text:
There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book. - Marcel Proust
Recently completed racing:
2016 National Championships
July 2 - 9: Österreich Rundfahrt (Tour of Austria)
July 17: Trofeo Matteotti
Current Racing :
July 2 - 24: Tour de France
July 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
August 20 - Sept 11: Vuelta a España (all stage profiles posted)
Tour de France stage 15 news
Though today's stage had six categorized climbs, including the monster Grand Colombier, yellow jersey Christopher Froome spent the day basically unchallenged by the other GC contenders.
We've still got some brutal stages coming up in the final week, including Wednesday's Stage 17 finish at Finhaut-Emosson, followed by a timed hill-climb on Thursday and then two vertical days in the Alps. This race is hardly over.
Stage winner Jarlinson Pantano's IAM Cycling team had this to say:
The Feat: Accomplished by Jarlinson Pantano, who at 27 years old, has had the luxury of winning a stage in his second participation in the Tour de France, and gives Michel Thétaz, founder of the IAM Cycling team, an extremely prestigious victory.
Jarlinson Pantano: "I have a lot of respect for Majka, but I was ready to realize my dream."
THE ANECDOTE: According to Rik Verbrugghe. "When Majka was 20 seconds ahead, I told Pantano over the radio, "Pais…for Colombia!"
THE EXPLANATION: Again, given by Jarlinson Pantano: "On the final descent, I just let myself go, and I was able to bridge back up to Majka. Then I just remained calm, even into the last kilometer. I had good legs. I was not too worried when Majka launched his sprint; I dove into his slipstream without any trouble. I was even able to lift my arms some meters from the line, and really savor this success. Even now, I am in the clouds."
THE QUOTE: Yet again from Pantano: "I have to thank my team, my teammates, the staff and the sports manager who believed in me ever since last year, and told me that I have the qualities needed to win big races."
Jarlinson Pantano wins stage 15
THE ANALYSIS:As given by Rik Verbrugghe. "This is a completely happy moment because we really did everything we could to win this stage. We have from the start of the Tour de France been in the breakaways because we knew there was basically no other way we would have a chance to win a stage. I am really happy for Jarlinson, but also for the entire team because we deserve it."
THE EMOTION: Michel Thétaz's. Present in the team car along with Rik Verbrugghe and Kjell Carlström, following the man of the day, the founder of the IAM Cycling team spoke from the heart when congratulating his team. "All victories this season have been very emotional for me, but this one has to be the peak. It gives me chills, and we are so happy for all the guys. They worked very hard and we are all thrilled. We dreamed of having success at the Tour de France for nearly three years. The first two attempts we have to leave empty handed. So this year we really put everything together that we possibly could in order to reach our goal. This is the culmination of a dream come true."
THE PAYOFF: 11,000. In Euros, this is the amount of money that Jarlinson Pantano received after his victory in the 15th stage of the 2016 Tour de France.
THE MENU FOR THE DAY: The stage will finish in Bern after racing 209 kilometers from Moirans-en-Montagne, a town in the French Jura. First the peloton will have to travel through the French department of Doubs before crossing the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel from Verrières ahead of arriving in the Swiss capital, where a selective final can be expected.
Rafal Majka was second and took the polka-dot jersey. His Tinkoff team sent me this report:
It was a day for the climbers today – or more accurately – for Rafal Majka. The Polish national road champion exploded the Polka Dot Jersey contest, taking points on every single climb, including the full 25 points on the Hors Catégorie Grand Colombier. Just beaten to the stage win, Rafal took the Maillot à Pois and the day's combativity prize, while Roman Kreuziger held on to 11th spot in the GC with a strong ride where he finished with the Yellow Jersey group.
Rafal Majka gets the dots
A fearsome sight greeted riders looking at the stage profile today. From start to finish, the parcours resembled the inside of a shark's mouth, and the climbers could smell blood. Ten climbs were to be crossed, with six of these being categorised – the most fearsome being the Grand Colombier, summiting at 1,501m after a gruelling 12.8km, 6.8% climb. Today's stage was to be a decisive one in how the King of the Mountains classification would unfold – and Rafal Majka had his eye on the prize.
Beginning the day 13 points off the jersey, Rafal was on the hunt for points. While breaks attempted to get away at the start of the day, Rafal measured his efforts and pushed ahead as the group was nearing the summit of the Col du Berthiand – taking all of the points on the top of the first category climb. This was a theme that was to continue for the rest of the stage, with Rafal riding strong at the front, taking points on all of the day's climbs. As part of a group that managed to extend a strong advantage on the peloton, the Polish national road champion was the holder of the polka dot jersey on the road, scoring enough points to take the lead in the classification.
Nearing the top of the Grand Colombier, Rafal went off the front with one other and worked hard to take maximum points on the summit. Leading the peloton by a little over eight minutes, Rafal took all of the points at the top, before beginning the tricky descent leading to the Lacets du Grand Colombier. The Lacets were relentlessly steep, with their stunning hairpin bends bringing little respite from the hard climb – but in spite of the difficulty, Rafal's duo still led the peloton by 6'30". His blistering saw his companion struggling to hold on, before taking more points at the top – this time solo – before beginning the descent to the finish.
After dominating the stage, it was down to two riders to contest the stage win, having been joined by one of the chasers on the descent of the Lacets du Grand Colombier. While Rafal was strong, his companion had fresher legs and just beat him to the line. In spite of this, he pulled on the Maillot à Pois and took the day's combativity prize.
Rafal gave it his all today, and gave an insight into his ride from the finish line. "I'm happy with my performance today - it's not easy to take the KOM jersey and win the stage. I wanted to take everything but in the end I didn't want to take too much risk in the descent – I crashed four days ago and am still suffering a bit in my arms with the vibrations in the road. I knew Pantano would be quick at the finish, but still I'm happy with my race today."
Sport Director, Steven De Jongh, was thrilled with Rafal's performance. "It was an excellent race from Rafa today. We were aiming for him to be in the break and he was there. He did a good job picking up the KOM points, then in the last climb he tried to drop Pantano, as we knew he had a fast finish. He did well and dropped him but never got a big gap. He made one mistake on the downhill where he lost some seconds and they came into the finish together where Pantano was faster, but really well done by Rafa. He's taken a good lead in the Polka Dot jersey – something that we've had an eye on after the rest day, and together with green this is something that we want to win here."
While most of the attention was on the front of the race, Roman Kreuziger finished strongly – performing well on the last climb of the day, explained De Jongh. "Roman had a good day too and did a very good last climb where he looked very confident. He did a good job in following, which is what he had to do. We now hope that other opponents start to drop away like we saw some today. He showed he's strong still with a good TT, and he has some good opportunities ahead."
With plenty of opportunities to come in the mountains, Rafal still had his eye on a stage win. "I wanted to win, like always at the Tour de France but it is not finished and I still hope to win a stage. Second and twice third, I'm quite happy and I'm happy that I now have the Polka Dot jersey back – it's still a long Tour and I hope to keep this jersey. It won't be easy but I'm feeling strong."
Peter Sagan finished safely within the time limit to keep his green jersey ahead of another stage where he could potentially pick up some more points tomorrow. A more gentle day lies ahead, with a 209km course that takes the Tour into Switzerland before the race's second rest day in Berne. An undulating parcours with only one categorised climb, there's a short and punchy 6.5% ramp before the finish that might trouble the pure sprinters, meaning the all-rounders have a strong chance of taking the win here, if a breakaway doesn't get there before them. It's a stage where anything can happen, so De Jongh was waiting to see how the day unfolded. "Tomorrow we have another chance for a breakaway, with a hard finish so we will see what happens."
Here's what Chris Froome's Team Sky had to say about the day's racing:
Chris Froome and Team Sky emerged from a key day in the Jura mountains with their Tour de France lead firmly intact after stage 15.
Riding as a unit across a sprawling 160-kilometre test, the team proved more than equal to the task, ticking off six categorised climbs to ensure Froome retained all one minute and 47 seconds of his advantage. The day culminated with climbs up two different faces of Le Grand Colombier, with Wout Poels playing a starring role as he set a tempo to haul back moves from the likes of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Fabio Aru (Astana) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale).
Astana had pushed hard for Aru and blew apart the lead group, leaving Froome with just Mikel Nieve and Poels for support on the roads around Culoz.
That proved to be more than enough, and despite Nieve briefly coming down on the final descent, Froome was able to finish without issue among his GC peers.
Chris Froome was escorted to the finish by his very strong teammates.
As expected there was a race within a race, with the stage win coming down to a battle between the 30 riders who pushed onward early in the day's break. Of those men it was Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling) who prevailed, proving too strong for Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) in the home straight to take the biggest win of his career.
After the stage Froome admitted he'd been surprised at the relative lack of attacks on a day of heavy climbing, but was again full of praise for his teammates. "I am quite surprised," he said. "Today really was a stage that I expected Movistar in particular (to attack). With two guys in the breakaway I thought they'd be doing more in the final climb. I just got the feeling that everyone was so on the limit that no one really had the legs to make a big difference.
