Monday, June 30, 2014


News Clips For The Week


Supreme Court exempts Hobby Lobby from Obamacare contraception mandate
By STEPHANIE CONDON CBS NEWS June 30, 2014

Attempting to expand religious expression protections to small business owners without significantly disrupting the rules that govern for-profit corporations, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the Obama administration must exempt closely-held firms like Hobby Lobby from a rule requiring large companies to help pay for their employees' birth control.

In a 5 to 4 decision, the court ruled that closely-held firms like Hobby Lobby are protected by Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The RFRA dictates that an individual's religious expression shouldn't be "substantially burdened" by a law unless there is a "compelling government interest."

Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the contraception rule "would put these merchants to a difficult choice: either give up the right to seek judicial protection of their religious liberty or forgo the benefits, available to their competitors, of operating as corporations."

Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. -- two privately-held, for-profit companies -- sued the United States government over a provision in the Affordable Care Act that requires companies with more than 50 employees to provide comprehensive health coverage (including contraception) or pay a fine. Hobby Lobby's owners, David and Barbara Green of Oklahoma, say they have strong objections based in their Christian faith to providing health care coverage for certain types of contraception. The Pennsylvania-based Hahn family, the Mennonite owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties, had the same complaint.

The Obama administration already exempted nonprofits with religious affiliations, such as Catholic universities, from the contraception coverage rule.

Monday's ruling is a loss for reproductive rights advocates who have balked at the notion that some businesses can pick and choose which contraception methods to cover.

While it's a victory for Christian conservatives opposed to the contraception rule, the ruling skirts the broad ramifications that could have come from shielding all for-profit firms from laws that interfere with religious beliefs. Such a ruling, the administration argued, could have interfered with laws that ban gender discrimination, minimum wage and overtime laws, or mandated health coverage for vaccinations, to name a few.


http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/closely-held-corporation.asp

Definition of 'Closely Held Corporation'

Any company that has only a limited number of shareholders. Closely held corporation stock is publicly traded on occasion, but not on a regular basis. These entities differ from privately owned firms that issue stock that is not publicly traded. Those who own shares of closely held corporations should consult a financial planner with expertise in the tax and estate ramifications that come with owning this type of stock.

Investopedia explains 'Closely Held Corporation'

Despite the fact that its stock is listed, many transactions between major shareholders and closely held corporations do not receive the same preferential tax treatment as those of corporations with actively traded stocks. Deductions and losses may not be allowed in some instances for parties involved in these transactions. 




Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. are both in a category of small corporations with over 50 employees which sued the US government for their rights to religious freedom. The Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 against the administration, adding this type of company to those which are already exempted from providing all forms of birth control to employees via their health insurance. Some forms of birth control operate in a way that is effectively an abortion, some conservative lawmakers have argued, such as IUDs and the “morning after pill.” Abortion and birth control advocates argue that the cost of the medication or device is prohibitive to some women, and especially in those cases, they simply can't afford another baby.





Where did the GOP's foreign policy wise men go?
By JOHN DICKERSON CBS NEWS June 30, 2014

With the world in chaos and voters losing faith in President Obama's leadership, the Republican Party has an opportunity to reclaim its place in the foreign policy conversation. First, though, the party has to figure out what it wants to say. Its leaders have the basic gist: Obama bad. It's the delivery and the details where things get a little fuzzy. Right now there are at least three competing GOP visions to Obama's world view.

Sen. Rand Paul is the most articulate voice in the conservative movement for a more restrained U.S. foreign policy. On the other end of the spectrum, there is former vice president Dick Cheney, arguing for a forceful U.S. military presence in the middle of the chaotic Middle East. Between those two are those Republicans who believe in a robust American role in world affairs but recognize the practical limits of military force.

This middle group has a lot of adherents but no spokesperson. If they would like to assert themselves, they better find a champion soon because right now the media, Cheney, and Paul are all conspiring to drown out their views. And unless someone can articulate a non-Dick Cheney vision of the world, Rand Paul is poised to win the conversation.

In the wake of the recent turmoil in Iraq, Paul has come across as thoughtful and measured in both his op-ed in the Wall Street Journal and on Meet the Press. He is critical of the president, but also of the architects of the Iraq war.

This is a good place to start if you want to begin a conversation with the American people. They are neither fans of the Iraq war, nor the president. Paul also is in sync with the national mood about foreign meddling. According to an April Pew poll, 52 percent of Americans believe that the United States should mind its own business and let other countries get along as best they can. In 2004, that number was 30 percent. Americans are also saying, by a margin of 51 percent to 17 percent, that the United States does too much rather than too little in helping solve the world's problems. Despite Republicans' recent criticism of the president, they are slightly more likely to share this view than Democrats--52 percent to 46 percent.

Paul offers a stark test for intervention in Iraq--or just about anywhere--now: Is it worth sacrificing his son? "Do I want to send one of my sons, or your son, to fight to regain Mosul?" he asked on Meet the Press. "These are nasty terrorists, we should want to kill them, but ... who should want to stop them more? Maybe the people who live there. Should not the Shiites, the Maliki government, should they not stand up? And, if they're ripping their uniforms off and fleeing, if they don't think Mosul is worth saving, how am I going to convince my son or your son to die for Mosul--another bad terrorist? And yes, we should prevent them from exporting terror; but, I'm not so sure where the clear-cut, American interest is."

That may be the wrong test for a foreign policy. The world may not be as simple as Paul claims and the first-term senator may be badly misrepresenting the Reagan foreign policy he claims to champion. But who will step forward to articulate that alternative worldview?

Right now the alternative to Paul's vision comes from Cheney. The former vice president is raising money for a new hawkish foreign policy organization and his fundraising emails sound just like his own Wall Street Journal op-ed. President Obama is weak, says Cheney, and terrorists are going to take advantage. This blunt, Hobbesian worldview and language is indistinguishable from Cheney's posture of the past 13 years. There's nothing in his pitch for a future foreign policy that acknowledges any personal mistakes or evolution in his thinking to match a changing world.

Cheney is unpopular and so are the policies he advocates. Three-fourths of the country opposes sending troops to Iraq (which Cheney supports), according to a recent CBS poll. Cheney thinks the Iraq war he helped launch was a success. According to a recent CBS poll, only 18 percent think that the Iraq war was worth it. That's the lowest that figure has ever been, though it is still higher than Cheney's approval rating when he left office, which was 13 percent.

But what's more entertaining than a Dick Cheney vs. Rand Paul fight? Their differences are stark! And both are good copy and rile up readers and viewers. The fight helps both Paul and Cheney, too. Paul needs the Cheney cartoon vision of foreign policy realism to convince primary voters that they must vote for him to avoid a return of neoconservatives like the guy in the cowboy hat with the knife in his teeth. Cheney needs Paul to convince foreign policy hawks that they should listen to him because the party might flounder and wind up supporting an isolationist who will bring terrorists to our doorsteps.

The country has soured on Obama's foreign policy stewardship. A plurality of 36 percent of the country thinks his policies have made America less safe, up from only 19 percent who felt that way in October 2011. For the past two years, the Republican Party has been regaining the edge on the question of which party do you trust on foreign policy, which it lost after the Bush-Cheney years.

The opportunity, say those on the right who critique Obama, is a foreign policy vision that outlines a more assertive American foreign policy than the one Paul would support but one that doesn't necessarily revolve solely around military might.

The conversation about this new view of power is happening in the think tank world. Former Republican officials and their policy gurus are thinking through what power means in the 21st century. But what is required--especially in a campaign against Hillary Clinton, who has an expertise in foreign affairs--is an articulate champion of views who can get past the GOP's association with the toxic Iraq war. But whoever the GOP's foreign policy wise men are, they better speak up. Because right now Dick Cheney and Rand Paul are speaking for you.




Public faith in Obama's skills at world affairs is flagging, so it's the GOP's best chance in a while, says this writer. “First, though, the party has to figure out what it wants to say. Its leaders have the basic gist: Obama bad. It's the delivery and the details where things get a little fuzzy. Right now there are at least three competing GOP visions to Obama's world view.” Rand Paul is arguing for a less active role for the US in world affairs; middle of the road Republicans who are not named in this article want to see a “robust” American involvement but less emphasis on military action; and Dick Cheney is a hawk a la George W. Bush. “This middle group has a lot of adherents but no spokesperson.”

Over 50% of people polled in April are against “meddling” in world affairs and “helping solve the world's problems," with Republicans leading in this, but 46% of Democrats also hold that view. Paul leads these people, with a viewpoint that a clear cut American interest should be present when we send in troops.

The unrepresented middle group of Republicans, according to this article, exist mainly in the “think tank” world. I wonder what Sen. McCain would have to say about this? He's generally middle of the road about things.

I also think that Obama himself has articulated a middle of the road policy, and his statement to the Iraqi government telling them to gear their constitution toward inclusion of minorities rather than combating them makes profoundly good sense and much greater amount of fairness. The same situation exists in Ukraine, where the Russian speaking people have been suppressed by Kiev, partly causing their rebellion.

On the other hand both Russia in Ukraine and ISIS in Iraq and Syria, while they have legitimate complaints about how they have been treated, are also attempting to totally take over their governments rather than merely gain some well deserved rights. They are both very destabilizing influences in their respective parts of the world. In the case of Iraq, if ISIS does take over that country, they are almost certain to send jihadists to the US mainland or to other American interests abroad. This, to me, is a clear-cut “American interest.”

Mr. Obama has disputed the roles of Iran and other Shia Muslims in banding together to fight ISIS. I'm not sure why. It's really their national interest more than ours, I think, and I agree with those who say we shouldn't defend the Shia if they won't fight for themselves. It really is very complicated. Personally, I would like to see what a joint effort of Iran and Iraq Shia fighters can bring about.





"They're delusional": Rivals ridicule ISIS declaration of Islamic state
CBS/AP June 30, 2014

BAGHDAD -- An al Qaeda breakaway group's formal declaration of an Islamic caliphate across the stretch of territory it controls in Syria and Iraq sparked celebrations among the group's followers Monday but condemnation and even ridicule from its rivals and authorities in Baghdad and Damascus.

