tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76117199697228498332024-03-05T02:41:10.668-05:00REVERB POLITICSOliver NewMedia enterprise tm.RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-56243145946351290852022-05-19T13:35:00.003-04:002022-05-19T17:16:22.389-04:00CONTINGENCY PLANNING: Interplanetary Alien Introduction<p><i><b>LET ME SUGGEST</b></i> something with certainty. </p><div dir="auto"><div class="ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc ihqw7lf3 dati1w0a" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id="jsc_c_po"><div class="j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg"><div class="qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em iv3no6db gfeo3gy3 a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">"If and when" an advanced society of aliens from another planet becomes aware of human life on Earth, they will NOT send single spacecraft or small groups of spacecraft into our atmosphere to be sighted by humans on Earth. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Our introduction to others from interplanetary space will not be with a member of their society. They will communicate through their technological advancement, without the risk of having their members being harmed. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It would be wise for Naval Intelligence to work out a contingency plan for an interplanetary council meeting via hologram. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For this reason, human sightings of single or small groups of UFO-UAPs which have been reported beginning in 1947, are NOT of interplanetary spacecraft. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Any alien society which is aware of life on Earth will fill our planet's low orbital space with thousands of spacecraft for their first formal introduction. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Trust me on that...</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">©oliver2022</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gmql0nx0 gpro0wi8 datstx6m k4urcfbm" href="https://www.mic.com/impact/ufos-aliens-congress-tom-delonge?utm_campaign=fbproliqmic&utm_content=6NIMTM3&utm_medium=pro&utm_source=facebook&lsid=dg4mju5nzk&fbclid=IwAR2liqxjEb_vPl8R84_GW0DDkG1H6zau0Fy_YbKDlo0w6xV9Nl4G7_lmqZk" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><div class="bp9cbjyn cwj9ozl2 j83agx80 cbu4d94t ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7 k4urcfbm"><div style="max-width: 100%; min-width: 500px; width: calc(-622.605px + 191.571vh);"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="padding-top: 52.2%;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="height: 100%; left: 0%; width: calc(100%);"><img alt="Congress is having open hearings on UFOs thanks to that guy from Blink-182" class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm bixrwtb6" height="261" src="https://external.fewr1-6.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?w=500&h=261&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimgix.bustle.com%2Fuploads%2Fgetty%2F2022%2F5%2F17%2F8adb0c9b-2c23-4c85-867b-468b9346147e-getty-1339205983.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26h%3D630%26fit%3Dcrop%26crop%3Dfaces%26fm%3Djpg&cfs=1&ext=jpg&_nc_oe=70204&_nc_sid=505865&_nc_o2e=1&ccb=3-6&_nc_hash=AQEI_WCtSWgRlqrp" width="500" /></div></div></div></div></a>RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-33569689739682715122017-02-13T22:25:00.000-05:002017-02-13T22:25:40.917-05:00SONDHEIM LYRICAL TECHNIQUIES IN LITERARY NARRATIVES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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SONDHEIM LYRICAL TECHNIQUES IN LITERARY NARRATIVES<br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> I JUST FINISHED listening to Stephen Sondheim give a young Jaye Griffiths instruction on how to execute the song, "Send In The Clowns."<br />
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Great stuff. <br />
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Sondheim focuses on the role of each word in the lyric. Each word having the function of revealing the emotional state of the character, as well as serving to evoke emotion from the listener. One word in the line serves multi faceted functions. One word provides information about the interaction between the environment, the character and the listener.<br />
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I recognize Sonheim's purpose here, because it is similar to how I craft narratives. In a narrative, I may have a choice of stating, "It brings a tear to my eye." The fear is that this colloquial expression, may have lost its evocative power by being reduced to a sterile cliché.<br />
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The alternative expression would be, "I was nearly brought to tears..." In crafting the narrative sentence, of course, it is not intended to portray the narrator as crying. The act of crying would literally reach a resolve. Crying is resigning to a conclusion. It is the final episode of an emotional wellspring, boiling in an event that the narrator seeks to avoid. The continued boiling of emotions, the description of being on the edge of resolve, evokes a more powerful response from the reader, than it would be to conclude the episode with the act of crying.<br />
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Sondheim and I have the same eye in our understanding of the critical function of each word in a narrative or in lyrics to a musical.<br />
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Now do not jump all over me, accusing me of being presumptuous by equaling myself to Stephen Sondheim. The fact is that I am a demonstrated genius, who speaks on topics in which genius is based.<br />
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In other words, patronize me here, if you feel more comfortable. <br />
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In the video clip, Sondheim focuses on Jayes' interpretation of the word, "WELL...maybe next year." Sondheim explains that in song, the word 'Well" should be an "angry separation." Exclaiming in song, <br /> "WELL..." and then coloring the expression, "maybe next year." <br />
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These are very subtle literary and lyrical skills to acquire. They require keen insight into language, linguistics and concepts in linguistics. <br />
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But, ultimately these are skills which distinguish great work from the very good work of others. <br /> (c)oliver2017<br /><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1055033873" href="https://www.facebook.com/rayoliveresq">Ray Oliver</a><br /> ------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
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Stephen Sondheim teaches a student from the Guildhall School of Music, London a fragment of 'Send in the Clowns'</div>
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-50217271756720913502017-02-12T16:47:00.003-05:002017-02-12T17:46:00.812-05:00A LEONARD BERNSTEIN TRUISM IN ARABIC MUSIC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A LEONARD BERNSTIEN TRUISM IN ARABIC MUSIC<br />
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AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING powerful musical program being broadcast on the Arabic Music Program, on <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FWDIY.ORG%2F&h=ATOBRrP0lpEg9qGHcyKxCNk7pqp_3LZS7HhDVMCe6KHNR15MeABN-JbSI-HZ1CrMKxgSrY3c-sMAEcACtMj7pRFAz6aJiD4T7R6SptwYRyOo_nSxWU_VsJp-hJj35Qulxyoc4Wmisg6W9w&enc=AZP4MChqUfzPlgCRBbRTlUv4HIjWu_Kaq_5BQaJYecdxF12q8Ba5EX-FMrNipMpzwrN7IymwgmBa_rlCygRGPKSN69sulQztOG2P0QLi-3kL3cdyswUSaeqetVnyHxZUoQg-kyc6i6EGL5zlLDq4T2q17-Nm6OnS2Xk4QCtVMcMhm29rvPIYXcCCDUZ23CHj04Y&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WDIY.ORG</a> fm from Allentown, Pa and into Northern New Jersey through translators.<br />
Powerful and moving music. <br />
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If you have studied at the college level, Introduction to Classical Music and more advanced music, you recognize the movements, the melody and the synthesis of sound to create full sound from few instruments. There is the pre-Renaissance concerto, created centuries before i<span class="text_exposed_show">n Arabic and Lebanese music, where the vocalist sings to the instruments, violin or other instrument and they answer each other. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Leonard Bernstein stated that "music follows language." He emphasized that music will follow the pronunciation, tone and inflections of its language. Arabic developed more vowels than Hebrew acquired, after both Arabic and Hebrew were borrowed from the Phoenician Alphabetic language. </span><br />
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Selections in the program included music from Egypt and other regional Arabic music. <br />
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Full and emotionally moving groups of pleasant notes is the essence of music. <br />
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The vowel derived melody in the spoken words of Arabic, its ancient history from the arrival of the Phoenician Lebanese in their Canaan around 3000 BC is all brought together in the mesmerizing linguistic music of Palestine-Syria-Lebanon, now broadcasting from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Program selections included music from Egypt and other regional Arabic. <br />
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A beautiful and important music program today on <a href="http://wdiy.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WDIY.ORG</a><br />
(c)oliver2017<br />
Ray Oliver<br />
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can be reached at: 973.856.8000 or cell phone: 862.276.1505<br />
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The author prides himself in having stood on stage with Joe Walsh and The James Gang, having stood next to the great jazz composer and conductor, Stan Kenton, during recording of an album and having been an early scout for the later emerging band, "Kansas." Oliver was introduced to Stan Kenton through his famed music professor, Rogers. <br />
Oliver earlier served as an elected Governor to the Board of Governors for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, New York Emmy Awards and served as Chair of the ATAS Emmy Awards Membership Committee.</div>
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-5710386975574756062017-02-12T14:56:00.000-05:002017-02-12T14:56:08.299-05:00NEW JERSEY CONGRESSMAN DEMANDS COPIES OF TRUMP IRS RETURNS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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NEW JERSEY CONGRESSMAN DEMANDS COPIES OF TRUMP IRS RETURNS<br />
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(Paterson, NJ, Feb. 12, 2017)<br />
REPRESENTATIVE BILL PASCRELL, a former Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, former state legislator and current resident of Paterson and member of Congress' powerful House Ways and Means Committee, has requested the committee chair, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, to request the US Treasury Department to provide copies of Donald Trump's IRS Tax Returns. <br />
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Bill Pascrell is relying on a 1924 provision in the federal statutes that allows congressional committees the power to examine tax ret<span class="text_exposed_show">urns, if those committees set tax policy.</span><br />
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In explaining his determination to obtain copies of Donald Trump's tax returns, reported by USA Today, Pascrell stated, <br />
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“If I get a ‘no’ answer on this, I’ll be very honest with you: If these guys think I’m walking away from this, they’re absolutely nuts," Pascrell commented. "The calls we’re getting, the calls other congressmen are getting, it’s unbelievable, we never expected this.”<br />
<br />
Bill Pascrell is a resident of the City of Paterson's 6th Ward, which has a significant, vocal middle eastern constituency. <br />
<br />
The 6th Ward has the largest population of Middle Eastern ethnic residents in Paterson. The 6th Ward, commonly referred to as "South Paterson," is also the location of numerous, long ago established, middle eastern businesses along Main Street. South Paterson is similar to the middle eastern business district of Atlantic Street in Brooklyn. <br />
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Pascrell was also a leading proponent for the early release of Israeli Mossad agent, Jonathan Pollard. <br />
Pollard had been convicted of espionage and treason against the United States, in what was described by the federal sentencing judge, as "Causing the greatest damage to US National Security in history." Pollard's sentence was commuted by President Obama. After completion of assignment to a half way house, Pollard received a hero's welcome in Israel. <br />
<br />
In "Fair Disclosure" under Journalistic Standards, it is noted that this writer served as 6th Ward Leader of Paterson, during his role as Chief Campaign Counsel for the city mayor at the time, Martin "Marty" Barnes in two successful mayoral elections. Marty Barnes was the first African American Mayor of Paterson.<br /> (c)oliver2017<br /> -----------------------------------------------<br /><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1055033873" href="https://www.facebook.com/rayoliveresq">Ray Oliver</a> <br /> can be reached at: 973.856.8000 or cell phone: 862.276.1505<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-52393392281910078292017-02-07T23:28:00.000-05:002017-02-08T12:29:15.496-05:00TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER UNDER FIRE UNDER LAW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER UNDER FIRE UNDER LAW<br />
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(New York Feb. 7, 2017)<br />
LEGAL ARGUMENTS WERE presented to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today, on the matter of Donald Trump's executive order on immigration policy. <br />
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The legal issue that the court must decide on appeal is a narrow one.<br />
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The legal issue on appeal is whether the Temporary Restraining Order which the lower US District court entered, which temporarily enjoined the federal government from enforcing the ban, should continue, pending a full trial on the merits of the case.<br />
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Here is what to watch for.<br />
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Two states, Washington and Minnesota, have challenged Donald Trump's sweeping ban of entry into the United States by visa applicants from seven, predominantly Muslim countries.<br />
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The lower federal court granted an application for an injunction to temporarily stop the government from enforcing the ban. This Temporary Restraining Order continues until the case could be heard on a full evidentiary trial.<br />
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In granting the TRO, the lower court agreed with the challengers to the federal ban, that unless the court issued a stay of the government's enforcement of the ban, the plaintiffs would suffer "immediate and irreparable harm." The plaintiffs were also required to prove to the lower court that they had a "probability of prevailing on the merits, when the case comes to a full evidentiary trial." Further, the plaintiffs proved to the US District Court that the "defendants would not suffer substantial prejudice" by the entry of the TRO.<br />
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These are the legal elements that the plaintiffs were required to establish before the lower federal court. These are the legal requirements for entry of an Injunction and Temporary Restraining Orders as set out under the Federal Rules of Civil Practice and by US Supreme Court and other federal court case decisions.<br />
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By granting the application for a Temporary Restraining Order, the lower court found that the plaintiffs had met their legal burden under the Federal Rules.<br />
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The government appealed to the US District Court of Appeals in order to vacate the TRO. Today's legal arguments centered on whether the lower court erred in its finding that the plaintiffs had met their legal burden under the federal rules and the applicable case law.<br />
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When construing the facts before the US Court of Appeals, it is clear that the appeals court will affirm the lower court's ruling. The appeals court is highly likely to continue the Temporary Restraining Order against the federal government. <br />
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Clearly, neither Donald Trump or any part of the government CSIS branches may indiscriminately ban persons reentering the US, who have a legal liberty and property right entitlement, arising from their status as Permanent Resident Card holders. <br />
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Moreover, it is clear that under Trump's overly broad executive order, the government could not restrict entry of persons who held valid visas to enter the US and had "touched US soil." <br />
The US Supreme Court had earlier determined that any person, who has touched US soil or is found within US Territorial Waters, is entitled to a Due Process hearing before a court of competent jurisdiction. This means that any alien who is undocumented or out of status, can only be deported after having an opportunity to defend themselves before an Immigration Judge, in court.<br />
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Surprisingly, news reports of the oral arguments made today before the Ninth Circuit, did nor indicate that "property and liberty" interests were at stake. This is a major deficiency in the argument by the plaintiffs in failing to make a Due Process and Liberty and Property entitlement argument.<br />
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The other issues, which were widely covered was whether the executive order constituted religious discrimination. This is a difficult argument for the plaintiffs to prevail on. Although, the seven banned countries are predominantly Muslim, the population's religion is not sufficient alone to evidence a case of religious discrimination. <br />
<br />
The plaintiffs would be on firmer ground to argue that the issuance of Permanent Registration Cards and lawful visas, constitutes an enforceable liberty and property right under the US Constitution. Other issues of religious discrimination, should have been secondary. The pitfall that plaintiffs need to avoid, is being tempted to argue that all aliens residing in the banned countries have a legal right to apply for visas and obtain entry into the US.<br />
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This would be a fatal argument. Aliens who are overseas have no rights under US law. <br />
The focus must be on the aliens who were restrained from entering the US at a point of entry, despite having obtained lawful permanent US residency status and a valid visa under the eligible categories. <br />
With the widespread news accounts covering the activity before the Ninth Circuit on the Trump immigration fiasco, you can be reasonably certain that, based on reasons explained here, the US Court of Appeal will DENY the appeal and will AFFIRM the lower court's entry of the TRO, pending a full evidentiary trial.<br />
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The consequence of AFFIRMING the lower court, is to allow any alien who continues to be restricted from entry in the US while at points of entry, to be permitted entry pending a full trial on the legality of Trump's executive order.<br />
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At the same time, the Court of Appeals may AFFIRM IN PART, by allowing all aliens at US Points of Entry to continue into the US, but will remove any part of the Temporary Restraining Order which limits the government's ability to deny visas to future applicants within the seven banned countries. <br />
