# Is this bizarre to anyone else, or am I just a complete arse?



## SENC (Jun 2, 2015)

Well, I guess the two options aren't mutually exclusive. 

A friend posted the following article from NPR. It seems he is friends with the mother of one of the youth who died as she commented on his post, so it would be too insensitive (even for me) to post my question back to him on FB - but I am really amazed and wonder it if is just me.

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-...the-pool-can-spark-sudden-blackouts-and-death

For those who don't want to read the whole thing, apparently the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention is issuing a report and working to address something called Shallow Water Blackouts. Pools across the country are adopting and posting rules prohibiting holding one's breath under water for extended periods.

Thinking back on my own childhood - I don't know that I ever got in a swimming pool or ocean when I didn't practice holding my breath or have a competition with friends to see who could swim the greatest distance underwater or some other variant - I was wondering as I started the article what has changed about breath-holding and/or pools in recent years.

Then, I read this startling statistic. The CDC report documents 16 shallow water blackouts between 1988 and 2011, four of which resulted in fatalities. Huh? 16 events and 4 deaths in 23 years?

As a healthcare guy, I'm squarely in the "1 preventable death is too many" camp and my heart goes out to families of drowning victims and I support 1000% anything we can do to raise awareness of drowning risks. But do we need a governmental study and warning about the dangers of holding one's breath under water? Does 16 events and 4 deaths in 23 years suggest a hidden danger? Given the many thousands of pools and many millions of kids swimming and practicing holding their breath every day, is anyone else surprised that there aren't more events and deaths than that each summer in every major metro area?

Am I way off base in not finding this article as much of a call to action? I've always been insistent on my kids using the buddy system while swimming and only being in the water with a responsible adult watching - and I don't know that I'd require anything different after reading this. Am I missing something?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## kweinert (Jun 2, 2015)

Well, to be fair, the 16/4/23 was only one state.

However, having said that - it does seem to be of the mentality that life should be risk free and in taking any risk at all you're doing a bad thing. That's something I just can't agree with.

Is it fair to have a story that there could be some risk involved? Yes, I think so. Will it lead to public banning of holding your breath under water? It appears that that's already started to happen in places and that doesn't seem right to me.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## eaglea1 (Jun 2, 2015)

I think you are spot on Henry, I totally agree with you.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Jun 2, 2015)

Henry you ask this question of a government that funds these kinds of things:

The Department of Agriculture spent $2 million to fund an internship program. The program hired one full-time intern.

Last year, $120 million was paid to dead federal employees.

A total of $146 million was paid for federal employees to upgrade their flights to business class.

The government spent $2.6 million to encourage Chinese prostitutes to drink more responsibly.

The Department of Health and Human Services provided an $800,000 subsidy to build and IHop in Washington, D.C.

The National Institutes of Health has given $1.5 million to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston to study why “three-quarters” of lesbians in the United States are overweight and why most gay males are not.

During 2012, $25,000 of federal money was spent on a promotional tour for the Alabama Watermelon Queen.

The U.S. government spent $505,000 “to promote specialty hair and beauty products for cats and dogs” last year.

NASA spends close to $1 million per year developing a menu of food for a manned mission to Mars even though it is being projected that a manned mission to Mars is still decades away.

Over the past 15 years, a total of approximately $5.25 million has been spent on hair care services for the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. government spent $27 million to teach Moroccans how to design and make pottery in 2012.

During fiscal 2012, the National Science Foundation gave researchers at Purdue University $350,000. They used part of that money to help fund a study that discovered that if golfers imagine that a hole is bigger it will help them with their putting.

A total of $10,000 of U.S. taxpayer money was actually used to purchase talking urinal cakes in Michigan.

Vice President Joe Biden and his staff stopped in Paris for one night back in February. The hotel bill for that one night came to $585,000.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has spent $300,000 to encourage Americans to eat caviar produced in Idaho.

The National Institute of Health recently gave $666,905 to a group of researchers that is conducting a study on the benefits of watching reruns on television.

The National Institute of Health also spent $592,527 on a study that sought to figure out once and for all why chimpanzees throw poop.

The federal government spent $750,000 on a new soccer field for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.

The IRS spent $60,000 on a film parody of _Star Trek_ and a film parody of _Gilligan’s Island_.

Last year, the federal government spent $96,000 to buy iPads for kindergarten students in Maine.

The U.S. government spent $200,000 on “a tattoo removal program” in Mission Hills, Calif.

Last year, the government spent just under $1 million posting snippets of poetry in zoos around the country.

The U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research spent $300,000 on a study that concluded the first bird on Earth probably had black feathers.

The federal government spent $75,000 to promote awareness about the role Michigan plays in producing Christmas trees and poinsettias.
And this list could go on and on and on. 
Now for the arse part of the question I think I will plead the 5th.

I personally wonder what the urinal cakes say- @woodtickgreg Wonder if @Brink can tell us the answer to the chimp ? and am sorta ticked off about the soccer field.

Reactions: Like 1


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## barry richardson (Jun 2, 2015)

It came from NPR, nuff said.....

Reactions: Like 1


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## SENC (Jun 2, 2015)

Mike1950 said:


> I personally wonder what the urinal cakes say


"You missed me, you missed me..." It's a taunt designed to improve aim.


I have heard that chinese prostitutes drink too much.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ripjack13 (Jun 2, 2015)

My calculator doesn't have enough zeros to add up all the asinine totals....

