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Random drug testing in schools
FeaturesManilaToday.netMetro
Proposals for mandatory drug testing on secondary and tertiary students following Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) statements on drug affectation in schools have been put out by various government agencies since last week. A new proposal by PDEA yesterday was to include elementary students, Grade 4 or 10 years old and above.
A drug testing program has been initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd) since 2017 and has been pushed by administrations since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
How does the current drug testing proposals and programs look so far?
PDEA's proposal for mandatory and surprise drug testing for school officials, teachers
On June 21, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said they are seeking an issuance of a Dangerous Drugs Board resolution to enforce mandatory drug testing on public and private schools students and personnel. This move was sought after they arrested a 10-year old suspected drug user.
"Bakit Grade 4, bakit 10 years old? Based on our operation, yung bata na gumagamit ng illegal drugs is as early as 10 years old," he said on Thursday.
[Why Grade 4, why 10 years old? Based on our operation, a child that used illegal drugs is as early as 10 years old.]
Aquino said it is up to the DepEd if they would take up the recommendation.
The PDEA Chief also wanted the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act amended to make school officials, teachers, and students undergo mandatory and surprise drug testing.
Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Gwen Pimentel commented on this, asking for the rights of the children to be observed and safeguards and guidelines in the implementation of the drug testing be provided. Pimentel said that the program must observe the right to privacy, the right to consent and to be informed of those who will take the drug tests, especially if they are children.
The PDEA yesterday distributed P180 million worth of equipment to its units to enhance their operational capabilities in the war against drugs. The equipment included 63 vehicles, 151 motorcycles, computers, body cameras and drones.
DepEd's drug testing program
In a statement also on Thursday, the Department of Education cited cost and legal implications as well as the agency's ongoing drug testing program.
The DepEd said, "the proposal of the [PDEA] to test all students age 10 and older may require the amendment of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which authorizes drug testing for secondary and tertiary level students only."
The DepEd also warned the PDEA on the cost implementation of its plan.
"The population of students from Grade 4 (the grade level of 10-year old students) to Grade 12 total at least 14 million. At PhP 200 per student for the testing fee alone, the budget will already amount to PhP 2.8 billion. There are considerable related costs for capacity-building and mobilization for the conduct of the drug testing," said the DepEd.
DepEd cited that it has an ongoing drug testing program that started in the previous school year and end after the current school year, in 2019.
The agency released Department Order 40, Series of 2017, the guidelines for the conduct of drug testing in public and private secondary schools, on August 8, 2017. They also released Department Order 37, the guidelines for the conduct at the end of July 2017.
"The program covers all 1,300 officers and personnel at the central office, 3,800 in the regional offices, and 26,000 in schools division offices. It also covers a sample population of all teachers, numbering 10,000, and a sample population of all secondary students, numbering 21,000. The sample population of secondary students and teachers is based on a sampling design to yield 95% statistical confidence level of the result," said the DepEd.
In announcing that the drug testing will continue this school year, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones assured the public that the results "will not be a basis for kicking out the student or kicking out a faculty member."
DepEd said that the that drug testing is a component of a much broader preventive drug education program and that the primary mandate of DepEd is still the integration of preventive drug education in curriculum and instruction.
Briones would also request a meeting with the PDEA chief to share the DepEd's program and to compare their respective agency's objectives with the drug testing program.
DepEd said its objective in the conduct of the drug testing is mainly to know the prevalence so it can provide interventions compliant to its mandate, and for health reasons, so proper treatment can be provided. The results will be a basis for treatment if treatment is necessary, Briones said.
The DepEd also said the program has the full support of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Manila Today tried to reach DepEd to find out the scope that they have covered in the drug testing, the percentage of results on affectation of schools with illegal drug use, how their objectives for the program have been met so far and other questions, but we are still awaiting the agency's response.
Drug testing in Quezon City schools
Quezon City (QC) Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said on June 15 said students in public high school and colleges in the city will undergo mandatory drug testing with or without their parents' consent
Belmonte said the program has undergone consultation. In its conduct, there will an orientation and information dissemination campaign and parents would be notified and they would 'sign a paper.' Even if the parents would not approve, their children would still undergo the drug testing and the parents would be made to undergo counseling, as mandated by RA 9165.
A selection board composed of the school principal, student council president, head of faculty department, and head of Parents-Teachers Association will come up with a list of students who they believe must be tested. The QC Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council will meet with the selection boards to come up with guidelines based on recommendations by school authorities to protect the confidentiality of students who undergo testing.
Urine samples would be used by a laboratory accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) for these tests.
Students with positive test results will have counseling with parents, guidance counselors, school administrators and a representative from the DOH to determine the level of drug dependency. They will undergo another test and repeat offenders or those determined to be drug dependent may be admitted to a drug rehabilitation facility.
QC Mayor Herbert Bautista also said the local government's drug testing program is in accordance with the law.
The QC local government passed last year Ordinance No. SP-2615, Series of 2017, an ordinance requiring the conduct of testing for students of public, tertiary, vocational and technical schools within the territorial jurisdiction of Quezon City and the appropriation of funds for said program. The ordinance was authored by QC Councilor Diorella Maria G. Sotto and was signed into law by Bautista on Oct. 3, 2017.
The local government will fund the drug testing that covers only public schools. They have initially earmarked P 4 million for the student drug testing program. The city has 99 public elementary and 48 public high schools, 274 private elementary schools, 175 private high schools, 81 colleges and nine universities.
The PDEA has said that "100 percent drug affectation in Quezon City" in all school levels.
Random drug testing, legality and dissent
The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Acts of 2002 or RA 9165 provides the basis for random drug testing in schools.
Article 3 Section 36 (c) of the law states, "Students of secondary and tertiary schools. – Students of secondary and tertiary schools shall, pursuant to the related rules and regulations as contained in the school's student handbook and with notice to the parents, undergo a random drug testing: Provided, That all drug testing expenses whether in public or private schools under this Section will be borne by the government."
The conditions for random drug testing under the law include:
The testing is conducted pursuant to related rules and regulations as contained in the school's student handbook; and
The testing is conducted with notice to the parents.
A decision of the Supreme Court on the case of the Social Justice Society v. Dangerous Drugs Board, G.R. 157870 on November 3, 2008 requiring mandatory, random and suspicionless drug testing of students was held as "constitutional."
The National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) noted that in current rules on drug testing that while former Department of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre said random drug testing for students of secondary and tertiary school is authorized by RA 9165, "mandatory drug testing, on the other hand, is not expressly precluded in said law, which was silent on the matter. Accordingly, a secondary or tertiary school is not precluded from implementing a mandatory drug testing of its students in the exercise of its academic freedom."
The group concluded on the drug testing guidelines of the DepEd:
"On its face, the DepEd Order Nos. 37 and 40 are in accord with prevailing jurisprudence and current laws. However, in light of the present societal context, law enforcement officers are urged to strictly abide by the guidelines set forth in the laws. Both schools and students must be apprised of the safeguards provided by law especially with regard to the confidentiality of the drug test results and the unavailability of such in any court proceeding. It is only with such strict implementation can drug testing be random and suspicionless."
Kabataan Partylist Metro Manila, however, said no to the random drug testing in schools.
"Children and the youth are not the source of the drug problem, yet they are to be subjected to another palliative solution that would end up more caustic in their personal lives and safety. Assurances for the protection of the child's rights and safety and their best interests in the mandatory drug testing of the government could hardly be believed after so many killed in the drug war," said the group in its statement.
The group cited a data of a non-government organization for children that recorded 74 minors killed in Duterte's war on drugs. Of the 74, 56 were boys and 18 were girls.
"The mandatory drug testing in school harked back to another terrorizing experience of even younger children (those 9-year old and above) in schools: the mandatory, free Dengvaxia immunization program that endangered the lives of at least 830,000 school children," the group also said.
The group also cautioned on the program's costs that could turn out to be a waste of money, citing examples in the US where less than 10 positive drug test results were obtained at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars, while the program is still not the the solution to the drug problem in the country. Poor implementation may also give rise to corruption, the group said.
The group also called on the government to eliminate the drug problems at its roots: poverty.
"The government must uphold the basic rights of the people and provide basic social services. In the case of children and the youth, so many are deprived of sufficient food, nutrition and education and their families wanting for shelter, livelihood and decent work and wages, that it is inimical for the government to look to solutions with far-reaching positive effects other than provide these basic needs."
The post Random drug testing in schools appeared first on Manila Today.


Multiculturalism Day, in addition to National Aboriginal Day (June 21) and Saint-Jean Baptiste Day (June 24), is part of Celebrate Canada, a week-long celebration of events culminating in Canada Day (July 1).
This significant day is an opportunity for Albertans to celebrate our province's rich cultural mosaic and recognize the valuable role Albertans from all backgrounds play in helping to build vibrant and prosperous communities that benefit everyone.
Multiculturalism Day is intended to encourage individuals to reflect on our shared commitment to democracy, equality and mutual respect. Albertans are reminded of the important role they can play in helping to promote mutual understanding and respect for Albertans of all backgrounds.