Those who arrived prior to entry of the court's decision, will likely be permitted their entry and stay within the US. Those aliens who apply in the future for a visa within one of the seven banned countries may be legally banned from entering the US.<br />
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The lower court's decision may be AFFIRMED or AFFIRMED IN PART, with the provision that the executive order may ban future visa applicants from the seven designated countries.<br />
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By affirming in part, both sides will have won. Not only would this comply with applicable law, but it appeals as the Solomon solution. <br />
(c)oliverNewMedia2017<br />
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<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1055033873" href="https://www.facebook.com/rayoliveresq">Ray Oliver</a><br />
can be reached: 973.856.8000 or cell: 862.276.1505<br />
Ray Oliver is a past Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Transnational Litigation and Arbitration Committee and is past Chair of the NJSBA, Administrative Law Section. He has been referred to in legal publications as being a lawyer with "vast international law experience." He has represented clients on international issues, in immigration, including representation of UN Diplomats and foreign countries. He holds a JD degree from John Marshall Law Chicago and post legal instruction in Transnational and Multi District Litigation from Harvard Law.<br />
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-45645008249111440672016-12-23T23:48:00.001-05:002016-12-23T23:48:11.860-05:00Free BRINKS Prepaid Mastercard Bonus<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/BRINKSPREPAIDMASTERCARD/posts/?ref=page_internal">Free Brink's Prepaid Mastercard Bonus</a>: <br><br><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a>RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-54938139280360460842016-12-16T18:16:00.002-05:002016-12-30T18:41:04.038-05:00LIGHTING THE NEAR EAST DYNAMITE BOX: Friedman and His Fanatic Islamic Counterparts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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LIGHTING THE NEAR EAST DYNAMITE BOX: Friedman and His Fanatic Islamic Counterparts</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
(There are occasions when extreme journalism is necessary to impart urgency. This is one of those situations.)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
THE APPOINTMENT OF David Friedman as US Ambassador to Israel is a disgrace and a spit upon international law and the world community.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Friedman is an augmented tendril of the Netanyahu Third Reich government established by Netanyahu's ultra conservative group.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
These are fanatical people who have a callous disregard for international law, the UN Charter, UN Resolutions, Law of War on Land (1907) and the post Napoleonic Era prohibiting one country's acquisition of land by annexation of another country's territory.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Friedman, like Netanyahu's ultra fascists, subscribes to the belief that Eretz Israel has a "biblical right" to all of Jerusalem and all of Palestine.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
These are people who are cut of the same cloth of ISIS / IS. They are driven by religious fanaticism, in derogation of law. Like the warped heads of Islamic terrorists who believe Islam is destined to be the theological power in the world, so too are these Judaic fanatics who believe that their theology is destined to disrupt a world governed by laws.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
These are equally sick, fanatical Islamic and Judaic religious drunks.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
There is an unquestionable legal status of Jerusalem, that undermines the warped fanaticism of religious drunks like Friedman, who believe that G-d instructs them to conquer and steal, the same way that ISL fanatics are driven to biblical beheadings.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
They are no different.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
The UN in 1947 partitioned Palestine under the UN Resolution for the Partition of Palestine 1947. At that time, after Palestine was destabilized by terrorist groups, like the IRGUN murderers headed by Menachim Begin, who blew up the King David Hotel, murdering British officers and other innocents, the Zionist Political Party was given 78% of Palestine to establish the state of Israel.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Israel declared independence in 1948. The legitimacy of Israel arises from recognition and creation by UN Resolution. The legitimacy of Israel does not arise from warped, religious notions of theological supremacy.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
That Partition Plan granted West Jerusalem to the Zionist Party, while East (Old) Jerusalem remained within the proper state of Palestine. Old Jerusalem was NOT included in the UN Partition Plan which created Israel. It remains, under all applicable laws, a part of Palestine.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Neither the 1967 Arab-Israeli War or any subsequent action has conferred Israel any sovereignty over East Jerusalem. No laws or actions have granted Israel any greater right over those areas in which Israel continues its invasion of Palestine, through construction of housing units for Israelis, than the rights limited to Israel's boundaries created in 1947.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Under the Geneva Convention provisions, custom and protocols, Israel is a "Foreign Military Occupying Power" in East Jerusalem.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Nothing has changed that international law and legal status of Jerusalem. This legal status has not changed, despite the massive disinformation campaign to portray Jerusalem as some area of land that is "up for grabs" by two competing parties.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
East Jerusalem was never a part of the land partitioned off from Palestine, that was given to the Zionist Political Party. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
This is not an argument. This is a legal fact.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
An "Occupying Power" under the Geneva Convention has nothing to negotiate. The Israeli Occupying Power in East Jerusalem and throughout the territories of Palestine is simply under a legal obligation to withdraw from all occupying territories, belonging to Palestine.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Borders of a country do not change, because one newly created country has been given billions in military arms, to exercise threat over another established indigenous people and their country.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
David Friedman is a religious drunk. He is the mirror image of the Islamic terrorists who find joy in cutting off the heads of others who refuse to believe in their sick interpretation of a god.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
If David Friedman's nomination is approved, it will be the US' striking a match and putting its face close to light the Near East dynamite box.</div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
(c)oliver2016</div>
</div>
</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-25133325204448099222016-12-15T19:18:00.000-05:002016-12-17T00:05:31.412-05:00NOW BROADCASTING: Diversion and Deception Techniques In Identifying The Cyber Attack Government<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: left;">
NOW BROADCASTING: Diversion and Deception Techniques In Identifying The Cyber Attack Government<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div>
<br />
LISTEN TO ME here...<br />
<br />
These people on the radio who are saying Russia conducted the cyber attacks, because "Putin was in the KGB. He takes a special interest in these types of things..." are spreading nonsense.<br />
<br />
There is NO significant history of espionage against the US by Russia. There is a long list history of espionage and unsurpassed cyber war capability by Israel. <br />
<br />
Russia stood to gain nothing by the election of either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. On the other hand, Israel is poised to accomplish self-perceived historic gains, by the election of Donald Trump, through the appearance of US legitimacy to Israel's claim to Jerusalem and all of Palestine. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The last US major espionage conviction involving Russia was in the middle 1970s, in which a confused and mislead CIA employee sold top secret documents to Russian agents at an overseas Russian Embassy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In contrast, Israel has engaged in a continuing comprehensive espionage program against the US for the past 40 plus years. Israel's Mossad has been comprehensively active with espionage and theft in the areas of Scientific, Industrial, Political, Academic and Military intelligence. This includes the theft of US intellectual property and university research data. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The history and propensity of Israel's espionage activity against the US is clear. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Israel hijacked a tractor trailer along Route 80 in Pennsylvania, which was transporting weapons grade Plutonium. Mossad smuggled the Plutonium out of the US to launch Israel's illegal nuclear weapons program at, below and in proximity of the Dimona reactor. Israel has since manufactured more than 250 illegal nuclear warheads. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Israel's Mossad agent Jonathan Pollard was sentenced to the longest prison term in modern US history for causing, as termed by the federal sentencing judge, "the greatest damage to US National Security in history."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Israel stole research data from one the US' largest chemical companies in order to further their military top secret program on "Smoke."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In another instance, Israel's young married Research Professor was "handled" by Mossad to steal research data from a large Eastern public University in the area of "Ceramics." That young research scientist and his wife was arranged to meet his Mossad contact near the border of Connecticut and Rhode Island at a remote lake in a State Park Reserve. This Mossad contact was conducted during a weekend mathematics conference held at Yale University. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Israel's Embassy in the District routinely stole copies of legislative materials being transported for publication before those documents could make it across the street from the US Capitol Building to the Government Printing Office.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The list of espionage against the United States by Israel is long and continues.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Israel's motive in hacking the US national elections is based on Trump's earlier promise to illegally deliver East Jerusalem to the Netanyahu government, by legitimizing Netanyahu's plan to annex all of Palestine, beginning with moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Netanyahu, who clandestinely implemented a genocidal African Baby Program, by secretly inoculating all African women entering Israel with the long-lasting contraceptive, Depo Provera, gleefully described his successes as, "Trump is a true friend of Israel." Netanyahu immediately announced "the end to the two state solution." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Neither Netanyahu or Israel has demonstrated any restraint in their actions against the United States or other countries, when a goal is deemed in Israel's greatest interests.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Trump has now promised to act quickly on his pre-campaign promise to Netanyahu that the US will move its embassy to Palestine's East Jerusalem. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No country in the world recognizes Israel's claim that Jerusalem is its capital. No country in the world will locate its embassy to Jerusalem and thereby legitimize the illegal appropriation of Palestinian Lands, pursuant to the UN Charter, the UN Resolution for the Partition of Palestine 1947 and numerous provisions and resolutions under international law. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Despite this world community interpretation of international law, Netanyahu's goal to exterminate all of Palestine sovereignty was facilitated with the election of Donald Trump.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Israeli unsurpassed cyber war capability presented no difficulty in accomplishing that Holy Grail acquisition, through the hacking of US voter registration rolls to ensure Trump's election. </div>
<div>
<br />
Additionally, this nonsense about the CIA concluding that it was Russia and Putin behind the <br />
cyber attacks is beyond the heads of these mouthpieces on the radio.<br />
<br />
Take note: The CIA is PROHIBITED by Charter and federal law from conducting any examinations <br />
or investigations within the United States. The Agency is also the least competent of US intelligence gathering agencies. Even in analyzing international locus points of interest, the Agency is ill equipped to reach a rational conclusion on this election event.<br />
<br />
That incompetence is the reason why President Bush ignored CIA briefings and reports and <br />
established a cut out group for collection of information. Cut-Outs (pop outs) were more reliable. Cut outs were not in the position like Agency analysts of having to fabricate stories and scenarios, because they were being paid to produce something.<br />
<br />
This CIA spin and Russian Putin involvement is all wrong.<br />
<br />
<div>
Russia would be in good stead to assist in this investigation. <br />
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Note: This article will be updated periodically. Check back.<br />
<br />
(c)oliver2016</div>
</div>
</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-46066817214461832542016-12-08T20:28:00.000-05:002016-12-08T20:33:29.537-05:00FREE BRINK'S PREPAID MASTERCARD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-68144401824034201372016-11-29T14:20:00.000-05:002016-11-29T18:02:11.145-05:00COMPUTER HACKING: Did Foreign Intervention Install a US Government?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<b>COMPUTER HACKING: Did Foreign Intervention Install a </b><st1:country-region><st1:place><b>US</b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b>
Government?</b><br />
<br />
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
By: Ray Oliver <st1:state><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:state>
Metropolitan Area-OliverNewMedia<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
NPR NEWS ANNOUNCED on November 28th that, computer experts at
the <st1:place><st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Michigan</st1:placename></st1:place>
have informed the California Election Board that voter returns could have been
hacked. This announcement is welcoming news for different reasons.<br />
<br />
First, <st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> is the
first public announcement, following my earlier articles, that there might be a
connection between the earlier "scanning and probing" cyber
attack and a potential cyber attack on our election’s computer voter
returns. The New York Times earlier reported that a cyber attack<br />
<span style="font-size: 9pt; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/us-formally-accuses-russia-of-stealing-dnc-emails.html"><span style="color: blue;">NYT
cyber attack</span></a></span> was conducted by a foreign
government. The foreign government attacked by “scanning and probing
state voter registration rolls,” across the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> prior to the election.
The director of the National Security Agency refused to attribute the attack to
the Russian government. A different government used a Russian company to
scan and probe state voter registration rolls across the <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
prior to the national election.<br />
<br />
Secondly, having selected the <st1:place><st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename>Michigan</st1:placename></st1:place> at <st1:city><st1:place>Ann
Arbor</st1:place></st1:city>, for the computational analysis was the perfect
selection. It is encouraging that some had the intelligence to know where to go
for this serious national issue.<br />
<br />
There is no better place than <st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>
at <st1:city><st1:place>Ann Arbor</st1:place></st1:city> to solve this election
mystery.<br />
Why is <st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> the perfect
place?<br />
<br />
The most active and advanced mathematical Supercomputing center is located
at the <st1:place><st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Illinois</st1:placename></st1:place>
at the Circle Campus.<br />
<br />
"Circle" has a longstanding association with our intelligence
agencies. In addition, the university is under significant influence by
that foreign government, which will rise to the top of the suspect list for
hacking US computer voter returns, if evidence of computer hacking emerges.<br />
<br />
That suspected foreign government has influence in the appointment and
termination of professors on the Circle campus. There is a history of
that government, acting through local political and religious groups, of
creating blacklists on academicians, who are critical of that government and
their policies.<br />
Who knows? We may even discover that the Circle Campus Supercomputer
was used in a (potential) cyber attack and distortion of our national
election. Of course, my statement here is speculation. To use the Circle Campus supercomputing capabilities
would require an obliteration of all signatures that the origin of the attack
was connected to the CC computer.<br />
<br />
This makes use of the <st1:street><st1:address>Illini Circle</st1:address></st1:street>
supercomputing mathematical center, highly unlikely and improbable.<br />
<br />
<st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> at <st1:city><st1:place>Ann
Arbor</st1:place></st1:city> is the perfect choice, because <st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>'s
experts are not affected by that potential Circle Campus contamination.<br />
<br />
There is another player to watch out for in future developments on the
computational analysis playing field of voter returns.<br />
<br />
Watch to see if <st1:place><st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Indiana</st1:placename></st1:place>
becomes a player in these voter recounts.<br />
Why watch <st1:place><st1:placename>Indiana</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype></st1:place>?<br />
<br />
IU is one of the portals into our intelligence agencies.<br />
<br />
Connections are made early at IU for introduction into the Agency
(CIA). Sometimes, these introductions come from <st1:place><st1:placetype>University</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename>Illinois</st1:placename></st1:place> at Circle and transfer
to IU for further development and assimilation into the intelligence
community.<br />
<br />
When these voter recounts begin, with the participation of great
computational analysts like <st1:state><st1:place>Michigan</st1:place></st1:state>
at <st1:city><st1:place>Ann Arbor</st1:place></st1:city>, we can look forward
to a "rockem-sockem" fight on what happened on November 8th.<br />
There is even a potential for an unprecedented constitutional crisis on the
legality of an incumbent president, if <st1:place><st1:placename>Swing</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>State</st1:placetype></st1:place> votes were distorted.
