Ark. Judge Accused of Inappropriate Behavior With Male Defendants

Ark. Judge Accused of Inappropriate Behavior With Male Defendants

Cross County, Ark., Judge Joseph Boeckmann has some serious explaining to do after being accused of pressuring men to have sex with him in exchange for dismissals of charges or reductions in court fines and charges.

Boeckmann has 30 days to respond to the charges, announced Tuesday by the state’s Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, and will be allowed a hearing on the matter, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. It will be difficult to remove the judge — if the charges are indeed proved true — unless the state Supreme Court gets involved, as the commission does not have the authority to suspend him.

On the bench since 2009, Boeckmann is accused of using his position to seek out “young Caucasian male litigants.” He would allegedly tell offenders to perform “substitutionary sentences” that involved chores at his home. Boeckmann is accused of photographing the men’s buttocks as well as soliciting some of them for sex and relationships. 

On top of all this, the judge has been accused of having child pornography on his computer — the state Cyber Crimes Unit is investigating.

Neal Broverman

www.advocate.com/crime/2015/11/18/ark-judge-accused-inappropriate-behavior-male-defendants

10 Reasons To Make Sex With Your Spouse A Daily Ritual

10 Reasons To Make Sex With Your Spouse A Daily Ritual

These days, everyone’s to-do list is a mile long. Trying to squeeze sex into an already tight schedule seems next-to-impossible sometimes.

But for married couples who get it on regularly, the payoff can be substantial. We recently asked a group of sexperts to tell us the benefits of having sex with your spouse on a near-daily basis. Read what they had to say below: 

1. It sparks your bedroom creativity. 

“Having sex every day can get you and your partner out of whatever sexual rut or routine you may have fallen into, and can spark more experimentation as well as more direct conversations about what works and what doesn’t,” psychologist and dating coach Samantha Rodman told The Huffington Post. “After all, you’re not going to want to do the exact same thing seven nights a week.” 

2. It’s a way for you to connect — just the two of you. 

“As our lives become increasingly busy (kids! career! Netflix binges!), it has become vital that my husband and I find ways to commune with one another,” marriage blogger Meg Conley said. “There are many ways to do this — reading together, holding hands on walks, date nights, intellectually stimulating conversations. I do have to say, though, there is something special, electric — transcendent even! — about the time we set aside for physical intimacy. It recharges us individually, and as a couple, in a way that no amount of reading Faulkner aloud to each other ever has.”

3. It’s a reminder that you’re lovers first. Everything else is secondary.

“Having a daily ritual of erotic connection — whether it be making out, telling each other your fantasies or having sex — will keep your life more fun and playful,” sex expert Danielle Harel told HuffPost. “It also creates a sense that you are adults on the same team as opposed to just being parents or business people or all of the other identities that can take over sometimes.” 

4. It can reinvigorate your marriage.

“You might be afraid that a regular, daily date for sex will mean that your love life isn’t spontaneous, or that it will lose its romantic edge,” Tammy Nelson, sex therapist and the author of Getting the Sex You Want, said. “On the contrary, daily sex can actually create more romance in your relationship. When you show up for one another every night, even when you don’t feel like it, when you are tired or there is something great on TV, it shows your partner that you are committed to your relationship and to your intimate life together.” 

5. Orgasms. Need we say more?

“Sign me up for that every day,” Conley said.

6. It gives you something to look forward to after a long day. 

“Sex can become a respite from the demands of work, kids and life in general,” Rodman told HuffPost. “If you know you’re going to have sex every day, you can look forward to it as a time when you know you can reconnect with your partner without anything else around to distract you.” 

7. And remember — there are lots of ways to get your freak on. 

“Making love as a daily ritual is a daily affirmation of your unique bond and ongoing romance,” professor of sociology and certified sexologist Pepper Schwartz said. “It doesn’t have to be full-blown, soup-to-nuts sex — kissing more than just hello or goodbye, or giving each other a sensual massage or teasing each other before you turn off the lights or while you are cleaning up for the night, fills each each day with pleasure and intimate connection. ” 

8. It’s an easy way to inject some fun back into your life. 

“I spend a lot of time doing the things I have to do — appointments, deadlines, chores, grocery shopping with angry toddlers,” Conley said. “Sex with my husband is something I GET to do. With the person I love most. Who loves me up ten pounds, down ten pounds, or whatever other ridiculous thing my crazy insecurities are messaging me about at any given time.” 

9. Variety is the spice of life. 

“There are different types of sex: emotional sex that is lovemaking, sex as a form of stress relief, sex that’s all about fantasy and creativity and sex that appeals to different sensual pathways like sight, sound, touch, taste and smell,” sex therapist and New York Times bestselling author Ian Kerner said. “Like the food pyramid, indulge in all of these ‘sex groups’ to have a nutritionally balanced sex life.”  

