text:
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › District Courts › California › Central District of California › 1989 › Giannini v. Real
Giannini v. Real, 711 F. Supp. 992 (C.D. Cal. 1989)
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - 711 F. Supp. 992 (C.D. Cal. 1989)
711 F. Supp. 992 (1989)
Joseph R. GIANNINI, Plaintiff,
Manuel L. REAL, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Albert Lee Stephens, Jesse W. Curtis, Francis C. Whelan, Irving Hill, A. Andrew Hauk, William P. Grey, David W. Williams, Robert J. Keleher, Lawrence T. Lydick, Lauglin E. Waters, William M. Byrne, Robert M. Takasugi, Mariana R. Pfaelzer, Terry J. Hatter, Jr., A. Wallace Tashima, David V. Kenyon, Consuelo B. Marshall, Richard A. Gadbois, Jr., Edward Rafeedie, Pamela A. Rymer, Harry L. Hupp, Alicemarie H. Stotler, William J. Rea, James M. Ideman, William D. Keller, Ferdinand F. Fernandez, Stephen V. Wilson, J. Spencer Letts, Dickran Tevrizian, John G. Davies, Ronald S.W. Lew, California Supreme Court, Malcolm Lucas, Stanley Mosk, Allen Broussard, Edward Panelli, John Arguelles, David Eagleson, Marcus Kaufman, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Gordon Thompson, Jr., William Enright, Earl Gilliam, Howard Turentine, Rudi Brewster, John Rhodes, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Lawrence Karlton, Milton Schwartz, Edward Dean Price, Raul Ramirez, Robert Coyle, Edward Garcia, Thomas MacBride, Phillip Wilkins, M.D. Crocker, the Committee of Bar Examiners, Jeanne Ray, Edward Costello, Fernando D. DeNoechea, Galal S. Gough, Judy Johnson, Fulton Haight, Fern Laethem, John R. Stokes, Michael R. Yamaki, Hoyt Zia, Defendants.
No. C-88-6279 SAW.
United States District Court, C.D. California.
*993 *994 Joseph R. Giannini, Marina del Ray, Cal., pro se.
California Atty. General's Office, Angela Sierra, Christopher Caldwell, U.S. Atty's. Office, Roger West, Los Angeles, Cal., Ellen Peck, Pacific Palisades, Cal., for defendants.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
WEIGEL, District Judge.
Plaintiff brings this action challenging his denial to practice law in the State of California, and in the United States District Courts for the Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California. Defendants are the California Supreme Court, the named justices of that court, the said District Courts, the named judges of those courts, the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar and its committee members.[1]
Plaintiff moves for summary judgment for admission to practice in the named federal district courts and for a preliminary injunction ordering admission to the California bar. He also moves for default judgment against the individually named members of the Committee of Bar Examiners and for criminal sanctions against the Committee's attorneys, Truitt Richey and Diane Yu.
The California Supreme Court, its justices and the Committee of Bar Examiners (hereinafter, collectively referred to as the state defendants) move to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim. The said District Courts and their judges (hereinafter, collectively referred to as the federal defendants) also move to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Defendant Judge Tashima moves in the alternative to stay the action. The remaining federal defendants move to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.
I. Background.
Plaintiff alleges that he graduated from Temple University, an American Bar Association accredited law school, and that he was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Tax Court.[2]
Plaintiff's complaint goes on to allege that he took the July, 1986, and February, *995 1987, California Bar Examinations but did not receive an overall passing score.
The present action is not the first brought by plaintiff relating to denial of admission to practice law. He initially challenged the constitutionality of the California Bar Examination in a prior action filed in this Court. Giannini v. The Committee of Bar Examiners, C-87-3797 JGD. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of the action, noting that plaintiff had failed to appeal to the state supreme court which had the authority to grant or deny admission to the bar, and that plaintiff therefore had suffered no deprivation under federal law. Giannini v. The Committee of Bar Examiners, 847 F.2d 1434, 1435 (9th Cir. 1988).
In a separate action, plaintiff challenged this Court's local admission rule. Giannini v. Real, C-88-012467. The Court ordered the action stayed until plaintiff "fully exhausts his administrative remedies with regard to the State Bar of California." Order Staying Plaintiff's Action, Civil No. 88-1467-RB, August 25, 1988, at 4.
In July, 1988, plaintiff filed a Petition for Admission and Other Declaratory Relief with the California Supreme Court. On October 12, 1988, the California Supreme Court denied the petition in a one line order.
Plaintiff filed the instant complaint on October 24, 1988.[3] Because the complaint names as defendants all judges of this Court, the Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit designated and assigned the undersigned to perform the duties in this case as United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
II. Claims Against the State Defendants.
Plaintiff alleges that the California Supreme Court and the Committee of Bar Examiners have violated the fourteenth amendment's due process and equal protection clauses, the privileges and immunities clause of article IV, section 2, and the commerce clause of article I, section 8. Complaint, Counts 1-5. Plaintiff also brings claims for damages pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1985 against the Committee and its members. Complaint, Counts 9-10. Finally, plaintiff brings state law claims against the Committee based on alleged breach of contract and fraud. Complaint, Counts 7-8.
A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction.
1. Review of the State Court Decision.
The state defendants are correct in asserting that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction because the complaint seeks review of a state court judicial determination. District Court of Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462, 476, 103 S. Ct. 1303, 1311-12, 75 L. Ed. 2d 206 (1983); Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co., 263 U.S. 413, 44 S. Ct. 149, 68 L. Ed. 362 (1923); see 28 U.S.C. § 1257. Plaintiff's petition to the California Supreme Court asked that court to "grant his admission to the California bar, declare the present Committee testing scheme to be improper under California law and/or unconstitutional, and award attorney fees." Petition, Exhibit 101 to Federal Defendant's Motion, at 3. The California court thus had to "investigate, declare, and enforce `liabilities as they [stood] on present or past facts and under laws supposed already to exist.'" See Feldman, 460 U.S. at 479, 103 S. Ct. at 1313 (quoting Prentis v. Atlantic Coast Line Co., 211 U.S. 210, 226, 29 S. Ct. 67, 69, 53 L. Ed. 150 (1908)). The California Court's denial was therefore a judicial determination.
This does not end the inquiry, however. A plaintiff can bring two types of challenges to bar admissions: "`The first is a constitutional challenge to the state's general rules and regulations governing admission; the second is a claim, based on constitutional or other grounds, that the state has unlawfully denied a particular applicant admission.'" Feldman, 460 U.S. at 485, 103 S. Ct. at 1316 (quoting Doe v. Pringle, 550 F.2d 596, 597 (10th Cir.1976), cert. *996 denied 431 U.S. 916, 97 S. Ct. 2179, 53 L. Ed. 2d 227 (1977)).
United States district courts ... have subject-matter jurisdiction over general challenges to state bar rules, promulgated by state courts in nonjudicial proceedings, which do not require review of a final state-court judgment in a particular case. They do not have jurisdiction, however, over challenges to state-court decisions in particular cases arising out of judicial proceedings....
Feldman, 460 U.S. at 486, 103 S. Ct. at 1317.
This Court therefore does not have jurisdiction if it "would have to go beyond mere review of the state rule as promulgated, to an examination of the rule as applied by the state court to the particular factual circumstances of [the applicant's] case." Razatos v. Colorado Supreme Court, 746 F.2d 1429, 1433 (10th Cir.1984), cert. denied 471 U.S. 1016, 105 S. Ct. 2019, 85 L. Ed. 2d 301 (1985) (emphasis in the original). In addition, "[i]f the constitutional claims presented to a United States district court are inextricably intertwined with the state court's denial in a judicial proceeding of a particular plaintiff's application for admission to the state bar," Feldman at 483-484, n. 16, 103 S. Ct. at 1315 n. 16, the district court does not have subject matter jurisdiction.
In his first cause of action, plaintiff asserts that his procedural due process rights were violated because (1) the Committee did not provide reasons or notice as to why plaintiff failed the California Bar Examination, and (2) neither the Committee nor the California Supreme Court provided plaintiff an opportunity to be heard or to present a claim or defense. This count asks the Court to review directly the California Supreme Court's determination, and to overrule it by ordering that court to admit plaintiff to its bar. This demand is inextricably intertwined with the California court's denial, and therefore this Court is without jurisdiction to address it.
The remaining claims do not require any direct review of plaintiff's application to the California Supreme Court. They challenge the California Bar Examination as unconstitutional per se. Therefore, this Court has subject matter jurisdiction over these general challenges.
2. The Eleventh Amendment.
The Committee of Bar Examiners asserts that the Court's jurisdiction is barred by the eleventh amendment to the United States Constitution. The eleventh amendment prevents federal courts from asserting jurisdiction in suits brought against the states. Pennhurst State School & Hospital v. Halderman, 465 U.S. 89, 98, 104 S. Ct. 900, 906-07, 79 L. Ed. 2d 67 (1984). Such sovereign immunity extends to the Committee as an agency of the state, Lupert v. California State Bar, 761 F.2d 1325, 1327 (9th Cir.), cert. denied 474 U.S. 916, 106 S. Ct. 241, 88 L. Ed. 2d 251 (1985); Ginter v. State Bar of Nevada, 625 F.2d 829, 830 (9th Cir.1980), and to the California Supreme Court.
The eleventh amendment does not prohibit prospective, nonmonetary injunctive or declaratory relief against state officials to protect federal rights. Quern v. Jordan, 440 U.S. 332, 357, 99 S. Ct. 1139, 1153, 59 L. Ed. 2d 358 (1979); Lupert, 761 F.2d at 1327. Plaintiff has named as defendants the individual justices and the members of the Committee of Bar Examiners. Accordingly, the Court will exercise jurisdiction over plaintiff's claims for such relief.
Plaintiff also seeks compensatory damages in the amount of $1,000,000 from the state defendants. The eleventh amendment bars suits for damages brought against state officials acting in their official capacity. Kentucky v. Graham, 473 U.S. 159, 169, 105 S. Ct. 3099, 3107, 87 L. Ed. 2d 114 (1985). Plaintiff's claims for damages based on the state defendant's official conduct are thus barred.
Plaintiff also raises two pendent state law claims against the Committee. Complaint, Counts Seven and Eight. This Court has no jurisdiction over them, Pennhurst, 465 U.S. at 120, 104 S. Ct. at 918-19, and they must be dismissed.
*997 3. Substantial Federal Question.
The state defendants argue finally that plaintiff's claim is so "wholly insubstantial and frivolous" as not to involve a federal controversy. A federal question is jurisdictionally insubstantial if "it is patently without merit, or so insubstantial, improbable, or foreclosed by Supreme Court precedent as not to involve a federal controversy." Demarest v. United States, 718 F.2d 964, 966 (9th Cir.1983), cert. denied 466 U.S. 950, 104 S. Ct. 2150, 80 L. Ed. 2d 536 (1984) (citing Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group, Inc., 438 U.S. 59, 70-71, 98 S. Ct. 2620, 2628-2629, 57 L. Ed. 2d 595 (1978)).
Defendants argue that plaintiff's challenge is foreclosed by Gormley v. Committee on Examinations and Admissions of the Supreme Court of Arizona, 419 U.S. 810, 95 S. Ct. 25, 42 L. Ed. 2d 37 (1974), in which the United States Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from the Supreme Court of Arizona for want of a substantial federal question. Gormley "stands firmly for the proposition that from a constitutional standpoint the several states have the right to set the criteria for the practice of law in their respective jurisdictions." O'Neal v. Thompson, 559 F.2d 485, 486 (9th Cir.1977). Although the states may set their own criteria, they must still abide by the Constitution. See e.g. Supreme Court of Virginia v. Friedman, ___ U.S. ___, 108 S. Ct. 2260, 101 L. Ed. 2d 56 (1988) (holding that Virginia's residency requirement for admission to the State's bar without examination violates the Privileges and Immunities clause). Plaintiff's challenges are therefore not foreclosed under Gormley, and will not be dismissed for want of a substantial federal question.
B. Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can be Granted.
Defendants assert next that plaintiff cannot state a claim as to the constitutionality of the California Bar Examination because that issue was previously adjudicated by the California Supreme Court. A final judgment on the merits of an action precludes the same parties or their privies from relitigating issues that were raised in that action. Allen v. McCurry, 449 U.S. 90, 94, 101 S. Ct. 411, 414, 66 L. Ed. 2d 308 (1980). Plaintiff raised each of his challenges to the examination in his petition to the California Supreme Court. See Petition, Exhibit 101 to Federal Defendant's Motion, at 24-25 (due process), 12-15 (equal protection claim), 15-21 (privileges and immunities claim), and 21-23 (commerce clause). See also Federal Defendant's Motion, Appendix I (paragraph by paragraph comparison).
The California Supreme Court's decision denying these challenges was a final decision appealable directly to the United States Supreme Court. Konigsberg v. State Bar of California, 353 U.S. 252, 254, 77 S. Ct. 722, 723-724, 1 L. Ed. 2d 810 (1957). Plaintiff sought no relief from that decision. Therefore, his claims adjudicated there are barred from pursuit here.
C. Plaintiff's Motions.
Plaintiff's motion for a preliminary injunction ordering admission to the California Bar is based on the same alleged constitutional violations and must therefore be denied.
Plaintiff also seeks entry of a default judgment in the amount of $1,000,000 against the individual members of the Committee of Bar Examiners.[4] He claims that they have not responded to his service of process.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(c) provides in part that a summons and complaint may be served upon an individual defendant "pursuant to the law of the State in which the district court is held for the service of summons or other like process upon such defendant in an action brought in the courts of general jurisdiction of that State...."
*998 Plaintiff asserts that he properly served the individual defendants pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure § 415.20(b). That section provides for process if a copy of the summons and of the complaint "cannot with reasonable diligence be personally delivered". Plaintiff does not allege that these defendants could not be reached at their current addresses, or that any attempt at personal service was made. Plaintiff has not shown that with reasonable diligence process could not have been personally delivered.[5] The motion for entry of default must be denied.
Plaintiff moves finally for criminal sanctions against Truitt Richey and Diane Yu for perjury. This motion was not timely noticed for hearing. Accordingly, this motion, if it is to be pursued, must be re-noticed for hearing in accordance with Local Rule 220-2.
III. Claims Against the Federal Defendants.
The admission rules of the United States District Courts for the Central, Eastern and Southern Districts of California limit membership in the bars of those courts to "persons of good moral character who are active members in good standing of the State Bar of California." See Central District of California, Local Rule 2.2.1; Southern District of California, Local Rule 110-3; Eastern District of California, Local Rule 180. Plaintiff alleges that this requirement violates the due process clause of the fifth amendment, the full faith and credit clause, and an alleged constitutional "right to travel". Plaintiff also asserts that the local rules are "unlawful" because they "violate notions of federalism and offend principles of right and justice." Complaint, Count Six.
The federal defendants assert that this Court may not exercise jurisdiction over the Eastern and Southern District Courts. Each district court is authorized to promulgate its own rules regulating the admission of attorneys practicing before it. In re Wasserman, 240 F.2d 213 (9th Cir. 1956); see also 28 U.S.C. § 2071; Fed.R. Civ.Proc. 83. Defendants thus conclude that any challenges to such rules must be brought in that same court.
Defendants offer no law to support this conclusion. 28 U.S.C. § 1331 provides that "[t]he district courts shall have original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States." This action obviously arises under the federal Constitution. Which district court is a proper forum is a question of venue, not one of jurisdiction.
B. Immunity.
The federal defendants assert that because they were acting in their legislative capacity, they are absolutely immune from suit. The enactment of rules is a legislative act, and thus protected by legislative immunity. Supreme Court of Virginia v. Consumers Union of the United States, Inc., 446 U.S. 719, 734, 100 S. Ct. 1967, 1975-76, 64 L. Ed. 2d 641 (1980). Although the complaint is unclear, plaintiff stipulated in court on January 3, 1989, that he does not seek damages from the federal defendants. However, legislative immunity does not entitle a defendant to immunity from suits for declaratory or injunctive relief. See Shipp v. Todd, 568 F.2d 133, 134 (9th Cir.1978). Plaintiff's complaint seeks such relief and this Court accordingly denies the immunity sought by the federal defendants.
C. Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can be Granted.
1. Collateral Estoppel.
Plaintiff attacks the challenged district court rules governing admission to *999 practice because they require the applicant to pass the allegedly unconstitutional California Bar Examination. The federal defendants are correct in asserting that the constitutionality of the examination was determined by the California Supreme Court, and that that determination is binding here. See Allen v. McCurry, 449 U.S. 90, 95, 101 S. Ct. 411, 415, 66 L. Ed. 2d 308 (1980); Montana v. United States, 440 U.S. 147, 153, 99 S. Ct. 970, 973, 59 L. Ed. 2d 210 (1979).
2. Alleged Violation of 28 U.S.C. § 2071.
Plaintiff also alleges that the relevant local rules are not consistent with the rules of practice and procedure of the Supreme Court. 28 U.S.C. § 2071 states that "[t]he Supreme Court and all courts established by Act of Congress may from time to time prescribe rules for the conduct of their business. Such rules shall be consistent with Acts of Congress and rules of practice and procedure prescribed by the Supreme Court."
Rule 5.1 prescribed by the Supreme Court requires that an applicant for admission to practice in that Court to have been "... admitted to practice in the highest court of a State, Territory, District, Commonwealth, or Possession for the three years immediately preceding the date of application...."
In Matter of Roberts, 682 F.2d 105 (3d Cir.1982), Local Rule 4 of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey limited practice before it to members of the New Jersey bar. Roberts challenged the rule on the identical ground of inconsistency urged by plaintiff here. This Court agrees with the decision in Roberts totally rejecting the challenge for the reasons fully set forth at page 109.
3. Motion to Stay.
Judge Tashima moves to stay further consideration of the constitutionality of the rules, and asks the Court to invalidate the Local Rule of the Central District of California on the ground that it violates notions of right and justice.
In Frazier v. Heebe, 482 U.S. 641, 107 S. Ct. 2607, 96 L. Ed. 2d 557 (1987), the Supreme Court exercised its "inherent supervisory power" to invalidate a local admission rule that was not consistent with "`the principles of right and justice.'" 107 S. Ct. at 2611 (quoting In re Buffalo, 390 U.S. 544, 554, 88 S. Ct. 1222, 1228, 20 L. Ed. 2d 117 (1968)).
The challenged admission rule of the Eastern District of Louisiana in Frazier required that the attorney reside or maintain an office in Louisiana. The Supreme Court found both requirements "unnecessary and irrational."
Judge Tashima does not assert that the instant rule is irrational. Instead, he challenges it on the ground that it is "overbroad." He argues that for the most part the legal issues that arise in federal courts in California do not relate to California law; and that in any case, because the Bar Examination tests only a few areas of California law, membership in the California bar can not be equated with familiarity with California law.
District courts have discretion to determine the skills and qualifications required of their attorneys. Frazier, 107 S. Ct. at 2611.[6] The mere fact that the qualifications are not narrowly tailored does not make the rule so irrational and unnecessary as to offend notions of right and justice. In addition, the requirement of California bar membership serves a number of rational purposes noted, post, at page 1000.
4. Alleged Equal Protection and Due Process Violation.
Plaintiff claims that the Local Rules violate his rights to equal protection and due process protected by the Constitution of the United States. In support of these claims, he relies upon decisions holding that the right to practice law is protected under the privileges and immunities clause of the Constitution. U.S. Const. art. *1000 IV, § 2. Controlling decisions do so hold. Barnard v. Thorstenn, ___ U.S. ___, 109 S. Ct. 1294, 103 L. Ed. 2d 559 (1989); Supreme Court of New Hampshire v. Piper, 470 U.S. 274, 279, 105 S. Ct. 1272, 1275-76, 84 L. Ed. 2d 205 (1985). The fallacy of such reliance lies in the fact that the local rules do not treat lawyers of one state differently than those of another. Under those rules, all lawyers of all states including California are required to be members in good standing of the California state bar. Therefore, plaintiff's reliance upon the federal Constitution requires consideration only of equal protection and due process considerations.
The right to practice law is not a fundamental one guaranteed by the federal Constitution so far as equal protection is concerned. Lupert v. California State Bar, 761 F.2d 1325, 1327-28 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 916, 106 S. Ct. 241, 88 L. Ed. 2d 251 (1985); Maynard v. The United States District Court for the Central District of California, 701 F. Supp. 738, 742 (C.D.Cal.1988). Therefore, the strict scrutiny otherwise required is not applicable, and the Court need consider only whether the local rules are rationally based. Lupert, 761 F.2d at 1327-28; Matter of Roberts, 682 F.2d 105, 108 (3d Cir.1982).
Defendants set out the following reasons for requiring that applicants be members in good standing of the California Bar: (1) the defendant district courts, having no relevant procedures of their own, rely on the California Bar Examinations for determination of fitness to practice law; (2) questions of California substantive law permeate the range of cases over which the district courts have subject matter jurisdiction; (3) membership in the California Bar provides the district courts assurance that the character, moral integrity and fitness of prospective admittees have been approved after investigation; (4) allegations of professional misconduct can be brought to the attention of the State Bar; (5) such membership helps screen applicants who are guilty of ethical misconduct in any other jurisdiction; (6) attorneys who are members of both the California and the district court bars will not choose the forum for litigation on the basis of their membership in the federal bar rather than the client's interests. These considerations amply satisfy the requirements of a rational basis for the classification. See Maynard, 701 F. Supp. at 743.
5. Alleged Violation of the Full Faith and Credit Clause.
Plaintiff claims that re-testing of out of state attorneys violates the full faith and credit clause. This clause provides that "[f]ull Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State." U.S. Const. art. IV, section 1. 28 U.S.C. § 1738 states further that
[s]uch Acts, records and judicial proceedings or copies thereof, so authenticated, shall have the same full faith and credit in every court within the United States ... as they have by law or usage in the courts of such State, Territory or Possession from which they are taken.
Plaintiff's suggestion that because he is licensed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the district courts in California must not only recognize that he is licensed there, but also license him here, is entirely without merit. Neither Pennsylvania nor New Jersey determined that plaintiff is entitled to practice law in California.
6. Alleged Violation of the "Right to Travel".
Plaintiff baldly asserts that retesting of out of state attorneys violates the "right to travel". Denial of the right to practice law in the United States District Courts involved in this case is not a violation of any right to travel within the ambit of any federal constitutional provision. See Hawkins v. Moss, 503 F.2d 1171, 1178-9 (4th Cir.1974), cert. denied, 420 U.S. 928, 95 S. Ct. 1127, 43 L. Ed. 2d 400 (1975).
For all of the foregoing reasons,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
1. The complaint is dismissed as to the California Supreme Court, the justices of that court, the Central, Eastern and Southern District Courts of the United States, the judges of those courts, and the Committee *1001 of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California;
2. Plaintiff's motions for summary judgment, preliminary injunction and default judgment are DENIED; and
3. Plaintiff's motion for criminal sanctions against Truitt Richey and Diane Yu may be re-noticed for hearing in accordance with Local Rule 220-2, provided that plaintiff proceeds under that rule on or before May 22, 1989.
[1] The title in plaintiff's complaint misspells the names of some defendants. Since these errors do not preclude identification, the title in this Memorandum and Order conforms to that in the complaint.
[2] These allegations are not challenged. In view of plaintiff's acceptance as a practitioner in all those courts, his claims merit careful consideration.
[3] The parties agreed in open court on January 3, 1989, that a prior action, Giannini v. Real, C-88-012467, would be treated as dismissed.
[4] Rule 55(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that
[w]hen a party against whom a judgment for affirmative relief is sought has failed to plead or otherwise defend as provided by these rules and that fact is made to appear by affidavit or otherwise, the clerk shall enter the party's default.
[5] The federal rule provides alternatively for service by mail. Such service, however, is only sufficient if an acknowledgment from the defendant is received by the sender. Fed.R.Civ.Proc. 4(c) (2) (C) (ii). Plaintiff does not allege that he has received such an acknowledgement.
Finally, under the Federal rules, if such acknowledgement is not received, service may be effected by delivering copies of the summons and complaint "to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process." Fed.R.Civ.Proc. 4(d) (1). Plaintiff has not alleged any such service.
[6] In Frazier, the Supreme Court specifically noted that the appellant attorneys who were excluded from practice nonetheless had passed the relevant qualifying bar exam, and their skills and qualifications were not at issue.


