In a giant step toward equality today, a federal appeals court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional.

The decision was clear: the law treats same-sex couples as second-class citizens – and that’s a violation of fundamental rights.

But despite losing over and over again in court, House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor are still planning to fight for DOMA all the way to the Supreme Court, if need be – dumping millions of taxpayer dollars into defending discrimination.

DOMA hurts our families. But Boehner and Cantor won’t focus on repealing DOMA instead of continuing to defend it unless we rally right now – their decision to appeal today’s ruling could come any hour, so we don’t have much time to act.

Tell Boehner and Cantor: Not another taxpayer cent to attack the rights of loving same-sex couples.

President Obama ordered the Department of Justice to stop defending the DOMA case in court over a year ago. His leadership was critical to the progress we have made.

But Boehner and Cantor, reacting to the anti-LGBT fringe of their party, stepped in to use House resources – our taxpayer dollars – to make sure this terrible law was defended.

Even in a time when our federal budget is already strapped, they have committed up to $1.5 million taxpayer dollars to fight for this outdated law – and as this and other cases challenging DOMA continue, we could be looking at millions more.

The anti-gay House Republican leadership needs see the writing on the wall. Already a vast majority of Americans oppose DOMA and want it repealed. The House already has a bill before it – the Respect for Marriage Act – which would get rid of DOMA’s discrimination once and for all.

Discrimination shouldn’t be the law. It’s that simple. Tell Boehner and Cantor to repeal DOMA, not defend it.

This ruling marks a critical juncture in the battle for marriage equality. With enough voices speaking out, Boehner and Cantor will have no choice but to consider the cost of their continued defense of DOMA.

With continued pressure and hard work, we can make DOMA a thing of the past.

Someone who is drowning doesn’t usually flail about and scream for help. Many children who drown do so in the presence of others who never noticed.

Instinctive Drowning Response is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water.  And it does not look like most people expect.  There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind.

Drowning is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.  In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC).

Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. Th e respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experience aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in there own rescue.  They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

Head low in the water, mouth at water level
Head tilted back with mouth open
Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
Eyes closed
Hair over forehead or eyes
Not using legs – Vertical
Hyperventilating or gasping
Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
Trying to roll over on the back
Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are.  If they return  a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them.  And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling
by Jonathan Snowden
Expected publication: June 1st 2012 by ECW Press

Received Advanced Copy for free through Goodreads First Reads

From William Muldoon to Brock Lesnar, this history covers those who have divided themselves as tough guys on the professional wrestling circuit and legitimate confrontations. From catch wrestling master Billy Robinson to the Japanese professional wrestler who gave birth to the global phenomenon that is modern mixed martial arts (MMA), this investigation travels from the shadowy carnival tent and the dingy training hall to the bright lights of the squared circle and the Las Vegas glitz of the octagon. Billy Riley’s legendary Wigan Snake Pit and the rigorous UWF Dojo in Tokyo are explored, revealing the secret history of both professional wrestling and the rising sport of MMA. Squared circle icons Strangler Lewis and Lou Thesz and Olympic heroes Danny Hodge and Kurt Angle are also featured.

I grew up watching wrestling. I even watched it as a newborn My grandfather would watch it and I always sat and watched it with him. Growing up in the 1980′s I would spend most of the day on Saturday sitting with Grandpa watching wrestling.

This book is really interesting and really good. I learned things that I didn’t know. It is interesting to read about wrestling in the 1800′s.

I enjoyed reading about Ken Shamrock. I had not known a lot about his journey to wrestling. It was interesting to read about him.

It was fun reading about Kurt Angle. I was never a big Kurt Angle fan but enjoyed reading about him. Reading about his back and neck damage and all the harm he did to his body. He was also fired from WWE because he was a mess physically, mentally, and emotionally. He also had a pain pill problem.

This book was a good read. If you watch wrestling or maybe watched it as a child, then go out and buy this book. Expected date to hit the stores: June 1st 2012

Yesterday we went over to BJ‘s mom’s house or as the children call her, Nana. We always enjoy hanging out with Nana and her wife. It is always a good time. Today we had some fun together at the stream.

In the picture above we were looking at crawfish

Is there a difference between a religion and a cult?

