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.