Home / News / Where in Europe Can You Still Book a Cheap Christmas and New Year Holiday?
During the Christmas and New Year, the capital of the Island Funchal is decorated with a multitude of christmas lights in every square a plaza and there are festivities at every corner in the town centre.
With the temperature a pleasant and mild 16-24 degrees at this time of the year, it is probably the only place in Europe that you can still sunbathe during the day and enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities during the night.
As well as the New Years fireworks spectacle and the Madeira Flower show during spring, Madeira is known for it's many outstanding natural beauty spots, with a relaxed and laid back lifestyle and the friendliest people you will meet, making this island the most perfect place to visit.
With the flight times just over three hours from the UK, this verdant island with green steep valleys and a dramatic coastline has a comfortable sub-tropical climate all year round lending its other known name as "The Eternal Island Of Spring".
Due to the fact that it does not have any large industrial output apart from agriculture and tourism, the air is still super fresh and the water is super soft.
The all year spring climate lends itself to the growth of tropical fruits such as mangos and papayas and some very native unusual looking passion fruits and vegetables, not to mention the abundance of flowers such as "the bird of paradise flower" and numerous other exotic species.
The delicious rustic traditional Madeiran food is a fusion of Meditaranean and African cuisine due to the position of Madeira Island which is smack in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the way to the Americas and is still used as a stopover during the long boat trips from Europe to the Americas.
With most of the produce grown on the island and with the amazing Mediteraneon and tropical fish available at the markets you will be guaranteed a superb and unique dining experience.
Madeira is still a very traditional place where the family is still at the heart of the culture which makes this a very safe and quiet island to visit. The Madeiran priorities are still based on quality of life where hours role onto days that role onto years.
When tourists do visit the island it is common for them to return every year and treat it as their second home, with some who are fortunate to be retired, staying during the winter months.
Is it any wonder that on one wants to leave this beautiful island… "The Land That Time Forgot".
Organise your own private itinerary with the best accomodation, car hire, transfers or limosine service and tours on the island with our local team from Madeira Island.
There is nothing that out team cannot organise for your special visit, from the must beautiful contemporary holiday rental, to scuba diving, playing a round of golf, or even house hunting.
We're here to help you on your journey to this magnificent island.


