No matter what happens next week it’s going to be big. The outcome the media is predicting is that at the very least the Dems will take over the house. GOP leaders are not so quietly predicting they will keep both the House and the Senate and then Democratic leaders are predicting they will be taking over both. Who knows what will really happen.

The Conservative base is huge and more importantly very faithful I still don’t think that people are going to sit this one out in the red states. My gut feeling tells me the GOP could keep both, mainly because the Democrats didn’t really on any any real issues and it’s hard to win local elections when all you’ve got is the typical Bush sucks mantra. It didn’t work in ‘04 and still can’t imagine it will work now. Of course both sides have spent a record amount on negative political ads which I think works against voter turnout. Personally I think people get turned off from the onslaught of negative ads.

Either way, if the Democrats to take over the House that will be big because it will put them in a very tight spot. They will have very little time to show the American voters in time for the 2008 election that they belong in power and if expanded will do more. In a way should they win they will become a lame duck House. They can’t do anything to extreme to the left because that would seriously impact the voters decisions in ‘08. If they for instance spend all their time making investigations and trying to start impeachment hearings than the public will see that this party is not a party of ideas but a party of blame and that given power for the first time in years they choose to use that power to settle old scores.

They will need to work as hard as possible to govern from the Democratic middle. They can really help themselves if they sort of hand over the party to the moderate democrats and let them talk about defense, cutting taxes and the such.

Should the GOP keep both the House and Senate two things can happen. 1) The Democratic party will begun to really start ripping apart. Major political possibilities could emerge even as extreme as the party splitting into two. 2) Another possible outcome of the GOP winning both would be complacency on the part of the Republicans and therefore becoming like that 10-0 football team about to face the worst team in the league but thinking it’s a cake walk get blown out and lose big.

In fact many pundits are even wondering quietly if it’s better that the Republicans LOSE the House and therefore instill some fear into the hearts of anyone who sat out this election. It might give the conservative base a sharp reminder that this country is still split down the middle and you can’t afford to sit out an election and still remain the party in power.

Like I said, whatever happens a week from now it will be big and it will have a very strong effect on how the stage will be set for the ‘08 elections.

Whatever you think about all of this, just remember to go out and vote. Forget the negative stuff and remember that we live in a great country that has afforded Jews so many amazing rights and treated us like no other country has. We have a duty to participate and to be responsible and active citizens.

Next week on November 7th … make sure you vote!

This is interesting, a new television channel was started called Shalom TV. It’s available on many national cable networks and it features a very diverse array of Jewish programming. Incidentally, the folks at The Daily Show found out about this and that led to this very funny sketch by Samantha Bee. Find out more about Shalom TV by going to their website here.

(Source)

Sometimes when you and your wife both work and you have small children the day can turn out to be a real battle. This weekend was particularly hard because on top of all the regular goings on one of the kids had some nasty virus and was very sick. He got better by last night, but with everything happening at once sometimes you could lose your mind. You don’t feel like anything is getting accomplished, the house is becoming a mess, everyone is tired and worn out and you really just want to plotz.

Last night when we were all in zombie recovery mode from this weekend my oldest told me he needed batteries for one of his toys. I went to my battery closet and noticed I needed four AA’s and there was only three left. I tried using one old one combined with the three new ones but it didn’t have enough juice and once again we all felt defeated.

Then like lightening striking, I remembered that I had installed two AA’s into a clock last week that didn’t work. I think the actual clock was broken, but I hadn’t taken the new batteries out! So I raced to that clock, removed the new batteries and plopped them into the toy. Presto chango, it worked, music roared from it once again. It was an uplifting experience for everyone. My son had such a huge smile on his face somehow everything felt right again. Just like that we all were fine again. Sometimes such a small victory cane make everything right and recharge all our batteries at the same time.

A basketball legend passed away yesterday on Shabbos. His real name was Arnold Jacob Auerbach. Basketball always had less Jewish names attached to it. Less attached then say Baseball at least. Here is a video of the now late Red Auerbach with Bill Russell talking about guarding players on the court.

