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 It's about the songs, if I end up back in the van playing small folk clubs, I'll still be content doing what I love to do and that's singing these songs. OverdriveDistortion, AmpSpeaker cabinet simulator, Echo, Reverb, Chorus, Wah-wah (AutoWah EnvelopeWah), Pitch shifter, Tremolo, I EQ, Compression, Phaser and Volume Swell. XLR is for mics and is balanced. The shapes will also be movable so that they can be transposed up and down the neck retaining their basic quality and position. You get to select from different music channels (There are 2 channels available fender acoustic guitar costco launch) that are running music videos 24 hours per day. Check out his crushing demo with massive lead and rhythm tones ready to fender acoustic guitar costco on ToneCloud. 2, for example, you'll need to mute the first string with the side of your first finger, while using the side fender acoustic guitar costco your third finger to mute string 6. 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In the days after Prince died, The Fender acoustic guitar costco York Times ran an article about the performance in which Petty and others who performed with Prince that electric guitar pots cleaning shared their memories. Keep in mind the note sequence mentioned above and take it one string at a time - before you know it you'll have the entire fretboard under your belt. Mobile Safari isn't supported, nor is Internet Explorer. Launched in 2003 and now with over 590,000 customers, is a leading retailer of musical instruments and music equipment. What I would like to see are correct incidentals for a certain key or maybe alternate tunings. With new collections released every Friday, endless possibilities for moments are available for you. This means to be able to tune the guitar in relation to itself.  This simple, handy little box connects to a computer via USB 1. 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Friday, June 28, 2013

Ottoman Rule (1481-1912)

Ottoman rule (1481-1912)

Ottoman supremacy in the west Balkan region began in 1385 with the Battle of Savra. On the conquered part of Albania, which territory stretched between Mat River on the north and Çameria to the south, Ottoman Empire established the Sanjak of Albania and in 1419 Gjirokastra became the county town of the Sanjak of Albania.Beginning in the late-14th century, the Ottomans expanded their empire from Anatolia to the Balkans (Rumelia).
By the 15th century, the Ottomans ruled most of the Balkan Peninsula. Their rule in part of Albania was briefly interrupted in the 15th century, when George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, an Albanian who had served as an Ottoman military officer, renounced Ottoman service, allied with some Albanian chiefs and fought off Turkish rule from 1443–1478. Albania was almost fully re-occupied by the Ottomans in 1478 after capturing Scodra from Venice. Albania's conquest by Ottomans was completed after Durazzo's capture from Venice in 1501.

Ottoman-Albanian wars

Many Albanians had been recruited into the Janissary, including the feudal heir George Kastrioti who was renamed Skanderbeg (Iskandar Bey) by his Turkish trainers at Edirne. After some Ottoman defeats at the hands of the Hungarins, Skanderbeg deserted and began a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire.
After deserting, Skanderbeg re-converted to Roman Catholicism and declared war against the Ottoman Empire, which he led from 1443 to 1468. Under a red flag bearing Skanderbeg's heraldic emblem, an Albanian force held off Ottoman campaigns for twenty-five years and overcame sieges of Krujë led by the forces of the Ottoman sultans Murad II and Mehmed II.
However, Skanderbeg was unable to receive any of the help which had been promised him by the popes. He died in 1468, leaving no worthy successor. After his death the rebellion continued, but without its former success. The loyalties and alliances created and nurtured by Skanderbeg faltered and fell apart and the Ottomans reconquered the territory of Albania, culminating with the siege of Shkodra in 1478. Shortly after the fall of the castles of northern Albania, many Albanians fled to neighboring Italy, giving rise to the modern Arbëreshë communities.

Late Ottoman period

Durrës in 1573
Janissary Muskets.
Upon the Ottomans' return in 1478, a large number of Albanians fled to Italy, Egypt and other parts of the Ottoman Empire and Europe and maintained their Arbëresh identity. Many Albanians won fame and fortune as soldiers, administrators, and merchants in far-flung parts of the Empire. As the centuries passed, however, Ottoman rulers lost the capacity to command the loyalty of local pashas, which threatened stability in the region. The Ottoman rulers of the 19th century struggled to shore up central authority, introducing reforms aimed at harnessing unruly pashas and checking the spread of nationalist ideas. Albania would be a part of the Ottoman Empire until the early 20th century.
The Ottoman period that followed was characterized by a change in the landscape through a gradual modification of the settlements with the introduction of bazaars, military garrisons and mosques in many Albanian regions. Part of the Albanian population gradually converted to Islam, with many joining the Sufi Order of the Bektashi. Converting from Christianity to Islam brought considerable advantages, including access to Ottoman trade networks, bureaucratic positions and the army. As a result many Albanians came to serve in the elite Janissary and the administrative Devşirme system. Among these were important historical figures, including Iljaz Hoxha, Hamza Kastrioti, Davud Pasha, Zağanos Pasha, Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (head of the Köprülü family of Grand Viziers), the Bushati family, Sulejman Pasha, Edhem Pasha, Nezim Frakulla, Ali Pasha of Tepelena, Haxhi Shekreti, Hasan Zyko Kamberi, Ali Pasha of Gucia, Mehmet Ali ruler of Egypt and Emin Pasha
Many Albanians gained prominent positions in the Ottoman government, Albanians highly active during the Ottoman era and leaders such as Ali Pasha of Tepelena might have aided Husein Gradaščević. The Albanians proved generally faithful to Ottoman rule following the end of the resistance led by Skanderbeg, and accepted Islam more easily than their neighbors.
No fewer than 42 Grand Viziers of the Empire were of Albanian descent. The Ottoman period also saw the rising of semi-autonomous Albanian ruled Pashaliks and Albanians were also an important part of the Ottoman army and Ottoman administration like the case of Köprülü family. Albania would remain a part of the Ottoman Empire as the provinces of Scutari, Monastir and Janina until 1912.


Justice League

Superman is still “dead” at the beginning of the new UK trailer for ‘Justice League’ which features some new footage, including a brief clip at the end which underscores the early buzz that Ezra Miller’s The Flash steals this film, with his wide-eyed exuberance.  As we quickly learn, Amy Adams’ Lois Lane is not the only one mourning the loss of the Man of Steel as a news report details that crime and terrorism are on the rise following Superman’s death in ‘Batman V Superman’.  So even without Steppenwolf‘s arrival, Batman and Wonder Woman must unite the other superheroes of the world– The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg– to help balance the scales.

At this point, with so many main characters, it’s probably a given that the plot isn’t much more complex than the world’s few super beings gather to stop Steppenwolf and his Parademons, a threat too powerful for any of them to stop on their own.  And most likely, even their united strengths may not be enough.

A lot is riding on ‘Justice League’.  Yes, ‘Wonder Woman’ was a huge smash but prior to that, Warner Brothers’ DC Extended Universe was on shaky ground.  But ‘Wonder Woman’ was basically its own entity with just a slight connection to the DCEU and the goodwill it garnered won’t necessarily carry over to ‘Justice League’.  But hopefully the combined guidance of Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon will add up to a fan-pleaser.

Though there is still an embargo in place, some have seen the movie (or at least an early cut) and reportedly they have been impressed.  (The film could still be tweaked depending on these reactions.)

Are you excited for this new film?  Or are you still wary?

‘Justice League’ stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher, Gal Gadot, Ciarán Hinds, Ezra Miller and Jason Momoa, with Amy Adams, Billy Crudup, Amber Heard, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Joe Morton, Connie Nielsen, J.K. Simmons and Robin Wright.  ‘Justice League’ assembles in theaters on November 17, 2017.


Can Exodus staff monitor my account or control my transactions?

Exodus is wholeheartedly supportive of every individual's right to privacy, and full control of their funds. We've incorporated these principles into our technical design choices for the Exodus wallet.

Unlike your bank account, or stock portfolio, Exodus (the company) doesn't actually hold any of your assets on your behalf. You control your assets through a set of private keys initially generated from when you first opened your Exodus wallet.

The private keys are different from the 12-word backup phrase, but the main thing to understand is that private keys are the most important thing in controlling your assets. The Exodus wallet is a piece of software that runs locally, on your computer, without interacting with Exodus' servers. It generates and holds your private keys offline, as detailed here:

When broadcasting and receiving transaction information, Exodus connects to a network of Insight Servers.

An insight server is a computer server that handles the communication of transactions and keeps track of updates to the ledgers of one or more crypto-currencies. These insight servers are operated by many different companies and groups, none of which include Exodus. Your transaction history is backed up to Exodus, but in encrypted format, so we can't know how much money you hold in your wallet.