10. That sex-induced brain chemistry is some powerful stuff. 

“When we have sex with our partner we are releasing chemicals in our bodies that make us feel good like dopamine, testosterone, oxytocin and endorphins,” Nelson told HuffPost. “When they are released, a sense of well-being and even euphoria are created.”

Also on HuffPost: 

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.



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Trailer for Zoolander 2 called transphobic by some – petition launched

Trailer for Zoolander 2 called transphobic by some – petition launched

Ben Stiller directed, co-wrote and stars in Zoolander 2

Zoolander 2 isn’t hitting US theaters until February but already it is running afoul with some people.

A trailer for the sequel starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson debuted on Wednesday (18 November) and features an androgynous character played by Benedict Cumberbatch.

The character is asked by Zoolander (Stiller) and Hansel (Wilson) if he is a ‘male or female model’ and if they ‘have a hot dog or a bun.’

A petition calling for a boycott of the film was launched quickly after the trailer was unveiled.

It states: ‘Cumberbatch’s character is clearly portrayed as an over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals. This is the modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority.’

The petition also states: ‘If the producers and screenwriters of Zoolander wanted to provide social commentary on the presence of trans/androgyne individuals in the fashion industry, they could have approached models like Andreja Pejic to be in the film. By hiring a cis actor to play a non-binary individual in a clearly negative way, they film endorses harmful and dangerous perceptions of the queer community at large.’

It is the sequel to the 2001 film Zoolander stars Stiller, Wilson, Cumberbatch, Penélope Cruz, Christine Taylor, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell.

The post Trailer for Zoolander 2 called transphobic by some – petition launched appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/trailer-for-zoolander-2-called-transphobic-by-some-petition-launched/

Ted Cruz Challenges Obama to Debate: ‘Insult Me To My Face’ – WATCH

Ted Cruz Challenges Obama to Debate: ‘Insult Me To My Face’ – WATCH

Ted Cruz Insult Me to My face

Republican Presidential candidate Ted Cruz got direct and in President Obama’s face on camera today in response to Obama’s remarks about GOP reaction to Syrian refugees.

Said Cruz, staring down the lens:

“It is utterly unbefitting of the president to be engaging in those kind of personal insults and attacks…He talked about how he was belittling the Republican field as scared. Well let me suggest something: Mr. President, if you want to insult me, you can do it overseas, you can do it in Turkey, you can do it in foreign countries, but I would encourage you, mister president, come back and insult me to my face. Let’s have a debate on Syrian refugees, RIGHT NOW. We can do it wherever you want.”

Watch:

Obama’s remarks, made yesterday in the Philippines:

“We are not well served when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic. We don’t make good decisions if it’s based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks.

“When individuals say we should have a religious test and that only Christians, proven Christians should be admitted, that’s offensive.

“I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for Isil [Isis] than some of the rhetoric that’s been coming out of here during the course of this debate.

“Isil seeks to exploit the idea that there’s war between Islam and the west, and when you see individuals in positions of responsibility suggesting Christians are more worthy of protection than Muslims are in a war-torn land, that feeds the Isil narrative. It’s counter-productive. And it needs to stop.

“And I would add, these are the same folks who suggested they’re so tough that just ‘talk to Putin’ or staring down Isil [will work] … but they are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America as part of our tradition of compassion. At first they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates. Now they are scared of three-year-old orphans. That doesn’t seem so tough to me.”

The post Ted Cruz Challenges Obama to Debate: ‘Insult Me To My Face’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.


Andy Towle

Ted Cruz Challenges Obama to Debate: ‘Insult Me To My Face’ – WATCH

Top 10 Gay Apps Ranked by Customer Satisfaction Ratings

Top 10 Gay Apps Ranked by Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Once you’ve decided to use a gay dating or hookup app it can be tough to figure out which ones to use. Typically, most guys ask their friends or do a little bit of research. The problem with getting advice from friends or online critiques is that they basically amount to anecdotes.

Is there a better way? Yes. Go to each app’s page on the IOS or Android platforms and see what actual customers have to say. The only problem with this approach is that it’s REALLY time consuming. And you could go cross-eyed trying to keep the data straight. That’s why our team put together the first list of gay apps ranked by the millions of people who’ve rated them on IOS and Android.

Our methodology: We went to each app’s page on the IOS and Android platforms and got two pieces of data–average ratings and the # of reviews. Then we developed a weighted average between the two platforms (there are WAY more gay app users on Android than IOS and the differences in opinion were sometimes startling).