text:
Huntington Police name suspect in New Year's bar shooting
by: Lily Bradley
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WOWK) — Huntington Police are searching for the man wanted in connection with a shooting at a Huntington bar on New Year's Day.
Kymonie Desean Davis, 30, of Detroit, Michigan, has been charged with seven counts of wanton endangerment and one count of malicious wounding.
Davis also has active warrants locally for burglary and domestic battery and is wanted for fraud in Illinois with no extradition.
Police say Davis should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is advised to call 911 or the Huntington Police Department's anonymous tip line at 304-696-4444.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and officials say additional charges or suspects may be named at a later date.
More Breaking News Stories
Man shot in Kanawha County, suspect flees scene
by Erin Noon / Jan 15, 2021
SISSONVILLE, WV (WOWK) UPDATE: 12:00 p.m., Jan. 15, 2021: A man shot in Sissonville last night has been identified by the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office as Brandon Shaffer, 27 of Sissonville. They say they do not have details on his condition, but say he is stable.
A person detained overnight has been released and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone who may have information regarding the incident is asked to call KCSO detectives at 304-357-0169, email tips@kanawhasheriff.us, message the KCSO on Facebook, or anonymously through their website at www.kanawhasheriff.us.
West Virginia Delegate Derrick Evans charged in U.S. Capitol breach, protest
by Mark Curtis / Jan 8, 2021
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) -- Delegate Derrick Evans was one of hundreds of protesters who broke into the U-S Capitol on Wednesday as Congress tried to certify the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president.
Vandalism was done to the Capitol, and five people died including a Capitol police officer. Derrick Evans, who was just elected to the House of Delegates, broadcast much of the disturbance on Facebook, claiming to be an independent media reporter.
Twitter permanently suspends Trump
by Associated Press / Jan 8, 2021
WASHINGTON (AP) - Twitter permanently suspends Trump from its platform, citing 'risk of further incitement of violence.'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Mayor Steve Womack Files for Third District Congressional Race
Contact Mayor Steve Womack (479-936-0234)
Rogers Mayor Steve Womack officially filed to run for Arkansas's Third Congressional District at the State Capitol in Little Rock on Monday.
"The race for United States Congress in 2010 is about changing the direction of our country. Now more than ever, we need proven, conservative leaders in Congress," Womack said.
"I have deep Arkansas roots, strong conservative values and a record to prove it. In Congress, I will fight for balanced budgets, lower taxes, the right to life, traditional marriage, and strong national defense."
"We have already received a humbling outpouring of support from people all across the district. I look forward to meeting as many Third District voters as possible and sharing our vision for reform in Washington and a strong America," Womack said.
A retired colonel and 30 year veteran with the Arkansas Army National Guard, Mayor Womack led the first Army National Guard unit called to active duty in the Middle East following the 9-11 attacks. A Legion of Merit Recipient, Colonel Womack also led the U.S. Army ROTC program at the U of A.
Since his election in 1998, Mayor Womack has presided over a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity in Rogers. With more than $1 billion in investment during his tenure, Mayor Womack has overseen signature developments like the Rogers Adult Wellness Center, Pinnacle Hills Promenade, the new Mercy Medical Center of Rogers, and the World Trade Center.
He has a strong record of fiscal responsibility, ending Rogers' deficit spending and balancing the budget without tax increases.
Mayor Womack graduated from Russellville High School and Arkansas Tech University. The March of Dimes Citizen of the Year in 2007, Mayor Womack is a former chairman of the Arkansas Service Commission and Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. He and his wife, Terri, have three grown children and attend the Church at Pinnacle Hills.
Congressman Steve Womack was elected to represent Arkansas's Third Congressional District in 2010 and sits on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Budget Committee.
Prior to his election to Congress, Congressman Womack served as the Mayor of Rogers, Arkansas, for twelve years and in the Arkansas Army National Guard for over thirty years, retiring at the rank of Colonel.
Steve has been married to his wife, Terri, for over 31 years, and they have three sons, two grandsons, and a dog named Cooper. - Read More
Womack For Congress
Paid for by Womack for Congress