The result is a very secure, redundant wallet that could function perfectly fine even if Exodus as a company was to disappear. The trade-off is that Exodus staff can't trace where transactions were sent without information you provide, nor step in to reset your password if you forget it.

Since we also do not control your funds, it is very important to always keep your private keys secure by never giving them to an untrustworthy site or third party. We will never ask for your private keys, and no legitimate ICO or airdrop will ask for them either.

Software/hardware wallets act like cash or gold. Only you control them, so only you hold the responsibility keep your funds secure. Even if the wallet provider (Exodus in this case) dissolves or is hacked, your funds will be safely held within your wallet. If your computer is hacked, however, you may be at risk.

We are also different from big exchanges like Coinbase or Bittrex, because they are in full control of your private keys. They act like traditional bank accounts, where your funds are held by the account provider. The benefit is that you could lose every password or email account you have, but there is always a chance to get access to your account back. On the flip side, if the account provider turns out to be untrustworthy, your funds could be as good as gone. Some exchanges delay for months in getting their customers' funds back to them. Some never return them at all.

The strength of crypto-currencies lies in allowing people to have a choice in how much responsibility they bear in their financial lives, and we only offer the tools of ownership. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us. We'd love to hear from you.


By Denis Feeney

Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, Horace, and different authors of historical Rome are so firmly tested within the Western canon this present day that the start of Latin literature turns out inevitable. but, Denis Feeney boldly argues, the beginnings of Latin literature have been whatever yet inevitable. The cultural flourishing that during time produced the Aeneid, the Metamorphoses, and different Latin classics was once one of many strangest occasions in history.

Beyond Greek lines the emergence of Latin literature from 240 to a hundred and forty BCE, starting with Roman degree productions of performs that represented the 1st translations of Greek literary texts into one other language. From a latest point of view, translating foreign-language literature into the vernacular turns out completely basic. yet in an historic Mediterranean international made from many multilingual societies with out corresponding to the text-based literature of the Greeks, literary translation used to be strange if no longer exceptional. Feeney exhibits the way it allowed Romans to systematically take over Greek types of tragedy, comedy, and epic, making them their very own and giving start to what has turn into referred to as Latin literature.

The progress of Latin literature coincides with a interval of dramatic swap in Roman society. The robust yet geographically constrained Roman city-state of 320 BCE had conquered all of Italy simply fifty years later. by the point Rome turned the unquestioned dominant energy within the Mediterranean over the process the subsequent century, its electorate may possibly boast of getting a different vernacular literature, in addition to a historic culture and mythology, that placed them in a distinct courting with Greek culture.

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Best medieval books

German Literature of the High Middle Ages (Camden House History of German Literature)

The excessive center a while, and especially the interval from 1180 to 1230, observed the beginnings of a colourful literary tradition within the German vernacular. whereas major literary achievements in German had already been made in previous centuries, they have been a a bit precarious vernacular extension of Christian Latin tradition.

Envisaging Heaven within the center a while offers with medieval notions of heaven in theological and mystical writings, in visions of the Otherworld, and in medieval artwork, poetry and tune. It considers the impression of such notions within the secular literature of a few of the best writers of the interval together with Chr?

Ekphrasis, imagination and persuasion in ancient rhetorical theory and practice

It is a research of ekphrasis, the artwork of creating listeners and readers 'see' of their mind's eye via phrases by myself, as taught in historical rhetorical faculties and as utilized by Greek writers of the Imperial interval (2nd-6th centuries CE). the writer areas the perform of ekphrasis inside its cultural context, emphasising the significance of the visible mind's eye in historical responses to rhetoric, poetry and historiography.

20,000 years of world painting

The richly diverse illustrations are all in color—over one thousand of them, with many full-page plates exhibiting works of paramount significance and curiosity. the foremost epochs, faculties, and forms of Western and jap portray are represented in work of art, illuminations, adorned vessels, mosaics, panel work, and scrolls.

Additional info for Beyond Greek: The Beginnings of Latin Literature

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98 The permeability between different textual formats is quite different from the permeability between spoken languages. The same script can occlude differences between languages, as we see in the case of Chinese characters: conversely, the same language can become opaque through being written in different scripts. What are today called Standard Urdu and Standard Hindi are essentially the same language, still mutually intelligible (even if drifting further and further apart, especially as a result of intense pressure on the Urdu side to “Arabize”), but Urdu is written in a Perso-Arabic script and Hindi is written in an adaptation of the Devanagari script used for transcribing Sanskrit, so that they are mutually unintelligible on paper.

9 Yet in Alexandria we see these sophisticated literate cultures living in conditions of intimacy at the élite level for a 20 Beyond Greek long time without a systematic translation project getting under way—and even without the Greek-speaking élite developing an engagement with the languages or writings of their new subjects. 11 As Most puts it, “it is only scant, unreliable, and late evidence that provides any support at all for the view . . 18 The Indian case alerted us to the fact that translation is not something we should just expect to happen whenever literate cultures overlap with Translation 21 each other, and the case of early Ptolemaic Alexandria bears this out.

26 Beyond Greek The scholarly glossaries that we know of from the Hellenistic period, for example, are not the product of a bilingual Greek world, nor are they designed to assist Greeks in reading or speaking Near Eastern languages. Overwhelmingly, they are lists of recherché words in Greek dialects. ”52 As the recent editor of this Oxyrhynchus Glossary, Francesca Schironi, puts it, “Glossaries on papyrus . . 54 It is in fact very difficult in general to assess how many Greeks learned other languages, and how much variability there was according to social standing, region, or period.

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~ Intro to Computer Science

Welcome to Computer Science

In Computer Science you will learn about the wonderful world behind Computers as well as computational thinking skills and programming.

Scroll across the tabs on the right to find out a little more about some of the core concepts that you will cover in Primary School.

What is computational thinking?

Computational thinking is about looking at a problem in a way that a computer can help us to solve it. This is a two-step process:

1. First, we think about the steps needed to solve a problem.

2. Then, we use our technical skills to get the computer working on the problem.

For example, if you’re going to make an animation, you need to start by planning the story and how you’ll shoot it before you can use computer hardware and software to help you get the work done. The thinking that is undertaken before starting work on a computer is known as computational thinking.

When creating an animation, you create the sequence of the story before using computer software, such as Scratch to create it.

Computational thinking involves 6 different concepts and 5 approaches to working:

Click on the icons below to find out more about each of the concepts and approaches.

Why is computational thinking important?

Computational thinking and the concepts behind it, form the basis for much of computer science. Computer scientists are interested in finding the most efficient way to solve problems. They want to find the best solution that solves a problem correctly in the fastest way and using the least amount of resources (time / space).

  • Is this the most efficient way to solve the problem?
  • Is this the fastest way?
  • Does it require the least amount of resources?
  • Does it solve the problem and give the right answer?
  • Can it be used to solve other problems?
What can you do with computational thinking?

Although computational thinking describes the sort of thinking that computer scientists and software developers engage in, plenty of other people think in this way too, and not just when it comes to using computers. The thinking processes and approaches that help with computing are really useful in many other domains too.

For example, the way a team of software engineers go about creating a new computer game, video editor or social networking platform is really not that different from how you and your colleagues might work together to put on a school play, or to organise an educational visit.

In each case:

  • you take a complex problem and break it down into smaller problems
  • it’s necessary to work out the steps or rules for getting things done
  • the complexity of the task needs to be managed, typically by focusing on the key details
  • the way previous projects have been accomplished can help.

What is Decomposition?

The process of breaking down a problem into smaller manageable parts is known as decomposition. Decomposition helps us solve complex problems and manage large projects.

This approach has many advantages. It makes the process a manageable and achievable one – large problems are daunting, but a set of smaller, related tasks are much easier to take on. It also means that the task can be tackled by a team working together, each bringing their own insights, experience and skills to the task.

The problem of making breakfast can be decomposed into a number of tasks:

Two people could make this breakfast at the same time, one could make tea and one could make toast.

Decomposition is particularly important if we are trying to understand things that are complex. Sometimes we break parts down further.

A labelled diagram of a flowering plant. We find out more as we decompose.

Why is decomposition important?

Decomposing problems into their smaller parts is not unique to computing: it’s pretty standard in engineering, design and project management.

Software development is a complex process, and so being able to break down a large project into its component parts is essential – think of all the different elements that need to be combined to produce a program, like PowerPoint.

The same is true of computer hardware: a smartphone or a laptop computer is itself composed of many components, often produced independently by specialist manufacturers and assembled to make the finished product, each under the control of the operating system and applications.

decomposed surface pro image

A tablet can be broken down (decomposed) into smaller components.
With thanks to iFixit.com

What does decomposition look like in the primary curriculum?

