‘You stupid f***in’ bigots’: Bridal shop allegedly threatened after not serving lesbian couple

W.W. Bridal Boutique is no stranger to controversy.

The shop in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, caught widespread attention in 2014 when an employee told a lesbian couple looking for wedding gowns that the owner “[does] not service same-sex couples.”

“We feel we have to answer to God for what we do,” store owner Victoria Miller, a Christian, told The Press Enterprise in Bloomsburg. “And providing those two girls dresses for a sanctified marriage would break God’s law.”

Reactions to the incident ranged from outrage at the bridal shop to full support for the business. Now it’s happening again.

A lesbian couple from West Pittston, Pennsylvania — Shannon Kennedy and Julie Ann Samanas — traveled to W.W. Bridal on July 8 in search of a wedding dress for their planned March 2018 nuptials, according to the Philadelphia Gay News.

Samanas, 30, told PGN that on a form “where it said ‘Groom,’ we crossed it out and wrote ‘Bride’ and put Shannon’s name down.” But after a woman at the shop reviewed the form, she asked if the dress was for a same-sex wedding, the outlet said.

“She said, ‘I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we’re Christian and we don’t believe in that; our faith doesn’t let us believe in that,’” Kennedy, 34, told PGN, adding that she and Samanas didn’t challenge what they were told and left.

Once the story hit the news, W.W. Bridal got hit with a ton of angry backlash, including a Facebook page dedicated to boycotting the shop.

Rich Penkoski, a pastor who said he’s assisting the bridal shop as they deal with the reactions, sent TheBlaze on Monday two recordings he said were left on the shop’s voice mail.

“You stupid f***in’ bigots. We’re coming for you and your families. We’re gonna tear your shop apart and make you feel as bad as you’ve made people feel,” a man’s voice is heard saying. “You f***in’ bigot scum. You’re goin’ down and so is all your employees and their families. You’re done!”

The second voice mail: “You people are f***ing trash. Your fake Christianity is not gonna save you from the fallout of this. Bigots go to hell, even though we don’t believe in such a thing. You’re going to f***ing hell you f***ing liars. Fake Christian a***oles.”

It isn’t clear if the same person is speaking in both messages.

W.W. Bridal soon changed their operating status to “appointments only,” and Penkoski said he and his staff volunteered to administer the shop’s Facebook page so employees wouldn’t have to deal with angry comments.

But Penkoski told TheBlaze that W.W. Bridal’s Facebook page is now “unpublished” since “it got so bad that they literally wanted things to calm down and go away.”

TheBlaze on Monday reached out to the shop for its perspective on the wedding gown dustup but didn’t immediately hear back.

But Miller, the shop owner, told the Huffington Post in an email last week that W.W. Bridal’s stance isn’t “an attempt to deprive anyone of the opportunity to live their lives as they see fit” but a matter of her spiritual beliefs.

“We have provided formalwear for our customers from all walks of life, including the LGBTQ community. We have always served everyone with respect and dignity,” she wrote, the Post said. “It is just this event, a same-sex marriage, which we cannot participate in due to our personal convictions.”

Miller added, “We simply ask that we be given the same ability to live our lives according to our convictions,” the Post reported.

Penkoski told TheBlaze he believes Kennedy and Samanas “specifically targeted” W.W. Bridal given its documented stance on same-sex marriage and noted the long distance between West Pittston and Bloomsburg — an hour-plus drive: “Who goes out of their way” like that? Penkowski asked.

But Kennedy on Monday told TheBlaze that she and Samanas chose W.W. Bridal because “we were in Berwick (the town I grew up in) for a family party that day, which is the next town over” from Bloomsburg. In addition, they made another appointment that same day, July 8, at a shop in Bloomsburg, as well as an appointment in Berwick.

“We had no idea what we were walking into, when walking into that store,” she added to TheBlaze. “We simply were shopping around.”

The Christian Post reported that unlike other states, Pennsylvania’s discrimination laws don’t protect gays and lesbians from getting fired or being denied service or housing on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Comedian suggests he’d kill a sex partner who turned out to be transgender: ‘I can’t deal with that’

Comedian Lil Duval suggested he’d kill a sex partner who turned out to be a transgender woman.