Thank you for your letter dated 10 January 1997, and for the opportunity to comment on the need for, and urgency of, the Railways Bill.
At the present time, no legal framework is available to the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) to build new railway projects. The Railways Bill provides this framework. The Bill, once enacted, will enable the alignment of Phase I of the West Rail project (the domestic passenger line) to be publicly delineated and for objections to be lodged and processed. Moreover, in order to complete the Technical Studies programme in respect of this project, a certain amount of geotechnical work must proceed on private land and, at present, neither the Government nor the KCRC can enter onto such land without the Bill becoming law.
The urgency behind enactment of the Bill rests upon the time-table the Government has indicated to KCRC. As it is envisaged that construction would commence by mid-1998, the alignment for the project must not only be delineated, but also secured and cleared of encumbrances, at least legally. Unless this position is reached by mid-1998, there can be no guarantee that KCRC would be able to meet the expected completion dates of 2002 for the line to reach Yuen Long, and of September 2003 for it to reach Tuen Mun Centre.
With regard to your invitation to present our views to the Bills Committee, we would be pleased to make ourselves available to answer any questions that Legislative Councillors may have.


MATERIAL - Silver coloured surgical steel.
SUITABILITY - Perfect for nose piercing.
HOW TO USE - Requires slight pressure to push the nose pin through the piercing.
Bobble back should keep the piercing in place without discomfort.
Click the button below to add the Nose Pin. Surgical Steel Bobble Back Nose Stud With 2mm Jewel to your wish list.


text:
'Peak Memphis is scary:' Penny Hardaway's Tigers could be tough out for Gonzaga in NCAA Tournament
PORTLAND, Ore. — Boise State coach Leon Rice has seen Penny Hardaway's Memphis basketball team twice in the span of a year.
The Tigers (22-10) ended the Broncos' season at the National Invitation Tournament a year ago, and they sent them home Thursday with a 64-53 NCAA Tournament win at the Moda Center. Nobody would blame Rice, whose program is now 0-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, if he held a grudge against Memphis.
Quite the contrary. Rice's admiration of Hardaway and the Tigers was on full display following the game as he cautioned any team that has to deal with them the rest of the way. The Tigers will play top overall seed Gonzaga (27-3) on Saturday (8:40 p.m., TBS).
"Don't underestimate that team," said the former Gonzaga assistant. "Those guys are great players and are so well-coached. Coach Hardaway does an amazing job and has got a great staff. They are doing good stuff and they are going to be a hard, hard out.
"They are really, really good."
MEMPHIS BASKETBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT:Tigers take down Boise State to advance
GIANNOTTO:Alex Lomax and his bum ankle push Memphis past Boise State in NCAA Tournament
Rice wasn't the only one extolling the Tigers' virtues Thursday. ESPN's Jeff Borzello took to Twitter as Memphis was pouring it on the Broncos in the first half.
"When Memphis is Memphis, they can be absolutely overwhelming to opponents," he tweeted in part. CBS Sports' and The Athletic's Seth Davis tweeted: "Peak Memphis is scary."
Here are three reasons why that is and why it makes the Tigers among the more dangerous teams left in the field.
Bigs coming up big
Down the stretch, even as Memphis' turnovers piled up, the Tigers' frontcourt asserted itself. Especially in the rebounding department.
It wasn't a flawless performance, but 6-10 freshman Jalen Duren was there time after time when his team needed him. En route to recording his ninth double-double of the season, Duren ferociously corralled board after board. Six, to be exact, in the second half, including a pair of key offensive rebounds in a 13-second stretch that helped keep the Broncos at arm's length.
Meanwhile, DeAndre Williams, a senior forward who scored a team-best 14 points, came up with a pair of pivotal dunks with less than 10 minutes to play.
"Their bigs are definitely physical down there, and Duren is definitely going to be a lottery pick," said Boise State freshman Tyson Degenhart.
Perimeter pieces stepping up
Too often during last week's AAC Tournament, the Tigers struggled to find their footing outside the paint – Lester Quinones' 22 points in the quarterfinal win over UCF the obvious exception.
But, offensively, Landers Nolley II and Tyler Harris never got going. Nolley shot 22.5%, while Harris connected on just 11% of his attempts.
Nolley and Harris resurfaced Thursday and provided some much needed sparks. Nolley hit two 3-pointers, his first since the March 6 win over Houston. Harris intercepted a Lukas Milner pass and went coast-to-coast to help swing the momentum more toward Memphis in the first half.
"I really depend on or have depended on Landers and Tyler for their scoring ability because they are – both can get it going pretty quickly and we need those guys to make shots," Hardaway said. "We just need those guys to make shots to stretch the defense and make the defense honest."
Alex Lomax brings the heart and soul
Every team needs a leader. The Tigers don't refer to Alex Lomax as "the general" for nothing. Lomax is in full command when he's on the floor and is instrumental to the operation when he's on the bench or in the huddle.
On Thursday, Lomax played 30 of the gutsiest minutes of his college career – the kind of minutes that can be the difference between winning and losing. Late in the first half, the senior point guard hit a short-shot-clock 3-pointer. But he came down on a defender's foot, injuring his left ankle. He returned, but favored the injury and grimaced throughout much of the second half.
But he scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds and passed out five assists to help the Tigers advance.
"I just know that is who he is and if he can walk, he's going to be out there. That's just the heart and soul of the team," Hardaway said.


Subway St. John | Caribya!
Subway offers so many sandwich options it can be hard to choose just one.
Choose the type of bread, meat, cheese, and toppings you want to specialize your submarine sandwich every time you order from Subway. Wraps, salads, and pizzas are also available.
Subway St. John is a popular fast food restaurant that happens to specialize in American cuisine. When deciding how to dress for this restaurant, consider that the style of the food and service is very casual. When's the best time to come? They're open for both dinner and lunch, so don't hesitate to pay this place a visit. You might fall in love with a local favorite.
Subway St. John is situated near the heart of St. John's.
You can merge restaurant visit with excellent local sightseeing possibilities by checking out one of the many interesting nearby attractions, including St. John's Cathedral.
People who dine here also tend to love the group of outdoor pursuits in the vicinity. Anyone who consider a day on the fairways relaxing will surely have a blast at the nearby popular golf club, Cedar Valley Golf Club, which can be found within traveling distance of Subway St. John. Also, consider bringing the flip flops for Fort James Beach, which you will find to be the closest beach and is only approximately a mile and a half away. Remember, these attractions are only a few options among a group of beaches, golf courses, and outdoor sports in the general area.
If you and your party are hoping to find an area restaurant that has some similar kinds of food and/or a similar price range, there are lots of nearby options to consider, including KFC High Street. Look for it a short distance away from Subway St. John.
In contrast, if you want something different, this part of Antigua boasts an impressive range of restaurants, where you can find many different cuisine styles and menu items. For example, you could also consider Caribbean food at Hemingway's Caribbean Cafe, which is a short distance away.
Subway St. John accepts most major credit cards.


text:
Home // Vault // Top 5: Full Auto Airguns
Top 5: Full Auto Airguns
By Airgun Depot | Published November 19, 2018
Hey everybody, welcome to AirgunDepot.com's top five. We have a really fun one for you today, we're doing the top five full auto air guns. Did I say full auto. Full auto. Let's get started.
These guns are so much fun, let's just get started. Number five.
Number five on our list is the Umarex Guzzi. When I was a kid this was the machine gun, and for my kids, it's still the machine gun. This baby's starred in more 80s movies than Kevin Bacon. The construction on it is incredible, it's made almost entirely of metal, so it's heavy and it feels really good in your hand, and it's full auto. Did I say full auto? Sure did.
Number four on our list is the Mauser M712. This is one of the coolest replica pistols from World War II. It is so close to the original you can even attach a real broom handle stock to it. It's the original cocked and locked, and it's got the selective fire switch, so you can switch from semi-auto to full auto. What did I say, full auto? Mauser more like wowza.
Number three on our list is the Crosman DPMS SBR. This is the first AR-15 replica that tears down like the original. It's got fully functional controls and it's full auto. Full auto.
Number two on our list is the Beretta 92 A1. This might be the sexiest handgun ever made. The build quality is incredible on it, so it feels really good in your hand, but you know what makes it even sexier? Full-auto.
And number one on our list is the Umarex Legends MP40. I know it shows up on a lot of our list, but it's cuz it's awesome, and if you don't get that it's because you don't have one, and you haven't shot it. So it's about time. And I don't know if I told you but. It's full auto. Ladies and gentlemen, your number one.
All right guys, there you have it, that's our list of the top five full auto air guns. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below, and if you want to learn any more about any of these guns, go to AirgunDepot.com or wait and just click on the bullseye at the end of the video. And always remember to like, subscribe, and ring that bell. And did I mention full auto? Thanks for watching.
Browse other .
« Top 5: Truck Guns • Top 5: Worst Named Airguns »
Please enable JavaScript to view and engage in comments.
Hey everybody, welcome to AirgunDepot.com's top five. We have a really fun one for you today, we're doing the top five full auto air guns. Did I say full auto. Full auto. Let's get started. These guns are so much fun, let's just get started. Number five. Number five on our list is the Umarex […]
Definitive Guides
Trophy Wall
Stranger Guns
How To Set Up Your Small Game Hunting Scope
Can I Buy a High Powered BB Gun?
Top Air Pistol Brands of 2022
Walther PPQ vs. Walther PPS
Top Crosman Air Pistols


Determine your monthly usage from your bill. This is measured in kWh per month.
Enter your information in the fields below.
This is the percentage of your electric usage(kWh)you would like to cover with your solar system.
If you know your solar insolation you can enter it in number form from 1 - 7. The map provides an annual average and therefor is a conservative number. Note: This is not the amount of hours a day the sun is out in your area.


