Culver City Observer -

So, there we were Marie AKA "The Wild Gypsy Lady" and myself at our favorite secluded roadside coffee, ice cream and waffle restaurant next door to the De Soto car dealership. Maria overhead a conversation between a civil servant type who just enjoyed spreading unfounded rumors. The rumor going around discusses marijuana dispensaries. Cousin Neil was all ears, because those owners will make big money, even if their location isn’t the best. Maria’s thought was the only location available was in Fox Hills; why I asked. Well, cowboy Fox Hills has no councilmember looking out for their interests (and never had), plus one councilmember lives in downtown, another in East Culver City, another in the condos along Jefferson, another in Studio Estates and another in Carlson Park. So, by a process of elimination its time for our city to screw the area with the least political pull. Yes, in the opinion of many, Culver City elected officials like to screw Fox Hills just like they messed with their park many years ago. If the City really cared for the people and not just the marijuana tax used to sweeten their pensions, wages and benefits they would sell pot drinks in Ralphs, Vons and Trader Joe’s. Come on Cousin, “because you really blew it this time with the plan to protect Fox Hills; keep the mob out of the dispensaries and the criminal element out period, a Canadian company Canopy Growth (Toronto Stock Exchange) plans to work with Constellation Brands (New York Stock Exchange) to develop and market Cannabis-infused beverages. Have your financial consultant check it out and if you want, buy, buy, buy.

Do you have a family member in high school who is at a loss regarding college? Well, worry no more, I see “The 50 Best Colleges for African Americans" (atmoney.comcolleges/africianamericans) was recently published.

Kylie Jenner, star of keeping up with the Kardashians, was renting a five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home for a mere $125,000 per month while her $12 million Hidden Hills estate underwent renovation.

Have you heard what California State Senator Bob Hertzberg is pushing up at state capitol? The Senator and his buddies are giving some thought to a proposed law to base traffic penalties on a drivers’ ability to pay - so a $490 red light fine doesn’t bankrupt anyone. No one, that is, except cities like Culver City, which desperately need the money for the fat cats' pensions and medical.

Recently I saw a State of California report showing state employees who are males make 20 ½ percent more than females doing basically the same job. As most of us know, in a private company with a union, everybody gets the same wage in that classification. So why not, state employees also?

3,991 -Number of people in the U.S. currently on the national waiting list waiting for a heart transplant.

312-Median number of days people in need of a heart transplant spend on the waiting list.

3191- Number of transplants performed in the U.S. in 2016.

Marijuana doesn’t just trigger the munchies - it may also give a boost to a user’s sexual appetite; a new study has found. People who smoke weed every day have 20 percent more sex than those who don’t, according to research published October 27, 2017 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine by the study’s senior author Michael Eisenberg.

To reach its goal of 1,018,000 soldiers - including 476,000 active duty personnel (up from 460,000), 343,000 Nation Guardsmen (up from 335,000) and 199,000 reservists (up from 195,0000) the Army is offering retention bonuses of up to $10,000 for any soldier who has the option to separate in fiscal year 2017. New enlistees can receive bonus totaling up to $40,000.

Attention all veterans that were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. The VA National Cemetery Administration announced a new pre-need Eligibility Determination Program begun December 2016. Burial benefits include burial in any open VA National Cemetery (there are 135 in 40 states), a grave liner, perpetual care of the grave site, a headstone, a burial flag and a presidential memorial certificate. The eligibility requirements are outlined at https://www.cem.va.gov.

For those who missed an article, all my commentaries can be found at http://www.culvercityobserver.com; strolling down the page and underneath Opinion look for Rubenstein.