“This might sound messed up, but I don’t care, she dying,” he said Friday on New York-based radio talk show the “Breakfast Club,” the Washington Post reported. “I can’t deal with that. No, I can’t do that.”

Lil Duval — his real name is Roland Powell — uttered his statement after one of the hosts asked him how he’d react if he found out a woman he’d been dating and having sex with turned out to be transgender.

“That ain’t a girl, I met a boy,” Lil Duval clarified. “That mean I met a boy.”

And after Lil Duval declared the hypothetical transgender woman would be “dying,” host Charlamagne Tha God replied, “That’s a hate crime, you can’t do that.”

“No, you manipulated me to believe in this thing,” Lil Duval pressed. “My mind … I’m gay now. I’m gay.”

“I can’t live with that, bro. I can’t …. ” he said. “This would never happen if this never happened. So you don’t have to worry about me killing nobody.”

As to whether transgenders should be punished if they don’t disclose their birth-genders to sex partners, Lil Duval said, “There should be some kind of repercussions for that if you do that to somebody. Until then, I’m going to have my own repercussions.”

When one of the hosts noted he “can’t go around killing transgenders,” Lil Duval seemed to soften his earlier statement.

“I’m not gonna kill transgenders,” he countered. “I said if one did that to me and they didn’t tell me, I’m gonna be so mad I’m probably gonna wanna kill them.”

As the whether comedians have to be politically correct, Lil Duval noted, “We do, but we shouldn’t.”

“I can say what I want and do what I want, people understand where I’m coming from. They know I’m not coming from a place of malice,” he said. “They know I’m just speaking my mind. Just like how Joan Rivers used to be. That’s the best thing about being a comedian I think … you say what you want to say, and  you say how you feel. And people take it, some people don’t.”

And as you might imagine, more than few people didn’t like Lil Duval’s words about transgenders.

Transgender actress Laverne Cox, who appears in Netflix’s “Orange Is The New Black,” took the comedian to task.

“Some folks think it’s ok to joke about wanting to kill us,” Cox wrote on Twitter, the Post said. “We have free speech but that speech has consequences and trans folks are experiencing the negative consequences with our lives. It hurts my spirit cause this isn’t funny. Our lives matter. Trans murder isn’t a joke.”

Lil Duval wasn’t alone in feeling the heat.

While Charlamagne Tha God, one of the hosts of the “Breakfast Club,” spoke at a media and politics convention in Pasadena, California, a group of transgender advocates stood up and started yelling at him.

“The trans community is boycotting the ‘Breakfast Club’ because your music and your ideology reinforces transphobia that kills us!” one person said. “We are not a joke!”

The Post noted Lil Duval’s defenders as well, saying one tweeted that the comedian said “what any straight man would say.”

Here’s a video from the Post on the controversy:

Cop Shares Racist Facebook Post, Will Resign After Public Outcry (5 Pics)

An officer with the Estherwood, La., Police Department came under fire Monday after he shared a racist post on Facebook. After deflecting and attempting to defend the post several times, the officer has reportedly decided to tender his resignation to the department Tuesday night.

KATC first reported on the situation Monday, indicating that it would not identify the officer in question because he had not been charged with any crime, but Twitter user @Freeyourmindkid found the post and shared screenshots of the page belonging to Wayne Welsh, who identified himself as the assistant chief of the Estherwood Police Department.

The offensive post shows a white woman pushing her child’s head underwater in a bathtub with a caption that says, “When your daughters [sic] first crush is a little Negro boy.”

 

As noted by KATC, Welsh eventually took the post down, but he made several other posts referencing it. Those posts were shared by other Twitter users via screenshots.

According to KATC, Welsh also posted an apology at 5 p.m. Monday.

“Well, I posted something on Facebook that made a lot of people mad,” he wrote. “Well, I’m sorry for what happen. Ya have a blessed day.”

Welsh also reportedly posted about the “race card” and how people want to say he’s a “bad guy,” according to KATC.

“I shared somebody else’s posts and everybody mad at me again,” he wrote. “So Facebook police mad at me.”

KATC reports that Welsh’s page also included many posts praising Donald Trump, as well as posts disparaging Democrats, Michelle Obama and elected women in power, as well as posts making fun of overweight women and women who receive child support.

