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Do you live in a TMT (Too Much Technology) Zone?

Turn off your cell phone before you get to the dining table.

Sustainability Now News
by Maryann Ridini Spencer (@MaryannRidiniSpencer)

Have you ever been out to dinner and had your friend, family member or partner answer their cell phone and talk for a few minutes, leaving you out of the conversation? Maybe you’ve been involved in a heart-to-heart, and just at the moment you were going to divulge the most important detail, you were told to “hold that thought” while your friend or family member answered their cell phone? Do you often find your partner or friend mysteriously glued to their iPad or computer keyboard much to your chagrin? Without the risk of being too crass, sometimes technology bites. If you’ve ever been in any one of the above situations, you’ve experienced, first hand, the frustration of being upstaged by modern technology, or as my old boss jokingly used to tell his victims, “by a bigger name.”

Connecting with the people in our lives – our friends, family, and our special someone – is vital to our health and wellbeing. Being kind and generous with our undivided attention can go a long way. Connecting on a face-to-face, technology-free, personal basis is paramount. Especially in this fast-paced, stressful era of job downsizing, mergers & acquisitions and where digital technology rules, it can be easy for the ones you love (or for you) to become alienated living in the TMT (Too Much Technology) Zone.

How to live TMT Free

  • Turn off your cell phone before you get to the dining table.
  • Enjoy a Sunday meal with the entire family – create time together to talk and interact minus the electronics.
  • On a date or at a business meeting? Power your phone OFF (or ask the person you’re with to do the same). You can pick up your messages later. You might also select your “alternate” greeting, letting folks know you are in a meeting and will return their call later.
  • Let your weekends or vacation truly be “time off.” Use your email “vacation message” or select your alternate voicemail message to tell clients, friends, and associates you’ll call on Monday when you’re back at the office. If you find that you have to be available to respond, try to designate a specific time of day that won’t interfere with your dedicated activities.

Great Examples of How to Use Technology

  • In the mood to share an expression of love? Go for it. Just don’t text or send images of anything you don’t want to appear on the front page of the Sunday papers (you never know with technology!). LOL.
  • A quick “thank you,” to share an expression of gratitude.
  • A reminder for an important appointment, service, task, or time sensitive task.

Keeping in mind the importance of in-person sharing of essential feelings, thoughts and ideas, talk to those in your life about technology abuse and set up some ground rules. Connecting on a personal level and nurturing your important relationships by being TMT Free, or at least controlling your impulses to reach for your iPhone or tablet, can have extremely pleasing results. Enjoying the warmth of loving, appreciative and attentive arms around you can warm up the day or night and fill the heart more than any text or chat on Facebook or Twitter.

Mika Harmony is Featured Artist at Capriccio Restaurant

Mika Harmony is the Featured Artist at Capriccio Restaurant downtown Ventura with her new exhibit “Garden of the Heart” featuring whimsical and vibrantly colored acrylic paintings on canvas. Themes of feathers, butterflies, dragonflies, flowers and hearts are prominent in her new collection. Show is up through February 28th. www.mikaharmony.com

Capriccio Restaurant, 298 E. Main Street, downtown Ventura, Open daily at 11:30am.

Namba upcoming events

January programming focuses on local talent. “Discover wonderful new local talent,

meet new artists and begin new friendships at Namba!” Tickets at NambaArts.com.

January 18, 8pm, “A Celebration of Joni Mitchell” features Kimberly Ford. This is a rocking tribute to the most iconic singer-songwriter of the Woodstock generation. Mitchell touched millions with her nearly 40-year career spanning genres from contemporary folk to jazz to full-throated pop-rock.

January 20, 7pm, “New Blood Comedy” Niki Marinis and Eric Crispin have been putting on great comedy open mics and shows in the 805 for years and now Local and SoCal comedians flock to New Blood Ventura bringing their wildly successful comedy to NAMBA.

January 25 & 26, 8pm, “A Mama Mia Sing-Along and Fundraiser” for the Unity Theatre Collective, a new production partner at Namba. Bring your friends and sing along to your favorite ABBA songs! Plus, there’s a ’70s Costume Contest so dress the part!

January 26, 11am-2pm, Namba keeps 2019 focused on local talent in partnership with Jodi Farrell for another “Performance Workshop”! But don’t let the title fool you, this is a Trial by Fire for Ventura’s finest new entertainers. Do they have what it takes to enchant an audience… namely you?