Mr. Harry Dhaul, the Chairman of the Steering Committee for Securing Asia, is also the Founder and Director General of The Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI), and has over 25 years experience in the power and infrastructure sectors.
The transition of the sectors (especially Power, Oil & Gas), from being entirely statecontrolled to the current stage of increasing private sector participation, led Mr. Dhaul to envisage the requirement for a neutral forum for discussion and examination of policy and regulatory issues, for the development and private sector participation in the infrastructure sectors.
It was during this time that Mr Dhaul saw how critical security is to the three pillars of energy – Energy Security, Security of Energy Infrastructures and the Geopolitics of Energy. Since then, promoting security has been an endeavor that has taken him to founding Securing Asia, the Asian Homeland Security, Defence and Counterterrorism Summit.
Securing Asia is a summit where high level government representatives and internationally acclaimed experts on security discuss the cerebral, social and demographic implications of rising economic propensity and increasing societal disparities and the impact on Asia's Homeland Security. It also provides a platform for technology and service providers to interact with potential clients as well as discuss with Asian government representatives, the various solutions to address their security needs and problems.


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John R. Hart
John Hart is a litigator with more than 33 years of trial experience. He focuses his practice on commercial real estate litigation, contract and business disputes, trust and estate matters, commercial leasing, property management, and distressed assets and loan workouts. He also has substantial experience in commercial real estate transactions with an emphasis on the representation of lenders, landlords, and other property owners.
John strives to provide a high level of personalized, responsive service. He aims for effective, cost-efficient solutions for clients while protecting their interests and business needs.
As the managing shareholder of the firm's West Palm Beach office, he views success as satisfied clients who rely on Carlton Fields for team-oriented legal services from a diverse group of top-tier attorneys who provide practical, value-added solutions in a variety of specialized industries.
During his career, John has been involved in multimillion-dollar lawsuits and transactions in a wide range of areas. His substantial trial experience includes both bench and jury trials in state and federal courts, as well as arbitration proceedings. He has represented companies and individuals in disputes involving:
Lender liability claims
Shareholders' agreements
Misappropriation of trade secrets and covenants not to compete
Revocation of wills and trusts in adversarial proceedings
Receiverships
Homeowner and condominium associations
Leases and landlord/tenant litigation
Born and raised in Miami, he spent the first seven years of his career practicing in Miami-Dade after graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1986. During his career, he has represented clients throughout the state of Florida, having litigated cases in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Monroe, St. Lucie, Indian River, Orange, Lake, Alachua, Brevard, Duval, Leon, Jefferson, Escambia, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Lee, and Collier counties.
John also remains active in his local community, chairing the Southeast Advisory Council for Camp Boggy Creek (a camp in Eustis, Florida, for children with severe illnesses) since 2015 and serving as a volunteer mock trial coach for students at Miami Lakes Middle School and Barbara Goleman Senior High School. Outside the office, John can be found playing amateur jai alai in Miami, where he's been a dedicated supporter of the sport for the past 20 years.
Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy
Carlton Fields Attorneys Recognized as South Florida Business Journal 2022 Power Leaders
U.S. Bank, N.A. v. Joe James Enters. LLC, No. 50-2010-CA-007405 (Fla. Cir. Ct. 2014). Represented court-appointed receiver in evidentiary proceedings resulting in a prevailing motion to sell commercial property in Boca Raton over objections of a third party.
PNC Bank Nat'l Ass'n v. Hiawassee Woods, LLC, No. 6:12-cv-01484 (M.D. Fla. 2012). Prosecuted receivership and rent sequestration motions at evidentiary proceedings involving multimillion-dollar shopping center property in Orlando, Florida.
PNC Bank vs. Kosovo Realty Corp., No. 50-2011-CA-002959 (Fla. Cir. Ct. 2011). Prosecuted a motion for the appointment of a receiver in a four-day evidentiary hearing in a hotly contested matter involving a hotel and restaurant property in South Palm Beach.
PNC Bank vs. Ameritrend Commerce Ctr., No. 3120 10 CA 01 0806 (Fla. Cir. Ct. 2011). Tried commercial foreclosure action resulting in $7,619,621 final judgment in favor of client against borrower and guarantors on office complex in Vero Beach, Florida.
Esque Real Estate Holdings, Inc. v. C.H. Consulting, Ltd., 940 So. 2d 1185 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006). Representation of lender in mortgage foreclosure action that resulted in summary judgment in favor of lender for approximately $1 million. On appeal, Fourth District Court of Appeal held that trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying motion to vacate foreclosure sale for alleged inadequacy of sale price where mortgagor failed to allege any irregularity or defect connected with the sale process.
May v. Barthet, 886 So. 2d 324 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004). Representation of Mandalay Resorts Group Inc. in legal proceedings under Florida's Vexatious Litigant Law, section 68.093, Florida Statutes (2003), which resulted in barring further frivolous lawsuits against client.
Walter T. Embry, Inc. v. LaSalle Nat'l Bank, 868 So. 2d 661 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004). Interlocutory appeal in mortgage foreclosure action involving gasoline station property. Represented lender in appellate proceedings affirming the entry of a dismissal order. After this decision, prosecuted remainder of action through conclusion of non-jury trial and judgment in favor of client, which judgment was also later affirmed by the Fourth District Court of Appeal.
Buckeye Check Cashing, Inc. v. Cardegna, 824 So. 2d 228 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002). Representation of Buckeye Check Cashing Inc. in defense of class action lawsuit involving allegations of usury and violation of various state statutes. Fourth District Court of Appeal held that federal law controlled enforcement of arbitration agreements at issue, and reversed trial court's order denying the lender's motion to compel arbitration. The Fourth DCA's decision was subsequently reversed by the Florida Supreme Court, but was reinstated by the Florida Supreme Court after the U.S. Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction of the case and issued an opinion affirming the Fourth DCA's 2002 decision.
Kirkland v. Miller, 702 So. 2d 620 (Fla. 4th DCA 1997). Pro bono representation of a borrower, Ruby Kirkland, who was defending an ejectment lawsuit, seeking to evict her from her home of many years, thereby depriving her of her equity in the property. Lender structured the transaction through the use of an Illinois land trust in order to avoid foreclosure upon default. Fourth DCA held that the transaction at issue was not a valid Illinois land trust; it was a mortgage securing indebtedness. The Fourth DCA reversed trial court's order entitling lender to ejectment.
New England Mut. Life Ins. Co. v. Podhurst, Orseck, Josefsberg, Eaton, Meadow, Olin & Perwin, P.A., 690 So. 2d 1354 (Fla. 3d DCA 1997). Representation of lender, New England Mutual Life Insurance Co., in an appeal involving in excess of $2 million of insurance proceeds from Hurricane Andrew in connection with two shopping centers in Dade County, Florida. Third DCA held that lender's interest in casualty insurance policy proceeds had priority over law firm's charging lien for services rendered to borrower in obtaining settlement with insurance company.
N.Y. Life Ins. & Annuity Corp. v. Hammocks Cmty. Ass'n, Inc., 622 So. 2d 1369 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993). Representation of New York Life in a multimillion-dollar foreclosure action, with appellate proceedings involving litigation over lien priority rights between lender and community development association over unpaid property assessments.
Johnson v. Bauman, 549 So. 2d 1185 (Fla. 5th DCA 1989). Defense of appeal by borrower of judgment rendered in favor of lender on promissory note pursuant to verdict after conclusion of three-day jury trial. Also prosecuted cross-appeal, entitling lender to prejudgment interest at the default rate of 18 percent on borrower's promissory note obligation.
Carlton Fields Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Power Leaders
Carlton Fields Attorneys Recognized As "Power Leaders"
Carlton Fields Attorneys Interviewed About Win in Show Horse Case
Aaron C. Dunlap Joins Carlton Fields
Defendants prevail in "Dirty Stopper" case
78 Carlton Fields Attorneys Named "Best Lawyers in America"
Carlton Fields Attorneys Named to the 2017 "South Florida Legal Guide"
Carlton Fields Names Six New Office Managing Shareholders
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South Florida Power Leaders, South Florida Business Journal (2019–2022)
The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation (2016–2023)
South Florida Legal Guide (2004–2015)
Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society Firm Award (2008)
Represented, pro bono, indigent woman in four-day jury trial involving real estate dispute.
Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society Real Property Pro Bono Award (1998)
Section of Litigation
Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Section
"Troubled Assets: Valuation, Legal and Asset Management Issues," National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) Valuation Committee Meeting (2010)
"Breach of Real Estate Contract Litigation, Case Law Update and Ethical Considerations," Palm Beach County Bar Association Real Estate Seminar (2009)
"Florida Foreclosure and Related Bankruptcy and Title Issues," NBIT Seminars (1999, 2004)
University of Virginia School of Law (J.D., 1986)
University of Miami (B.A., magna cum laude, 1983)
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
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U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
Distressed Asset and Workout
Litigation and Trials

