Shelly Simonds, Roy Moore, Ian McKellen, Mar-a-Lago, The Voice, Paul Ryan, Jared Kushner, Lil Peep: HOT LINKS

ALABAMA. Roy Moore still hasn’t conceded despite the fact that numbers are against him: “Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill announced Wednesday that a total of 366 military ballots were returned from overseas and 4,967 provisional ballots were cast. That is short of the 20,000-vote deficit that Moore needs to close.”

IAN MCKELLEN. Gandalf reveals the three letters he says women used to write on headshots that were code to directors for, ‘I’ll have sex with you.’

EVERY VOTE MATTERS. Virginia Democrat Shelly Simonds wins House of Delegates seat by ONE vote. But WAIT….late breaking…it’s a tie?

BULLYING THE PRESS. “You need the prayer more than I do, I think. You may be the only ones.”

Pres. Trump offers to allow reporters to stay for Ben Carson’s prayer: “You need the prayer more than I do, I think. You may be the only ones.” t.co/CFdzczE0fE pic.twitter.com/33To4DShvc

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 20, 2017

MAR-A-LAGO. Ticket prices rise for New Year’s Eve event. “Ticket prices for the annual Dec. 31 bash at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida are going up to $600 for dues-paying members and $750 for their guests, according to members of the private Palm Beach club. Last year’s tickets went for $525 for members and $575 for guests.”

ON THAT NOTE: Like Your New Year’s Eve Cozy? Wild? Indulgent? Reflective? No Place Like Provincetown.

FANTASY WORLD. Savannah Guthrie confrots Paul Ryan over the GOP tax bill.

“Are you living in a fantasy world?” – @SavannahGuthrie asks House Speaker Paul Ryan the morning after the Senate passed the GOP tax bill. pic.twitter.com/uu8frcPNdC

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 20, 2017

INDONESIA AND GAY MEN. It doesn’t get better, does it: “This week, prosecutors notified Mr. Handoko’s family that he had been sentenced in absentia to two years and three months in prison, convicted of violating Indonesia’s antipornography law, which includes a ban on striptease performances.

THE WINNER. Of Season 13 of The Voice….

JARED KUSHNER. Chris Christie says he deserves investigation. “I’m telling you that he deserves the scrutiny, you know why? Because he was involved in the transition and involved in meetings that call into question his role.”

“(Jared Kushner) deserves the scrutiny .. He was involved in the transition and involved in meetings that call into question his role” – Chris Christie tells @NicolleDWallace on #DeadlineWH pic.twitter.com/2b9Lnqm5GL

— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) December 19, 2017

THE NEST. Workers at Shanghai’s stadium accused of assaulting LGBT person: “I am investigating… it originates from one of our service managers following a customer into the ladies washroom on the misunderstanding that it was a man going into the wrong washroom (which CAN happen). The two stories diverge significantly. But my service manager shows evidence of physical beating. Regardless, I am sure that anyone that knows The Nest or our team or me… will know that there was no way that any of this unfortunate incident was fueled towards the LGBTQ community… we embrace all… and have members of this community amongst our team, our families, and our guests every night.”

CAT PISS. Strange smell detected in Wilmington, North Carolina.

DUNSTABLE, UK. Footballer’s wife “glassed” man in violent pub attack after calling him “gay.” “She left her husband to watch the Euro 2016 match between Germany and Italy while she went to a pub, the White Swan in Dunstable, with a friend. A hearing at Luton Crown Court was told that inside the pub she began “bantering” with the victim, Matt Deanus, accusing him of being gay. When he responded by saying he would show her how gay he was, she threw her wine over him and violence ensued, the court heard.”

MERRY XMAS. Elton John had an intimate holiday lunch with his office.

POSTHUMOUS VIDEO OF THE DAY. Lil Peep “Save That Sh*t”

SINGING COCKATIEL OF THE DAY. Cockatiel imitates iPhone ringtone but can’t stand the sound of its own voice.

HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Cyril Kazim.

The post Shelly Simonds, Roy Moore, Ian McKellen, Mar-a-Lago, The Voice, Paul Ryan, Jared Kushner, Lil Peep: HOT LINKS appeared first on Towleroad.

Shelly Simonds, Roy Moore, Ian McKellen, Mar-a-Lago, The Voice, Paul Ryan, Jared Kushner, Lil Peep: HOT LINKS

Daily Serving Of Kale, Spinach Or Lettuce Could Slow Brain Ageing By Decade, Study Finds

If you’re yet to do your Christmas food shop, make sure you basket is full of greens.

A serving of green, leafy vegetables a day – such as spinach, kale or lettuce – has been linked to a younger brain, a new study has revealed.