January 27, 4pm, If you hear the term ‘acoustic duo’ you imagine two people sitting on stools, lightly strumming guitars, singing about how life has treated them poorly, think again. Danika & the Jeb are dynamic, uplifting, and fun, while their music is a soulful combination of artfully written songs and powerful musical phrasing.

January 27, 7pm, “New Blood Comedy” Niki Marinis and Eric Crispin have been putting on great comedy open mics and shows in the 805 for years and now Local and SoCal comedians flock to New Blood Ventura bringing their wildly successful comedy to NAMBA.

Namba 47 So. Oak Street, Ventura. Visit www.NambaArts.com regularly for programming updates!

Procrastinating; The Cost To Your Retirement

by Jayson Cohen American Legacy Solutions

If you are like many other hardworking adults, you may find yourself periodically dreaming about what life will be like after you leave the workforce and enter retirement. Of course, this is an important topic to think about, especially as doing things such as financing later life care can be economically draining for many people. Regardless of whether you plan to simply kick back and relax close to home or you have grand dreams of traveling frequently in retirement, you will need to have enough cash on hand to live on. Unfortunately, a report released by Financial Engines indicates that almost one in seven adults who are at least 55 years old have stated that they procrastinated on saving for retirement. This is very worrying. People should be planning well in advanced if they truly want to enjoy their twilight years. This is especially true if you plan to move to a retirement community. Anthem Lakes is one of the nicer retirement communities in Jacksonville Florida with dockside living.

Why Adults Procrastinate on Saving for Retirement

You may think that the primary reason why individuals would not save money regularly for their golden years is because of a lack of funds, but this is not the case. In the same report, two out of five procrastinators said they got a late start because they had other priorities for their money. Half indicated that stress played a role in retirement planning and saving. Some of the other more common reasons for procrastination include the belief that it is too difficult, the thought that they may get taken advantage of or a lack of knowledge about retirement planning and saving.

The Impact of Procrastination on Your Retirement Plans

Many adults who procrastinate in this important area have the intention of playing catch-up later in life. However, this may be more challenging than it may seem at first glance. When you procrastinate, you give up your regular contributions. You also give up employer-matching contributions and compounded growth, and these two factors can have a huge impact on the size of your nest egg. Delaying your retirement planning and saving effort essentially means that you must come up with a tremendous amount of additional money to catch up to a balance that you would have had if you started saving regularly in your 20s.

The Urgency to Get Started Today

Regardless of the reasons or age, now is the time to make a bold change. By continuing to procrastinate, you simply dig an even larger hole that is more difficult for you to get out of. Saving may be as easy as foregoing that fancy vacation that you take every year or downsizing the scope of your vacation. It doesn’t have to mean creating a self-invested stock portfolio informed by Stocktrades, it’s simpler than that. It may mean not redecorating your home as frequently or scaling down your holiday gift-giving efforts. There are many ways that you may be able to simply cut back without detracting from your quality of life, and these steps can have a huge impact on your financial status in your retirement years. Of course, making regular monthly contributions is also advisable. Saving at least some money now is better than not saving any.

How to Get Started

There are various types of retirement accounts that you may have access to depending on your circumstances. A good starting point is to maximize an employer-sponsored retirement account if your employer offers matching contributions. These contributions could essentially double your total account contributions and help you to get back on track more quickly and easily. If this is not an option, carefully review the pros and cons of various retirement accounts. Once you decide which type of account you want to open, schedule automated transfers. By automating this aspect of your finances, your balance will grow without additional effort required.

Some people prefer to hire a financial advisor to assist with retirement planning and account management. If you are confused about or intimidated by any aspect of retirement planning, it is best to seek professional guidance rather than to take chances. Remember, you see a doctor when you have concerns with your health, why not talk to a financial professional when you have concerns about your finances? We are here to help.

How to set your fitness goals

Besides swimming and working-out in the gym seniors Ivor Davis and Mark Stienecker (just barely a senior) have made ping pong part of their physical activities at the Pierpont Racquet Club.

Many people find that having a firm goal in mind motivates them to move ahead on a project. Goals are most useful when they are specific, realistic, and important to you. Be sure to review your goals regularly as you make progress or your priorities change.