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Remember We Run a ZBS (Comments on Drafting OLs)
By method man
January 7, 2010 in The Stadium
Something I've been seeing a lot of over the past month has been people saying things like "I'm done with this organization if we don't draft Okung" or "we better go OL in the first."
You guys have to remember that the ZBS scheme depends on lighter more athletic linemen. Thus, guys like Anthony Davis, Okung, Iupati, and Trent Williams might not necessarily fit the ZBS. Instead, when discussing linemen, we should focus discussion on guys like Charles Brown and Selvish Capers, the lighter more athletic guys who would be perfect fits in the ZBS.
So, keep in mind when you do your draft research, to pay attention to a prospect's relative athleticism and height/weight combo among other factors.
I insist that when you do draft research on linemen, take a look at http://seahawksdraft.blogspot.com/
The Seahawks also run a ZBS and look for similar linemen to the ones we look for.
BigMike21
Interesting. Walter Jones is pretty massive though isn't he?
amm11387
Don't know if you can pass up talent like Okung if we stay with the 4th pick, especially with our glaring line needs. Hopefully we'll trade down and get a few more.
hieverybody
I believe that Iowa runs a zone blocking scheme which has made me pay a lot of attention to Bryan Bulaga. For whatever reason, Iowa has played with the tight end over him, which gives me some pause, but whenever he is isolated outside he still handles himself well. I don't believe any of these offensive linemen should be taken at #4. Let's trade down.
mistertim
Okung is extremely athletic and agile. He is, I believe, 6'5 305 which is relatively light. Anthony Davis is also very athletic and agile for a guy his size (he is about the same height but 325 or something). The main thing for me is whether they have any prior experience in a ZBS. Obviously they could learn, but it would make the learning curve much smaller if they already had that experience.
SirClintonPortis
Ryan Clady is 6-6 325 lbs. Hardly small.
Enter Apotheosis
You guys have to remember that the ZBS scheme depends on lighter more athletic linemen.
Edited for accuracy.
I don't know, of the group of tackles you list I think only Trent Williams might lack the agillity to thrive in a zone scheme.
Maybe you could make this a platitude for linemen you are targeting in the mid to late rounds but we are talking about a top 5 pick offensive tackle. Every guy has to adjust to a scheme of some sort and an elite tackle should be able to flourish in any scheme be it in line or zone. Otherwise, I think it's clear that they aren't really elite. Take for instance Ryan Clady. He was an odd fit for a ZBS coming out of college because he looked pretty heavy and didn't have any prior familiarity with zone plays in college or cut blocking or off blocking. Two years later he's the best LT in the league in a heavily zone scheme. But he was an elite prospect and had good coaching and he made the switch. Guys like Anthony Davis and Okung need to be able to do the same if they are taken in the top 10.
And other posters are right, you can certainly have fat boys zone block well if they've got the footspeed and the understanding of the scheme. This will probably be one of the fastest set of OTs to come out in a while with guys like Bulaga, Williams, Brown, Campbell, Capers, Carimi, Solder all having a legit chance to run a sub 5 second 40. The ability to do everything they'd need to in a zone scheme is there. It's all about their coaching developing them successfully.
Undersized tackles like Charles Brown are the ones who are limited, or are at least just as limited as the Phil Loadholts of the league. They succeed in the ZBS because they can't succeed in any other scheme--in spite of their limitations not because of them. What we want is a guy who has size, power, and athleticism. We want a guy who drive blocks as well as he gets to the second level and cut blocks and shuts down edge rushers. He's got to be able to do it all to be an elite player worthy of our high pick.
isaacis881
In the end elite o line men have winning records and those that don't, dont get noticed. I don't care who he brings in but I can't help but wonder if there a TE that could be a tackle in this draft ala Jason Peters type?
SkinsNorth
But when he was drafted he was just over 300lbs.
Veretax
I'd be skiddish about Selvish Capers to be honest. Without seeing highlights of just what he's doing I'm not sure I'd go with him.
KDawg
This is a very good and valid point. Zone blocking schemes don't require the mauling type of lineman. It requires a guy that can move. If that guy is a big strong ox, then bonus. You need to move and be able to engage a man and open a running lane. That's it. If you can't move them, you need to be able to cut consistently. I feel much better about NOT going OL in the first with this zone blocking scheme.
But I still want to go OL in the first...
But in Allen/Shanahan I trust.
Skinz248
Shanahan said in his presser he does not know what type of blocking scheme he will use, but whatever he decides will be based on the ABILITY of the players that we have when the season rolls around. Shanahan is willing to ADAPT while Zorn was stubborn and did not want to change up the way plays were called. Shanahan will put together an offensive system that suits our guys, not his old players in Denver.
Shanahan said in his presser he does not know what type of blocking scheme he will use, but whatever he decides will be based on the ABILITY of the players that we have when the season rolls around.
That's already an improvement. However, considering the shape of the line, he could conceivably bring in new guys craft a new one in the image he wanted.
CommDownMan
So maybe we get my favorite RT option? 320 pounds and a 4.9 40 would fit.
HigSkin
Dollars to donuts, Shanny grabs oline in lower rounds and finds undrafted guys. He'll cherry pick some here now, like Doc and the rebuild begins.
EDIT: I like the way he is not "tipping" his hand on our schemes.
Ding Ding Ding.
Are you sure about this? He weighed in at 316 at the combine. If anything, I expect he gained weight rather than lost it in the period from the combine to the draft. Regardless, the point remains that he's a heavy player, plays in a ZBS, and is the best LT in the league.
That's not fair to Zorn at all. He completely changed his running game to suit our pre-existing one when he got here and he kept the power man blocking scheme in tact his first year even though it's not what he knew from Seattle in that Holmgren WCO. Zorn was extremely adaptive and he never really got any of his own players at QB, RB, or on the OL and I think it's unlikely he had much input on the Kelly, Thomas, and Davis picks. He had a completely **** situation to work with.
I'd rather we go ahead and make any changes we have to to suit Shanahan right now. As far as the OL goes, our slate has never been blanker. I think it's nearly a certainty that we'll incorporate more and more zone plays in our offense. We already started to move in that direction this year and Shanahan drafted Clady, Chris Kuper, Ryan Harris, and Ben Hamilton. I'm confident in his ability to find suitable OL talent at any level in the draft and that includes the first round.
Warpath11
I think we will be moving to a more zone blocking scheme as well, as you point out, it may not be a full on ZBS early on but by year 2 in the program we should have the players necessary to run it full time.
I too am amazed at Shanahan's ability to find sevicable-to-good interior linemen in the later rounds of the draft.
Dead Money
I think its premature to think that its automatic that we will be a zone blocking team. This is the NFC East that features 3 of the best defensive lines in football.
Shanny has had over a year to decide what he wants to do in the NFC East, we can throw it around with assumptions all winter long, but honestly nobody can tell me that they are 100% certain that he is going to run the exact same scheme he was running in Denver. That zone scheme was fine 6 games a yr vs the Raiders, Chiefs and San Diego at the time, but here? I'm not so sure.
Ok admittedly, I never saw a Texans game while Kyle's been there, but they play Colts, Jags, Titans right? Not exactly the most fearsome defensive lines there huh?
He won't answer what he's going to do, I don't expect him to. But there won't be any clues for this part for a long time all we can do is sit back and wait for his first move, right?
I would seriously worry about a guy making the jump from division II to the NFL. Maybe skill position players and linebackers can have a decent time with the transition, but it is extremely difficult for offensive linemen to handle the move. I'll bet Veldheer has never played against a guy who's going to the NFL. Look at how hard Chad Rinehart has struggled since entering the league and he played 1-AA. At the very least, I wouldn't expect Veldheer to start any time soon if we drafted him. The numbers make him worth considering in the 6th or 7th round but I wouldn't take him too much higher unless the scouts see something there that just absolutely blows them away. In that case, I wouldn't take him above the fourth round. There should be guys who fit in the system in that range who are already better prepared for the league.
For instance, two mid-late round targets we should key in on are Rodger Saffold from Indiana and Mitch Petrus from Arkansas. We need to come away with Petrus period. If we have to trade something to get a 3rd round pick, then we should do it but I think he could be available early in the fourth. The top tier guards like Asomoah and Iupati will probably be out of our price range so we'll have to get creative at the position. Petrus is a perfect schematic fit for us and I like his demeanor and versatillity. We'll be hard pressed to find a better pulling guard and he'll crush those stretch plays. He was a former fullback so he excels at getting out in front of runners and he's already a tremendous cut blocker. He should be one of our top priorities in the draft for the mid rounds.
I mentioned him and the OP mentioned him, and I definitely think Iupati could dominate in a zone scheme, but I imagine he'll go early second or late first and I'm not sure we should spend that high of a draft pick on a guard without giving Dockery and Rinehart a chance. Plus, I'm thinking that there is going to be a really good OT/RB/dlinemen available with that high pick in the second round we've got. I'd rather spend it on a guy like Greg Hardy, Jahvid Best, Gabe Carimi, Nate Solder, Bryan Bulaga, Jerry Hughes, Brian Price, or Art Jones. Maybe even Carlos Dunlap? One or more of those guys is going to fall because not everyone can go in the first.
Saffold looks like he could be a decent RT in a zone scheme or a pretty good guard. He has excellent short area athleticism but isn't a very powerful or well-schooled player. If we can get him in the 5th, that would be excellent value for him and we could sit him for a little while to get him ready to play.
I'm not at all impressed by Selvish Capers. He just doesn't look that good. You're drafting him entirely on potential. He's another guy that would probably have to ride the pine for a while before you can think about starting him. We should have better options available this year and next.
Also another player I really like is Steve Schilling from Michigan if he declares. He has excellent pro potential and he has a ton of room for growth and improvement. I think he can become a dominant guard or center and he's good enough to start fairly early should we need him too. If we wanted to beef up the line with later picks, we should acquire a third round pick. Then I'd draft Schilling in the third, Petrus in the fourth, and Saffold in the 5th. Iowa has a pretty good guard too but we should be sitting well after those picks. At least on the interior, should neither Dockery nor Rinehart make the adjustment. And Saffold gives you some versatility to play RT and Schilling could play Center. Thomas Austin from Clemson is another guy who you might be able to get undrafted to play center.
Lastly, should Shanahan decide he'd like to move forward with Jason Campbell, or should he decide that Sam Bradford isn't worth the 4th overall choice, then my favorite OL scenario of all is one where we somehow manage to draft both Anthony Davis and Bryan Bulaga. I'd play Davis at LT and Bulaga at RT and start them immediately. They are both 20 years old and have the potential to develop into dominant starters at those positions. We'd have far and away the best set of tackles in the league--Davis is your Ryan Clady and Bulaga is your Jake Long, and we'd have the flexibility to run all kinds of protections and running plays because they are elite bookends. Add Petrus into the mix and then perhaps draft someone like Schilling, Wisniewski, or O'Dowd in 2011 if Edwin Williams doesn't work out and then I think we'd have the the best offensive line in the league in a season or two.
If Campbell made the leap to the next level under Shanahan and with excellent protection and the full development of his receivers, then we'd be free to go RB in the first round of 2011--a year when both Mark Ingram and Ryan Williams will be draft eligible... I'm a firm believer in talent we have at receiver with Cooley, Davis, Thomas, Kelly, and Moss moving into a position in the slot. If we draft Davis, Bulaga, and Petrus this year and Wisniewski and Ryan Williams next, and Campbell continues to improve, it's not inconceivable that we will have assembled the pieces of the most talented offense in the league in two drafts.
OR if Bradford gets a really high grade as a future Phil Rivers or Drew Brees style QB, draft him at 4, find a way to trade back into the early first for Anthony Davis, Bryan Bulaga, or Bruce Campbell if he falls a little, and then draft Petrus in the mid rounds. Trade Campbell and Cooley if you have to. Then in 2011 look for a top OT like Boling, Carimi, King, whoever--perhaps a LT if you draft Bulaga, and draft the center. Then look for your RB in the later rounds or pick a stud in 2012. This way you've got an elite offensive line built, great receivers, and Shanahan's own QB as the maestro of the offense. Shrewd drafting and good player development will allow us to rebuild this offense into one of the best in the league in 2 or 3 seasons.
So why is Okung such a great fit for us?
Does anyone know or is it just that he's the "top" lineman available?
Skins93077
Watching okung in his recent bowl game he did good, but he didn't over power the defender. I don't like that. As a left tackle you need to dominate ur man. I'm comparing him to davis and well davis is the ideal left tackle.
I say we figure out a way to drop down and let whomever wants what is on the board be it suh, bradford, claussen to fight it out lol
Let them give us allot for whomever they want and then we pick up davis.
I see shanahan already playing stupid in not saying were going qb and that campbell is our make...
That in turn will make other teans eager to get our 4th pick and give us something of greater value in return...
And well with that we get more good picks
Darth Tater
Actually, I've read the "I am done" comment mostly from those who want to go another direction than lineman. Pretty stupid comment no matter what.