"I really am in such a privileged position to have such a strong team around me - possibly the strongest team that Team Sky have ever put in the Tour de France. Guys who would be leaders in other teams in their own right. Wout Poels is not just any other rider - he won Liege-Bastogne-Liege, one of the greatest classics in the world. I'm so fortunate to be in this position."
A fast start out of Bourg-en-Bresse saw a large percentage of the peloton dropped amid the battle to make a potentially stage-winning break. Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard and Vasil Kiryienka were distanced early before rejoining the fray. Rowe and Stannard then combined to great effect, pacing the peloton all the way onto Le Grand Colombier.
Froome had no issues and came through the day in style, celebrating a week in yellow and retaining his advantage over nearest rival Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo).
Over at the Tour of Poland the conditions could not have been more different, with heavy rain causing the shortening and ultimately the cancellation of the stage six queen test.
BMC had this to report:
17 July, 2016, Culoz (FRA): Stage 15 of the Tour de France was tipped as one of the hardest of the race and it didn't disappoint with the six categorized climbs testing the legs on a hot and fast day of racing.
A double ascent of Grand Colombier capped off the 159km stage which saw Richie Porte battle it out in the Yellow Jersey group and cross the line with his main General Classification rivals.
Tejay van Garderen was in the mix of the group until he was distanced on the final ascent before the run into the finish in Culoz.
Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling) went head to head with Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) in a sprint to the line, taking the win ahead of Majka and Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2T La Mondiale).
Porte now sits in seventh on the General Classification and van Garderen in eighth, 4'27" and 4'47" behind Chris Froome (Team SKY) respectively.
Richie Porte heads for home. I think that's Nairo Quintana on his wheel
Richie Porte: "To be honest I think everyone is just on their limits and couldn't do much. It was a hard day and it's just good to get it done. If you could have attacked there you would have. The pace was on pretty much all day and that descent was quite sketchy too. I think for me it's just nice to come through that one unscathed. We'll get through tomorrow and then into the rest day and then it's every man for himself really in that last week. When it looked Quintana was going to attack he [Froome] threw a little dummy attack in and that just quietened everybody down. We'll just see what happens in the next few days."
"It wasn't so bad the last time up it [Grand Colombier] but that second to last time, everybody was on their limit. Especially when Diego Rosa did his turn I think that put quite a lot of guys' days to an end. I'm happy to come through that like I did. At the best of time that's a sketchy descent but when the road is melting and there's loose gravel and surface it's not so nice. It's just one of those elements of a race."
Tejay van Garderen: "I wasn't really thinking anything [when Romain Bardet attacked]. I was in my own world just trying to hold the wheel in front of me but I couldn't hold it. To be honest I felt fine, just the pace was pretty incredible. I can't say that it was bad sensations it was just above the level that I had on the day. Anything can happen. Once you get into the third week of a Grand Tour it's like Russian Roulette, it could be anyone's day."
Michael Schär: "I think it was one of the toughest days with all of the up and down. There was not one meter flat pretty much. The start was of course the crucial factor and 30 guys went away and we knew that they would have a big chance for the stage win. Unfortunately there was nobody in for us, so then we switched our goal and focused on GC with Richie and Tejay. Tejay lost some time, Richie was up there but I think there is still a very tough last week coming and there are chances to crawl slowly up the standing and come onto the podium in Paris."
LottoNL-Jumbo sent me their Tour report:
George Bennett escaped again in the Tour de France today through the Jura Mountains, but could not match the pace of Jarlinson Pantano (IAM) and Rafael Majka (Tinkoff). Pantano won the day, but at least Bennett made the right move.
"Shortly after the start, I felt good in the battle for the leading group," Bennett said. "After 100 kilometres, though, it began to hurt. My body did not feel good and I felt very tired. I am very disappointed that I could not follow those men. Maybe it also had to do with my crash in the 11th stage, but that doesn't make it less disappointing."
"I have respect for what he showed us today because when the peloton broke on the climb, the best 30 cyclists moved free," Sports Director Merijn Zeeman added. "We designated two riders for the break. Kelderman tried it and exploded afterwards, Bennett managed though. On the first category climb, we saw that Bennett could not follow the best 12 riders and was empty."
Another goal was to have Dylan Groenewegen finish within the time limit. "We are lucky he succeeded. It was even more exciting when he got stuck behind the gruppetto, but thanks to Vanmarcke, he was able to return and finish in the group with the other sprinters," added Zeeman. "Groenewegen was completely empty. I have great respect for his perseverance."
"I waited for him," Vanmarcke added. "I paced him on my rear wheel and on the next descent, we almost managed to return. Eventually, we made contact with the group with Cavendish and rode to the finish."
"Today was one of the toughest days and I'm glad I survived," said Groenewegen. "At one point, I thought it really was over, but Vanmarcke waited and encouraged me."
Tomorrow: The finish in to Bern, Switzerland, tomorrow is not guaranteed to end in a sprint. "It depends on what the sprinters' teams want," Zeeman added. "But if there is a leading group on road, we have to be there."


Some people spend years doing hard work to get famous. Then, there is Lane Pittman, who is famous for staring down storms and waving an American flag while shirtless.
Despite warnings from officials to get out of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as Hurricane Florence hit the state, Pittman was seen standing in the middle of a road, only wearing blue underwear and letting the wind blow his hair and flag.
Fox Business Network reporter Kristina Partsinevelos filmed his stunt, which has been seen over 89,000 times on Twitter alone. The video he shared on Facebook has 62,000 views.
"YOU ARE WEAK AND SMALL FLORENCE!!!!! FLORIDA MAN IS HERE!!!!!" Pittman wrote on Facebook.
"Just being free and American. I don't let nothing oppress me, especially no dang, freaking hurricane," Pittman told Partsinvelos.
When asked if he was only doing this to go viral, Pittman said he already did.
Back in 2015, the Jacksonville Beach, Florida native went viral when Neptune Beach police gave him a citation for breaching the peace when he performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" on guitar during an impromptu July 4 celebration.
In 2016, he famously stared down Hurricane Matthew shirtless, with the wind blowing his American flag and Slayer's "Raining Blood" playing. That original video has more than 27 million views on Facebook.
In 2017, Pittman created a more elaborate video when he pulled off the stunt again during Hurricane Irma.
Pittman also turned his internet fame into a business. He launched an Etsy shop to sell $19.95 shirts with photos of his stunt.
Since he knew Hurricane Florence was coming, Pittman launched a GoFundMe page to raise just $150 for gas and coffee during his drive up to South Carolina. He ended up raising $380 in one day.
Hurricane Florence made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina early Friday morning, reports CBS News. More than 600,000 homes and businesses lost power in North Carolina and more than 2,000 flights were cancelled through Saturday. More than 1.7 million people were ordered to evacuate before the storm hit.
The National Weather Service said that more than 14 inches north of Swansboro, North Carolina and it is expected to get worse. Weathermodels.com meteorologist Ryan Maue told CBS News that Florence could bring 18 trillion gallons of rain over the next seven days to North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.
"To those in the path, if you can hear me, please stay sheltered in place," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said during a Friday press conference. "Do not go out in the storm."


Learn the basic 3D modeling tools you'll need to edit your model and repair any errors.
It's extremely rare, if not impossible, to end up with a 3D model that has no flaws. Mostly these flaws will come from the point where your object was fixtured, or where it touched the ground, but sometimes there will be other small areas that didn't reconstruct well for some reason. Some flaws are visual and others will present more fundamental structural problems if you plan to 3D print your model. Most flaws can be cleaned up pretty easily, and some are bit more of a challenge. Fortunately ReCap Photo has a well designed set of tools for fixing these problems, that are also easy to learn.
In this lesson, I'll give you an overview of all the toolbars and then show you how to use some specific tools for the kind of model repair you'll be doing most often.
In the ReCap Photo Editor you will find three main toolbars that contain all the functions you need to view and edit your model. Clicking on most of the icons will bring up a menu of further options in that category. I'll give you a basic overview of what's in each toolbar, and in the next section I'll show you which workflows you'll use to most often to clean up your models.
The Navigation Bar is the line of icons at the bottom of the screen.
Clicking on each icon opens a menu of further tools that will let you perform certain types of edits to your model.
As I mentioned in the last lesson, when your model is created, there will sometimes be some extra bits around the edges or particularly the base. Deleting these pieces is the often the first part of the model clean-up process.
The simplest way to delete is to use the slice tool, which looks like a little saw blade in the Tools menu. Clicking on this tool will give you a flat horizontal plane with an inner and outer circle. The outer circle lets you move the plane up and down and the inner circle tilts the plane at an angle. Clicking apply will delete everything below the plane. You can also switch which side of the plane gets deleted by clicking on the little black and white square in the dialog box, and you can choose to have the hole created by the deletion left open, or filled.
Another way to delete parts of your model is to use the select and delete tools. This lets you select smaller or more oddly shaped areas of the model.