Decomposition is everywhere in primary practice. We are always asking pupils to find out more, tell us more.

Whenever pupils are labelling, adding detail to concept maps, or creating instructions, life cycles, and timelines they are breaking something down, and thinking about detail, and so developing their decomposition skills.

If pupils undertake any kind of project or task, such as: putting on a school play, organising a cake sale, creating a news report, working out how to solve a maths problem, making a sandwich or getting dressed for PE, they will need to break the task up into manageable tasks or parts. That is decomposition.

Pupils add detail to their knowledge and understanding of the Egyptians in concept maps.

In primary settings, as pupils learn to decompose, they might create only a partial decomposition. That is, they might not include all aspects or parts of a topic, but only the things they currently know about. As they progress they should check that they create a complete decomposition and do not miss any part of the whole. Also, as they progress, they can further decompose each part into sub-parts and so on.

If making a computer game, a pupil might decompose the game into: plot, characters and setting. They might then further decompose the characters into actions and appearance. The setting might be decomposed into obstacles, scoring objects and background. In developing a robotic toy, pupils would need to consider the hardware components, both individually and as a system, the algorithms they’ll need to control their toy and how to write those as code. In general, technology = hardware + algorithms + code.

What are Algorithms?

An algorithm is a sequence of instructions or a set of rules to get something done.

You probably know the fastest route from school to home, for example, turn left, drive for five miles, turn right. You can think of this as an ‘algorithm’ – as a sequence of instructions to get you to your chosen destination. There are plenty of algorithms (i.e. routes) that will accomplish the same goal; in this case, there are even algorithms (such as in your satnav) for working out the shortest or fastest route.

Algorithms are written for a human, rather than for a computer to understand. In this way algorithms differ from programs.

A sequence of instructions – an algorithm – for how to make toast

A set of rules, or an algorithm for multiplying by 10

In the task of how to make a cake, a recipe gives a human a step-by-step sequence of instructions for how to make and bake the cake.

Why are algorithms important?

Computer scientists strive to find the most effective and efficient algorithms, that is those that solve a problem in the quickest time, using the least resources (memory or time) or in the most effective way (getting the correct or closest to the correct answer).

Search engines such as Bing or Google use algorithms to put a set of search results into order, so that more often than not, the result we’re looking for is at the top of the front page. Your Facebook news feed is derived from your friends’ status updates and other activity, but it only shows that activity which the algorithm (EdgeRank) thinks you’ll be most interested in seeing.

The recommendations you get from Amazon, Netflix and eBay are algorithmically generated, based in part on what other people are interested in.

What do algorithms look like in the primary curriculum?

Helping pupils to get an idea of what an algorithm is needn’t be confined to computing lessons. You and your pupils will already use algorithms in many different ways across the school.

    • A lesson plan can be regarded as an algorithm for teaching a lesson.
    • There will be a sequence of steps pupils follow for many activities, such as getting ready for lunch or going to PE.
    • In cookery, we can think of a recipe as an algorithm.
    • In English, we can think of instructional writing as a form of algorithm.
    • In science, we might talk about the method of an experiment as an algorithm.
    • In maths, your approach to mental arithmetic (or many computer-based educational games) might be an implementation of a simple algorithm.
    • An example of this might be:
      • repeat 10 times
        • ask a question
        • wait for a response
        • provide feedback on whether the response was right or wrong.
growing-seed-algorithmA set of instructions for how to plant a seed
storyboard-algorithmA storyboard is a sequence of instructions for writing a story or making a film
'or'-phoneme-algorithmSpelling rules for the ‘or’ phoneme. Images from pixabay Public Domain CC0

What is Logical Reasoning?

Logical reasoning helps us explain why something happens.

If you set up two computers in the same way, give them the same instructions (the program) and the same input, you can pretty much guarantee the same output.

Computers don’t make things up as they go along or work differently depending on how they happen to be feeling at the time. This means that they are predictable. Because of this we can use logical reasoning to work out exactly what a program or computer system will do.

Children quickly pick this up for themselves: the experience of watching others and experimenting for themselves allows even very young children to develop a mental model of how technology works. A child learns that clicking the big round button brings up a list of different games to play, or that tapping here or stroking there on the screen produces a reliably predictable response.

Image_Logic_pupil mouse

Pupils use logical reasoning to develop their understanding of how technology works.

This process of using existing knowledge of a system to make reliable predictions about its future behaviour is one part of logical reasoning. At its heart, logical reasoning is about being able to explain why something is the way it is. It’s also a way to work out why something isn’t quite as it should be.

Why is logical reasoning important?

Logic is fundamental to how computers work: deep inside the computer’s central processing unit (CPU), every operation the computer performs is reduced to logical operations carried out using electrical signals. It’s because everything a computer does is controlled by logic that we can use logic to reason about program behaviour.

Software engineers use logical reasoning all the time in their work. They draw on their internal mental models of how computer hardware, the operating system (such as Windows 8, OS X) and the programming language they’re using all work, in order to develop new code that will work as they intend. They’ll also rely on logical reasoning when testing new software and when searching for and fixing the ‘bugs’ (mistakes) in their thinking (known as debugging) or their coding when these tests fail.

What does logic look like in the primary curriculum?

Logical reasoning across the curriculum

There are many ways that children will already use logical reasoning in their computing lessons and across the wider curriculum.

  • In English, pupils might explain what they think a character will do next in a novel, or explain the character’s actions in the story so far.
  • In science, pupils should explain how they have arrived at their conclusions from the results of their experiments.
  • In history, pupils should discuss the logical connections between cause and effect; they should understand how historical knowledge is constructed from a variety of sources.
  • In design and technology, pupils reason what material is best suited to each part of their projects.
  • In philosophy for children sessions, pupils can use logical reasoning to analyse arguments.

Pupils explain reasons for their choice of materials in design and technology projects.

Pupils can use logical reasoning to analyse arguments in philosophy for children sessions.

What is evaluation?

Evaluation is about making judgements, in an objective and systematic way where possible.

Evaluation is something we do every day – we make judgements about what to do and what we think based on a range of factors.

For example, when considering a new digital device for use in the classroom, there would be a number of criteria that would be considered; for example, operating system, portability, memory, screen size, ease of use and warranty.

After evaluation OS X operating systems may be judged to be most suitable. Image public domain CCO http://pixabay.com/en/monitor-display-screen-computer-149362/

Or in some cases, after evaluating the options, laptops may be judged as the most suitable device for a classroom or school. Image public domain CCO http://pixabay.com/en/laptop-black-blue-screen-monitor-33521/

Why is evaluation important?

In computer science, evaluation is systematic and rigorous; it is about judging the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of solutions, systems, products and processes. Evaluation checks that solutions do the job they are designed to do and are fit for purpose.

One approach to systematic evaluation could be to use:

  • specific criteria (for example a design goal or specification)
  • user needs (considering who the users are and what they need from the final design)

What does evaluation look like in the primary curriculum?

Evaluation is something that occurs everyday in schools; pupils evaluate their work, teachers evaluate lessons that they deliver and pupils’ learning and progress is evaluated.

For example, self and peer assessment can help to develop pupils’ evaluation skills as they become used to making judgements about their own and others’ work, evaluating against the success criteria and suggesting how the work could be improved.

Example peer-evaluations – 2 stars and a wish and www/EBI

Evaluation across the curriculum

In English, pupils may know the success criteria for writing. For example, they may need to remember to include capital letters, full stops, use adjectives, synonyms and adverbs.

As pupils progress at ages 5-7 they start to be able to express their choices and preferences more readily and clearly. For example, they may recommend a book to a friend, making judgements about what books they think are most suitable and explaining why they think their friend will enjoy it.

Design and technology

The design and technology curriculum for England makes particular use of evaluation as pupils work through the design, make and evaluate cycle. Pupils aged 5-7 are expected to evaluate against criteria and at 7-11 years also consider standards and the needs of others in their designs and products.

In gymnastics pupils may have a list of ‘good’ things they are looking for, such as landing on two feet from a jump, using different rolls in a routine that uses the ball and always being in control.

Evaluation in computing

3 – 5 years

In early years, pupils can start to develop their evaluation skills as they learn to articulate their judgements and be able to express why in simple terms, such as; ‘My dog is my favourite pet because she lets me pat her’. They are also learning to use logical reasoning to make their judgements.

With their teacher they might talk start to learn how to think about the different and ‘best’ way to find things out: reading a book on dinosaurs, putting keywords into a search engine, using a CD ROM on dinosaurs or using a picture book.

