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Marriage Equality Wins Big: Headed Toward A Four-State Clean Sweep

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UPDATED: Maine and Maryland approved marriage equality measures, and a third is leading in Washington. The amendment to ban same-sex couples from marrying lost in Minnesota as well.

Image by Joel Page, File / AP

It was a historic night for supporters of marriage equality, where advocates appear to be heading for success in four of four ballot measures.

Marriage equality was approved by Maine and Maryland voters on Tuesday — the first and second states in the country to do so — the Portland Press-Herald and NBC, respectively, reported Tuesday night. Minnesota voters followed in a similar path, with the Associated Press reporting early Wednesday that the state rejected a constitutional ban on same-sex couples marrying there. A final vote on a referendum in Washington was headed toward approval with more than half of the ballots counted.

The vote in Maine came just three years after voters there rejected a referendum on marriage equality.

Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin said of the Maine win, "This is a landmark election for marriage equality and we will forever look back at this year as a critical turning point in the movement for full citizenship for LGBT people. Voters in Maine came to the common-sense conclusion that all people deserve the ability to make loving, lifelong commitments through marriage."

Freedom to Marry National Campaign Director Marc Solomon said, "Today, a majority in Maine voted in favor of loving and committed same-sex couples seeking the freedom to marry."

“We congratulate Mainers United for Marriage Campaign Director Matt McTighe for the extraordinary effort he has run, as well as all the coalition partners, and particularly Equality Maine and Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, for their steadfast commitment to this fight."

Maryland voters affirmed a law passed by the legislature and signed by Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley earlier this year. It was the first state to approve marriage equality the first time it went before voters.

Josh Levin, the campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, said of tonight's win, “Fairness and equality under the law won tonight. We’re sure to feel the ripples of this monumental victory across the country for years to come.”

Griffin said of the Maryland win, "Today the marriage equality map expands to Maryland, giving thousands more loving couples the opportunity to make lifelong commitments through marriage. ... It is the momentum reflected in poll after poll that shows a growing majority for marriage equality across the country."

He added, "Governor O'Malley has been a champion of this issue and deserves the appreciation of all fair-minded Americans. His leadership, along with groups like the NAACP, have shown that at the end of the day human dignity wins out and that in this country we can have no second-class citizens or second-class marriages."

Minnesota was the first state to reject a constitutional marriage amendment since Arizona rejected an amendment in 2006 that would have banned same-sex couples from marrying or entering into civil unions. Voters in Arizona, however, followed up by passing an amendment in 2008 solely focused on banning same-sex couples from marrying.

Thalia Zepatos, director of public engagement at Freedom to Marry and a key adviser to Minnesotans United for All Families, said in a statement, “Today Minnesotans affirmed that marriage matters for their gay and lesbian neighbors and friends, as for all of us, and refused to slam the door on marriage in the state constitution. Now loving and committed couples in Minnesota will be able to work to achieve their dream of crossing the threshold, respected equally under the law.”

Rea Carey, the executive director at the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force said of the Minnesota vote, "This landmark victory is yet another example of the national momentum toward treating all families fairly. Congratulations to Minnesota for recognizing and affirming our common humanity by rejecting this unnecessary and unfair amendment."

A referendum vote on a marriage equality law in Washington also took place on Tuesday and was leading 51.8 percent to 48.2 percent with nearly 2 million votes counted in the state. Because the state is a mail-only voting state, all the ballots are mailed and more than 400,000 ballots remained to be counted.

Washington United for Marriage campaign manager Zach Silk said in a statement, "We feel very good and we are cautiously optimistic. We’re at 65% in early King County returns and we’re out performing in Eastern Washington. We’ll need patience, but the numbers are coming in the right way. And with Maine and Maryland winning the freedom to marry, we believe we are poised to make history in Washington state. But there are still well over 400,000 ballots to be processed and we have to be patient."


Beyoncé's Reaction To The Election

Michelle Obama: Four More Years

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Her clothes are among the most documented of anyone ever. While it's almost hard to imagine the obsession continuing for another four years, so it shall.

Image by Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Any major political event of the past four years involving Michelle Obama has come with an analysis of her clothes. It starts on Twitter and seeps across the internet, to blogs and newspaper websites, and ultimately to the printed pages of magazines, until every one of her photos is wrung dry of all potential meaning. Her 2012 election night outfit will prove no different, but that metallic burgundy dress and black jacket seem beside the point this time. The amazing thing about this fashion moment — and this night — is that it signifies another four years of truly, exhaustively obsessing over her and her style in a way that perhaps no one has ever been obsessed over.

