CDC Reports High-Risk Behaviors for Skin Cancer is Actually Increasing in Young Adults

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. In 2008, 59,695 people were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin, and 8,623 people died from it. CDC leads national efforts to reduce skin cancer through education. When in the sun, seek shade, cover up, get a hat, wear sunglasses, and use sunscreen.

The CDC recently issued a press release indicating how common high-risk behavior for skin cancer are among young adults. Half of adults under age 30 report being sunburn in the last year.

Young adults are increasing their risk for developing skin cancer, according to two studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute.

One study, of people aged 18-29, found that 50% reported at least one sunburn in the past year, despite an increase in protective behaviors such as sunscreen use, seeking shade, and wearing long clothing to the ankles. Another report found that indoor tanning is common among young adults, with the highest rates of indoor tanning among white women aged 18-21 years (32%) and 22-25 years (30%).

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, and melanoma is the most deadly type of skin cancer.  Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and from indoor tanning equipment is the most important preventable risk factor for skin cancer. Indoor tanning before age 35 increases a person’s risk of getting melanoma by 75%. Sunburn indic

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How To Make a General Donation to the United States Government

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For those of you who have done well in the stock market (the S&P 500 has nearly doubled in the last 3 years), won the lotto or lucky enough to be an original investor in Facebook stock, we know you've been wondering how to give back to all of us. Right!?

Well, the Financial Management Service (FMS), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, is here to help out. They outlined how citizens an make a donation to the U.S. government!

From www.fms.treas.gov/faq/moretopics_gifts.html:

Gifts to the United States Government

How do I make a contribution to the U.S. government?

Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called "Gifts to the United States." This account was established in 1843 to accept gifts, such as bequests, from individuals wishing to express their patriotism to the United States. Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the

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June 14, 2012 Thousand Oaks Police Department "City Watch" Alert

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Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Senior Deputy Tim Lohman of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you would like these updates directly from via email, click here for more information.

This latest update is from Senior Deputy, Tim Lohman, who has taken over from Senior Deputy Jim DeSoto, who has moved to another opportunity within the department. Tim has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 18 years and has worked on many assignments within the Sheriff’s Office, from custody to patrol, including working as a D.A.R.E instructor, School Resource Officer, Background Investigator and Public Information Officer, to name a few.  He is looking forward to this role as Crime Prevention Officer and to strengthen the relationship between the residents of Thousand Oaks and the Thousand Oaks Police Department.

Now that summer is in full swing it’s that time of year that people, especially children, look forward to the most. The time when families go on vacation, children are out of school, the weather is warm and inviting, and the beach is calling. It’s a much needed time for children and parents to relax from the demands of school and work. It can be a time when one may let his or her guard down and not be as attentive as he or she should be.

Unfortunately, criminals do not take a break. Many times, criminals may see this as an opportunity to take advantage of the relaxed vigilance. It is important to b

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June Gloom, June Heat, June Cold, Back to June Gloom in the Conejo Valley

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Weather patterns here in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County are consistently inconsistent in recent memory. Hot summer, cool summers and daily/weekly changes from hot to cold and sunny to overcast. Personally I prefer the cold to the heat because I enjoy local running when it is cool outside. This morning was perfect running weather...cool and overcast.

Overcast skies make it optimal to run up Boney Mountain. Whether you make it all the way up or not, you're bound to reach a point where you can look down at the cloud cover below towards Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

On the way up Boney (no I didn't run to the very top this morning), I passed the Danielson Monument, dedicated to the man who donated much of his land to the National Park Service for all of us to enjoy.

And while dodging numerous massive spider webs on the trails going up the hill (I'm still imagining spiders crawling on me), I came upon this deer on the trail. Bambi? His body action told me he was a bit unnerved about my running toward him (or her).

Click here for more local trails and hiking throughout the area.