As suggested in the EYFS Profile handbook, in expressive arts and design, pupils can explain the features of their own work and the work of others, recognising the differences between them and the strengths of others’ work. This is a great introduction to evaluation.

5 – 7 years

Pupils can undertake many different computing activities at this stage that can include simple evaluation. For example, they could take and evaluate a set of their own digital photographs – which photos meet the success criteria most effectively and why?

They can also be introduced to the ideas of having a simple design goal or criteria and will begin to create their own.

For example if they are asked to design a maze for a floor robot to navigate, they can have a criteria for the maze (a list of things the maze must have), such as a start, an end, a minimum number of obstacles to go around, and a criteria for their robot (they have to get the robot to navigate the maze without hitting the obstacles). Pupils can refer back to the design criteria and make simple judgements as to whether or not they met it.

When designing simple algorithms, for example using Bee-Bots, pupils can evaluate the most effective route. For example, is it the shortest?

Pupils aged 5 – 7 example: postman Bee-Bot has to visit 4 houses in a street. Pupils can write the algorith, test it by programming the toy and then evaluate how well it worked and what needs to change.

7 – 11 years

As well as evaluating their work against design goals or design criteria,  pupils aged 7-11 can evaluate their work against more detailed design criteria with increasing confidence and independence.

Pupils aged 7-11 will become more comfortable in creating their own design criteria. They will begin to understand the importance of evaluation and its value in improving their work and take more responsibility for it. They will also become more skilled in evaluating their own and others’ work against design criteria and giving appropriate feedback. In this way, they can consider the views of others to make improvements to their own work.

Evaluation can take place at many different stages. For example, when creating an animation about the Vikings could evaluate their work at different points. Some ideas are given below:

  • research
    What does a ‘good’ animation look like? What software is available to complete my animation? What topics about the Vikings could be used? Can my idea be made into an animation in the time available?
  • algorithms
    Are my algorithms fully decomposed, precise and complete sequences? Are they the most efficient algorithms possible, if appropriate making use of repetition and selection?
  • final animation evaluation
    Does the final animation meet any initial design criteria? Does it meet the standards of what I considered was a ‘good’ animation? Does the animation run as expected for the user?
  • final evaluation of approach / learning
    What have I learnt in this project that is useful for future projects? What could I do differently next time?

Creative Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org  Oa 80x15 orange.png


Rep. Steve Scalise undergoes another surgery to manage infection

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise has undergone another surgery to manage infection, the hospital treating him announced Thursday afternoon.

The Metairie congressman is still listed in serious condition.

Scalise’s health had been steadily progressing after he was shot in the hip during practice for the annual Congressional Baseball game on June 14.

The bullet traveled toward his other hip, causing serious damage to bones, internal organs and blood vessels. He was in critical condition for several days and on the brink of death when he arrived at MedStar Washington Hospital.

Five others were injured in the attack. The gunman, 66-year-old James Hodgkinson, was shot multiple times and later died.


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American Airlines Group Inc Balance Sheet Chart

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income    Total Assets    Current Assets    Total Debt USD    Shareholders Equity    Shareholders Equity USD    Total Liabilities    Tax Assets

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Total Assets

Total assets refers to the total amount of American Airlines assets owned. Assets are items that have some economic value and are expended over time to create a benefit for the owner. These assets are usually recorded in American Airlines Group books under different categories such as cash, marketable securities, accounts receivable,prepaid expenses, inventory, fixed assets, intangible assets, other assets, marketable securities, accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and others. Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Major components are Cash and Equivalents, Investments,Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Property Plant and Equipment Net,Tax Assets and Trade and Non Trade Receivables.

Current Assets

Current assets of American Airlines Group Inc include cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, stock inventory and the portion of prepaid liabilities which will be paid within a year. Depending on the nature of the business, current assets can range from barrels of crude oil, to baked goods, to foreign currency. Current assets are important because they are the assets that are used to fund day-to-day operations of American Airlines. The current portion of Total Assets, reported if a company operates a classified balance sheet that segments current and non-current assets.

Total Debt USD

Total Debt in USD, converted by [FXUSD].

Shareholders Equity

Shareholders Equity USD

Shareholders Equity in USD, converted by [FXUSD].

Total Liabilities

Deferred Income Tax is recorded on American Airlines Group Inc balance sheet and a result of income already earned and recognized for accounting, but not tax, purposes. Also, differences between tax laws and accounting methods can result in a temporary difference in the amount of income tax payable by a company. This difference is recorded on American Airlines books as deferred income tax. Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all liabilities that are recognized. Principal components are Total Debt, [DEFERREDREV], Trade and Non Trade Payables,Deposit Liabilities, and Tax Liabilities.

Tax Assets

A component of Total Assets representing tax assets and receivables.


NB: This is the official manifesto of the Hizbullah movement in Lebanon. A pinch of salt is definitely required. The translation lacks that certain edge but since my Arabic sucks like a Dyson we'll have to settle for the official version, in case i present their vews badly.

"Hizbullah is an Islamic freedom fighting movement founded after the Israeli military seizure of Lebanon in 1982, which resulted in immediate formation of the Islamic resistance units for the liberation of the occupied territories and for the expulsion of the aggressive Israelis forces.

"In addition to shouldering the burden of resisting the Israeli occupation as it is stated by the international Bill of Human Rights, Hizbullah is also concerned about the presentation of Islam which addresses the mind, and reasons. Hizbullah is concerned about Presenting Islam that is confident of its fundamentals, its highly civilized understanding of Man, life and the universe, Islam as being self-assured about its capability to achieve the basis of right and justice. We are anxious to present Islam as being open hearted to all nations their various political and cultural trends and their mumerous experiences, away from subjection or bewilderment.

"We are anxious to present Islam as being the guardian for human rights defining choices, adopting convictions and expressing them, socially. We opt for the formation of political pressure in education, pedagogery, medical case and other social benefits announced in the Bill of Human Rights. We are anxious to define the priorities for our cultural project that utilizes persuasiveness and polarization through the civilized and the human methods confirmed by the Bill of the Human Rights. Away from evidence force, and coercion. We are anxious to offer a model of performance in struggling targeting the enemy that represents a challenge for the existence of the whole nation along with its regimes and people.

We also circumvent conflicts that do not serve the main aim, fighting the enemy, or that could create discord at the front, which is to be unified around the common interests. The hope is to rid of the pressuring threats pactised by the foreign zionist entity which has been thrust upon the Islamic and the Arab contemporany nation . It should be clear that the kind of Islam we want is a civilized endeavour that rejects injustice, humiliation, slavery, subjugation , colonism and blackmail while we stretch out our arms for communication among nations on the basis of mutual respect . The Islam we mean is the religion that never accepts control or delegation by others for the sake of manipulating the rights and the interests of the nation .

"The Islam we mean is the religion that recommends communication among civilization and rejects devisive collision between those civilizations. An Islam that believes in cultural communication among nations and refuses setting up barriers and embargos and sees that it is our right to remove those barriers by the diplomatic means, however, when others intend to launch wars against it, Hizbullah finds it a natural right to defend itself representing the supporters the their achievements .

"Islam that we understand is a message that aims at establishing justice, security, peace and rights for all people no matter what nation, race or religion they belong. We don't have any complex toward others, but we feel the responsibility toward them, to make them understand the essence of our religion away from obligation and fanaticism.

"We don't seek the application of Islam by force or violence but by peaceful political action, which gives the opportunity for the majority in any society to adopt or rejectit. If Islam becomes the choice of the majority then we will apply it, if not, we will continue to coexist and discuss till we reach correct beliefs.

"We hereby affirm that our Islam rejects violence as a method to gain Power, and this should be the formula for the nonislamists as well."

Hizbullah Press Office, March 20, 1998


Tips for Teaching Personification

As teachers, we know that sometimes the hardest part of a teaching a unit is the launch. We also know that as teachers we wish that we had more time to devote to the launching of a unit, however, the reality is that often times a launch might consist of one or two minilessons. These are lessons we have used to launch a study of personification. Pick one or more of these lessons to launch your study. They are quick and easy to teach, and they can be modified to use with most texts. You can use the texts we have recommended, or substitute your own favorites.

“5 Lessons to Launch Figurative Language with a Focus on Personification

Minilesson #1- Use a mystery bag and remove an object such as a shoe. Have your students answer the mystery bagfollowing prompts: “What does the shoe love?” “What does it fear?” “What does it hope for?” Have a few students share their ideas and then introduce the concept, personification.

