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Written shortly before Peter Camejo agreed to run as Ralph Nader's running mate in the 2004 U.S. presidential election, the Avocado Declaration is a vivid description of how the young Green Party should "adopt a firm and uncompromising identity if it was to promote its values and combat the opposition of the more powerful Democratic and Republican parties in the United States." 1

In it, Peter Camejo advised the Green Party (which was divided and uncertain about election year strategy) to win hearts and minds by standing firm to its principles and by building a reputation of being reliable and unshakable.

In coming to that conclusion, Camejo deconstructs the mythologies that the Democratic and Republican Two Party System rely on to enforce an unhealthy allegiance from the people. He further points out how historically almost all positive and healthy benefits that have accrued to the people are due to the stubbornness of independent movements and alternative political parties.

Even though the context of this article is focused on the immediacy of the Green Party's 2004 political situation, it is still mandatory reading for Americans concerned with understanding the true nature of how the two party system affects their lives. It is also fundamental to those who wish to best fulfill their civic obligations by being informed and knowledgeable voters and activists. It is crucial too for anyone trying to understand the history and ideas of the Green Party, and it sheds much light on the nature of politics and elections in the United States.

Because the ideas in this document are so clear, thoughtful, and enlightening, they should have a long life in the world of political science, and be beloved by those who desire true democracy and wish to uphold a productive humanistic tradition.

By the way, the title, Avocado Declaration, refers to the "ideal of party members being like the avocado: "Green on the inside; green on the outside." Avocados are very popular and highly valued in California, where Peter Camejo is running as the Green Party candidate for Governor this year, 2006.

1 Quotations taken from the eponymous article: Avocado Declaration, Wikipedia 10/11/06.

Claire Berlinski has written a very powerful essay. I was especially impressed with her review of "Babe in Arms" (by Judith Wrubel Levy).

As Berlinski explains, the Arab aggression against Israel not only failed to convince Wrubel Levy to flee Israel, it also "cemented her Zionism." Never before had she been so convinced of the necessity of Israel's existence. Sometimes when she heard European "statesmen" apologizing for Arab outrages against people exactly like her, she heard "not just the voices of benighted, distant nitwits talking out of their depth but old-school Europeans who feel, when Jews die, that all's right with the world." And after a bombing just 15 minutes away from her apartment, Wrubel Levy noticed the following juxtaposed headlines: "POOL HALL SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS AT LEAST 16 IN ISRAEL/ U.N. Assembly chastises Israel 74-4"

Berlinski includes a fine review of "Still Life with Bombers" by David Horovitz. And she notes some similarities between the two books. Both are depressing. Both show some heroism in the face of vicious aggression by arrogant enemies. And both use similar language "to describe the international condemnation of the alleged massacre in Jenin." Wrubel Levy asks "who else would wait for 23 suicide bombers from a single city to assault civilian populations for years on end before taking serious action?" I think that's a very good question.

Horovitz is quoted as saying (about Jenin) "Israel could, of course, have bombed the camp, or at least the core of the terrorists' hideouts, and spared all its dead soldiers" but it wanted to cause fewer Arab casualties. "The gunmen, of course, could have surrendered and saved everybody's spilled blood." Horovitz also mentions that the United Nations General Assembly voted 74-4 to condemn Israel just hours after an Arab suicide bomber killed 15 Israelis in a billiard parlor-cafe. And that the condemnation made no mention "of the two dozen suicide bombers dispatched from Jenin." Horowitz concludes that "Yes, the whole world can be wrong."

There are, of course, differences between the books. A major one is that Horovitz's book was published, while Wrubel Levy's was not. Berlinski congratulates Knopf for publishing Horovitz's book and wishes that Wrubel Levy's had been published as well. After reading Berlinski's essay, so do I.

Fred Smith's writings and research are highly valuable sources for those interested in African Art. He offers highly educated points and is a well-respected professor.