For example, if you needed to delete a small isolated piece of your model, click on the select tool in the Navigation Bar on the bottom of the screen and pick your selection type. For this, the bottom icon, the window selection, will work best. Click and drag to select this piece then release.
To delete, click on the Tools icon in the Action Panel on the left and select the delete icon which looks like a trash can. The piece you selected will be deleted. Notice that when you are using the window selection mode, you are selecting all the way through your object, not just the visible surface.
If you wanted to delete a more oddly shaped area of your model, you could choose the lasso selection tool. This tool lets you draw any shaped area to select. With this tool you are also selecting all the way through your object, not just the visible surface, so when you hit delete, everything in the area you selected will vanish.
If you want to select more than one piece to be deleted at once, you can use the add to selection button on the right of the Navigation Bar. If instead you want to remove something from the selection, use the subtract from selection button.
If you ever want to undo any action, just click on the undo button.
It can sometimes be easier to select what you don't want to delete. In this case, use a selection tool to grab everything but your intended selection, then hit the invert selection button to select the opposite.
If, instead of deleting part of your model, you would just like to hide it so you can see the rest of the model better, you can use the isolate selection function. Select what you want to keep visible, hit the isolate selection button, and everything else will be temporarily hidden.
If you want to just select part of the surface of your model, instead of selecting all the way through, you use the brush selection tool. This tool acts like a paintbrush, letting you select very small areas on the surface of your model. You can also alter the size of your brush in this tool.
If you delete a selection made with the brush selection tool, it will create a hole in the surface of your mesh, and we'll talk about how to fix holes next.
Sometimes your deleting process will create holes in your mesh, and sometimes there will be pre-existing holes that were glitches from the reconstruction process, either way, they often need to be repaired, and there are a few ways to do this.
As you saw in the last section, the slice tool will automatically fill in holes created by slicing if you want it to. But if you left your holes unfilled, you can use the fill holes tool to close them easily.
This tool is under the Tools icon and looks like an arrow diving into a hole. When you click on this tool, it will automatically detect all the holes in your mesh and they will be highlighted in brown. The dialog box will ask you to 'select a boundary'. If you hover close to the hole you want to fill, the edge of that hole will be highlighted and you can click to select it. Decide if you want your fill to be 'flat' or 'smooth', and click to apply. If you are filling a hole on a curved surface, 'smooth' is usually a good option. If you are filling something like, say the end of a tube, you probably want 'flat'.
If you need to fill a large hole on a more complex surface, you can use a combination of a few tools to construct a more custom fill. Start by using the bridge gaps tool to divide your hole into smaller holes. When you open this tool, you will be asked to select two polygons on opposite sides of your hole that your want to create a bridge between. Once you select both points a bridge will be created.
Now you have created a separate hole on each side of the bridge, and you can fill those holes in individually with the fill holes tool. As you can see, using these tools in combination could let you construct some more complex features if you needed to.
Some other great tools for cleaning up your models and even adding to them are the smoothing and sculpting tools.
To access these tools, click on Edit and then select surface tools which looks like a mallet. When you click on this tool it will automatically put your model into a wireframe mesh view, but you can change your view to solid if you want, which I think makes it easier to see what you are doing. The dialog box that pops up will give you the option to choose sculpt or smooth.
Smooth will help you fix areas of your model that may have acquired weird unwanted textures during reconstruction. It is a smart tool that both pushes and pulls areas of the surface you are using it on smooth away imperfections. You can choose your brush size and the strength of the smoothing by sliding the toggles. I usually start with my strength low and raise it if I need to. After you've made your adjustment, clicking 'commit' will apply the changes you just made, and 'discard' will undo them.
Sculpt is a more powerful tool that does just what the name says: lets you sculpt your model and add features or details in places where they were lost.
In sculpt mode you can choose to pull or push the surface of your model. Pulling will create raised areas, while pushing will create indents. You can also choose your brush size, the strength of your brush, and whether or not your brush is flat or rounded which will create different effects. On each specific model you will have to play around with the settings to see what works for you.
Small surface changes to your model will not affect the color texture layer, and when you make larger changes, the texture will try to stretch over these new geometries like a skin. Sometimes this works pretty well, and other times it's a bit weird looking. To see how this is going to look, commit your changes and switch your model to textured view. If you don't like what you see, you can always undo by pressing the undo button.
If you are trying to do some very delicate sculpting and you can't get the detail you want, you can try subdividing your mesh in the area you are trying to edit.
Because the geometry of your model is defined by the polygons in the mesh surface, more polygons means the ability to define more detail. To get more polygons, put your model in mesh mode, select the area you want to edit with the brush selection tool, then click on subdivide mesh under Retopologize. You will see that the area you selected has been subdivided into twice as many polygons. Now try making the edits you wanted with the sculpt tool and see if you get better results.
The extrude tool will let you add simple features to areas of your model that have been removed. Extrude is especially good for creating bases for things like statues or models of people. If you had scanned a person for example and you wanted to print them in miniature and give them a little base to stand on, you could use the slice and extrude tools to do this.
First, use the slice tool to cut off the base of the figure at the level you want, when you slice, check 'no fill'.
It can be useful to then use the smooth boundary tool (also under the Tools icon) to make sure your slice is as clean as possible. To do this, select the open boundary of your slice and then click 'apply'.
Now select the extrude tool, click on the open boundary again and decide if you want your extrude to be filled left unfilled. You can choose if you want to extrude 'flush to plane' or 'offset from boundary'. Flush to plane lets you use the the movable plane to choose the end point of your extrusion, and 'offset from boundary' extruded a specified distance from the sliced edge.
When you have made all the edits you want to make to your model and you are ready to export it to another 3D modeling program or some other application, you will often want to reduce the complexity of your model by retopologizing the surface.
As we discussed in Lesson 2, 3D models created from photogrammetry are polygon mesh models, which means the geometry of their surfaces is represented by a large number of polygons arranged in a dense "mesh". Meshes that come from photogrammetry and other reality capture methods sometimes have a much higher number of polygons or "polycount" than 3D models that were created in a 3D modeling program. Sometimes thousands of times more.
Models like this are often too complex for other 3D modeling programs or applications to handle, so you need to simplify them. To do this, click on the Retopologize icon and select the decimate model tool.
This tool lets you reduce the polygon count of your mesh without affecting the overall geometry too much. Toggle the slider to choose how much you want to decimate your mesh, then click 'decimate all'. If your mesh changes too much and you lose a lot of detail, you may want to decimate it less. If there is still plenty of detail, you can try decimating it more.
For models that are going to be used in something like gaming or VR with the color texture turned on, you can decimate them to a very low polycount because the decimation won't affect the textured color layer and the model will still look good even when the actual geometry lacks detail.
Because ReCap Photo has no size reference when it compiles your photos, the size of your model is not necessarily the same as the size of your original object, and even it it was, you might want to change the size before you export.
To measure the distance between different points on your model, click on Analyze, and select measure distance. You can then click on two points on your model and it will tell you the distance between them. Keep in mind it is measuring in 3 dimensions.
To scale your model to the size you actually want it, click on Model settings and select set scale and units. This will put your object inside a box that shows its X, Y and Z dimensions. With 'percentage' checked, you can scale your object by a certain percent, and checking 'value' will let you enter a specific value for X, Y or Z. Or you can select two points on the model like you did with the measure tool and enter a target value for that distance.
Once you hit 'set' your model will be re-sized according to your new values.
"incorrectNotice": "Are you sure? Try again."
"incorrectNotice": "Does that make sense? Try again."
Now that you have a nice clean, edited model, what are you going to do with it? In the next lesson we'll learn some useful tools for exporting your model to use in different applications, and explore a workflow that will give you more advanced 3D modeling options in Fusion 360.
But before we move on, fee free to show us how your 3D model is looking now that you've used some editing tools to clean it up!


text:
U.S. Looking For Cracks in Syrian Regime
U.S. officials are searching hard for signs that the inner circle of Bashar Al-Assad may be fracturing, as at least one high ranking minister has apparently defected to opposition.
Dashiell Bennett
U.S. officials are searching hard for signs that the inner circle of Bashar Al-Assad may be fracturing, as at least one high ranking minister has apparently defected to opposition. The country's deputy oil minister announced via YouTube yesterday that he was stepping down because he did not want "to retire serving the crimes of this regime." The man, identified as Abdo Hussam el Din, may not be the most pivotal cog in the Syrian machine, but he is the biggest official to quit the regime since the uprising began. It's also an extremely bold move considering that soldiers who defect from the army have been targeted for the harshest treatment by Syrian forces if captured.
The defection coincides with a report in The Washington Post that intelligence officials are monitoring large financial transactions made by Syrian elites with ties to Assad. The movement of millions of dollars of funds through foreign accounts could have any number of explanations, but some in the U.S. are wondering (wishful thinking?) if it's a sign that the country's elites are preparing to bolt. At the very least, it seems to suggest that Syria's wealthiest citizens may be "hedging their bets" out of concerns that the government might fall and take them (or their assets) down with it. Those elites are the key to Assad remaining in power, especially if international forces remain unwilling to intervene.
