Joe Manganiello guest stars on “White Collar”
While you wait for new episodes of True Blood to air, don’t miss Joe Manganiello as a guest star on White Collar, airing Tuesday, January 31 at 10pm on USA.
Washington state marriage equality bill moves forward
A Senate committee on Thursday approved a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state, moving the measure one step closer to passage.
The Government Operations, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee approved the measure with a 4-3 voice vote split on party lines. The bill is expected to head to a floor vote next, though a date has not yet been determined.
Several Republican amendments were rejected, including one that would have required that the measure be sent to the November ballot.
Minimal Marvel comic book character posters
Love the idea of minimalist reinterpretations – stripping icons to their barest elements and still being recongnizable to a mass audience.
Enter Marko Manev’s series of minimalist Marvel posters, which includes icons such as Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, The Thing, Silver Surfer, and more.
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| The Human Torch |
Airman Randy Phillips gets a haircut
I like this guy.
He gets a haircut every week to ten days? Wow. No wonder he looks good all the time, and I kinda don’t. Haircuts are one of those things that I get when it’s obvious things are going south hair-wise. I should pay more attention perhaps…
Maryland State Bar endorses marriage equality
The Maryland State Bar Association has announced its endorsement of a same-sex marriage bill sponsored by Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley.
“I could not be prouder of our endorsement, which while protective of religious sensibilities and prerogatives, clearly and emphatically extends those civil rights embodied in our fundamental belief that ‘all men are created equal’ — and not simply ‘all heterosexual persons are created equal’ — to our entire citizenry,” said Maryland State Bar Association President Henry E. Dugan Jr. in a statement.
The bill is scheduled for a formal hearing before the Senate on Tuesday.
The Senate passed marriage legislation last year, but the the Maryland House of Delegates didn’t have enough votes to pass the measure.
Marriage equality back on the ballot in Maine for 2012
This afternoon, EqualityMaine and GLAD will deliver over 100,000 signatures to Maine’s Secretary of State that will put the freedom to marry on the ballot this November.
Marriage advocates in Maine have worked hard to reach this point, knocking on thousands of doors, having conversations and changing hearts and minds around the state. Once the signatures are delivered today, Maine will become the first state to ever proactively pursue marriage for same-sex couples via a ballot initiative.
Freedom To Marry’s Evan Wolfson released this statement this morning:
“Over the past few years, marriage supporters have knocked on doors, chatted around kitchen tables and in church basements, and talked with their neighbors about their lives, loved ones, and kin, and why marriage matters. Mainers have seen that same-sex couples and their families, like all other families, are working their hardest to take care of their families in tough economic times, sharing in life’s joys and challenges, and doing the work of marriage day to day. That’s why a solid majority of Mainers have opened their hearts and made up their minds in support of the freedom to marry. And while a minority should never have to ask the majority to vote on whether all of us should have the same freedoms under the law, because of how the law and politics work in Maine, this is the only path forward for couples seeking to share in the legal commitment of marriage.”
A lot has changed in Maine since 2009 when a marriage bill passed in the Legislature and was narrowly overturned on the ballot in November. Thanks to the smart work of EqualityMaine and GLAD, public support for the freedom to marry has risen from approximately 48 percent to 54 percent.
Gareth Thomas’ Big Brother TV stint endears him to wider audience
Welsh rugby favourite Gareth Thomas is capturing the hearts and minds of the television viewing public as well – as he emerges as odds-on favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother. Thomas earned the respect of the world by coming out as gay in 2009.
Former Wales captain Thomas, known affectionately as Alfie, showed his softer side this weekend when he broke down in tears in the house diary room – after receiving a letter from his mother.
And it seems the emergence of the rugby beefcake’s softer side has won an army of new fans – with PR experts yesterday saying that it could be the start of a new chapter in the Bridgend-born star’s career.
Publicist Max Clifford said that Alfie’s appearance on the show provided him with a golden opportunity to make a name for himself outside the rugby world.
“What it does is give him a window to broaden the awareness of himself,” he said.
“A show like this gets everybody connected with him, they know him. The way that he came out took a lot of courage and gained him a lot of respect, and you can see people think he is popular.”
Music: “Gaia” – Olivia Newton-John
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Talk about timing.
I’ve just returned from Australia where I spent an amazing few days at Olivia Newton-John’s retreat and spa named Gaia.
I just got a notice that her 1994 CD “Gaia” has been re-released in the US by Green Hill Music. Great CD that never really got a wide release here before; for years I was under the impression that the songs were very new age due to the title and original packaging. Wrong.
All of the songs were written by Olivia as she was coming to the end of her cancer journey. But these are really strong pop songs (Olivia would find her New Age voice in the later, fabulous “Grace and Gratitude”).
“Trust Yourself,” “Not Gonna Give In To It,” “Don’t Cut Me Down” and “No Matter What You Do” are favorite tracks for me.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker opposes a popular vote for equal rights
While NJ Gov. Christie would like to put marriage equality rights to a popular vote, Newark Mayor Cory Booker says leaders are elected to make difficult decisions, not submit to a public referendum.
“I shudder to think what would have happened if the civil rights gains, heroically established by courageous lawmakers in the 1960s, were instead conveniently left up to popular votes in our 50 states,” Booker said in a statement.
“Equal protection under the law – for race, religion, gender or sexual orientation – should not be subject to the most popular sentiments of the day,” Booker said. “Marriage equality is not a choice. It is a legal right. I hope our leaders in Trenton will affirm and defend it.”