These Shabbat Shalom emails are my beekeeping, bodybuilding, basket weaving, bird watching…my hobby.  Like all hobbies, time spent on them is based on time availability.  This week’s writing hobby was squeezed between a trip to NYC, Paul McCartney concert and the western Michigan shores ofSaugatuck, leaving only a few hours to research, write and create the email. Some of you might appreciate a more abbreviated message as today’s email might only take one viewing to read.

Speaking of Time…it certainly flies and seems to accelerate as we get older.  I turn 55 tomorrow yet I often still feel like a teenager. Kinda like, Marty McFlywho (in the 2nd sequel) soared Back to the Future from the mid 1980s to

Oct. 21, 2015 to “save his children”.  An awesome trilogy with heart and soul. Hopefully our future will hold the key to the debilitating disease, Parkinson’s, which took hold early on to the life and body of actor Michael J. Fox.  Just last week, Michigan Israel Business Bridge honored Dr. Eva Feldman for her immense contributions to science and medicine as she zeros in on cures for Parkinson’s, ALS, Alzheimers and others from research with Stem Cells. May her discoveries benefit those in our lifetime.

The political news of the week is that (after intense contemplation) Veep Bidenhas decided not to run for president. Biden and his family have been mourning the loss of son, Beau, and feel the timing isn’t right to amass a strong presidential campaign. This comes as good news for Hillary as she testified Thursday at the Benghazi Committee that will hopefully complete its (drawn out) investigation (of the tragic loss of 4 Americans in Libya) and submit its report sometime next year.  And the Republicans’ dance card has added Paul Ryan as potential House Speaker after conditionally accepting to tango as long as he has cooperating partners between the Freedom Caucus (the extreme conservatives) and the mainstream conservatives. Can Ryan heal their fractured party so “our representatives” can start working across the aisle to pass bills on behalf of their constituents or will it be the same old stubbornness and extreme views we are already experiencing?

To the rest of the world, our (basicly unlimited) campaign season and expenditures are absurd. We spend excessive time and money on our races. Our races generally start close to two years in advance.  Ted Cruz announced his candidacy nearly 600 days before the election, compared to the following countries:

Canada‘s longest race was 18.5 weeks

Australia‘s longest race was 11 weeks

France‘s races are 2 weeks

Japan‘s races are 12 days

Singapore‘s races are 9 days

Israel‘s races are 150 days and the last 30 days with no ads on TV or in movie theaters.

But the biggest waste is the excessive campaign money showered by one of the worst mistakes of our Supreme Court, Citizens United. It’s a domino effect; we need a president who can appoint Justices who will repeal CU. Sorry conservative friends, I feel strongly about this one.  Please don’t unsubscribe…

The whole point to this paragraph was to spotlight the new Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau (age 43) from the Liberal Party, knocking out Conservative (though Canada’s conservatives are US’s moderates), Stephen Harpers‘ nearly 10 year rein.  Some of Trudeau’s main concerns are Middle Class Tax Relief,  Environmental Concerns, Legalize Marijuana, Gun Control, Less Military and More Immigrants.

and son of former PM Pierre Trudeau.

Israel is still experiencing daily random acts of violence while Sec. of State,John Kerry tries to calm the violence but what he needs to do is demand a halt to the incitement of lies and commandments of killing by several Arab leaders.  Some in the arab community are truly brave souls, like journalist,Lucy Aharish, who is emotionally perplexed by anyone who can send children out to kill innocent people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rYCQjQkRGs

And then I saw this powerful 6 minute video that creatively brings to light who we are as Jews and what we aspire to.  Please view and share, I Am That Jew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjEXomjpXPU

Crowned this week was the Queen Mandelbread Maven, Karen Sachse, at the 2015 Annual Bake-Off.  Coming in at a close 2nd was a 4-way tie of Sherri Ketai, Joanne Aronovitz, Abbey Nathan and Diane Orley.  Mazel Tov to theMandelbread Mavens of Motown on all your efforts.

May his memory and spirit bring comfort to those who are mourning his death and my his life be a blessing unto all.

Condolences to Lisa and Steven Gretchko and their family on the passing of Lisa’s father, Norman S. Sommers z”l, (age 95). Mr. Sommers was a veteran, an attorney and an early and avid proponent of smoking bans. May his memory and community contributions bring comfort to those who knew and loved him.