World Toilet Day is November 19th!

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The World Toilet Organization was founded in 2001 as a global non-profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide.  The WTO's founding day of November 19th is celebrated each year as "World Toilet Day" to increase awareness of global sanitation issues.  WTO has over 150 member organizations around the world.

WTO founder Jack Sim was named a "Hero of the Environment" by Time Magazine in 2008.  He seeks to destigmatize the toilet and make it a status symbol for the poor.  "I want people to aspire to owning a toilet, just like others aspire to own a Louis Vuitton bag," he told Time.  Heck, I'm already there.

From the "Putting Things Into Perspective" department:  Over 2.6 BILLION people around the world do not have access to basic sanitation.  In other words, over 8 times the entire U.S. population around the world don't even have access to a toilet!

The WTO describes its logo on its website.  The logo's message is "Love our Toilet." "The logo of the WTO is the image of a toilet seat-cover viewed from an angle as how most people would see it. The ring in the middle of the toilet seat-cover signifies a connected circle of members. Blue was chosen as the color of the toilet seat-cover as a symbolization of water and how WTO is also closely-related to water issues."

Visit www.worldtoilet.org for more information.

Views of the Conejo Valley on a Warm, Cloudy August Saturday Night

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The heatwave continued today throughout the Southland today, with temperatures topping off around 95 degrees in Thousand Oaks with humidity in the 60-70% range. So it was a bit sticky out there. But the good news is that these weather conditions make for great scenes of the Conejo Valley!

Former NBA Greats Pippen, Rodman, Grant and Others Played in Taiwan on Sunday

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A buddy of mine surprised me with these great photos from an exhibition game played in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. NBA legends Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, along with other popular retirees including Horace Grant, Jason Williams, Mitch Richmond and others, put on a show against the Taiwanese All-Star team this past Sunday, July 21st.

This team of old-timers looked great! The NBA Alumni team beat the locals by a score of 104 to 89 and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the show! Rodman, who is now 51, played with gusto, according to my friend. In fact, he dove for a loose ball and ended up in some courtside seats. His effort was impressive. And of course, as you'll see below, he was as photogenic as ever.

Birthday Wishes to Linda Ronstadt, Born 66 Years Ago on This Date

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One of my very favorite female recording artists, Linda Ronstadt, turns 66 years old today, July 15, 2012. Ronstadt, a top-selling artist in the 1970s-1980s, released 27 studio albums, 63 singles and has won 11 Grammy awards among accomplishments. She popularized many songs originally written and sung by others through her vocal talent, range and interpretation.

Five of my Ronstadt favorites are embedded below. Happy birthday Linda!

Perhaps my all-time favorite Linda Ronstadt song, this performance of "Long, Long Time" in 1970 makes me sit and watch over and over in awe of her voice and interpretation.

"When Will I Be Loved," written by Phil Everly and a 1960 hit by The Everly Brothers. Sung by Ronstadt, it reached #2 on the U.S. charts in 1975.

Here's a funky version of her #1 hit "You're No Good" that was originally written and performed in the early 1960s.

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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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