FAT CHANCE: With the discovery of a...

FAT CHANCE: With the discovery of a hormone that causes obese mice to lose weight, Amgen of Thousand Oaks may have the answer for millions of overweight Americans (A1). Clinical trials on humans could begin as early as next year. . . . The company is not sure where the trials will be, but officials don’t think that it will be hard to recruit. . . . Said Amgen’s Gordon Binder: “I wouldn’t think there would be any shortage of volunteers for the trials.”

CHEERS: Toastmasters clubs instill confidence as well as public speaking skills in members (Ventura County Life, Page 6). . . . In Shirley Lorraine’s family, Toastmasters is a tradition. Her father and grandfather were members as well. Toastmasters skills helped them succeed and now they’ve helped Lorraine earn a promotion. . . . “When you learn to communicate more easily, you gain confidence,” she said.

ACTIVIST ACTOR: Screen and TV star Ed Begley Jr. was recently named to head the board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which buys land for public use in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. . . . But Begley is no figurehead. Said the conservancy’s Rorie Skei: “He’s a very hard worker.”