Granger causality (GC) tests are widely used to empirically address the dynamic relationship between speculative activities and pricing on commodity markets. However, the sheer number of studies and their heterogeneity makes it extremely difficult—if not impossible—to compare their results and to derive meaningful conclusions. This is the main objective of this article, which analyzes a consistent dataset with a homogeneous estimation approach. The authors analyze futures returns and volatilities of 28 commodities for three maturities, from January 2006 to March 2015, in relation to three speculation proxies. Overall, they find a larger number of significant GC effects for volatilities than for returns. The volatility effect is mostly negative (i.e., more speculation is followed by lower volatilities). This is particularly true if the Working index is used as a speculation proxy. The majority of destabilizing effects (positive relations), if any, is found in livestock. However, no such effects seem to be present in typical agricultural commodities. Mixed evidence is found for the soft commodities. Apart from statistical significance, the explained variance of returns and volatilities is below 8% and therefore economically small or moderate at best.


Bitcoin Gold Solo Mining - Bitcoin In Singapore Bitcoin Gold Solo Mining Where Is Bitcoin Accepted In The Us Bitcoin Plus Mining Pools.Check the USD price of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum Classic, Litecoin, Zcash, and Monero. They accept bank transfers from Singapore or Malaysia and international bank wires.View the latest Bitcoin price with our interactive and live Bitcoin price chart including buy and sell volumes.
The price at which your bitcoin are sold will depend on the market conditions at the time of the sale.
The San Francisco-headquartered firm says the push into the region is part of an effort to make the bitcoin cryptocurrency more accessible around the world. Singapore said the move is meant to address any potential risks of money laundering or terrorism financing.Bitcoin jumped about 10% against the dollar on Tuesday in just 20 minutes, with no obvious news to spur the price rise.
The price of Bitcoin is too volatile. What you need before you buy your first Bitcoin in Singapore via bitcoin exchanges: Wallet - to store your Bitcoins and.
Based in Republic of Singapore and founded in February of 2014, Intellect Market Pte. Ltd. is a crypto currencies wallet platform.
International financial markets data, with updates every minute. David Moskowitz, from Coin Republic, a bitcoin broker and consultancy, explains what the changes mean.
The island will get its first Bitcoin ATM in March, but does it really need another currency which main appeal is the anonymity it offers, especially since Singapore.
A list of the most promising bitcoin, blockchain companies in Singapore.
Bitcoin needs a different type of analysis than traditional asset classes.
One of the first companies to operate a gateway is Ripple Singapore. Bitcoin Price Chart Singapore Dollar BTCSGD Bitcoin price for today is S 9,06767 It has a current circulating supply of 171 Million coins and a total volumenbspDec 13.Rising demand for this cryptocurrency promises more upside in bitcoin prices, thus pointing to an optimistic bitcoin price prediction 2018.The most secure cryptocurrency exchange of 2018 from Singapore.
Bitcoins in Singapore Singapore, Singapore Founded Apr 17, 2013. About us.


Last week, we discussed the various ways that faiths view the afterlife. We discussed death, hope, justice and the fear of what happens next.
We're going to continue this conversation. This Thursday, we will discuss what salvation is to various perspectives. What does it take to be a part of a faith?
If you have some thoughts on this topic, join us Thursday night at Shorts Brewing Company!


The 2018 wet season brought an abundance of rain following a drought the year before. The Mekong River overflowed its banks beginning in early August flooding over 21 provinces in Cambodia, the worst flooding in more than five years.
Nearly 135,000 families have been impacted by the flooding over the last two months, and more than 12,000 families were evacuated from their homes during the worst of the flooding. Tragically, sixty-one people have perished due to the flooding. Cambodia government officials declared six provinces as disaster areas.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responded to the crisis as its LDS Charities organization partnered with the Cambodian government and other international disaster relief organizations to provide food for the displaced families. The Church's LDS Charities provided food for 1,760 families.
Items distributed included 50 kilograms of rice, cooking oil, ramen noodles, fish and soy sauce; designed to feed a family of five for six weeks. President John W. Lewis of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission along with senior missionaries and Church service center employees met with three different provincial governors at various designated relief sites to deliver the food and offer support and encouragement to the affected people in those provinces. President Lewis said, "what a wonderful thing it is to witness the Church blessing the lives of so many through our humanitarian efforts".


This baby shower invitation features a beautiful peacock with elegant plumage against a trailing vine. This invitation is perfect for any shower with a garden or nature theme. Be sure to check out the matching birth announcements and thank you cards in this peacock motif.


This entry was posted in Disneyland on October 2, 2015 by Magic Ticket Discounts.
Visiting Disneyland is one of the most unforgettable experiences for any child or parent. However, ticket prices can be rather high unless you know where to get a discount. Fortunately, Disneyland Costco tickets are less expensive and provide you with the ability to get what you need to cover your vacation to Disneyland.
Disneyland Costco tickets are available to everyone and provide you and your family with a less expensive way to visit the magical land of Disney.
For families who have never visited the magical kingdom of Disneyland or for those who have been time and time again, getting tickets in advance is a real priority. This is where getting tickets from a source like Costco can really benefit your planning.
For years, Costco has provided tickets through merchants that allow families to attend Disneyland at a price which is noticeably less than purchasing the tickets directly or when you arrive. This means that you can plan your vacation well in advance and take advantage of prices that are set months ahead of time. Over the years, thousands of families have purchased Costco tickets and enjoyed the discounts which have put more money in their pockets so that they can do more things.
This is a special year as Disneyland is celebrating its 60th Anniversary and many events are being planned. You can get ahead of the crowd by purchasing your tickets early and making your plans to see some of the greatest wonders that Disney has produced for this theme park. An unforgettable experience awaits you and your family during this season.
Why Purchase Disneyland Costco Tickets?
There are a number of reasons why you would want to purchase tickets from Costco as this will help you better plan your vacation.
Limited Availability: This is the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland and tickets will be at a premium during this time. Therefore, to get your tickets through a reputable source like Costco means that you will not be overpaying, but in fact saving money while enjoying the many special events that Disneyland will have this season.
Packages: You can choose from a number of ticket packages so that it matches your trip to the wonderful world of Disney. This means that you can customize your purchase of Costco tickets to match the time of year and length of stay that you would like to enjoy.
Cost Effective: In addition to being less expensive, they are available and can be ordered when needed so that you can plan your trip to Disneyland. For many, getting Disneyland Costco tickets saves real money and is highly convenient so that they can properly plan their trip and have a fantastic time.
If you are looking for Disneyland Costco tickets, it is very easy to find them as they are available from many outlets. If you are planning a trip to the magical kingdom, then one of the first things you will want to do is check out the savings from Costco tickets to Disneyland.


Bring Coding and Logic into your classroom or take it home! This app is just what you need to introduce basic concepts and logic to your youngest learners.
Not only will they learn tons of important skills, they will love doing it and ask for more learning!
Find out all about the app in our video.
Here is a simple list of some of this app's key features.
Mini games on number recognition at the end of each level.
Orientation of the Caterpillar changes throughout the levels.
The turn block rotate on screen after being places so students can check and 'debug' their code.
Also, Check out the free resources page on this website and my TPT/Educents Stores for loads of Bee-bot related materials created and designed by me. Available as paid and FREE downloads.


text:
Mindfulness buffers the relationship between discrimination and depressive symptoms
By Eric W. Dolan September 2, 2018
(Photo credit: StockPhotoPro)
New research suggests that mindfulness can protect against some of the negative psychological consequences of racial and ethnic discrimination. The study was published in the journal Mindfulness.
"Mounting research has demonstrated the positive effects of mindfulness for mitigating the effects of stress," said study author Amanda J. Shallcross of New York University.
"However, the bulk of this research has been conducted in racially/ethnically homogeneous samples," she told PsyPost. "Given the socio-political climate in the U.S. right now, the time was ripe to test whether mindfulness may be helpful for the significant numbers of racial/ethnic minorities who face daily stress in the form of discrimination."
The researchers surveyed 97 Black, Asian, and Hispanic adults living in New York City regarding mindfulness, discrimination, and depression.
They found that mindfulness moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. People who agreed with statements such as "I am able to accept the thoughts and feelings I have" and "I am able to focus on the present moment" were buffered from depressive symptoms when experiencing high levels of discrimination.
The findings provide evidence that "mindfulness may be useful for people for preventing depression in individuals with diverse backgrounds and who face discrimination," Shallcross said.
The researchers controlled for the the potential confounding effects of age, sex, and income. But more research is necessary.
"In our study, we don't actually know if participants are using mindfulness to combat the effects of discrimination," Shallcross explained. "We only know that people higher in trait levels of mindfulness appear to be buffered from developing depression in the face of discrimination."
"Future studies that use ecological momentary assessment or daily diary sampling methods are needed to understand whether people are using mindfulness in the moment to cope with discrimination."
"We need to understand what kinds of strategies mitigate the effects of discrimination because it is a unique stressor given that it is uncontrollable and unpredictable and has the potential to threaten the core of a person's identity in a way that other stressful events do not," Shallcross added.
The study, "The Protective Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Perceived Discrimination and Depression", was authored by Amanda J. Shallcross and Tanya M. Spruill.