The Great Tree of Avalon: Child of the Dark Prophecy is an amazing book. From the beginning to the end, this book contains adventure, mysteries, and at times, humor in its pages. The book begins with a prologue of Tamwyn, the main character of the story, and Scree, Tamwyn's "adopted" brother. The two lived together happily for quite some time, as if they were truly brothers. However, one day, the two were separated by traveling through portals, and they never saw each other again. Many years later, the two, along with some others, are destined to meet together on their own journey to save Avalon.
Each character is unique in his or her own way, but there are certain characters that I focus on more than any other characters. The first one is the eagleboy, Scree. Even when he was only born, he had the strength to knock down a man, making him a strong character in the story. Though he may seem tough on the outside, he does have a kind heart. ("`Whatever she did to you, she did to save her grandfather.' Scree's jaw relaxed slightly. `That's true, I suppose. People will do some pretty wild things to save their only family.' `Right. Like pushing them headfirst into portals.'") When he and Tamwyn were in danger, Scree pushed Tamwyn headfirst into a portal, saving Tamwyn from what could be his death. Serious and independent, Scree is probably one of the most intelligent characters in the book. One of my other favorite characters is Henni Hoolah, a prankster and a daredevil. Henni has been tagging along with Tamwyn for a while in the book, often playing tricks on Tamwyn and teasing the man. He also tends to cause mischief when Tamwyn is reluctant to do something. However, in battles, Henni is a great fighter and ally to have. He helped Tamwyn and the others when fighting against the sorcerer's army.
I also enjoyed the plot of this book. The book does not give too many hints about the ending of the plot. For example, Tamwyn's name means "Dark Flame", and he was born in the Year of Darkness. Scree, who was also born in the same year, was the protector of the staff of Merlin. The book also states that the heir of Merlin and the Child of the Dark Prophecy had a relationship similar to brotherhood. Therefore, many would believe that Tamwyn was the Child of the Dark Prophecy while Scree was the heir of Merlin. However, in the end, it reveals things to be slightly different.
After reading this book, I found it nearly impossible to decide which part was my favorite part. After a long time thinking, I finally decided that my favorite part of the story was the adventure and humor in the story. I enjoy reading books with different and unique adventures, but there are times when I also need a good laugh. This book packs both adventures and comedy. There are parts when the characters are about to do something dangerous, but there is some humor in it. ("`Eehee, eehee, hoohooheeheeha-ha-ha!' he laughed, his silver eyes gleaming. `Here I go, clumsy man.' `Wait!' shouted Tamwyn. He strode over to the cave entrance. `I'm tempted to get rid of you, believe me. But just in case this really is a death trap, I'd rather you live for a little while longer.' Seeing Henni's puzzled look, he added, `So I can kill you myself later on.'")This book is one that is too hard to put down.

Baseballs Best is a complete listing of alltime
players teams poems and feature articles. It
was definetly worth ordering and fun to read.
A must read for baseball fans of any era.

I wrote this little story in 1985. It's a story based on memories of my childhood in Louisiana where I lived with my family in Camp Polk. The area was a magical place populated with wonderful families, all living life and enjoying it to the fullest. It was a wonderful place to be a child. We never experienced the likes of a Katrina, or even something smaller...but we had muggy days that ended with a crescendo of lightening and thunder that rattled the rafters. It was glorious! Little did I know that my favorite place would be punished in such a way as we've seen with Katrina. I'm so surprised and glad to see the story still being read and I hope, enjoyed.

My girlfriend read this - she actually enjoyed it so much and it boosted her self-confidence so much, that she put her pic up on this site called HotFlation (www.hotflation.com) where people around the country rate your picture. So I guess that's an endorsement!!

A series of story-like pieces about life in the center of Illinois. Bradway is excellent at getting to the central truth of incidents and relationships. Particularly compelling are the pieces that deal with her family and their relationship to the rest of the human world. Also a compelling and dark story about the effect of industrial pollution on the river system. Pieces about rock and roll and experiences of the midwesterner outside of the midwest (LA, NYC). A beautiful stylist Bradway brings a caring perspective to her subjects. The essays are personal without that becoming the reason for the words.

A Collection of Articles:
The tributes in honor of David Flusser, a Jewish expert on Christianity, and Tubingen's Martin Hengel, a Christian expert on Judaism, demonstrate the elegance of scholarship and universality of the Academia. I learned a lot reading those two devotional pieces which explore the records of scholarship in Early Christianity and Judaism through two enthusiastically devoted researchers.
In addition to the tributes, the essays of this volume were lectures presented at an international conference on 'aspects of the beginnings of Christianity' held in January 1997 in Jerusalem, mainly at the University of Tel Aviv. Typical of most collections of articles based on a conference consists of loosely connected patched pieces, which vary in relation to the core subject, but have a common perspective and novelty.
The subject papers presented to the international research conference, are written by prominent scholars, in a fittingly related range of topics, within a wide spectrum array of disciplines. The authors came from Oxford's Wolfson, Tubingen, Ecole Biblique, to Chicago, Michigan & Princeton, in addition to the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv, and Bar-Ilan in Israel.

