Peter Quillin tweeted this photo of actor Shia LaBeouf yesterday: “My new homie Shia @thecampiagnbook LeBeouf is really buffed (pause) @ Trinity Boxing Club”
THIS is Shia back in the “Even Stevens” days…
Shia LeBeouf is now ‘Shia the Buff’
Senate committee approves assault weapons ban
A US Senate committee just approved a ban on military assault weapons. The action sends the bill to the full Senate where, my thoughts are, it will have little to no chance of passing.
The legislation follows the tragic shooting of 20 school children in Connecticut last December.
(via CNN)
Minnesota: Mother, father and son give emotional testimony for marriage equality
Jacob Reitan, an activist who helped found the Soulforce Equality Ride, and his parents Randi and Philip, offered testimony at the Minnesota marriage equality hearings yesterday, after which both the Senate and House bills advanced to their respective floors for upcoming consideration.
I don’t know why but when the father’s voice breaks as he begins speaking, so did my heart.
What great parents. Jacob must be very proud.
(via Towleroad)
Delaware: Atty General Beau Biden supports marriage equality
Beau Biden, Delaware Attorney General and son of VP Joe Biden, speaks out for marriage equality in a new video:
“All Delawareans should be able to marry the person they love, the person who they want to spend their life with. The freedom to marry is the fundamental, defining civil rights issue of our time.”
Bad news for men – confirmed
From WebMD‘s article Life Cycle Of A Penis:
Recent research confirms what men have long suspected and, in some cases, feared. The penis itself undergoes significant changes as a man moves from his sexual prime — around age 30 for most guys — into middle age and on to older age. The penis tends to undergo an actual (and irreversible) reduction in size. The reduction — in both length and thickness — typically isn’t dramatic but may be noticeable. “If a man’s erect penis is 6 inches long when he is in his 30s, it might be 5 or 5-and-a-half inches when he reaches his 60s or 70s,” Goldstein says.
What causes the penis to shrink? At least two mechanisms are involved. One is the slow deposit of fatty substances (plaques) inside tiny arteries in the penis, which impairs blood flow to the organ. This process, known as atherosclerosis, is the same one that contributes to blockages inside the coronary arteries — a leading cause of heart attack.
Testicles also tend to shrink by one-third by age 60.
(Via JMG)
Minnesota: former House rep regrets vote for state DOMA
Former Minnesota House Rep. Lynne Osterman gave an emotional speech yesterday, explaining why she now regrets her vote for Minnesota’s version of the Defense of Marriage Act.
“I didn’t come to Saint Paul to single out same-sex couples and their families, but in my only term as a member,” she said, her voice trembling, “I cast a politically expedient vote in favor of DOMA and I regretted that ever since. It was not in my conscience, or my own compass.”
“I blew my vote and I’m imploring you, please get this right.”
(via good as you)
New Zealand on the brink of marriage equality
It looks like New Zealand is THIS close to passing marriage equality. From the AP:
Lawmakers supported the bill 77 to 44 in the second of three votes needed for a bill to be approved. The second vote is typically the most crucial one. The third and final vote is likely to be little more than a formality and could be taken as early as next month.
Wednesday’s vote came after a committee of lawmakers considered emails and letters from thousands of New Zealanders.
More than 200 people crammed into the Parliament’s public gallery to watch lawmakers debate the bill before they voted at about 10:15 p.m. The mostly young crowd clapped and cheered for lawmakers who spoke in support of the bill, and sat in silence for those who spoke in opposition.
If passed, there is a four month waiting period before the law would go into effect.
Truth of the day
Minnesota: state Senate committee passes marriage equality
The Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee just passed marriage equality by a vote of 5-3.
The bill now goes to the Senate floor.
Stay tuned…
Video: Olivia Newton-John sings “Waterloo” at Cardiff concert
Olivia Newton-John, currently on tour in the UK, incorporates a bit of ABBA’s “Waterloo” into her concert in honor of her experience as Britain’s entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest. Olivia explains that she’s quite proud to have been a runner-up to ABBA 🙂
Thanks to Nabil for the video!