First, I'll get the election night look out of the way briefly: the dress was a repeat of a Michael Kors dress Michelle last wore publicly as FLOTUS in 2010. The fact that the dress is old instead of new reaffirms what about Michelle's style fascinated everyone four years ago. She repeats clothes, like we all must do, in a time when most famous people seem excused from this plebeian obligation. Even for events as high profile as her husband's reelection speech, she's comfortable wearing an old dress. Yes it's a designer dress, yes it's expensive, but Michelle makes it relatable. For someone in her office, that is an exciting quality. If Michelle spent the next four years wearing everything she wore the past four years, the obsession over her style would probably be just as feverish as we match up her looks to the date she last wore them.

I find it hard to imagine the obsession over her style continuing for another four years, because it is just such an unusual thing, and an unusually BIG mainstream thing for the fashion industry. I remember the first months of Michelle Obama's fashion icon status. On the campaign trail in '08 it started becoming clear that she had the potential to incite feverish enthusiasm by doing something as simple as wearing clothes, in the way few icons — Jackie O., Princess Diana — had done before her. Fashion writers like me began scrupulously logging every single outfit she wore, and my editors at the time joked about how we were setting ourselves for a really tedious eight year-long Michelle dress obsession. The possibility was too exhausting to fathom, so we laughed nervously and pushed it aside. And now, here we are.

Source: assets.nydailynews.com

These next four years could solidify Michelle as one of the most documented, analyzed, valuable dressers ever. Women like Jackie O. and Princess Di became fashion obsessions that would transcend their time, but they lived in a pre-Internet era when demand for new images of their clothes could hardly have been met at the same pace it is today. The blog Mrs. O, for instance, feeds this need, documenting all of Michelle Obama's clothes as she wears them. Similar fan sites exist for celebrities, like Rihanna or Lady Gaga, but the obsession with their current tastes ebbs and flows with their various phases as artists and fashion plates. Few wonder or study how entertainers' clothes are impacting labels' bottom lines (Harvard researchers determined in 2010 that Michelle's appearances in various labels' clothing was worth $2.7 billion over the first year following Barack's election.) Also, with most public figures, we're less obsessed with discerning when something has been worn before or is from a place like H&M that we average people shop at, because we don't expect or even really want them to be average. Most fashion icons are an escape. Michelle is an escape — but one that also seems real.

The one other person who's inciting a style obsession as significant as Michelle right now is Kate Middleton, but she's held her duchess title for a fraction of the time that Michelle has been first lady. And Kate turned into such an obsession by following Michelle's brilliant recipe: she shops at normal-people stores like Topshop, always looks ladylike and put-together, and clearly follows and enjoys fashion, but doesn't let it overshadow her human-ness. Like Michelle, she's fancy, but she's used her clothes and image to make you think that you could have lunch with her and it wouldn't feel that much different from hanging with a girlfriend. (Rihanna, on the other hand, I couldn't imagine having lunch with and it being normal in any way at all.)

So here's to another four years. We on the internet created the beast that is Mrs. Obama's style, and we'll definitely be blogging and tweeting and pinning it through to the end for the next four years and probably beyond.


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28 Things That Are Worse Than Talking About Politics On Facebook

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JUST SHUT UP!

Failing miserably on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire":

Failing miserably on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire":

Via: yalreadyknowdoe

Getting attacked by a yo-yo:

Getting attacked by a yo-yo:

Having a seagull steal your ice cream:

Having a seagull steal your ice cream:

Having the screen name "meatrocket8":

Having the screen name "meatrocket8":


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11 Reasons Why Republicans Shouldn't Leave America

Karl Rove Freaks Out About Fox News Calling The Election For Obama

University Of Mississippi Students Riot Over Obama Victory

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President's reelection greeted with anger at deep South college campus.

Source: wmctv.images.worldnow.com

Students from the University of Mississippi took to the streets late Tuesday night to protest President Barack Obama's reelection, blocking streets and burning Obama campaign signs until police broke up the mini-riot.

Shortly after midnight, angry students gathered outside the campus for a protest, which reportedly turned violent, with students throwing rocks, using racial slurs, and burning Obama's campaign signs, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Police were able to quickly break up the disturbance.

Ironically, prior to Tuesday night, conservative bloggers had warned of plots by black youth to riot if Obama lost the election, a charge that police dismissed.

Source: youtube.com

33 Things We Can ALL Agree On

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Regardless of who you voted for, I think it's pretty safe to say we can agree on these things.

