Culver City Observer -

By Neil Rubenstein

Observer Columnist

The City of Compton did not have votes from its council to place the following measures on the November 3, 2015 ballot when the council voted in June, 2 - 2 with one abstaining, and so these measures failed: raising the sales tax one cent to 10 percent; a cap on city council salaries; limiting the city council to two meetings a month; and giving the mayor sole discretion over hiring and firing the city manager.

Los Angeles Southwest College hosted a Proposition 47 Criminal Record Cleaning Workshop. Individuals with felony records for certain low-level non-violent offenses were encouraged to attend to see if they qualify for reclassification to misdemeanor. For the next workshop see http://www.southlaforprop47.org.

China will soon establish its first overseas naval base. It will be in Djibouti and the Chinese government will pay $100 million per year for the use of the base. Approximately 10,000 troops will be stationed in the port city of Obock. Djibouti’s location is in the Horn of Africa and at a choice point that gives the world access to the Red Sea and Suez Canal, making this location strategically critical.

Russia and Iran finalized an agreement in August 2015 for Moscow to deliver its advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Teheran to protect Israel. President Obama will probably sell the Israeli government stealth bombers.

It just seems every day more of our friends and neighbors are taking blood pressure medicine. Check with your internist, but now it’s seems those that take two bananas a day for eight weeks can lower their numbers significantly.

Strange but true: Your heart may be older than you are. The age indicated by your birth certificate may not match that of your most vital organ, new federal data shows. By measuring blood pressure, body mass index and smoking and using an online formula, your heart’s age can be estimated.

Men’s hearts on average are eight years older than their biological age while women’s hearts were an average of five years older than their age, as reported by Time Magazine (www.Time.com/heartage).

Did you hear what Mary O’Connor, Assistant Police Chief of Tampa, Florida, recently said? “It’s not that women cops aren’t capable of using force, we’re just more inclined to use it as a last resort,” she stated. A 2002 study by the National Center for Women and Policing found women accounted for only five percent of excessive-force complaints in seven major cities, despite making up almost 13 percent of police personnel. In 2014 only nine percent of complaints were about female officers, even though women made up 17 percent of the force.

Those of us who have been to the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Ventura County know they have an exciting collection for the enjoyment of every member of the family. It’s just off the 101-Ventura Freeway at 51 Ventura Park Road in Thousand Oaks, (805) 498-9441, Wednesday-Sunday 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., admission $5 adults (Happenings Magazine). It’s a nice way to spend the day with the children.

Will anyone help me fund the Pedro Abad legal defense fund? Pedro is a New Jersey cop who drove head-on into a tractor-trailer, killing a fellow officer and a friend. Although Pedro had two previous DUI arrests and a blood alcohol reading of .24 (three times the legal limit), he pled innocent, claiming strippers in the bar drugged his drinks.

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 7 p.m. in the Veterans Auditorium the Culver City Democratic Club held its monthly meeting, holiday party and presented its nominating committee’s announcements. On January 13, 2016 it held its general meeting at the same location. Save the date, every second Wednesday, for an informative evening.

On Friday, November 20, 2015 in Madison Square Garden it was the 33rd Annual Battle of the Badges when the New York Police Department’s Finest took on the New York Fire Department’s Bravest in a demonstration of boxing skills. Personally, I always bet on the cops for obvious reasons.

Time Magazine wrote: “A Vermont hotel is serving a special roadkill-themed menu for $75 per person.” I wonder who was the first RSVP for this November 7, 2015 event . . . ?

Consumer Reports has developed a heart calculator based upon key health information, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels and whether you smoke or have diabetes, to estimate your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years. Armed with that information you and your doctor can determine which heart tests and treatments you need. See http://www.consumerreportshealth.org/heartrisk.

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