Minilesson #2- Read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Discuss how the tree has human-like characteristics. Have students generate claims, find evidence, and rethink their claims about how the author uses personification.

Minilesson #3- Read the poem, “The Train,” by Emily Dickinson. Model for your students how to find text evidence that reveals personification. Have students generate claims and find evidence.

Minilesson #4- Read the poem, “April Rain Song,” by Langston Hughes. Model for your students how to annotate the text and generate claims about why and how the poet creates personification in this text. (For additional practice and ideas see Georgia Heard’s Awakening the Heart for her exercise on “Word Guessing” for this poem.)

Minilesson #5- Use an excerpt from the 2013 Newberry Award winning text, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and have your students do a close reading in order to interpret why and how the author uses personification in the text.

Visit us again for additional minilessons we’ve used to launch the teaching of various literary elements. Enjoy!

On Teaching Interpretation

I want my students to be able to think for themselves. This is my teaching goal everyday. Teaching interpretation in a way that enables my students to think for themselves has been something that I’ve thought a lot about for the past decade.

It began ten years ago when I was teaching fourth grade. We were reading the book Tuck Everlasting. As a whole class, we were noticing Natalie Babbitt’s use of time: sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. I had created an assignment for my students- “Note each event that is associated with a time period.” We were analyzing the connection between the mood & intensity of the event and the time of day when it occurred.

I will never forget one of my students asking me, “Ms. Johansen, if you hadn’t told me to look for this, how would I know?” At first, I laughed inwardly- such an astute question from a fourth grader. But then, I was fearful. I didn’t know how to answer. So I answered sternly and quickly, “This is why you have teachers. They will tell you what to look for.” This was one of my teaching-cringe moments. The moment when you know you are giving a terrible answer. My student wanted to be independent. She was looking for a strategy to notice the author’s use of mood, time, and symbolism. She wanted to learn how to think for herself. Above all, she was excited to learn how to notice hidden gems in a text and make her own interpretations. I let her down that day. And I’ve always remembered it.

At the time, I didn’t know how to answer her. I didn’t know which strategies to teach or even that there were strategies that could help her. I was simply making assignments and expecting my students to follow my directions. Now I know differently. I LOVE teaching strategies to students. I cannot imagine teaching any other way. Students need strategies to make the implicit, explicit, and the abstract, concrete. They can do this hard, thinking work on their own.

Redoes are vital. Since my student asked me that question ten years ago, I’ve had a dozen or so redoes. Now when students ask that question, I answer, “That’s a great question! I’m so happy that you want to uncover parts of a text that may seem hidden, on your own! Let’s talk about the strategies you can use and which elements you can be on the lookout for. I bet you’ll find many hidden gems on your own!”

Teaching strategies for helping students think about an author’s use of time and mood:

  1. Use the clip “Decision” from Disney’s Mulan ( to discuss the time of day, light and dark, and weather used by the animators to create the mood of the scene. “Just like these animators, authors use the time of day to create the mood of the scene. It is important to notice the time of day in a story. It may be important and help you feel the mood of the scene.”
  2. Have students think about their own daily schedules. What moods do they associate with different times of the day? What activities take place at different times? How does light and darkness affect their moods and activities during the day. Why might this be important in texts as well?
  3. Use a text like Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt to keep track of the author’s use of time (sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight) and the mood of the event. Creating a chart or using a graphic organizer is best for this lesson. Students may notice that moments of revelation happen at sunrise, whereas, moments of intense action and emotions happen at midnight. (It is also good to notice the colors associated with these time periods. They may be symbolic.)
  4. Most importantly: Create a classroom chart that lists the many ideas students may want to be on the lookout for in a text. “Time of Day” should be on that chart.


Beat the Drum for Justice

A Critical Reflection on Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

In the United States, racism is still very much a relevant topic causing disunity in our society. Because of this disunity, negative stigma follows. A sign of it comes in the form of the masses of incarcerated minorities here in the United States. Bryan Stevenson talks about his journey of becoming a lawyer to aid convicted individuals in his writing titled, Just Mercy. Stevenson becomes inspired to help incarcerated individuals based on his belief of wanting to “do something with lives of the poor, America’s history of racial inequality, and the struggle to be equitable and fair with one another” (4). He ventures into law school and is required to meet with convicts on death row. After his experience with an inmate on death row, Stevenson realized “that there was something missing in the way we treat people in our judicial system, that maybe we judge some people unfairly” (13). This event inspires Stevenson to pursue his field of work and later write and speak about mass incarceration in the United States.

With many factors involved in the causation of mass incarceration, one aspect Stevenson expresses is the discourse regarding all convicted individuals and his goal to change the stigma against them. Stevenson states,

“We’re institutionalized policies that reduce people to their worst acts and permanently label them ‘criminal,’ ‘murderer,’ ‘rapist,’ ‘thief,’ ‘drug dealer,’ ‘sex offender,’ ‘felon’ — identities they cannot change regardless of the circumstances of their crimes or any improvements they might make in their lives” (15).

Individuals living with the labels mentioned above are affected by the fear and judgment by others who only see the discourse society has influenced. Those who live with the discourse society has placed on them may believe that they have no ability to change their label anymore.

One of the clients Stevenson works with experiences a situation that conveys the power of discourse targeted minorities face.

“But there was no evidence against McMillian — no evidence except that he was an African American man involved in an adulterous interracial affair, which meant he was reckless and possibly dangerous, even if he had no prior criminal history and a good reputation. Maybe that was evidence enough” (34).

It is our duty to be informed about different perspectives and give sympathy to those neglected. Stevenson states that he will always remember a saying his grandmother once told him, “‘You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close,’ she told me all the time” (14). His grandmother’s advice explains how it is a necessity to experience and learn about the individuals involved in negative stigma.

So What?

Stevenson explains how he understands and can identify with the minorities being incarcerated in the United States. From being a Black male, aspiring lawyer, and experiencing his first encounter with an inmate on death row, Stevenson was enlightened to a reality that must be rewritten. After Stevenson’s first experience speaking with a client he states,

“I had come into the prison with such anxiety and fear about his [Henry] willingness to tolerate my inadequacy. I didn’t expect him to be compassionate or generous. I had no right to expect anything for a condemned man on death row. Yet he gave me an astonishing measure of his humanity. In that moment, Henry altered something in my understanding of human potential, redemption, and hopefulness” (12).

Prior to meeting Henry, Stevenson probably saw himself simply as a Black male who was unsure of what career to pursue right after college. After he realized his calling to serving the convicted that is when he researched the different laws and statistics that affect individuals arrested by the police. He also became aware of the large number of Black individuals targeted and incarcerated in the United States.

Stevenson later experiences this first hand after police target him to search his vehicle and interrogate him for suspicions of robberies in his neighborhood. That led Stevenson to realize,

“When I thought about what I would have done when I was sixteen year old or nineteen or even twenty-four, I was scared to realize that I might have run. The more I thought about it, the more concerned I became about all the young black boys and men in that neighborhood. Did they know not to run? Did they know to stay calm and say, ‘It’s okay’?” (43).

This experience was fuel to his aspirations to serving individuals wrongly accused and targeted. He knew the law better than the police, yet he was still categorized and stereotyped by the police. He also let the police do what they wanted since his safety is a priority in this scenario. Stevenson read the statistics and met with individuals who experienced being approached by police but being in a situation of the police searching his car with his neighbors watching from outside must have brought immense insight to the treatment minorities face in our society.

Now What?

Stevenson explains why he wrote this book as,

Stevenson aspires to decrease the stigma against being a Black male and the stigma incarcerated individuals face. Stevenson does this by raising awareness to the statistics that prove that minorities are more targeted and convicted, while also stating his experiences with cases involving the innocence of individuals that were stereotyped or simply stories that humanize the “criminals” in prison. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and “We’ve given up on rehabilitation, education, and services for the imprisoned because providing assistance to the incarcerate is apparently too kind and compassionate” (15). Stevenson wishes to teach those stigmatized by their social identities that they too can prove society wrong by speaking out about their experiences.

With our community partner, Catholic Charities Kids Club, the people in this area are faced with the negative stigma of being in the Canal area of Marin County. The program serves as a way to aid students in the Canal with a focus on reading comprehension and homework completion. With an evident achievement gap in the Canal, it is a main focus for students in Kids Club to minimize the gap with determination and hard work. The students live in cramped living spaces and may have parents who do not speak English. These conditions are not conducive for a student who is learning how to read and write in English along with mathematics. This program makes a tremendous impact on the lives of the students and their families. The students are allowed to overcome the negative social identities associated with the Canal area by pursuing education and helping their families.

