The National Do Not Call Registry Can Limit Telemarketing Calls to Your Home

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The National Do Not Call Registry (the Registry) gives U.S. consumers the opportunity to limit telemarketing calls received on their personal phone numbers, such as home and cell phone numbers. Register your number(s) by visiting www.DoNotCall.gov or by calling 888.382.1222. The National Do Not Call Registry is a free service managed by the Federal Trade Commission.

Once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days, most telemarketers should not call your number. If they do continue calling, or if you have received a telemarketing call that uses a recorded message instead of a live person, you can file a complaint.

Placing your number on the Registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls. Calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors are still permitted because they are not considered "telemarketing." However, if a third-party telemarketer calls on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any more calls from, or on behalf of, that specific charity. If the third-party telemarketer calls again on behalf of that charity, the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000.

If a call is for the sole purpose of conducting a survey, it is not covered by the Registry. However, callers purporting to take a survey, but also offering to sell goods or services, must comply with the Registry.

Debt collectors may also continue to call you whether your number is on the Regi

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Job Seeker Services and Resources Provided by the Ventura County Job & Career Center

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The County of Ventura and Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County provide both virtual and in-person job seeker services to county residents. The Ventura County Job & Career Center (VCJCC) website at www.venturacountyjcc.org provides job postings and job seeking tips and services such as figuring out what careers are right for you, resume building, letter writing, job training and much more.

I took a look at jobs posted on the VCJCC site on 10/9/11 and there are definitely a lot of jobs posted in there. Over 500 within a 5 to 10 mile radius of Newbury Park. Also notable is that while there is some level of dup

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NHTSA Issues Rule Requiring Backup Cameras on New Cars By May 1, 2018

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Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule requiring rear backup cameras in all new vehicles under 10,000 pounds by May 2018. This new rule is expected to reduce the risk of fatalities and serious injuries caused by backover accidents.

The rule requires all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, including buses and trucks, manufactured on or after May 1, 2018, to come equipped with rear visibility technology that expands the field of view to enable the driver of a motor vehicle to detect areas behind the vehicle to reduce death and injury resulting from backover incidents. The field of view must include a 10-foot by 20-foot zone directly behind the vehicle. The system must also meet other requirements including image size, linger time, response time, durability, and deactivation.

On average, there are 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries per year caused by backover crashes. NHTSA has found that children under 5 years old account for 31 percent of backover fatalities each year, and adults 70 years of age and older account for 26 percent.

Many children are killed or seriously injured in backover incidents. A backover

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To Tweet or Not to Tweet? That is the Question for Conejo Valley Residents

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I have been an active Twitter user under the name @ConejoJoe since November 21, 2008. Twiiter users are also referred to as Twitterers and Tweeters. Are you on Twitter yet? Should you be?

As an active user in both Twitter as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/ConejoValleyGuide) my observation is that Facebook users are more interactive and engaged. Facebook allows for more organized, easy to follow dialogues among users, while Twitter is geared towards brief interactions. With over 1.1 billion registered users, Facebook has over double the number of users as Twitter.

That said, Twitter can be a great source for breaking news and other items of interest. Whether or not you Tweet, consider creating a Twitter account and following some of these local Twitter accounts (as well as @ConejoJoe but of course):

I've discovered that many people are confused about Twitter and its lingo, so how about a little refresher course for those still considering taking the plunge.

  • Twitter allows users to post short messages up to 140 characters long, called "Tweets."
  • Like Facebook, you don't actually have to sign up with Twitter to read a Tweet. However, if you do sign up and start "following" others, their Tweets will show up on your Twitter home page.
  • Unlike Facebook where only a small fraction of posts from your followers are shown on your wall, all Tweets will be shown on your Twitter page. All Tweets are treated equal.
  • But...not all Tweets are created equal...they range from mindless babble and utterings, information sharing, news, communicating with others, humor, promoting yourself, etc.