And I think it's Stupid is as stupid does. If you're dumb enough to hold your breathe till you black out under water...well...

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Kevin (Jun 2, 2015)

SWB is something that happens to free divers mainly. I never heard of it in swimming pools. I for one feel safe knowing the feds have out backs on this one. I wish they would find a way to keep us safe from lightning. Dozens die each year from this preventable accident. All that needs to happen is for the gubment to ban outside activities. Don't hold your breath though.

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Mike1950 (Jun 2, 2015)

Kevin said:


> SWB is something that happens to free divers mainly. I never heard of it in swimming pools. I for one feel safe knowing the feds have out backs on this one. I wish they would find a way to keep us safe from lightning. Dozens die each year from this preventable accident. All that needs to happen is for the gubment to ban outside activities. Don't hold your breath though.



I think the government should ban water and lighting- think of how many lives we could save!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jun 2, 2015)

We fling poo to keep the grant $ coming in to study why we fling poo. 
That, and it keeps jerks away.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1 | Funny 4


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## Tclem (Jun 2, 2015)

I'll go with the latter

Reactions: Sincere 1


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## Tony (Jun 2, 2015)

I agree with you on this Henry. I can't imagine losing a loved one to something this stupid, but it happens. To me, this is indicative of the Society we live in now, where the ignorant masses expect "The Man" to hold their hands, wipe their butts and tell them what to do and what not to do. The government has as much control as people let them have. To me, doing something like this by yourself seems a little risky, but I'm not a swimmer, diver or anything related. Just my 2¢. Tony

Reactions: Like 1


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## DKMD (Jun 2, 2015)

The deaths are tragic, but I can't imagine them being preventable... In fact, I would consider the increased publicity might actually encourage some youth to try it.

I suspect that diving into a pool is still far more dangerous than holding one's breath underwater. There are lots of cervical spine fractures and head injuries resulting from shallow water dives. Water sports in general can be dangerous given our lack of gills, but I wouldn't suggest banning aquatic activity. 

In fact, being alive carries a 100% mortality rate. Life is dangerous, and then you die...

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 2, 2015)

The cakes would say, "don't piss down my back and tell me it's rainin" Clint Eastwood.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Jun 2, 2015)

DKMD said:


> ....
> I suspect that diving into a pool is still far more dangerous than holding one's breath underwater. .... In fact, being alive carries a 100% mortality rate. Life is dangerous, and then you die...



See, you illustrate the biggest problem in society. You're using common sense. You're trying to force your minority advantage on those of us who cannot think for ourselves. I'm going to get a government grant to help form voting blocks against jerks like you who use your brains against those of us who don't have any. You're discriminating against the underdisadvantaged helpless morons like me that depend on stupidity. It seems to me you are actually trying to create a world of personal responsibility. You people piss me off big time. Next thing you'll be asking for less government and more freedom.

Reactions: Funny 6


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## Mike1950 (Jun 2, 2015)

Huh- Are these the same folks that told us Bummer care was going to save us money???

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## pa burl (Jun 3, 2015)

save us money,lol....... only the people getting the free health care agreed with that one....... urgh costing the middle class millions like always

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Alan Sweet (Jun 3, 2015)

Bizarre? I think that such activities have become the norm of our so-called "representative" republic. Instead of representing the views of the people, those in "elected" positions have become a ruling power structure whose sole purpose is support those in the power structure. The federal agencies do not exist to provide services to the people that fund them, they feed the power structure of which they are a part. Only on rare occasions does the power structure provide turkeys and toys to masses they have subjugated.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ClintW (Jun 3, 2015)

I think the recent thoughts on preventable deaths such as this is a bit ridiculous. Yes we don't want to see someone die who could have been saved, but I think they need to look at the statistics. It's the same as the worry about sharks. People are so scared of shark attacks but really there are many more things to worry about.
Don't quote me but I heard once more people die from vending machines than sharks! 
So yes I agree with your thoughts on the issue.



Mike1950 said:


> Henry you ask this question of a government that funds these kinds of things:
> 
> The Department of Agriculture spent $2 million to fund an internship program. The program hired one full-time intern.
> 
> ...


I would agree with all of these except the NASA one. Yes its a bit crazy, but if you are on a ship for 2-4 years, I would think you would want food that lasts and tastes good. And not just freeze dried food every meal for years. I admit a million seems a bit steep, but thats research and development.
And just think of the return on a manned mission to Mars. Its the same as the Apollo missions. Yeah we spent millions, but that resulted in the huge number of people who followed by choosing science and engineering degrees, that led to the development of modern technology.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## justallan (Jun 3, 2015)

My biggest question would be, seeing as they were already dead, did the ME explore if it could have possibly been an unknown health issue these folks already had that helped them along in passing out?
I don't like hearing of anyone dying, but to think about it that's some darned good odds on not dying from this.
Figure it this way, look at all the things you have better odds of happening:
1) Winning the lottery
2) Understanding women
3) Un-see certain pics on this very forum
4) Me learning to dance (okay the odds are about the same on that one)
I could go on forever, but it wouldn't get very pretty.

I think a way more serious issue would be the things like this that are allowed on the television and internet, pretty much inviting kids to try it out, or basically glamorizing other peoples actions. I saw one on FB this morning showing you how to break a car window just by tapping on it in a certain way with nothing but your fingers.
ARGH! I'm going back to work.

Reactions: Agree 1


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