text:
'use strict';

const functions = require('firebase-functions');
const cookieParser = require('cookie-parser');
const crypto = require('crypto');

// Firebase Setup
const admin = require('firebase-admin');
// @ts-ignore
const serviceAccount = require('./service-account.json');
admin.initializeApp({
  credential: admin.credential.cert(serviceAccount),
  databaseURL: `https://${process.env.GCLOUD_PROJECT}.firebaseio.com`,
});

const OAUTH_SCOPES = ['r_basicprofile', 'r_emailaddress'];

/**
 * Creates a configured LinkedIn API Client instance.
 */
function linkedInClient() {
  // LinkedIn OAuth 2 setup
  // TODO: Configure the `linkedin.client_id` and `linkedin.client_secret` Google Cloud environment variables.
  return require('node-linkedin')(
      functions.config().linkedin.client_id,
      functions.config().linkedin.client_secret,
      `https://${process.env.GCLOUD_PROJECT}.firebaseapp.com/popup.html`);
}

/**
 * Redirects the User to the LinkedIn authentication consent screen. ALso the 'state' cookie is set for later state
 * verification.
 */
exports.redirect = functions.https.onRequest((req, res) => {
  const Linkedin = linkedInClient();

  cookieParser()(req, res, () => {
    const state = req.cookies.state || crypto.randomBytes(20).toString('hex');
    functions.logger.log('Setting verification state:', state);
    res.cookie('state', state.toString(), {
      maxAge: 3600000,
      secure: true,
      httpOnly: true,
    });
    Linkedin.auth.authorize(res, OAUTH_SCOPES, state.toString());
  });
});

/**
 * Exchanges a given LinkedIn auth code passed in the 'code' URL query parameter for a Firebase auth token.
 * The request also needs to specify a 'state' query parameter which will be checked against the 'state' cookie.
 * The Firebase custom auth token is sent back in a JSONP callback function with function name defined by the
 * 'callback' query parameter.
 */
exports.token = functions.https.onRequest((req, res) => {
  const Linkedin = linkedInClient();

  try {
    return cookieParser()(req, res, () => {
      if (!req.cookies.state) {
        throw new Error('State cookie not set or expired. Maybe you took too long to authorize. Please try again.');
      }
      functions.logger.log('Received verification state:', req.cookies.state);
      Linkedin.auth.authorize(OAUTH_SCOPES, req.cookies.state); // Makes sure the state parameter is set
      functions.logger.log('Received auth code:', req.query.code);
      functions.logger.log('Received state:', req.query.state);
      Linkedin.auth.getAccessToken(res, req.query.code, req.query.state, (error, results) => {
        if (error) {
          throw error;
        }
        functions.logger.log('Received Access Token:', results.access_token);
        const linkedin = Linkedin.init(results.access_token);
        linkedin.people.me(async (error, userResults) => {
          if (error) {
            throw error;
          }
          functions.logger.log(
            'Auth code exchange result received:',
            userResults
          );

          // We have a LinkedIn access token and the user identity now.
          const accessToken = results.access_token;
          const linkedInUserID = userResults.id;
          const profilePic = userResults.pictureUrl;
          const userName = userResults.formattedName;
          const email = userResults.emailAddress;

          // Create a Firebase account and get the Custom Auth Token.
          const firebaseToken = await createFirebaseAccount(linkedInUserID, userName, profilePic, email, accessToken);
          // Serve an HTML page that signs the user in and updates the user profile.
          res.jsonp({
            token: firebaseToken,
          });
        });
      });
    });
  } catch (error) {
    return res.jsonp({ error: error.toString });
  }
});

/**
 * Creates a Firebase account with the given user profile and returns a custom auth token allowing
 * signing-in this account.
 * Also saves the accessToken to the datastore at /linkedInAccessToken/$uid
 *
 * @returns {Promise<string>} The Firebase custom auth token in a promise.
 */
async function createFirebaseAccount(linkedinID, displayName, photoURL, email, accessToken) {
  // The UID we'll assign to the user.
  const uid = `linkedin:${linkedinID}`;

  // Save the access token tot he Firebase Realtime Database.
  const databaseTask = admin.database().ref(`/linkedInAccessToken/${uid}`).set(accessToken);

  // Create or update the user account.
  const userCreationTask = admin.auth().updateUser(uid, {
    displayName: displayName,
    photoURL: photoURL,
    email: email,
    emailVerified: true,
  }).catch((error) => {
    // If user does not exists we create it.
    if (error.code === 'auth/user-not-found') {
      return admin.auth().createUser({
        uid: uid,
        displayName: displayName,
        photoURL: photoURL,
        email: email,
        emailVerified: true,
      });
    }
    throw error;
  });

  // Wait for all async task to complete then generate and return a custom auth token.
  await Promise.all([userCreationTask, databaseTask]);
  // Create a Firebase custom auth token.
  const token = await admin.auth().createCustomToken(uid);
  functions.logger.log(
    'Created Custom token for UID "',
    uid,
    '" Token:',
    token
  );
  return token;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Conolophia aemula är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av W. Warren 1894. Conolophia aemula ingår i släktet Conolophia och familjen mätare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Bildgalleri

Källor

Mätare
aemula

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Plutus21 was founded by a group of SMU students who saw the need for and potential in providing safe opportunities for investors to invest in countries unfamiliar to them.
These founding members, from countries including India, Mexico, Panama and China, noticed that investors and entrepreneurs are often reluctant in investing or starting a business in another country due to unfamiliarity and high risk factors.
Senior Hamiz Awan and May graduate Ricardo Sieveking, who are both familiar with the economies of their home countries and of the U.S., aim to bridge the gap between investors and investment opportunities across all borders.
In order to do this, Plutus21 members evaluate potential projects. After a project is accepted, market research is assigned to the team's analysts or interns, who generate financial projections and potential outcomes.
Next, business plans are made and evaluated by the organization's Tier I and Tier II members, who are post-graduates and experienced professionals. Once advised and business plans have been finalized, the team creates pitch decks to send to their investor network.
For business students, it can be easy to find business opportunities, evaluate them and decide whether to take part in it. For Awan and Sieveking, it was easy to say yes to what they saw as a pool of global opportunities.
"I wanted to put together an international team that represents major countries and takes advantage of interesting deals across borders. I wanted to be that bridge," said Awan, a finance major from Karachi, Pakistan minoring in statistical science with a concentration in alternative assets management.
Plutus21 members are students eager to find or create their own opportunities and by doing so create an unprecedented path of entrepreneurship – a risky but rewarding path if all things align. Compared to other organizations on campus, Plutus21 boasts that it provides a unique experience to members.
"Working as an analyst for this org is so much different from just being part of the machinery for a huge corporation. I get to communicate directly with partners and other analysts with personal input and ideas for projects ranging from real estate to tech opportunities," analyst Sabrina Peng said.
Awan says he had six different offers from companies that any other student would have taken, but that he rejected because he saw the potential in being an entrepreneur and the uniqueness in this organization.
"People have a perceived look at entrepreneurship but really you have nothing to lose, especially as a college student or recent grad," Awan said.
Members of Plutus21 aspire to be like Tom Dundon, an SMU grad who transformed his $80,000 student loan debt and two-and-a-half star burger joint into a role as CEO of a lending firm and his own investment firm. Dundon is now a billionaire; throughout his journey, he has said he aims to dedicate himself to causes he believes in.
The team aims to be an alternative assets investment fund and is currently focusing on venture capital and real estate. Plutus21 members saw the real estate industry as a major opportunity for international investors to invest in a low-risk scenario. The team has partnered with experienced real estate professionals to learn more about the industry.
"That's what's awesome about Plutus, we create our own opportunities where we see fit," Awan said.


