Interesting trend

Happy Birthday to Me.

Ellen

Ellen addressed the 2,000 members of Tulane’s “Katrina Class,” students who were freshmen when the hurricane devastated New Orleans and closed the school. She also made a brief surprise appearance at the Tulane commencement ceremonies in 2006, the first graduation after the horrific storm hit. This time around she joined honorary degree recipient Harry Connick Jr. as the honored celebrity guests at the event. Ellen’s talk was equal parts funny, serious, touching and memorable.

Oh, where to start? From her first greeting to the robe-clad graduate (“Look at you. Usually when you're wearing a robe at 10 in the morning, it means you've given up.”) to recounting of the bittersweet story behind her the famous “phone call to God” joke that landed her on The Tonight Show (“Why is she suddenly gone and there are fleas here?”) and jokes about being gay (“When you’re older, most of you will be gay.”) it was all priceless.

ellen common cement

Friday Funny

GOOD News: We GOT the National Hate Crimes Law BAD News: Some real hate came out during discussion on the floor of the House.

WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD VIA KEITH OLBERMANN

Kelly McGillis Says She's Gay on SheWired's 'Girl Rock'

04/30/2009 6:30 AM

Fifty-one-year young Kelly McGillis is starting her "life in a whole different phase," she told rocker and SheWired vlogger Jennifer Corday -- ostensibly coming out as a lesbian.

Corday, in her Girl Rock video blog, asks the Top Gun and The Accused star, that since she is single, is she looking for a man or woman, or both?

In no uncertain terms McGillis responded that what she is looking for is "definitely a woman." McGillis, a long-rumored lesbian who starred on The L Word as a closeted Army Colonel trying a Don't Ask Don't Tell case added that she is "done with the man thing." She said she is "done with that, and needs to move on in life, and that's another part of being true to yourself." It has been a challenge personally for her, she added.

McGillis said that realizing her sexuality has been an ongoing process for her since she was 12 years old, but through her life faced getting over being convinced that God was punishing her for being gay.

Corday told McGillis that it's much easier to become spiritual now and people realize that "God is okay with you being gay."

McGillis added that "life is a freaking journey, and it's about growing and changing, and coming to terms with who and what you are, and loving who and what you are."

Watch the interview below. McGillis and Corday touch on being gay at about the seven-minute mark. (watch)

hilarious

Conservatives Go Teabagging

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

EXCLUSIVE PIC: Clinton and Obama, in the Sandbox Again

Another busy day at the White House: First Lady Michelle Obama hosted students from Bancroft High School in Washington, who helped her plant and water the brand-new White House garden. She and Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack spoke to the students about the healthy fruits and veggies that would grow there. “It’s all brain food,” Obama said. She cheered the kids for bringing good weather and then sent them (and the press) home with cookies.

The weather was so nice in fact, that, after President Obama received his economic briefing and met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates in the Oval Office, the POTUS and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decided to hold their 4:15 meeting out behind the White House—next to the swing set installed for the Obama girls in March.

Striding out from the West Wing, the two seemed thick as thieves—smiling, Secretary Clinton casually swung her leg over the bench on the east side of the playground, and the president grinned and waved to gawking reporters and staff as he sat down across from her. After all, it was just a year ago that Clinton could be seen crying, "Shame on you, Barack Obama."

This is the first meeting of the two former rivals since Obama returned from Turkey and Iraq.

—DAYO OLOPADE

Vermont Legislature overturns governor's veto of marriage bill

GAY & LESBIAN LEADERSHIP SMARTBRIEF | 04/07/2009
Vermont's gay and lesbian couples can marry, after the Legislature today overrode Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill converting its civil-union system to marriage. The state Senate voted 23-5 in favor of the override, and the House voted 100-49. Vermont is now the fourth state in the U.S. to legalize marriage for all couples and the first to do so by a vote of the Legislature. Google (04/07) Reuters (04/07)

'Simpsons' stamps to hit post offices (d'oh!)