It was very humbling to have my community partner in the Canal area since I heard about the discourse regarding this community since I started going to Dominican. Like Stevenson, it is very eye-opening to experience and meet the children and observe their reading comprehension and writing skills rather than researching about the efforts of the program. Awareness is a step closer to actualizing dilemmas, but going out and experiencing individuals faced with these issues creates a greater meaning to the cause.


Calculate Road Distances in Canada
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Green Neighbors celebrates five years Oct. 15

Clark County’s Green Neighbors Program is celebrating its fifth anniversary from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, at the Water Resources Education Center, 4600 SE Columbia Way. Admission is free and light refreshments will be provided. Featured speaker is John Prucich, a wildlife biologist, conservationist and licensed falconer known as The Falconer. Prucich will explain the difference between nocturnal and diurnal animals and bring in live owls and other animals that hunt in the night. To stay up-to-date on green tips and local events, sign up for the Green Neighbors newsletter at


Thursday, September 1, 2011

About Ava

When I blogged about Ava turning two, I mostly talked about her birthday. I didn't mention much about her, who she is right now. It is hard to capture the essence of a toddler, with all of their crazy toddler ways. They're somewhere between kid and baby, in limbo, and when you look at them in the present they seem so big, but when you look back on them in a couple of years you realize just how much of a baby they still were.

Ava is a baby, and at the same time she is a little kid, who thinks she is big enough to do everything Alana does. Alana jumps off the couch? Ava is right there to go next. Alana needs to wear a princess dress over her regular clothes? Ava is a mini Belle or Snow White. Alana is brushing her teeth and using mouthwash? Ava thinks she needs mouthwash, so I give her a little cup of water cause she just drinks it.
She is a follower, but she still stands up for herself when she's been wronged. She won't tolerate injustice.

Ava is often two people. She is a shy girl, so when she's around a lot of people she doesn't know, or just a lot of people, she is quiet and glued to my leg. When it's just us around the house, or there are just a couple people here who she feels comfortable with, she is a wild and crazy woman. She is the opposite of herself, and of her sister. Alana knows no stranger, and loves everyone. Ava is more cautious. Who are these people and why am I supposed to be nice to them? I don't see them on a daily basis, so therefore I don't know them.

She really inherited my sweet tooth, but also got David's enthusiastic love of breakfast meats. She is a snackaholic, and will eat small amounts of stuff all day if I don't make it a point to feed her structured meals. She will eat two cold hot dogs in a row, just because she likes them so much. Cookies are another weakness of hers, and so are pumpkin and zucchini bread. She likes pumpkin and zucchini bread so much that she will go to the oven every ten minutes while it's cooking and tap on the door, inquiring about when she can eat some. It's nice to have someone to share a loaf with, because Alana and David aren't as into sweets as Ava and me. Her favorite place to eat is in my bed, on my side, with the covers pulled down. Yesterday she climbed in there and pulled down the blanket, then ate a big piece of pumpkin bread, leaving plenty of crumbs as a present for me.

Ava may be two, but she doesn't talk much yet. A big part of that is that Alana is always answering questions for Ava, so Ava never really has to talk. She gets her point across though. She squeals, grunts, yells, points, shakes her head yes and no. She has a few words in her repertoire, but she only uses them when she feels like it. Mostly you will find her squealing then pointing. I'd like some pumpkin bread is Squeal, point to bread, point to open mouth. This is hot but I still want to eat it is Blow, then point to mouth. I'd like to watch Dora please is Run to Mommy, pull on her pants, hand her DVD, squeal and point to TV. She pulls on my pants so much that sometimes she pulls them down, that can be kind of annoying. Get de-pantsed daily. Maybe I should wear fewer pajama and yoga pants.

Ava loves playing, especially with Alana. She plays whatever her sister wants, whenever. Barbies, babies, legos, littlest pet shop guys. Its cute when they play together, but just as cute when Ava plays by herself. She makes the dolls or figurines "walk" around and kiss, its pretty funny. And babies must all be rocked, then thrown into the crib.

Ava is a momma's girl, but she's always glad for Daddy to come home. She tries to play and hide with Alana, but always gets excited and runs out when he opens the door. She gives hugs and kisses, and plenty of snuggles. There is no shortage of snuggles with Ava. She is so sweet and squishy, I think I'll keep her.

She is 25 lbs, but won't hold still for me to get her height. She has a sweet baby mullet that I can't bring myself to cut yet. Its mullet-ness isn't too bad because it curls out, so I don't foresee a haircut in our near future. She has big brown eyes and still had super long eyelashes. Her cheeks and butt are so chubby and squishy and I want to squeeze them all the time. She always has her toenails painted, cause when I paint mine or Alana's she wants to be included, and she recently started requesting that I paint her fingernails too. Her chubby little hands look so cute with a coat of red nail polish on her fingers, but they also look impossibly grown up. Its bittersweet.

She is my couch potato baby and loves cartoons. She is a big Nickelodeon fan, because Wubbzy, Dora, Bubble Guppies and Max & Ruby all top the list as her favorites. She also requests to watch a Disney movie a day, mostly Up and Monsters Inc, and sometimes Rapunzel and the Little Mermaid. Gotta stay updated on her Disney movies for our next trip to Disneyland in December. Gotta get one more trip while she's still free!

I can't remember what it was like to have just one kid, even though having two kids means a lot more compromise, for them anyways, they rarely agree on what movie to watch, and it also means being the referee far more frequently. She has made our family more complete, and we're all better off with her in our lives. She is so crazy and cute, but at the same time she is quiet and shy. I love her and I'd be completely happy if she stayed my baby forever.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Corona Constitution Class: Wrap up of Legal Amendments

Corona Constitution Class:
Legal Amendments

Corona Constitution Class
Tuesdays, 6:00 pm
AllStar Collision
522 Railroad St., Corona CA

Constitution Class Handout
Instructor: Douglas V. Gibbs

Lesson 15

The Legal Amendments

Amendment IV

Warrants, Searches, and Seizures
The 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution was added as part of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. It was written with the purpose of protecting people from the government searching their homes and private property without properly executed search warrants.

What this means is that the federal government, in order to search a person's home, business, papers, bank accounts, computer or other personal items, in most cases, must obtain a search warrant signed by the proper authority, which usually means by a judge.

The issuance of a warrant must accompany reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that by searching the premises of a particular location, evidence will be found that will verify the crime. The government officer does not have to be correct in his assumption, he just has to have a reasonable belief that searching someone's private property will yield evidence of the crime. The task of determining whether or not the officer's assumptions are a reasonable belief falls on the judge who is considering issuing the search warrant.

The concept that citizens must be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures goes back into English history. The British Crown was known for performing searches and seizures that were unlawfully conducted. Often, these searches were conducted by the king's representatives.

The British government saw the American Colonies as a source of revenue. As a result, taxation against the American colonies was a continuous practice, in the hopes of generating as much money from the colonists as possible. The colonists resented this and engaged in substantial smuggling operations in order to get around the customs taxes imposed by the British government.

The King responded to the Colonist's smuggling activities by using writs of assistance, which were search warrants that were very broad and general in their scope. British agents, once obtaining these writs, could search any property they believed might contain contraband goods. They could enter someone's property with no notice and without any reason given. Tax collectors could interrogate anyone about their use of goods and require the cooperation of any citizen. Searches and seizures of private property based on very general warrants became an epidemic in colonial America.

In 1756, the Massachusetts legislature passed search and seizure laws outlawing the use of general warrants. The friction created between the Royal Governor and the people of Massachusetts grew with each passing moment.

In 1760 James Otis, a Boston lawyer, strongly objected to these arbitrary searches and seizures of private property and consequently resigned his position with the government, and then became the lawyer for a group of over 50 merchants who sued the government claiming that the writs of assistance were unjust.

James Otis represented these merchants for free. His speech condemning British policies, including writs of assistance and general search warrants, was so powerful and eloquent, that it was heard of throughout the colonies and catapulted him to a place of leadership in the swelling tide of disillusionment toward Great Britain.

Twenty-five year old John Adams, who would become the second president of the United States some time later, was sitting in the courtroom and heard Otis' famous speech that served as a spark that led to igniting the American Revolution.

The 4th Amendment, a part of The Bill of Rights, became law on December 15, 1791.

The 4th Amendment applies only to the federal government. State constitutions are written similarly, and States also have laws that are consistent with the intention of the 4th Amendment. The 4th Amendment provides protection from illegal search and seizure by federal government officials, but not by private citizens. So, if an employer unreasonably searched your possessions at work, the 4th Amendment would not have been violated, but local laws may have been.

