16 Cheshvan/3 November, 2009

Today is the election day and it feels really weird. It feels small and inconsequential, although it really is not, since local offices matter much more than national ones on many levels. Last year’s campaign season and Presidential election was such a big deal and there was so much coverage you couldn’t avoid it. Plus it was all historic and stuff. This year’s election had much less momentum although it is important this year too. We had a mayoral election for one of the biggest cities of the world, borough president election and a bunch of local offices plus a few amendments like letting prison inmates participate in no-profits. I usually vote Democratic but in local election I do look at the candidates. Today I went to vote with Mama in the afternoon. It is still weird to me that all they need for you to vote is your name and signature and no proof of ID. For borough president I actually voted for a republican incumbent because I feel he is doing a good job. He certainly improved the borough in the ferry terminal and the boardwalk and park area and summer activities. I voted for Bloomberg for mayor too, although as an Independent candidate. I liked Bloomberg and his reign as mayor in the last eight years. I didn’t vote for him eight years ago but I did vote for him four years ago. The only thing that really concerns me about him is that he moved to repeal term limits for city officials so he could run for a third term. That makes me very uncomfortable since it is a bit creepy and smells of someone who gets around rules to keep power. However, this year’s democratic opponent wasn’t strong enough. In the bit of a debate I saw, he kept stumbling over words. So Bloomberg it was. It doesn’t bother me that the mayor spent so much more money on the campaign because he is so rich personally. I understand the concerns of some who says he is an example of how rich keep power. But that campaign money goes into the city and pays salaries and business. Plus, he clearly is not a mayor for the money or adoration of power, he seems like a mayor who works hard and loves what he does. (And he does work for a $1, which in this economy is a bonus). The rest I voted democratic. I knew all the names: they sent enough literature and there was even a personal phone calls a few times. It is fun to actually vote.

( Battlestar Galactica )

SYTYCD was fun too. I liked the tango, the waltz and car wash hip-hop the most. Wade’s piece was fun in concept as usual, I can’t look at Van Gogh the same way again. I’m sorry to see Bianca go home but otherwise it was a good how. Adam is really good judge and his comments really make sense.

Deuteronomy WTF moment of the day: chapters 6 to 10 continue with anticipating the commands and some recaps of other books. We get the Shema, which is nice to read. They also mostly give reasons why we need to follow the laws in the first place; it is the mixture of fear and love, threats and promises. I do like that it is emphasized that God doesn’t chose the chosen people because they were the majority but because of love and promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There is a lot of repetition to emphasize why we need to follow God’s command, a reminder of all God did in Egypt and since then. It is a little harsh for God to command the total destruction of seven nations already living in Canaan. God does state that Israelites are not getting the promised land because of their own righteousness but because of the wickedness of the nations already there. That is a nice subtle distinction that might forestall pride. I also did not realize that “man does not live on bread alone” was a Bible quote (8:3) Forty is also a popular number with religions for some reason. Forty years in the desert, repenting and praying for forty days and forty nights seems like a common theme.