it is looking likely Mollie and AJ’s ‘Strictly’ journey could be in danger, after they landed bottom of the leader board during Saturday’s semi final. 

They picked up just 24 points for her Samba to ‘Whenever, Wherever’ by Shakira, before bouncing back slightly to get 32 points for their Waltz to ‘Angel’ by Sarah McLachlan.

Find out who will just miss out on a place in next week’s final on Sunday’s results show, airing at 7.20pm on BBC One. 

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/strictly-come-dancing-mollie-king-aj-pritchard-romance-tess-daly-claudia-winkleman-joke_uk_5a2d0e83e4b069ec48adfe30