The declaration was a bold move by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), not just announcing their own state governed by Shariah law but also claiming legitimacy as a successor to the first Islamic rule created by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula 14 centuries ago. In an audio recording Sunday evening, the group proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as caliph and demanded all Muslims around the world pledge allegiance to him.

Former CIA Director Michael Morell told "CBS This Morning" earlier this month that ISIS' first goal has been "to set up that caliphate and, it's not just in Iraq and in Syria."

"Their second goal then is to use that as a safe haven to attack the United States," he warned.

The announcement risks straining alliances with other Sunnis in Iraq that have helped the Islamic State achieve its blitz this month, seizing control of a large swath of the country's north and west.

Those Sunnis, including former officers in the military of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, have backed the Islamic State in hopes of bringing down Iraq's Shiite-led government but not necessarily its ambitions of carving out a transnational caliphate.

Through brute force and meticulous planning, the Sunni extremist group - which said it was changing its name to just the Islamic State - has carved out a large chunk of territory that has effectively erased the border between Iraq and Syria and laid the foundations of its proto-state. Along the way, it has battled Syrian rebels, Kurdish militias and the Syrian and Iraqi militaries.

The Iraqi military's offensive against ISIS stalled over the weekend during an assault on the jihadist-held city of Tikrit, reports CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata.

While the situation is fluid, the military's largest-yet offensive was pushed back and is the latest in a series of failures against the militants, D'Agata reports.

Following the group's announcement, Islamic State fighters in their northern Syrian stronghold of Raqqa paraded through the city to celebrate. Some of the revelers wore traditional robes and waved the group's black flags in a central square, while others zoomed around in pick-up trucks against a thundering backdrop of celebratory gunfire. Video of the celebrations was posted online, and activists in the city confirmed the details.

The Islamic State expelled rival rebel groups from Raqqa this spring, turning the city of some 500,000 along the banks of the Euphrates River into an image of the state it envisions. Activists from Raqqa have described life under the group's strict interpretation of Islamic law: music has been banned, Christians have to pay an Islamic tax for protection and people are executed in the main square.

It is unclear whether the Islamic State's declaration heralds the imposition of the same rules elsewhere. So far, the group has taken a more moderate approach in cities under its control in Iraq, including the northern city of Mosul and the central city of Tikrit, choosing to overlook some practices it considers forbidden. But the extremist faction was also more lenient in towns in Syria before eventually tightening its hold.

The announcement was greeted with condemnation and disdain elsewhere in Syria, including from rival Islamist rebel groups who have been fighting the Islamic State since January across northern and eastern Syria.

"The gangs of al-Baghdadi are living in a fantasy world. They're delusional. They want to establish a state but they don't have the elements for it," said Abdel-Rahman al-Shami, a spokesman for the Army of Islam, an Islamist rebel group. "You cannot establish a state through looting, sabotage and bombing."

Speaking over Skype from Eastern Ghouta, near the capital Damascus, al-Shami described the declaration as "psychological warfare" which he predicted will turn people against the Islamic State.

In Iraq, where the government has launched a counteroffensive to try to claw back some of the territory lost to the Islamic State in recent weeks, the declaration is viewed through the prism of the country's rising sectarian tensions.

"This is a project that was well-planned to rupture the society and to spread chaos and damage," said Hamid al-Mutlaq, a Sunni lawmaker. "This is not to the benefit of the Iraqi people, but instead it will increase the differences and splits."

The Islamic State has formed a loose alliance of sorts with other Sunni radicals in Iraq as well as former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party, which has provided extra muscle to their assault.

Aymenn al-Tamimi, an analyst who specializes in Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria, said he expects some of those allies could be disillusioned by the declaration.

"Now the insurgents in Iraq have no excuse for working with ISIS if they were hoping to share power with ISIS," he said using one of several acronyms for the Islamic State. "The prospect of infighting in Iraq is increased for sure."

It has seized upon widespread grievances among Iraq's Sunni minority and opposition to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-led government. Sunnis say they have been treated as second-class citizens and unfairly targeted by the security forces.

The Sunni militant offensive has prompted Shiite militias to reconstitute themselves, deepening fears of a return to the sectarian bloodletting that pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

The Iraqi government, which has long tried portray the broader Sunni insurgency it faces as solely a terrorist threat, pointed to the Islamic State's declaration to back up its claims.

"This is what we have been saying that this origination is a terrorist one that should be fought, but regrettably, there are some people, the tribal revolutionaries, who are providing cover for it," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Moussawi said. "The world now bears a big and ethical responsibility to fight those terrorists who made Iraq and Syria their battlefield. We are fighting them not for the sake of Iraq only, but for the sake of the whole world."




The “Islamic State” is the newest name for ISIS or ISIL. “In an audio recording Sunday evening, the group proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as caliph and demanded all Muslims around the world pledge allegiance to him.” Al-Qaeda and other Islamic groups are expressing both rage and ridicule at them, and calling them “delusional.” They do seem to be high on their own success. The old phrase “Pride goeth before a fall,” comes to my mind. They are making enemies at a rate that may cause their defeat.

The Islamic State took over the city of Raqqa this spring. “Activists from Raqqa have described life under the group's strict interpretation of Islamic law: music has been banned, Christians have to pay an Islamic tax for protection and people are executed in the main square.” Things like banning music, of all things, and outright persecution of Christians is too restrictive to be tolerated for very long, I think. Still, the ordinary people in those areas need to organize for communication among themselves and to form militias, perhaps city by city before the Islamic State gets to their area, so they can be ready to fight. As long as police lay down their guns without a fight and strip off their uniforms so they can escape without being identified, the radical organization will conquer without even losing any men.




Woman shot by vendor at Pa. gun show – CBS
By CRIMESIDER STAFF AP  June 30, 2014

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- A vendor at a central Pennsylvania gun show accidentally shot a woman in the leg while demonstrating a gun and holster, police said.

The Columbia County district attorney's office will determine whether the vendor, 44-year-old Geoffrey Hawk, will face criminal charges stemming from the shooting Saturday at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, Officer Brad Sharrow said.

He was manning a booth for his business at the Eagle Arms Gun show at the time of the shooting. Hawk, of Warminster, didn't immediately return calls Sunday to his cellphone and business, In Case of Emergency Enterprises.

Hawk told police he thought the gun was not loaded when he demonstrated a concealed-carry wallet holster to the woman, Krista Gearhart, 25, of Orangeville. Gearhart was treated and released for a thigh wound at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville.

Hawk told police he had done the same demonstration about 20 times without incident before the shooting, "racking" the gun's slide to clear it of bullets each time, Officer Sharrow said.

Police said Hawk told them he had left the gun on display when he completed background checks on some customers and believes it's possible someone loaded the gun when he was busy.

Joel Koehler, the gun show organizer, said Hawk was asked to close his booth and leave the show, which continued Sunday. The show has an entrance sign that says "No Loaded Weapons" and Koehler said his staff checks all guns to ensure they are empty before they are brought in for display.

Koehler said Saturday's shooting was the first at any show he has held at the fairgrounds or anywhere else.




Some gun advocates like to say “guns aren't dangerous, only people are.” Yes, but.... This is the exception that proves the rule, as people say. Who would have put a bullet in the gun while Hawk's back was turned? His worst enemy, or a teenage boy? Guns are fired accidentally many times every year, making the news time after time. Luckily this woman was only shot in the thigh. It will hurt a great deal, but probably won't lead to her death. That's the only good news in this story.




Detroit boy found in basement says stepmom put him there – CBS
AP June 29, 2014

DETROIT - A 12-year-old Detroit boy who was missing for more than a week before he was discovered in his own basement told investigators his stepmother sent him there, according to a court record obtained by a newspaper.

The petition, filed in Wayne County juvenile court by Children's Protective Services as part of a custody hearing, was obtained by the Detroit Free Press. A court employee told The Associated Press a petition was filed Friday, but it was not released to the public or the media.

According to the Free Press, the document says Charlie Bothuell V was placed in the basement behind boxes and totes by his stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, and told "not to come out, no matter what he hears."

Although Dillard-Bothuell knew her stepson was in the basement, she did not bring him food, according to the petition, which also says: "Charlie reports sneaking upstairs to get food when everyone left the home."

Charlie was found Wednesday by Detroit police in the bowels of the multiple-unit condo building where he lived with Dillard-Bothuell and his father, Charlie Bothuell IV. He was evaluated at a hospital and returned to his mother, police spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens said.

The AP left messages Friday with Dillard-Bothuell, Charlie Bothuell IV and Bothuell's lawyer, Mark Magidson.

Authorities removed the boy's two younger siblings - 4 years old and 10 months old - from the custody of Dillard-Bothuell and Charlie Bothuell IV.

The document obtained by the Free Press also says Bothuell disclosed on Monday that he disciplined his son with a PVC pipe.

The petition says that after Charlie was taken to a hospital for treatment, a doctor observed a half-circular scar on the boy's chest. Charlie says the scar was "a result of his father driving a PVC pipe into his chest," according to the petition, which also says the child had old scars on his buttocks from being hit with the pipe.

Bothuell has denied abusing his son. Magidson also denied that a pipe was used to beat Charlie.

A warrant request in connection with the case has not been turned over to the Wayne County prosecutor's office, spokeswoman Maria Miller said.

According to The Detroit News, Magidson said child abuse charges are likely to be filed against Bothuell.

Dillard-Bothuell was arrested Thursday on a probation violation related to a misdemeanor gun charge. In court Friday, Dillard-Bothuell was ordered to wear a tether. She's due back in court July 11. Magidson said her arrest was "highly disingenuous."

The boy's father, who made tearful television pleas for help while his son was missing, has said he had no idea the boy was in the basement. Bothuell reported his son missing June 14. The boy had been working out at home about 9 p.m., went to use the restroom and never returned, Bothuell told police.

Officers searched the home on at least three occasions before they stumbled across the boy apparently hiding behind boxes and a large plastic drum in the basement Wednesday afternoon. Police have said they do not believe the boy had been there the whole time.