Meanwhile, the crackdown continues as the international community continues to be stymied in its efforts to stop the fighting diplomatically. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will travel there this weekend on behalf of the Arab League, but there's little hope that more talks will do any good. China and Russia continue to block attempts by the Security Council to sanction or interfere on behalf of the opposition and the Pentagon remains leery of a military response. The violence shows no sign of slowing however, as government forces reportedly fired on a funeral procession in Damascus this morning, according to Reuters.
Dashiell Bennett is the former editor of The Wire.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Adobo Chronicles was offered a front-row seat as a member of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC), upon the urging of PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar.
Andanar said that MPC needs to have full diversity of voices — from the Mainstream Media to Internet bloggers. "We seriously lack more light-hearted yet critical stories in order to fully reflect the day-to-day activities of the President. The Adobo Chronicles is the best news source to fill that gap," Andanar added.


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About DataSync
System Engineering & Integration
Project Management & Agile Methodology
Clear Creek Group Acquires DataSync Technologies To Create One of the Nation's Leading Technology Solutions and Security IT Providers
Cara Campbell
KERENS, Texas and RESTON, Va., April 25, 2018 – Clear Creek Group announced today that it ha s entered into a binding agreement to acquire full ownership of Virginia-based DataSync Technologies. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of Clear Creek and DataSync and the joint agreement was signed on April 24.
Clear Creek Group is an information technology consulting holding company that guides transformation strategy for business, government and public sector organizations.
DataSync, named one of the Washington Business Journal's Best Places to Work in Greater Washington for the past three years, joins Clear Creek's wholly-owned subsidiary, Harmony Technology Services. Both companies have deep and substantive experience in strengthening and securing advanced corporate IT systems.
"Our leadership team at Clear Creek has worked successfully in demanding sectors of the defense industry and in support of several of the nation's most secret products and operations," said Tom Shelman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clear Creek Group. "The combination of Clear Creek and DataSync creates a unique information technology position in the national security IT market that will be the envy of much larger companies and competitors."
The DataSync acquisition enhances Clear Creek's ability to grow and gain entry into new markets, making it a valuable complement to the company's offerings, said General Harry Gatanas (U.S. Army, retired.), who serves as Senior Vice President of Clear Creek Group's National Security Sector.
"DataSync's core capabilities of business intelligence and software engineering are qualifications needed throughout the intelligence community and the DOD. I am excited to be part of DataSync's future as it becomes a part of the Clear Creek Group family," said Gatanas.
Founded in 2004, DataSync is a leader in effective data analysis and interpretation. DataSync President Cara Campbell said that the company's focus on mission-driven and cost-effective solutions has led to its meaningful partnership with the U.S. intelligence and defense communities.
"The center of our vision has always been the safe handling and absolute protection of sensitive data in today's world where cyberattacks are certain and clients require trustworthy, secure cloud-based solutions," said Campbell. "We have achieved that for our clients. We now join with Clear Creek Group because it is time to accelerate our vision and to reliably deliver those proven and tested solutions to an even wider circle of critical national customers."
About Clear Creek Group
Clear Creek Group, Inc. is an information technology consulting holding company. Its family of companies are leading technology solutions providers serving federal, state and local government agencies and global business enterprises, with a focus on federal government IT for national security. As a parent company, it uses its combined experience and vision to define change, transform organizations and deliver results. Clear Creek's "buy, hold and grow" strategy helps us align the interests of management and ownership, support long-term planning and serve Clear Creek family customers with better talent at lower prices, while still improving profits.
About DataSync Technologies
As a professional service firm within the APN, DataSync helps customers and businesses of different sizes design, build, migrate and manage their work and schedules via AWS. As such, the APN features tens of thousands of customers and businesses. Founded in 2004, DataSync is a leader in the D.C. area for effective data analysis and interpretation. It develops solutions to complex problems through a collaborative, innovative, team-based approach. DataSync's focus on mission-driven and cost-effective solutions have led to its meaningful partnership with the U.S. intelligence and defense communities.
How Hannibal Used Emotional Intelligence to Defeat the Romans at Trebia »
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Zingerle Beatrix
Corvara - Str. Agà, 19
Telephone: (+39) 04718362... (+39) 0471836259 / (+39) 3392900267
www.residenceangelika.com - info@residenceangelika.com
Residence - Offered treatments: SC
Courtesy and professionalism of the staff
The residence Angelika located in a very quiet position just 5 minutes walk from the center. 50 meter from house you can find the ski bus stop that takes you in few minutes on the beautiful slopes of Dolomiti Superski. The house is surrounded by green fields and magic mountains. The apartments are rustic and equipped with dishwasher, hairdryer, safe, dishes, TV-sat, lift, bed-bath- and kitchen-linen.
WIFI free in all the apartments. Use washing machine by fee. All the apartments dispose of very large balconies facing the garden and are available to our guests. In the afternoon you can relax in the Finnish and Turkish sauna and in the whirlpool. In summer the big garden disposes of a small playground. Also a covered garage at guests disposal.
General information at 1558m a.s.l., "bikers welcome"
Facilities lift, open parking space, parking lot in the garage, garden at guests' disposal
In room/apt. safe, TV with satellite reception, hairdryer, dish washer
Further services for apartments daily cleaning, bed linen and towels, shared washing machine, shared clothes dryer, "bread and milk" service
Wellness sauna, whirlpool
Children family-friendly accommodation, playground
Payment methods Visa, MasterCard, ATM
Bike bicycle storage
Ski skiroom with ski boot heater, service skipass selling
7 x Two-room apartment
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[{"id": "camera", "letti": [{"id": "MTR", "qta": 1}], "kitchenette": false}, {"id": "zonagiorno", "letti": [{"id": "DVLM", "qta": 1}], "kitchenette": true}]
bathroom (with WC, shower, bath tub with shower, bidet)
The two-room apartment is designed in a rustical style and is equipped with dishes and cutlery, dishwasher, a hairdryer, phone, satellite TV, and free WiFi, plus a separate laundry. It features a balcony, a sunny garden and garage.
[{"id": 100574, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100574_zona-giorno.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100552, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100552_zona-giorno.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100572, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100572_appartamento-corvara.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100588, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100588_cucina.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100561, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100561_cucina.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100583, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100583_camera-residenceangelika.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100571, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100571_camera-residenceangelika.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}]
2 x Three-room apartment B
https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100572_appartamento-corvara.jpg
The apartment is designed in a rustical style and is equipped with dishes and cutlery, a dishwasher, a hairdryer, phone, satellite TV, and free WiFi. There is also a separate laundry, available to all guests upon payment of a surcharge. The apartment features a balcony, sunny garden and garage.
[{"id": 100572, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100572_appartamento-corvara.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100580, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100580_cucina.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100587, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100587_camera-residenceangelika.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100576, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100576_bagno.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}]
1 x Three- room apartment D
[{"id": "camera", "index": 1, "letti": [{"id": "MTR", "qta": 1}], "kitchenette": false}, {"id": "camera", "index": 2, "letti": [{"id": "MTR", "qta": 1}], "kitchenette": false}, {"id": "zonagiorno", "letti": [{"id": "DVLM", "qta": 1}], "kitchenette": true}]
bathroom (with WC, shower, bidet)
Apartment in rustic style with balcony with a beautiful view on the Sassongher.
[{"id": 100569, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100569_cucina.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100568, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100568_cucina.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 100563, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/100563_camera-residenceangelika.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}, {"id": 40757, "url": "https://images.yesalps.com/hp/205/40757_bagno.jpg", "width": 600, "height": 400}]
20 January 2022 28 January 2022 from 128,00€ to 300,00€
29 January 2022 04 March 2022 from 140,00€ to 329,00€
05 March 2022 25 March 2022 from 128,00€ to 300,00€
26 March 2022 09 April 2022 from 118,00€ to 277,00€
18 June 2022 24 June 2022 from 90,00€ to 211,50€
25 June 2022 03 July 2022 from 106,00€ to 249,00€
04 July 2022 05 August 2022 from 116,00€ to 272,60€
06 August 2022 26 August 2022 from 130,00€ to 305,50€
27 August 2022 02 September 2022 from 98,00€ to 230,30€
03 September 2022 23 September 2022 from 88,00€ to 206,80€
Conditions for children and extra beds
the prices are quoted per person per night
for existing beds
for extra beds
from 0 to 1 years free of charge 50%
from 2 to 12 years - 50%
adult - 30%
*completed age on the check-out date
recommended by 19 guests
Reviews available in Italian [13] Reviews available in German [6]
Str. Agà, 19
lat: 46.5534° N lon: 11.8686° E lat: 46° 33' 12.4'' N lon: 11° 52' 7.3'' E
Information about the location: at 1558m a.s.l..
Are you interested in Residence Angelika?


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Corona Constitution Class
The Constitution Class in Corona meets Tuesday Nights at 6:00 pm at AllStar Collision in the upstairs classroom, located at 522 Railroad Street, Corona, California. The class is free, all attendees receives a pocket constitution. Monetary gifts accepted to help with the cost of printing and transportation.
