Beneath the canopy of moon and stars
Two tiny people sit, for now together.
Love binds them, they would like to hope, forever;
But there is much that such a union bars.

Heaven is so vast; the Earth so small,
Yet large enough to stretch a great love thin.
For love to flourish, it must turn within:
To the single soul that unifies us all.

Within this soul the walls of fear dissolve:
Distance, difference, history are no more.
The holy silence stills the sounds of war.
We love as round us miracles revolve.

We know we cannot live within this shell
Of heaven both above us and below.
Day by every day the world we know
Will guarantee we recognize it well.

Yet there are truths far greater than the sun,
Beyond the blanket blue of every day.
In love's dark longings, we will find a way
To make our human separateness one.

Ellen and John Mayer “Just Dance”

John Mayer and Ellen sang Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" in the bathroom on Ellen's show on February 9. Here's the clip:

LOSE WEIGHT, WIN IN BED Dropping even a few pounds improves sexual health and satisfaction Researchers have found that losing weight doesn’t just improve the health qualities of sex—increasing sperm count and fertility—but can also biologically improve sexual satisfaction. Makes sense: A smaller waistline means more testosterone. And if the weight loss coincides with a fat-blasting workout program like Belly Off!, the increase in cardiovascular function means more bloodflow—which means you’re ready more often. (And if you’re building these muscles—the ones you’ll need for longer, stronger sex—the fitness is doing double-duty.) Start your weight-loss crusade small: Make simple changes that save big calories with Eat This, Not That! Use this guide to cut 300 calories from tonight’s dinner. Add this 10-minute fat-blasting bodyweight circuit to your morning routine. And use tips from our Belly Off! guys to get motivated and flip the switch that will start fat melting, fast. If you’ve been struggling to trim your waist this year, your sleep schedule could be the culprit. Use this guide to improve your slumber. You’ll enjoy your nightly sack time more; and with the weight-loss benefits, you might enjoy your other bedtime activities more—and more often.

Will Schwarzenegger Kill Milk Day... Again?

Riding a wave of excitement created from his Oscar win for portraying Harvey Milk, actor Sean Penn is trying to build support for a piece of California legislation that would recognize May 22, Milk’s birthday, as Harvey Milk Day. At a press conference at San Francisco's Tosca Café, Penn said "Harvey taught us the importance of standing up for what you believe in. He showed us the value of never giving up, and he proved that action creates change."

A similar bill passed by lawmakers last year sought to designate the date as a day of “special significance” which would encourage public schools and other educational institutions to hold uniquely themed programs. This differs from an official state holiday, when government offices are closed and state employees get the day off. The bill was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He stated in his veto message “I respect the author's intent to designate May 22nd as 'Harvey Milk Day' and a day of special significance for California public schools and educational institutions to honor Harvey Milk as an important community leader and public official in the city and county of San Francisco. However, I believe his contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level by those who were most impacted by his contributions.”

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SPRING FORWARD THIS SUNDAY
One less hour of sleep translates to 8 months of extended daylight


This Sunday marks the beginning of daylight saving time—when clocks spring forward and Americans are cheated out of an hour of quality sleep. But adjusting your clock may result in more than just a groggy Monday. It can influence everything from your morning commute to your risk of prostate cancer.

So before you spring forward this Sunday, here’s a look at the bright side of the displaced hour.

A safer drive: People are safer on the roads when it’s light outside, and numerous studies have linked DST with reduced car accidents. In fact, one study found that if we stuck to DST year-round, we would prevent about 195 deaths of car riders and about 171 pedestrian fatalities annually.

An outdoor workout: The added hour of daylight means you have more time to fit in an outdoor workout. Hit the pavement, go for a bike ride, or add 30 yards to your drive—it’ll be a lot easier to squeeze in 18 holes before dinner now.

A cancer-fighting boost: Increased exposure to sunlight can also boost vitamin D, which not only helps our bodies use calcium and is crucial to bone strength, but low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and prostate cancer.

A reason to visit Hawaii: If all of the above aren’t enough for you to welcome DST, pack your bags and head to Hawaii. Along with Arizona, the Aloha State doesn’t shift the clock.

As the California Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on a slew of legal challenges to Prop 8 -- the gay marriage ban passed by voters in November of last year -- we decided to ask Lambda Legal's Marriage Project Director, Jenny Pizer, about the history of California's marriage equality struggle, the challenges of arguing before the Supreme Court in the wake of the election, and whether she can predict what the Court will rule.

Can you give us a quick history lesson on the same-sex-marriage struggle in California?

The work in California started back in the early 1990s in terms of community organizing around marriage. From '96 to '99 there were fights in the state legislature, when [then state senator] Pete Knight was trying to change our family code to deny respect to couples' marriages from other places, but he kept failing. He got stopped in the legislature three years in a row. He then brought Proposition 22 to the voters in March of 2000, and the initiative statute was passed to deny respect to [same-sex] marriages from other states.

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