“According to the Free Press, the document says Charlie Bothuell V was placed in the basement behind boxes and totes by his stepmother, Monique Dillard-Bothuell, and told 'not to come out, no matter what he hears.'" This looks like she intended to pull some kind of scam. Perhaps the Bothuels hoped they could raise money from the public if they cried and pled for help, like the father did. The article goes on to say, though, that Dillard Bothuell didn't bring him any food and he had to sneak upstairs to get some when the house was empty. That sounds like another bizarre form of punishment.

“The document obtained by the Free Press also says Bothuell disclosed on Monday that he disciplined his son with a PVC pipe,” and scars were found on his body where he had been poked forcibly with the end of the pipe. Nonetheless, both Bothuel and his lawyer denied the strange form of corporal punishment. Such scars could not possibly be self-inflicted, however, especially on his buttocks.

He is now in the care of his natural mother and Bothuel's other two children are removed from the home by the police. Thank goodness. Some people should never have the custody of children. “A warrant request in connection with the case has not been turned over to the Wayne County prosecutor's office, spokeswoman Maria Miller said.” Why is that, I wonder? Is it unclear who used the pipe on him and produced the scars? Are they waiting to build a better case? The boy said his father did it. Clearly it was done by either Bothuell or his wife. Hopefully there will be more news on this story as the case develops. I wonder if they belong to some strange kind of religious cult or something like that. I'm so glad his real mother is alive to take care of him. This is one case of a really “wicked stepmother,” just like in the fairy tales, and the father is no better.




Dog Coughs Up Missing Wedding Ring Lost 6 Years Ago – ABC
By Yazhou Sun Via Good Morning America
June 30, 2014

Dog Eats $10,000 Worth of Diamonds

When Lois Matykowski lost her wedding ring six years ago, she was devastated. After checking every spot in the house, the yard, the car, and even her dog’s poop for a few weeks, she gave up.

“My husband and I had been married for 20 years at that time,” Matykowski told ABC News. “We had just upgraded the ring, and it wasn’t insured. And it wasn't just the value, but also the emotional ties. How do you replace that?”

The ring's whereabouts became clear earlier this month when Tucker, the family's dog, coughed up the truth - and the ring.

The 10-year-old Rottweiler mix adopted from the Wisconsin Humane Society, is known as the “food burglar” in the house.

“He is 10 years old, but he acts like he is 2,” Matykowski said.

Last Monday, Matykowski was eating popsicles out on the yard with her two granddaughters. She noticed Tucker panting, so she got up to get some water for him.

“Just when I turned around and looked at my granddaughter, the popsicle was gone already,” Matykowski said. “And there was Tucker smacking his jaws.”

The “food burglar” had struck again, swallowing the whole popsicle, including the stick. Scared that Tucker would get sick, Matykowski immediately called the veterinarian. The veterinarian asked Matykowski to put some Vaseline between two slices of bread to help the stick come out of Tucker’s tummy.

Miraculously, Tucker coughed up the stick shortly after the incident. However, two days later, Tucker got sick again.

“He was making goofy noises, and was acting like he was going to throw up,” Matykowski said. Matykowski’s husband, Don, got Tucker out on the yard, and Tucker threw up.

When Matykowski walked up to Tucker’s vomit with cleaning supplies in her hands, she spotted something sparkly.

There it was-- her diamond ring that disappeared six years ago.

“I screamed. I kid you not,” Matykowski said.

Matykowski brushed the ring very gently with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste, and it looked exactly the same just like six year ago.

"He loves anything that smells good. He will eat whatever he could get his hands on," Matykowski said. “We try to stick to dog treats, but he is 55 pounds and his front paws can grab snacks pretty easily."

Tucker's veterinarian said the popsicle stick might have dislodged the ring. The vet also gave Tucker a full X-ray to make sure that there was no more hidden treasures in his belly.

"My friends have been telling me: 'I want a dog that throws up diamonds,'" Matykowski said. "Who wouldn't, right?"

"Tucker is a big dog on campus now. He is my hero," Matykowski said.




“Tucker's veterinarian said the popsicle stick might have dislodged the ring. The vet also gave Tucker a full X-ray to make sure that there was no more hidden treasures in his belly.” I've heard of dogs eating bizarre and indigestible things before. That was even listed in a description of rabies symptoms in dogs – eating wood, stones and other such things. Puppies are more likely to do it than adult dogs are without being sick. I think this dog has personality problems, or he wouldn't have made a lifetime habit of it as an adult. He may need to go to Overeaters Anonymous, or something. Many large dogs do gulp their food down, but they should be able to detect a popsicle stick in it. I think this may be a sign of very low intelligence. Maybe he's neurotic and needs to take a tranquilizer. Vets are giving dogs tranquilizers and anti-depressants nowadays. There are even dog psychologists who do doggy therapy to make them stop chewing on the furniture and other such bad habits. This story did give me a laugh or two or three, however. I'm glad Tucker is going to be okay after all that. His picture looks like he's a charming, happy kind of dog. I'll bet he's a great pet.

Sunday, June 29, 2014


News Clips For The Day


Pakistani couple hacked to death over love marriage
CBS/AP June 29, 2014

ISLAMABAD - A 17-year-old girl and her husband were killed by her family for marrying without its consent, and another young woman was burned alive by a man for refusing his proposal in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, police said Sunday.

Muafia Bibi and her husband Sajjad Ahmed, 30, were killed in Satrah village Friday night, allegedly by her parents, two uncles and her grandfather, said Asghar Ali, the area police chief.

He said the couple was hacked to death with a butcher's knife, and that all five suspects have been apprehended.

Ali said the couple married on June 19, and that the family had lured them back home by saying it accepted the marriage. He said it was Ahmed's third marriage, with the first ending in divorce and his second wife leaving him after he married Bibi.

Elsewhere in Punjab, a man burned alive a young girl he wanted to marry after her family refused his proposal. Fayaz Aslam, 26, doused Sidra Shaukat in gasoline before setting the 20-year-old alight in a field, said Akhtar Saeed, a district police official.

Saeed said the girl was taken to hospital where she died overnight. He said Aslam was arrested for murder.

Marrying for love is a taboo among conservative Muslims in Pakistan, where hundreds of people are killed each year by their own relatives over alleged sexual indiscretions, which are believed to bring shame upon the family. The victims are usually women but in some cases couples are killed.

Last month, a mob of family members, including her father and brothers, beat 25-year-old Farzana Parveen to death with bricks stolen from a construction site after she married someone against their approval.

Initially, many in Pakistan offered their condolences to Parveen's husband, Mohammed Iqbal, after the killing as the family apparently didn't want her to marry him.

But Thursday, Zulfiqar Hameed, deputy inspector general for Punjab police, told The Associated Press that authorities arrested Iqbal for the October 2009 killing of his first wife, Ayesha Bibi. Hameed could not offer details about the slaying, but said the case was withdrawn after a family member forgave him.

Under Pakistani law, those charged with a slaying can see their criminal case dropped if family members of the deceased forgive them or accept so-called "blood money" offerings over the crime.




This article contains instances of purely primitive behavior. I have heard that the doctrines of the religion of Islam are not the source of such things, but rather the tribal customs of the local community which commits the crimes in the name of religion. “Marrying for love is a taboo among conservative Muslims in Pakistan, where hundreds of people are killed each year by their own relatives over alleged sexual indiscretions, which are believed to bring shame upon the family. The victims are usually women but in some cases couples are killed.” Freedom is impossible among such people, and I think also all true feeling between married couples. Already there have been several “honor killings” in the news by fathers in the US among immigrant families. They carry their evil with them. It makes it hard for American citizens to welcome and include “conservative” Muslims under these conditions.

Bride burning in particular is mainly among Hindus, however. See this article from Wikipedia. According to this article the punishment in India, however, is usually life in prison or death. In Pakistan it can be “forgiven” by only one member of the bride's family or by the acceptance of “blood money.” I ran across the payment of “blood money” several times in the past when reading about ancient societies, including the Celts in Europe. That was 3,000 years ago, however, and these cases are in the present in a country which is, tentatively at least, an American ally. I think the US should put diplomatic pressure on both India and Pakistan to outlaw those cultural customs. The world can't move forward as long as such things persist.


Bride burning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bride burning is a form of domestic violence common within the regions of India and Pakistan[1] wherein a groom or his family kills the bride due to dissatisfaction over the amount or duration of the dowry.[2] Kerosene is most often used as the fuel.[3]

This crime has been treated as culpable homicide and, if proven, is usually accordingly punished by up to lifelong imprisonment or death.[4] Bride burning has been recognized as an important public health problem in India,[5]accounting for around 2,500 deaths per year in the country.[5] In 1995, TimeMagazine reported that dowry deaths in India increased from around 400 a year in the early 1980s to around 5,800 a year by the middle of the 1990s.[6] A year later, CNN ran a story saying that every year police receive more than 2,500 reports of bride burning.[7] According to Indian National Crime Record Bureau, there were 1,948 convictions and 3,876 acquittals in dowry deathcases in 2008.[8]

BBC claims that Bride burning is some variation of the ancient custom of Sati, formally abolished in 1829, where a widowed woman was forcibly or voluntarily placed on the burning pyre of her dead husband and burnt to death,[4] but in reality, it is actually related and byproduct of Jauhar.

Dowry deaths[edit]
A dowry death is the death of a young woman in South Asian countries, primarily India, who is murdered or driven to suicide by her husband. This results from the husband continually attempting to extract more dowry from the bride or her family. Bride burning is just one form of dowry death. Others include acid throwing and Eve teasing. Because dowry typically depends on class or socioeconomic status, women are often subjected to the dowry pressures of their future husband or his relatives.[2]





The toughest places to live in America
By AIMEE PICCHI MONEYWATCH June 27, 2014

Almost every county in the U.S. has its share of haves and have-nots. But there are some regions where it's just plain harder for Americans to thrive, places where the poor far outnumber those living in middle-class comfort.