The Wiki - The Article

It’s way too short and the video quality stinks, but I’ll take what I can get.

If you are a fan of the great that Chabad Shluchim do around the world then check out this site. This is a great way to help out. If you donate $250 or more you will also get a free autographed copy of Avraham Fried’s CD. It’s a nice gesture that he is doing to help out all the Shluchim whom he has seen and visited throughout all his travels singing at concerts around the world.

“I get to travel a lot. Wherever I go, people express their love for our Chabad Shluchim and Shluchos. Just recently, on a trip to Brazil, one businessman said to me “If only I could, I would send every Shliach a million dollars.”

Let’s face it; we can’t cover every Shliach’s budget but we can sure make their personal lives a bit more comfortable.

That’s why I’m writing to you today about Yad L’Shliach. On the first yahrzeit of my father, Rabbi Yaakov Moshe HaKohen Friedman ע”ה who would help Shluchim at every opportunity, my family launched a project to do just that - Help families on Shlichus.

Here’s how it works: A web site, called YadLshliach.org has been set up where you can sign up to give donations (preferably recurring) on your credit cards. All money raised is used solely to help Shluchim with their personal needs. Every time the collection reaches $1,000 Yad L’Shliach sends a check in that amount to a different Shliach and Shlucha.”

This is amazing. It’s an interesting piece through and through, but one thing really struck me. The ease with which she just refers to the issues in the Middle East as “The problem with Israel”, it’s shocking and it really shows us how they think of it.

“And we do face an international crisis of mammoth proportions. What should we do in the face of this ruthless and barbaric Islamic fundamentalism? Is there an answer to the problem of Israel? There was a time when the left’s call for a transnational Israel made sense to me, but at this point does anyone really think that, if Israel stops calling itself a Jewish state and opens its borders to all Palestinians who wish to return, there would be instant peace? Because of the shocking upsurge in anti-Semitism in the last few years — exacerbated by the American incursion into Iraq — surely such a development would mean suicide for Jews who reside in Israel. Passions have become too inflamed among young Muslims all over the world. I think it will be a century before any of this is resolved.”

This was on Page 3 of the interview.

Sorry, I’m out of town on business and will be gone until Erev Shabbos. I’ll be back to regular blogging soon.

This sounds familiar doesn’t it? Another month - another journalist is kidnapped by Palestinians. But it’s no biggie, because I’m sure they will be released soon … I wonder if that’s what the people who work at the AP are telling this person’s family.

“According to the AP, “Morenatti, 37 … was leaving his temporary apartment in Gaza, heading toward a car where Majed Hamdan, an AP driver and translator, was waiting. Hamdan said four gunmen grabbed his keys and phone and told him to turn away, pressing a gun to his head and threatening to harm him if he moved.”

The gunmen then grabbed Morenatti, shoved him into a white Volkswagen and drove off, AP reported.

According to AP, Morenatti is from Jerez, Spain, and has been working for the news agency in Jerusalem since April 2005. He periodically makes trips to the Palestinian territories.”

Ok, so are you ready for the softball, defending the Palestinians, it’s not their fault, these kinda things just shucks, well, happen quote?

Here it is:

“Emilio has spent his career representing the values that AP stands for — truthful, accurate journalism that tells all sides of the story.

It is a sad development when the men and women the world rely on to bring them objective news are subject to such dangers. No cause or motive can justify such senseless action.”

Palestinian militants have kidnapped foreign journalists before. Most recently, two Fox journalists were held for two weeks in August before being released.”

That’s right, it sucks when they are subject to dangers. As if they were covering an earthquake. Some unpredictable action of mother nature. Why wasn’t this quote something more like this.

“It is a sad development when the men and women the world rely on to bring them objective news are subject to such terror.”

Objective? Ha! What a joke. Blame the Jew, defend the Arab. I think that’s the mantra in today’s biased new world.

Today when I went to the bakery and my change was $7.70. I love it when stuff like that happens.