STEP 1: Write Down Your Short-Term Goals

Write down at least two of your personal short-term goals. From companies such as Office Monster, can purchase office essentials like post-it-notes and notebooks to effectively make a note of your short term goals. This will work in your favour when you finally look back at what you have achieved. What will you do over the next week or two that will help you make physical activity a regular part of your life? Think about the things you need to get or do to be physically active. For example, you may need to buy appropriate fitness clothes or walking shoes. Make sure your short-term goals will really help you be more active.

If you’re already active, think of short-term goals to increase your level of physical activity. For example, over the next week or two, increase the amount of weight you lift or try a new kind of physical activity. No matter what your starting point, reaching your short-term goals will give you confidence to progress toward your long-term goals.

STEP 2: Write Down Your Long-Term Goals

Write down at least two long-term goals. Focus on where you want to be in 6 months, a year, or 2 years from now. Remember, setting goals will help you make physical activity part of your everyday life, monitor your progress, and celebrate your success.

STEP 3: Revisit Your Goals

A few weeks after you start regular physical activity, you may start to see progress toward your goals. You may feel stronger and more energetic. You may notice that you can do things faster, longer, and more easily.

As you increase your fitness level, you also might find that you need to revisit your goals and make your activities more challenging to see additional results.

New Medicare drug policy is a step down for seniors

by Peter J. Pitts

Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued a shocking pronouncement. They’ve decided to prioritize insurers over patients.

The agency recently released new instructions to insurers that participate in Medicare Advantage, allowing them to require patients to take “the most preferred drug” on the market for their condition first, before trying any other treatments. 

Unfortunately, “most preferred” is often merely a euphemism for cheapest. So even if a doctor has concluded, for sound medical reasons, that a different treatment would be more effective, an insurer can demand that a patient first try — and fail — with the “most preferred” drug. This process, known as “step therapy,” will delay treatments for cancer patients and other seriously ill seniors, putting their health — and their lives — at risk.

Step therapy is a blemish on the otherwise popular Medicare Advantage program, which offers seniors who opt in privately administered health plans. Coverage options can include the majority of beneficiaries’ health needs, including prescription drugs, physician, hospital, and outpatient services.

CMS’ new guidance will impede access to care for Medicare Advantage patients receiving medications administered under a doctor’s direct supervision, which fall into Medicare’s “Part B” category. These include infusion treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases. 

Step therapy can be downright cruel for patients battling chronic and painful conditions. Imagine suffering in agony for weeks, months, or even years trying out different treatments that your physician knows are unlikely to help. With each new drug comes a new set of side-effects, but no noticeable health benefits. 

Previously, a 2012 CMS directive banned step therapy for Part B treatments — and for good reason. Part B drugs are highly specialized. Doctors must take into consideration a patient’s diagnosis, lifestyle, medical history, and more to find the best treatment or combination of medications. 

Lifting this ban puts some of Medicare’s sickest beneficiaries in real danger. 

Consider the cancer patients who rely on Part B for chemotherapy. Such treatment regimens are highly individualized — with some patients responding better to one drug rather than another. 

To combat the disease effectively, doctors must find the most appropriate treatment as quickly as possible. That process can be challenging under the best circumstances. Step therapy requirements only add to those difficulties, compounding patient suffering.

In the time it takes to satisfy an insurer’s “fail first” requirements, a patient’s cancer could go from treatable to hopeless. That’s especially true for patients with fast-moving cancers. Those diagnosed with esophageal cancer, for instance, have just a 46 percent chance of surviving six months. For pancreatic cancer, it’s 27 percent.

It’s no surprise that the medical community is overwhelmingly opposed to step therapy. The American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society for Radiation Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology have all condemned the CMS move as a threat to patient health.

Their denunciations are richly deserved. CMS’ new policy guidance puts insurer profits above the best interests of patients. Introducing step-therapy into Medicare Part B will prolong the suffering of America’s most vulnerable seniors. 

Peter J. Pitts, a former Food and Drug Administration associate commissioner, is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Vol. 12, No. 8 – Jan 16 – Jan 29, 2019 – The Pet Page

•SPAN Thrift Store is providing $10 spays and neuters for low income cat and dog friends.

Two Clinics in January: Albert H. Soliz Library – El Rio, 2820 Jourdan St., Oxnard, on Thursday, January 24th and a second one in the SPAN Thrift Store parking lot 110 N. Olive St. (behind Vons on Main) on Thursday, January 31st. Please call to schedule an appointment 805-584-3823.