Ten counties in America stand out as the most challenging places to live, based on a survey of six criteria including median household income, disability rate and life expectancy, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

The county with the dubious distinction of being the worst of all is Clay County, Kentucky, where residents can expect to die six years earlier than the average American. But it's not a recent distinction for the Appalachian county. Its reputation as a rough area dates as far back as 1899 thanks to clan feuds, while a recent survey found Clay County had the worst health characteristics of any county in the state.

Clay isn't the only Kentucky county to make the list, according to the Times. A cluster of Appalachian counties rank among the toughest places to live in America, with five additional coal-region Kentucky counties on the list: Breathitt, Jackson, Lee, Leslie and Magoffin.

The other four counties ranked at the bottom of the survey include four counties in the rural south: Humphreys County, Mississippi; East Carroll Parish, Louisiana; Jefferson County, Georgia; and Lee County, Arkansas.

The findings highlight an often overlooked issue in the debate about income inequality -- the stubbornness of rural poverty. In the U.S., the number of poor rural residents outnumber those in the cities, with 14 percent of rural Americansliving below the poverty line, compared with 12 percent in urban areas, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development's Rural Poverty Portal.

Half a century ago, Kentucky provided the face for President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty." But while the U.S. poverty rate has declined to 16 percent, from almost 26 percent in 1967, poor rural counties are now facing new issues, such as obesity and drug addiction, and longstanding problems, such as a lack of employment opportunities.
There are a lot of ideas on how to help struggling regions around the U.S., but no clear answer. One proposal floated by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is to create "economic freedom zones" in challenged U.S. cities, cutting income taxes to a flat 5 percent in order to attract employers.

But the problems in America's hardest-hit counties go far beyond a tax stimulus, and include one aspect that may simply prove insurmountable, at least in the near term: isolation. With Appalachia's poor regions far from major highways, cities and industry, that makes it more difficult for families to find stable jobs or pursue higher education.

More than one-fourth of children live in poverty in 12 states that stretch from Appalachia to Arizona, according to the Population Reference Bureau. Poverty rates are not only higher for rural children than for those in cities, but the growing income gap is also hitting rural families harder, the PRB said in a 2009 report.

Already challenged by its isolated geography and poverty, Appalachia was especially adversely affected by the recession. Median household income in the region between 1999 and 2005 through 2009 declined 7 percent, compared with a decline of 5 percent nationwide.

Of course, Appalachia and the South aren't the only parts of the country where people struggle, The Times' study found. Pockets of economic and social hardship extend from Maine to Alaska.

So where's the best place to live? According to the number crunching, it's Los Alamos, New Mexico, home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Thanks to the lab's $2.1 billion budget, the county of about 18,000 residents is prospering.

Other high-ranking counties include several that serve as suburbs to Washington, D.C., and New York City-area counties, such as Westchester, New York (ranked 98th out of all U.S. counties) and Morris County, New Jersey (ranked 43rd).




Lack of infrastructure such as roads and public transportation connecting rural areas easily to towns where jobs may be found, lack of education and good health, obesity and drug addiction, all add to the poverty found in some dozen counties which occur primarily in the rural south. “Median household income, disability rate and life expectancy” are the factors that a New York Times study tracked in coming up with these conclusions. I am surprised that no cities were in this study, as poverty in cities seems to me to be as bad as that in the countryside. I also think that, in the rural areas, families are at least able more often to grow their own food on the land that they occupy. Maybe there is something about those counties that makes this no longer true. Also, in cities the poor are perhaps more likely to be able to take advantage of the “social safety net,” such as food stamps due to better transportation.

The counties that are doing the best are in suburbs of Washington DC and New York City and, surprisingly, Los Alamos again because of available work at the National Laboratory there. Also listed was Morris County, New Jersey, which is also located near New York City.

Maybe if Rand Paul could set up an “economic freedom zone” of 5% income tax that would attract businesses there, and would bring improvement in the poverty stricken places. It would give jobs to some of the unemployed and also could possibly stimulate the building of better roads in and out of the most isolated pockets. and growth of towns in those counties rather than ruined farmland. Many people who try to farm for their income can't make a living due to the unpredictable and often very high costs involved. I don't know how the legislators would react to a 5% tax bracket, though, and there would be an outcry of unfair taxation from other places, I would expect. It sounds too utopian to work.





Environmentalists say bye bye blackbirds
By BIGAD SHABAN CBS NEWS June 28, 2014

WOODLAND, Calif. -- It's an infrequent sound these days -- the high-pitched cries of hundreds of newborn blackbirds in California's Sacramento Valley.

"It's something that I hear very infrequently -- almost rarely anymore," says Bob Meese, an environmental scientist.

Meese has spent the last decade studying the tri-colored blackbird, which once numbered in the millions. The decline, he says, is unprecedented.

According to surveys coordinated by Meese and his team at the University of California, Davis, the state was home to 400,000 tri-colored blackbirds in 2008.

Today, there are only 145,000 -- a 64 percent loss in just six years.

"There are parts of the state where the birds seem to be disappearing altogether,'' said Meese.

Meese is now catching the birds so he can tag them and track their movements. He believes the birds' natural habitats are being increasingly turned into farmland and vineyards which rely on pesticides that kill off the very insects the birds feast on.

"If they do not have enough insects in their diet, they simply cannot form eggs," he says.

So Meese is trying to convince growers to give up pesticides. At this organic rice field, the tri-colored blackbirds are able to collect insect larvae to feed their young.

"The blackbirds could act as a natural insecticide,'' says Meese.

"If we can reproduce this specific set of circumstances in enough places in California, I think the species has a future here."

Unless that idea takes flight, Meese says, California's iconic bird could be lost forever.




Destruction of environments and their insect populations are causing birds to be unable to form healthy eggs, so they are dying out. It's like the old DDT problem of 40 years ago when the birds eggs had too soft shells for the species to replicate. That was solved when DDT was absolutely banned. Unfortunately, not all other insecticides have been banned. Bob Meese, an environmental scientist, is trying to convince farmers to stop using insecticides and let the blackbirds eat the insects instead. "'If we can reproduce this specific set of circumstances in enough places in California, I think the species has a future here.'"





Astronaut captures video of lightning storm from space
CBS NEWS June 27, 2014

You've never seen a thunderstorm quite like this.

Astronaut Reid Wiseman -- known on Twitter as @astro_reid -- captured this Vine video from the International Space Station showing dramatic flashes of lightning over Houston.

Wiseman is serving as flight engineer aboard the International Space Station for Expedition 41, according to his NASA biography.

He launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 29.

Since then, he's been tweeting about experiments aboard the space station, the World Cup and views of the world from space.


http://spaceweather.com/: This is a website linked to NOAA that has been on the Net for at least ten years. It covers the highest regions of the atmosphere, and shows such things as “gravity waves” and “red sprites.” Red sprites are electrical discharges that occur above thunderstorms as high as 70 km above the earth, and are readily visible from space. Have a look at this site for lots of information and visuals. The lightning storm footage filmed by the astronaut was not of red sprites, but diffuse, very bright flashes in the clouds below. See the CBS website for today.

I consider going up into space as being a more dangerous thing than I want to do, but the pictures and video we sometimes see from the International Space Station are really beautiful. I'm glad to have lived in this generation. The first moves into outer space amazed me. Now NASA is talking about going to Mars. Just today a flying saucer-like device was tested for future Mars exploration. I don't think it will be feasible to set up a long term station for human habitation on Mars, though. I'll watch the news on it, nonetheless, and clip every article I find.




Nanny Who Wouldn't Leave Spotted Hiding in Car at Police Station – ABC
By Gillian Mohney, Sarah Figalora and Sabina Ghebremedhin
June 28, 2014

In another bizarre development, the former live-in nanny who a family said "refused to leave" after being fired, was spotted by press hiding in her car at the Upland Police Station in California.

Diane Stretton is being accused of squatting in a family's home after being initially hired as a live-in nanny.

Stretton arrived at a local police station Friday because she thought she was being followed, according to ABC station KABC-TV. Police confirmed that the person following her was a photographer and said she could leave. However, rather than leave Stretton remained in her car hiding under a windshield cover and didn't leave the parking lot until around 3 a.m.

Stretton initially grabbed headlines after Marcella and Ralph Bracamonte of Upland, Calif., said that Stretton refused to leave their home after they fired her from her job as live-in nanny. The couple told ABC News that a few weeks after they hired Stretton, she refused to work, saying she had health problems. Eventually she refused to leave her room except to come out for food, the couple said.

When the family asked Stretton to leave, she refused and allegedly threatened the couple that she would sue for elder abuse and wrongful firing.

Diane Stretton has a long history with litigation and is listed on California's Vexatious Litigant List, which includes people who have been found to bring legal action that is frivolous or repetitive.

Bracamonte called the police when Stretton first refused to leave, but the cops declined to do anything, saying it was a civil matter. Lt. John Moore of the Upland Police Department confirmed to ABC News that there is no immediate action that can be taken against Stretton, saying "generally, once somebody has established residency, you have to go through a formal eviction process."

While Stretton initially refused to leave the Bracamonte home, Marcella Bracamonte confirmed to ABC News that Stretton disappeared from the home early Thursday morning.

"She left around 7 a.m. yesterday morning and she never came back," Bracamonte told ABC News on Friday.

The former nanny was not seen until Friday, when she was spotted by the press as she arrived at a local police station according to KABC-TV.

It was unclear whether Stretton would return for her belongings or file suit against the Bracamonte family as they claimed she threatened to do.

Court documents obtained by ABC News revealed that Stretton was involved in at least six lawsuits in Riverside, Calif., since 2005, four in which she was the plaintiff, one in which she was the defendant and one in which she was the petitioner.

The majority of the lawsuits were directed at her own family members, especially her two sisters. According to documents, Stretton tried to block her sisters from selling family property.

Last year, Stretton even sued her son, Michael, according to court records, for property damage and personal injury.

Court documents show that when Stretton's father, John Richardson, died in 2000, his will included Stretton's two sisters, Donna Tobey and Sharon Freeburn. Richardson "specifically and expressly omitted Stretton," according to court documents.


Squatting
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land and/or abuilding – usually residential –[1] that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use.