In recent history The PATRIOT Act was seen as a breach of the 4th Amendment because it allowed the federal government to pursue a number of strategies in their search for terrorists that includes warrantless phone taps, access to phone logs, and monitoring of online communications such as email. The debate still goes on regarding the constitutionality of The PATRIOT Act, with both sides presenting reasonable arguments, ranging from the constitutional necessity of the law for the purpose of "providing for the common defense," to the argument that the authorities offered by the law allows the federal government to unconstitutionally intrude on the right to privacy of all Americans.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014 builds on the powers seized by the federal government through the PATRIOT Act, allowing unrestricted analysis and research of captured records pertaining to any organization or individual "now or once hostile to the United States." The definition of "hostile to the United States" is broad, and can include political opposition. Under NDAA 2014 Sec. 1061(g)(1), an overly vague definition of captured records enhances government power and guarantees indefinite surveillance.

The Internal Revenue Service is another arm of the federal government that routinely violates the 4th Amendment, doing so under the auspice of ensuring all taxes are paid.

Questions for Discussion:
1. What actions by the British prior to the American Revolutionary War inspired the Founding Fathers to include this amendment in the Bill of Rights?

2. How would our legal system act if Search Warrants were not considered necessary?

3. How does the Fourth Amendment influence today's thinking regarding government actions, such as with The PATRIOT Act?

How Congress Has Assaulted Our Freedoms in the Patriot Act by
Andrew P. Napolitano, Lew

Joseph Andrews, A Guide for Learning and Teaching The Declaration of

Paul A. Ibbetson, Living Under the PATRIOT Act: Educating a Society;
Bloomington, IN: Author House (2007)

Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, The Founder's Constitution -

Amendment V
Due Process and Eminent Domain
Due Process

The majority of the Fifth Amendment provides additional reinforcement to the concept of due process. The language of this Amendment was designed to assure those who feared the potential tyranny of a new centralized government created by the United States Constitution that the federal government would be restrained in such a way as to ensure that the government did not perpetrate bloodshed against its citizens.

The first part of the 5th Amendment reads: "No person shall be held to answer for a capital crime, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury. . ."

The 5th Amendment attests to the Founding Father's understanding that this is a nation of property owners. As a republic of property owners, when in jeopardy of legal trouble, our rights and properties must be safeguarded. Therefore, an American Citizen in the American legal system has a right to a jury, as well as a right to the presentation of evidence. Conviction is not reached with a majority vote, either. Conviction requires a unanimous agreement among all of the members of the jury. These concepts reinforce the concept that one is innocent until proven guilty (A concept found in the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 19, Verse 15), and that the United States of America is a Republic. Mob rule is not allowed, for as the amendment provides, a person cannot be held until given the opportunity of due process.

Not all persons, however, are awarded this opportunity. The next part of the amendment reads: ". . . except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger. . ."

The military does not fall under the U.S. Constitution. Personnel serving in the armed forces are governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Instead of a civilian trial, a military service member is normally afforded a court martial. If a civilian trial is deemed appropriate by the U.S. Military, a service member can still stand trial in a civilian court, but the military has the authority to decide whether or not the member shall stand such a trial.

Having a sense of independence, individuals must be protected, then, from the tyrannical trappings of a governmental system that may try to use the judiciary against them (as the King of England had done often). The protective mechanism, or the rule of law, would be the U.S. Constitution and clauses like the 5th Amendment, which were designed to provide protection to the populace from unfair legal practices.

One such protection is provided in the next part of this amendment: ". . . nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life and limb. . ."

Protection against Double Jeopardy enables us not to be continuously tried for the same offense, which was a technique often used in some parts of Europe during the eighteenth century. The idea was that if a person was prosecuted enough, either they would weary of the process and break down, or the defendant would become unable to financially continue, hence unable to defend themselves.

The next part of the amendment serves as a large influence on today's Miranda Rights. The section reads: ". . . nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property."

Miranda Rights are named after the U.S. Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona (1966). Miranda Rights are a warning given advising the accused of their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, and the right to an appointed attorney if they are unable to afford counsel - prior to conducting a custodial interrogation. From the 5th Amendment: ". . .nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Miranda Rights exist to secure the 5th Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination, and to make the individual in custody aware not only of the privilege, but also of the consequences of forgoing it. The judicial opinion from the Miranda v. Arizona case also indicated that in order to protect the person's life, liberty or property with the due process of law, the individual must have the right to an attorney. With a lawyer present the likelihood that the police will practice coercion is reduced, and if coercion is nevertheless exercised the lawyer can testify to it in court. The presence of a lawyer can also help to guarantee that the accused gives a fully accurate statement to the police and that the statement is rightly reported by the prosecution at trial.

The words of the Founders continues to resonate today as the majority of the American people seem to firmly agree with the Founding Father's insistence that no one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. We can take satisfaction that most of our fellow citizens in our republic still hold these truths to be self-evident.

Eminent Domain

The provisions of the 5th Amendment are there to keep our courts honest, and the powers of the government constrained. The last phrase of the 5th Amendment, however, is considered too general by many, and it has been used in a manner by the federal government that is extremely troublesome, because it gives the government the right to take property if there is just compensation.

How is just compensation determined? Is it based on the market value of the property? How does the government officials involved in eminent domain calculate the non-intrinsic value? How do they compensate for the value on which nobody can put a price?

Just compensation was intended to be based on what the property owner deemed to be just. If the property owner did not deem the offer to be just compensation, then the government, from a constitutional viewpoint, is out of luck.

Rule of Law - The restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws; Laws of Nature and of Nature's God; self-evident standard of conduct and law.

Questions for Discussion:
1. How is property rights affected by Due Process?

2. Why do military members not fall under the protections of the U.S. Constitution?

3. Why is protection against Double Jeopardy important?

4. What was the inspiration for our Miranda Rights?

5. Who determines if compensation for one's property is just?

6. How is Eminent Domain being used for environmental reasons?

7. Is Eminent Domain constitutionally in force if a property is rezoned for environmental conservation, forcing the value of the property to be reduced due to the fact that it can no longer be developed?

8. Is it constitutional for government to use Eminent Domain for the use of the land by private development projects?

Definition of Due Process, Family Rights Association:

Joseph Andrews, A Guide for Learning and Teaching The Declaration of

Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, The Founder's Constitution -

U.S. Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona, 384 US 436 (1966)

Amendment VI
Personal Legal Liberties

Rights afforded in all criminal prosecutions are set forth in this amendment. The word "all" at the beginning of this amendment establishes a special characteristic regarding this article of the Constitution. The Constitution applies only to the federal government, unless it states otherwise. The 6th Amendment, by providing the word "all" in the regard to cases, establishes that this amendment is not only to be applied to the federal courts, but to the State, and lower, courts as well.

As for the rights afforded to the accused:

Speedy Trial

The concept of a speedy trial was an English concept of justice. A speedy trial allows for conditions that disallow the powerful from abusing the court system, forcing defendants to languish in jail for an indefinite period while awaiting their trial. Ensuring a speedy trial minimizes the time in which a defendant's life is disrupted and burdened by a criminal proceeding, and reduces the likelihood of a prolonged delay impairing the ability of the accused to prepare a defense.

Historically, when trials are postponed or drag out for long periods of time, witnesses disappear, and evidence is often lost or destroyed. Memories of the incident in question are also not as reliable as time passes.

A person's right to a speedy trial arises after the arrest, indictment, or otherwise formal accusation of a crime.

Public Trial

The right to a public trial was inherited by the Americans from Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence. Public criminal proceedings would operate as a natural check against malevolent prosecutions, corrupt judges, and perjurious witnesses. A trial that is out in the open also aids the fact-finding mission of the judiciary by encouraging citizens to come forward with relevant information.

The right to a public trial is not absolute. Persons who may disrupt proceedings may be banned from attending the trial because they present a substantial risk of hindering a trial. A disallowance of the media attending falls under the concept of "potential disruptions," but otherwise, under normal circumstances, both the public and media have a qualified First Amendment right to attend criminal proceedings. The right to a public trial does not require the presence of media, and because courtrooms have limited seating, judges may attempt to maintain decorum. For media, with today's technology, the media does not have to be in the courtroom to see or hear the proceedings of the case.