List of Handouts for the Corona Constitution Class
Glossary of Terms for Corona Constitution Class
Lesson 01: We The People
Lesson 02: Legislative Powers
Lesson 03: Legislative Authorities
Lesson 04: Legislative Prohibitions
Lesson 05: Executive Branch
Lesson 06: Judicial Branch
Lesson 07: Concerning the States
Lesson 08: Amendments and Conventions
Lesson 09: Debt and Supremacy
Lesson 10: Ratification and Intro to Bill of Rights
Lesson 11: First Amendment
Lesson 12: Militias and Standing Armies
Lesson 13: Legal Amendments
Lesson 14: Rights and Sovereignty
Posted by Douglas V. Gibbs at 5:05 PM 1 comment:
Lesson 14: Rights and State Sovereignty, Amendments 9 and 10
Constitution Class Handout – December 9, 2014
Instructor: Douglas V. Gibbs
douglasvgibbs@reagan.com
www.politicalpistachio.com
www.douglasvgibbs.com
www.constitutionassociation.com
AllStar Collision, Inc.
522 Railroad Street
Sponsored by TLCC
Truth and Liberty Covenant Coalition
Corona · Norco · Eastvale
info@tlccoalition.org
www.tlccoalition.org
Rights and State Sovereignty
A Protection of Rights Not Enumerated, 9th Amendment
The Bill of Rights was created to appease the Anti-Federalists, but many of the Framers envisioned possible dangers in its creation. In fact, Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper #84 suggested that there existed the possibility of misinterpretations that may place the rights of the people in danger from an overpowering federal government. In Federalist #84 Hamilton suggested that government may create exceptions to powers not granted, and argue the power exists because it is not denied by the Bill of Rights. In other words, because the Constitution was designed to grant authorities, and those not listed are not granted, the Bill of Rights muddies the waters because those amendments tell the federal government what it can't do. Furthermore, many of the delegates in the Federal Convention of 1787 argued that the Bill of Rights is unnecessary, because prior to the creation of the Bill of Rights, the federal government was not given the authorities by the first seven articles over any of the issues listed in those first ten amendments in the first place.
Regardless, the Anti-Federalists demanded the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution, or they would not ratify the document. Needing the support of the Anti-Federalists in order for the Constitution to be made law, the Founding Fathers that were at odds with the creation of the Bill of Rights compromised, and James Madison was given the task to write out the Bill of Rights based on proposals received from the several States.
Hundreds of proposed amendments were offered by the States. Only twelve were considered. Ten were ratified by the States during that time period. Answering concerns of the Founding Fathers that the federal government may interfere with rights not enumerated by the Bill of Rights, the 9th Amendment was included as one of those ten.
The Founders expected the people to protect their own rights through self-government. With freedom comes responsibility, therefore the people, when it came to their rights, should be governed by their conscience, not government. This concept tasked the people, with their individual judgment, to be civil, and to not encroach on one another's freedoms. If citizens were guilty of violating someone else's rights, the civil court system in each State would address the issue. Local courts were controlled by juries, and left all issues regarding rights at the local level.
The very notion of the federal government putting itself into a position of encroaching on the rights of the people was seen as tyrannical, and dangerous. After all, how could a centralized, far removed, governmental power that is unfamiliar with local customs and laws properly administer private rights issues?
The problem presented by the Bill of Rights, however, is that by listing specific rights that the government shall not infringe upon, many of the founders believed that would open up the opportunity for the federal government to "interpret" the Constitution to mean that all other rights not listed are fair game. Therefore, the wording of the 9th Amendment was carefully fashioned to enable the reader to recognize its intent.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
In other words, the government cannot "deny or disparage" any rights, even the ones not listed in the Bill of Rights, because our rights are given to us by God. This does not give the federal government the authority to guarantee our rights, however. To allow a central government to force lower governments to abide by the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights is to open the door for government to later dictate to the lower governments other actions they would have to take regarding rights. Since rights, as the Declaration of Independence reveals, are "self-evident," as well as individual possessions, the authority to resolve disputes regarding rights remains at the local level.
Anti-Federalists - Opposed to formation of a federal government, particularly by adoption of the Constitution of the United States.
Bill of Rights - The first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution; a formal summary of those rights and liberties considered essential to a people or group of people.
Federal Government - System of government in which power is distributed between central authority and constituent territorial units.
Federalist Papers - Series of essays written by John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton defending, and explaining the principles of, the Constitution in order to encourage the New York Ratifying Convention to decide to ratify the Constitution.
Questions for Discussion:
1. Why were the Anti-Federalists so worried about the creation of the federal government through the Constitution?
2. Who gives us our rights? Why is this significant?
3. What are the dangers of enabling the federal government to "interpret" the Constitution?
Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper #84, Avalon Project, Yale
University: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed84.asp
Joseph Andrews, A Guide for Learning and Teaching The Declaration of
Independence and The U.S. Constitution - Learning from the Original Texts Using Classical Learning Methods of the Founders; San Marcos: The Center for Teaching the Constitution (2010).
Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner, The Founder's Constitution –
Volume Five - Amendments I-XII; Indianapolis: Liberty Fund (1987).
State Sovereignty
The 10th Amendment was designed to restrict federal powers from encroaching on State authorities. The article states that any powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution, and any powers not prohibited to the States, belongs to the States.
We must remember that originally all powers belonged to the States, a concept known as Original Authority. In order to create a central government, the States granted some of their powers to the federal government so that it may function in the manner necessary to protect, preserve, and promote the union. The States, in Article I, Section 10, are denied powers that would be in conflict with the federal powers granted. However, since the States originally maintained all powers, any authorities not granted to the federal government, nor denied to the States for the purpose of enabling the federal government to do its job, were retained by the States.
The 10th Amendment was also designed to correct the problems that arose through the creation of the Bill of Rights. By the Bill of Rights being composed in such a manner that the first ten amendments tell the federal government what it cannot do, the worry was that the argument in support of unconstitutional activity by the federal government would entail the argument, "Where in the Constitution does it say the federal government can't do that?" Such an argument by the central government may open up opportunities for the federal government to compromise Americanism, and fundamentally transform into a big government tyranny.
The Constitution was designed to grant authorities to the federal government so that it may function in the manner originally intended. The powers granted to the federal government are the only authorities the federal government has. If the powers are not enumerated, the federal government does not have those authorities. The 10th Amendment was written to remind us that even though the first eight amendments tell the federal government it "shall not infringe," the rule of the Constitution is that all federal powers are enumerated in the Constitution, and if the power is not granted to the federal government, nor denied to the States, the authority remains with the States.
This article was written to support State Sovereignty. It is the Tenth Amendment to which one must first go when debating States' Rights. The amendment clearly states that all federal powers are enumerated, and the remaining unlisted powers, if not prohibited, belongs to the States.
James Madison makes a clear argument in support of the concept of State Sovereignty in Federalist #45: ". . . each of the principal branches of the federal government will owe its existence more or less to the favor of the State governments. . . The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. . . The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State. The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments in times of peace and security. . ."
The States serve in a manner similar to that of parents. The people, through their States are the parents of the federal government, but the petulant child is not only acting in ways never authorized, but the parents, through representation, and other means, have determined for themselves that they have no ability to rein in the out of control creation. The 10th Amendment reveals the reality that the States are sovereign, and that the federal government has only limited powers.
When breaking down the language of the Tenth Amendment, the previous articles of the Constitution become clear. It is in the Tenth Amendment that the principles of a limited government are most clearly articulated.
The concept that the Constitution was designed not to tell the federal government what it cannot do, but to tell it what it can do, is presented clearly in the first portion of this amendment. Powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution are not authorities granted, meaning that the federal government is limited to only the powers enumerated by the Constitution.
Some powers, despite the fact that original authority of all powers belongs to the States, are prohibited to the States. The authorities prohibited to the States are those that, if the States had those powers, may interfere with the federal government's task of protecting, preserving, and promoting the union. The list of powers prohibited to the States, any amendments doing the same notwithstanding, are located in Article I, Section 10.
The word reserved was chosen carefully for this amendment. "Reserved" is used rather than the word "granted," because the States are not granted any powers by any source. All of the powers already belonged to the States from the beginning. Any powers the States did not grant to the federal government, nor decide to prohibit to themselves through the Constitution, remain with the States. The presence of the word "reserved" reveals that fact. Reserved, in the context of this article, also means "To hold for their own use."
Americanism - A philosophy of freedom that actively seeks less government and more personal responsibility.
Original Authority - Principal agent holding legal authority; initial power to make or enforce laws; the root authority in government.
Reserved - Kept for another or future use; retained.
State Sovereignty - The individual autonomy of the several states; strong local government was considered the key to freedom; a limited government is the essence of liberty.
States' Rights - The authorities of the States over local issues, and other issues, that are not directly related to the preservation of the union or are considered as federal issues.