It happens almost every day. People compromise their integrity and make life-ruining decisions. They may be people we don't know. They may be people we love or looked up to. Michael Vick abusing dogs. A governor deserting his post and disappearing for days – to see his mistress. There are so many examples.
I got a list of questions for personal accountability and I thought I'd share it. They're questions to ask yourself to see if you're living up to what you believe. These 15 came from a list of 48 originally.
Have I spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
Have I given priority time to my family?
Have I been with a woman/man anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
Have I been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed my mind to entertain inappropriate thoughts about someone who is not my spouse this week?
Have any of my financial dealings lacked integrity?
Have I secretly wished for another's misfortune so that I might excel?
Have I damaged another person by my words, either behind their back or face-to-face?
Is there anything that has dampened my zeal for Christ?
Have I been completely honest with myself?
This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 12:45 PM	and is filed under Faith Workings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I emailed Glenn yesterday with my frustration to the how many Christians are getting consumed by facebook/twitter. After reading your blog, I decided to post this out with you instead of Glenn. The list above is what caught my eye with others becoming a slave to the computer, namely facebook. They are on it all the time, talk about it all the time and try to get me to sign up in it. I feel like if I have additional free time, I would spend it with God. I want to know how many Christians that are on facebook or twittering have given God just as much time if not more. Some have connected with old friends from their sinful past in the name of witnessing?… or is it an excuse to re-live some connection that you don't need to be visiting. If I have any true friends from my past, I would still be talking to them today.
I have had several people want to "share" photos or news, but if I don't have a facebook account, I am excluded. Some fellowship that is.
Thanks for the time on "your" soap box.
Yes, some times it can become a kind of addiction. And – when it becomes the only way you communicate you shut out a lot of friends – not only losing out yourself but also hurting them.


text:
The Test of the Biennial Tradition
The Canberra Raiders have an odd fluke of tradition. Since their first grand final appearance in 1987, the Green Machine has rolled into the finals in every 'even' year outside of 1992 and 2014. It's a strange statistical fluke that stood up in the good times and the *cough* less good times. It's no surprise they made the finals in nearly all the 'even' years between 1987 and 1999 because the only year they missed the finals was 1992. The trend is a bit more surprising in the 2000s. The Raiders have only made the finals one (1) time in an odd year (2003) this millennium and only missed the finals in 2014 in 'even' seasons.
Last time the Raiders made the finals in an 'odd' year this guy was captain
It's a pretty dumb pattern and could have any litany of explanations ranging from inconsistency, short-term thinking and plain old chance. Any of these are more convincing than any numerology quackery, but the consistency of this phenomenon is a fascinating one.
The 2018 Canberra Raiders present a nice little test case of this pattern. If something could go wrong this year, it has. They've lost heartbreakers on heartbreakers. They've lost key players to injury for sustained periods. The Raiders have been about as a consistent as a Jackson Pollack painting, and just as confusing.
But then Josh Hodgson returned and put an ordinary Tigers to the sword and all of sudden the Raiders are sexy again. Shit, even Phil Gould thinks they're about to take the competition by storm.
All this groupthink is enough to make you anxious.
You can see how the people got there. The Raiders have lost an incredible amount of 50/50 games this year. They're about six points from being in the top 4. Despite sitting outside the finals, the Raiders have the sixth best points differential in the competition. They've got their star playmaker and mojo back, and god knows we all enjoy a bit of recency bias when it comes to how football teams are performing.
Equally, there's plenty of reason to doubt that the biennial tradition will be continued. For starters Josh Hodgson will surprise no one this weekend. That doesn't mean he can't dominate, it just ups the degree of difficulty. The Broncos have been inconsistent all year, but there's not questioning they're a better side than the Tigers or the Sea Eagles, the only other sides the Raiders have beaten in the last month.
And the Raiders are going to have to do this without Jack Wighton for the foreseeable future.
Wighton will be missed (courtesy Alexandra Back)
As we've noted a few times recently, Jack has been a critical part of the Raiders attack this year. He's played as a dedicated second receiver on the left edge, a crucial cog in the attack. His decision to pass short/long or run have been exceptional, and he's all but removed the errors from his game that have plagued his younger self. That doesn't even mention the human gap-filler role he plays for the Raiders' defensive line. Brad Abbey is a useful fill-in, and has reportedly been excellent for the Mounties in a ball-playing role. But it's asking a lot to expect to him to fill the massive role that Wighton plays for the men in green.
If the Raiders are going to succeed it will take an improved effort from Blake Austin, both in attack and defence. Disciplined attacks like the Broncos and Sharks will target his edge with impunity. He'll also be called on to provide more ball-playing as a second-receiver than he has been required to this year.
Elliot Whitehead can also step up and play more of role in ball-playing. The return of Hodgson ignited the creativity in his play, and he played a critical role in the attacking movements on the left edge, particularly when Hodgson took the blind side. He may end up doing more of Wighton's work on that side than Austin.
Whether your an optimist or a pessimist about the Raiders, their likelihood of playing finals footy will be heavily influenced by this weekends' 'four-point' game. If the biennial tradition is to be continued, this weekend is where it either starts or ends.
Previous Raiders Rumble – Round 16 2018 Raiders VS Broncos
Next Raiders Review: The Sad Inevitability


text:
Жълтият тиран (Capsiempis flaveola) е вид птица от семейство Tyrannidae, единствен представител на род Capsiempis.

Разпространение
Видът е разпространен в Аржентина, Боливия, Бразилия, Колумбия, Коста Рика, Еквадор, Френска Гвиана, Гвиана, Никарагуа, Панама, Парагвай, Перу, Суринам и Венецуела.

Източници

Тиранови

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We had a surprise, short, summer session this week with just two items on the government's agenda but a great number on ours.
And as people have said, you could tell it was a summer session because Premier Christy Clark brought her flip-flops: first a flip-flop on changing the human rights code and then one on dealing with the crazed housing market in the Lower Mainland.
We have been arguing for many years that the BC Human Rights code should explicitly include gender identity and expression. In our last attempt, just this spring, the BC Liberals said they would not make the change. Then a change of heart. For whatever reason – the cynics might suggest an upcoming election – the right move was made. The Premier, however, just came for the photo-opp, skipping the vote in favour of a BC Liberal fundraising event.
Through the spring session, the Premier and her cabinet also argued loudly against government doing anything to deal with the property market in the Lower Mainland in which housing had become a commodity, often for foreign investment.
Again, this week, a 180 degree turn. They brought in a bill that not only deals with a request from the City of Vancouver to allow it to bring in a vacancy tax, but also added a 15% tax on foreign ownership across the Lower Mainland. Further, it allows for establishing an independent body to oversee realtors.
Our fear is that focusing on the citizenship of people buying property doesn't tackle speculative investment which is distorting real estate prices. Affordable housing is a huge problem in the Lower Mainland and with this legislation will continue to be so. And affordable housing is a concern for many people in North Island who see rents escalate well beyond what they can pay.
This short session allowed us to ask questions of Premier Clark and her government about the $1.1 billion BC Hydro debt which will inevitable be transferred to users through higher bills. We also grilled the BC Liberals on education, health care, housing and ferries.
I asked the Tourism Minister * about the debacle on the ferries to and from the Sunshine Coast. The main ferry on the route, Queen of Burnaby, was taken out of service for repair. This led to massive overloads, at one point a 7km tailback, hours long waits. Not only was this hugely frustrating but costly to residents and businesses. The new, Polish-built, ferry for the route was supposed to be in BC this summer; now it won't be here until next year. The back-up ferry, the Queen of Chilliwack, was sold last year for an unknown, but expected low, price after $18m of repairs. The consequence of this kind of incompetent management and government oversight is the huge wait lines people around the Sunshine Coast and on Texada have been forced to endure because.
Unfortunately, we are not likely to see a Christy Clark flip-flop when it comes to ferries, no matter how much we need to see it being operated as a public service rather than a for profit company.
I have met the Minister of Energy about decommissioning the BC Hydro dam on the Salmon River. Hydro had given a three year time frame for its removal. I impressed on him the importance of moving ahead swiftly with the project and he has assured me he will try to expedite it.
I've also had a brief discussion with the Minister of Jobs about trying to get more clarity on the situation in Port Alice where the mill remains closed.
And while the debate about paying for parking at our new hospital continues, NDP Leader John Horgan stated that if we form government next spring we would ensure there would be no paid parking at hospitals where there hasn't been paid parking before.
I was pleased to be able to recognize the 50th anniversaries of Port McNeill and Port Hardy ** both in the respective communities and in the Legislature, sharing some of the attributes that make both communities special.
My office will be closed for the week of BC Day for staff holidays. And that week I'll be camping in our beautiful parks and campsites in the North Island. The following week I'll be back at work starting in Port McNeill, Alert Bay and Sointula. I'll also be continuing to work on my critic files, travelling to parts of the province to discuss trucking, transit and ferries.
I can always be reached by email at Claire.trevena.mlaleg.bc.ca, by phone on 250 287 5100 in Campbell River, 250 949 9473 in Port Hardy or 866 387 5100 toll free. I'm also on Facebook and on Twitter clairetrevena.


text:
Reviewing algorithm design and analysis. Most problems are implemented in JavaScript, and some of the implementations make use the new ES6 (2015) standard, which seems to work in Node v4.2.1.

*Textbook resources:*

- [Algorithms, 4th Edition](http://algs4.cs.princeton.edu/home/)
- [Elements of Programming Interviews in Java](http://elementsofprogramminginterviews.com/)

*Online Problem resources:*

- [leetcode](https://leetcode.com/)

## Testing

First, make sure you install the node modules needed for testing:

*in the root directory of this repository*
```bash
npm install
```

In folders belonging to problems for which an online judge (e.g., [leetcode](https://leetcode.com/)) was not used, the [Tape](https://github.com/substack/tape) library provides a means for unit testing. [Faucet](https://github.com/substack/faucet) is used as a TAP summarizer.

The file structure looks something like this:

```
Graphs
└─┬ Union-Find
  └── quickFind-test.js
  └── quickFind.js
  └── quickUnion-test.js
  └── quickUnion.js
  └── weightedQuickUnion-test.js

  ...