Additionally, there may be an earth-shaking revelation on just how
fool-hearted <st1:country-region><st1:place>America</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has been in its trust of a recidivist hostile agent country, pretending to be
our friend.<br />
<br />
After all, it was not too long ago that their espionage agent was sentenced
to the longest prison term in <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
modern history, for causing, according to the US Department of Justice and
the federal sentencing Judge, "the greatest damage to <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
national security in history." This unprecedented foreign
government damage to <st1:country-region><st1:place>America</st1:place></st1:country-region>
followed that government's hijacking of a tractor-trailer along Route 80 in <st1:state><st1:place>Pennsylvania</st1:place></st1:state>,
which carried weapons grade Plutonium. It is this same foreign government,
which smuggled the contraband Plutonium out of the <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
callously endangering the lives of millions of Americans along the eastern
seaboard. This rogue government used the <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
stolen Plutonium to launch an illegal and clandestine nuclear weapons
program, manufacturing more than 250 nuclear warheads over the past forty
years.<br />
<br />
This same government emotionally entrapped a <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
senior engineer who worked for one of the country's largest chemical
companies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They emotionally forced him
to participate in their military top-secret program on Smoke. It is a
recidivist hostile country agent that "handled" their young married,
US visiting Research Scientist, to steal academic research information and
technology on Ceramics, from a large eastern state university.<br />
<br />
It is the same hostile agent country, who during the Nixon administration,
continuously stole copies of legislative materials transported for publication,
where those materials could not make it across the street from the US Capitol
Building to the Government Printing Office, without their embassy in the
District secreting copies first.<br />
<br />
The list is long.<br />
<br />
Flipping a few <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
computer voter return digits to install a <st1:country-region><st1:place>US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
government that earlier promised to give them their self-perceived Holy Grail,
would be no problem for a government with this history. <br />
<br />
Are memories so short-lived?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;">(c)oliver2016</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-54900322133174623882016-11-16T16:58:00.000-05:002016-11-27T04:53:47.740-05:00NATURAL LAW AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
NATURAL LAW AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE<br /> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</h2>
<br />
LET ME ANSWER (again) a question that some have asked me regarding the Electoral College.<br />
<br />
Briefly:<br />
<b> The Electoral College</b> was created out of the philosophy studied by the Founding Fathers and their strong belief in the Natural Law.<br />
<br />
The Natural Law is the law of morality and ethics. Its most fundamental expression of principle is that "All men ought to act according to their true conscience." This is the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas in his work, Summa Theologica and earlier expressed by Plato in his works on "Metaphysics." The term Meta means "beyond." The term Physics means "the physical world." <br />
<br />
Metaphysics is the study beyond the physical world that we live in.<br />
<br />
The Founding Fathers believed that an essential function of a democracy is to express the will of an "informed" majority in the interest of the Public Good.<br />
<br />
The Founding Fathers foresaw that their might arise a situation where the will of the majority contravenes the public good or may be an expression of an act against Ethics.<br />
<br />
An example might be where the majority (plurality) of voters have voted to abolish their democracy and vote in a tyrannical government.<br />
<br />
To address that potential dysfunction of a democracy, the Founding Fathers created an Electoral College that casts the votes to elect the President and Vice President. <br />
<br />
Members of the Electoral College are equal in number to each state's members of the House of Representatives and their two Senators.<br />
<br />
It is tradition for them to cast their votes for the winner of the plurality of votes in their states.<br />
<br />
HOWEVER, as instilled by the Founding Fathers, these members of the Electoral College are NOT mandated to cast their votes for the majority winner of their state. Some states have enacted party rules or state statutes which attempt to mandate loyal voting or disqualify disloyal voting. These statutes or rules are of no consequence when contemplating the historical backdrop to the formation of the Electoral College and their ethical duty to act according to true conscience. <br />
<br />
The members of the Electoral College are dictated by their conscience to cast their votes on behalf of their state's constituency.<br />
<br />
IF A MEMBER of the Electoral College's true conscience does not allow them to cast their vote for the majority winner of their state, then they OUGHT to act only according to their true conscience and cast their vote accordingly.<br />
<br />
<b> THEREFORE</b>, a member of the Electoral College is NOT obligated to cast their votes, except according to their true conscience. <br />
<br />
Theoretically, the members of the Electoral College may cast their votes for Hillary Clinton or even for a third party candidate, without regard to the majority vote winner in their state.<br />
<br />
Whether these electoral college members will cast their votes for a candidate other than their state's winning candidate is extremely unlikely. The members will vote for their state's winner, unless a catastrophic event occurs which allows them to be guided by their conscience when casting their votes.<br />
<br />
There is no chance of the electoral college viewing the election of Donald Trump as a conscience shaking event. There is no chance that Hillary Clinton will be given the electoral votes from the states where she lost the plurality of the votes. <br />
<br />
The Natural Law, which supercedes any conventional laws made by man, does not apply to or favor Hillary Clinton when the Electoral College casts their votes. <br />
(c)oliver2016<br />
-----------------------------<br />
UPDATED: See comment below in answer to point raised on Trump's "fitness to serve."<br />
<br />
*** [ An unfit person, is only one potential event, which can lead the EC to elect a candidate, other than the plurality winner of their state. <br />
<br />
As I explained above, the EC is based on Natural Law principles studied by Thomas Jefferson and others. (Because we were only permitted to study primary sources, I was required to read the same original, rare text book on Natural and Politic Law, by J.J. Burlamaqui, that Jefferson studied from, in addition to studying the Letters of Thomas Jefferson.)<br />
<br />
Any time a member of EC votes, they are duty-bound to vote their true conscience. The reality is that the EC will cast their votes for the plurality winner of their state. There is nothing in this past election that would change the minds of enough EC college members to vote otherwise. ... <br />
<br />
BUT, a person raised a valid point. <br />
The issue of whether Trump is the type of candidate that should not receive the EC vote, is problematic.<br />
<br />
In Ethics, Trump could be deemed to be unfit to serve as president. The statement of Pope Francis that Trump "lacks the moral qualifications to lead a country," raises an ethical dilemma for the EC. Although Ethics does not arise from religious principles, the Pope clearly is an authority on ethics and morality. <br />
<br />
In Ethics, the Pope's assessment of Trump is conclusive in recognizing that ethics dictates that in order to act morally, "one ought not to vote for Trump." This moral dictate applies to the members of the electoral college. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> Therefore</b>, it is correct, that in Ethics, members of the EC "ought" not to vote for Trump, in order to act morally.]<br />
(c)oliver2016<br />
-----------------:<br />
<b> Note</b>: For further study, SEE: Fagothy, Austin. "Right & Reason."<br />
Austin Fagothy was a modern day, world-renowned philosopher who taught at the University of Santa Clara. Prof. Fagothy's text is highly recommended. It is a concise statement of argument of the pros and cons on major ethical issues, written with incomparable clarity</div>
</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-76898736773634367642016-11-16T07:44:00.003-05:002016-11-16T17:19:51.046-05:00FOREIGN GOVERNMENT "SCANNING AND PROBING" OF US ELECTION ROLLS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>
FOREIGN "SCANNING AND PROBING" OF US ELECTION ROLLS</b><br /> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> THIS IS THE signal. There may be a clue here to the surprising results of the election. The results contradict the empirical data and computer calculated prediction. Having had a personal experience around 1994 at a remote, isolated lake near the border of Rhode Island and Connecticut, I have this continuing sense of suspicion, which I cannot shake off. My Washington Bureau Chief friend's advice to me when I was in the District, still rings in my head, "Mr. Ray. You have to be careful in this world. Everything is possible. Nothing is too crazy." </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Let's assume as a hypothetical that there was foreign interference with the reporting of numbers or computer programming in this election.</div>
<br />
There are only two foreign countries that have motive and opportunity to interfere with election results and reporting false numbers. One is Russia. The other is not China, but maybe as Donald Trump said when he dismissed Obama's accusation of Russia, that it could be <br />
“somebody sitting on their (China's) bed that weighs 400 pounds.” (Source: New York Times Oct. 7, 2016)<br />
<br />
Here is an excerpt of the New York Times, Oct. 7, 2016 article.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The statement from Mr. Clapper and the Department of Homeland Security, which is primarily responsible for defending the country against sophisticated cyberattacks, said the intelligence agencies were less certain who was responsible for “scanning and probing” online election rolls in states around the country. It said that those “in most cases originated from servers operated by a Russian company,” but stopped short of alleging the Russian government was responsible for those probes. </blockquote>
<br />
...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
as recently as Wednesday the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael Rogers, refused to publicly accuse Moscow." NYT Oct. 7, 2016</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<br />
There is a clue here. I cannot shake off my suspicion. There is one country that has absolutely no reservation in acting against the US on "every level," in doing whatever it deems in its own best interest.<br />
<br />
I will look further into this. As I mentioned earlier, there are people in NY's Diamond District who can provide reliable and credible information relating to US-Russia events. During the 1980s, there was a direct link on Canal Street, New York. That link no longer exists. In the early 1980s, I was told by a client that while he was in a foreign country, he was instructed by his business negotiators, "not to take that flight out of the country." He changed his flight ticket. That flight was carrying government officials and crashed. <br />
<br />
The point is that there are highly credible sources which can lend insight into what happened with our election model. Why was every analytical calculation wrong? <br />
<br />
The answer to the election result mystery lies somewhere. That place might be found in the operations center of a foreign intelligence organization that interfered with our elections to snatch their Holy Grail. Edited 11/10/16<br />
(c)oliver2016<br />
---------------------------<br />
RAY OLIVER<br />
to reach the author call or text 862.276.1505<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
Quoted source: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/us-formally-accuses-russia-of-stealing-dnc-emails.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/…/us-formally-accuses-russia-of-stea…</a><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-28482240941334236062016-11-16T07:44:00.000-05:002016-11-16T17:12:22.615-05:00FOREIGN GOVERNMENT "SCANNING AND PROBING" OF US ELECTION ROLLS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
FOREIGN "SCANNING AND PROBING" OF US ELECTION ROLLS<br /> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> THIS IS THE signal. There may be a clue here to the surprising results of the election. The results contradict the empirical data and computer calculated prediction. Having had a personal experience around 1994 at a remote, isolated lake near the border of Rhode Island and Connecticut, I have this continuing sense of suspicion, which I cannot shake off. My Washington Bureau Chief friend's advice to me when I was in the District, still rings in my head, "Mr. Ray. You have to be careful in this world. Everything is possible. Nothing is too crazy." </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Let's assume as a hypothetical that there was foreign interference with the reporting of numbers or computer programming in this election.</div>
<br />
There are only two foreign countries that have motive and opportunity to interfere with election results and reporting false numbers. One is Russia. The other is not China, but maybe as Donald Trump said when he dismissed Obama's accusation of Russia, that it could be <br />
“somebody sitting on their (China's) bed that weighs 400 pounds.” (Source: New York Times Oct. 7, 2016)<br />
<br />
Here is an excerpt of the New York Times, Oct. 7, 2016 article.<br />
"The statement from Mr. Clapper and the Department of Homeland Security, which is primarily responsible for defending the country against sophisticated cyberattacks, said the intelligence agencies were less certain who was responsible for “scanning and probing” online election rolls in states around the country. It said that those “in most cases originated from servers operated by a Russian company,” but stopped short of alleging the Russian government was responsible for those probes. <br />
...<br />
as recently as Wednesday the director of the National Security Agency, Adm. Michael Rogers, refused to publicly accuse Moscow." NYT Oct. 7, 2016<br />
<br />
<br />
There is a clue here. I cannot shake off my suspicion. There is one country that has absolutely no reservation in acting against the US on "every level," in doing whatever it deems in its own best interest.<br />
<br />
I will look further into this. As I mentioned earlier, there are people in NY's Diamond District who can provide reliable and credible information relating to US-Russia events. During the 1980s, there was a direct link on Canal Street, New York. That link no longer exists. In the early 1980s, I was told by a client that while he was in a foreign country, he was instructed by his business negotiators, "not to take that flight out of the country." He changed his flight ticket. That flight was carrying government officials and crashed. <br />
<br />
The point is that there are highly credible sources which can lend insight into what happened with our election model. Why was every analytical calculation wrong? <br />
<br />
The answer to the election result mystery lies somewhere. That place might be found in the operations center of a foreign intelligence organization that interfered with our elections to snatch their Holy Grail. Edited 11/10/16<br />
(c)oliver2016<br />
---------------------------<br />
RAY OLIVER<br />
call or text 862.276.1505<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
Quoted source: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/us-formally-accuses-russia-of-stealing-dnc-emails.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/…/us-formally-accuses-russia-of-stea…</a><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-5256173034287624452016-11-15T23:50:00.005-05:002016-11-16T00:05:30.722-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
ISRAEL ULTRA CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT ELATED OVER TRUMP ELECTION ANNOUNCES END OF PALESTINE <br /> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> IN ISRAEL, NETANYAHU congratulated newly elected president Donald Trump, stating that Israel has a "shared destiny" with America. President-elect Donald Trump invited Netanyahu to meet with him as soon as the Israeli Prime Minister can arrange his travels. </h2>
In the face of criticism for earlier statements by Netanyahu which were interpreted by world leaders to be a willful disregard of international law and UN resolutions, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu had refrained from making further controversial statements in his congratulatory statements on the election of President-elect Donald Trump. <br />
<br />
Netanyahu's restraint however, was not reflected by the rest of his ultra conservative cabinet members. Netanyahu's ultra conservative members shouted to Israel's press, that Trump's election marks "the end of the two State solution" and is "an end to the existence of Palestine." <br />
<br />
Netanyahu's ultra conservative appointments called for an "immediate move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem" in a symbolic message that Israel has annexed Jerusalem from Palestine. <br />
Currently, no country in the world has located their Embassy in Jerusalem. No country currently recognizes Israel's claim of Jerusalem as its capital, based on the recognized legal status of East Jerusalem under international law. <br />
<br />
The United States consistently, from Republican through Democratic Presidents, has refused to locate the US Embassy to Jerusalem. Netanyahu among other top cabinet officials have called for the US Embassy to be moved quickly to Jerusalem.<br />
<br />
It was earlier reported, that Donald Trump earlier made a personal promise to Netanyahu to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.<br />
Trump's promise goes against long-standing policy of the US and against UN resolutions and world-wide recognized international law.<br />
<br />
The Israeli Occupation of East (Old) Jerusalem is construed by the United Nations as a violation of international law and in violation of long standing UN Resolutions. These include the same resolutions which had created the state of Israel. <br />
<br />
Under the "1947 UN Partition Plan for Palestine," the United Nations partitioned off 78% of Palestine and gave those defined boundaries to the Zionist Party for creation of a separate Jewish state in Palestine.<br />
<br />
Under the terms of the 1947 UN Partition Plan, Israel was given West (new) Jerusalem, while East Jerusalem remained within the original country of Palestine. Israel militarily occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. <br />
<br />
The UN has reaffirmed Israel's illegal occupation of East Jerusalem through UN Resolution 242 and subsequent resolutions which call for Israel's withdrawal to boundaries defined prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. International law experts note that no country is permitted to acquire lands through annexation of another country or region. <br />
<br />
The UN Charter, the Law of War on Land (1907), numerous UN Resolutions and post Napoleonic Custom and Protocol under International Law, prohibits any country from "Acquisition by Annexation" of lands.<br />
<br />