Last night when I got home, DB asked me how early I could leave from work today...he has a SURPRISE. So I came into the office early and am leaving at 5:30 when he comes to pick me up.
I think that Kate once told me that the most dangerous move (highest risk of injury) is UPDOG - because people just sort of hang there and don't support their back. If you think you have torn your rotator - I believe you have to go in and have it fixed - I don't think it heals itself - but maybe it is not actually torn - just bruised!
WOW - what a lot of birthday plans!!! Have a great time. Will be interested to hear all about the show/surprise.


Mr. Stevens is a free-lance writer who specializes in the field of economics and monetary policy.
At one time the case for the gold standard was practically self-evident — undisputed by most economists and appreciated by both laymen and professionals. Today, however, the case for gold is buried under decades of propaganda, misconceptions, and myths. It has been only recently that the case for the gold standard has begun to surface from under the Policy Makers' anti-gold debris. Consequently, gold is once again gaining the attention and interest it so rightly deserves.
Today's free-market advocates of the gold standard differ from past advocates. For example, free-market advocates do not exclude silver or other commodities from their concept of a gold standard. Indeed, they do not even insist that gold must be money. The case for the gold standard is actually the case for market-originated commodity money, and the case against government-regulated fiat money. It is simply an extension of the case for free markets which respect the rights of man, and the case against controlled markets which violate the rights of man.
To be concerned with the gold standard is to be concerned with a free economy, regulated by the values and choices of men, rather than a controlled economy in which the values and choices of men are regulated by government. This concern for man's freedom to express values and exercise choices is derived from the deeper concern for justice and for man's right to property. The man concerned with justice does not aim to force others to use gold as money. Rather, he insists that government has no right to prevent him and other men from using gold as money if they choose. The man concerned with property rights does not urge government to legislate pro-gold policies in order to arbitrarily increase the value, popularity, or status of gold. Rather, he insists that government stop inflating, since this arbitrarily decreases the value of his money claims to property.
Antagonists of the gold standard claim that it is impractical. But the gold standard is, in fact, the most practical monetary system yet conceived by man. However, the gold standard's primary virtue does not lie in its practicality: it lies in its morality. Those concerned about such things as freedom, justice, the preservation of property rights and purchasing power, would do well to consider the moral case for the gold standard, for, once understood, it is the individual's best defense against government confiscation of property through inflation.
The fact that prevents government from indulging in inflationary schemes under the gold standard can be best summed up in a phrase: governments can't print gold. But to understand the implications of this statement, and the virtues of having gold as money, it is first necessary to understand what money is — and what money is not.
What Money Is . . .
A man on a desert island has no need for money. He produces the goods he needs to survive, and consumes all he produces. Similarly, a primitive society has no need for money. The kinds of goods produced are extremely limited, and if individuals desire to exchange their goods with one another, they can do so through direct exchange, i.e., barter. But under a division of labor economy where men specialize in production and where there is a variety of goods produced, desired, and traded, there is a very definite need for money. For how else could Mr. Jones in Florida sell his oranges to men throughout the world and then buy Mr. Smith's best-selling novel, unless there existed some medium of exchange acceptable to all parties.
Money originates from men's desire for indirect exchange. And more, since indirect exchange usually occurs between strangers like Smith and Jones, money must be an object which is mutually valued. Thus, money is that commodity which serves as a medium of exchange by virtue of its high degree of marketability.
The task of discovering which commodity will be most valued by and most acceptable to men as a medium of exchange can only be accomplished through a market process; for it is only through the market that men's values and choices are properly reflected. The verdict of the market has reflected three general requirements for any lasting medium of exchange: that money should be generally acceptable to most men; that it should be practical to use; and that it should be relatively stable in value. If these requirements are satisfied, the result is a money of trust.
Trust is the lifeblood of money, and money is the lifeblood of any economy based on the indirect exchange of goods and services. A money of trust serves to facilitate exchange among men, and in doing so, breeds a healthy and growing economy. But if men should ever begin to mistrust money, the market will immediately reflect this loss of confidence. Then money will begin to lose stability, lose its acceptability, and will soon become impractical to use in exchange.
Mistrusted money is the antithesis of the lifeblood of an economy. It's a kind of "bad blood" circulating between men throughout the economy, breeding confusion and suspicion. The fact that men's mistrust of money will result in monetary crises and collapse, underscores the need for a money that never contradicts men's values, a money that at all times properly reflects men's values, i.e., a money based on, and constantly exposed to, individual choices — which means a free-market-originated commodity money.
When one considers the complex process that must take place before men can discover which commodity money constantly reflects their changing values and choices, one can understand why it is only through a free market process that money can properly evolve as a medium of trust. And one may also understand why no man, group of men, or government, has the right to dictate what money or its value should be. This decision must be a market decision if it is to be a lasting decision.
Throughout history, almost every conceivable commodity has been used as a medium of exchange. Through the years of economic development and through trial and error, those commodities least suited to serve as money were eliminated, while those commodities best suited survived as forms of money. After centuries of exchange between men, the commodity that emerged as the most valued, the most practical, the most trusted money among men, was gold.
What gives rise to men's trust in gold? First, men value gold as money because men value gold as a commodity. Gold at any time can be converted to its commodity role if its monetary role should ever be questioned. Second, since gold is relatively scarce and precious to men, it has stability of value. Therefore, it can be trusted to serve as a relatively stable medium of exchange. And since most individuals desire to save part of what they produce in some monetary form, gold's stability of value provides them with a reliable monetary method of accumulating and storing wealth.
What else gives rise to men's trust in gold? Gold is easily marketable, which means it is acceptable to men in exchanges of all kinds. Gold is also trusted because it is practical: it's durable, so it won't perish or rot; it's small in bulk, so it is easily transportable. It's a metal, which means it can be used in different forms, such as bars or coins; and, since gold does not evaporate, it will lose neither quantity nor quality if or when men should decide to melt their coins into bullion or melt their bullion for use in production.
There is one more thing that gives rise to men's trust in gold: the knowledge that gold cannot be counterfeited; the conviction that the money supply cannot be artificially and arbitrarily increased by those who would aim to confiscate wealth rather than produce it; the knowledge that money (the claim to production and effort) will itself represent production and effort. In short, men's trust in gold carries the conviction that the monetary system freely adopted by men is based, not on whim and decree, but on integrity and productivity.
These are some of the reasons why men have trusted gold as a medium of exchange through history — and why today's Policy Makers damn its existence.
Money is not paper. Paper notes evolve from the desire for a convenient substitute for commodity money. The paper notes that circulate as money today were once money substitutes (receipts for gold), defined by and convertible into a specific amount of gold. Paper notes did not and cannot become a money of trust without first representing a commodity of trust.
Consider the reaction of free men — men who, understanding and respecting the meaning of property rights, are suddenly and for the first time offered in place of gold, non-convertible paper notes. These notes would be meaningless to such men. No man who had just come from harvesting a field of wheat would even consider trading his wheat for scrap paper.
There are only two ways in which men will accept paper notes without commodity convertibility : if they are forced to do so, or if they are conned into doing so. Americans are now legally forced to accept government's non-convertible paper notes — but only because they have been conned into believing that commodity money is "old-fashioned" and "impractical" and that paper notes are indicative of a "modern and sophisticated economy."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Non-convertible paper "money" is fiat money that derives its value, not from its value as a commodity, not from its value as a useful medium of exchange according to the requirements of a medium of exchange, but from the decree of government. Fiat money is a throwback to the days of kings and the mentality of dictators. It is not a money evolved from the values and choices of free men in free markets, but a money created through the coercion of government.
Is commodity money old-fashioned and impractical, as today's Policy Makers contend it is? Consider the following facts: Over the last several decades, the exchange ratios (the prices) of various commodities have not varied much in value relative to each other. For example, the value of eggs to milk or milk to bread would be at approximately the same ratios today as they were years ago.
But if it is true that the exchange ratios of commodities are relatively the same today as they were in the past, why then have prices (the exchange ratios of dollars to goods) soared over the years? The reason is that the value of the paper money, with which government forces everyone to deal, has fallen yearly relative to all commodities. Clearly, if a commodity (theoretically, almost any commodity) had been used as a medium of exchange over the past decades instead of government's fiat money, prices would have remained relatively stable. It is important to realize that it is not commodities that are rising in value, but fiat money that is falling in value.