Nutella should be eaten, never worn.

Nutella should be eaten, never worn.

Via: funiaste.net

EVERYONE looks like an idiot when they take pictures with iPads.

EVERYONE looks like an idiot when they take pictures with iPads.

Via: uncoached.com

Even Spike Lee looks like an idiot when he takes a picture with his iPad.

Even Spike Lee looks like an idiot when he takes a picture with his iPad.

Via: acidcow.com

This is humiliating.

This is humiliating.

Via: ihao.org


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Roseanne Barr Placed 5th In The Presidential Election

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She ended the night with a little over 48,000 votes, and even though she didn't win, she seemed thrilled for Obama.

Image by Kevin Winter / Getty Images


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Puerto Rico Votes For Statehood

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The 51st state? The most overlooked vote of 2012.

Supporters of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party wave flags after casting their vote to elect the local government and participate in their fourth political status plebiscite.

Image by Ana Martinez / Reuters

Puerto Ricans voted Tuesday to adjust the relationship between the territory and the United States and pursue statehood, advancing the quest of many on the island to become the nation's 51st state.

In a two-part referendum, voters supported abandoning the status quo and embracing statehood — the first time such an effort has received a majority.

President Barack Obama pledged in 2011 to respect “a clear decision” of the people of Puerto Rico on statehood. It is unclear if the 60 percent margin on Tuesday meets that test.

Under Article IV the Constitution, Congress would have to approve statehood for the territory — though it is not clear where congressional leaders stand on the issue.

A White House spokesperson, in addition to spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House John Boehner, did not respond to a request for comment early Wednesday.

The Results:


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This Is Not A Wrecked Car

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And it's not a painting, it's photograph — a photograph made up of 17 people.

The image, "Body Crash," is made up of 17 male and female athletes, bodybuilders, and acrobatic team members.

The amazing body scuplture is currently being used in billboards and ads as part of a campaign for The Motor Accident Commission of South Australia to curb low-level speeding (see billboard below).

The artist, Emma Hack, explains how she executed the project to the New York Times:

“It (the car image) had to be slightly nondescript as it was portrayed crashed." Hack used athletes because, "they are used to holding weight and their fatigue level would be higher." As she planned the image, she positioned the bodies: "The side mirror would be a head and the tires would be people rolled up. Once I started sketching those people on the drawing, everything sort of piled up and made sense.”

Watch the behind the scenes video, below.

Ad agency: Clemenger BBDO.

Related: Check out some of Hack's beautiful wallpaper body art. And here's the artist's website.


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Source: ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com

The Governor Of Maryland Sums Up The Fight For Marriage Equality In Three Tweets

Pregnant Amber Rose Enjoys Some Ice Cream

Flag Head Lady Becomes An American Hero

Nine Year-Old Girl Dominates Boys Football League

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Salt Lake City's Sam Gordon looks like Jim Brown running through tackling dummies.

The quarterback takes hits, she straight arms, she even stretches the ball over the goal line on one score. Amazing.

Her stats for season: 1,911 rushing yards, 8.2 yards-per carry, and 25 touchdowns (also, 65 tackles), while playing in the Gremlin age group (mostly nine year-olds) of the Ute Conference.

She's the freakin' Galloping Ghost of the Gremlin League.

Via USA Today:

According to her father Brent, who posted the video, there were 172 kids in her district who tried out for a Gremlin team. During tryouts, Sam tested the fastest in every single speed and agility drill.

Hey Dad: you should consider a different track. Maybe some Speed Metal?

That face. She's a tackle- and heartbreaker.

Source: usatoday.com


The Breakout Star Of Claire McCaskill's Victory Speech

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Someone on stage was “serving some real Chloe Sevigny vibes.”

Image by Jeff Roberson / AP

Sen. Claire McCaskill declared victory over Rep. Todd Akin in the Missouri Senate race Tuesday night, earning reelection against the Republican candidate forever associated with the phrase "legitimate rape."

But during McCaskill's acceptance speech, Twitter got a little distracted by Maddie and Lily, McCaskill's young, fashionable daughters. One in particular baffled and transfixed with her mysterious color-block sleeve...


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Skrillex Should Have A Cooking Show

Celebrating Tammy Baldwin's Historic Win

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The United State's elected its first openly gay senator last night, and people are pretty excited.

Image by Darren Hauck / Getty Images

Image by Darren Hauck / Getty Images


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NYC Considering A Giant Floating Donut Walkway Tops The Morning Links

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Scarlett Johansson Got A New Tattoo

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