Many newspaper references to the status of Jerusalem inaccurately portray the issue of Israel Occupation of Jerusalem as a competition by both Palestinians and Israelis for East Jerusalem to be their capital. <br />
<br />
Despite that portrayal, according to the United Nations and world community, the current legal status of East Jerusalem is that it was never a portion of the lands partitioned by the UN and given to Israel. <br />
UN spokespersons, including the UN Secretary General have noted that East Jerusalem historically remains within the original country of Palestine under the UN Partition Plan and under International Law. <br />
<br />
President-elect Trump is poised to disregard the world community and international law by acting on reported favors requested by Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, relating to the US Embassy and Occupation of East Jerusalem and eliminating the State of Palestine.<br />
<br />
On the election of Trump, President Abbas of Palestine congratulated President-elect Donald Trump and promised to work towards peace in accordance with UN Resolutions and under International Law governing the status of East Jerusalem.<br /> (c)oliver2016<br />
-------------<br />
RAY OLIVER<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-900442965168996512016-11-15T23:50:00.002-05:002016-11-15T23:59:25.022-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
NATURAL LAW AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN THE US</h2>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
LET ME ANSWER (again) a question that some have asked me regarding the Electoral College.<br />
<br />
Briefly:<br />
The Electoral College was created out of the philosophy studied by the Founding Fathers and their strong belief in the Natural Law.<br />
<br />
The Natural Law is the law of morality and ethics. Its most fundamental expression of principle is that "All men ought to act according to their true conscience." This is the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas in his work, Summa Theologica and earlier expressed by Plato in his works on "Metaphysics." The term Meta means "beyond." The term Physics means "the physical world." <br />
Metaphysics is the study beyond the physical world that we live in.<br />
<br />
The Founding Fathers believed that an essential function of a democracy is to express the will of an "informed" majority in the interest of the Public Good.<br />
The Founding Fathers foresaw that their might arise a situation where the will of the majority contravenes the public good or may be an expression of an act against Ethics.<br />
An example might be where the majority (plurality) of voters have voted to abolish their democracy and vote in a tyrannical government.<br />
<br />
To address that potential dysfunction of a democracy, the Founding Fathers created an Electoral College that casts the votes to elect the President and Vice President. <br />
Members of the Electoral College are each state's members of the House of Representatives and their two Senators.<br />
<br />
It is tradition for them to cast their votes for the winner of the plurality of votes in their states.<br />
<br />
HOWEVER, as instilled by the Founding Fathers, these members of the Electoral College are NOT mandated to cast their votes for the majority winner of their state.<br />
<br />
The members of the Electoral College are dictated by their conscience to cast their votes on behalf of their state's constituency.<br />
<br />
IF A MEMBER of the Electoral College's true conscience does not allow them to cast their vote for the majority winner of their state, then they OUGHT to act only according to their true conscience and cast their vote accordingly.<br />
<br />
THEREFORE, a member of the Electoral College is NOT obligated to cast their votes, except according to their "true conscience."<br />
<br />
Theoretically, the members of the Electoral College may cast their votes for Hillary Clinton or even for a third party candidate, without regard to the majority vote winner in their state.<br />
Whether these electoral college members will cast their votes for a candidate other than their state's winning candidate is extremely unlikely. The members will vote for their state's winner, unless a catastrophic event occurs which allows them to be guided by their conscience when casting their votes.<br />
<br />
There is no chance of the electoral college viewing the election of Donald Trump as a conscience shaking event. There is no chance that Hillary Clinton will be given the electoral votes from the states where she lost the plurality of the votes. <br />
<br />
The Natural Law, which supercedes any laws made by man, does not apply to or favor Hillary Clinton when the Electoral College casts their votes. <br />
(c)oliver2016<br />
---------------<br />
RAY OLIVER<br />
contact info at 862.276.1505<br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-74623594199591145942016-11-15T22:11:00.001-05:002016-11-15T22:11:38.861-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" style="text-align: left;">
WHY ARE THERE PROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AGAINST DONALD TRUMP?</h2>
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Because, Trump told America that women and girls are worthless and free to physically, sexually abuse when you "are a star."</div>
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And a large portion of the United States electorate agreed</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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Because, Trump told America and disabled people that children and adults with Cerebral Palsy act funny, "like this, (parodies acts)." <br /> And a large portion of the United States electorate agreed.</div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Because, Trump displayed his pretentiously named son, Baron, in front of America and told a mother that her infant son, will never achieve higher success or professional esteem than being a "future construction worker."<br /> And a large portion of the United States electorate agreed.</div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Because, Trump told America that it is "okay to target specific religious groups," despite the principles of the Founding Fathers guaranteeing a Freedom of Religion in America. <br /> And a large portion of the United States electorate agreed.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: left;">
But, a larger portion of America, representing a majority of the electorate have disagreed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: left;">
Ray Oliver </div>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="text-align: left;">
Nov. 12, 2016 </div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><div>
<br /></div>
</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-18488544215972960362015-07-29T13:06:00.004-04:002015-07-29T14:02:15.891-04:00CECIL THE LION & THE TRAGIC ALBOIN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="text_exposed_root text_exposed">
<u>CECIL THE LION & THE TRAGIC ALBOIN</u></h2>
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UPDATE: 07/28/2014 1:45pm</div>
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*****</div>
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<i class="_3-99 img sp_JSvLBJFep-e sx_790ca4"></i><input autocomplete="off" id="u_3e_5" name="privacyx" type="hidden" value="291667064279714" /><br /></div>
<h4 class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="text-align: left;">
UPDATE: ZIMBABWEAN WILDLIFE PARKS MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY issued an announcement on their continuing investigation into the killing of Cecil, a well recognized Parks Reserve lion. "All parties have been charged..." The Authority has indicated that no hunt quota permits were issued to the landowner on which Cecil had been hunted. Here is the latest announcement, <br /> ...<br /> " In this case, both the professional hunter and land owner had no permit or quota to justify the offtake of <span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">the lion and therefore are liable for the illegal hunt.<br /> Both professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst’s licence number 553 who was involved in the hunt and the owner of Antoinette farm, Mr. Honest Trymore Ndlovu are being jointly charged for illegally hunting the lion. The two are due to appear in court on Wednesday, 29 July 2015. Efforts are being made to interview the other professional hunter, Zane Bronkhorst, licence number 558, who was also involved in the illegal hunt."</span></h4>
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This is an unfortunate development as it reflects poorly on the ethical hunting community<br />
*****</div>
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THE MINNESOTA DENTIST who is a "world class big game trophy bow hunter" and who is in the news for killing Zimbabwe's national pet lion named Cecil, is the wrong person to blame for the travesty. </div>
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</div>
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed">
The big game Safari hunt that this dentist had paid for, runs nearly $100,000.00 in total expenses, with lion trophy permit fees alone costing $50,000.00+. The dentist was on a guided hunt. Unless he knew that the guides had set him up in a spot in proximity to the National Wildlife Parks Reserve, he <span class="text_exposed_show">cannot be held responsible for the accidental shooting of "Cecil the lion."</span></div>
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<div class="text_exposed_show">
Cecil was shot by bow on legally permitted hunting grounds. However, from reports and the criminal charges filed against the Guides, it appears that Cecil had been lured from the National Wildlife Reserve onto the legal hunting grounds. In hunting, this is referred to as "fence-sitting." It is a dastardly practice, where a hunter sets up next to another person's boundary or fence and waits for game to come over the fence or shoots the animal on the other property and rushes over to retrieve it. This is an illegal practice, which is subject to loss of hunting licenses and fines.<br />
<br />
The dentist stated that he assumed the hunt was legal and that all permits had been taken care of by the Guided Safari Hunt Co.<br />
<br />
The dentist is correct.<br />
<br />
Critics are now accusing the dentist of hunting other big trophy game, which make up his (also very expensive) collection of mounted trophies. <br />
<br />
That criticism is naïve.<br />
<br />
Zimbabwe, South Africa and other African countries offer a very limited amount of Big Game Trophy Hunt permits. These permits typically cost more than $30,000.00 and up to $55,000.00 for a lion, depending on the rarity of the animal that the permit allows.<br />
Other expenses drive these Safari hunts to close to $100,000.00 in total expenses.<br />
Critics who clamor and call to "stop killing innocent animals" may end up "shooting themselves in the foot." Zimbabwe and other countries depend on this revenue to afford maintenance and management of the Wildlife Reserves. <br />
<br />
These Big Game fees pay to expand and manage animal populations in the Wildlife Reserves. These hunt fees pay to restore endangered and restricted wildlife populations.<br />
<br />
Without the financial ability of big game hunters like the dentist in Minnesota, National Wildlife Reserves would have very little to offer to world tourists and to future generations. <br />
Wildlife populations in the National Parks would diminish and die off a slow death. <br />
<br />
By stopping Big Game Safari hunts, anti-big game hunting protestors will find themselves celebrating their victory like the tragic Alboin of the Inquisition, by drinking from the skull of<br />
one of many starved Park Reserve lions.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-56755137042198461792015-07-26T18:45:00.000-04:002015-07-29T13:11:04.049-04:00THE HILLARY STANDARD: Republicans out of control<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<u>THE HILLARY STANDARD: Republicans out of control</u></h2>
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</h2>
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HILLARY CLINTON is scheduled to be "raked over the coals" by an out of control Republican partisan congress this week. </div>
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I understand that Hillary misjudged the Benghazi attack on our Embassy, thinking that it was a political demonstration. However, no other Secretary of State was held responsible for an unanticipated sudden attack against our Embassies or staff around the world. Secretary of State Clinton was placed in a position of having to make a remote assessment of a fluid, fast paced situation. The quality of her assessment was equal to the quality of the information given to her. The Benghazi attack was a surprise, without any advance notice. </div>
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I KNOW PERSONALLY that we had advance notice of the potential attack on our Embassy in Tehran in 1979<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">. Yet no one was held responsible and "raked over the coals" like Hillary is having done to her. </span></div>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
On January 5, 1979 at O'Hare Airport, I was standing earshot to the family and friends of one of our Embassy staffers who had just arrived from our Embassy in Tehran. She exclaimed, "...God. I'm so happy to be home. You can't believe how happy I am to be home. I can literally kiss the ground. ... That place is ready to explode. They are on the rooftops calling to each other every night. Everyone is so scared..." <br />
<br />
In November of 1979, the Khomeini Revolutionary Guard commandos took our Embassy staffers hostage. We had advance notice of an impending disruption. We did nothing to protect our staffers. No one was held responsible for the misfeasance. Hillary should not be subject to a standard that has never been applied before</div>
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-56754223965607178922015-07-14T21:15:00.000-04:002015-07-16T01:59:46.600-04:00THE DONALD & EL CHAPO: THE REACH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<h2>
<u>THE DONALD & EL CHAPO: The Reach</u></h2>
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PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL DONALD Trump has been campaigning
throughout the country and politicking on a platform of higher and stronger
walls and bigger and stronger prosecution for all border-crossing Mexicano
families<br />
<br />
These are the families who have calculated that
the prospect of achieving American Liberty and Property, far outweighs the risk
of being caught and prosecuted for their illegal entry into the <st1:country-region><st1:place>United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p> </o:p></div>
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The Donald being a Wharton School MBA graduate,
recognizes the economic nuances of Mexicano marketplace competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has blasted this Meh-i-cano assessment of
American compassion, opportunity and easy access.</div>
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Also entering this Presidential insanity trail is the
notorious El Chapo.</div>
El Chapo is a duly self-made President himself, of sorts.<br />
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El Chapo as the world well knows, is the number one drug
cartel kingpin in all of Cartel Meh-i-co.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div>
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As the international wire services have verified, El
Chapo “don’t need no stinkin prison walls” to keep him from pursuing his
special vision of <st1:city><st1:place>Liberty</st1:place></st1:city> and
Property.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Having gotten the news of The Donald’s trivializing the
worth of Mexicanos, compared to</div>
the value of a higher border wall, El Chapo being a newly
escaped prisoner from MAXIMUM security, boldly tweeted The Donald with a threat
couched in fluent American profanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Presidential hopeful Donald Trump is unfazed by El Chapo’s threat.</div>
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I am relatively certain that The Donald does not know the
story of “the reach,” which has gone down into the annals of Mafia influence
and distorted notions of loyalty.</div>
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This <em>true story</em> characterizes a top ranking Mafioso who left
behind a stunningly attractive wife, when the jail doors clanged behind
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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His spoken word quickly circulated, “to take care of his wife
and family.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Loyalty and fear did just that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wife and family were well cared for.<br />
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But, the unspoken word was “you don’t fool with his
woman.”</div>
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This ruthless El Chapo-like Capo soon died in prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Being dead, buried and gone, one of the Don Juan mobsters
began to openly date and sleep with the dead Capo’s widowed wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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And this <span lang="EN" style="color: #353a3d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Joie de vivre,” </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lover of life Don Juan was quickly found dead
from an unfortunate collision with bullets. His name was scratched off the hit list.</div>
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In the annals of Mobster power it is said that “The hit was
ordered from the grave.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And it is not a stretch to put El Chapo and that Capo who
held graveside court, in the same incredibly dangerous category of killers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
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Tweeting ruthless fear is one thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>But interjecting himself into the
U.S. presidential insanity trail</div>
is a whole different level of El Chapo reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-85652471231419824322015-01-05T14:04:00.003-05:002015-01-05T14:19:37.781-05:00A CLOSER LOOK AT GOLDEN AGE COMEDY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em><strong><u></u></strong></em><br />
<strong><em><u></u></em></strong><br />
I RECENTLY HAD the opportunity to screen numerous episodes of the classic LAUREL & HARDY escapades.<br />
<br />
I am convinced that the legendary comedy team would not have achieved pinnacle success without the brilliant comedic performances of the stunningly beautiful, hilariously funny and feminine, Hal Roach Studios Stock Performer, THELMA TODD. <br />
<br />
Thelma was beautiful, talented with an elegant stature and a reserved comedic sensuality. Film and comedy truly cannot surpass the genius of Thelma Todd. The next time you have the pleasure of<br />
watching your next Laurel & Hardy film, your enjoyment will be enhanced if you closely watch the wonderful performances of the women supporting actors. <br />
<br />
And it is the incomparable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Todd">Thelma Todd</a> that is positioned at the top tier of those wonderful golden age women comedic performers.</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-31041151269673007352013-08-28T14:46:00.002-04:002014-01-22T19:11:03.596-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">IS
IT TIME TO STOP THE IMPENDING DEPLOYMENT OF US SOLDIERS TO SYRIA? </span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"> THE USE OF chemical weapons, while most likely recently employed
in the conflict, raises serious questions about culpability for the use
of those chemicals. There is no rationale or evidence that could blame
Assad or any official Syrian policy for employment of chemical weapons.