Author Robert Neuwirth suggests that there are one billion squatters globally, that is, about one in every seven people on the planet.[2] Yet, according to Kesia Reeve, "squatting is largely absent from policy and academic debate and is rarely conceptualised, as a problem, as a symptom, or as a social or housing movement."[3]

Some squatting movements are political, such as anarchist, autonomist, or socialist.

In many of the world's poorer countries, there are extensive slums or shanty towns, typically built on the edges of major cities and consisting almost entirely of self-constructed housing built without the landowner's permission. While these settlements may, in time, grow to become both legalised and indistinguishable from normal residential neighbourhoods, they start off as squats with minimal basic infrastructure. Thus, there is no sewage system, drinking water must be bought from vendors or carried from a nearby tap, and if there is electricity, it is stolen from a passing cable.

England[edit]

Main article: Squatting in England
In England, squatting has a long historical tradition. The BBC states that squatting was "a big issue in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and again for the Diggers in the 17th Century [who] were peasants who cultivated waste and common land, claiming it as their rightful due" and that squatting was a necessity after the Second World War when so many were homeless.[49] The BBC also reported in 2011 that the British government estimated that there were "20,000 squatters in the UK" and "650,000 empty properties".[49]

Effective 1 September 2012, under Section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, squatting in residential property was criminalised by the Government.[50][51]

Gremlins[edit]

Gremlins protesting on the roof of the squatted Spin Bowling, Cardiff, 2012.

As a result of the criminalisation of squatting in residential buildings, a group calling themselves The Gremlins in October 2012 resisted eviction of Spin Bowling in Cardiff from bailiffs and police. The group covered their faces with scarves and masks, posting on Bristol Indymedia claiming; “The state tries to make people homeless, anarchists have no sympathy for the state and its lackeys.” The protest was believed to be in response to the imprisonment of Alex Haigh, who was the first person jailed under the new Section 144 law in the UK.[59][60] The activists have renamed the building Gremlin Alley Social Centre and continue to organise events at the squat.[61]
United States

In the United States, squatting laws vary from state to state and city to city. For the most part, it is rarely tolerated to any degree for long, particularly in cities.[65]There have been a few exceptions, notably in 2002 when the New York City administration agreed to turn over eleven squatted buildings in the Lower East Side to an established non-profit group, on the condition that the apartments would later be turned over to the tenants as low-income housing cooperatives.[66]

Squatters can be young people living in punk houses, low-income or homeless people, street gang members, or artists. Recently there have been increasing numbers of people squatting foreclosed homes [67][68] There are also reports of people resquatting their own foreclosed homes.[69]




This news article is a followup from a story a few days ago, and shows further results to the “standoff” between a couple and their previously hired live in nanny. It reminds me of some stories over the last 15 years or so of families who simply went on vacation to come back and find people had moved into their house and refused to leave. There is such a thing as “squatters rights” in some states. See the Wikipedia article information clipped above.

“Diane Stretton is being accused of squatting in a family's home after being initially hired as a live-in nanny.” In this case, the nanny recently left the home and took shelter in her car at a local police station from a “follower” who turned out to be a photographer. Stretton remained in the police parking lot hiding in her car until 3:00 AM. Apparently she is not under arrest, but she is no longer in the home. Hopefully there will be an update soon.






Ukrainian Soldiers Call for Lifting of Cease-Fire – ABC
Kiev, Ukraine
June 29, 2014

Several hundred Ukrainian soldiers and activists gathered outside the presidential administration in Kiev on Sunday to call for an end to the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, an indication that tensions remain high a day ahead of a deadline for steps toward easing the violence.

After the weeklong cease-fire expired Friday, President Petro Poroshenko agreed to extend it through Monday in an effort to stop the fighting between government troops and Moscow-backed separatists that has left hundreds dead.

The European Union also set a Monday deadline for Russia and the separatists to take a series of steps, including releasing all captives, retreating from border checkpoints, agreeing on a way to verify the cease-fire and beginning "substantial negotiations" on Poroshenko's peace plan. If this was not done, the EU warned that it was ready to impose new punitive measures on Russia.

Soldiers from the Donbass battalion, a militia formed by volunteers, appealed to Poroshenko on Sunday to allow them to resume the fight.

A presidential administration official, Henadiy Zubko, promised to pass on their demands to the president, but told them that the cease-fire order would remain in effect until 10 p.m. Monday (1900GMT).

Both sides have been accused of violating the cease-fire.

Late Saturday, pro-Russia separatists released a second team of four observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who had been held captive in eastern Ukraine since the end of May. The first team of four was freed last week.

Ukraine on Friday signed a free-trade pact with the EU, the very deal that the former Ukrainian president dumped under pressure from Moscow in November, fueling huge protests that eventually drove him from power. Moscow responded to those events by annexing the mainly Russian-speaking Crimean Peninsula in March, and the pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine broke out a month later.

The United States and the EU have slapped travel bans and asset freezes on members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and threatened to impose more crippling sanctions against entire sectors of Russia's economy if the Kremlin fails to de-escalate the crisis.




“Ukraine on Friday signed a free-trade pact with the EU.... Late Saturday, pro-Russia separatists released a second team of four observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, who had been held captive in eastern Ukraine since the end of May. The first team of four was freed last week.” The Poroshenko declared cease fire is still in effect until 10:00 PM Monday. Poroshenko is holding his line in the cease fire, against the wishes of several hundred of his militia volunteers from Donbass and other activists, who want to resume fighting. The Pro-Russia group has complied with the demand that they release some of the OSCE observers who have been held since the end of May. This isn't much progress, but it's a couple of steps in the right direction.

Saturday, June 28, 2014


News Clips For The Day


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/27/disgraceful-the-reason-cracker-barrel-terminated-a-73-year-old-military-veteran-has-resulted-in-something-of-a-pr-nightmare/

‘Disgraceful!’: The Reason Cracker Barrel ‘Terminated’ a 73-Year-Old Military Veteran Has Resulted in Something of a PR Nightmare
By Jason Howerton
Jun. 27, 2014

A Vietnam veteran has been “terminated” from his job at Cracker Barrel in Venice, Florida, after he gave a corn muffin to a man who appeared to be homeless.

Joe Koblenzer, 73, says he was working his shift earlier this month when a men entered the restaurant and asked only for mayonnaise and some tarter sauce. The veteran gladly provided some packets of condiments and also added a corn muffin as a kind gesture.
“He looked a little needy,” Koblenzer told WWSB-TV. “He said he was going to cook a fish. … I got it for him. As I walked out I put a corn muffin in.”

A short time later, Koblenzer was fired.

Cracker Barrel issued a statement after the story started to go viral. The company says Koblenzer has a history of giving away food for free:

Mr. Koblenzer has worked as a host at Cracker Barrel’s Sarasota [County] store since April 2011. During the time he was employed, he violated the Company’s policies regarding consuming food without paying or giving away free food, on five separate occasions. Mr. Koblenzer received multiple counselings and written warnings reminding him about the company’s polices and the consequences associated with violating them. On the fifth occasion, again per Company policy, Mr. Koblenzer was terminated.

Regardless, the situation has created a PR disaster for Cracker Barrel. Many of the commenters on their Facebook page are expressing outrage at the firing.

“Disgraceful! I used to love Cracker Barrel, unfortunately I have a conscience that will not allow me to visit establishments like yours,” one user wrote.

“Used to eat at Cracker Barrel from time to time but their corporate social responsibility doesn’t line up with my values. I also feed and clothe the homeless, so Joe Koblenzer, I double salute you! No more of my consumer dollars going to CB,” another commented.

Other Facebook users also vowed to “never” eat at the restaurant again. The majority of voters in WWSB-TV’s poll (49 percent) said they “see both sides, though I wish they could work something out.” Additionally, 36.1 percent of respondents said the employee did the right thing and 14.6 percent said the company was right to fire Koblenzer because he repeatedly violated company policy.

Koblenzer said he feels bad that his firing “shines a bad light on the company.”

“I would not want that on any company, but it happened,” he said.



Cracker Barrel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. is an American chain of combinedrestaurant and gift stores with a Southern country theme. The company was founded by Dan Evins in 1969; its first store was in Lebanon, Tennessee, which remains the company headquarters. The chain's stores were at first positioned near highway exits in the Southeastern and Midwestern US, but it expanded across the country during the 1990s and 2000s. As of September 18, 2012,[4] the chain operates 630 stores in 42 states.

Cracker Barrel's menu is based on traditional Southern cuisine, with appearance and decor designed to resemble an old-fashioned general store. Each restaurant features a front porch lined with wooden rocking chairs, a stone fireplace, and artifacts from the local area. Cracker Barrel is known for its partnerships with country music performers, and has received attention for its charitable activities, such as its assistance of victims of Hurricane Katrinaand injured war veterans.

During the 1990s, the company was the subject of controversy for its official stance against gay and lesbian employees and for discriminatory practices against African American and female employees. A U.S. Department of Justiceinvestigation found Cracker Barrel discriminated against minority customers; patrons complained of racially segregated seating and service quality. In an agreement with the Department of Justice, Cracker Barrel has implemented non-discrimination policies, and pledged to focus on improving minority representation and civic involvement, particularly in the black community. Company shareholders added sexual orientation to the company's non-discrimination policy in 2002.

Controversies[edit]

Policy toward sexual orientation[edit]

In early 1991, an intra-company memo called for employees to be dismissed if they did not display "normal heterosexual values". According to news reports, at least 11 employees were fired under the policy on a store-by-store basis from locations in Georgia and other states.[6][12] After demonstrations by gay rights groups, the company ended its policy in March 1991 and stated it would not discriminate based on sexual orientation.[61][62] The company's founder, Dan Evins, subsequently described the policy as a mistake.[6] 

On December 20, 2013, Cracker Barrel announced it would no longer sell certain Duck Dynasty products which it was "concerned might offend some of [its] guests"[68] after Phil Robertson, a star on the reality TV show, remarked in a Gqinterview[69]

Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right.