•The National Police Dog Foundation is pleased to announce that as of January 1st, 2019, Peter Fehler is now the Executive Director of the Foundation.

Peter has been helping the Foundation for the last two years with marketing and fundraising. He has been instrumental in the recent growth of the Foundation and in the Foundation’s ability to improve the lives of law enforcement K-9s across the nation.

Peter has over 20 years of consulting and nonprofit growth experience. He will focus on expanding existing services and introducing new services to be offered by the Foundation.

Volunteering at CMH are therapy dog Livi, with Pam Schuman and Molli (the beautiful blond) with Alicia Stratton. They are joined by the 6th floor staff.

The Foundation is dedicated to providing funds and services to law enforcement K-9 units and ensuring the wellbeing of their K-9s. Their efforts assist the departments so they can safely do their jobs and protect our communities.

• Researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine have found the genetic basis for French bulldogs and Boston terriers appearance and linked it to a rare inherited syndrome in humans.

Bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers aren’t the only dogs with short, wide heads, but they do share another feature not found in other breeds: a short, kinked tail or screwtail.

The researchers sequenced the whole genome, the entire DNA sequence, of 100 dogs, including 10 from screwtail breeds. All the participating dogs were privately owned pets seen at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, whose owners agreed to participate.

Graduate students Tamer Mansour and Katherine Lucot, with C. Titus Brown, associate professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Genome Center, searched through the DNA sequences to find changes associated with screwtail breeds.

From more than 12 million individual differences they were able to identify one mutation, in a gene called DISHEVELLED 2 or DVL2. This variant was found in 100 percent of the bulldogs and French bulldogs sampled and was very common in Boston terriers.

Professor Henry Ho at the UC Davis School of Medicine studies similar genes in humans. Mutations in the related DVL1 and DVL3 genes are known to cause Robinow syndrome, a rare inherited disorder in humans characterized by strikingly similar anatomical changes — a short, wide “babyface,” short limbs and spinal deformities. In addition, Robinow patients and the screwtail breeds also share other disease traits, such as cleft palate.

In both humans and dogs, DVL genes are part of a signaling pathway called WNT involved in development of the skeleton and nervous system, among other things, said Peter Dickinson, professor of surgical and radiological sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine. By characterizing the screwtail DVL2 protein product, Sara Konopelski, a graduate student in the Ho lab, pinpointed a key biochemical step in the WNT pathway that is disrupted by the mutation. This finding further suggests that a common molecular defect is responsible for the distinct appearances of both Robinow patients and screwtail dog breeds.

The DVL2 screwtail mutation is so common in these breeds, and so closely tied to the breed appearance, that it would be difficult to remove it by breeding, Dickinson said. Other genes are known to contribute to short, wide “brachycephalic” heads in dogs, and there are likely multiple genes that contribute both to appearance and to chronic health problems in these breeds.

Understanding a common mutation in popular dog breeds may, however, give more insight into the rare Robinow syndrome in humans. Only a few hundred cases have been documented since the syndrome was identified in 1969.

•The Food and Drug Administration has approved an anti-epileptic drug, Pexion, to treat dogs freaked out by noises (now if they could only do that for cats that get freaked out by everything).

The drug is already approved for use in treating epilepsy. Known generically as imepitoin, the drug is similar to Valium and other benzodiazepines but works in a different way to treat noise aversion. Other seizure drugs, such as gabapentin, can also treat some types of anxiety.

“Dogs with noise aversion are sensitive to loud noises such as fireworks, street/traffic noises, and gun shots,” the FDA said Tuesday.

“Dogs may show their distress through hiding; vocalizing (whining, barking, howling); panting, shaking or trembling; or may vomit, urinate or defecate. Some dogs may damage furniture, doors, dog beds, or other items in their surroundings.”

The drug was originally developed to treat epilepsy in people, but it had some troubling effects on metabolism so was never brought to market for use in humans.

Ventura Libraries events

Avenue Library
Children & Family Events
Mini STEAM Fair
2/25 Wednesday @4-5
Visit the Ventura Region libraries during the last week of February for a Mini STEAM Fair. All ages!
Bilingual Early Literacy Class
2/4, 11, & 25 Mondays @ 5:30-6:30pm
Join us for storytelling, nursery rhymes, flannel board fun and more!