Since 1933, when the U.S. severed the dollar-commodity relationship by abandoning what was left of the gold standard, the value of the dollar has depreciated by over two-thirds in relation to other commodities. This could never occur under a commodity standard — only under a government imposed fiat standard. Had the U.S. returned to a dollar based on and convertible into gold instead of severing the dollar-gold relationship, the supply of dollars over the years would have been limited to, or checked by, the supply of gold. Therefore, the value of the dollar today would have been equal to the value of gold in relation to other commodities. Instead, the U.S. decided to print dollars whenever "needed" and to pretend that the dollar was "as good as gold" by legally fixing its value. The pretense couldn't last, and today the dollar is worth approximately 25 per cent of its value in terms of gold in 1933.
Paper notes that are not representative of and convertible into a commodity are not money and have never satisfied the requirements of money for long. They are notes of circulating debt which men are forced to accept, so that governments can continuously pursue their policies of inflation.
Inflation is the fraudulent increase in the supply of money substitutes and credit. It is a policy which allows government to artificially create and spend more money than it is able to collect in taxes or borrow from its citizens. Government is the cause of inflation — the effect is higher prices.
Consider each dollar as a claim to some tangible good. If the claims are increased, the value of each claim goes down because there are more dollars seeking goods. This bids prices up.
But inflation is not simply rising prices. In fact, inflation may exist even when prices remain the same or decrease. How is this possible? If the production of goods and services increases more than the artificial increase in paper claims, prices will drop — but not by as much as they would have, had there been no artificial increase in paper claims. Thus, in real terms, the value of paper claims is effectively reduced even though in relative terms the value of these claims may increase.
Historically, and in relatively free market economies, there are only two ways in which a general across-the-board increase in prices can occur: through a dramatic increase in commodity money (such as new gold discoveries) or through a fraudulent increase of money substitutes by banks and governments. The former type of general price increase rarely occurs and is perfectly natural. The latter is both unnatural and immoral.
In the case of new gold production, those who have produced the new commodity money will have earned the right to exchange their product for the products of others. All other non-money producers may have to pay higher prices for goods, as the supply of gold increases, but the higher prices are compensated for by having more money to spend. Who receives the "new" money will depend on individual productivity — and this is as it should be, for it is the justice of the market that the acquisition and distribution of wealth is based upon productivity rather than decree.
But, given a fiat standard where government sanctions and sponsors an artificial increase in paper money or credit, the increase in purchasing power for some men can only be obtained at the expense of other men. Given a fiat standard, income distribution is the result of chance, caprice, or government favors and loans. When government doles out its fiat money, these notes dilute the value of all other outstanding money claims. Those who receive the fiat money first, benefit from spending their money before prices rise. But as the fiat money is spent, prices are higher for all other consumers. Thus, the difference between a real increase in the money supply (i.e., commodity money) and an artificial increase (i.e., in paper claims) is the difference between production and theft.
Clearly, inflation is a moral issue. However prices respond, it is immoral that some man, agency, or government is legally permitted to obtain wealth at the involuntary expense of other men. The major challenge in the sphere of monetary relations today is how to abolish the coercive power of government to control the supply and regulate the value of money, and how to return this function to the market where it properly belongs.
Under a fiat standard, government gains control of the banking system and thus, indirectly, of the nation's money supply. It can artificially and arbitrarily create money and furnish credit. Government paper notes are not based on or convertible into gold, or any other tangible commodity; man's production and labor are not the sole claim to other men's production and labor : the supply and value of money are determined by government.
Under the American version of the fiat standard, the banking system and the nation's money supply are controlled and regulated for the most part by a twelve-man Board of Governors which is empowered to make policy decisions for the majority of the nation's banks. Thus, America's banking system is not a free and private banking system — it is a quasi-governmental banking system, known as the Federal Reserve System.
It should be clear that the Federal Reserve System's power to create claims against individuals' property is immoral. But neither the Federal Reserve System nor the fiat standard is ever defended on moral grounds; they are defended on practical grounds. Once inspected, however, these grounds turn out to be about as solid as quicksand. The primary justification given for a fiat standard is that credit can be extended far more rapidly and extensively. This, it is claimed, is the fiat standard's major virtue. It is, in fact, a major vice.
The greatest economic threat under a fiat standard is that the Federal Reserve System will supply heavy doses of money and credit to the loan market in an attempt to reduce interest rates and "stimulate" the economy. This attempt, while temporarily stimulating economic activity, leads to malinvestment, as businessmen falsely anticipate greater profits. A "boom" results, but since the "boom" is artificially created, the prosperity is temporary and, for the most part, illusory. Government has not furnished more goods; it has not increased the nation's prosperity; it has simply increased the money supply —which leads men to believe they are richer. The fact is, however, they only have more paper claims to goods. This cannot enrich anyone; it can only lead to future inflation, i.e., a reduction of the value of real claims to wealth.
Thus, increases of money and credit provide only an illusion of prosperity, for with increased money and credit come increased costs for producer goods and increased wage costs. Higher wages then lead to over-consumption, as consumers, too, are enticed by the illusion of prosperity. But overconsumption results in higher prices which reduce the consumer's standard of living. Since the "boom" was inflation-inspired, producers and consumers are not better off — they are worse off. Mal-investment and over-consumption are mistakes — errors in judgment — caused by government's attempt to con its citizens into believing that profit opportunities are better than they really are.
When the credit expansion that stimulated the "boom" ends, the mistakes that were made cannot be perpetuated. These mistakes must be liquidated: consumers buy less and begin paying off their unrealistic accumulation of debts. Producers liquidate inventories. Interest rates rise, and unemployment increases as the economy struggles to readjust. The severity of the readjustment depends on the degree and length of government's prior credit expansion and the policies implemented to cope with the adverse effects. Given continual injections of money and credit in the inane attempt to continue the "boom" and prevent a necessary recession, hyperinflation will result. Hyperinflation must lead to monetary chaos as well as economic disaster, i.e., to depression. A major depression is not a necessary result of the fiat standard, but inflation and the "boom-bust cycle" are.
The whole purpose of fiat money is to allow government to spend more money than it can raise in direct taxes from its citizens. As a result, the American fiat standard has worked more often as a means of redistributing wealth than a means of stimulating the economy. Government, instead of furnishing money to the loan market in the attempt to continuously reduce interest rates, has created money to finance the "welfare" state. When government's fiat money enters the economy in the form of checks for expenditures, rather than through the loan market, the sequence of events and the effects are a little different.
Men usually hold their money as savings, but as prices continue to rise over the years of government deficit spending, men realize that the pieces of paper they hold are continuously and progressively depreciating in value — that inflation is becoming a way of life. Once men begin to lose confidence in government's fiat money, it's only a matter of time before the years of simple inflation burst into hyperinflation and monetary collapse.
Thus, whether government tries to stimulate the economy or to finance programs that it cannot afford, the fiat standard is self-defeating and counter-productive. The consequences of America's fiat standard have been mild by historical standards: the Great Depression of the '30′s, an endless series of booms and busts since then, and a depreciation of the dollar by about 75 percent. So much for the "practicality" of the fiat standard!
In a free society, no man, group of men, or government has the "right" to infringe upon the rights of others. This means that within a free society, the initiation of force is banned. All goals must be attained through persuasion and voluntary cooperation, and no goal may be achieved at the expense of any man — not for the "good" of another man, not for the "good" of the state, and not for the "good" of society. A system of voluntary exchange is a system of laissez-faire capitalism. Under capitalism, man's rights are supreme. They are defended by government — not violated by government.
A gold standard is an integral part of a free society; a fiat standard is an integral part of a controlled society. A gold standard cannot exist without the consent of individuals; a fiat standard cannot exist without the initiated force of government. A gold standard is based on voluntary exchange, the recognition of men's values, and respect for private property; a fiat standard is based on compulsory "exchange," the denial of men's values, and the insidious confiscation of private property.
Wealth is production, and gold is the equivalent of wealth produced. Because neither wealth nor gold can be created out of nothing, neither wealth nor gold are possible without men of intelligence, men of ability, and men of productivity. Fiat is force and is the equivalent of wealth confiscated. Both fiat and force are the tools of the envious and the cowardly.
Where a gold standard is welcomed by the best of men, the fiat standard is welcomed by the worst of men. Where the gold standard demands the earned, the fiat standard grants the unearned. Where a gold standard evolves from individual choice, a fiat standard evolves from government edict. Where a gold standard necessitates only that men be left free to act, to choose, and to trade, a fiat standard invites government to control, to regulate, and to dictate men's choices, actions, and the terms of trade.
Gold limits the government's power to spend more money than it receives in taxes, and in doing so, gold limits the government's arbitrary power over the economy; gold checks artificial money and credit expansion; it prevents artificial "booms" which lead to very real "busts"; gold protects individuals from economically unsound government programs; and it protects citizens from the inflationary confiscation of private property. Not only is the gold standard the most practical monetary system yet discovered, it is a standard consistent with freedom — yet it is the gold standard that today's Policy Makers either ignore or denounce.