Robertson also made "comments likening homosexuality to terrorism and bestiality" in the interview, and expressed views about race which attracted criticism. On December 22, less than two days after pulling the products from its shelves, Cracker Barrel reversed its position after protests from customers.[70][71][72]

Racial and sexual discrimination[edit]

In July 1999, a discrimination lawsuit was filed against Cracker Barrel by a group of former employees, who claimed that the company had discriminated against them on the grounds of race.[73][74] In December 2001, twenty-one of the restaurant's customers, represented by the same attorneys, filed a separate lawsuit, alleging racial discrimination in its treatment of guests.[75][76][77] Regarding both accusations, Cracker Barrel officials disputed the claims and stated that the company was committed to fair treatment of its employees and customers.[74][76][78]

In 2004, an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department found evidence that Cracker Barrel had been segregatingcustomer seating by race; seating or serving white customers before seating or serving black customers; providing inferior service to black customers, and allowing white servers to refuse to wait on black customers.[79] The Justice Department determined that the firm had violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The company was required to sign a five-year agreement to introduce "effective nondiscrimination policies and procedures". The terms included new equal opportunity training; the creation of a new system to log, investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination; and the publicizing of its non-discrimination policies. They were required to hire an outside auditor to ensure compliance with the terms of the settlement.[80]

In 2006, Cracker Barrel paid a $2 million settlement to end a suit alleging race and sexual harassment at three Illinoisrestaurants.[81][82] Cracker Barrel stores subsequently began displaying a sign in the front foyer explaining the company's non-discrimination policy,[79] and added the policy and details of how to make a complaint to its menu and website.[83]

Since the early 2000s, Cracker Barrel has provided training and resources to minority employees, to improve its image on diversity. These efforts involved beginning outreach to minority employees, along with testing a training plan to help employees whose first language is Spanish to learn English.[52] As of 2002, minorities made up 23 percent of the company's employees, including over 11 percent of its management and executives.[53] Cracker Barrel is on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Texas Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),[84] and is a corporate sponsor of the NAACP Leadership 500 Summit, where three of its officials were moderators and panelists in May 2011.[85] The company has been praised for its gender diversity, particularly on its board of directors, which includes three women out of eleven total board members.[86] Its chief executive officer, Sandra Cochran, is the second woman inTennessee to hold that office in a publicly traded company.[86]


http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/12/22/cracker-barrel-oops-were-putting-duck-dynasty-products-back-on-our-shelves/

Cracker Barrel: Oops! We're Putting Duck Dynasty Products Back On Our Shelves!
Clare O'Connor Forbes Staff
 12/22/2013 

I think we can safely call Cracker Barrel’s response to the Phil Robertson scandal a clusterduck.

For those sensible souls not following the saga as closely as I am: the Southern restaurant chain became the first major retailer to pull some Duck Dynasty products off its shelves on Saturday in response to cast member Robertson’s now-notorious anti-gay GQ interview.

Cue a barrage of tweets, emails, and calls from Duck Dynasty fans to the powers that be at Cracker Barrel, not to mention threats of a boycott.

Now, a day later, the 625-outlet comfort food chain has capitulated and will resume selling Duck Dynasty products. Here’s their statement, dated Sunday:

Dear Cracker Barrel Customer:

When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that’s just what we’ve done.

You told us we made a mistake. And, you weren’t shy about it. You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings.  You flat out told us we were wrong.

We listened.

Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores.

And, we apologize for offending you.

We respect all individuals [sic] right to express their beliefs.  We certainly did not mean to have anyone think different [sic].

We sincerely hope you will continue to be part of our Cracker Barrel family.




I have eaten at Cracker Barrel once and found it “passable,” but not delicious, and a little skimpy on portions. It cost a moderate amount and the service was okay. I was with my politically conservative family member and would not, especially after reading this information on the chain, go back there on my own. I did notice that there was nobody seated in the restaurant who didn't look “middle class” and white. Of course, people go to a place like Cracker Barrel for the same reason I go to Sonny's Barbecue, their menu is reliably the same from place to place and the food preparation is also “dependable” to good. With a name brand restaurant I know what I'll be getting. Sometimes, especially when traveling, I have had to eat at a restaurant that was a major disappointment and I still had to pay for it. I have learned when traveling to scan the menu for prices before I order food. Bad food, slow service and high prices is really hard to take.

This is the first I have known about Cracker Barrel's civil rights problems. I remember Denny's got in trouble within the last ten years for the same kind of thing, but they quickly changed their policies and, like Cracker Barrel their food is pretty good and their prices are reliable. I have eaten at Denny's a number of times when in an unfamiliar neighborhood or on the road.

What strikes me about today's news article and Cracker Barrel's Wikipedia writeup is that this is one more proof that the white, Evangelical, “conservative” war against ethnic minorities, races, other religions and women continues unabated despite legal changes. Each business continues its right wing social policies until it is sued or becomes the subject of protests, then to protect “the bottom line” the business amends its actions. Their ungenerous attitude toward the occasional homeless person – who in this case didn't actually ask for the corn muffin – shows that they fear an onslaught of poor people robbing them of their profits, as though they don't have enough money to feed some people a meager meal for free. Whatever happened to the actual teachings of Jesus among our conservative Christian society? I think the “conservative” part outweighs the “Christian” part all too often.

I will say, though, that of the comments attached to this news article, except for two, all dozen or more that I read backed Cracker Barrel on the grounds that the 73 year old employee should have paid for the muffin before he gave it away. What he did amounted to theft. Two also argued that giving away food or drinks to homeless people may result in crowds of homeless people standing outside the restaurant waiting to be given things. This certainly emphasizes the number of homeless people we have in cities. There isn't enough housing or food for them in the numbers that they actually represent. Many of them don't have the mental capacity to follow housing rules – including the ability to refrain from using drugs or drinking – and food pantries have recently been running short of supplies to give to those who need help. It is a real problem. I'm still not going to eat at Cracker Barrel again if I can help it, though.





Dad who left tot in back seat researched heat deaths
CBS/AP  June 28, 2014

ATLANTA - The father of a Georgia toddler who died in a hot SUV told authorities that he did an online search about children dying in vehicles because he was afraid it could happen.

Justin Ross Harris faces charges of murder and second-degree child cruelty in 22-month-old Cooper Harris' death.

Search warrants released Saturday by Cobb County Police Department say Harris told police that he researched what temperature can cause a child's death in a car.

The warrants say police were looking for a laptop, electronic devices and evidence of child neglect or abuse at the family's Marietta home. Harris' phone and car were included.

Harris has told police he was supposed to drive his son to daycare but drove to work on June 18, forgetting the boy was in the car.

A medical examiner in Georgia says hyperthermia was the cause of death for the child.

The investigation hinges on a key question: Was the boy the victim of a horrific accident after his father simply forgot to take him to day care, or did the man know the child was inside when he left him strapped in for seven hours?

A warrant supporting the murder charge against the father states that Harris stopped with his son for breakfast and also returned to put something inside his vehicle around lunchtime while the child was inside it.

Harris has told police he was supposed to drive his 22-month-old son to daycare but drove straight to work on June 18 without remembering the boy was strapped in his seat until the ride home. After spending the day at work, he pulled into a shopping center parking lot and hysterically asked for help for his son.

Harris put the toddler in a rear-facing car seat in the center of the back seat of his Hyundai Tucson after eating at a Chick-fil-A restaurant the morning of the boy's death, the new warrant says. He then drove about 10 miles to work and left the child strapped into the car seat when he went inside, the warrant says.

At lunchtime, Harris returned to the vehicle and opened the driver's side door to place an object inside and went back inside his workplace, the warrant says. It does not explain how the officer knows that.

Around 4:15 p.m., Harris left work and, soon after, pulled over at a shopping center and asked for help with his child, the warrant says. The child was left in the vehicle for about seven hours, the warrant says. The temperature that day was 88 degrees at 5:16 p.m., according to the first warrant in the case, filed the day after the child died.

Neighbors and acquaintances of Harris and his wife described them as loving parents.
Their landlord, Joe Saini, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the couple were "very, very nice" people who were in love with their baby.

"Everything was going right for this couple," Saini said. "They wanted to buy a house so they could have some space for their child to run around the backyard."




“A warrant supporting the murder charge against the father states that Harris stopped with his son for breakfast and also returned to put something inside his vehicle around lunchtime while the child was inside it.” I don't understand how a mentally capable adult “forgets” that his child is strapped into the back seat of his car. Probably the answer is that many seemingly competent people are not actually normal and healthy. This kind of thing has been in the news more times than I can count, with the parents coming from all races and backgrounds. Of course, in this case, the father also “researched” heat death on the Internet before it happened, which is a strange coincidence, if it is a coincidence. I don't think this man has a good chance to avoid prison unless some other evidence is unearthed. As an AA friend of mine once said pithily, “Some are sicker than others.” If this was a true accident, I feel very sorry for the man, but on the other hand I think the least he should be charged with is felony child endangerment. Bringing children into the world carries responsibilities with it.





Ethical battle over harvesting aquarium fish in Hawaii – CBS
AP  June 28, 2014

HONOLULU - The waters off the Hawaii's largest island are home to a half-million brightly-colored tropical fish that are scooped up into nets each year and flown across the globe into aquariums from Berlin to Boston.

Scientists say the aquarium fishery off the Big Island is among the best managed in the world, but it has nevertheless become the focus of a fight over whether it's ever appropriate to remove fish from reefs for people to look at and enjoy.

Activists have launched a campaign to shut down the buying and selling of fish for aquariums, saying the practice from Hawaii to the Philippines is destroying coral reefs.

"In this day and age, where the ocean faces a crisis ... there's absolutely no justification for a fishery for hobby," said Mike Long of Seattle-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which is spearheading the campaign.

A coalition of fishermen, state regulators and even local environmentalists say the group should focus its attention elsewhere, noting comprehensive aquarium fishery regulations and scientific research that shows fish stocks there are rebounding.

"We don't have a problem here anymore," said Tina Owens of the local environmental group Lost Fish Coalition.

Scientists estimate the aquarium trade removes about 30 million fish from reefs around the world. Hawaii accounts for less than 2 percent, while the vast majority comes from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Some fishermen in these countries capture fish by pumping cyanide into the water to make fish sluggish and easier to catch. The chemical may also harm nearby marine life, as well as shorten the captured fish's life span.

