By Neil Rubenstein
Observer Columnist
Have you noticed how many good, strong, local female political figures represent us? Karen Bass, Holly Mitchell and Meghan Sahli-Wells are all super, but I enjoy a brawler, one who puts a horseshoe in her boxing gloves before she gets into the ring. Nobody does it better than my good friend, Maxine Waters. Theodorsia and I were in Gardena Saturday, January 24 when organized labor honored her at the monthly breakfast at the Pipe Fitters Union.
Are you a camera whiz kid? If you are, go to Florida and see the Museum of Photographic Arts (Fmopa.org).
Denmark has no minimum wage law. Twenty dollars an hour is the lowest the fast food industry can pay under an agreement between Denmark’s 3F union and the Danish employers group.
Has anybody heard anything concerning Oscar Pistorius lately?
Like most of us when we get the flu or a nasty cold we run 90 miles an hour to the drug aisle. Well, buckaroos, start reading the November 2014 issue of the Harvard Health Letter article titled, “Could a Cold Remedy Make You Sicker?” The short answer is yes. So, before you take stuff that can interact with other meds, double check with the pharmacy.
One of the many bills signed by Governor Brown last year that is now in effect is a state holiday called Native American Day. It is the fourth Friday in September. Another new law would limit football practice in high school to two contact practices a week. In addition, another new law prohibits healthcare providers from verbally offering credit card loans to patients or offering such loans to a patient who is under anesthesia.
This July if we are in town we just might be at the 54th Annual Watermelon Festival at Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia featuring live music, contests and games and, of course, free all-you-can-eat watermelon (lionswatermelonfestival.com)
Assembly Member Sebastian Ridley-Thomas is scheduled to speak to the Culver City Democratic Club at the May 13 General Meeting about issues of concern to constituents of the 54th Assembly District. There will be a Q & A following his remarks. His website is asmdc.org/members/a54.
Many of us read the unbiased reports from Public Citizen’s Worst Pills Best Pills News (worstpills.org). The following drugs are listed in the April 2015 newsletter as “Do not use”: benazepril, amlodipline, transolapril, verapamil, azilsartan, chlorthalidone. These ACE inhibitors should never be taken with ARB drugs to treat high blood pressure. A review with your doctor, pharmacy and the website is definitely in order.
Are you in high school and undecided which college to attend? One factor you should consider is the salary information site that assessed return on investment for 851 colleges/universities by taking the total average earnings for graduates over 20 years minus the cost of attendance. Of the top 10 schools, only three are in California according to PayScale: Harvey Mudd, $985,300; Cal Tech, $901,400; and Stanford, $809,700.
If I were in my younger years I would be extremely nervous about employment, housing, schools, etc. If you check out Zillow.com you will quickly see job median growth in our country is 1.3% and the typical homes are 2.9 times income. The best places to settle are Mc Kinney, a suburb of Dallas (job growth 3.3%, housing costs 2.5 times income); Atlanta (job growth 2.4 %, housing costs 2.7 times income); and Indianapolis (job growth 2%, housing costs 2.4 times income).
Can I tell you a secret? No, it is not about taxes, wages or pensions at city hall – it is about buying a house. Look for a nearby Starbucks. Homes within a quarter mile of Starbucks almost doubled in value, whereas the average home in the United States appreciated 65% from 1997 to 2013.
From Oprah (May 2015, Page 143), people who regularly drank four or more cups of caffeinated coffee averaged a 25 percent lower risk of developing melanoma according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The Pew Research Center forecast that by 2050 the number of Muslims globally will nearly equal the number of Christians. Between 2010 and 2050, Muslims are projected to grow by 73%, Christians by 35%, Hindus by 34% and Jews by 16%.
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.
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