1. Why was it important to ensure the federal government did not encroach on State authorities?
2. What did Madison mean when he wrote, "the federal government will owe its existence more or less to the favor of the State governments."
3. Why is it important that the enumerated powers limit the authorities of the federal government?
4. How does the fact that the States have original authority in regards to all powers bring into perspective the relationship between the States and the federal government?
5. Why was the word "reserved" used in the Tenth Amendment, rather than granted?
About the Tenth Amendment, Tenth Amendment Center:
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/about/about-the-tenth-amendment/
Definition of Enumerated, 1828 Webster's Dictionary:
http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,enumerate
Definition of Reserved, 1828 Webster's Dictionary:
http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,reserved
James Madison, The Federalist Papers #45, Avalon Project, Yale
Thirty Enumerated Powers, Tenth Amendment Center:
http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/historical-documents/united-states-constitution/thirty-enumerated-powers/
Copyright 2014 Douglas V. Gibbs
Posted by Douglas V. Gibbs at 5:04 PM 2 comments:
Lesson 13: Legal Amendments (4-8)
Constitution Class Handout – November 11, 2014
The Legal Amendments
Amendment IV
Warrants, Searches, and Seizures
The 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution was added as part of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. It was written with the purpose of protecting people from the government searching their homes and private property without properly executed search warrants.
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
What this means is that the federal government, in order to search a person's home, business, papers, bank accounts, computer or other personal items, in most cases, must obtain a search warrant signed by the proper authority, which usually means by a judge.
The issuance of a warrant must accompany reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that by searching the premises of a particular location, evidence will be found that will verify the crime. The government officer does not have to be correct in his assumption, he just has to have a reasonable belief that searching someone's private property will yield evidence of the crime. The task of determining whether or not the officer's assumptions are a reasonable belief falls on the judge who is considering issuing the search warrant.
The concept that citizens must be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures goes back into English history. The British Crown was known for performing searches and seizures that were unlawfully conducted. Often, these searches were conducted by the king's representatives.
The British government saw the American Colonies as a source of revenue. As a result, taxation against the American colonies was a continuous practice, in the hopes of generating as much money from the colonists as possible. The colonists resented this and engaged in substantial smuggling operations in order to get around the customs taxes imposed by the British government.
The King responded to the Colonist's smuggling activities by using writs of assistance, which were search warrants that were very broad and general in their scope. British agents, once obtaining these writs, could search any property they believed might contain contraband goods. They could enter someone's property with no notice and without any reason given. Tax collectors could interrogate anyone about their use of goods and require the cooperation of any citizen. Searches and seizures of private property based on very general warrants became an epidemic in colonial America.
In 1756, the Massachusetts legislature passed search and seizure laws outlawing the use of general warrants. The friction created between the Royal Governor and the people of Massachusetts grew with each passing moment.
In 1760 James Otis, a Boston lawyer, strongly objected to these arbitrary searches and seizures of private property and consequently resigned his position with the government, and then became the lawyer for a group of over 50 merchants who sued the government claiming that the writs of assistance were unjust.
James Otis represented these merchants for free. His speech condemning British policies, including writs of assistance and general search warrants, was so powerful and eloquent, that it was heard of throughout the colonies and catapulted him to a place of leadership in the swelling tide of disillusionment toward Great Britain.
Twenty-five year old John Adams, who would become the second president of the United States some time later, was sitting in the courtroom and heard Otis' famous speech that served as a spark that led to igniting the American Revolution.
The 4th Amendment, a part of The Bill of Rights, became law on December 15, 1791.
The 4th Amendment applies only to the federal government. State constitutions are written similarly, and States also have laws that are consistent with the intention of the 4th Amendment. The 4th Amendment provides protection from illegal search and seizure by federal government officials, but not by private citizens. So, if an employer unreasonably searched your possessions at work, the 4th Amendment would not have been violated, but local laws may have been.
In recent history The PATRIOT Act was seen as a breach of the 4th Amendment because it allowed the federal government to pursue a number of strategies in their search for terrorists that includes warrantless phone taps, access to phone logs, and monitoring of online communications such as email. The debate still goes on regarding the constitutionality of The PATRIOT Act, with both sides presenting reasonable arguments, ranging from the constitutional necessity of the law for the purpose of "providing for the common defense," to the argument that the authorities offered by the law allows the federal government to unconstitutionally intrude on the right to privacy of all Americans.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014 builds on the powers seized by the federal government through the PATRIOT Act, allowing unrestricted analysis and research of captured records pertaining to any organization or individual "now or once hostile to the United States." The definition of "hostile to the United States" is broad, and can include political opposition. Under NDAA 2014 Sec. 1061(g)(1), an overly vague definition of captured records enhances government power and guarantees indefinite surveillance.
The Internal Revenue Service is another arm of the federal government that routinely violates the 4th Amendment, doing so under the auspice of ensuring all taxes are paid.
Search Warrant - The Search Warrant specifically requires that the government demonstrate to a judge the existence of probable cause of criminal activity on the part of the person whose property the government wishes to search. The Fourth Amendment commands that only a judge can authorize a search warrant.
Writs of Assistance - British search warrants that were very broad and general in their scope. British agents, once obtaining these writs, could search any property they believed might contain contraband goods.
1. What actions by the British prior to the American Revolutionary War inspired the Founding Fathers to include this amendment in the Bill of Rights?
2. How would our legal system act if Search Warrants were not considered necessary?
3. How does the Fourth Amendment influence today's thinking regarding government actions, such as with The PATRIOT Act?
How Congress Has Assaulted Our Freedoms in the Patriot Act by
Andrew P. Napolitano, Lew Rockwell.com: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/napolitano2.html
Paul A. Ibbetson, Living Under the PATRIOT Act: Educating a Society;
Bloomington, IN: Author House (2007)
Amendment V
Due Process and Eminent Domain
The majority of the Fifth Amendment provides additional reinforcement to the concept of due process. The language of this Amendment was designed to assure those who feared the potential tyranny of a new centralized government created by the United States Constitution that the federal government would be restrained in such a way as to ensure that the government did not perpetrate bloodshed against its citizens.
The first part of the 5th Amendment reads: "No person shall be held to answer for a capital crime, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury. . ."
The 5th Amendment attests to the Founding Father's understanding that this is a nation of property owners. As a republic of property owners, when in jeopardy of legal trouble, our rights and properties must be safeguarded. Therefore, an American Citizen in the American legal system has a right to a jury, as well as a right to the presentation of evidence. Conviction is not reached with a majority vote, either. Conviction requires a unanimous agreement among all of the members of the jury. These concepts reinforce the concept that one is innocent until proven guilty (A concept found in the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 19, Verse 15), and that the United States of America is a Republic. Mob rule is not allowed, for as the amendment provides, a person cannot be held until given the opportunity of due process.
Not all persons, however, are awarded this opportunity. The next part of the amendment reads: ". . . except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger. . ."
The military does not fall under the U.S. Constitution. Personnel serving in the armed forces are governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Instead of a civilian trial, a military service member is normally afforded a court martial. If a civilian trial is deemed appropriate by the U.S. Military, a service member can still stand trial in a civilian court, but the military has the authority to decide whether or not the member shall stand such a trial.
Having a sense of independence, individuals must be protected, then, from the tyrannical trappings of a governmental system that may try to use the judiciary against them (as the King of England had done often). The protective mechanism, or the rule of law, would be the U.S. Constitution and clauses like the 5th Amendment, which were designed to provide protection to the populace from unfair legal practices.
One such protection is provided in the next part of this amendment: ". . . nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life and limb. . ."
Protection against Double Jeopardy enables us not to be continuously tried for the same offense, which was a technique often used in some parts of Europe during the eighteenth century. The idea was that if a person was prosecuted enough, either they would weary of the process and break down, or the defendant would become unable to financially continue, hence unable to defend themselves.
The next part of the amendment serves as a large influence on today's Miranda Rights. The section reads: ". . . nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property."
Miranda Rights are named after the U.S. Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona (1966). Miranda Rights are a warning given advising the accused of their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, and the right to an appointed attorney if they are unable to afford counsel - prior to conducting a custodial interrogation. From the 5th Amendment: ". . .nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Miranda Rights exist to secure the 5th Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination, and to make the individual in custody aware not only of the privilege, but also of the consequences of forgoing it. The judicial opinion from the Miranda v. Arizona case also indicated that in order to protect the person's life, liberty or property with the due process of law, the individual must have the right to an attorney. With a lawyer present the likelihood that the police will practice coercion is reduced, and if coercion is nevertheless exercised the lawyer can testify to it in court. The presence of a lawyer can also help to guarantee that the accused gives a fully accurate statement to the police and that the statement is rightly reported by the prosecution at trial.
The words of the Founders continues to resonate today as the majority of the American people seem to firmly agree with the Founding Father's insistence that no one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. We can take satisfaction that most of our fellow citizens in our republic still hold these truths to be self-evident.
The provisions of the 5th Amendment are there to keep our courts honest, and the powers of the government constrained. The last phrase of the 5th Amendment, however, is considered too general by many, and it has been used in a manner by the federal government that is extremely troublesome, because it gives the government the right to take property if there is just compensation.