New Ventura County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of Voters Website Looks Great

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The Ventura County Clerk and Recorder / Registrar of Voters recently launched a new website that has a really nice new look and feel. Check it out at recorder.countyofventura.org.

Here are some excerpts of what the 3 divisions (County Clerk, Recorder and Elections) of the County Clerk and Recorder office does from the website:

The County Clerk issues marriage licenses, performs civil marriage ceremonies, processes fictitious business name filings, and provides for the qualification and registration of notaries, process servers and miscellaneous statutory oaths and other filings.

The Recorder is responsible for the recording of deeds, deeds of trust, court decrees and other documents affecting title to real property in Ventura County.

The Elections Division conducts all Federal, State, County, school and special district elections in the County, as well as the general municipal elections for all 10 Ventura County cities. It also administers voter registration and outreach programs, among other duties.

I've seen the before and after of the County Clerk and Recorder website and have to say this was a dramatic transformation all around. Many websites receive facelifts on the home page but as you click through to sub-pages find old, outdated pages and broken links dispersed through the site. Not so in this case. Nice job!

The Elections Division section highlights current voter registration information right at the top of the site, which is a nice feature. For example, as of 5/21/12, there are 406,644 registered voters in the County, including 157,539 Democrat, 150,919, Republican, 77,994 Non-Partisan and 20,192 Other.

The 2012 Presidential Primary Election was yesterday. Although the Vote By Mail ballots aren't fully counted yet, the Election Results page indicates 101,986 ballots cast as 2 a.m. this morning (6/6/12); a 25.1% voter turnout. In the 6/3/08 Primary, voter turnout was 29.5% of 392,088 registered voters. Not a good trend to see.

Turnout in the 2012 General Presidential Election s

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Los Angeles is Only The Second Worst Metro Area in Terms of Traffic Congestion!

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Kirkland, Washington based traffic information company INRIX issued its 5th Annual Traffic Scorecard that analyzes and compares traffic congestion in the top 100 U.S. metropolitan markets and the country overall.

The good news was that overall traffic congestion in 2011 dropped about 30% compared to the prior year. The bad news is that this drop probably reflects the overall malaise of our economy...less employment = less commuting.

In any case, while the study did not cover Ventura County per se, it did of course include our Los Angeles neighbors. The good news there is that Los Angeles is not the outright worst place to be in terms of traffic. That illustrious honor belongs to Honolulu.

Here is INRIX's top 10 cities for traffic and related wasted time on the road in 2011:

1) Honolulu (58 hours), 2) Los Angeles (56 hours), 3) San Francisco (48 hours), 4) New York (57 hours), 5) Bridgeport, CT (42 hours), 6) Washington, D.C. (45 hours), 7) Seattle (33 hours), 8) Austin (30 hours), 9) Boston (35 h

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Over-the-Counter Medicine Do's and Don'ts That May Come in Handy

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When it comes to minor ailments, I usually just wing it or ask my wife. That's why I enjoyed a recent article entitled "The Medicine Cabinet Quiz" in the Wall St. Journal where author Melinda Beck highlighted some useful basics about over-the counter medicines. With Beck's permission I've summed up some of the advice she compiled from experts.

What to Take for a Headache

Advil (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen) and aspirin all help a headache but through different means. Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen sodium) and aspirin reduce inflammation and thus relieve headaches, arthritis, muscle sprains and so on. But they can cause stomach bleeding.

Aspirin also helps prevent blood clots and thus taken daily can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, but shouldn't be used if you have low blood pressure or open wounds.

Tylenol calms pain signals in the brain but can cause liver damage if you drink too much or take too much.

Ibuprofen agruably is strongest but aspirin works faster, naproxen lasts longer and acetaminophen is safer if you have stomach problems and aren't a heavy drinker.

How to Treat a Muscle Sprain

Sprain your ankle, what do you do? Heat and ice both can help. Heat relaxes the nerves, cold numbs them and both bring more blood circulation to the area.

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