Cover story, continued ...
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Long before Obama, Chester A. Arthur was the victimof spurious claims that he wasn’t born in America. Grover Cleveland remains the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. Electricity was very new during Benjamin Harrison’s presidency. Harrison was skeptical of the new technology and refused to touch light switches as a result. Speaking of new technologies, William McKinley was the first president to take a ride in an automobile. Teddy Roosevelt used to hold impromptu boxingmatches with his aides, encouraging them to punch him as hard as possible. Due to his habit of dozing off during meetings, WilliamHowardTaft was dubbed “Sleeping Beauty”by his wife, Nellie. WoodrowWilson loved golf somuch that he’d paint golf balls black so he could play during winter. He may be a footnote in presidential history, butWarren G. Harding wore size 19 shoes.
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Calvin Coolidge wins the award for weirdest presidential pets. He kept two raccoons named Reuben and Rebecca at the White House. Herbert Hoover and his wife often spoke in Mandarin to keep their conversations secret. FDR is America’s most famous philatelist. He collected stamps from the age of 8 onward. Harry Truman wanted to provide universal health insurance and double the minimum wage, two issues that are still discussed to this day. All of the boys in Dwight D. Eisenhower’s house were called“Ike,”a nickname which stuck with Eisenhower for the rest of his life. JFK won a Purple Heart and a Pulitzer Prize, and no other president has been awarded both honors before or since. In lieu of a meeting room, Lyndon B. Johnson would often give instructions to his staff from the toilet. Richard Nixon never learned to readmusic, but he could skillfully play five instruments.
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No president was a better athlete than Gerald Ford. He received offers to play for two different NFL teams. Jimmy Carter gave up a career in the military to run his family’s peanut farm. Joan Quigley, Ronald Reagan’s in-house astrologer, helped set the president’s schedule. George H.W. Bush celebratedmany of his birthdays by skydiving. After hearing MLK’s“I have a dream” speech, a young Bill Clinton was moved to memorize it. George W. Bush holds the records for both the highest and lowest approval ratings in history. Despite his good looks, Barack Obama was denied a place in a Harvard calendar of campus hunks. In one of his less successful business ventures, DonaldTrump attempted to brand bottled water with his name.
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unfamiliar with a body of water, don’t jump or dive in without knowing how deep it is. If you cannot confirm what is under the surface (and the spot is not a known diving location), don’t risk it. It may be okay to swim or wade, but jumping is out of the question. Along these same lines, be VERY careful around bodies of slow-moving or standing water. These can house dangerous microbes and other contaminants that can make you ill and potentially be deadly. WATCH FOR RIP CURRENTS. These can occur at any beach without warning. They pull swimmers away from shore and are strong enough that even excellent swimmers struggle to get through them. In fact, rip currents are behind nearly 80% of beach rescues. Keep an eye on the foam at the surface of the water. If it seems to suddenly pull away from the beach, there’s a good chance a rip current is lurking beneath. If you find yourself in a rip current, it’s crucial to remain calm and avoid expending energy swimming directly back to shore. Instead, try swimming parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current. Summer Swimming Safety 3 Tips for Swimming in Open Water
There’s nothing like taking a dip in a nearby pond, lake, or even the ocean. For many, it’s a summertime tradition. However, swimming in open bodies of water brings certain safety risks, as these environments are not nearly as controlled as public, club, or backyard pools. Everyone should follow these tips to have a fun and safe time cooling off under the summer sun. NEVER SWIM ALONE. When you swim in virtually any body of water, having someone there to keep an eye on you can be a lifesaver: the more people, the better. Stick to bodies of water with a professional lifeguard on duty when possible, though that’s not always an option. When swimming in open bodies of water, have a “designated spotter” to keep an eye on the swimmers. This way, you’re prepared if anything bad happens. It’s also a great idea to keep flotation devices nearby, such as life jackets, life rings, foam boards, etc.
KNOWWHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO. Sometimes, it’s next to impossible to see what’s under the surface of the water. If you are
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