Petroleum Engineer. Geologist. Jewish by birth; Christian by grace. Army. Mason. Texan. Capitalist employer of many, many serfs.

Family has been ranching in Texas and New Mexico since being kicked out of the Iberian Peninsula circa 1497. Being cooked by the Sun at a slow broil beat being burned at the stake by the Inquisitioners, I guess. Didn't work for one direct relative, who was burned at the stake by the MEXICAN Inquisition for daring to light some candles on the Sabbath. The horror! Many have returned to Israel, and I visit frequently, and I spent my junior high years there.

Basically, the epitome of evil for Hamas and the Democratic Party (not that there is any difference these days).

I am exactly one inch too tall for the Army, but they let me in anyway, and hold the distinction of being the tallest graduate of Ft. Rucker.

Greatest regret in life (to date, sure there will be more and worse) is not serving in the IDF after leaving the US Army. (You can do that, you know.)


Something to ponder:

The last defenders of the Führerbunker were the French SS volunteers of the 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) who remained at the bunker until the early morning of May 2 to prevent the Russians from capturing the bunker on May Day. (ref: Jean Mabire Mourir à Berlin Fayard, 1975).



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I am not remotely a Hebrew language scholar, but I have been repeatedly asked if there is a Hebrew word for "cousin." Yes, there is.
Indeed, Jews, especially pre-destruction of the Temple, were mildly obsessed with geneology --- for reasons related to Temple practice and the fact that the Messiah came from (if you are a Christian) or will come (if you are Jewish) from the line of David.
Your father's line also determined your tribe, and thus whether certain tributes were owed.
Recall also the rather harsh sorting of who was Jewish and who was not upon the return from captivity and Babylon.
Anyway, with that pre-amble, kinship is serious business, and there are FIVE related Hebrew words for cousin:
Cousins = do-dah-NEEM
son/daughter of an uncle = BEN/BAT DOHD
son/daughter of an aunt = BEN/BAT DOH-dah
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Genesis taught me all I need to know about the arabs (self-proclaimed descendants of Ishmael)(quotes out of order): “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. . . . . . . . . He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” . . . His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.”


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