If you are anything like me, bra shopping is not fun. I tend to be on the bustier side and I hate underwire bras.

I have tried bra after bra and just hated so many of them. Sometimes it really sucks to have huge tits. Then I tried Genie Bra. To be honest I saw them on tv and thought what I think of all those type of commercials…they are full of shit. I don’t put much stock in tv commercials. Then I tried Genie Bra. I love it. They are so comfortable that I sometimes forget I have a bra on. It is the only type of bra that I wear anymore.

I got mine at Walmart in the as seen on tv section but here is their official website.

http://www.geniebra.com

It is made of nylon and spandex, it that can retain its shape even after innumerable washes.

It does not rumple or ride up and my boobs don’t try to pop out of the top or bottom.

It features woven everlast technology, which means there are no uncomfortable hooks, wires or adjustable straps. This special material instantly conforms to your body’s contour and doesn’t lose shape, giving you a natural lift with soft, full-coverage lift cups. Also, the bra’s wide comfort lift band gives you the support you need while preventing rolls and bulges.

When picking your Genie Bra size, there are two measurements to keep in mind; your bust size and your shirt size. Generally, you can choose your Genie Bra size by your shirt size. If you wear a medium shirt then a medium bra is the one for you.

XS/S
Shirt Size: 0, 2, 4, 6
Bust Size: 32, 33, 34, 35

M
Shirt Size: 8, 10
Bust Size: 36, 37

L
Shirt Size: 12, 14
Bust Size: 38, 40

XL/1X
Shirt Size: 16, 18, 16W, 18W
Bust Size: 41, 43, 44, 46

2X
Shirt Size: 20W, 22W
Bust Size: 47, 49

3X
Shirt Size: 24W, 26W
Bust Size: 50, 53

4X
Shirt Size: 28W, 30W
Bust Size: 54, 57

I love these bras. Where do you get your bras?

(By the way I have purchased these products myself, and nobody has paid me for my opinion).

Dark Descendant (Nikki Glass #1)
by Jenna Black

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy.

This is a really good Urban Fantasy novel about Greek gods. I started reading this book and I was hooked. It is just so good.

I have read other books by Jenna Black before and that is what caused me to pick up this book. Her other books were so good that I hoped that this one would be to and she did not disappoint. I love this book.

I suggest that you pick up this book and read it and while you are at it grab book two Deadly Descendant because as soon as you are done with Dark Descendant you will want to read Deadly Descendant.

That is what Amish are saying about Smoke detectors. They claim it would be against their religious beliefs to have smoke detectors in their homes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18108197

A reporter talked to Mose Miller at his doorstep with his nine children looking on. It was cold: -15C (5F). Most of the kids were in bare feet. Their clothes were roughly sewed together – like Victorian patchwork puppets.

Mose Miller said “I use this,” he said pointing at his nose, “or him,” and his finger pointed upwards. “I don’t need a devil on the wall to tell me if my house is burning.”

When he was ask what would happen if a fire happened during the night and he didn’t wake up and he and his children burned to death he replied “If God does not wake us, well, that must be part of his plan.“

In other words, if something happens to my kids because of my own negligence, it must be part of God’s will. JW say the same thing with not allowing blood transfusions. Christian Scientists have the same thoughts and don’t take their children to hospitals because god will fix what he wants fixed and it is all god’s will.

Smoke alarms aren’t the devil entering your home. Smoke alarms aren’t horrible…Letting your family die in a fire that you could have escaped if you had a smoke alarm is.

Do smoke alarms violate Amish religious freedom? How far can people take shit like this? I mean really people don’t want to do something they yell it is against their religion. Try yelling that taxes are against your religion. How far do you think you would get with that one? How many innocent children have to die in fires that they could have escaped if they had a smoke alarm?

An Amish farmer is tending a field when he sees a man with teabags hanging from his hat, near his pond. The man is scooping water out with his hand.

The farmer says, “Trinken sie nicht das wasser, die kuhe unddie schweine haben in ihm geschissen,” (‘Don’t drink the water, the cows and the pigs shit in it.’)

The Guy shouts back, “I’m a member of the Republican Tea Party, and this is America… I don’t understand your gibberish so speak English, you moron!”

The farmer yells, “USE TWO HANDS, YOU’LL GET MORE !!!”