The Philippines has long prohibited cyanide fishing and in April banned certain types of fishing gear that destroy coral reefs and other marine habitat, said Asis Perez, director of the government's Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Hawaii collectors use nets to capture fish. Local collectors may sell one yellow tang - the most commonly caught species on the Big Island's west coast - for about $3 or $4. With middlemen adding costs to store and ship them, the fish may retail for anywhere between $30 and $60.

Long said Sea Shepherd would take the campaign to Indonesia and the Philippines as well, but didn't offer details.

The group is known for using aggressive tactics - even violence - to achieve its aims, as when its members rammed Japanese whaling ships in Antarctica and hurled glass containers of acid at the vessels. A federal judge called them pirates.

Conflict over the aquarium fish industry shot into the limelight last month when Sea Shepherd activists wearing cameras approached two fish collectors working underwater in West Hawaii.

One collector swam to one of the activists and ripped her scuba air regulator out of her mouth. Both the fish collector and the activist filed complaints against each another. Prosecutors are reviewing evidence but haven't decided whether to file charges.

Local activists have long pushed to shut down Hawaii's aquarium trade.

Robert Wintner, the owner of the Hawaii dive shop chain Snorkel Bob's and vice president of Sea Shepherd's board, lobbied the state Legislature for years to ban aquarium fish collecting but the bills didn't pass.

Wintner and others sued the state in 2012, saying environmental studies should be conducted before collection permits are issued. A state judge rejected the lawsuit, but the plaintiffs are appealing.

Long said Sea Shepherd came to Hawaii to help Wintner and other local activists. He said the group doesn't intend to "harass, attack or engage an individual fisherman who is trying to put food on the table."

The group is focusing on filming and documenting to bring attention to what he called "a very fragile ecosystem out there that is being depleted for the sole benefit of a multi-billion dollar industry for the home and business hobbyist."

Fish collectors say the filming isn't harmless, saying it could scare away skittish fish.

West Hawaii's aquarium fish collecting rules date to the late 1990s, when the state Legislature, responding to concerns about declining fish stocks, banned fish collecting along sections of the coastline.

Today, collecting is prohibited on 35 percent of the coast.

Scientific surveys show yellow tang populations have jumped 88 percent in these areas since the regulations went into effect, said Brian Tissot, a Humbolt State University conservation biologist who has studied the fishery for decades. Numbers of goldring surgeonfish, the second most-caught aquarium fish, climbed 37 percent.

The population growth has spilled over into areas where fish collecting is allowed.

A local fisheries advisory council - made up of environmentalists, divers, fish collectors, tourism industry officials and others - recently moved to strengthen the regulations. Their new rules limit species that collectors may capture to a list of 40.

Arielle Levine, a San Diego State University marine conservation expert who recently co-authored a paper on the success of the no-collection zones, said they're doing "an impressive job" of protecting and increasing fish populations.

Other factors harming the area's coral reefs haven't been as well managed, she said.

Reefs are being smothered when sediment and nutrients like fertilizer wash into the ocean from coastal housing and hotel developments. Algae-eating fish that would prevent excessive plant growth from choking the reefs are heavily fished for food.

Andy Rhyne, an assistant professor at Roger Williams University and New England Aquarium research scientist, said the fishery's management could still be improved but regulations have "really worked."

"This is not a debate or data or science. It's an emotional argument," Rhyne said.





“Scientists say the aquarium fishery off the Big Island is among the best managed in the world, but it has nevertheless become the focus of a fight over whether it's ever appropriate to remove fish from reefs for people to look at and enjoy.... A coalition of fishermen, state regulators and even local environmentalists say the group should focus its attention elsewhere, noting comprehensive aquarium fishery regulations and scientific research that shows fish stocks there are rebounding.... Andy Rhyne, an assistant professor at Roger Williams University and New England Aquarium research scientist, said the fishery's management could still be improved but regulations have "really worked.' This is not a debate or data or science. It's an emotional argument," Rhyne said.

This article reinforces in several places the fact that in Hawaii, where the collection of aquarium favorites has been limited, species populations in the wild have improved greatly. However in other parts of the Pacific such as Indonesian and the Philippines fish are still being harvested in large numbers and using harmful practices, such as pumping cyanide into the water to make the fish sluggish and easier to catch. Only 2% of the aquarium fish come from Hawaii, the article said, so the problem abounds in other places.

It seems to me that there is a need to get approval of laws protecting fish in all the other tropical countries as well as in Hawaii, so that their populations can recover as they have there. That still may not be enough for the organization Sea Shepherd which defends no harvesting of fish at all for the purpose of this popular hobby. They engaged in ramming Japanese whaling ships in Antarctic waters, and are currently engaged in photographing collection divers as they work, presumably for proof of illegal operations. It is fascinating, though, and more than a little shocking, that a fish collector swam over to a Sea Shepherd photographer and pulled her air hose out of her mouth. That is attempted murder, I think, so those collectors aren't, perhaps, being completely legal in their operations after all. She was a good diver and put the hose back in her mouth, but it made the news a few weeks ago.






College girls in India unveil rape-deterrent garments
CBS NEWS June 28, 2014

Electrified sandals and bras, and jeans that with an "SOS" button are among the rape deterrent garments unveiled by college students in India, reports theIndia Today web site.

This week, two innovative designs - sandals that deliver electric shocks and jeans that have an inbuilt SOS button - were unveiled by students in Uttar Pradesh, a state in India.

As India Today reports, Computer Science students Rijul Pandey and Shalini Yadav at a private engineering college in Varanasi designed sandals that would give an electric shock to any molester. They would also send an instant SOS message to those specified from the wearer's list of mobile contacts.

Two other students at the same institute, Diksha Pathak and Anjali Srivastava, developed an electronic GPS device that could be sewn into a pair of jeans. The kin of the victim would be immediately informed of any molestation attempt by a preset text alert. Both devices are linked to the GPS system through which the location of the victim can be pinpointed.

In Chandigarh, another student has developed an electrified bra that would give an assailant a shock and a burn. Manisha Mohan, who is studying at SRM University in Chennai, came up with the antirape lingerie with two fellow students as a reaction to the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi in December 2012.

The high-voltage undergarment is fitted with a pressure sensor connected to an electric circuit. The bra, named SHE (Society Harnessing Equipment), can also send a text message with the victim's GPS coordinates to a relative or friend and the local police station, Manisha told India Today.

India has been under scrutiny for the number of attacks on women there, including the brutal gang rape of a woman on Dec. 16, 2012. That woman died of injuries after being attacked after boarding a public bus. The attackers raped the woman and beat her male friend, inflicting massive internal injuries with a metal bar, police said. The victims were dumped naked on the roadside, and the woman died two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.





Sandals and a bra that administer an electric shock and an SOS button that the woman can deploy to be sewn into her jeans, have all been developed by students at “a private engineering college in Varanasi” to help women in the case of assault. The electrified bra delivers a charge strong enough to burn the assailant and the sandals and jeans also notify family, police or friends of the attack and give the woman's GPS location. Those are really clever. Women in other parts of the world, even the US, could use such technology to advantage. There are women in crime infested neighborhoods all over this country who run the risk of rape, robbery and murder every day of their lives. After all, you have to go down to the grocery store and pick up food. We will probably hear more about these devices as they are patented, manufactured and sold worldwide. At least, I hope so.







Amid health concerns, Pope resumes duties – CBS
AP  June 28, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has had a busy morning of audiences amid new health concerns following his cancellation of a planned outing.
The 77-year-old Francis seemed tired but smiled frequently during a shorter-than-usual, 10-minute private audience Saturday with the president of Madagascar. But the pope delivered a speech without problem to a visiting Orthodox delegation, and he had two other meetings with Vatican cardinals.
At the last minute, Francis skipped a visit Friday to a Rome hospital, the third time this month he has canceled or scaled back an event due to fatigue or illness.
The Vatican said he had suffered an "unexpected indisposition," but there were no concerns for his health. Francis has only one full lung, has a bad back and was down with an intestinal problem earlier this month.
Pope Francis canceled a planned visit to one of Rome's main hospitals Friday, the third time this month the 77-year-old has skipped or scaled back an event due to illness or fatigue.
Francis had been due to visit the Gemelli hospital and celebrate a Mass there Friday afternoon. But nearly an hour after he was due to arrive, the Vatican issued a statement saying he was canceling the trip due to an "unexpected indisposition."
The Argentine-born pontiff has only one full lung and suffers from a bad back that can make walking painful. Earlier this month, he skipped two days of audiences due to a stomach bug, then decided not to walk a mile-long procession last week to rest up for a grueling trip to southern Italy.
He held up remarkably well during the hot, 12-hour trip to Calabria, even getting out of his car along the road at one point to bless a sick young man who was wheeled up to his motorcade on a stretcher.
He has another busy weekend ahead of him, including audiences on Saturday and a major Mass on Sunday in St. Peter's Square.
The Vatican has insisted the pope isn't suffering from any major health issues, pointing to his busy schedule and plans for a whirlwind trip to South Korea in August.





The Pope is, after all, 77 years old and only has one lung. He has a full schedule including travel to foreign countries and meeting with officials of all kinds. I'm sure he isn't malingering. He is an amazing man. He's like Mother Theresa. For years she was in the news serving food to crowds of poor people, and she was clearly very elderly. Some people refuse to give up just because they get old or achy. God bless him!





Cross-Atlantic rower reaches Caribbean – CBS
AP  June 28, 2014

NEW YORK - An American rower who set out to cross the Atlantic Ocean in honor of his brother reached the Caribbean island of Saint Martin.

A spokeswoman for 48-year-old Victor Mooney said early Saturday the specially built oceangoing rowboat was towed about 20 miles to shore Friday while Mooney was aboard a search and rescue vessel. He has lost 80 pounds as he continues a 3,000-mile journey from the African coast to the British Virgin Islands, and then another 1,800-plus miles to New York.

Mooney was taken to a hospital for observation when he arrived, spokeswoman Lisa Samuels said in an email. She said that Mooney survived a shark attack that punctured his boat and will continue to the British Virgin Islands after getting "some needed rest."