text:
San Antonio Fights Chicken and US Constitution
Daniel Nesbitt '22
On Thursday, March 21st, the City Council of San Antonio voted 6-4 to prevent Chick-fil-A from opening a store simply due to the restaurant's constitutionally protected donation and support of two Christian organizations. This is a clear and blatant violation of the First Amendment.
According to USA Today, the city council approved a seven year concessions agreement with a travel retailer/restaurateur by the name of Paradies Lagardère for Terminal A of the San Antonio Airport. Although Chick-fil-A was originally in the plans, the council amended the agreement to exclude the restaurant explicitly citing concerns with Chick-fil-A's LGBTQ record. The council's vote came after Think Progress, a news site dedicated to providing reporting and analysis from a progressive perspective, reported that the restaurant chain donated $1.6 million to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, $150,000 to the Salvation Army, and $6,000 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home. For some reason, Think Progress treats any donation to a traditional Christian ministry as a grave evil.
Following the Council's decision, councilman Robert Treviño released the following statement: "With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion. San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior…Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport. I look forward to the announcement of a suitable replacement by Paradies."
David French writes in the National Review, "This is Orwellian nonsense." The Council's action does not stem from the alleged mistreatment or abuse of LGBTQ customers/employees, but rather from the idea that airport commuters will somehow feel unwelcome due to the charitable donations of one of the airport's vendors. This idea is ludicrous and untenable in our modern, pluralistic society. Apple donating to the Democratic party and to Democratic candidates does not make me feel unwelcome in an Apple store. In-n-Out donating to the Republican Party does not make Californians feel unwelcome when consuming their delicious burgers. As French asks, "Should we only feel 'welcome' in spaces where we know the owners share our faith?"
Because the action was taken against Chick-fil-A by the government and not a private organization, it is a clear instance of unconstitutional content-based discrimination on the part of the City Council. Should Chick-fil-A take legal action, they are certain to win with taxpayers bearing the cost due to the City Council's viewpoint discrimination.
It is one thing for the state to take action against an employer for the violation of a constitutional statute such as Title VII or other nondiscrimination laws. However, it is another thing entirely for the state, on the basis of an employer's constitutionally protected speech and charitable donations, to take action. Content neutrality is a fundamental aspect of First Amendment and freedom of speech jurisprudence. Put another way, the state does not have the power to determine what views are or are not acceptable in our society—the San Antonio City Council has wholly violated this important principle. The Council, through this action, gives the impression that the beliefs of Christian citizens and ministries are so objectionable that private organizations who support these beliefs ought to be punished.
David French sums up the situation perfectly: "Until the decision is reversed, San Antonio isn't a 'champion of equality and inclusion.' It's an instrument of censorship and bigotry."
Admissions Scandal is an Affront to Higher Ed.
Tucker Carlson Is Emblematic of Trinity Culture


text:
Client: The Sunday Times
James Joyce History of the World in 100 Modern Objects From a set of 100 illustrations for The Sunday Times Style Magazine.
History of the World in 100 Modern Objects
The Sunday Times »
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From a set of 100 illustrations for The Sunday Times Style Magazine.
James Joyce History of the World in 100 Modern Objects From a set of 100 illustrations for The Sunday Times.
From a set of 100 illustrations for The Sunday Times.
Martina Paukova The Sunday Times Magazine
Martina Paukova
The Sunday Times Magazine
Christopher DeLorenzo The Start-Up List Cover illustration for the new supplement magazine of The Sunday Times.
Christopher DeLorenzo
The Start-Up List
Cover illustration for the new supplement magazine of The Sunday Times.


text:
Home / Legal News / NLRB: employers may ban non-employee union activity in public areas
By: admin	July 2, 2019
On June 14, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in a 3-1 decision that employers may prohibit non-employee union representatives from conducting organizing activities on employer property that is open to the public. UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside, 368 NLRB No. 2 (June 14, 2019). This decision overturns precedent dating back to the early 1980s that held employers could not ban non-employee union organizers from cafeterias and restaurants open to the public if they use the facility in a manner consistent with its intended use and are not "disruptive." See Montgomery Ward & Co., 256 NLRB 800, 801 (1981), enfd. 692 F.2d 1115 (7th Cir. 1982).
The case arose when two union organizers for the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania met with six of the hospital employer's employees in the hospital's cafeteria, which was open to the public. The group ate lunch and discussed union organizational campaign matters. In addition, at least one off-duty employee passed out union flyers. Union flyers and pins were also displayed on the tables where the group was meeting.
After receiving complaints, a hospital security guard asked each of the individuals in the group for their identification, and told the union representatives that the cafeteria was only open to patients, their families and visitors, and employees. The guard further stated that the union representatives had to leave the premises. They refused, and the security guard called police, who subsequently escorted the union representatives from the cafeteria. Thereafter, the SEIU filed an unfair labor practice charge, alleging that the hospital had unlawfully discriminated against the union representatives in violation of Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act.
When dismissing the charge, the board ruled that the hospital did not violate the NLRA by ejecting union organizers from the cafeteria because there was no evidence that the hospital permitted any solicitation or promotional activity in the cafeteria. In addition, the hospital regularly removed non-employees who engaged in promotional activities in or near the cafeteria.
Moreover, when reaching its decision, the board overruled the "public space" exception rule, which held that discrimination prohibited by the NLRA could be established solely by showing that non-employee union representatives were denied access to a public area within private property. See Montgomery Ward & Co.
The decision comes as welcome news for employers, who may now prohibit any non-employee from soliciting on its property, including union organizers, "so long as it applies the practice in a nondiscriminatory manner by prohibiting other non-employees from engaging in similar activity."
This article was originally posted by Polsinelli.
4:48 pm Tue, July 2, 2019 New England In-House
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The Federal Republic of Germany is one of the world's major industrialised countries, located in the middle of Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to its east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland and to its west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany is a founding member of the European Union.
(1) Danish, Sorbian and Frisian are officially recognized and protected as minority language. Low Saxon is protected by the European Union.
The German language and the feeling of "Germanhood" go back more than a thousand years, but the state now known as Germany was unified as a modern nation-state only in 1871 in Versailles, when the German Empire, dominated by Prussia, was forged excluding Austria that was to remain a multi-ethnic empire for another 50 years. This was the second German Reich, usually translated as "empire", but also meaning "realm".
The first Reich – known for much of its existence as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation – stemmed from the division of the Carolingian Empire in 843, which was founded december 25th 800 by Charlemagne and existed in varying forms until dissolved in 1806 as one of the consequences of the Napoleonic Wars.
The Third Reich was that of the Nazis, which lasted 12 years, from 1933 to 1945.
After being subdued by France in the Napoleonic Wars, France was to be perceived as Germany's arch-enemy in the successful Franco-Prussian War of 1871 and in World War I. Germany subsequently invaded France. After initial advances, the war amounted to a slow war in the trenches, killing many on both sides. The war ended in 1918, Germany's emperor was forced to abdicate, and after a quenched revolution the Second Reich was succedded by the democratic Weimar Republic.
In the following Peace Treaty of Versailles, Germany was held responsible for the war. Economic hardship due to both the peace conditions and to the world wide Great Depression is mostly pointed to as explanation why anti-democratic parties, both right-wing and left-wing, were increasingly supported by German opinion leaders and voters. In extraordinary elections of July and November 1932, the Nazis got 37,2% and 33,0% respectively. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Head of Government, and by the Enabling Act on March 23, 1933, a wide majority of the parliament disbanded the constitution of the Weimer Republic.
The following year, Hitler achieved absolute control. He also succeeded the Head of State. Hitler's policy of annexing neighbouring lands eventually led to the outbreak of World War II in Europe on September 1, 1939. Initially, Germany had many military successes, and gained control over most of Europe's mainland, including a large part of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union and the United States entered the war, the momentum in the war switched. On 8 May 1945, Germany surrendered after Hitler committed suicide. The war resulted in large losses of territory, 15 million Germans expulsed, and 45 years of division, while the country was split up into West and East Germany.
After the fall of Communism in Europe, Germany was reunited in 1990 (see German reunification); together with France the new Germany is playing the leading role in the European Union. Germany are at the forefront of European states seeking to exploit the momentum of monetary union to advance the creation of a more unified and capable European political, defense and security apparatus.
Germany is a constitutional federal democracy, whose political system is laid out in the 1949 'constitution' called Grundgesetz (Basic Law). It has a parliamentary system in which the head of government, the Bundeskanzler (Chancellor), is elected by the parliament.
The parliament, called Bundestag (Federal Assembly), is elected every four years by popular vote in a complex system combining direct and proportional representation. The 16 Bundesl�nder are represented at the federal level in the Bundesrat (Federal Council), which—depending on the subject matter—may have a say in the legislative procedure. Lately, there has been much concern about the Bundestag and the Bundesrat blocking each other, making effective government very difficult.
The function of head of state is performed by the Bundespr�sident (Federal President), whose powers are mostly limited to ceremonial and representative duties.
The judiciary branch includes a Constitutional Court called Bundesverfassungsgericht, which may ultimately overturn all acts by the legislature or administration if they are deemed unconstitutional.
Germany stretches from the high mountains of the Alps (highest point: the Zugspitze at 2,962 m) in the south to the shores of the North and Baltic Seas in the north. In between are found the forested uplands of central Germany and the low-lying lands of northern Germany (lowest point: Neuendorfer/Wilstermarsch at -3.54 m), traversed by some of Europe's major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.
Germany possesses the world's third most technologically powerful economy after the US and Japan, but its basic capitalistic economy has started to struggle under the burden of generous social benefits. Structural rigidities—like a high rate of social contributions on wages—have made unemployment a long-term, not just cyclical, problem, while Germany's aging population has pushed social security outlays to exceed contributions from workers. The integration and upgrading of the eastern German economy remains a costly long-term problem, with annual transfers from the west amounting to roughly $100 billion. The recent adoption of a common European currency and the general political and economic integration of Europe are thought to bring major changes to the German economy in the early 21st century.
Germany has at least 7 million foreign residents, including those granted political asylum, guest workers (Gastarbeiter), and their dependants. Germany is a primary destination for political and economic refugees from many developing countries.
An ethnic Danish minority lives in the north, a small Slavic minority known as the Sorbs lives chiefly in Saxony. The Frisian language, considered the language closest to English language, is mother tongue for about 12,000 speakers in Germany. In rural areas of Northern Germany Low Saxon widely is spoken.
Immigration has also created a sizeable Turkish minority, and other smaller minorities including Croats, Italians, Russians and Poles.
Christianity is the major religion, with Protestants (particularly in the north) comprising 38% of the population and Catholics (particularly in the south) 34%. There is also a noticeable Islamic minority of 1.7%, while the rest (26.3%) is either unaffiliated or belongs to smaller religious minorities.
Germany has one of the world's highest levels of education, technological development, and economic productivity. Since the end of World War II, the number of youths entering universities has more than tripled, and the trade and technical schools of Germany are among the world's best. With a per capita income level of about $25,000, Germany is a broadly middle class society. A generous social welfare system provides for universal medical care, unemployment compensation, and other social needs. Germans also are mobile; millions travel abroad each year.
Germany's contributions to the world's cultural heritage are numerous. Germany was the birthplace of composers such as Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and Wagner; poets such as Goethe and Schiller; philosophers including Kant, Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche; and scientists including Einstein, Born and Planck. It was also the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement.
The German language was once the lingua franca of central Europe. Many important historical figures, though not German in the modern sense, were nevertheless immersed in the German culture, for example Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Kafka and Copernicus.
Roman Catholicism was Germany's top religion in the 15th century, but the religious movement commonly known as the Reformation changed this drastically. In 1517 Martin Luther challenged this religion as he saw it as a commercialization of his faith. Through this, he altered the course of European and world history and established Protestantism, the largest confession in Germany today.
Before World War II, about two-thirds of the German population was Protestant and one-third was Roman Catholic. In the north and northeast of Germany especially, Protestants dominated.
The Grundgesetz, Germany's constitution, guarantees freedom of faith and religion. It also states that no one may be discriminated against due to their faith or religious opinions.
Today Germany, especially its capital Berlin, has the fastest growing Jewish community worldwide. Some ten thousands of Jews from the former Eastern Bloc settled in Germany since the fall of the Berlin wall. The experiences during the Nazi era, a cosmopolitan and anti-nationalistic post-war education and especially the political 68ies movement created just the right tolerant atmosphere in Germany, which still is missing in some post-communist states.
Currently about two thirds of the German population, more than 55 million people, officially belong to a Christian denomination, although most of them take no part in church life. Nearly half of them are Protestants and nearly half of them Roman Catholics. Most German Protestants are members of the Evangelical Church in Germany. Approximately three million Muslims and 160,000 Jews live in Germany.