How is just compensation determined? Is it based on the market value of the property? How does the government officials involved in eminent domain calculate the non-intrinsic value? How do they compensate for the value on which nobody can put a price?
Just compensation was intended to be based on what the property owner deemed to be just. If the property owner did not deem the offer to be just compensation, then the government, from a constitutional viewpoint, is out of luck.
Capital Crime - A crime for which the punishment is death. Punishment for a Capital Crime is called Capital Punishment.
Double Jeopardy - The act of putting a person through a second trial for an offense for which he or she has already been prosecuted or convicted.
Due Process - The essential elements of due process of law are notice, an opportunity to be heard, the right to defend in an orderly proceed, and an impartial judge. It is founded upon the basic principle that every man shall have his day in court, and the benefit of the general law which proceeds only upon notice and which hears and considers before judgment is rendered. In short, due process means fundamental fairness and substantial justice.
Eminent Domain - The power to take private property for public use by a State, municipality, or private person or corporation authorized to exercise functions of public character, following the payment of just compensation to the owner of that property.
Grand Jury - A group of citizens convened in a criminal case to consider the prosecutor's evidence and determine whether probable cause exists to prosecute a suspect for a felony. At common law, a group of persons consisting of not less than twelve nor more than twenty-four who listen to evidence and determine whether or not they should charge the accused with the commission of a crime by returning an indictment. The number of members on a grand jury varies in different States.
Infamous Crime - A crime which works infamy in the person who commits it. Infamous crimes tend to be classified as treason, felonies, and any crime involving the element of deceit.
Just Compensation - The value of a property deemed to be just by the property owner.
Miranda Rights - A warning given advising the accused of their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, and the right to an appointed attorney if they are unable to afford counsel - prior to conducting a custodial interrogation.
Mob-Rule - A government ruled by a mob or a mass of people; the intimidation of legitimate authorities; the tyranny of the majority; pure democracy without due process.
Republic - Form of government that uses the rule of law through a government system led by representatives and officials voted in by a democratic process. The United States enjoys a Constitutional Republic.
Rule of Law - The restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws; Laws of Nature and of Nature's God; self-evident standard of conduct and law.
1. How is property rights affected by Due Process?
2. Why do military members not fall under the protections of the U.S. Constitution?
3. Why is protection against Double Jeopardy important?
4. What was the inspiration for our Miranda Rights?
5. Who determines if compensation for one's property is just?
6. How is Eminent Domain being used for environmental reasons?
7. Is Eminent Domain constitutionally in force if a property is rezoned for environmental conservation, forcing the value of the property to be reduced due to the fact that it can no longer be developed?
8. Is it constitutional for government to use Eminent Domain for the use of the land by private development projects?
Definition of Due Process, Family Rights Association:
http://www.familyrightsassociation.com/bin/definition_due_process_.htm
U.S. Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona, 384 US 436 (1966)
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=384&invol=436
Amendment VI
Personal Legal Liberties
The 6th Amendment affords criminal defendants seven discrete personal liberties. "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."
Rights afforded in all criminal prosecutions are set forth in this amendment. The word "all" at the beginning of this amendment establishes a special characteristic regarding this article of the Constitution. The Constitution applies only to the federal government, unless it states otherwise. The 6th Amendment, by providing the word "all" in the regard to cases, establishes that this amendment is not only to be applied to the federal courts, but to the State, and lower, courts as well.
As for the rights afforded to the accused:
Speedy Trial
The concept of a speedy trial was an English concept of justice. A speedy trial allows for conditions that disallow the powerful from abusing the court system, forcing defendants to languish in jail for an indefinite period while awaiting their trial. Ensuring a speedy trial minimizes the time in which a defendant's life is disrupted and burdened by a criminal proceeding, and reduces the likelihood of a prolonged delay impairing the ability of the accused to prepare a defense.
Historically, when trials are postponed or drag out for long periods of time, witnesses disappear, and evidence is often lost or destroyed. Memories of the incident in question are also not as reliable as time passes.
A person's right to a speedy trial arises after the arrest, indictment, or otherwise formal accusation of a crime.
Public Trial
The right to a public trial was inherited by the Americans from Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence. Public criminal proceedings would operate as a natural check against malevolent prosecutions, corrupt judges, and perjurious witnesses. A trial that is out in the open also aids the fact-finding mission of the judiciary by encouraging citizens to come forward with relevant information.
The right to a public trial is not absolute. Persons who may disrupt proceedings may be banned from attending the trial because they present a substantial risk of hindering a trial. A disallowance of the media attending falls under the concept of "potential disruptions," but otherwise, under normal circumstances, both the public and media have a qualified First Amendment right to attend criminal proceedings. The right to a public trial does not require the presence of media, and because courtrooms have limited seating, judges may attempt to maintain decorum. For media, with today's technology, the media does not have to be in the courtroom to see or hear the proceedings of the case.
Right to Trial by an Impartial Jury
A part of the effort in achieving an impartial jury is the process of determining who will serve on the jury through a series of questions and observations, in an effort to eliminate biased jurors. The concept of protecting the defendant from a biased jury can be traced back to the Magna Carta in 1215. In the United States, the requirement for a trial by an impartial jury does not apply to juvenile delinquency proceedings, or to petty criminal offenses, which consist of crimes punishable by imprisonment of six months or less. In Great Britain, and Canada, a jury is not required for cases with potential penalties of two years or less, and the concept of an impartial jury is not entertained in the same way as in the United States. Canada and Britain choose jurors randomly, and then in an open court the jurors for a specific case are selected from the jury panel by ballot. A juror may be challenged once in the box for bias, but an extensive process to eliminate possible biased jurors before selection through a series of questions and observations is not normal practice.
The Sixth Amendment entitles defendants to a jury that represents "a jury of the defendant's peers," which means the jury should be a fair cross section of the community. From the jury pool, the presiding judge, the prosecution, and attorneys for the defense are allowed to ask members of the jury pool a variety of questions intended to reveal any latent biases, prejudices, or other influences that might affect their impartiality. The presence of even one biased juror is not permitted under the Sixth Amendment.
It is possible that the potential bias of a juror may be affected by sources outside the courtroom, so jurors are instructed to not consider newspaper, television, and radio coverage before or during trial, and are instructed not to discuss the trial with even family members, when evaluating the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
Jurors are not permitted to begin deliberations until all of the evidence has been offered. Deliberations do not begin until after the attorneys have made their closing arguments, and the judge has read the instructions. Premature deliberations have shown the potential, historically, to create early biases, or a juror may form a preconceived notion that they will then compare all evidence to, which they may have entertained as a result of premature deliberations.
Notice of Pending Criminal Charges
The 6th Amendment guarantees defendants the right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against them. Defendants must receive notice of any criminal accusations that the government has lodged against them through an indictment, information, complaint, or other formal charge. Defendants may not be tried, convicted, or sentenced for a crime that materially varies from the crime set forth in the formal charge.
The requirement by the 6th Amendment to inform a defendant of the nature and cause of the accusation is an attempt by the Founding Fathers to create fundamental fairness that was not necessarily present in civil and criminal proceedings in England and the American colonies under English common law. Receiving notice of pending criminal charges in advance of trial permits defendants to prepare a defense in accordance with the specific nature of the accusation. In tyrannies, defendants are all too often incarcerated without being apprised of pending charges until the trial begins. Requiring notice of the nature and cause of the accusation against a defendant eliminates confusion regarding the basis of a particular verdict, which in turn decreases the chances that a defendant will be tried later for the same offense.
Confrontation of Witnesses Against Him
The 6th Amendment requires that defendants have the right to be confronted by witnesses who offer testimony or evidence against them, as well as the opportunity to subject them to cross-examination.
Today's courts have established rules that are enforced at the discretion of the judge who forbids questioning that pursues areas that are irrelevant, collateral, confusing, repetitive, or prejudicial. Defendants are also forbidden to pursue a line of questioning solely for the purpose of harassment.
Compulsory Process for Obtaining Witnesses In His Favor
The 6th Amendment recognizes a defendant's right to use the compulsory process of the judiciary to subpoena witnesses that may be favorable to the defense. Courts may not take actions to undermine the testimony of a witness who has been subpoenaed by the defense. Any law that attempts to establish particular persons as being incompetent to testify on behalf of a defendant is not allowed.
Defendants can also testify on their own behalf, a right not afforded in the American Colonies, or Great Britain, prior to the United States dissolving the political bands connecting them to the Crown. Common law presumed all defendants to be incompetent to give reliable or credible testimony on their own behalf. The vested interest in the outcome of the trial, it was believed, would taint the testimony of the defendant. The 6th Amendment does not require, a defendant to testify on his own behalf, but does not prohibit it, either.
Right to Counsel
The 6th Amendment states that criminal defendants have a Right to Counsel. A defendant's right to counsel does not become an issue until the government files formal charges. However, in the 5th Amendment a person has the right not to be compelled to be a witness against himself, allowing him to remain silent until he has counsel present.
In many instances, defendants have the inability to obtain counsel be it because of financial or other reasons. The 6th Amendment, by listing that assistance of counsel for his defense is a right, has compelled the government to institute a program where counsel can be assigned to a defendant if the person is unable to afford counsel, or obtain counsel for any other reason. In the occurrence of a defendant unable to afford counsel, the trial judge appoints one on his behalf. If it turns out that the defendant has financial resources previously unknown to the court, he may be required to reimburse the government for a portion of the fees paid to the court-appointed lawyer.
Defendants are not required to have counsel. Defendants have a right to counsel. Defendants also have the right to decline the representation of counsel and proceed on their own behalf. Defendants who represent themselves must present a waiver of the 6th Amendment right to counsel before a court will allow them to do so. The waiver must reveal that the defendant is knowingly making the decision, and understands the potential consequences.
1. Why is having a speedy trial so important in a free society?
2. How does a public trial better enable the fact-finding mission of the trial?
3. How is the concept of an impartial jury different in the United States than it is in other countries?
4. Why is it important for a defendant to be able to confront the witnesses against him?
5. How is a defendant's right to counsel enabled in today's court system?
Amendment VII
Right of Trial by Jury in Civil Suits
"In suits at Common Law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law."
The 7th Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in most civil suits heard in federal court. Remember, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, apply only to the federal government unless the document states otherwise. The 7th Amendment serves to preserve the historic line separating the province of the jury from that of the judge in civil cases by separating cases that should have a jury in federal court, from those that are smaller cases, and may not require a jury. During the time the amendment was ratified, a case requiring a jury was one where "the value in controversy" exceeded twenty dollars. The cutoff in the court system today is $75,000. Any disputes that involve amounts less than $75,000, in fact, will not even be handled in a federal court.
State courts don't have to honor this provision in the 7th Amendment, and often don't. People bringing a suit do not have to have a jury trial. Individuals can waive their right to a jury trial if they so choose.
The 7th Amendment also expressly forbids federal judges to re-examine any "fact tried by a jury" except as allowed by the common law. This means that no court, trial or appellate, may overturn a jury verdict that is reasonably supported by the evidence.
Prior to the Declaration of Rights in 1689, English judges served the King of England. These judges showed bias towards the King, resulting in unfair rulings. Judges in the American colonies were also biased towards the king, and when King George III got rid of trials by juries in the Colonies, the colonists viewed the decision as more kindling for the fire of independence that had been blazing in the pubs, churches and meeting halls of the Colonies. The Bill of Rights applied what the Framers learned under the rule of Britain to the American System. In the American courts the Framers believed it was important to have a fair court system, so the right to have a trial by jury is mentioned a number of times, and is a fundamental part of the United States legal system.
Together with the due process clause of the 5th Amendment and the right to an impartial jury enumerated in the 6th Amendment, the 7th Amendment guarantees civil litigants the right to not just a jury, but to a jury who is not biased for any reason.
Declaration of Rights - Enacted in 1689, the English Bill of Rights is one of the fundamental documents of English constitutional law, marking a fundamental milestone in the progression of English society from a nation of subjects to a nation of free citizens with God-given rights. The evolution began with the Magna Carta in 1215.
1. What historic line does the 7th Amendment preserve?
2. Must the States abide by the 7th Amendment?
3. Can a person bringing suit waive the right to a jury trial?
Amendment VIII
Excessive Bail, Cruel and Unusual Punishment
The 8th Amendment reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
As a nation founded on honorable Judeo-Christian principles, the United States legal system is expected to be fair and just. This means that Americans should insist upon a due process that protects individuals from excesses and abuses by the judicial system. Such expectations include that no individual should be singled out, or treated differently, in the eyes of the courts. A fair and equitable judicial system includes no excessive bails or fines, or cruel and unusual punishment, for one person while others guilty of similar crimes do not receive similar treatment.
Today's definitions attempt to set a limit on where "excessive" or "unusual" lies. When a harsh penalty is applied for a crime, even when it is similar to the punishment received by others for the same crime, challenges are launched regarding if the penalty matches the crime. These challenges are fine, and an important part of the American judicial system seeking to adjust itself in regards to its fairness, but the debates during the Federal Convention and State ratification conventions did not focus so much on where the line between excessive and not excessive, or unusual as opposed to usual, exists as much as are the bails, fines and punishment consistent with the bails, fines and punishment consistent with others guilty of the same.
1. In the context of the time period during which the 8th Amendment was written, what was meant by "cruel and unusual punishment?"
2. How has the original definition of "cruel and unusual punishment" changed since the founding of the United States?
3. How does the 8th Amendment apply the concept of uniformity to cases?
4. Why would the Founding Fathers see the need to enumerate the right of an individual to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment?
Posted by Douglas V. Gibbs at 10:05 AM No comments:
Lesson 14: Rights and State Sovereignty, Amendment...
Important Resources for Learning the United States Constitution
Preamble (Outline)
Article I (Outline)
Article I, Section 1 (Establish Federal Powers)
Article I, Sections 1 and 2
Article I, Section 3
Article I, Sections 4-7
Article I, Section 8, Clauses 1 - 10
Article I, Section 8, Clauses 11 - 18
Article I, Section 9, Clause 1
Article I, Section 9, Clause 1 (Migration)
Article I, Section 9, Clauses 2 and 3
Article I, Section 9, Clauses 4-8
Article I Review
Article II Preview
Article II, The Executive Branch
Article II, Powers of the President
Article IV, Section 2 (Uniform Treatment of Citizens)
Articles IV and V
Article V. Convention
Article VI, Section 2 (Introduction)
Articles VI and VII
1st Amendment (Introduction)
2nd Amendment (First Introduction)
2nd Amendment (Second Introduction)
2nd Amendment: McDonald v. Chicago
3rd Amendment
6th, 7th, & 8th Amendments
16th and 17th Amendments (Text Only)
24th Amendment (Regarding Open Primaries)
Abolition of Slavery (General Notes)
Arizona Immigration Law
Bill of Attainder
Bill of Attainder (British Petroleum)
Commerce Clause (Article from Political Pistachio)
Constitution: Social Contract
Danbury Baptists: Letter From Jefferson
Danbury Baptist Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1801
Danbury Baptist Association's Letter to Thomas Jefferson, October 7, 1801
Dividing Voting Powers: Madison's Notes May 31, 1787
Ex Post Facto Law
Exclusive and Concurrent Jurisdiction
Express Powers
Freedom of the People to Peaceably Assemble
Freedom of the People to Petition the Government for a Redress of Grievances
General Will (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Gun Rights Judicial Cases
Implied Law (Introduction)
Implied Powers
Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists (Final Letter)
Limited Government Definition
Madison Public Works Veto, 1817
Madison Veto of Public Works Bill, 1817
Militia: Composition and Classes; U.S. Code
Militia Act of 1903 (The Dick Act)
Miracle of American Experiment
Necessary and Proper Clause - Justice Clarence Thomas, 2010
Original (Lost) 13th Amendment
Prohibition (18th and 21st Amendments)
New Views of the Constitution by John Taylor
Political Spectrum
Separation of Church and State (Introduction)
State Sovereignty (A First Glance)
State Sovereignty - Federation of States
Supremacy Clause (Introduction)
Supremacy Clause
Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1786
Virginia Act For Establishing Religious Freedom, Jefferson - 1786
Women's Right To Vote (19th Amendment)
Andrew Jackson's Proclamation on Nullification, December 10, 1832
Annapolis Convention, September 11, 1786
Articles of Association, October 20, 1774
Articles of Confederation, March 1, 1781
Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
Federalist Papers
Fundamental Orders of January 14, 1639
Kentucky Resolution, 1799
Kentucky Resolution, Jefferson's Draft, 1798
Letter: James Madison to Andrew Stevenson, November 27, 1830; General Welfare Clause
Madison Veto of Federal Public Works Bill, March 3, 1817
Madison's Notes on the Constitutional Convention, 1787
Marbury v. Madison, 1803, Established Unconstitutional Concept of Judicial Review
Mayflower Compact
United States Constitution
ARTICLES ON THE CONSTITUTION FROM POLITICAL PISTACHIO
2nd Amendment: Are You Willing To Take Up Arms Against Your Government?
2nd Amendment: Right to Keep and Bear Arms for Liberty
17th Amendment Issue Matters
A Breach of Contract
Anchor Babies, and the 14th Amendment
Capitation as Defined by Constitution
Immigration Issue a Founding Issue
Implied Powers v. Expressed Powers
In Order to Form a More Perfect Union
James Madison, and his belief in Limited Government and State's Rights
Judge Bolton Blocking Parts of Arizona Law Unconstitutional
Judicial Tyranny and the Intent of the Founding Fathers
Original Intent of the Founding Fathers
Ours is a Limited Government
Returning Power To Congress and the States from The Executive Branch and the Judiciary
The Republican Form of Government is Not a Democracy
U.S. Senate was ruined by 17th Amendment