It is naive to think that with major super powers publicizing an
ultimatum, that use of chemical weapons will allow US invasion of Syria,
that the Syrian regime would employ use of those chemicals. </span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"> In my
(previous) world, like a high ranking mid-eastern government official
told me while we were in the District , "Nothing is crazy in this
world, Mr. Ray. Everything is possible." </span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">The supply-chain of chemical
weapons was introduced / supplied and deceptively attributed by Intel
field workers for the US. </span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">NOTE that I have hemmed and hawed over
publishing an article in which the US through <span class="text_exposed_show">an
NGO conducted a (surreptitious and illegal under Syrian laws) opinion
survey on the Syrian populace's attitudes toward the Assad regime and
Syrian Government. </span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">I will provide the details of that NGO "government opinion survey." </span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">The survey was conducted by approximately one
thousand survey workers, NONE OF WHICH KNEW THAT ANOTHER WAS INVOLVED IN
TAKING THE SURVEY.</span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"> EACH SURVEY WORKER BELIEVED THAT THEY WERE ALONE IN
OBTAINING DATA ON THE SYRIAN POPULATION'S "FEAR OF THE SYRIAN
GOVERNMENT." </span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">This survey was conducted approximately three (3) years
ago, of which I discussed with a US Army Colonel and a Full Bird Air
Force Colonel. I will publish my article on my blog and distributed by
my Twitter account. The international nonsense and sacrificing US
soldiers' lives goes beyond rational decision-making. </span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">While the Arab Spring occupied the news for the regions of Libya and Egypt, I informed a US Army colonel that "Syria would be next and that it is us in the field." </span></span></span></h5>
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br />It is morally wrong and irrational to create the circumstances which places our military men and women in a conflict zone which serves a misguided US interest. </span></span></span></h5>
</div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-90978283861357548022013-08-02T14:16:00.001-04:002013-08-02T14:22:20.489-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i><b>COMING SOON: </b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>WAS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT INVOLVED IN A COVERT "NGO" FIELD OPERATION TO DETERMINE THE PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS OF A DEMOCRACY REVOLUTION IN SYRIA? </b></i></div>
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-58059779061428148622012-09-12T17:53:00.001-04:002012-09-12T18:02:43.894-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<br /></h4>
<i><u><br /></u></i>
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<i><u><br /></u></i></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<i><u>IRAN - ISRAEL: WHO'S THE NUCLEAR THREAT?</u></i></h2>
<header style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; position: relative;"><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><i><br />EDITORIAL: #oliver NUCLEAR NEWS DAILY</i></b><br /><ul class="post-menu" style="-webkit-transition: 0.2s linear; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1; list-style: none; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; position: relative; top: -2px; visibility: visible !important;">
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</ul>
</header><br />
<br />
<div class="post-message publisher-anchor-color " data-role="message" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
<b><i>ISRAEL CONTINUES TO</i></b> flaunt its illegality before signatories to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, the world community and in derogation of the UN Secretary General's admonition to Israel on Israeli illegal nuclear weaponry and "uninspected Negev NK facility."</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
Israeli hypocracy and arrogance, by refusing IAEA inspections and shunning membership under the NUCLEAR NON PROLIFERATION TREATY, makes hollow their reliance on the claimed deficient "moral" standards of the world community.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
At the same time, IRAN has been subjected to repeated IAEA inspections and has placed its reliance on nuclear facility construction on Russia for the past twenty (20) years. The IAEA has NOT found any evidence of weapons grade plutonium being manufactured by Iran.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
Iran has complied with notice requirements of the IAEA, by sending IAEA Notification of upgrading their plutonium enrichment to medical standards. These standards are far removed and a long way from weapons grade plutonium.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
In contrast, upon Israel's theft of plutonium from the US by hijacking a truck on Interstate Hwy 80 in Pennsylvania, it has engaged in a consistent course of "<i>exclusively"</i> holding and manufacturing nuclear weapons as a threat to stability of the Mid East.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
A simple dynamic: Israel should engage in Nuclear Disarmament and signatories to the NPT and the IAEA will ensure Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy for medical Radio-Isotopes only.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 9px; padding: 0px;">
Israel's NPT membership will then shed its veil of hypocracy and remove its distasteful Bogart threats of being a nuclear power and middle eastern thug. </div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px;">
The distinguished Harvard professor and author of "LIMITED WAR IN A NUCLEAR AGE," Morton Halperin, would have it no other way...</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px;">
RAY OLIVER, ESQ.</div>
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RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-72926499183041854892011-07-06T19:42:00.041-04:002011-07-19T16:39:41.723-04:00UNDERSTANDING TRIALS & TRYING Dominque Strauss Kahn<b><u>UNDERSTANDING TRIALS & Trying Dominique Strauss Kahn</u></b><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
THE MEDIA FRENZY arising from the arrest of international French public figure and politician Dominique Strauss Kahn on May 14, 2011 quickly goaded the public into believing that Kahn was as guilty as the clamoring newsmen charged. <br />
<br />
All media portrayed the director of the International Monetary Fund as a psychopathic stalker of women and the aggressor in a sexual assault upon a hotel maid while staying at the Sofitel Hotel in New York.<br />
<br />
However, from the outset I posted a comment on May 20, 2011 that Kahn had defenses available, despite the media and prosecution's leaked death knell portrayal of the case.<br />
My comments were posted on an ABC news correspondent's facebook page, in response to a courtroom drawing that the correspondent had posted.<br />
<br />
Although the ABC newsman posted the courtroom drawing asking his fb friends to "find him in the drawing," it was obviously more important to study the drawing for the positions and mannerisms of the key players present in the courtroom- Kahn, defense attorneys Brafman & Taylor, the prosecutor and the judge.<br />
<br />
Here is what I posted on May 20th, when Kahn was arraigned six days after his arrest.<br />
....................<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a class="actorName" data-ft="{"type":35}" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1055033873" href="http://www.facebook.com/Micky.Claus" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ray Oliver</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span data-jsid="text"></span></span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_4e14b01304ffb4c39180690" style="display: inline;">Interesting that defense counsel Taylor has his hands in his pockets. Strauss-Kahn is not without a defense, as the prosecution's leaks and media are portraying. Investigators have said that the room door was left open by the employee, pr<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">oving that she entered to work and not for sex. BUT an open room door easily allows a purported victim to scream and / or escape from the room. Also, the location of the alleged crime is not one that allows escape from detection. How likely is it that someone would commit a sexual assault, when the victim can simply walk through an "open door" back to work and back to supervisors. How likely, where a perpetrator has a high profile and detailed hotel record for identification? Also, a hotel patron in an expensive suite at $2000.00 per night makes an easy target for entrapment/extortion through fabricated complaints after a consensual encounter. Lastly, prior bad acts as an exception to the hearsay rule which excludes evidence, is admissible under limited circumstances. S-K's alleged prior bad acts will not be easily admissible with Taylor - Brafman opposition. Brafman and Ivan Fisher were co-counsel with me in the US' largest drug trafficking trial in history, in the 80's. S-K is in good hands.</span></div><div class="commentActions fsm fwn fcg" style="color: grey; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; padding-top: 2px;"><abbr data-date="Fri, 20 May 2011 13:10:20 -0700" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial;" title="Friday, May 20, 2011 at 4:10pm">May 20 at 4:10pm</abbr> · <span class="comment_like_4660777 fsm fwn fcg" data-ft="{"type":36}" style="color: grey; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal;"><button class="stat_elem as_link cmnt_like_link" name="like_comment_id[4660777]" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: visible; overflow-y: visible; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; width: auto;" title="Like this comment" type="submit" value="4660777"><span class="default_message" style="display: inline;">Like</span></button></span></div> ........................<br />
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The defense attorneys' release for publication, a letter which they received from NY District Attorney Cyrus Vance,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"> (copy below) </span>now has the news groups clamoring like Keystone Kops in a different direction. Reporters are now "hot on the trail" of the alleged victim claiming that DSK will be exonerated from the charges before trial, because the assaulted maid is a proven liar.<br />
<br />
So, job well done defense lawyers? <br />
Not so fast.<br />
<br />
<br />
The chorus of criticism portraying Cy Vance as incompetent and a repeated loser of high profile cases, is resounding throughout the greater New York metropolitan area.<br />
<br />
Is Cy Vance incompetent, because of the revelations that the maid is an historical liar?<br />
<br />
Is Cy Vance responsible for the release of DSK on his own recognizance, because of the woman's prior fabrications which she made to other governmental agencies?<br />
<br />
Hardly. <br />
<br />
To be knowledgeable on this topic of a prosecutor's duty is to know that the shining star in this parade of limitless news reporter confusion is NY District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr.<br />
<br />
Simply, some paralegal in the criminal defense attorneys' office sent out their standard discovery request form, which requested that the prosecutor disclose all evidence which the state intends to use in prosecuting the defendant.<br />
<br />
No big deal. A standard printed form which is captioned " Discovery Demand for Production of Tangible Items" under the criminal rules of procedure.<br />
<br />
Most prosecutors give little importance to the defense's demand for production. Prosecutors routinely send out the complaint, police and detective reports and other documents which are found in the "official" police department file.<br />
<br />
Prosecutors do not spend time searching out for evidence beyond the "official" police file in the case.<br />
<br />
Prosecutorial ineptitude rests with the prosecutor who fails to locate items which are relevant to the case and which are under control of other agencies and parties. <br />
<br />
And this is where Cy Vance, Jr. shines as an exemplary prosecutor.<br />
<br />
In the United States Supreme Court case of <u>Brady v. Maryland</u>, our <i>Su-preme </i>court held that the state in a criminal action is obligated by law to provide all materials that are relevant to the defense, including ALL materials which may exculpate the defendant from the charges against him.<br />
<br />
These "Brady materials" are evidence which may tend to prove a defendant's innocence from the charges.<br />
<br />
Cy Vance followed the spirit and letter of the Brady holding by giving the defendant's attorneys information about the victim's statements made to Immigration officials which tended to help the defendant, because the prior statements of the victim were apparent lies.<br />
<br />
The woman who has claimed sexual assault had previously lied to government officials.<br />
This is the Brady material that the US Supreme court held must be supplied to defendants' attorneys in criminal cases.<br />
<br />
So Cy Vance went beyond the routine ineptitude of prosecutors around the country and supplied the defendant's attorneys with Brady materials which help the defense's case.<br />
<br />
Cy Vance gave the defendant's attorneys evidence of prior lies and bad acts of the complaining victim. This was evidence obtained from INS and other governmental agencies. DA Vance did not limit his search for Brady materials and relevant evidence to one police department's file.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The change in the tone and temperament of the case from being damaging to Kahn to a case damaging to the DA's office was the result of DA Vance's diligence in protecting the rights of the defendant, pursuant to the US Supreme Court's holding in <u>Brady v. Maryland.</u><br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
Furthermore, the roles of the prosecutor and defense counsel are entirely different. A prosecutor's duty is at odds with a lawyer's responsibility to clients.<br />
<br />
For a defense attorney, the Rules of Professional Conduct require that the attorney act "zealously" on behalf of his client.<br />
<br />
In contrast, the prosecutor's duty is not for him to seek convictions, as most journalists believe when misinforming the public. Rather, the prosecutor's duty by law is to "seek justice." <br />
The commendable duty to seek justice means that a prosecutor must make decisions based on fairness to the defendants.<br />
<br />
"Seeking justice" for a prosecutor means that, like Cy Vance, they must exercise due diligence in locating all relevant evidence in a case, including all Brady materials which can lead to charges being dismissed against a person like DSK.<br />
<br />
And the release of Brady materials is done "in the interest of justice."<br />
<br />
That is exactly what District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. did. He did it for DSK. He did it in the interest of justice.<br />
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<i>Note: Ray Oliver served as defense co counsel in the largest drug trafficking trial in US history at the time. He also served as co counsel in the Lot Air disaster case and has represented high profile public officials in criminal </i><i>investigations and trials. He served as Chair of the International Litigation Cmmtt, New Jersey State Bar Association & Chair of the Administrative Law Section, NJSBA. He began his career prosecuting cases for the Illinois Attorney General, General Law Section-Chicago. </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777;"><i>Oliver also represented parties in criminal </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777;"><i>cases through a major record label company. He is a past elected Governor of the NY tv academy Emmy awards, Board of Governors and is a past Chair of the </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777;"><i>Membership committee of the NY tv academy Emmy awards.</i></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777;"><i> </i></span></b></span><br />
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</span>RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7611719969722849833.post-5143565663663156442011-06-19T18:32:00.180-04:002011-10-11T14:25:44.671-04:00DID ANCIENT ISRAELITES DRINK BEER: Reply to Michael Homan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><i><b>LICENSE IS HEREBY GRANTED FOR REPUBLICATION OF ARTICLES BY RAY OLIVER WITH PROPER CREDIT.</b></i></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">*<u>note: the article's formatting problems are being addressed</u></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span><br /><b><i><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><br /></span></i></b><br /><b><i><span></span></i></b><b><i><span>EDITED</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 9pt;">2/7/2011 </span></i></b><st1:time hour="22" minute="51"><b><i><span style="font-size: 9pt;">10:51:36 PM</span></i></b></st1:time></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"> <span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span"> FINAL EDIT </span></i></b><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span">: 9/13/2011</span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">by: Raymond A. Oliver<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">dated: 1/25/2011 </span><st1:time hour="19" minute="43"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">7:43:53 PM</span></st1:time><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">973.856.8393<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">internet search key: “rayoliveresq”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">© copyright 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><b>LETTER TO BAR EDITOR:<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;">Dear Editor:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b><i>DIVING DUCKS FOR TRUTH IN BIBLICAL BEER</i></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">This is a response to Assistant Professor Michael Homan’s article entitled, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Did The Ancient Israelites Drink Beer</u></i>. Mr. Homan’s article was published in BAR magazine, volume 36, issue 5 on October 4, 2010. <sup><o:p></o:p></sup></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><a href="http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=36&Issue=5&ArticleID=4">http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=36&Issue=5&ArticleID=4</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;">A separate copy of Homan's article is here: </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><a href="http://www.bibbiablog.com/2010/09/16/did-the-ancient-israelites-drink-beer/">http://www.bibbiablog.com/2010/09/16/did-the-ancient-israelites-drink-beer/</a><br /><br /><br />After reading Michael Homan’s article, I recalled the Delta Blues musician, lyricist and </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in center 5.0in;">composer, Muddy Waters where he sang, </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“…if the river was made of whiskey, I’d be a diving duck…” <sup>1<o:p></o:p></sup></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Similar to that blues duck in rivers of whisky, Michael Homan’s article in Biblical Archaeology Review portrayed biblical Jews as diving ducks in a fermented <st1:place><st1:placetype>river</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Israelite</st1:placename></st1:place> beer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The Homan article <b><i>misportrayed</i></b> ancient Israelites by grouping them with antiquities which establish and evidence that Egyptians, Babylonians, Sumerians, and other Mesopotamian Gentiles maintained a beer producing culture.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">This is my opposition to Mr. Homan’s description of ancient Jews as pushing plows in Canaan fields flowing with barley, while joyously popping open amphorae and toasting “<span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">שכר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span>“, with Homan’s imaginary clay beer <span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">שכר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span lang="HE"> </span>vessels and non-existent accoutrements of Israelite straws and strainers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b>My intention here is clear. I am not engaging in a Harvard Austin-Strawson debate on Truth. I am unveiling Homan’s written fabrications. </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Homan incorrectly leads the uninitiated reader into thinking that biblical Jews made and “drank lots of beer.” He tricks the reader into believing that ancient Israelites developed a beer culture through ethnographic influences. