Culver City Observer -

As you all know by reading this commentary every week Theodorsia and I have endorsed Marcus Tiggs and Meghan Sahli-Wells for Culver City’s City Council. We appreciate those two for their strong commitment to the betterment of our town. The facts are clear to us; challenges are looming, but these two will get us through. Cool heads create great solutions.

I betcha in just the past few weeks thirty friends and neighbors have either called or stopped us to inquire who will be the third person on our ballot. As in many families, Theodorsia and I are splitting our vote. I like Thomas Small (“For Big Results Vote Small”). Mr. Small has been involved in so many projects, groups and organizations that many believe he brings a fresh face and a new perspective. I like Thomas and Theodorsia feels Daniel Lee, with his drive to persevere to victory, causes most of us believe he should be given the opportunity to serve.

If the situation does not improve Christianity is on a course for extinction in many of its biblical heartlands within in a generation, if not before. That was the assessment of a Vatican agency in its October 2015 report, “Persecuted and Forgotten.”

The report noted 80 percent of all religious persecution in the world is against Christians. In 22 countries between 2013 and 2015 thousands have fled the Middle East. Take Iraq, for example. In 2002 the number of Christians in Iraq was estimated to be one million. In 2006 that number dwindled to 700,000 and now many believe it’s below 300,000. The report estimates between 60,000 and 100,000 Christians leave Iraq each year.

Is there any wonder that Twitter recently suspended 125,000 accounts for alleged links to extremist organizations?

A while back the Los Angeles Times printed an article where a former Los Angeles City employee received a settlement of $3.8 million for alleged racial bias and another citizen received $2.4 million for being shot by Los Angeles city police without justification, resulting in $6.2 million in taxpayer money gone down the drain for things that should not have happened.

AB 2040 (Garcia) went into effect on January 1. This law requires local agencies to report the annual compensation of their public officials, including names and titles, to the state controller, and to also post the information on the controller’s website.

Can I tell you about the development of a new weapon that is doing so well in tests? A Navy Admiral wants to skip a sea prototype in favor of installing an operational unit aboard a destroyer that is planned to go into service in 2018. The Navy has been testing an electromagnetic rail gun that uses electricity instead of gunpowder, accelerating to six times the speed of sound, and creating enough kinetic energy to destroy targets.

Folic acid cuts stroke risk, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Supplements of the B vitamin decreased incidence of a first stroke in people with high blood pressure by 21 percent. Good sources of the vitamin are broccoli, beans, and dark, leafy greens

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The postman, Jay, just recently delivered the February 2016 issue of “California Legionnaire.” The official publication of the American Legion Department of California is, as usual, full of useful information to veterans. For example, the government considers everyone who served anywhere between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 a Vietnam Vet if he or she was awarded an Honorable Discharge. When your California driver’s license is up for renewal, consider paying an additional $5 to have DMV stamp “Veteran” on it. You must first take a copy of your DD-214 to your County Service Office, which will complete the form that goes to DMV.

The 98th Annual Department of California Convention will be in Fresno on June 23-26, 2016, so plan ahead.

The United States Postal Service says there is a small rise in the number of mail carriers bitten by dogs. The agency’s safety manager said 5,767 postal carriers were attacked in 2015, up from 5,581 in 2014. Los Angeles had the most attacks with 74, followed by Houston, Texas with 62.

People who quit smoking when they have an artery-opening angioplasty procedure have less chest pain and better quality of life than those who keep smoking, according to a new U.S. study. “Patients are subjecting themselves to the risk of the procedure to alleviate pain, but smoking undermines the benefits of treatment,” said senior study author Dr. John Spertus of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO.