Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Summer Swimming Safety One summer I went to the swimming pool with my much older cousins and their friends. At the time, I was taking swimming lessons and I really liked playing around in water. I was wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a little skirt and feeling quite cool hanging out with the older kids. I was having fun until someone decided it would be funny to dunk me. The first time, no problem. I came back up and laughed it off, but then it turned into a dunking "free-for-all" with all of the kids piling onto each other. I went down again, but suddenly big kids were being dunked and falling on top of me. A guy stepped on my frilly swimsuit skirt and it pinned me to the bottom of the pool. I tried to free myself, but kids kept falling or stepping on me. I don't recall if I saw my brief eight years of life flash before my eyes, but I was definitely freaking out with panic. In my flailing to free myself, I whacked the guy in the privates and he shifted his weight. I was freed! I came up to the surface coughing up water and I barfed up my lunch in the pool. Note: When it comes to clearing people out of a pool, lunchtime flotsam and jetsam in the pool comes in a close second to a Baby Ruth candy bar (remember Caddyshack?) I came away from that experience with 2 things: a pretty strong fear/discomfort with swimming/water; and the fascinating knowledge that partially digested cheese doodles and a baloney sandwich with mayonnaise turns neon green when it contacts chlorine. I was in my 30's when I finally tackled and overcame my water fear. I forced myself to take a water aerobics class, retaught myself to swim, and eventually became a scuba-diver. The barf memory? I live with it daily. Hey, what doesn't kill you... makes you stronger. So, you are probably wondering where I am going with all of this. Well, Memorial Day is on Monday and in many places it is traditional to reopen pools this weekend. Before you turn your little water-rats loose at the pools, lakes, or oceans, review one of these safety guides with them: FCIC Water Safety for Swimmers Medlineplus : Water Safety Water Safety Fun Book Water Safety Quiz Water Safety Tips Brochure Water Safety Checklist One final tip not mentioned in any of these guides, but it goes without saying, tell your kids, "Don't pee in the pool!" Have a safe swimming season! - Ginger [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 11:28:50 AM     Your Backyard National Parks! Carl Chitwood has been Web Manager for the National Park Service since December of 2003 and has traveled to 124 of the 391 parks in that time. Of all the weekend and day trips I make, none is more refreshing than a day in the mountains. Whether that day is spent at Catoctin Mountain or Shenandoah, just one or two days hiking in the crisp, fresh mountain air refreshes and recharges me for the inevitable energy drain of day-to-day work. On longer vacations, as a self described "mountain man stuck in urbania," I always try to get to the mountains and spend time with nature. For me there is nothing better than a late spring day spent above 8,000 feet with my family. However, not everyone is a mountain person . . . Almost everyone thinks of geysers or wildlife when they hear "National Park." However, what you may not know is there are parks in almost every state covering everything from American cultural and societal history to beautiful natural landscapes and recreational activities. If you have an interest in something "American," you can bet that there is a park for you. This country is blessed to have such a vast and diverse National Park System. With 391 places to visit, it is almost guaranteed that you have one near you. Get out there, enjoy your public lands, landmarks and places . . . you own them. - Editor [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 11:27:00 AM     U.S. Government Channel on YouTube. Steve Grove at CitizenTube, has a posting about the federal government's use of YouTube: The U.S. Government Comes to YouTube (May 21, 2009) Now, there are dozens of official federal YouTube channels where you can access footage from NASA, the State Department, the FBI, the CDC, and more. ...The U.S. Government channel is located at http://youtube.com/usgovernment, a nifty hub that links off to dozens of federal government channels on YouTube, from the Social Security Administration to the Environmental Protection Agency, with others to be added in the coming months. [Free Government Information (FGI) blogs] 11:24:36 AM     Smoking Bill Passes House; Provides Exemptions for Detroit Casinos and Cigar Bars. The Michigan House has approved legislation that would ban smoking at most workplaces in the state including restaurants and bars. A vote on the legislation passed the Democrat-led chamber by a 73-31 vote Tuesday. But it does not appear a compromise has been reached with the Republican-led Senate on a final version of a smoking ban that might become law. The House legislation would exempt Detroit casinos and cigar bars from the ban. The Senate hasn't taken up a smoking ban bill this year but previously backed a ban that did not include any exemptions. The House didn't vote on amendments offered by both Republicans and Democrats that would led to a complete ban. For the full article, see "Michigan House OKs smoking ban with exceptions", Detroit News, May 26, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 11:23:40 AM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 6/1/2009; 10:22:00 AM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien