Culver City Observer -

By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

The monthly General Meeting of the Culver City Democratic Club will be on April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Rotunda Room of Veterans Auditorium. Mayor Sahli-Wells will be speaking on the State of the City.

I am hopeful the Mayor will discuss police and their use of body cameras, the use of devices either portable or in fixed positions to monitor automobile license plates, and what the policy is on choke holds and shoot to kill vs. shoot to wound.

Do you have a lead foot? Do you always seem to get a traffic ticket for excessive speed? For those drivers helping to pay down the state's red ink budget, help could be here because I recently heard about Rocky Mountain Radar, http://www.rockymountainradar.com, (915) 587-0307. They have devices that purportedly will warn you of police radar up to five miles away, will disable their equipment, and are 100% undetectable.

On a sad note, cancer in its many forms is poised to edge out heart disease as Americas' Number One killer within the next few years.

Are you one of those who read the article, "Caution: Cops with Cameras" in the December 2014 issue of Scientific American? Overall, body-camera use has decreased the number of times officers resorted to force as well as the number of times citizens complained about police behavior.

Coming down the pike to combat chronic pain is the Chinese red-headed centipede. Its toxic venom contains a component that can numb nerves without harming the rest of the body.

Just when I thought it was safe for me to walk by the dairy case in the grocery store, I read Dr. Andrew Weil's 2014 Introductory Issue dealing with calcium. Most research seems to suggest getting more than 1500 to 2,000 mg of calcium a day just might put men at increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

I bet you did not know the power of big business. Take, for instance, Delta Airlines, which had profits of almost $10 billion these past two years. Now, while government is squeezing us with higher taxes, guess what our buddies at Delta are going to pay. Not one red cent, and it is all very legal. In the tax code there is a provision called net operating loss carry forward which allows companies to claim deductions for losses for as long as twenty years.

As Santa would say, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

Americans bought 46 million Starbucks gift cards during the 2014 holiday season, so that's darn near one in seven who got a card.

The cops in New York City are looking for funding to obtain another 450 stun guns and the officers trained to carry them.

Hardly anything is worse than the pain after getting a tooth pulled. Should one take Advil or Motrin or Tylenol, and what about possible side effects? For answers to these important questions, read the "Journal of the American Dental Association" Vol. 144 Page 898.

On April 27 Pope Francis will canonize both Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. This will be the first double papal canonization ceremony ever.

From the "I cannot believe its true" file, by the end of 2014 North America was overtaken by Asia as the continent with the most millionaires.

Perhaps you recall 41 years ago when President Nixon, in order to cut gasoline consumption, mandated all cars and trucks go no faster than 55 miles per hour. Yes, friends it was in 1974.

Who has a good memory? Culver City Police Chief Montanio announced the first annual open house, and if you said August 21, 2004 you win a ten dollar gift card at the Broadway Department Store.

To all my friends who love guacamole as much as I do, remember September 16 is our special day – National Guacamole Day.

For those of us who were sent to Europe for the Berlin Wall Crisis in 1961 by President Kennedy, we are anxiously awaiting the opening of the Wende Museum located at the former California Army National Guard Armory, 10808 Culver Blvd, (310) 216-1600, Ext. 307 or info@wendemuseum.org.

The City of Glendale will present, on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Centennial Commemoration. Call (818) 243-2611.

News scoop!!! China's friend in Africa, South Sudan, is oil rich, but violence has killed over 10,000 people. To "stabilize" the situation and protect the billion China has spent on oil pipelines, she will send 700 infantry, to arrive in April 2015.

I read a while back that the Los Angeles County Women's jail in Lynwood is 60% over capacity, so the powers-to-be are thinking about moving some of the ladies to Lancaster – and it would only cost $80 million. Do not kid yourself; the mere thought of spending years locked up in Lancaster would cause a stampede to the Greyhound Bus station with no empty seats heading north to Oregon.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com by placing Rubenstein in that website's search box.