People who ate at least one serving a day had a slower rate of decline on tests of memory and thinking skills than those who rarely ate the vegetables.

The difference between them was the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age, study author Martha Clare Morris, from Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago, said. 

The study involved 960 people with an average age of 81 who did not have dementia and were followed for almost five years.

The participants completed a questionnaire about how often they ate certain foods and had their thinking and memory skills tested every year during that time.

The questionnaire asked how often and how many servings people ate of three green, leafy vegetables: spinach, with a serving being a half cup of cooked spinach; kale/collards/greens, half a cup and cooked; and lettuce salad, with a serving of one cup raw.

The participants were divided into five groups based on how often they ate green, leafy vegetables. The people in the top serving group ate an average of 1.3 servings per day, while those in the lowest serving group ate on average 0.1 servings per day.

The participants’ scores on the thinking and memory tests declined over time. Over 10 years of follow-up, the rate of decline for those who ate the most
leafy greens was slower than the rate for those who ate the least leafy
greens. This difference was equivalent to being 11 years younger in age.

The results remained valid after accounting for other factors that could affect brain health such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, education level and amount of physical and cognitive activities.

Morris noted that the study cannot rule out other possible reasons for the link between vegetable intake and brain ageing. Additionally, the results may not apply to younger adults and people of colour, as the majority of adults surveyed were older and white.

She concluded: “Adding a daily serving of green, leafy vegetables to your diet may be a simple way to foster your brain health.

“Projections show sharp increases in the percentage of people with dementia as the oldest age groups continue to grow in number, so effective strategies to prevent dementia are critical.”

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/leafy-green-vegetables-linked-to-slower-brain-ageing_uk_5a3a77bce4b0b0e5a79ecb1f

HRC Literally Projects Trump’s Hate Back on Him

www.advocate.com/politics/2017/12/20/hrc-literally-projects-trumps-hate-back-him

“Family values” Texas lawmaker accused of raping underage boy
He’s been dubbed the “worst kept secret in Houston.”

www.queerty.com/family-values-texas-lawmaker-accused-raping-underage-boy-20171220?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Kentucky Judge Who Refused Gay Adoption Cases Removed From Office: VIDEO

A Kentucky judge who refused to preside over adoption cases involving gay parents has been reprimanded and removed from office.

In April, Judge W. Mitchell Nance preemptively recused himself from gay adoption cases, arguing that “under no circumstance” would “the best interest of the child be promoted by the adoption by a practicing homosexual.”

Former Judge W. Mitchell Nance was publicly reprimanded Tuesday by the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission. t.co/g2Z8LOqIrk

— WKYT (@WKYT) December 19, 2017

The Family Foundation of Kentucky offered its support to Nance at the time, noting that “when adoption agencies abandon the idea that it is in the best interest of a child to grow up with both a mother and a father, people can’t expect judges who do believe that to be forced to bow the knee.”

RELATED: Anti-Gay Texas Adoption Bill Would Also Ban Jewish, Muslim and Interfaith Couples

However, LEX18 reports that the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission found that the former judge had acted based on personal bias and convictions. Nance responded by tendering his resignation based on his religious beliefs and convictions.

Although procedures required that Nance be removed from office, he had already offered his resignation which was due to be finalized last week.

According to the Courier Journal, the order noted that “due to Respondent’s retirement, a public reprimand is warranted, and is the only public sanction available.”

Watch a report on the case from earlier this year below.

(Image: Screenshot via YouTube)

The post Kentucky Judge Who Refused Gay Adoption Cases Removed From Office: VIDEO appeared first on Towleroad.

Kentucky Judge Who Refused Gay Adoption Cases Removed From Office: VIDEO

Shhh! Convicted gay basher Kathryn Knott doesn’t want anyone to know she’s engaged to be married
The wedding will be held on June 1, 2018. The couple is registered at Macy’s.

www.queerty.com/shhh-convicted-gay-basher-kathryn-knott-doesnt-want-anyone-know-shes-engaged-married-20171220?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

Lisa Kudrow Shimmies into the ‘Season 4’ Trailer for ‘Grace and Frankie’ – WATCH

The Season 4 trailer for the Netflix show Grace and Frankie starring Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda has landed and Lisa Kudrow has arrived on the scene as Grace’s manicurist Sheree.

New developments in the 13-episode season include a rough patch for Sol and Robert, a brush with the law for Grace and Frankie, a “crap knee” that plays another guest role, water damage and dating.

Watch:

The post Lisa Kudrow Shimmies into the ‘Season 4’ Trailer for ‘Grace and Frankie’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

Lisa Kudrow Shimmies into the ‘Season 4’ Trailer for ‘Grace and Frankie’ – WATCH