Here's an example of an information sharing Tweet about local wedding reception venues in Ventura County with a link back to the posting here on Conejo Valley Guide

  • When you enjoy a Tweet and want to share it with your followers, you can click "Retweet" and it will be shared. Retweet is basically the equivalent of the "Share" feature in
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26.2 Training Tips for Your First Marathon!

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NOW is the time to start training for a fall or spring marathon!  There are hundreds to choose from at MarathonGuide.com.

I've run a few marathons myself. 26 of them at last count. So I have about 26.2 thoughts and opinions to impart on training for your first marathon:

1. Don't Procrastinate! The first thing you need to do is get out there and start running. Talking about it is fine, but start making it happen! Today!

2. Start Slow and Go Steady: Don't try to prove something by running 10 miles your first time out. You'll injure yourself! Unless you're already a runner with solid base mileage, start out easy, maybe 10 to 15 miles in 3 to 4 runs per week. Increase weekly mileage no more than 10%.

3. Pick a Marathon Now and Set Your Goals: Always helps to establish a goal to train for. Sign up for a marathon 6 months out now (don't wait) and you'll have the end goal in mind. You'll need the motivation as you train through the warm summer months or colder winter months

4. Buy Decent Shoes and Change Them Often: Running is a very inexpensive in terms of equipment. So don't go cheap on the shoes. Change them often...the lesser of every 300 miles or 3 months. Your limbs and tendons will thank you for that.

5. Ramp up the Mileage: To run your first full marathon, plan to peak your weekly mileage at 30 to 35 miles per week. But once again, get there gradually, not all at once.

6. Rest as Needed: For those of us past the motivation hurdle to train, the next biggest marathon training issue is fending off injuries. Don't be fearful of taking days off when needed. Rest benefits you as much as training.

7. Train With Others: The best thing to motivate one to wake up at 5 a.m. on a Sunday morning for a 20 miler is knowing you'll be letting someone else down.  Click here for some local Ventura County running groups.

8. Share Your Goals: Tell your friends and family about your marathon commitment and your training. You'll need the support system and they'll keep you motivated.

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Centers for Disease Control Gives the Scoop on Poop in Public Swimming Pools

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Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did a public pool study that concluded that feces are frequently introduced into pool water by swimmers.

I debated whether to publish this, well, not particularly pleasant information, but we should all be aware of prepared when we venture out into public swimming areas (such as this compilation of several dozen fun water activities in and around Ventura County).

The CDC collected samples of water from public pool pool filters last summer and tested the samples for genetic material of multiple microbes. Fully 58 percent of the pool filter samples tested were positive for E. coli, bacteria normally found in the human gut and feces.

Finding a high percentage of E. coli-positive filters indicates swimmers frequently contaminate pool water when they have a "fecal incident" in the water or when feces rinse off of their bodies because they do not shower thoroughly before getting into the water.

The study did not address water parks, residential pools or other types of recreational water. The study does not allow CDC to make conclusions about all pools in the United Stat

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Children's Medical Services Available to Qualified Ventura County Residents

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The Ventura County Health Care Agency (VCHCA) has several Children's Medical Services to improve healthcare services for Ventura County infants, children and teens. The programs are described below.

Californa Children's Services (CCS) is for children under age 21 who have chronic medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, cerebral palsy, heart disease, cancer; traumatic injuries; and infectious diseases that cause major medical problems. CCS is funded with state, county and federal support.

If a child’s condition is eligible, VCHCA can provide lab tests, x-rays, physician services, hospital care, physical and occupational therapy through the Medical Therapy Program (MTP) and obtain certain medical equipment.

To qualify for CCS (as of January 2013), the indvidual must come from a family income of less than $40,000 or whose out-of-pocket medical expenses for a child who qualifies are more than 20% of family income. Or the child has Healthy Families medical insurance coverage.

The Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) program assures access to preventive health care for eligible infants, children, and teens.  CHDP Public Health Nurses assure comprehensive health check ups by certifying physicians and clinics. These health check-ups include a complete health physical examination, growth and development check, all needed shots and lab tests, dental, vision, and hearing screening and appropriate health education information.

Children eligible for CHDP include those with Medi-Cal from birth through 20 y

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