Elegance has ratings and reviews. Jess said: I had read about 10 years ago and really enjoyed. My copy was lost in a series of moves and the bo. 11 Jul Louise Canova, heroine of Kathleen Tessaro's appealing first novel, in my own The Normal Man), Dariaux's "Elegance" is a real book by a. Elegance Paperback – April 27, Unhappy with her looks, her life, and her empty marriage, Louise Canova needs help -- and she finds it in a secondhand bookstore. Kathleen Tessaro is the author of Elegance, Innocence, The Flirt, The Debutante, The Perfume Collector, and Rare.
Elegance [Kathleen Tessaro] on itspeakstudio.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Sunday Times bestseller and one of the most talked-about novels of. 7 Jul A frumpy, depressed woman is reborn as an assertive diva in Tessaro's debut novel, thanks to a year-old style manual she discovers in a. Elegance. Audrey Hepburn had it. Grace Kelly had it. Louise Canova does not. Until one day, browsing in a second-hand bookshop, Louise stumbles over a.
Citizenship, United States. Genre, Historical fiction. Notable works. Elegance · The Perfume Collector. Spouse, Gregg Liberi. Children, 1. Website. itspeakstudio.com Kathleen Tessaro is an American author. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and. 27 Apr Louise C. wants what Jackie O had Unhappy with her looks, her life, and her empty marriage, Louise Canova needs help -- and she finds it in. Elegance ****** Kathleen Tessaro I have been a huge fan of British/Irish Chick Lit for what feels like decades: it is simply so much more charming and clever, not. 29 Jul Harper Collins, € Kathleen Tessaro's 'Elegance' is a simple story but its execution is beautiful, original and captivating. Not unlike many. This title was originally published in hardcover by William Morrow.
First edition, first impression with full number line. Some very slight edge wear to top and bottom of jacket and spine, page fore edges dyed purple as issued. Written by Kathleen Tessaro, narrated by Elizabeth McGovern. Download and keep this book for Free with a 30 day Trial. 10 Apr The other night I picked up Elegance, and was surprised to find myself chuckling at this cute concoction. I'm not a fan of chic lit, but the premise. 20 May Dowdy wife gets dolled up. Louise Canova is dimly aware that her marriage has grown cold—her husband Colin, a successful but dull actor.
Kathleen Tessaro is the author of Elegance, Innocence, The Flirt, The Debutante, The Perfume Collector, and Rare Objects. She is currently working on her. 9 Jun An enchanting novel brimming with poignancy, humour, enchantment and insight , this is a stunning debut. Imagine an Audrey Hepburn film in. Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro - book cover, description, publication history. Elegance. Kathleen Tessaro - Elegance. Buy Elegance! (link to itspeakstudio.com opens in a new window). Experiencing any problems? Have a look at our Technical.


text:
Q: unknown top level operator: $orderby We've a node.js + mongoose app running on Ubuntu linux servers spun on DigitalOcean VPS.
One of our mongoose queries have a text index with the following operators:

*

*less than / equal to

*limit

*order by
and looks like this:
db.sampleCollection.find({
  $text: {
    $search: userInput
  },
  $lte: {
    expired: (new Date()).addDays(30)
  },
  $limit: 9,
  $orderby: {
    postedAt: -1
  }
})

which throws this error:

unknown top level operator: $orderby

Solutions already considered:

*

*Mongoose uses $set by default, however we're not using that operator in our query

*This solution considers aggregation, however we need it for find function

*This solution seems to be for array fields, however we need solution for non-array indexes

*We're not mixing operators, as said in this solution
Need inputs on how to fix this.

A: Query modifiers like $orderBy are no longer supported:

Starting in v3.2, the query "meta" operators are deprecated in the mongo shell. In the mongo shell, use the cursor methods instead.

As suggested by the docs, use the cursor methods like sort and limit instead:
db.sampleCollection.find({
  $text: {
    $search: userInput
  },
  $lte: {
    expired: (new Date()).addDays(30)
  }
})
.sort({
    postedAt: -1
})
.limit(9);

A: Check your mongodb version orderby has been deprecated since v3.2
$orderby Deprecated in the mongo Shell since v3.2
In the mongo shell,use cursor.sort() instead.

https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/reference/operator/meta/orderby/
db.sampleCollection.find({
    $text   : {
        $search: userInput
    },
    $lte    : {
        expired: (new Date()).addDays(30)
    },
    $limit  : 9,
    $sort: {
        postedAt: -1
    }
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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As blissful as love, was the next hour to me as I wandered though the agora looking at the coloured silks. What rich shades! Palest lemon to deepest Indigo; all of the colours they had in all shades, perfect and beautiful.
A few days later I stood in the Hera tower watching as the first torch bearer (A Macedonian) pick up the torch and run a few hundred yards only to be struck down. He collapsed and died, stabbed by a dagger that was controlled by air as no one moved except the bearer, but he never let his hands move from the torch! The second bearer, a Spartan, ran another few hundred yards only to be stuck down to instant death on the sand!
"Pater," I whispered and ran to find him. As my head whirled, "we're all going to die!" I thought, but I kept on running because I knew my pater's life depended on it!
By the time I was home everyone in Greece knew about the curse, and as I entered Mater's bedroom I saw her so ill from the plague that was sweeping the city. I realised I was the only person that would live in my family that lived in Athens because my younger brother had died. He was only a few months old and I was now the responsible one!
I found it hard to live keeping my mother alive. We had hardly any money, so it was like eating food that wasn't there. There was no hope, yet she was my mater so I had to do it. Everyday I searched long and hard for food, any food. Nuts and berries. Meat and fish. Bread and chickpeas. But there was nothing left!
One night I prayed to Zeus to see a vision of what caused my return, and hark I was granted with one! The dream of truth from the gods themselves!
Olympia was still in turmoil when I returned, full of omens to leave to save yourself from death as quickly as you could. I soon found Pater and told him about Mater and my brother. But he told me that he must carry the torch, it was his duty. As Athens best he must for the summum bonum or greatest good run with the torch to ask the gods for help.
"Pater you can't, you'll die!" I pleaded, but he would not be stopped. He spent days thinking about what to pray for besides peace.
At dusk I allowed myself to sleep until half an hour before dawn, but my dreams seemed to be full of Roman slave ships and suffering so I took them as a warning from Zeus and hurried on. After about four hours I started to feel tired.
The oldest daughter of the most prestigious family in the bay of Naples bought me and turned me into her body slave. She was kind and gave me an old lemon yellow tunic to wear. Also as I could read she made me her official reader so that I could serve her in all ways.
One day I was told to dress in my chiton and come to the atrium. I went and found out she wanted to free me and have me as a sister as well as a maid!
I was delighted and I shall spend the rest of my life here in the Villa Citrona.
This entry was posted in Literacy, Olympics and tagged Emma, Extended Stories. Bookmark the permalink.
It's great to see my story on the blog. I was so worried that I wouldn't get it done in time.