Adult Classes & Events
Laubach Literacy English Classes in the Meeting Room
2/4, 11, & 25 Mondays @ 10:30-11:30am
2/5, 12, 19, & 26 Tuesdays @ 9-10am & @ 10-11am
2/6, 13, 20, & 27 Wednesdays @ 11:30am -12:30pm
2/7, 14, 21, & 28 Thursdays @ 10–11am
Introductory English classes offered through Laubach Literacy at Avenue Library. Make an appointment today, call (805) 385-9584
E.P. Foster Library
A California Native Plant Society Lecture
2/19 Tuesday @ 7-9pm
Please join us for an interesting and enlightening lecture series presented by the California Native Plant Society, Channel Islands Chapter.
Vision of Warriors Documentary
2/9 Saturday@ 1pm
Join us for the showing of Visions of Warriors in the Topping Room.. “Veteran’s battle mental illness with a powerful new weapon——photography.”

Children’s Events
Early Literacy Class
2/5, 12, 19, & 26 Tuesdays &
2/6, 13, 20, & 27 Wednesdays @ 10:30am
Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft, and fun!
Teen Happenings
Mini STEAM Fair
2/27 Wednesday @4-7
Visit the Ventura Region libraries during the last week of February for a Mini STEAM Fair. All ages!
Hill Road Library
Family & Children’s Ongoing Events
Early Literacy Class
2/6, 13, 20, & 27 Wednesdays @ 10:30am
Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft, and fun!
Children’s Special Events
Discover Science
2/12 Tuesday @ 4pm
Join us for this monthly exploration of science concepts through hands-on experiments with Rachel Chang. Ages 8+
Mini-STEAM Fair
2/28 Thursday @ 4pm
Visit all four Ventura libraries (Avenue, Hill, Foster, and Saticoy) during the last week of February for a Mini-Maker Fair. All ages!

Adult Events
Author Talk with Kimberly Basso
2/24 Sunday @ 12pm
Award Winning Finalist for Humor, 2018 International Book Awards. “Panicking never helps.” Tuesday’s breakfast was interrupted by a stroke, and the only available help is the author’s second grader. Kimberly will walk (or rather shuffle) readers through her experience in an honest, hilarious look at the site of the world’s smallest zombie apocalypse – her brain.

Book Club: The Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
2/26 Tuesday @ 6pm
Join us for a lively discussion of our book for the month of February. All are welcome who have read the book!
Saticoy Library
Children & Family Events
Mini STEAM Fair
2/23 Wednesday @4-5
Visit the Ventura Region libraries during the last week of February for a Mini STEAM Fair! All ages!
Early Literacy Class
2/5, 12, 19, & 26 Tuesdays @ 10am
Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft & fun!
Adult Classes & Events
English Classes
2/4, 11, & 25 Mondays &
2/6, 13, 20, & 27 Wednesdays @ 3- 5pm
One on one instruction in English hosted by Laubach Literacy of Ventura County
Closures this Month
18th– Closed in observance of President’s Day

Arroyo Verde Park Playground design community outreach meeting

The City of Ventura invites residents of all ages to help design the new playground at Arroyo Verde Park. The park’s previous play structure was destroyed in the Thomas Fire, and the City plans to build a brand-new inclusive playground where children of all abilities can play. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 16, from 6-7 pm, in the Wright Event Center at Ventura College, 57 Day Road.

“Families love going to parks with innovative design features,” said Mayor Matt LaVere. “As a father of two young daughters, I am very excited about the new playground and an inclusive design that welcomes children of all abilities. I encourage both youth and adults to attend and share their ideas at the upcoming design meeting.”

Representatives from Pacific Coast Land Design and the City of Ventura will conduct the outreach meeting to collect input from the community on the design concepts for the project. The playground will incorporate various features and integrate play opportunities to create a space for all to play. A significant portion of the project will be funded publicly to help with the cost of play space surfacing and structures needed for inclusivity.

Arroyo Verde Park, located at Foothill and Day Roads, was closed for approximately 10-weeks after the Thomas Fire to ensure safe conditions for park users. The Interpretive Center, pump house, playground, and slopes on both sides of the park were burned during the fire.

To provide input or to donate please contact Katrina Maksimuk at [email protected] or 805-658-4775.