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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Why is the Filing Deadline for Individual Tax Returns April 17 This Year?

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As most of us hopefully know by now, individual tax returns for 2011 must be postmarked by Tuesday, April 17th. Why the 17th and not the 15th this year?

Two reasons. The first and most obvious one is that April 15th falls on a Sunday. When April 15th falls on a weekend or a holiday, Tax Day is pushed to the next business day.

However, this year, Monday, April 16th is Emancipation Day, a holiday that is observed in the District of Columbia. According to federal law, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way that federal holidays do; therefore, all taxpayers will have two extra days to file this year.

Emancipation Day is celebrated in Washington D.C. to commemororate Abraham Lincoln signing the Compensated Emancipation Act for the release of about 3,100 enslaved persons in the D.C. on April 16, 1862. That would make this coming Emancipation Day the 150th Anniversary of that event.

Coincidentally, it was Abraham Lincoln on August 5, 1861 that signed the Revenue Act of 1861, which imposed a federal income tax on individuals for the first time to pay for the Civil War...a 3 percent tax on annual incomes over $800. Ah yes, the good ole days.

More info on taxes but of course is available at www.irs.gov. California follows federal guidelines for Tax Day.

Effective Today, Conejo Valley Has Been Renamed Squirrel Valley!

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Herbie the Squirrel smiling for the camera in Thousand Oaks.

Herbie the Squirrel smiling for the camera in Thousand Oaks.

It started with a little squirrel named Herbie. Herbie was known to munch on seeds and plants outside the National Park Service Visitor Center in Thousand Oaks. Herbie is pictured to the right. Cute little guy, isn't he.

Conejo Valley resident Rocky N. Bulwinckel took notice 2 years ago. Rocky, third cousin once removed of Carolyn Lawrence, the voice of Sandy Cheeks, well known squirrel character on SpongeBob SquarePants, was impressed at Herbie the Squirrel's amicable behavior and ability to interact with humans.

Bulwinckel and his neighbors, the Rowe-Dent family of Thousand Oaks, also noticed the proliferation of friendly squirrels throughout the Conejo Valley. In fact, the squirrel population seems to have overtaken the rabbit population, namesake of the Conejo (Spanish for rabbit) Valley! Bulwinckel and the Rowe-Dents decided to pursue a change in light of this squirrely situation.

Local squirrel in celebration mode. Name unknown. We call him Bubba.

Local squirrel in celebration mode. Name unknown. We call him Bubba.

So, after two years petitioning local residents and numerous presentations to the city councils of the Conejo Valley communities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills,

Oak Park and Calabasas, it was proclaimed that, effective today, the Conejo Valley is officially renamed the Squirrel Valley!

Here at Conejo Valley Guide we enjoy and cherish bunnies. However, we have already made preparations for the transition to Squirrel Valley Guide.

Please join us by reviewing our new website at www.SquirrelValleyGuide.com!

APRIL FOOLS'!

Happy April Fools' Day!

April Fools' fun in prior years

Who Wants to Be a Half Billionaire!? A Review of Historical Mega Millions Numbers

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BREAKING NEWS UPDATE 3/30/12: The estimate jackpot for tonight's drawing has skyrocketed to $640 MILLION or a $462 MILLION cash payout! WOAH!

As pretty much everyone knows at this point, tomorrow's Mega Millions jackpot is the largest jackpot in world history. At $540 million, a single winning ticket will make the holder of that ticket a half billionaire, on paper at least. If they took the estimated cash payment of $390 million and paid the roughly 35% in Federal taxes (California and local taxes are don't apply), they, or I should say, I, will have roughly $253 million in cash to play around with. Heck, that's enough money to run for President these days!

I have quite a terrible track record with my Mega Millions tickets. I've never won even a measly $2 Mega number using my strategy of a combination of Quick Picks, birthdates, "lucky" numbers, my IQ, golf score, 5K time, etc. So tonight, given the unprecedented size of tomorrow night's drawing, I took it upon myself to do a statistical analysis of previous winning draws.

The CALottery website provides historical winning Mega Millions numbers going back to June 24, 2005, representing 706 previous drawings. I took that data and populated an Excel spreadsheet. Remember there are 5 winning numbers in each drawing ranging from 1 to 56, and 1 winning Mega number ranging from 1 to 46. Basically you have a 1 in 176 million chance of winning, no matter what numbers you pick. But I thought, maybe it would be smarter of me to take a look at the winners that won and didn't win most frequently. So I did.

The results of this exercise are as follows:

Number 48 is a winning number standout, having been selected 83 times, or 11.8%, of the last 706 Mega Millons draws. That is 9 times more than the next two lucky numbers, 36 and 53, which were both selected 74 times during that same period. These were closely followed by 12 and 51 (72 wins), 27, 31 and 52 (71 wins) and 14 (70 wins). Noticeably absent from this top nine list are single-digit numbers. Well, 2 had 69 wins and 4, 5 and 9 had 68 wins, so they aren't too far behind. But bottom line here is, perhaps the number 48 should be closely considered.

The least frequently picked winning numbers were 41 (48 wins), 49 (quite coincidentally 49 wins), followed by 47 (50 wins), 37 (51 wins) and 55, 34 and 6 (52 wins). I do find it interesting that 47 and 49, both perennial losers, sandwich 48, the biggest winner.

On the Mega number side, the clear winner, with 25 wins in the last 706 draws, is number 36. Good ole #36 was followed by 9 (6 wins) and 7 and 35 (20 wins). If you truly want to win something, anything, in the Mega Millions, perhaps your best bet is to pick 36 for your Mega number each time, as statistically it hits around every 28 draws. Hitting the Mega with no other winning numbers gets you a whopping $2. Yippee!

The least frequently winning Mega numbers were 28 (a lousy 6 wins in 706 draws), 32 (10 wins) and 46, 14 and 1 (11 wins).

Now just you watch...all the losing numbers above will hit tomorrow. That always happens. But as statisticians say, each draw is independent of the others and thus the odds of choosing the winning numbers technically DO NOT CHANGE from draw to draw. Thus, while you may or may not find interest in this statistical information, I'd advise you rely upon it solely for its amusement value.

Shown below is the winning number information for all numbers sorted by most to least wins over the last 706 Mega Millions draws. Good luck to all and make sure to CONTACT ME if you win THE BIG ONE tomorrow!!

Winning Numbers

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