In the News XXXII

Venezuelan Currency drops as Chavez continues his ruin of the Country
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aemg7QJfT6MI&refer=news
Hugo is writing the rule book on Economic destruction 101.

A strong voice against Olmert's 'Piece' Plan
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/10/israeli_lawmakers_reject_olmer.php
As Yisrael Katz put it 'Olmert has no mandate to compromise on Jerusalem'.
Personally with his ultra-low approval ratings he has no mandate to do anything of consequence. The man has been an awful Prime Minister.

The Far Left and their Islamo-Fascist Allies stifle free speech once again.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=17B8655F-DC78-447A-9652-C5F7D5612937
..so much for alternative viewpoints on Campus...One has to love Higher Education.

Possible Turkish Incursion
http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Turkey_threatens_incursion_after_Iraq_talks_fail.html?siteSect=143&sid=8310595&cKey=1193504913000&ty=ti
I believe that this story runs deeper..I wonder if this is not a decoy for Turkey to help the US in the dreadful mess that is Iraq. Defintely worth thinking about...

Polls in California
(without Gore)

Clinton - 45%
Obama - 20%
Edwards - 11%

(with Gore)
Clinton - 35%
Gore -22%
Obama -16%
Edwards - 8%

See http://www.presidentpolls2008.com/democrats-vs-republicans/index.php
for more details.

I am hoping that Gore can enter the race to save the Dems from themselves.

Rugby World Cup

I have been over the moon with the victory by the Springboks in the World Cup of Rugby. It was pretty much the Bok's to lose after the All Blacks were knocked out by the French - who did not play particularly well - and the Wallabies were ousted by the Poms - who did. Nevertheless the South Africans still had to complete the assignment and boy did they ever - wiping out the Pumas before grinding down the English (although the final was a bit of a snorefest).

I checked out the new IRB Rugby Rankings. This is how they look at present. Expect NZ to back in #1 in six months. They are generally the best team between WCs.

1. RSA
2. NZ
3. The Pumas (Argentina)
4. The Poms
5. The Aussies
6. France
7. Irish
8. Scots
9. Fiji - had an amazing World Cup - beat Wales and gave the Boks a real fight.
10. Wales

I am back...

I am back after a one month plus hiatus from blogging. Teaching and the family have occupied my time as of late. Nevertheless I am still working on my personal enrichment - War Made New (by Max Boot), snippets of the Kabbalah and several back issues of New Scientist are currently top of my reading agenda and I have been attending a once a week seminar on Israeli Politics at the Kollel Organization.

Thoughts about G-d are always with me but I feel ill at ease as to how I cam incorprate religion into my life. I very much regard myself as Jewish but do not feel bound to any denomination or movement in particular. Its a bit disturbing as I seek to draw nearer to my belief but shudder when considering all the rituals that still do not resonate with my soul (I wish they would in a way...). I blame some of my negativity on my scientific background that eschews the unbelievable in favouring the logical...but on the same level I have to ask myself how much am I missing by such a strict positivist outlook? Its all very much a personal challenge right now...