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">This letter is an abridged version of my complete article in response to Michael Homan. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">For purposes of this Letter to the Editor, my prefatory advice for readers of Michael Homan’s article on Israelite beer drinking, is that they should entirely dismiss Homan’s words as the fodder of an associate professor who is more an enthusiast of beer drinking, than he is for accuracy in biblical archaeology. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><u><b>AN OVERVIEW</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">At the outset, the publication of Homan’s article begins a problematic journey for methodologically disciplined archaeologists. The article ignores the strict methods and standards in archaeology, which are required to overturn a prevailing understanding of ancient practices.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The article also textually leads the disciplined scientist and informed reader into the wilderness of Homan’s confusion of Jewish antiquity.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Can Homan prove that a beer culture existed without the necessary artifacts, simply by arguing that it is “too difficult to find evidence of beer production,” because beer making vessels were also used to prepare different organic products? <sup> </sup> The methodology used in reaching a conclusion</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">is the single most important tool available to researchers in the sciences and humanities. The absence of artifacts, as Homan admits, nevertheless becomes a methodology for Homan. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The issue of methodology is critical here, because professor Homan does not give us any verifiable explanation for distorting our collective perception of well-established archaeological facts about biblical Jewish practices and lifestyle.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">First, it is clear that a widespread use of beer by covenanted Jews would be a dietary law gone astray, when measured against the Torah’s dictates of sacrificial practices and its general scheme of acceptable behavior for the promised people. Further, Homan’s anthropological description is at variance with the conventional political and theological thought on biblical Jews, whose raison d’etre was to preserve ethnic and religious purity during epochs of slavery and liberation. Jewish ethnic and religious purity was a strong countervailing value against acculturation and disobedience of the Mosaic purity laws of the Torah. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Homan apparently teaches theology. Yet he is blind to the fact that Jesus suffered the penalty of crucifixion because of his criticisms of archaeic Jewish religious practices. Jesus viewed Jewish religious practices as secular and blasphemous, rather than being an other worldly devotion to God.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">It was Jesus’ perceived disobedience of the Mosaic Laws, that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. This is paramount evidence that ancient Jewish religious practices left no room for non conforming behavior.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">But Homan would have us believe that Jews were drinking lots of beer like the Gentiles, even</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">though the presence of a Gentile in the <st1:city><st1:place>Temple</st1:place></st1:city>’s core grounds was treated as a desecration of the <st1:city><st1:place>Temple</st1:place></st1:city> itself. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">As discussed in detail below, <st1:place>Canaan</st1:place>’s newly arrived covenanted Jew of the Pentateuch is hardly a Mosaic picture of Israelites making and drinking lots of beer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The notion that ancient Israelites introduced any fermentation into the <st1:place><st1:placename>Jerusalem</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place> and into their sacrificial offerings is inconsistent with the general religious precept of purity as it is contained in the Torah. If flour grain was not permitted to ferment for bread to be used as a sacrifice at the altar, could fermented beer grain be allowed as a drink sacrifice?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Fermentation of grains for leavened bread, which was prohibited directly by the Torah, could not be permitted indirectly through fermentation of barley for beer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Homan is also indifferent to the self-imposed religious segregation and Jewish tribal practice of body modification as their religious belief in ethnic identification and exclusion from Gentiles. The body modification of circumcision is strong evidence of a tribal practice that was designed to prevent assimilation, acculturation and tribal attrition through intermarriage or sexual liaison with Gentiles. The requirement of circumcision was introduced as a scriptural covenant with Yahweh, which solidified the homogeneity of Israelites. This practice further identified Israelites as ethnocentric in the Mosaic law’s policy for self preservation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The Torah gives us an historical record of those Israelites who failed to conform to the Jewish group’s taboo against assimilation with other nations. Those ancient Israelites who were not ethnocentric and who disregarded the Torah’s prohibitions against following the practices of</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Canaanites and other Gentiles are recorded to have “…assimilated into other nations and lost their distinction as Israelites.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The Torah tells us that these inter-cultural Jews became the lost tribes of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Therefore, the concept of an Israelite is that they were distinctly Israelite through their socio-legal theocracy engendered by Moses, who was a Prophet for the actual words of Yahweh.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The Israelites who strayed from this Mosaic constitutional confederacy lost their Jewish distinction. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">It is reasonable to infer that the assimilated Israelite engaged in the practices of their host cultures. This would include drinking beer as a normative practice. However, these assimilated Jews were “lost” to the devotional Israelites. For our purposes, the lost tribes are not Israelite, because of the loss of their distinctive theological identity.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">This concept of the ancient Israelite is important for our analysis.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">This notion of identity underscores the necessity for Homan to prove that “drinking lots of beer” was a cultural and normative practice for the ethnocentric and devotional Israelite. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Therefore, only solid epigraphic evidence can support an interpretation that an ancient Israelite beer drinking culture existed. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">There is no such evidence.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">In linguistic philosophy, the concept of ancient Israelite places us squarely within the distinct group of covenanted Jews. The covenant was that as a people, Yahweh chose them to assume their legacy of <st1:place>Canaan</st1:place> lands in return for their obedience to the Torah. Yahweh promised devotional Israelites that they would prosper as a great nation in exchange for their exclusive devotion to Him as a “jealous God.” Our profile of the ancient Israelite begins with this construct set out in the biblical five books of the Torah.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">It is therefore illogical for Homan to extrapolate Jewish customs, mores and norms from the non-Jewish population’s normative behavior, within the ancient Near East. The well-evidenced practice of Egyptian beer making and drinking cannot be used as a “parallelism” that ancient Jews also engaged in a normative practice of making and drinking beer. Homan’s use of artifacts from non-Israelite civilizations to exemplify ancient Israelite culture is a disservice to the reader. Homan confuses the distinction of convenanted Israelites, from the wider ethno-topography of the Ancient Near East.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;"><b><u>Homan Photographs of ANE Artifacts</u></b></div></div><span><span><br />Homan uses nine (9) photographs in his article. Only one (1) photograph is alleged by Homan to be evidence of an Israelite beer drinking culture. This single photo consists of twenty (20) stone stoppers with no indication of their in situ association with corollary artifacts. The stoppers are of two different types of pottery.<br />Homan does not provide pottery dating for this handful of (as yet) isolated, undecipherable stone stoppers.<br /><br />Homan credits himself for photographing the perforated clay jar stoppers. The stoppers are identified as artifacts which were excavated at Tel Zeitah.<br /><br /><br />Further, the twenty stoppers offered by Homan are not part of a generally accepted and known collection of ANE artifacts, with an attribution to a specific civilization.<br /><br />SEE: footnote 3 below on Homan's unsupported identification of these 20 clay stoppers as being Israelite.<br /><br />The remaining eight photographs illustrate indisputable evidence of Egyptian and Babylonian artifacts of beer production. In order to substantiate an interpretation of ancient Israelite culture, it is necessary to rely on archaeological evidence which proves an institutional process of Israelite beer production and consumption.<br /><br />(The above section re-edited July 28, 2011)</span></span><span><span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><br /><u><b>THE ISSUES</b></u></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b><div><div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Could the political and theological structure of ancient Jewish societies allow Jewish assimilation into the fully evidenced Egyptian practice of making and drinking beer? Homan’s description of ancient Jews implies that Israelites uniformly adopted and acculturated into the societies in which they were enslaved, had established through conquests, or culturally influenced by their neighboring populations. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;">In his BAR article, professor Homan stated the issue as “Did the ancient Israelites drink beer?” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">From the outset, Homan’s issue orients the reader to a seemingly common sense sentiment and a gut feeling reaction that “of course Israelites drank beer.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The issue misdirects the reader into thinking that if barley grain was available and barley was fermented into beer by Egyptians and Mesopotamians and was a major alcoholic beverage of the <st1:place>Near East</st1:place>, then “of course ancient Jews made and drank beer too”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">However, the mere availability of barley is not evidence of a specific type of domestic use by ancient Jews. Over abundance of barley is not evidence of a history of beer production and its consumption by ancient Israelites or by any other Near Eastern peoples. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Even if we assume that there was an “overabundance of barley,” we need more evidence than just the availability of barley in <st1:place><st1:city>Canaan</st1:city>, <st1:country-region>Judah</st1:country-region></st1:place> or <st1:country-region><st1:place>Israel</st1:place></st1:country-region> to prove an ancient Israelite practice of making beer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Although the topography of the <st1:place>Levant</st1:place>, <st1:place>Canaan</st1:place> and <st1:place>Mesopotamia</st1:place> favored the cultivation of barley in areas where viticulture farming was not supported, this is not on its own, evidence that the barley was used for beer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">The exhaustive volume of archaeological artifacts from Mesopotamian societies that barley was also used to make beer, is not archaeological proof that biblical Israelites also fermented barley into beer as a customary and normative societal practice. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Therefore, the proper issue is whether sufficient epigraphic or paleographic evidence exists to support an interpretation in anthropology that ancient Israelites domesticated barley partly for beer consumption. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">A decision on the issue depends on our weighing the hard evidence in our hand.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><u><b>THE CONTROLLING ISSUES</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Is there epigraphic or paleographic evidence, which proves a biblical Jewish beer making culture? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Was beer important to ancient Jews? Is the Hebraic biblical word, “Shekhar” translated as “beer?” If we assume that “shekhar” is translated as “beer,” is philology of the word <span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">שכר</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> “Shekhar” an acceptable method in archaeology to make an interpretation in anthropology? If Shekhar means beer, does a mention of the word for beer in the Torah mean that ancient Jews engaged in widespread beer drinking?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Can philology alone, provide paleographic evidence that ancient Israelites produced beer? Was there a widespread conspiratorial plan to denigrate beer by distorting the meaning of the Hebraic word Shekhar through willful mistranslations of the Scriptures, as Homan argues? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Finally, does Homan provide sufficient bibliographic support to his statements?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><u><b>INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">A review of the archaeological evidentiary landscape leads to the clear conclusion that the ancient Israelites did <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> establish or acculturate into a beer drinking society. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Simply, beer was not important to ancient Jews.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">In fact, the archaeological direct evidence proves the opposite of Professor Homan’s thesis.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Homan’s article and his thesis are wrong. The Scriptural evidence also proves that Homan is</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">wrong in his description of ancient Jews. The historical climatic conditions of the <st1:place>Levant</st1:place> and</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><st1:place>Canaan</st1:place> regions also stand in contrast of Homan’s description of agricultural and barley conditions which existed at the time. Moreover, the economic data on the availability of barley, based on price movements of wheat and barley around 500 BC, is further misinterpreted and misunderstood by author Homan.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Not only is the thesis wrong that “biblical Jews drank lots of beer,” but a clear pattern emerges, that Homan’s article is an uninformative collection of citations and misstatements of the position and content of the authorities, which he cites in his footnotes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><u><b>REPLY ON TWO LEVELS</b></u><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">I will reply to Michael Homan in two parts.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">On one level, I will discuss the absence of competent evidence in Homan’s paper, together with the archaeological evidence, which is required to support an interpretive conclusion that a beer Jewish culture and norm existed. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">On another level, I will discuss the critically deficient standards exhibited by Homan’s article in Biblical Archaeology Review. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Before I analyze the archaeological collection of artifacts needed to support a finding of a biblical Jewish beer culture, I will first point out the deficient bibliographic support and self-defeating argument, which Homan makes in his article.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1;"><u><b>DEFICIENT BIBLIOGRAPHIC SUPPORT</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Worse than Homan’s incorrect conclusion and his unsubstantiated archaeological interpretations, are his misstatements of bibliographic sources and citations.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">My review of the texts and publications cited by professor Homan as footnotes, leads me to the conclusion that Homan improperly summarized the position of other authors. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Here are the specific reasons why I believe that Homan’s article raises a question of intellectual honesty.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.15in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><u><b>COMPARING FOOTNOTED STATEMENTS WITH WORKS CITED</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Like the gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word…,” Homan’s most salient point to support his argument is his statement that the Mesoretic Text-Hebrew Bible evidences that in the beginning was “the Word” for beer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />Homan states,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> <blockquote></blockquote>"The word from the Hebrew Bible that I translate as “beer” is shekhar ( שכר). I believe this is the best translation, based on linguistic and archaeological sources. 11</div><div style="text-align: left;"> I am certainly not the only scholar to adopt this translation. Others include Richard E. Friedman, Magen Broshi…</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 12 Richard Friedman, <u>Commentary on theTorah</u> is footnoted). Magen Broshi, <i>Date </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Beer And Date Wine In Antiquity"</i><blockquote></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Personally, I admire Richard Friedman's critical thought and dedication to primary sources.<br /><br />I have read Friedman’s Commentary a number of times.<br /><br />Here is Friedman’s authoritative statement in his Commentary on the Torah, Numbers 28:7,<br /><br /> <blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>28.7 beer. I have consistently translated Hebrew yayin and sekar as<br />“wine” and “beer,” respectively, because wine and beer are the alcoholic<br />beverages of the ancient Near East. (italics added) Still, I admit that<br />a libation of beer here presents a difficulty because beer involves<br />fermentation, and normally fermented substances are not used in the holy place.<br />Thus the priests eat the meat of their sacrifices on unleavened bread.<br />The translation “beer” is therefore uncertain in this passage<br />(and possibly in other occurrences as well).<blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div>Although Friedman candidly recognizes the difficulty of introducing the fermented beverage of “Near Eastern <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 200%;">peoples” into the sacrificial </span><st1:city style="line-height: 200%;"><st1:place>Temple</st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 200%;"> or onto the altars in the fields, Homan leads his readers to believe that the Homan translation is consistent with the renowned authority, Richard Friedman.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Homan misleads the reader in his description of Richard Friedman’s scholarly work.<b> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Assistant professor Homan also states that Magen Broshi adopts Homan’s translation of<br />Shekhar <b><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">שכר</span></b><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> as </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">beer.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">”</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span>Again, Homan is either willfully untruthful or nescient in his<br />description of the scholarly work of Magen Broshi. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Broshi simply does not translate Shekhar <span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span dir="RTL"></span> <span lang="HE">שכר</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span dir="LTR"></span> as </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">beer,</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">”</span><span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span>the way Homan misleads us to believe.