Mooney set off Feb. 19 in a 24-foot boat from Maspolamas, Gran Canaria. His journey is being done in honor of a brother who died of AIDS in 1983. Mooney is hoping to encourage voluntary HIV testing.

Mooney has tried the same feat three other times, without success.

Mooney's first trans-Atlantic attempt, in 2006, ended when a 24-foot, wooden rowboat he'd built himself sank off the West African coast just hours after he'd pushed off from a beach in Senegal.

Three years later, he tried again with an oceangoing rowboat boat built by a professional. Its drinking water systems failed after two weeks at sea and he had to be rescued.

In 2011, Mooney set off from the Cape Verde Islands in an even more sophisticated boat. But that vessel, dubbed the Never Give Up, had apparently been damaged in transit and sprang a leak shortly after he put to sea.

He escaped in a life raft then spent two weeks drifting 250 miles on the open ocean.



http://kerwynhodge.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/the-curious-case-of-victor-mooney/

The Curious Case of Victor Mooney
Posted on December 18, 2013 by Kerwyn Hodge

Being a nearly native New Yorker, stories about local folks working to make a difference always catch my eye. So when I saw an article in the Mill Basin Marine Park Courier about Victor Mooney, it piqued my interest. Entitled “Fourth Time’s the Charm?” the article by Colin Mixson told the story of Victor, a resident of Queens (one of the five boroughs in NY), who lost one of his brothers to AIDS and has another living with HIV (read the online version here). He decided to do something to raise AIDS and HIV awareness as well as encourage voluntary HIV testing and increase prevention (presumably through additional programs and/or funding).

When we consider this account, there are many things about which we can admire Victor Mooney. Certainly we commend him for his desire to raise awareness of AIDS and HIV testing. His devotion to his family (particularly his brothers) also deserves recognition. Yet what hit me was his tenacity, for as the Courier article states, he is making his fourth attempt to row from Africa to the United States.

This last effort brings personal challenges that go beyond the physical rigors of the crossing. His third attempt ended with him stranded at sea for 14 days, awaiting rescue. After returning home, he promised his family that attempt was his last. So what would prompt him to turn around and risk not only another unsuccessful attempt but also his life? What can we learn from his efforts?

No doubt many of you face challenges right now as you pursue your goals. You may have thoughts about giving up. You may even have told others, “I’m done!” Before finally throwing in the towel, ask yourself “Is my goal worthwhile? Will it others benefit if I succeed? Does this goal resonate deeply with who I am as a person? Do I feel this is something I’m called to do?” If you can answer “Yes” to those questions, then don’t give up too easily on your goals. Often, people fail right on the cusp of success. InThink and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill tells the story of R.U. Darby who, along with an uncle of his, gave up on a gold mining operation. They sold it for a few hundred dollars that left them with debt they had to work off. However, the person to whom they sold their stake got expert help and discovered that Darby and his uncle stopped drilling just three feet from the mother-lode! That’s a powerful incentive to not give up on your dreams.

However, some have already given up on a goal, and now that particular opportunity has passed. What then? There’s still hope. Mr. Darby (mentioned above) went on to become one of the most successful insurance salesmen in the United States. Although he gave up on the gold mining operation, he learned lessons from his experience. Therefore, if you gave up on goals in the past, you can learn from those experiences and achieve success in future efforts (see the second bullet point above). Yes, you can still learn the lessons taught by the curious case of Victor Mooney.




A 48-year-old black man named Victor Mooney has finally succeeding in crossing from Africa to the British Virgin Islands and then on to New York in a row boat and without outside help until the very last. He did spend the last 20 miles in a search and rescue vehicle while his boat was towed to shore.

His journey was done in honor of his brother who died of AIDS in 1983. Mooney is hoping to encourage voluntary HIV testing. This is his fourth attempt to cross the Atlantic to raise HIV awareness. In all three of his previous trials it was his boat that failed him. He spent two weeks at sea drifting for 250 miles in a life raft at one point. Some people do have profound perseverance. His picture is on the website with the news article. He looked very tired and worn down, but was smiling happily. Maybe he will write a book about his experiences now.




Little known swimming safety risks
By JESSICA FIRGER CBS NEWS June 28, 2014

Most of us tend to think that drowning accidents only occur when a person struggles in deep or rough waters and isn't rescued in time. But it can also happen in some unexpected ways, and the signs are not always what people expect. In rare cases a swimmer can experience trouble breathing and even die hours after a seemingly successful rescue.

Every year, more than 3,500 Americans die from unintentional drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Typically, children are at highest risk; approximately 1 in 5 drowning victims are children 14 and younger.

Though relatively uncommon, it's important to be aware of two types of health risks that may occur in the aftermath of a close call at the beach or pool.

"It is an unusual phenomenon," Dr. Holly Phillips told "CBS This Morning." "Basically there are two forms of out-of-water drowning. The first one is called dry drowning. That's after maybe they've had a struggle in the pool, you've inhaled a little water. It creates irritation in your airway. That causes muscle spasms, so you start to choke and you have trouble breathing."

Similarly, after a drowning incident, there can be a build up of fluid in the lungs, which may cause the person to have trouble breathing, a condition known as secondary drowning.

"It can happen up to 24 hours after you're already out of the pool and what's happened is you've inhaled some water," explained Phillips. "Usually, again, it's after a bit of a struggle and it irritates the lung tissue itself and causes inflammation of the lung tissue and starts to make fluid and creates something called pulmonary edema. So the lungs themselves create the fluid and you're drowning even though you're not in the water."

Dry drowning and secondary drowning -- which only account for about 1 to 2 percent of all drowning deaths -- may result in long-term respiratory problems or brain damage, and can be fatal if left untreated.

This is why it's important to keep an eye on a near-drowning victim for some time after they've been safely brought to shore. A person who survives a drowning incident may later exhibit shortness of breath, chest pain and cough, as well as extreme fatigue and mood changes. If any of these symptoms emerge, it's important to see a doctor right away. Both dry drowning and secondary drowning can be treated with oxygen and ventilation at an emergency room. If caught early, a patient is likely to recover.

"It's something we have to know about because it's easy to miss, especially in kids," said Phillips. "They're playing in the water, you might not see a struggle and frankly they could be irritable and have fatigue after swimming anyway. You might not know to look for it."

Another little known risk parents should be aware of is that young children don't need to be in a large body of water to drown. Young kids can drown even in shallow water -- as little as two inches of water is all it takes, experts say. This is why it's never safe to leave a child unsupervised in or near the pool, beach or bathtub.

Many people don't realize that someone who is drowning may not exhibit typical signs such as flailing their arms, splashing and struggling to stay above water. Often a drowning person slips quietly beneath the surface without drawing the attention of people nearby.

Shallow blackout syndrome, another scary and little known risk associated with water recreation, can happen to even the strongest and most experienced swimmers, and often without warning.

Shallow blackout syndrome occurs when a person takes in several deep breaths -- also known as hyperventilation -- before heading under water, perhaps when attempting to swim the length of a pool. Holding deep breaths under water lowers the body's carbon dioxide levels, which suppresses the breathing reflex and causes a swimmer to lose consciousness when oxygen levels fall below a certain threshold. It's important for parents to advise children not to compete with peers to see who can hold their breath longest. Swimming instruction usually addresses the issue of safe breathing.

Thankfully, many of these risks are preventable, and it starts with basic water safety. If you or your child does not know how to swim, it's important to learn before taking a dip in the ocean or hopping in the pool. And part of learning how to swim is knowing what to do when you're in a situation that feels unsafe or scary, which is common for new swimmers, especially at the beach.

Dr. Antonio Dajer, director of the emergency department at the New York-Presbyterian hospital campus in Lower Manhattan told CBS News that anyone who wades into the ocean should know what to do in case they encounter a strong current or riptide. "Just let it ride out, don't fight it, just float out," he said. "Stay floating and you'll be fine. But when you start thrashing and panicking you will not do well. People are surprised that they're so close to shore and it's powerful."

The American Red Cross offers tips for safe swimming, as well as resources to help you find swimming and water safety classes in your area.




“Approximately 1 in 5 drowning victims are children 14 and younger.” First, let me say my usual piece – all children who have access to water should be taught to swim. Babies of 6 months old have been taught to swim. In fact, they instinctively hold their breath when their heads go underwater at that age. They do NOT panic and thrash around like older kids or adults will. That's the ideal time to teach them. If you do they can have years of summer fun as a result of it. Look it up on the Internet under the heading “waterbabies.” On the news just recently there was a story about major flooding that is happening in Germany. The article said that the Germans are very much afraid, because an astounding 90% of Germans have never been taught to swim. That's startling. As wealthy as they are as a society, you would think people there would have backyard pools or go to the German equivalent of the YMCA.

But that's not the amazing part of this article. The following series of quotations summarizes the information on extraordinary types of drowning. “In rare cases a swimmer can experience trouble breathing and even die hours after a seemingly successful rescue... called dry drowning. That's after maybe they've had a struggle in the pool, you've inhaled a little water. It creates irritation in your airway. That causes muscle spasms... Similarly, after a drowning incident, there can be a build up of fluid in the lungs, which may cause the person to have trouble breathing, a condition known as secondary drowning.... Both dry drowning and secondary drowning can be treated with oxygen and ventilation at an emergency room. If caught early, a patient is likely to recover.... young children don't need to be in a large body of water to drown. Young kids can drown even in shallow water -- as little as two inches of water is all it takes....Holding deep breaths under water lowers the body's carbon dioxide levels, which suppresses the breathing reflex and causes a swimmer to lose consciousness …. anyone who wades into the ocean should know what to do in case they encounter a strong current or riptide. "Just let it ride out, don't fight it, just float out,"

One thing this article doesn't mention is that many people, including myself, have a tendency to breath in a little liquid at a meal if someone tells a funny joke or says something startling, causing us to suddenly and reflexively breathe in so that we can laugh. The result is an extended spasm of the airways as the body does its thing to expel the irritant. I have been close to drowning this way many times. I try to be more conscious of what I'm doing when I have anything in my mouth these days.