Right to Trial by an Impartial Jury

A part of the effort in achieving an impartial jury is the process of determining who will serve on the jury through a series of questions and observations, in an effort to eliminate biased jurors. The concept of protecting the defendant from a biased jury can be traced back to the Magna Carta in 1215. In the United States, the requirement for a trial by an impartial jury does not apply to juvenile delinquency proceedings, or to petty criminal offenses, which consist of crimes punishable by imprisonment of six months or less. In Great Britain, and Canada, a jury is not required for cases with potential penalties of two years or less, and the concept of an impartial jury is not entertained in the same way as in the United States. Canada and Britain choose jurors randomly, and then in an open court the jurors for a specific case are selected from the jury panel by ballot. A juror may be challenged once in the box for bias, but an extensive process to eliminate possible biased jurors before selection through a series of questions and observations is not normal practice.

The Sixth Amendment entitles defendants to a jury that represents "a jury of the defendant's peers," which means the jury should be a fair cross section of the community. From the jury pool, the presiding judge, the prosecution, and attorneys for the defense are allowed to ask members of the jury pool a variety of questions intended to reveal any latent biases, prejudices, or other influences that might affect their impartiality. The presence of even one biased juror is not permitted under the Sixth Amendment.

It is possible that the potential bias of a juror may be affected by sources outside the courtroom, so jurors are instructed to not consider newspaper, television, and radio coverage before or during trial, and are instructed not to discuss the trial with even family members, when evaluating the guilt or innocence of the defendant.

Jurors are not permitted to begin deliberations until all of the evidence has been offered. Deliberations do not begin until after the attorneys have made their closing arguments, and the judge has read the instructions. Premature deliberations have shown the potential, historically, to create early biases, or a juror may form a preconceived notion that they will then compare all evidence to, which they may have entertained as a result of premature deliberations.

Notice of Pending Criminal Charges

The 6th Amendment guarantees defendants the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against them. Defendants must receive notice of any criminal accusations that the government has lodged against them through an indictment, information, complaint, or other formal charge. Defendants may not be tried, convicted, or sentenced for a crime that materially varies from the crime set forth in the formal charge.

The requirement by the 6th Amendment to inform a defendant of the nature and cause of the accusation is an attempt by the Founding Fathers to create fundamental fairness that was not necessarily present in civil and criminal proceedings in England and the American colonies under English common law. Receiving notice of pending criminal charges in advance of trial permits defendants to prepare a defense in accordance with the specific nature of the accusation. In tyrannies, defendants are all too often incarcerated without being apprised of pending charges until the trial begins. Requiring notice of the nature and cause of the accusation against a defendant eliminates confusion regarding the basis of a particular verdict, which in turn decreases the chances that a defendant will be tried later for the same offense.

Confrontation of Witnesses Against Him

The 6th Amendment requires that defendants have the right to be confronted by witnesses who offer testimony or evidence against them, as well as the opportunity to subject them to cross-examination.

Today's courts have established rules that are enforced at the discretion of the judge who forbids questioning that pursues areas that are irrelevant, collateral, confusing, repetitive, or prejudicial. Defendants are also forbidden to pursue a line of questioning solely for the purpose of harassment.

Compulsory Process for Obtaining Witnesses In His Favor

The 6th Amendment recognizes a defendant's right to use the compulsory process of the judiciary to subpoena witnesses that may be favorable to the defense. Courts may not take actions to undermine the testimony of a witness who has been subpoenaed by the defense. Any law that attempts to establish particular persons as being incompetent to testify on behalf of a defendant is not allowed.

Defendants can also testify on their own behalf, a right not afforded in the American Colonies, or Great Britain, prior to the United States dissolving the political bands connecting them to the Crown. Common law presumed all defendants to be incompetent to give reliable or credible testimony on their own behalf. The vested interest in the outcome of the trial, it was believed, would taint the testimony of the defendant. The 6th Amendment does not require, a defendant to testify on his own behalf, but does not prohibit it, either.

Right to Counsel

The 6th Amendment states that criminal defendants have a Right to Counsel. A defendant's right to counsel does not become an issue until the government files formal charges. However, in the 5th Amendment a person has the right not to be compelled to be a witness against himself, allowing him to remain silent until he has counsel present.

In many instances, defendants have the inability to obtain counsel be it because of financial or other reasons. The 6th Amendment, by listing that assistance of counsel for his defense is a right, has compelled the government to institute a program where counsel can be assigned to a defendant if the person is unable to afford counsel, or obtain counsel for any other reason. In the occurrence of a defendant unable to afford counsel, the trial judge appoints one on his behalf. If it turns out that the defendant has financial resources previously unknown to the court, he may be required to reimburse the government for a portion of the fees paid to the court-appointed lawyer.

Defendants are not required to have counsel. Defendants have a right to counsel. Defendants also have the right to decline the representation of counsel and proceed on their own behalf. Defendants who represent themselves must present a waiver of the 6th Amendment right to counsel before a court will allow them to do so. The waiver must reveal that the defendant is knowingly making the decision, and understands the potential consequences.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Why is having a speedy trial so important in a free society?

2. How does a public trial better enable the fact-finding mission of the trial?

3. How is the concept of an impartial jury different in the United States than it is in other countries?

4. Why is it important for a defendant to be able to confront the witnesses against him?

5. How is a defendant's right to counsel enabled in today's court system?
Joseph Andrews, A Guide for Learning and Teaching The Declaration of

Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, The Founder's Constitution -

Amendment VII
Right of Trial by Jury in Civil Suits

The 7th Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in most civil suits heard in federal court. Remember, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, apply only to the federal government unless the document states otherwise. The 7th Amendment serves to preserve the historic line separating the province of the jury from that of the judge in civil cases by separating cases that should have a jury in federal court, from those that are smaller cases, and may not require a jury. During the time the amendment was ratified, a case requiring a jury was one where "the value in controversy" exceeded twenty dollars. The cutoff in the court system today is $75,000. Any disputes that involve amounts less than $75,000, in fact, will not even be handled in a federal court.

State courts don't have to honor this provision in the 7th Amendment, and often don't. People bringing a suit do not have to have a jury trial. Individuals can waive their right to a jury trial if they so choose.

The 7th Amendment also expressly forbids federal judges to re-examine any "fact tried by a jury" except as allowed by the common law. This means that no court, trial or appellate, may overturn a jury verdict that is reasonably supported by the evidence.

Prior to the Declaration of Rights in 1689, English judges served the King of England. These judges showed bias towards the King, resulting in unfair rulings. Judges in the American colonies were also biased towards the king, and when King George III got rid of trials by juries in the Colonies, the colonists viewed the decision as more kindling for the fire of independence that had been blazing in the pubs, churches and meeting halls of the Colonies. The Bill of Rights applied what the Framers learned under the rule of Britain to the American System. In the American courts the Framers believed it was important to have a fair court system, so the right to have a trial by jury is mentioned a number of times, and is a fundamental part of the United States legal system.

Together with the due process clause of the 5th Amendment and the right to an impartial jury enumerated in the 6th Amendment, the 7th Amendment guarantees civil litigants the right to not just a jury, but to a jury who is not biased for any reason.

Questions for Discussion:
1. What historic line does the 7th Amendment preserve?
2. Must the States abide by the 7th Amendment?
3. Can a person bringing suit waive the right to a jury trial?

Amendment VIII
Excessive Bail, Cruel and Unusual Punishment

The 8th Amendment reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

As a nation founded on honorable Judeo-Christian principles, the United States legal system is expected to be fair and just. This means that Americans should insist upon a due process that protects individuals from excesses and abuses by the judicial system. Such expectations include that no individual should be singled out, or treated differently, in the eyes of the courts. A fair and equitable judicial system includes no excessive bails or fines, or cruel and unusual punishment, for one person while others guilty of similar crimes do not receive similar treatment.

Today's definitions attempt to set a limit on where "excessive" or "unusual" lies. When a harsh penalty is applied for a crime, even when it is similar to the punishment received by others for the same crime, challenges are launched regarding if the penalty matches the crime. These challenges are fine, and an important part of the American judicial system seeking to adjust itself in regards to its fairness, but the debates during the Federal Convention and State ratification conventions did not focus so much on where the line between excessive and not excessive, or unusual as opposed to usual, exists as much as are the bails, fines and punishment consistent with the bails, fines and punishment consistent with others guilty of the same.
Questions for Discussion:
1. In the context of the time period during which the 8th Amendment was written, what was meant by "cruel and unusual punishment?"
2. How has the original definition of "cruel and unusual punishment" changed since the founding of the United States?
3. How does the 8th Amendment apply the concept of uniformity to cases?
4. Why would the Founding Fathers see the need to enumerate the right of an individual to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment?
Joseph Andrews, A Guide for Learning and Teaching The Declaration of

Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, The Founder's Constitution -

Copyright 2015 Douglas V. Gibbs

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