The result? The first Top 10 List Of Gay Apps Ranked By Customer Satisfaction Reviews. Take a look:

App                     Weighted Average Ratings                         # of Reviews
#1 Jack’d                     4.1                                                            127,856

 #2 Hornet                      4.1                                                            96,585

#3 Scruff                      4.1                                                              68,458

 #4 Growlr                      4.1                                                              32,112

 #5 Tinder                     4.0                                                             1,522,854

#6 Mr X                     3.8                                                             4,218

 #7 Gay.com                     3.8                                                            2,669

#8 Daddyhunt                     3.7                                                            996

#9 GrindR                     3.6                                                            252,765

#10 Adam4Adam                     2.4                                                            3,058

Notice that there is actually a 4-way tie for first place, but we subscribe to the “theory of large numbers” which states that data stability can only be achieved with large numbers. Hence, the 4.1 average rating that Jack’d got is more “stable” than the 4.1 that GrowlR got because it has triple the number of reviews. Therefore, we ranked it accordingly.

What you see on this page is the total number of reviews and the weighted average between IOS and Android. Click on our gay dating apps reviews page to see the ratings differences between iPhone and Android users.

Michael Alvear is the founder of grabhim.net and the mindful eating blog, Eat It Later.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.



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Kentucky governor says marriage licenses altered by Kim Davis should be legally valid

Kentucky governor says marriage licenses altered by Kim Davis should be legally valid

The outgoing Kentucky governor has wanted Kim Davis to simply do her job.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has told a judge that he believes marriage licenses altered by same-sex marriage foe Kim Davis should be legally valid.

Davis is the Rowan County Clerk who made headlines for months after she refused to issue marriage licenses to any couples after the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was now legal in all 50 states.

After serving six days in a Kentucky jail for defying US District Judge David Bunning’s order that she issue the licenses, Davis returned to work and altered the licenses so that her name did not appear on them.

‘While the altered licenses issued by the Rowan County clerk’s office do not fully comply with the statute, such deviation does not necessarily render the licenses ineffective or the marriages solemnized pursuant to said licenses invalid,’ wrote Palmer Vance II, an attorney representing Beshear in a lawsuit filed against Davis by couples seeking marriage licenses.

The couples want Bunning to order Davis to return the marriage licenses issued by her office to their original format because she has  created ‘a two-tier system of marriage licenses.’

Bunning has not yet responded to this latest legal request by the couples but he has yet to rule in Davis’ favor in a series of earlier decisions.

Beshear, who leaves office in December, has said that Davis should do her job  – which includes issuing marriage licenses – or resign.

His successor, Republican Governor-elect Matt Bevin,  has vowed to take the county clerk’s office out of the marriage license business overall and have them handled by a state agency, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The post Kentucky governor says marriage licenses altered by Kim Davis should be legally valid appeared first on Gay Star News.

Greg Hernandez

www.gaystarnews.com/article/kentucky-governor-says-marriage-licenses-altered-by-kim-davis-should-be-legally-valid/

Walmart Overwhelmed By Demand For Patti LaBelle Pies, Orders 2 Million More Pounds Of Sweet Potatoes To Keep Up

Walmart Overwhelmed By Demand For Patti LaBelle Pies, Orders 2 Million More Pounds Of Sweet Potatoes To Keep Up

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Pie enthusiasts across the country, this writer included, have been scrambling to their local Walmart stores in hopes of getting their hands on one of Patti LaBelle‘s signature Sweet Potato Pies only to find shelves bare.

The mad rush came after a man named James Wright Chanel posted a video of himself to Facebook “singing just like Patti” after taking just one bite. The video quickly went viral, garnering nearly 10 million views in a week and prompting LaBelle herself to issue a response thanking him for the kind review. And, as a result, the pies sold out. Fast.

Related: This Guy’s Stunning Review Of The Patti LaBelle Pie Should Be Required Viewing

In a statement released this week, a spokesperson for Walmart said the pies have been flying off the shelves at “a rate of one per second during the 72 hour period from Thursday through Saturday.”

At just $3.48 a pop, that means the company made almost $1 million off the pies last weekend alone.

The company also said the pie’s page at Walmart.com has become the most visited one on the site, and searches for pie have been second only to searches for turkeys.

Related: Patti LaBelle Thought Neil Patrick Harris As Hedwig Was Just An Ugly Woman

Meanwhile, scalpers have begun selling the pies on Ebay for as much as $40 each, nearly 12 times the original price.

But good news for anyone who doesn’t want to shell out $40 for a pastry valued at under $4. Walmart says it’s doing its best to keep up with the demand, estimating it will need at least two million more pounds of California sweet potatoes to do so. Luckily, the company was able to put a rush order on the potatoes and expects to have more pies on its shelves by the weekend.