<br />Here is the relevant text from <u>Date Beer And Date Wine In Antiquity</u>, subtitled, <u>Terminology</u> from, <i><st1:city><st1:place>Palestine</st1:place></st1:city> Exploration Quarterly</i>, (2007) p. 55.</div><br /><br />Broshi states,<br /><br /> <blockquote></blockquote>"In the Old Testament l’’’ and שכר appear as parallels and there is<br /> no way to tell if שכר is different from grape wine…"<blockquote></blockquote><br /></div><div><br />Broshi intelligently crystallizes his use of the word שכר in the Abstract to his study on Date Beer.<br /><br />He states,<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>"Ancient authors tell us, testimonies corroborated by archaeological finds, that in this area, northwest of the Dead Sea, in the first century BCE and first century CE existed groves of date palms. As of the beginning of Iron Age date wine became the principal alcoholic beverage of Mesopotamia (but still called beer) replacing the millennia-old barley beer. Classical authors, as well as the Babylonian Talmud, supply us with detailed description of the production methods and properties of the drink… p. 55"<blockquote></blockquote><br />Broshi explains that the drink made from crushed and fermented palm dates was a “wine” made<br /><br />from dates (date wine). But this wine which was made from dates, was still being called “beer” </div><div><br /></div><div>at the beginning of the Iron Age (1200 BC).<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div class="MsoNormal">Broshi further refines the meaning of the word “Beer” as a term which actually refers to a </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“wine” made from palm dates.<br /><br /><br />Broshi tells us,<br /><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>"Henceforth, the alcoholic beverage made of dates will be called beer, but indeed it is wine. We use the term beer because in the Talmud, as well as in its contemporaneous neighbouring languages, it is called beer. The Babylonian Talmud speaks explicitly about beer, שכר, made of barley and beer made of dates (Moed katan 12, 2). <i>footnote omitted</i>."<blockquote></blockquote><br /><br /><br /></div><span><span></span></span><span><span></span></span><span><span>It is clear that Magen Broshi does not “adopt” Homan’s translation that Shekhar שכר, as used in<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>the Hebrew Bible, means barley beer. In contrast to Homan, Broshi adopts the term “Beer” as it<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>is used in the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud refers to “Beer” as meaning a “wine made from<br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>dates” and as a “drink made from barley.”</span></span></div><div><span><span><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>The Talmud is not the Mesoretic Text-Hebrew Bible from which Homan extracts the word for</span></span></div><div><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span>beer. </span></span>The Talmud is a complex set of rules and regulations, which were adopted by the </div><div><br /></div><div>Israelites and are not part of Mosaic Law of the Hebrew Bible. The Talmud consists of a </div><div><br /></div><div>separate body of later adopted rules. The Babylonian Talmud was designed to help the </div><div><br /></div><div>Israelites follow the Mesoretic Text-Hebrew Bible.</div><div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />Homan extracts his word<i> Shekhar</i> as barley beer from the<i> Hebrew Bible</i>. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In contrast, Broshi translates the term “Beer” from the Talmud, as a “wine” made from dates; </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>“…indeed it is wine.”</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br />As my final comment on Michael Homan’s misleading reference to Magen Broshi, the following </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">statement by Broshi is noteworthy. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Broshi states in his footnote three, at page 59, the following,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div><div style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><sup><br /></sup></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"</span>3 It is interesting to note that the word <i>cider</i> is derived, through Latin and Greek, from the</div><div>Semitic shechar."</div><div><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px; ">Therefore, the philology of the word “shechar” is <b><i>cider</i></b>.<b> </b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">This derivative tracing of the Semitic “Shechar” is hardly an adoption of Homan’s translation of Shekhar as meaning beer in the Hebrew Bible.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br />Clearly, author Michael Homan misleads us. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Furthermore, in footnote 11 above, Homan also tells us that he reached "…the best translation, based on linguistic and archaeological sources.” What are those “linguistic and archaeological sources” that he cited as footnote 11? </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;">Here is Homan’s footnoted support for “<i>the best translation…</i>” and the “<i>linguistic and archaeological <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sources</b>.” </i></div><div style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></b></span></div><span style="color: windowtext;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"> </span></span><br /><blockquote></blockquote>"11. “Ale” is actually more accurate, as “beer” typically refers to a beverage made from malted grains flavored with hops and carbonated. Like ale, ancient beer had no carbonation, though ancient beer was not flavored with hops as beer and ale are. Due to the malt, ancient beer was sweet and flavored with a variety of fruits and spices."<blockquote></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><o:p>O</o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;">bviously, Homan’s footnote 11 is also a misleading citation. Homan does not provide any support for his unsubstantiated assertion of being the best translation based on linguistic sources. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;">Homan provides an entirely irrelevant paragraph on the flavoring and distinction between ale and beer. Homan does not give any support to his statement that his interpretation is “the best translation” or on the “linguistic and archaeological sources” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;">on which he bases his translations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">It is my personal opinion, that these two infractions of bibliographic standards are serious in academia. They are also serious deficiencies in vetted journals and magazines. Misleading citations would generally prevent publication of an article in academic journals. Worse yet, these types of infractions in some academic settings would cause departmental hearings on the propriety of the published paper.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;"> Even Homan’s first footnoted statement is questionable.</div><div style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">"Humans have been making beer for at least 5,000 years, and most likely much longer. 1"<blockquote></blockquote></span></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;">Homan’s first footnote cites pages 23 and 24 of Katz and Voigt’s publication, “The Early Use of Cereals in the Human Diet.” as his support that humans had developed a beer production culture “at least 5000 years” ago. Pages 23 and 24 are the first two pages of Katz and Voigt’s scientific and disciplined study of the domestication of cereals in the human diet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">However, contrary to Homan’s footnote one, Katz and Voigt do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>make any statement about the age of beer production.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Katz and Voigt’s study is a qualitative analysis of botanist Jonathan Sauer’s suggestion that the earliest plant domestication and use of cereals may have been for fermentation of grains, rather than for the production of flour and bread. Katz and Voigt discuss the survey of distinguished anthropologists and archaeologists, which Robert Braidenwood conducted on Sauer’s question of whether grains were domesticated first for beer or for bread..</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;"> The group of scientists, </div><div style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"> “…tentatively concluded that people never lived by beer alone, but must have</span></div> lived first by gruel, then by bread, and finally by bread and beer."<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The Katz and Voigt paper is a documented analysis of Katz’s “biocultural evolution of cuisine.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">With respect to Homan’s publication, nowhere in pages 23 and 24 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">or anywhere</i> in the Katz and Voigt article is there support for Homan’s statement that humans developed beer production, “…at least 5000 years, and most likely much longer.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Simply, the Katz and Voigt paper does not identify the origins or date of beer production.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The origin of beer production is not the subject of the study, nor is it mentioned.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">If a date were given for the origin of beer production, the footnote would have cited the page</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">number where the statement could be found. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">This is just another example of questionable use of citations. The citation gives an appearance of support to Homan’s novel ideas on biblical Jews and on the hypothesis of widespread consumption of beer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">I am not saying here, that the absence of a reliable bibliographic citation by author Homan means that humans did not produce beer at least 5000 years ago. There is credible evidence of beer production dating back to at least 5000 bc. However, Katz and Voigt are not sources, which support a 5000-year-old beer producing culture. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Even if we assume, without any bibliographic support, that humans developed beer production 5000 years ago, an early human practice is not evidence of the ancient Jewish practices dating to the 15 century bc and later. The Torah itself is convincing evidence that societies developed myth, magic and religion which altered and governed the actions of members of specific tribes and societies. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Ancient human practices were profoundly altered by subsequently adopted tribal rules over the course of millennia during human development. We are all the product of those changes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">My criticism of Homan’s first footnote is not to dispute the statement that “humans have been making beer for at least 5000 years…” I am familiar with the micro-biological samples obtained by the University of Pennsylvania which revealed chemical evidence of beer production attributed to Iran in 3500-3100 years bc. There is other epigraphic evidence, which demonstrates that beer production has been a practice of Mesopotamians, Asiatic and Europeans for thousands of years. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Rather, my point is to reveal Homan’s apparent indifference to reliable bibliographic support for his readers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 228.6pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 228.6pt;">The point is that, on one level, Homan’s thesis is unproven and unreliable because of his deficient citations and the absence of literary support for his statements. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 228.6pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">There are many more examples of misplaced citations by Assistant Professor Homan. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">In footnote two (2), Homan again cites Katz and Voigt as support for his statement that,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div><br />"Some anthropologists have argued that it was a thirst for beer, rather than a hunger for bread, that led to the Neolithic Revolution (c. 9500–8000 B.C.E.), during which humans gradually abandoned a huntergatherer lifestyle in favor of sedentary farming.2"<blockquote></blockquote></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Homan does <i><b>not </b></i>cite a page number for reference in his footnote.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Again, Homan’s reference to the “entire article” by Katz and Voigt as support for his statement is misleading. There is no argument made by <i>any</i> anthropologist in the Katz and Voigt article that asserts that the gathering of wild cereals during the Paleolithic age had transformed into Neolithic age because humans domesticated grain plants to satisfy a “thirst for beer.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 200%;">Here is what Katz and Voigt wrote in their article,</div><div style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"> </span><br />"Robert Braidenwood’s field work at Jarmo…led the botanist Jonathan D. Sauer to suggest that the earliest use of wheat and barley may not have been as flour for bread, but for beer. Braidenwood posed Sauer’s question to his colleagues as follows. "<br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px; ">I have previously noted what Braidenwood’s distinguished colleagues decided as their “tentative” answer to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>botanist</b></i> Sauer’s<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> question</i> on whether beer or bread came first.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Katz and Voigt do not make an argument that a “thirst for beer” was the stimulant for domestication of plants.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Contrary to Homan’s citation, “a thirst for beer” is not the subject of Katz and Voigt’s paper. The subject of Katz’ Biocultural Evolution of Cuisine is about the decreasing number of edible plants used by humans, and the increasing number of ways those plants are used in food preparation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Katz and Voigt point out that humans use less edible plants, but that the ways in which those plants are prepared for food, has increased. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The thesis of Katz’s article is that humans have a greater variety in the way foods are prepared, with a corresponding lower use in the variety of edible plants.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Moreover, Homan makes the following statement, supposedly based on the Amarna Letters,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;">which he cites as footnote four (4),</div><br /><br />"4 Nobody disputes the importance of beer in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, where it was the national drink. Beer was used to pay laborers and the fathers of brides."<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;">Excavations at the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><st1:place><st1:placename>Amarna</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Work</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Village</st1:placetype></st1:place></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"> do <i>not</i> support Homan’s statement that “beer was used to pay laborers and…(for) brides.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Archaeologists and anthropologists have not determined the nature of the <st1:place><st1:placename>Amarna</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Work</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Village</st1:placetype></st1:place>.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The only interpretation made <i>in situ</i> at the Amarna excavations is that some households in the segregated work <st1:place><st1:placetype>village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Amarna</st1:placename></st1:place> contained bread-making ovens and others did not. Some <i>in</i> <i>situ</i> excavations of bread ovens were in common areas, apparently for general inhabitant use. The anthropological interpretation is that there must have been a bread manufacturing process at Amarna, which was dependent on interaction and cooperation between the Amarna inhabitants. From this mutual dependency and cooperation between Amarna inhabitants, the inference is that, it appears, that there was a division of labor at Amarna.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">However, the purpose and inhabitants of Amarna are riddles, which remain unsolved.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The overriding concern here is that neither the footnoted work of D. Samuel or the Amarna excavations and its recovered artifacts, support Homan’s statement that beer was so valuable a commodity that it bought Egyptian, Mesopotamian, or Israelite brides. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Amarna is not support for interpretations relating to beer as a commodity.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">In fact the text of the Amarna report which is cited by Homan as support for his statement, that Egyptian beer was "used to pay...the fathers of brides," further evidences Homan's callous disregard for the truth or accuracy in summarizing important archaeological studies.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The reader of Homan's article should note that the word "Beer" is only used twice in Samuel's report, "Bread making and social interactions at the Amarna Workmen's Village, Egypt," at page 125. The word <i>beer </i>is only used parenthetically and is not part of the study on the Amarna's workmen's village.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Here is the text that Homan cites as support for his statement that Egyptians used beer to "pay the fathers of brides."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> "Bread, together with beer, was used as an economic yardstick in a</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> moneyless economy. Although based on barter, <i>the ancient Egyptian</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><i>economy was sophisticated (Jansen 1975)</i>. Commodities were frequently</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>valued in relation to measures of grain or loaves of bread. As part of </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>this system, bread (along with beer) <i>was provided as rations, and was</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>an important part of the payment system by those who had access to</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>people's labour </i>(Kemp 1989: 117ff). pg. 125 italics added. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Clearly, Michael Homan distorts and misrepresents the reference to beer, in Delwen Samuel's important work. Michael Homan falsely attributes Samuel's work as support for the</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">statement that Egypt used beer to buy brides. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">This is another example of Homan's use of false footnotes to his article.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Further, it is specious reasoning for Homan to state that beer production and drinking was widespread and common, but on the other hand, beer was such a rare and treasured commodity at Amarna that it had a monetary value in a system of bartering for women. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Homan is also self-contradictory by stating that women were the major beer producers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Apparently, for Homan, women were producing a commodity that was used for their purchase by potential husbands. In Homan’s micro-economy, the more beer the women produced, the lower their net value became. What economic incentive would beer manufacturing women have to produce more beer, when their liberty and family estate value was directly affected by the quantity of beer they produced?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The problem here is that Homan “stretches the fact” that women made beer in ancient households. It is well evidenced that women made beer in ancient times. Women were also tavern-keepers during Hammurabi’s reign. One ancient Babylonian artifact illustrates a woman, presumptively drinking beer from a jug, while having sexual intercourse from behind. