Shirts on!

[chaos001]

something tells me I would like to know what was said before '.' ha ha

oh, it's not important. i was being a smart aleck.

[Stu]

lol, no cancer yet!

So, you find this a laughing matter; so be it; that is your choice. Just be aware that you have decided to find that a life cut short and destroyed by painful tumors rotting the skin from the inside out to be trivial; the only thing worse than it happening to you is watching a loved one go through the excruciationg experience. I pray that you wise up before you have to go through this with one of your loved ones. I watched as my uncle, who was a construction worker, lose his face like it was slow melting wax. It got to the point near the end where medicine did not dull the horrible pain. I watched my aunt stay by his side, and she held him in her arms as he expired. Wake up young man; this is no laughing matter.

[geluf]

lol, no cancer yet!

Oh, gee, I'm glad that's funny to you!

[AlexL]

i always wore a shirt on tour... chopped off the sleeves though. Had a nice big hat with a brim all the way around too. I burned a little, but never anything mildly bad.

also nice if the staff can bother to find 2 minutes in the middle of a 4 hour block to let you re-apply...

That's where that spray on stuff really comes in handy. You dont have the time to rub on sunscreen everywhere, you can recoat in a very short time with the spray stuff.

[AlexL]

So, you find this a laughing matter; so be it; that is your choice. Just be aware that you have decided to find that a life cut short and destroyed by painful tumors rotting the skin from the inside out to be trivial; the only thing worse than it happening to you is watching a loved one go through the excruciationg experience. I pray that you wise up before you have to go through this with one of your loved ones. I watched as my uncle, who was a construction worker, lose his face like it was slow melting wax. It got to the point near the end where medicine did not dull the horrible pain. I watched my aunt stay by his side, and she held him in her arms as he expired. Wake up young man; this is no laughing matter.

and what percentage of drum corps kids get cancer, despite nearly universally wearing little to almost nothing while on tour?

[I play the baritone good]

and what percentage of drum corps kids get cancer, despite nearly universally wearing little to almost nothing while on tour?

Exactly. People on DCP get so touchy about everything. It's like an entire forum of debbie downers!

Skin cancer is terrible, and it's a risk to anyone. Wearing sun screen protects against it. I loved getting a sick tan while on tour. I never wore a shirt, and rarely wore a hat. I rolled my shorts down to further lower my tanline. I felt bad for the kids in Regiment (and other corps) who were forced to wear a hat by the staff. As long as you stay on top of the sun screen you will be fine. Do you people not vacation at the beach? Are you so scared of the almighty sun god that you don't enjoy life?

Geez.

[Stu]

and what percentage of drum corps kids get cancer, despite nearly universally wearing little to almost nothing while on tour?

Skin Cancer from over exposure to UV rays is the most common form of cancer in the United States; melanoma is just the most serious form. Those who work directly in the sun are at greatest risk. Here are the stats from the Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million cases in two million people are diagnosed annually.

• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.

• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer; an estimated 2.8 million BCCs are diagnosed annually in the US. BCCs are rarely fatal, but can be highly disfiguring if allowed to grow.

• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. An estimated 700,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths.

• Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two major forms of non-melanoma skin cancer. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either skin cancer at least once.

• Melanomia, the most serious form of skin cancer, effects about three percent of the United States population each year and is normally fatal in all cases.

• In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers was more than $1 billion.

• About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

• Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.

• Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person's lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18; only about 23 percent of lifetime exposure occurs by age 18.

Edited June 1, 2010 by Stu

[BigW]

and what percentage of drum corps kids get cancer, despite nearly universally wearing little to almost nothing while on tour?

Good question. No one's done a scientific study on just those kids. Considering the amount of exposure, why take a chance? There's enough studies on exposure that show you have to use your head and take care of yourself regardless of whether yuo play football, march, surf, or just cut the frikkin' grass to make enough money to afford a Big Mac on the weekend when the corps is out like I used to. The effects can happen long-term. Maybe not now, but maybe later in life. I check everything like that closely on myself as a result of all the ignorance everyone had back in the day now.

And really, the spray's good stuff. Blow the stuff on, I would think any staff member worth their salt will likely use it as well if they feel that pressed for time and have half a brain left unless that's burned out from the sun as well.

[geluf]

Skin cancer is terrible, and it's a risk to anyone. Wearing sun screen protects against it. I loved getting a sick tan while on tour. I never wore a shirt, and rarely wore a hat. I rolled my shorts down to further lower my tanline. I felt bad for the kids in Regiment (and other corps) who were forced to wear a hat by the staff. As long as you stay on top of the sun screen you will be fine. Do you people not vacation at the beach? Are you so scared of the almighty sun god that you don't enjoy life?

I'm gonna go ahead and assume you missed this part of the thread...which is what we were responding to:

shirts suck

and I think I stopped wearing sunblock 1/3rd of the way through tour.

[Stu]

Exactly. People on DCP get so touchy about everything. It's like an entire forum of debbie downers!

I felt bad for the kids in Regiment (and other corps) who were forced to wear a hat by the staff. As long as you stay on top of the sun screen you will be fine.

Geez.

Wearing a hat actually has little to do with burning skin issues. It has everything to do with protecting the brain from overheating and causing a heat-stroke; which can cause a disabilty at best, and a fatality at worst.