A Genuinely Novel Collection:
Most of the short essays and articles on diverse subjects related to early christianity, the Jesus Ministry and Paul missionary activities, starts with research methodology, and covers emergent Christianity, Christian Messianology and its Jewish background, early Christianity in its Jewish milieu, Jewish law at the background of Christianity, Jewish society and Judea in early Christianity, and the schism that rifted early Christianity and Judaism. The volume is a novel contribution to our understanding of this early epoch in the history of Christianity, from a Jewish perspective.The twenty-two essays of this volume were editorially grouped in six main areas:
- Methodological reflections on: The Emergence of Christianity
- The Jewish Messianic Background to Christian Messianology
- Jewish Society, Milieu of Early Christianity
- Jewish Law in the Background of Christianity
- Judea in Early Christian literature and Liturgy
- Self Definition & Polemics, Parting of the Ways

A piece of the Cake:
This what I thought of when I sighted the beautifully illustrated book, "The Loaves and Fish," on the new Titles section of SEBTS seminary library. As a member of the Coptic Therapeutae community, pioneer Jews for Jesus, who through John Mark led Egypt from paganism into Messianic Christianity, I was enthralled to examine the non Hellenized topics, Hallelujah!Sharing with you the highlights of some essays that should be read by scholars and lay;
After E. Nodet points out the merits of using rabbinic sources for deeper appreciating Jesus cultural and religious milieu, I was amused by Justin Taylor research on the Western Text of Acts, as an Alexandrian Catechist I enjoyed his conclusion of the revised Alexandrian Text.
More exciting is G. Stemberger expounding of the traditions regarding Paul's study in Jerusalem as a Pharesee, a controversial subject between scholars on both sides.
Now Martin Hengel defends the view that Christianity is but a Universal movement of Messianic Judaism, a child of Judaic thought and hope up to second century CE. Wm. Schweiker follows exploring eschatology and apocalyptic discourse in the expectations of the end of time. We come in a harry to 'Early Christianity Jewish Society' session, since Avamarie analyses of Paul's use of Leviticus 18:5 is too scholarly sophisticated to summarize. Chana Safrai calls in Jesus aunt, the Mother of Zebedee brothers, depicted in Matthews to add to our perception of his social models, in comparison with other Synoptic Gospels. This Feminist oriented section includes Tal Ilan's account of Jewish women role in Jesus Ministry. Going around M. Mach discussion of Jesus' miracles, curious to read what Dr. Fredriksen, a polarizing figure who experienced both faiths, has written on Paulus and the Gentiles Church. Fresh air again with Wm Horbury of Corpus Christi, on the Lord's supper and Agape.
And many more!

The Editors:
* Jack Pastor, final articles in the collections "Jews and Gentiles in the Holy Land in the Days of the Second Temple, was praised by Bryn Mawr Classical Review as "merit particular praise." Jack Pastor defends Herod against the charge of treating Jews and gentiles unequally in "Economic Policy as a Measure of Evenhandedness."
* Menachem Mor, is dean of the Faculty of Humanities. Prof. Menachem Mor, a Polish-born, Jewish history scholar, a specialist in the history of the Second Temple, Mishnaic, and Talmudic periods, Mor has focused in his scores of scholarly articles and books on the peoples that lived in the Land of Israel during these times and on their various sects: Jews, pagans, and Christians.is the author of: Jewish Sects, Religious Movements, And Political Parties, Jews and Gentiles in the Holy Land in the Days of the Second Temple, Mishnah and Talmud

Hidden in issue ten of volume 15 of this RBOC Update is possibly the most gripping 500 word essay documenting the tireless work of Bellsouth, relentless missionaries of The Real Yellow Pages.

There can be only one Real Yellow Pages according to Thomas Gale. This slyly dry tale of banishing the pagan "Talking Phone Book" from the greater Louisville area literally had me in tears; frightful, horrible tears. Of Joy. To see the word of the Real Yellow Pages reach each and every corner of that godforsaken land.