Phew!

Related: Aretha Franklin Throws Legendary Shade At Patti Labelle During White House Visit

h/t: USA Today

Graham Gremore

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/qqHLQevCj2M/walmart-overwhelmed-by-demand-for-patti-labelle-pies-orders-2-million-more-pounds-of-sweet-potatoes-to-keep-up-20151118

Wednesday Night News Feed: The Hemsworths, Turing Pharmaceuticals, FOX News Shade, Jake Shears

Wednesday Night News Feed: The Hemsworths, Turing Pharmaceuticals, FOX News Shade, Jake Shears

6a00d8341c730253ef01bb082a9a9d970d-800wiEYE CANDY. Rest assured, Melissa McCarthy confirms that Chris Hemsworth is pretty much shirtless the entire time in the new Ghostbusters movie.

OTHER BROTHER HEMSWORTH. Liam Hemsworth prefers to sleep almost nude. But not entirely nude? “To be honest, I don’t wear a lot when I go to sleep. I mean, exactly that. Not a lot. Very little. I just like to be free.”

CENTRAL AMERICA. Honduras detains 5 Syrians heading for U.S. with stolen Greek passports: “The group of Syrian men was held late on Tuesday in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on arrival from Costa Rica and they were planning to head to the border with neighboring Guatemala. The passports had been doctored to replace the photographs with those of the Syrians, police said.”

DUGGAR TIME. Adult film star Danica Dillon is suing Josh Duggar for assault and battery“As a direct result of Defendant’s actions, Plaintiff has suffered serious emotional and physical damages. She is currently being treated by a psychiatrist for severe anxiety, similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”), and has suffered physical injuries as well. Further, Plaintiff has been unable to work in her chosen field as a direct consequence of Defendant’s actions.”

MUSIC. Elton John releases new music video for his track “Looking Up” off of his forthcoming album “Wonderful Crazy Night.”

KARMA. Turing Pharmaceuticals, the company whose CEO Martin Shkreli hiked the price of a drug used to treat patients with HIV/AIDS by 5000%, lost big last quarter: “Last week, Turning released its financial results for the third quarter. The company lost nearly $15 million across those three months, a total of $14.59 million. ‘We are very excited about the potential for Turing’s pipeline of new drug candidates to help patients in need of better medications,’ Shkreli said.”

WITCHCRAFT. Bette Midler says there will be no Hocus Pocus 2.

POLITICS. President Obama has some fighting words for Republicans opposed to letting in Syrian refugees into the United States: “We are not well served when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic. We don’t make good decisions if it’s based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks. When individuals say we should have a religious test, and that only Christians, proven Christians, should be admitted, that’s offensive. I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for ISIL than some of the rhetoric that’s been coming out of here in the course of this debate. ISIL seeks to exploit the idea that there’s war between Islam and the West, and when you start seeing individuals in positions of responsibility suggesting Christians are more worthy of protection than Muslims who are in a war-torn land, that feeds the ISIL narrative. It’s counterproductive. And it needs to stop.”

MOVIES. Emily Blunt joins Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth in first trailer for The Huntsman: Winter’s War.

WATCH AND LEARN. This is how you throw shade at FOX News.

PINOT NOIR. Tina Fey discusses her gay characters: “I know people like Titus. If a person exists, it’s fair game,” Fey said. “I try to base everything in some kind of truth.” As for the criticism, she added, “I don’t worry about what the Internet says. Getting in trouble with the Internet is not real. The Internet is not a force you have to obey.”

TRANS AWARENESS WEEK. Congressional forum focuses on anti-trans violence: “The two-and-a-half-hour long, two-panel event touched on a range of trans issues, but the murders of at least 21 trans people in 2015 alone was the primary focus of discussion for lawmakers and trans advocates who testified.”

WORLD. Over 30 killed in Nigeria in terror attack orchestrated by Boko Haram: “At least 32 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in a blast at a market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Yola, the Red Cross and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said. The explosion occurred at a fruit and vegetable market beside a main road in the Jimeta area of Adamawa’s state capital on Tuesday night. The area, also housing a live stock market, was crowded with shoppers.”

INSTAGRAM. More Hump Day hotness courtesy of Jake Shears.

Instagram Photo

The post Wednesday Night News Feed: The Hemsworths, Turing Pharmaceuticals, FOX News Shade, Jake Shears appeared first on Towleroad.


Sean Mandell

Wednesday Night News Feed: The Hemsworths, Turing Pharmaceuticals, FOX News Shade, Jake Shears