There’s also this gem, making fun of women in burqas:

Chief Ernest Villejoin Sr. told KATC that he spoke with Welsh by phone Tuesday morning. Villejoin said that although Welsh had apologized, he would not tolerate this kind of behavior, and he personally apologized for Welsh’s actions. Welsh is expected to turn in his resignation Tuesday evening.

Study: Garlic Works Better Than The Drug “d-penicillimine” In Detoxifying Lead Safely From Body

As we know federal government banned the production of lead-based paints in 1977, lead exposure remains widespread. Exposure to the toxic heavy metal can result in damage to the cardiovascular, skeletal, gastrointestinal, kidney, reproductive, and nervous systems of the human body. Infants and children are particularly sensitive to the adverse effects of lead exposure. In fact a recent study has found that children who had been subjected to lead had decreased brain volume as adults.

Garlic, the miracle medicine of old has now been found to beat the favored drug d-penicillimine in detoxifying lead from the body–with no side effects!

The favourable effect of garlic on chronic lead poisoning might be explained by the fact that a part of the lead powder in the gastrointestinal tract reacts with the active sulfur components in garlic, and is then excreted by the faeces in the form of insoluble sulfides without being resorbed. The evacuation of a part of garlic polysulfides with respiratory air may also restrict the resorption of fine lead powder in the respiratory tract, transforming it partially into insoluble and so unresorbable lead sulfides. The chemical interaction between the resorbed sulfide compounds in garlic and the resorbed lead is likely to play a certain role in the antitoxic effect of garlic.

journal Basic Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology published the findings of comparatie studies between garlic therapy and the chelation drug d-penicillamine, that had been conducted on patients with chronic occupational lead poisoning. Treatments for the test consisted of 1.2 mg of allicin from garlic extract three times daily vs. the conventional treatment of 250 mg of d-penicillimine three times daily.

The ancient Egytian medical papyrus Codex Ebers listed twenty-two medical formulations with a garlic basis.

Hippocrates, the ‘Father of Medicine,’ used garlic as an internal and external treatment for many dozens of diseases.

Roman soldiers armed themselves with garlic as an additional ‘weapon’ to protect their immune systems and ward off infection and disease.

Garlic was used so extensively on the battlefields during the Civil War and by all the nations involved in World War I to treat and help prevent gangrene and infection, that the shortage of the venerable medicinal herb became acute.

Side effects of drug “d-penicillimine”

Anemia, Aplastic
Breast Enlargement
Anorexia
Bone Marrow Suppression
Collagen Disorders
Diarrhea
Dysgeusia (distorted taste)
Kidney Damage
Liver Damage
Muscle Damage

7 Herbs to Whiten Your Yellowish Teeth Naturally

It is not wrong to say that the teeth are indicators of the beauty of the face. A person with yellow or brown teeth is looked down upon. Hence it is extremely necessary to take proper care of teeth.

Proper brushing and care of the teeth should be taken regularly to keep the teeth clean and white. Stained teeth can be due to poor dental hygiene, hereditary factors, infections and improper metabolism leading to discolouration of the teeth.

Most ingredients for these natural teeth whitening methods you probably already have at home somewhere in your kitchen or medicine cabinet. They are easy to apply and very powerful. And if you don’t have them, most are very affordable or downright cheap.

There are certain cases when people no matter how many times they brush their teeth, still have stained teeth due to too much consumption of coffee, tea , chewing raw tobacco , chewing beetle leaves, smoking etc.

Here 7 Herbs to Whiten Your Yellowish Teeth Naturally

Licorice root
The Africans have a herb that use for naturally clean and whiten their teeth. That herb is licorice root. Simply chew on a small piece of dried root until you create a small brush. You can use the improvised brush to clean your teeth or you can keep chewing the root.

Olive/Sesame/Coconut Oil
There is a process named oil putting and it is amazed how it helps for whitening your teeth. This teeth-whitening cleanser requires a spoonful of oil, sesame or coconut oil to the mouth and swish it your teeth the same way you swish your regular mouthwash. This need to be done for 15-20 minutes every time you wake up in the morning and do you daily hygiene routine.

