By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

As you all know, I have for the longest time been advocating that the Culver City Board of Education phase out Japanese and instead teach Chinese. Another fact we can all chew on – China’s GDP will top $10 trillion this year and is growing fast.

If the district doesn’t want to teach the language of the future maybe the parents could join forces and hire a tutor for an hour a day and divide the costs. It shouldn’t be that much and the kids participating would have a tremendous leg up.

How many read the September 2014 issue of “Atlantic Monthly” and saw the article by Paul Campos discussing the risk students face at for profit law schools? A future full of debt awaits them. And because there are so many lawyers there will be a big time unemployment continuing for years.

You have to give it to the Republicans because give them media time something dumb will eventually come out of their mouths. For example, this in the July 2014 issue of “The Progressive Magazine”: “The freedom of religion doesn’t mean that every religion has to be heard,” said Al Bedrosian, who sits on the Roanoke, VA County Board of Supervisors.

“I think we have to say more or less we are a Christian nation with Christian ideology.” He said he would not allow an invocation by a non-Christian. “I would say no,” Bedrosian said. “That does not mean to infringe on their freedom of religion. The truth is you’re trying to infringe on my right because I don’t believe that.”

Earlier this year we had so much rain driving through Georgia, Florida and South Carolina that I considered stopping at Home Depot to buy the lumber and plans for an ark. I honestly believe they had more rain in two days than we got in 12 months.

Did you know Saturday, Nov. 22 is National Adoption Day? If you are adopting be sure to keep meticulous records. There is a $13,190 tax credit for adoption expenses.

Sunday, Nov. 23 – If you are cooking for Thanksgiving you can sign up at readyseteat.com. This site will show you where to get recipes and ingredients that are on sale in this area.

Need gift ideas? Are pots, pans and kitchen gadgets high on your list? Keep your eyes open ‘because those items go on sale in November and they are discounted 30% to 80%.

Well, I see my mother’s favorite magazine went out of business. After 131 years “Ladies Home Journal” ceased publication with the July/August 2014 issue.

When it came to sports, like millions around the world my dad loved his baseball, and without a doubt the New York Yankees were his favorite. But when the Cardinals came to play the Brooklyn Dodgers or the New York Giants, you could hear Papa blocks away rooting for Willie Mays or Stan “The Man” Musial. Musial passed away almost two years ago on Jan. 19, 2013.

Mahatma Gandhi received the last of his five nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize shortly before he was assassinated.

From a Swedish company, Orbital Systems, their water saving shower allegedly will save up to 90% of the water and up to 80% of the energy a regular shower would consume. If true, what a breakthrough.

Another new diabetes drug Public Citizen urges we don’t use – Dapaglifloz (Farxiga). The September 2014 issue of “Best Pills Worst Pills” states the risks outweigh the benefits. Always talk to your doctor first.

Soda may increase the risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women, according to 30 years of data from the Nurses’ Health Study published recently in the “American Journal of Public Health.” It found each daily serving (12 oz.) was associated with fracture risk. Weight, activity and many other factors were also accounted for. Many previous studies have linked soda to lower bone density.

According to new guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology, herbal products known to harm the liver include Chaparral, Kava, Skullcap and Yohimbe.

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Millions of people take low dose aspirin to help prevent heart attacks, but accumulating evidence shows the drug’s greatest benefit may actually be in reducing the risk of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. Now a comprehensive review in the “Annals of Oncology” made possibly the strongest case yet for aspirin as a cancer preventive by putting the risks and benefits in perspective.

How many of us have been waiting patiently for the other shoe to drop? From the look on your face you realize I am referring to the $24.5 million dollar fine the California Public Utilities Commission assessed Southern California Edison. If you believe the SCE stockholder will pony up the bread, the joke’s on you. For those who feel Edison will ask and receive a rate hike, give yourself two passes to Marineland.

Do you realize for 13 or the past 14 years Coca Cola has been the most valuable brand in the world? Almost two billion people every day drink a Coke product. That’s roughly a third of the global population.

The California Supreme Court ruled recently that police departments must, in most cases, divulge the names of officers involved in on duty shootings.

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.