```

Or, more often than not, the directory for a specific problem looks like this:

```
k-most-frequent
└─ index.js
└─ test.js
```

When a file ending with *test.js* is present, the algorithms defined in *index.js* can be tested by running the following command in the top-level directory of this repository:

```
npm run test <path/to/problem/directory/test.js>
```

If you have tape and faucet installed globally, you can run tape from the directory containing *test.js* and pipe the TAP output to a summarizer:

*in the problem directory...*
```
tape test.js
```
*or*
```
tape test.js | faucet
```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Families and friends celebrated with tears of joy, song and prayers of thanksgiving at Piula Theological College last Saturday.
The occasion was the graduation ceremony for students of the college.
Fourteen graduates proudly marched down the aisle of Lupetaumafa Piula Hall to mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
Twelve students achieved Diplomas in Theology and two with Bachelors of Divinity.
The day was special for Takashi Faavevela who came first in the First year, Samoa Mataafa who took first place in the Second year, Apelu Faaniniva who topped the third year and Numia Tauauvea who was the Dux student.
During the ceremony, Methodist President, Reverend Apineru Lafai, congratulated the graduates for their hard work.
He also encouraged them to always have the Holy Spirit lead them in striving for success.
Principal of the Pacific Theological College in Fiji, Feleterika Nokise says one of the tasks that have been given to the spirit, the human mind, the heart, our thoughts and emotions is to strive for success.
The graduation continued the celebration of Piula Theological College's 150th year anniversary. It was also part of the Methodist Church's annual conference where the main conference begins this week.


Hey, thanks for reading! It's good to know I'm not just muttering to myself on the internet. If you'd like to mutter back, you can reach me at onmytiptoes@gmail.com. Feel free to reach out to me through social media as well!
If you're a journalist, writer, etc and you'd like to talk, please don't use FB chat! This seems to be the industry default and I will almost certainly miss your message due to my privacy settings. Your messages will be diverted to my "other" folder because we don't know each other in real life. (I know, it really does look like my page is open. I'm cagey that way. It's actually locked down tighter than Fort Knox.) Drop me an email, I'm usually open to a conversation!
PR reps interested in product/ book reviews, it's cool to get in touch! It's also super helpful if you mention that you're looking for a review in your subject line, or I could miss your message, or possibly mistake it for spam.


Plastic is a cheap, convenient material that can be found in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Popularized in the 1960s, plastic materials have revolutionized a variety of industries from the creation of non-permeable biohazard bags used by medical professionals to the improvement of safe food storage.
Sip on your drink instead or carry a reusable straw with you on your next smoothie trip.
Most cigarettes contain filters made from cellulose acetate, a form of plastic.
Instead of putting your fresh produce or bulk goods (i.e. nuts, dried fruits, etc.) in the thin plastic bags, simply carry a cloth or mesh bag on your next visit to the grocery store.
Drink water from the tap when at home or carry a refillable bottle with you to quench your thirst throughout the day.
For your busiest days, try using a reusable, collapsible beverage cup for added convenience.
Use wooden stirrers instead or invest in a portable, multi-purpose stirring spoon to mix your next cup of joe.
Refrain from using Styrofoam containers or bring your own reusable food storage containers when dining out.
Instead of using the flimsy plastic food wrapping and sandwich bags used to transport lunches and small snacks, store food items in plastic-free food wrapping or use reusable containers.
Minimize and eat efficiently by carrying a reusable spork or set of reusable cutlery.
Refrain from using products with microbeads as these tiny specs of plastic wash directly into drains and eventually find their way into the sea.


text:
Paranormal Video: Ghosts Caught on Camera
The most frustrating thing about the "ghost videos" and "real ghost footage" you find on the Internet is that they could so easily be the work of any amateur film student. How do you know what you're seeing is real and that you aren't being duped? Some of these videos are quite obviously terrible, staged or easily explained, while others seem to capture something truly paranormal going on. A few of the clips in the following ghost video compilation had my hair standing on end and I'm a skeptic… whether the footage is real or cleverly manipulated, we'll never know!
To find out whether there's any science behind the TV shows that purport to investigate the paranormal, such as "Ghosthunters," check out our spooky blog Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters!
Source: "Top 10 Ghost Sightings Caught on Tape" uploaded by Videoz Only on the YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwTQBBYKthQ
Author Thea BeckmanPosted on January 18, 2016 Categories Ghosts, Humor, Paranormal, Religion, Science, Science and Society, science blog, Science video, Supernatural, UncategorizedTags Are ghosts real?, paranormal, proof of ghosts, real ghost footage, real ghost video, scary ghost footage, scary ghost videos, spiritual realm, supernatural, Why Because Science1 Comment on Paranormal Video: Ghosts Caught on Camera
Scientology – It's Not the Study of Science
Once upon a time, in the early 1950's to be more precise, a man named L. Ron Hubbard woke up after a night of intense acid-induced dreams. Through the fog of sleep and remembered cacophony of colour, an idea the shape of a light-bulb/dollar-sign materialised. As a science-fiction writer, Mr Hubbard was no stranger to fabricating alternate realities that were a combination of embellished truth, warped physics and general bullsh*t. So, he set about writing a book using his light-bulb/dollar-sign shaped idea, which went on to become a 1950's bestseller, because people are mostly stupid and are also dying to believe in something.
The book was called "Dianetics" and within its almost 700 pages was the secret to self-improvement… to living a new and better life through a changed mind set; just like every other self-help book that has been written. Ever. Initially, the "field" of Dianetics was about self-improvement, but then it became something larger, far more sinister and profitable. More and more people subscribed to the lifestyle, which was a good thing if it was intended simply to improve the way you lived instead of, like some flesh-eating virus, melting the region of your brain dedicated to logic and rational thought.
But, Mr L. Ron Hubbard wasn't happy with being a bestselling author. He believed his idea had more traction than simply convincing a few housewives to think positively about being married to layabout apes. He believed his idea's potential was stratospheric and that it could make him ridiculously rich and ridiculously powerful *insert megalomaniacal laugh*. Many years thereafter, Hubbard was famously overheard uttering the following words…
"If you want to get rich, just create a religion." – L. Ron Hubbard
Image Credit: Los Angeles Times photographic archive, UCLA Library
So he was right. In 1953, the Church of Scientology was officially established in Camden, New Jersey and from there it spread like a pestilence. The worst epidemic the world has seen since the Black Plague and reality television.
The Best Things in Life Aren't Free
Jesus Christ wasn't a millionaire. His parents couldn't even afford a bed in a state hospital and his old man probably blew his birthday gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh on hookers. Not that I blame the guy… his wife was a virgin after all.
Buddha is famous for living on the bare essentials and even got fat to scare away all the beautiful young girls who were throwing themselves at him. I'm not sure about the Prophet Mohammed, but I wouldn't trust anyone who's content to spend eternity with 10,000 virgins. Can you imagine how boring the conversation would be?
The point is, and I shall endeavour to expound upon this later, is that religion shouldn't be about making someone rich. Religion should be spiritual, not commercial. Today, however, L. Ron Hubbard is obnoxiously wealthy and is influencing people in a way that scaring the shit out of Katy Holmes. He's also dead, but the legacy continues. So, what started off a self-help system has today become a massive religion that doesn't seem to make any damn sense at all…
Scientology is a belief framework and a way of life. I wasn't kidding when I said that Mr Hubbard (not related to "Mother" of cupboard fame) was a science fiction writer. And this is evident in the core teachings of scientology, which were, prior to being leaked by a defector of the religion, not openly available to the public and beginner subscribers.
Scientology teaches us that we are immortal beings who have forgotten our true nature. Also there's something about a malevolent alien called Xenu who, 75 million years ago (dinosaurs were still happily frolicking about the planet), sent billions of people to the Earth. Xenu was an evil dictator and, in true Kim Jong-Un style, condemned these people to death via hydrogen bombs and volcanoes here on planet "Teegeeack" AKA Earth.
The souls of these murdered masses have remained on our planet and are, according to scientology scriptures, responsible for causing modern people spiritual harm. The story of what happened is called the Space Opera and if THAT'S not science fiction, I don't know what is! What's unbelievable about scientology is that so many people have bought into it. I knew there were hoards of stupid people on the planet, but this many?
Take Us To Your Banker
More than the ridiculous lore behind scientology, there is a way of life supported by certain practices. There are levels of teachings and modules that you need to learn and master. You also need to learn to free your sub-conscious of all past emotional and physical hurts and this is done in a kind of counselling or spiritual rehabilitation called "auditing."
Just like school, you have to pay to progress from one grade to the next. There are free online courses for beginners, but if you really want to get anywhere, you have to start shelling out the Benjamin Franklins. These payments are cheekily termed "fixed donations" – as if the money you pay is going towards feeding starving orphans. If you become obsessed with scientology, you'd better be the CEO of a company or an A-list celebrity, because it's going to cost you dearly to infiltrate the upper echelons of this cult, I mean, religion.
The reported cost of reachng the very highest level in scientology lies in the region of $100,000 and $130,000. This may be all right for someone who earns a staggering amount of money, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but I'd sooner sell my kidneys on the black market than pay THAT amount of money to belong to a religion. On principle alone.
What this all means is that one's involvement in scientology is governed by one's paycheck rather than one's physical, psychological and mental dedication. Scientology may purport to have noble goals, just like any other religion I suppose. But the clear difference is the fact that it seeks to hide its "knowledge" from everyone UNLESS you pay your buy-in fee. This is at stark contrast to the most important philosophies underlying science, the knowledge yielded by which is free and available to all.
Scientology isn't a religion. It's a business, amongst other nefarious things…
Operation Snow White
In the 1970's, the Church of Scientology took it upon itself to eliminate any unsavoury evidence that pointed towards its higher-up members' involvement in criminal activity. This included L. Ron Hubbard. It did this by illegally infiltrating a number of private organisations and government agencies – including the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – in more than 30 countries.
This enormous effort was termed "Operation Snow White" by the Church of Scientology itself and is purportedly the largest infiltration of the United States government to have ever taken place. There were as many as 5,000 undercover agents sneaking around hallways at night, riffling through classified files, tapping telephone lines and stealing and destroying documentary evidence of certain individuals' iniquitous activities.
When this all went to trial, Mr Hubbard's wife and second-in-command – Mary Sue Hubbard – pleaded guilty to charges that included burglary of government property and the obstruction of justice. Another 10 upper echelon scientology executives were convicted of an impressive spectrum of crimes.
Top 10 Legitimate Reasons Scientology Should Hitch a Ride on the Porcelain Express:
1. Scientology was fabricated by a science fiction writer. I mean, hello?
2. You have to pay dollar bills to become more devout. If you don't have enough money, you are doomed to remain in the lower levels. It doesn't matter how committed or devoted you are to your creed. If you're poor, you'll never get anywhere, which is kind of like real life, but religion shouldn't be that way.
3. The "Space Opera" is the single most ridiculous theory I've ever heard explaining how humankind came to be. Forget everything rigorous science has to say. Bring on the evil aliens and thetans! Eat the placenta!
4. Scientology only reveals certain teachings to people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars. Only once you breached the loftier echelons of the cult, can you learn about the Space Opera and how everything came to be – or something to that effect. We, the public, aren't actually supposed to know about Xenu. This information was leaked by defector Steven Fishman, after which it spread like hilarious wildfire across the Internet. I love the Internet.
5. Scientology is legally recognised as a religion in a many countries, including Australia, South Africa, the United States, Sweden, Italy and New Zealand. This means that it's TAX-EXEMPT. That's right: janitors and street-sweepers get taxed. Scientology "churches" do not.
6. Scientology is dangerous. If you defect from the religion and threaten to spill the beans, or even if you are a critic of it (oops) you could face severe consequences. Some of these include serious harassment, getting sued, physical and psychological abuse and character assassination. I take solace in the fact that there's no amount of character assassination they could do to me that tequila doesn't already on a good night out.
7. It was invented in less than 60 years ago. At least Christians have dedicated thousands of years to building culture, society, parables and doctrines. At least Christianity has history. Scientology is the new kid on the block and yet people are doggedly committing themselves to it as though it were something REAL.
8. Members in the upper echelons of scientology are, allegedly, routinely defrauded and their dirty secrets swept under the proverbial rug. *coughoperationsnowwhitecough*
9. Scientology believes that the field of psychiatry is destructive and abusive and must be scrapped. This may be true in certain circumstances, but I'd hate to know what a couple of people I have met in my life would become without their daily dose of lithium.
10. Scientology markets its teachings and doctrines as fact and sound science. It nurtures ignorance and idiocy and treats natural inquiry as iniquity: as something to be punished.
Suitably horrified? There's just one more thing…
Operation Freak-Out! Da da da-da da
Great… now I have that song in my head.
Operation Freak-out was a clandestine plan of the Church of Scientology to silence one of its more avid and eloquently spoken critics, Paulette Cooper. This author and journalist published a rather famous book in 1971 titled "The Scandal of Scientology" – I don't suppose I need to tell you what it was about. Operation Freak-out was intended to either have Ms Cooper imprisoned or escorted in a straight jacket to a mental asylum!
It was upon reading this latter point that I ceased to be entertained by the ridiculous notion of scientology and actually began to find it quite terrifying and insidious. For a "modern" religion, scientology would seem to promote an extremely backward and dangerous way of thinking. Opposition, challenge and questioning are extremely healthy forces that drive democracy and the enquiring mind. They force us to examine what many take for granted and to gain a more sophisticated understanding of the world, both physically and spiritually. By gagging those who question it, this "religion" is resorting to bullying tactics to silence those who simply aren't convinced. I'd like to think that they could handle criticism with a little more grace than going all "Lord of the Flies" on yo ass.
How was Operation Freak-out exposed? In 1977, the FBI uncovered documentary evidence of the plan whilst performing an investigation of the Church. This came on the tail of an all-out campaign of harassment against Paulette Cooper. Luckily they were caught in time and an out-of-court settlement was reached… hopefully involving a LOT of money.
Tom Cruise is obnoxiously wealthy and all the credit in the world to him for it. He's a fantastic actor, he can run really fast and he looks good without a shirt on, so he's earned his slice of pie (albeit the size of a small galaxy). Tom Cruise also resides in the top echelons of the scientology hierarchy and this isn't because he has dedicated decades of his life to planning sermons, providing wayward sheep with guidance, denying himself most worldly pleasures, inappropriately fondling choirboys and whatever else it takes to become a priest nowadays. It's because he paid for it.
Scientology, or at least the founding principles laid out in the 1950's bestseller Dianetics, has some truly winning concepts. If applied in the right manner, it's easy to see how this "religion" can be a very good thing and a very good influence. However, these positives stand stark against the various approaches scientology takes in managing its members and in dealing with its opposition. Also, let's not forget about the Space Opera.
The only thing that science and scientology share is a similar etymology (word origin) and that is -scio meaning "knowledge". But where science is the rational pursuit of knowledge, scientology is another creature altogether and apparently a very dangerous one at that.
Author Thea BeckmanPosted on October 8, 2015 Categories Culture, Funny Science, Humor, Paranormal, Religion, Science, Science and Society, Supernatural, UncategorizedTags about scientology, dianetics, funny science blog, L. Ron Hubbard, Lord Xenu, science blog, Scientology, scientology and science, Space Opera, the truth about scientology, Tom Cruise13 Comments on Scientology – It's Not the Study of Science