Holy Basil
Holy Basil For Yellow TeethHoly basil leaves have bleaching properties and can be used for treating yellow teeth. Holy basil is also helpful in preventing your teeth from getting problems like pyorrhea.Leave a few leaves of holy basil in the bright sun for some time. Once the leaves become dry, grind them into a fine powder. Mix this powder with your regular toothpaste and use it to brush your teeth.

Orange Peel And Bay Leaves
A combination of bay leaves and orange peel is one of the best home remedies for whitening teeth. Take some orange peels and dry them completely in the sun and grind them to a powder.Do the same with basil leaves and mix equal quantities of bay leaf powder and orange peel powder. Use this mixture to rub vigorously on your teeth. This will make your teeth whiter and also fight any tooth or gum problems.

Turmeric Powder
You can use turmeric for whitening your teeth as well. Grind some turmeric into a coarse powder and add some salt and lime juice as well along with it. Use a toothbrush for brushing with this herbal paste. Doing this for a week itself will leave your teeth so clean and white. Continue 3 times a week for good results.

Bay Leaf
Take bay leaves and crush it into smaller parts and mix with orange peel powder. Citrus fruits are natural teeth whitening agents and hence mixing with any citrus fruit will exert a whitening effect on the teeth. Brush your teeth with this bay leaf and citrus mixture. However, do not add too much citrus juice as it can damage your enamel. So doing this thrice a week should be sufficient to leave your teeth white.

Banyan Roots
Banyan roots can also be used as use and throw toothbrushes to clean the teeth. They contain whitening astringent juices which make teeth whiter and gums healthier. Remember to wash the roots properly before using them.

7 Reason Activated Charcoal Known As The Ancient Medicine of the Greeks, Egyptians and Native Americans

Activated Charcoal?

Activated charcoal is commonly used in emergency treatment for specific kinds of poisonings and drug overdoses to keep the poison from being absorbed from the stomach into the body. Charcoal is also used to cure gas/flatulence and help an upset stomach. A natural deodorant and disinfectant, Activated Charcoal is one of the finest absorptive and adsorptive agents known.

Activated charcoal is usually derived from coconut shells, wood, or peat. What makes it “activated” is the additional process it undergoes after the charcoal is formed when it’s exposed to certain gases at very high temperatures. This causes the formation of a large number of very small pores on the charcoal’s surface, which work as microscopic traps to take up compounds and particles.

Hippocrates, the Greek physician considered the father of natural medicine, used activated carbon to cure many patients. Activated charcoal (also referred to simply as carbon) has been called black magic because of it’s color and healing abilities. Ancient Egyptians used activated carbon as did the Native Americans. Removes parasites and bacteria from the body.

Facts About Carbon

Carbon negatively charged wo it attracts positive ionic charges contained in toxins in poisons, which means they bind together and are subsequently expelled from the body through the excretion/intestinal process.

7 Benefits of Activated Charcoal

Reduce or Eliminate Gas
Activated charcoal can be effective for reducing gas, especially after eating foods, such as beans, that commonly create excess gas. It can also relieve an upset stomach or nausea. However, it is worth repeating that activated charcoal should only be taken occasionally to relieve these symptoms, and should not be used every day.

Treats Alcohol Poisoning
While activated charcoal does not adsorb alcohol, it does help quickly remove other toxins from the body that contribute to poisoning. Alcohol is rarely consumed in its pure form; mixers that include artificial sweeteners and chemicals are common. Activated charcoal removes these toxins.

Reduces High Cholesterol
Studies around the world show that activated charcoal reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol as much as some prescription medications.

Removes parasites
Removes parasites and bacteria from the body. This includes bugs that cause everything from a stuffy nose to more invasive parasites.

Hemoperfusion
Activated charcoal plays a very important role in hemoperfusion, which is the process of removing blood from the body to clean it of toxins and then returning it to the body. Removing the toxins requires an adsorbent material, and polymer-coated activated charcoal is the most commonly used. Hemoperfusion is typically performed in patients with renal failure, as well as those undergoing a liver transplant.

Whiten teeth
Carbon shares many properties with toothpaste and can be used to whiten teeth and improve bad breath as a bacteria killer.

