Culver City Observer -

For those of you who didn’t have their accounts depleted at Wells Fargo Bank by very nasty bank employees doing mean things, why not celebrate by taking that very special person to Las Vegas? Ever dream of commanding a gondola? The Venetian Las Vegas Gondola University offers instruction to up to nine participants per day that begins with a history of Venice followed by gondola fundamentals.

Learn “Rowing 101” and the hands-on experience of rowing a vessel. At the end there is a ritual ceremony when you receive your official “Sash and Scarf,” Participants also receive a gondola hat and T-shirt, a souvenir photo and a certificate. Daily sessions are between 8 and 10 a.m. Enrollment begins 72 hours in advance by calling (702) 807-3982.

The next time we are in Vegas we plan to see the Mob Museum (themobmuseum.org) and learn more about the history of organized crime and law enforcement in Southern Nevada.

I’m one of those who like hearing rumors about anything or any person. Before you whisper in my better right ear, make darn sure I’ve used a Q-tip. Between the Army and my former employer, I need a seeing-eye dog that can read lips and use a computer.

According to the American Legion the total cost of military operations targeting ISIS is $7 billion. Average daily cost of military operations targeting ISIS is $11.6 million.

Although Theodorsia and I just returned from a seven-week vacation, we are planning to drive up to Monterrey for the Jazz Festival. We were there last year and had a wonderful time.

Perhaps we just might go to Everett, Washington and tour the Boeing plant and the largest building in the world. It’s big enough to fit Disneyland into it with 13 acres to spare; also, the 90-minute tour will allow visitors to see 30,000 employees assembling millions of parts and miles of wiring into various commercial jet liners.

Have you read about Culver City in the August 2016 issue of Sunset Magazine? Check out page 26. Wasn’t it a nice article? Amy Presier wrote, “Thanks to the new light-rail line, you and your surfboard or Schwinn can venture from Culver City to the beach without a single traffic jam.” Please correct me if I am mistaken but didn’t Alan Corlin, Scott Malsin and Jeff Cooper try to stop the light rail before it came to Culver City?

After reviewing an article from last month’s Atlanta Journal Constitution, we saw how the non-partisan think tank, the Tax Foundation, rated each state by using Bureau of Economic Analysis data on average prices on various goods and services, including rental costs (taxfoundation.org/blog).

More bang for your $100 – Low cost states:

1. Mississippi $115.34

2. Arkansas $114.29

3. Alabama $113.90

4. South Dakota $113.64

5. West Virginia $112.49

What $100 is worth in high cost states:

47. California $88.97

48. New Jersey $87.34

49. New York $86.43

50. Hawaii $85.62

51. Washington D.C. $84.67

Are you also a Smokey Robinson fan? If you are, on October 15 at the SABAN Theatre in Beverly Hills, the man who started Motown will appear. Call (323) 655-0111 or visit Sabantheatre.org.

The next time we travel on vacation to Virginia, Theodorsia and I plan to tour President John Tyler’s Sherwood Forest plantation home near Charles City, located between Richmond and Williamsburg. Call (804) 829-5377, tours by appointment.

Would you be one of those Americans who would give up their citizenship to become Swiss? Here are just five ways one could be denied citizenship to be Swiss:

1. Refusing to shake a teacher’s hand

2. Refusing to take compulsory swimming lessons

3. Wearing sweat pants in town

4. Refusing to greet passersby

5. Failing to name any Swiss friends or neighboring communities

The question for August poised to Costco Club members was, “Should homework be eliminated in elementary school?” Fifty-eight percent said yes, while forty-two percent said no.

El Rodeo elementary school, a part of the Beverly Hills Unified School District, announced every student would receive a laptop computer. First graders as well as second graders and kindergarteners get one iPod; while third graders through eighth graders would get Google Chromebooks. As part of the agreement the school will be leasing the laptops via three-year contracts.

For those living near Atlantic Avenue in North Long Beach you probably witnessed the grand opening of the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library earlier this month. The library has 24,500 square feet, Wi-Fi throughout, and self-checkout/check-in kiosks. It has three accessible meeting rooms available even when the library is closed and much, much, more. Call (562) 628-2441 or visit LBPLfoundation.org.

The average student debt upon graduation is $28,960 but a little help may be on the way. HR 5622 Aguilar D-San Bernardino gives borrowers an option of a one-year grace period. Interest would still continue. I didn’t realize student loan debt exceeds credit card debt and auto loan debt, and is second only to mortgage debt.

Have you heard anything about the drought here in California recently? I haven’t either.

Has anyone seen a good guy named Vernon Taylor who ran for the Culver City Board of Education? I sure would like to take him out to lunch.

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