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Homer Simpson and his cartoon family soon will help you get letters, bills and packages to their destinations.

Homer Simpson is one of the "Simpsons" characters that will appear on a stamp.

On Thursday, the U.S. Postal Service revealed five first-class stamps featuring characters from the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" -- Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie -- that will hit a post office near you May 7.

"This is the biggest and most adhesive honor 'The Simpsons' has ever received," creator Matt Groening said.

The TV show, the longest running prime-time sitcom, was chosen from about 50,000 stamp subject suggestions submitted last year, the Postal Service said.

"We are emotionally moved by the Postal Service selecting us rather than making the lazy choice of someone who has benefited society," said"Simpsons" producer James L. Brooks.

Bart Simpson, who is known to collect stamps, "will serve as a great opportunity to interest youngsters into stamp collecting," said David Failor, executive director of stamp services for the Postal Service.

Failor added, "eyebrow-raising to say the least, this witty, well-written pop icon continues to irreverently satire its parody of a middle-class family as it lampoons American culture."

The new stamps can been seen and pre-ordered at USPS.com.

Iowa Court Says Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional

Iowa Supreme Court says state's same-sex marriage ban violates gays' constitutional rights

By AMY LORENTZEN
The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa

The Iowa Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling Friday finding that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples, making Iowa the third state where marriage will be legal.

In its decision, the court upheld a 2007 district court judge's ruling that the law violates the state constitution. It strikes the language from Iowa code limiting marriage to only between a man a woman.

"The court reaffirmed that a statute inconsistent with the Iowa constitution must be declared void even though it may be supported by strong and deep-seated traditional beliefs and popular opinion," said a summary of the ruling issued by the court.

The ruling set off celebration among the state's gay-marriage proponents.

"Iowa is about justice, and that's what happened here today," said Laura Fefchak, who was hosting a verdict party in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale with partner of 13 years, Nancy Robinson.

Robinson added: "To tell the truth, I didn't think I'd see this day."

Richard Socarides, an attorney and former senior adviser on gay rights to President Clinton, said the ruling carries extra significance coming from Iowa.

"It's a big win because, coming from Iowa, it represents the mainstreaming of gay marriage. And it shows that despite attempts stop gay marriage through right wing ballot initiatives, like in California, the courts will continue to support the case for equal rights for gays," he said.

Court rules dictate that the decision will take about 21 days to be considered final, and a request for a rehearing could be filed within that period. That means it will be at least several weeks before gay and lesbian couples can seek marriage licenses.

Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said the county attorney's office will not ask for a rehearing, meaning the court's decision should take effect after that three-week period.

The case has been working its way through Iowa's court system since 2005 when Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay rights organization, filed a lawsuit on behalf of six gay and lesbian Iowa couples who were denied marriage licenses. Some of their children are also listed as plaintiffs.

The suit named then-Polk County recorder and registrar Timothy Brien.

The state Supreme Court's ruling upheld an August 2007 decision by Polk County District Court Judge Robert Hanson, who found that a state law allowing marriage only between a man and a woman violates the constitutional rights of equal protection.

The Polk County attorney's office, arguing on behalf of Brien, claimed that Hanson's ruling violates the separation of powers and said the issue should be left to the Legislature.

Lambda Legal scheduled a news conference for early Friday to comment on the ruling. A request for comment from the Polk County attorney's office wasn't immediately returned.

Around the nation, only Massachusetts and Connecticut permit same-sex marriage. California, which briefly allowed gay marriage before a voter initiative in November repealed it, allows domestic partnerships.

New Jersey and New Hampshire also offer civil unions, which provide many of the same rights that come with marriage. New York recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, and legislators there and in New Jersey are weighing whether to offer marriage. A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont has cleared the Legislature but may be vetoed by the governor.

The ruling in Iowa's same-sex marriage case came more quickly than many observers had anticipated, with some speculating after oral arguments that it could take a year or more for a decision.