An Amazing Infant Swimming Survival Video

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Anyone with young kids and a pool worries about pool safety. Too often we read about pool tragedies. A friend of mine sent me a link to this amazing video of an infant that was taught pool survival skills. As a parent it is hard to watch at first but is incredible (and you will see a very big smile on this cute little guy at the end of the video).

This infant was taught survival swim techniques through an Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) program. I visited the ISR website at www.infantswim.com and searched for local ISR-certified instructors in Ventura County. I came across a local instructor in Newbury Park at www.CaliforniaWaterBabies.com.

Of course the best approach to pool safety is prevention. Some common sense tips:

  • Put a fence around your pool.
  • Don't leave the little ones unattended.
  • Don't get distracted, as accidents can happen in a split second.
  • Put an alarm on your pool gate.
  • Put a lock on your pool gate and check it daily.
  • Don't leave toys in the pool that could entice a little one to jump in.

For more tips visit www.californiawaterbabies.com/prevention.html.

Resolve to Get Fit in 2009! Local Fitness Activities in the Conejo Valley

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Feeling flabby?  Looking large?  Terribly tired?  Severely sluggish?  Horribly heavy?  OK, you get the point.  Time to get active!  How about setting a fitness goal for 2009!  Work out at least 3 times a week!  Take a hike!  Join a local club!  Get fit!

We live in an area where there is no excuse NOT to be active!  Great weather year-round, hiking trails surround us and plenty of things to do.  Conejo Valley Guide provides hundreds of sources of local activities.  Let me provide a few ideas to get you on the move!

Click here for local running, cycling and hiking clubs.  Hiking, walking and running are your best "low budget" fitness bets!  Can't beat the fitness value of a pair of running shoes and this website dedicated to sharing info about Ventura County trails.  Here's a few:

Conejo Track Club

Future Track Running Club

Moms in Motion Fitness/Training

Conejo Open Space Group Hiking Outings

Conejo Valley Cyclists

Download a map of Las Virgenes-Malibu Area Trails

Click here for local gyms and fitness facilities.

Click here for karate and martial arts studios.

How about one of the following local clubs:

California Kayak Friends Club

Ventura Disc Golf Club

Ventura Surf Club

Other ideas:

Sign up for a class with the Conejo Recreation and Park District

Pilates classes

Gymnastics and dance facilities

Golf and tennis

Do a power walk at a local park

Ventura County beaches

This list is just a starting point!  Feel free to Contact Me with more ideas not found on this site and we will make sure to get them posted.

Visit the New City of Thousand Oaks "BikeSafe" Website!

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BikeSafe is a new bicycle safety campaign launched in April 2008 designed to educate the Thousand Oaks community about good riding and driving practices that help keep everyone safe on the road. The campaign focuses on youth and adult cyclists, with an emphasis on the importance of riding with the traffic not against it.

BikeSafe has tips for local bicyclists and drivers, a great local area bike map, bicycling brochures for adults and children (in both English and Spanish), links to other bicycling website, information about local events and other information.

Check it out at www.toaks.org/bike or call the Thousand Oaks Public Works Department at 805.449.2400 for more information.

National Do Not Call Registry Refresher Course

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National Do Not Call RegistryIt seemed like we were getting way too many telemarketing calls...usually right around 8 p.m. while struggling to get the kids bathed and into bed.  And I thought we had signed up for the National Do Not Call Registry years ago.  So here's a brief "refresher" on how the Do Not Call Registry works and what it can and cannot do.

 

What It Does

If you register your phone number in the National Do Not Call Registry, telemarketers must stop calling that number within 31 days.  The Registry applies only to personal phone numbers, both home phone and cell phones.  The law does not apply to business lines.

 

What it Doesn't Do

If you buy goods or services, they can call you up to 18 months even though your number is on the Registry.  If you want them to stop calling you sooner, you must tell them in writing.  The Registry does not apply to political, charity and survey calls.  If you inquire or apply to a particular vendor, they can call you for up to 3 months, even if you are on the Registry.

 

How Do You Register?

Register at www.donotcall.gov.  It only takes a

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Blu-ray You Say?

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Blu-ray Disc (or BD) players were first launched in June 2006 as an alternative to HD (High Definition) DVD players.  Later that year Sony included Blu-ray technology in its new PlayStation 3 players and since then have sold over 10 million.  In February 2008, HD DVD maker Toshiba announced "game over" to HD DVD.  And thus Blu-ray has become the high-def format of choice.