Other Uses

Activated charcoal helps to eliminate bad breath by cleansing the mouth and digestive tract, relieves symptoms of nervous diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea (Turista), spastic colon, indigestion, and peptic ulcers. For these discomforts, between 1 and 1 1/2 tablespoons of powdered charcoal stirred in a glass of water up to 3 times a day is normally effective. It is most effective when taken between meals, as food may reduce its effectiveness.

Pain Management- 12 Epic Natural Painkillers To Use Instead Of Opiates

Pain in any body part makes it difficult for you to do your daily chores. Preventive measures are the best to prevent the pain to crop up in the first place. But, even after all efforts, if you are not able to save yourself from its trap.

Inflammation is a natural part of our immune system, but when it’s happening on a consistent basis it can eventually cause side effects like chronic pain and discomfort. Many people seek relief from chronic pain by trying out a high raw lifestyle. dd these foods to your diet for regular and natural pain maintenance.

Here 12 Natural Pain Killers To Use Instead Of Opiates

Boswellia

This herb is sourced from the frankincense tree. Its resin is used to thwart chemical reactions that cause inflammation, and thus pain. Ayurvedic scientists have used Boswellia for centuries to treat arthritic conditions, as well as inflammatory bowel disease.

Arnica

An excellent herbal rub to use after intense sports, an acute injury, or even post surgery, arnica is a well-known natural pain killer among athletes and yogis. It is derived from a European flower, and has anti-inflammatory properties, although the true nature of its healing action is still unknown.

Ginger

It is effective a pain reliever as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and it reduces nausea and relieves symptoms of stomach distress; contains gingerol, an ingredient that works well against rheumatoid arthritis and is being studied for its anti-cancer properties.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Consuming this oil raw can prevent and manage pain. Studies recommend consuming up to three tablespoons a day, preferably higher quality extra virgin olive oils. The best way to get more EVOO into your diet is to drizzle it over a salad or to use it as a base for homemade salad dressings. Throw some salmon in your diet for extra pain-killing benefits.

Coconut oil

Contains natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. It can be used internally or externally for boosting your immune system and reducing back and joint pain. It’s also great skin moisturizer as well as a hair conditioner for dry and frizzy hair.

Cinnamon

If you are in pain, simply sprinkle a teaspoon of freshly ground cinnamon on your cereal and in a couple of hours, you will end up feeling better. Or, you can simply make a tea from cinnamon. Blend one teaspoon of cinnamon with two teaspoons of honey and mix them in warm or hot water. Some studies also show that this paste can be used as a poultice to provide relief from arthritic pain. If you have sensitive skin, first try applying a little bit of this paste on the affected area and if it does not cause an irritation, go ahead and use it.

Cherries

Cherries are not only a tasty fruit, packed with antioxidants, but they also have anti-inflammatory properties, which make them good natural painkillers. There are numerous studies, which show that cherries can relieve pain caused by gout due to a combination of different natural compounds, which fight pain and provide relief.

Turmeric

Turmeric helps in fighting various kinds of inflammation, chronic pain, back and muscle pain, toothache and arthritis. Also, this spice helps in successful recover of tissues and it is excellent for detoxification and improving overall health. You can add turmeric to various dishes as well as teas and juices. Turmeric is best combined with black pepper because it is most efficient used in this way.

Cloves

Toothache and pain in the gums can be immediately treated with cloves. The best way to use cloves for toothache is to chew it because in that way a powerful ingredient with analgesic effect, called eugenol is released. If you are not able to handle the strong and unique clove flavor, make a strong cloves tea.

Blueberries

Blueberries are best natural medicine for treatment and prevention of infections of the urinary tract. They are very rich in tannin, a natural organic compound that effectively kills the bacteria that causes inflammation of the urethra.

Lemon

Out of many qualities that lemon possesses, one is- ‘It is a natural pain killer’. Lemon extract is beneficial for frequent travelers, or for those whose job involves a lot of sitting. Dip a towel in a bowl of lemon juice and apply it on the aching area. You’ll get relief.

White Willow

The bark of white willow is used as a natural painkiller. The properties found in it are more like that of aspirin. It is used to cure headache, muscle contraction, lower back pain, and arthritis. Chewing the bark and swallowing its juice will also help. You can also brew this herb as tea.