Fun With the Kids Yesterday at the Glendale Galleria LEGO Store

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With two LEGO fans in my household, the selection at the local Target and Toys R Us gets old after awhile. So short of taking the trek down to LEGOLAND Park in Carlsbad, the best place to go within range of the Conejo Valley is the LEGO Store at the Glendale Galleria.

The selection at the store is amazing. Your kids will be in LEGO heaven.

Watch out though...you will come across high end LEGO sets like these $400 Star Wars sets with 3,000 to 4,000 pieces! Really cool!

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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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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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TSA Pre✓™ Pre-Screening Initiative Gets You Through TSA Lines Quicker

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TSA Pre✓™ is a pre-screening initiative that makes risk assessments on passengers who voluntarily participate prior to their arrival at the airport checkpoint.

TSA Pre✓™ includes U.S. citizens who are members of existing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler programs including Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI programs as well as eligible airline frequent flyers.

If TSA determines a passenger is eligible for expedited screening, information is embedded in the barcode of the passenger’s boarding pass. TSA reads the barcode at designated checkpoints and the passenger may be referred to a lane where they will undergo expedited screening, which could include no longer removing shoes, 3-1-1 compliant bag from carry-on, laptop from bag, light outerwear/jacket and belt.

TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited screening.

TSA Pre✓™ is in partnership with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Certain frequent flyers from Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and certain members of CBP's Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS who are U.S. citizens are eligible to participate. US Airways and United Airlines will also offer TSA Pre✓™ to eligible passengers in the coming months. TSA plans to expand TSA Pre✓™ to include additional airlines, as well as airports that participate in a CBP Trusted Traveler program, once operationally ready.

The above airlines are contacting eligible frequent flyers with an invitation to opt-in. Once the passenger opts-in, the airline identifies the individual as a TSA Pre✓™ participant when submitting passenger reservation information to TSA’s Secure Flight system.

If a participating airlines’ frequent flyer did not receive an invitation from the airline, he/she can still participate by joining a CBP Trusted Traveler program.

Locally here in the Los Angeles area, as of May 2012, the only TSA Pre✓™ screening lane is available only in the American Airlines terminal. TSA Pre✓™ is currently at 14 airports and is anticipated to expand to 35 airports by the end of 2012.

The TSA announced that it has pre-screened over one million travellers through the TSA Pre✓™ initiative as of May 2012.

Learn more at www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/escreening.shtm.

Global Entry Program for Expedited Entry Back Into the United States

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Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Though intended for frequent international travelers, there is no minimum number of trips necessary to qualify for the program. Participants may enter the United States by using automated kiosks located at select airports.

To apply, you fill out an online application and pay a $100 non-refundable application fee. After your application is reviewed, you will be asked to schedule an interview at an enrollment center (there's one at LAX). A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer will ask you questions, take your photo, and collect biometric information, e.g., scan your fingerprints.

As a pre-screened Global Entry member, you arriv

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What!? Nutella is Not That Good For You!? Who Knew!? I Want My Money Back!

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Nutella's manufacturer Ferrero, U.S.A, Inc. has settled a lawsuit that it was marketing Nutella as something healthier than what it actually is.

Plaintiffs Athena Hohenberg and Laura Rude-Barbato alleged "Ferrero has invaded the United States with ... misleading advertising strategies, played out on the labels of Nutella®, in television commercials and print ads, on the web and elsewhere, designed to and effective in persuading American consumers that Nutella® is an appropriate breakfast food, and a healthy alternative to things like jelly and syrup."

"IF YOU PURCHASED NUTELLA IN CALIFORNIA BETWEEN AUGUST 1, 2009 AND JANUARY 23, 2012, OR IN ANY OTHER STATE BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 3, 2012, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A PAYMENT FROM A PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT."

To participate, you must submit a claim form by mail or online by July 5, 2012. The California settlement is $550,000 and claimants may receive as much as $4 for each jar, up to 5 jars, of Nutella purchased between 8/1/09 and 1/23/12.

Hmm, that's not a lot of money. I think we bought 3 or 4 jars of Nutella during that time frame. Like we're really going to remember the number of jars of Nutella bought over a 29 month period. Yes, I'll have to go back to my Nutella Purchase Journal to determine the actual count.

But seriously, if 100,000 people

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