This was Sony's revenge I suppose for the Betamax format losing out to JVC's VHS video recording format in the mid 1980s.  For the million or so HD DVD purchasers, you were brave!  But good luck finding DVDs in this now obsolete format.

What is Blu-ray?  Blu-ray is a high-definition technology that uses a blue laser to read the disc (DVD players use a red laser).  Blu-ray screen resolution is 1,080 horizontal lines versus 480 for DVDs.  That added resolution can make for a stunning picture.  But you need a high-def TV to enjoy it!  BDs have 6 times the storage capacity of DVDs.

Will BD make DVD go obsolete soon?  My personal opinion is no, given the fact that hundreds of millions of DVD players are in use and continue being sold.  But BD will gradually creep into the DVD market.  I would imagine that BDs will grow in popularity at similar rate to the growth in high-definition TVs vs analog TVs.

Should I buy one?  If you own a PlayStation 3, perhaps use that to play BDs until BD player prices start falling from their current $400 price tag.  Heck you can buy a PS3 for $400 today.  But if you enjoy being an early adopter and don't mind the fact the prices may drop towards Christmas, go for it!  One thing to make sure though is that your BD player is "backwards compatible" with DVDs.  Most are but make sure to check.

Blu-ray Discs also cost slightly more to rent today, but not that much more.  A local Newbury Park Blockbuster rents BDs for about $1 more than DVDs. 

Looking For The Lowest Local Gas Prices?

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A buddy of mine tipped me off to www.VenturaGasPrices.com, a website dedicated to providing detailed information about gas prices throughout Ventura County.  VenturaGasPrices.com is part of www.GasBuddy.com, a national network of over 170 websites tracking local gas prices.

So if you are looking to save a few bucks, take a look at this site before gassing up.  Tonight I saw that premium gasoline at the Oxnard Costco is $3.11 per gallon as compared to $3.47 per gallon at the Chevron located at Thousand Oaks Blvd. and Rancho Road.  That difference would amount to over $6 on an 18 gallon tank.  Might be worth a trip to some of you.

For those who enjoy charts and historical data, there is a nice tool on the site that allows you to see gas price trends in throughout the country for periods up to 6 years.  That is, if you can stomach the fact that gas prices have doubled in the last 5 years.  (Whereas the price of ExxonMobil stock has tripled in that same period.)

Ah, time to start checking out those hybrids.  Love the fact that city mileage is higher than highway mileage on a hybrid!

Power Napping Is In (Almost!)

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Try taking a nap for a powerful antidote to feeling sluggish and tired.  I personally feel extremely invigorated with a solid 20 minute, uninterrupted nap in the middle of the day (right after lunch is usually a good time, following the lead of my 2 year-old).

You don't want to nap too long, just 20 to 30 minutes...sleep too long and you'll feel groggy instead of refreshed.  Or take a long nap of 90 to 120 minutes to get past the grogginess cycle.

Napping is still not widely accepted in our society but is gaining momentum.  One company, MetroNaps of New York, sells a napping device called an EnergyPod™ that provides a comfortable semi-enclosed space for napping in comfort in a work setting.  Companies like Proctor & Gamble, Cisco and PriceWaterhouseCoopers are experimenting with this device. 

Since most companies don't have this $12,000 contraption, what is the best strategy for napping during the workweek? Well, if you work close to home you could go home for a nap.  But this isn't feasible for most of us.  If you work in an office you could shut the office door at lunchtime and snooze on the floor of your office.  I have resorted to this but it certainly is not the most comfortable approach (remember to lock your door and silence the phone).

Or you could nap in your car, which also is not that comfortable unless you have a car large enough to lie down in.  I have resorted to catching a front seat powernap in a shady spot at the park.  Of course the other issue is noise.  This is where I've been lucky to find a really neat product called Pzizz.

Pzizz is a $50 software program that produces an unlimited number of timed sleep "soundtracks" - music, sounds and voices that make power napping a snap.  I've used Pzizz hundreds of times and swear by it.  Nap soundtracks can be exported into iTunes and loaded onto your iPod for easy portability.  I crave my 20 minute Pzizz "energizer" naps.  My wife makes fun of me but I'm telling you, after just 20 minutes of Pzizz I'm a new man.

Bottom line:  Most of us don't get enough sleep and our bodies and minds are paying the price for it.  If you can't sleep more at night, then consider taking regular naps to help bring energy to your life!