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">However, Homan stretches the fact that ancient women made and drank beer, by claiming that </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">women were the major beer producers. Homan exhibits a propensity towards illusionary attempts to elevate women in ancient (and modern) society by making disjointed associations to reach his preferred conclusion. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">To borrow a phrase from Homan, “I am certainly not the only” reviewer to see a clear pattern of disjointed associations made by Michael Homan. In the Bryn Mawr Classical Review, (2009), <span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">Stephanie L. Budin, of </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">Rutgers</span></st1:placename><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">University</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">Camden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;"> made the following comment on </span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">Jennie R. Ebeling and Michael M. Homan’s, <u>"Baking and Brewing Beer in the Israelite </u></span><u><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 200%;">Household: A Study of Women's Cooking Technology."</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br /><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span><br /><br />"However, the authors also had to relate all this to ancient women. To engender the paper, they include somewhat weaker sections on ANE beer goddesses, make an argument that beer brewing was predominantly in women's hands in ancient times, and end with a statement that control over brewing, like control over baking, empowered ancient women, as they were responsible for providing vital nutrition to their families."<br />Considering the extent to which kitchen duty has not empowered women at any other point in </div><span><span>history, I'm not sure if this is really a valid argument. Nevertheless, the article is a good<br /></span></span>place to begin for anyone interested in the history and archaeology of beer.</div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">A similar kind of <i>dis-junction </i>occurs…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br />The current archaeological evidence indicates that Egyptians paid laborers for construction of the pyramids with beer. There is also epigraphic evidence that beer was sold to a person, public official or government purchaser and a sales receipt was given to the buyer. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">If our current understanding that Israelite slave labor constructed the pyramids during the Torah’s account of 430 years of Egyptian “degrading” were accurate, then the practice of paying Israelite indentured laborers with beer, would lend further support to the notion that Israelites did not have a beer producing culture of their own. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Beer as a commodity has little exchange value to a person who produces that same commodity on a personal and societal scale. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Moreover, King Hammurabi’s Law codified rules for tavern keepers for the sale of beer to patrons. Hammurabi’s Law did not impose a general rule on the “strength and price of beer” on the general population, as Homan seems to imply.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Taken together, this bibliographic deficiency questions the reliability of Homan’s statements.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">There emerges an indisputable pattern of misinformation by Homan.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">In the first nine footnotes, (one through nine), Homan cites himself as a “source to himself,” five (5) times. As demonstrated above, Homan incorrectly cites the materials authored by Katz and Voigt, twice. He misstates D. Samuel and the <st1:place><st1:placename>Armana</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Work</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Village</st1:placetype></st1:place> as having something to do with beer as payment for brides.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">In footnote nine (9) Homan clearly misrepresents the statements of Richard Friedman in <u>Commentary on the Torah</u> Homan further distorts Magen Broshi's work, that Date Palm wine was being called beer.<br />Homan hides from his readers, Broshi's philolog<u>i</u>cal conclusion that <b><i>Shechar</i></b> was <b><i>cider</i></b>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The net result is that<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> all</i> of Homan’s statements made up to that point in his article, beginning from footnote one through nine, are unreliable and false references. His bibliographic citations merely give the appearance of support to his thesis that biblical Jews drank lots of beer. The actual texts of those references tell us a different story. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">There is no need to burden the reader here with additional examples of Homan’s questionable use of footnotes. Be assured that there are many more examples throughout his article.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">For readers, this emerging pattern is a sufficient basis to dismiss Homan’s article entirely, because of Homan’s unreliability and indifference to accuracy for his readers.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">On this first level, Homan’s article does not give us any reason to overturn our current understanding of biblical Jews.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">The policy statement of the Jewish Museum in <st1:state><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:state> remains as the correct statement of the current state of archaeological eividence concerning Israelites and beer in the Ancient Near East.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"> “Beer originated in at least the fourth millennium BCE in the warm lands of</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> the ancient Near East, particularly in grain-rich <st1:country-region><st1:place>Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region> and <st1:place>Mesopotamia</st1:place>.<br />Over time, the beer industry spread throughout the East. In <st1:place>Mesopotamia</st1:place>,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> beer was drunk by people of all strata, in cultic contexts as well as in </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> taverns and private homes. Beer-making was the only profession considered </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> to be under divine protection. <b><i>In <st1:country-region><st1:place>Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>, beer was not offered to the gods, </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><b><i> since it was considered a drink of the common folk. As a dietary staple, </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><b><i> it was included among the daily rations distributed to laborers, soldiers, </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><b><i> and even schoolchildren. Beer never played an important role among the </i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><b><i> drinking customs of the <st1:place><st1:placetype>land</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Israel</st1:placename></st1:place>.</i></b> The ancient Greeks and Romans </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> regarded it as a barbarian drink, and thus it was not popular in these </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> lands either…” (bold italic added)<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"> Quoted from, <u><span style="font-size: 9pt;">DRINK AND BE MERRY: WINE AND BEER IN ANCIENT TIMES</span></u><span style="font-size: 9pt;">, June 30, 2000.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> The curator of the exhibition…Michal Dayagi-Mendels, Frieder Burda</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Curator of Israelite and Persian Archaeology at The </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Israel</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Museum</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 9pt;">, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 9pt;">. The </span><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-size: 9pt;">New York</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> installation of Drink and Be Merry is being <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> coordinated at The Jewish Museum by Dr. Susan L. Braunstein, Curator of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Archaeology and Judaica and Head of The Jewish Museum’s Judaica <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"> Department.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Currently, there is no verifiable evidence of an ancient Israelite beer producing and drinking culture. Neither the Israeli Antiquities Authority, The Jewish Museum, The Universities of Tel Aviv, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Harvard, Cambridge, Cairo or The Smithsonian Institute hold a single artifact which evidences an Israelite beer producing and consuming culture. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">There are no textual Hebraic artifacts, no tablets, no beer jugs, no vessels with</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">chemical remnants of organic barley and beer, no stele, no pottery shards and no ethnographic references to a neighboring Israelite beer culture. We do not have an iota of archaeological evidence, which could be interpreted as an artifact of an ancient Israelite beer producing custom</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Michael Homan’s assertions and misleading references for support, stand against these facts. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">[This letter to the editor is an abridged version of the full article.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">I will discuss the following topics at a later date, as a supplement to this article.]</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><b><u>LINGUISTICS OF “SHEKHAR” </u><u><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">( </span></u><u><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="color: windowtext; font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">שכר</span></u><span dir="LTR"></span><u><span lang="HE" style="color: windowtext; font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span dir="LTR"></span> </span></u></b><u><b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">)</span> AS VARIGATED WINES</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><u><b>ECONOMIC MODELS OF WHEAT AND BARLEY IN 500 BC</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><u><b>SCRIPTURAL TRANSLATIONS AND BOUGOIS WINE CONSPIRATORS</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><u><b>HOMAN’S TRAGIC ALBOIN TOAST FROM THE SKULL OF OUR FOREFATHERS</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><u><b>A FINAL TOAST</b><o:p></o:p></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Does the historical and scriptural record contain an echo of an ancient Israelite beer drinker’s toast?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">There is no echo in the global halls of Jewish antiquity collections. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">In contrast to Homan’s whimsical words of an ancient Hebraic beer toast, the beer toaster’s echo, which jumps from the historical record that we hear resounding outside of the <st1:place><st1:placename>Jerusalem</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Temple</st1:placetype></st1:place> gate is <span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">(Egyptian Hieroglyphs for Beer).</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Be confident that the elusive diving duck for truth is in a river of beer flowing through the various Gentile cultures of the Ancient Near East, with devotional Israelites watching from the viticultural riverbanks. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Ultimately, Homan’s only contribution is that he saw the elusive diving duck. He just needs to give us a truthful account of his sighting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">In final toast to author Michael Homan’s beer quest, I offer him to “have another one on me.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: right 6.0in;">Mazel tov. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><sup>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></sup></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><sup>I </sup>I have chosen not to burden the reader with footnotes for this “letter to the editor.” Necessary references and citations are contained within the text of this article. The biblical references here are common knowledge for students of theology and of related fields. I will include footnotes and the bibliography on a later date, on publication of the full article. This is an abridged version submitted as a letter to the editor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><o:p> 2. Michael Homan's article, <b><i><u>Did The Ancient Israelites Drink Beer?</u></i></b>, published by Biblical Archaeology Review can be found at this site: </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=36&Issue=5&ArticleID=4">http://www.bib-arch.org/bar/article.asp? PubID=BSBA&Volume=36&Issue=5&ArticleID=4</a> Note that the editors at BAR removed the online publication of Homan's article, shortly after receiving the above criticism of Homan's article. Also, Homan's article is separately reprinted here: <a href="http://www.bibbiablog.com/2010/09/16/did-the-ancient-israelites-drink-beer/">http://www.bibbiablog.com/2010/09/16/did-the-ancient-israelites-drink-beer/</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="line-height: 200%;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: 200%;">3. NOTE: Additional misrepresentation by Homan: A further investigation was conducted into Homan's assertion that the image of 20 perforated clay jar stoppers, was evidence of Israelite beer drinking. The credit to the photograph cites Homan as the photographer and the excavation is identified as Tel Zayit (Hebrew pronunciation). Official name of the excavation is Tel Zeitah (Arabic). Ron E. Tappy is director of the Tel Zeitah excavation. <a href="http://www.zeitah.net/">http://www.zeitah.net/</a> </div><div style="line-height: 200%;">Here is the official and relevant statement from Dr. Tappy on finding the 20 clay jar stoppers, that Homan attributes to Ancient Israelite beer drinking,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 200%;"> </span><br /><br />"When our volunteers reached the bottom of Pit 1477, they found nearly 20 perforated clay balls.<br />Inside and around the perforations on these items we could see the imprint of woven cloth. This observation likely indicates that these balls were used as stoppers that were placed in the mouths of jars and stuffed with cloth to assist in the controlled release of gases during the process of fermentation. In Pit 1476, we even found one of the stoppers still in the bottom of a broken jar. It seems, therefore, that the ancient inhabitants of Zeitah were producing wine, vinegar, and other similar commodities in these rooms."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Despite the insistence of BAR publisher, Hershel Shanks in an interview for BAR, Dr. Tappy did not <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 200%;">attribute the site to Israelite origins. In fact, Tel Zeitah has NOT revealed any artifact which would indicate that Jerusalem or Judah existed at the time of Tel Zeitah. The inhabitants of Tel Zeitah are thus far, unknown.</span></div><div style="line-height: 200%;">The major find at Tel Zeitah is a tablet with early Phoenician alphabetic writing. The tablet is attributed to "Syria-Palestine."</div><div style="line-height: 200%;">However, despite the unknown inhabitants of the Tel Zeitah site, publisher Shanks solicited Homan to submit an article. As demonstrated above, Homan's article contains unsubstantiated and false assertion that the stoppers were Israelite. The overwhelming falsity of Homan's article <i>lends strong support to the <b>suspicion</b></i> that BAR publisher Shanks and Homan had intentionally or consequentially engaged in nationalistic archaeology, which intended to confuse or misappropriate other cultures for the political agenda of a modern day Israel. To assert falsely that the stoppers were Israelite, results in a false historical tie and cultural root to a site which may very likely belong to another civilization. False historical roots seemingly legitimizes the expropriation of another people's land and cultural history. Therefore, nationalistic archaeology creates a false legacy to disputed lands and cultural practices. This note added: July 19, 2011 edited: September 13, 2011 </div><div style="line-height: 200%;">It is also important to note, that nationalistic archaeology as demonstrated above is inherently inaccurate. The driving motivation for "archaeological discoveries" in nationalistic archaeology is to legitimize a political agenda. I do not take any political position in this paper. I am unconcerned whether artifacts or epigraphic evidence supports a Jewish or Gentile beer drinking culture.<i> I am exclusively concerned with accuracy and intellectual honesty in archaeology, in order to correctly understand the historical record of civilization. <b>There is no room in academia for people like associate professor Michael Homan.</b> </i>This note added July 27, 2011.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">© copyright oliver 2011<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>About the author:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Ray Oliver is an attorney admitted to NJ & Washington, DC bars. He is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago in Political Science, with emphasis in philosophy & social sciences and graduate level research work in the Sociology of Religion with distinguished sociologist, Tom Gannon, SJ. He attended </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">New York</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">University</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">, Graduate School of Politics, Political Philosophy Division and simultaneously studied at the graduate level at the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">New</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">School</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> for Social Research, where he studied with visiting distinguished economist from </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Cornell</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">University</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">, Thomas Vietoriz and with internationally renowned political theorist, Hannah Arendt. He received his juris doctorate from John Marshall Law, </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Chicago</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> and took various advanced legal instruction courses at </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Harvard</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Law</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">School</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">, including International Litigation with Ann Marie Slaughter, now dean of </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Princeton</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">University</span></st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Woodrow</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Wilson</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><st1:placename><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">School</span></st1:placename></st1:place></b><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: right 6.0in;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Some of his previous writings on Middle Eastern affairs have appeared in international newspapers, including the Al Riyadh and the previous newspaper, the Riyadh English Daily of Saudi Arabia. Ray Oliver is attributed credit for legal representation in filmmaker Jake Gorst’s 2007 Emmy award winning nationally broadcast PBS documentary, Farmboy. Additional information about the author is available by internet key search: “rayoliveresq.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>*The author is greatly indebted to the director of the Warren County Public Library, New Jersey for her patience and assistance and to the library staffs of Drew University and the Sussex County Public Library, New Jersey for their invaluable research support. </b></i></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>RAY OLIVER, ESQ.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01057869530057546864noreply@blogger.com6