text:
El Toyota TF109 fue monoplaza de Fórmula 1 que el equipo Toyota Racing construyó y utilizó en la temporada 2009 de Fórmula 1. Fue revelado en línea en el sitio web de Toyota el 15 de enero de 2009 y realizó su debut en pista el 18 de enero en el Autódromo de Algarve. Durante la temporada fue conducido por Jarno Trulli y Timo Glock, a quien en las últimas dos citas sustituyó Kamui Kobayashi.

En lo que a rendimiento el coche era muy inconsistente. Todo comenzó bien con tres podios en las cuatro primeras carreras de la temporada, gracias al doble difusor que montaba el coche. En el lapso de sólo dos carreras sin embargo, el TF109 pasó de monopolizar la primera fila en Baréin a salir en la última fila en Mónaco. El coche a partir de entonces era poco competitiva a pesar de algunos destellos de esperanza en Singapur cuando Timo Glock terminó segundo y Japón cuando Jarno Trulli también terminó segundo.

Resultados

Referencias

Enlaces externos

TF109
Monoplazas de la temporada 2009 de Fórmula 1


Yesterday I was talking to my mom on facebook and she mentioned that two of my sisters were picking figs at my aunts' house. My Aunt Zoe has three beautiful fig trees in her yard. Not to mention she also has peaches, plums, pineapple and blueberry plants in her yard. Sad thing though is that most of my family, like my aunt, are in florida and I am across the country in Washington.
I told my mom that I was a little jealous that they could pick figs right now. I love figs! In reply she said she would mail me some!
I'm in shock that people can actually mail fruit. I did look it up just to make sure it was correct and sure enough USPS document C022 states: "Mailable perishable foods that do not rapidly decay or generate obnoxious odors in the mail may be sent at the mailer's risk." That made me laugh. Someone on yahoo answers wanted to know if he could random fruit, like a banana through the mail without a return address so that he could confuse one of his friends.
For you, me and everyone else out there, yes you can mail fruit. Just make sure it's packaged well, won't spoil quickly and marked as fragile.
This entry was posted in Facts and tagged facebook, fig tree, figs, Florida, food, fruit, mailing fruit, mom, nature, plants, USPS, Washington. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
import React, { Component } from 'react';
import { CheckBox, FlatList, Modal, Text, TouchableHighlight, View, Button, ScrollView, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
import { List, ListItem } from 'react-native-elements';
import { Font, AppLoading} from 'expo';
import { FontAwesome, MaterialIcons } from '@expo/vector-icons';
import TaskItem from './TaskItem.js';

class TaskModal extends Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);
    this.state = {
      modalVisible: false,
      tasks: []
    }
    this.hideModal = this.hideModal.bind(this);
  }

  componentWillMount() {
    this.setState({
      modalVisible: this.props.modalVisible,
      tasks: this.props.tasks
    })
  }

  componentWillReceiveProps() {
    this.setState({
      modalVisible: this.props.modalVisible,
      tasks: this.props.tasks
    })
  }

  hideModal() {
    this.setState({
      modalVisible: false
    }, () => this.props.toggleHide())
  }

  render() {
    const { fontsAreLoaded } = this.state;

    return (
      <View style={{marginTop: 22, marginHorizontal: 22}}>
        <Modal
          animationType="slide"
          transparent={true}
          visible={this.state.modalVisible}
          style={{marginTop: 22, backgroundColor: 'rgba(255,255,255,0.5'}}
          onRequestClose={() => {alert("Modal has been closed.")}}
        >
         <View >
         <ScrollView
            automaticallyAdjustContentInsets={false}
            scrollEventThrottle={200}
            style={styles.scrollView}
          >
            <List>
              <TouchableHighlight onPress={() => this.hideModal()}><Text style={{fontSize: 30, textAlign: 'right', marginTop: 5}}>☒</Text></TouchableHighlight>
              {this.state.tasks.map((task, i) => {
                return (
                  <TaskItem hideModal={this.hideModal.bind(this)} key={i} userID={this.props.userID} task={task} editTask={this.props.editTask}/>
                )
              })}
            </List>
          </ScrollView>
         </View>
        </Modal>
      </View>
    );
  }
}

var styles = StyleSheet.create({
  scrollView: {
    // backgroundColor: 'black',
    height: 300
  },
  button: {
    backgroundColor: '#ddd',
    borderRadius: 30,
    borderWidth: 3,
    borderColor: 'black',
    width: 250,
    alignItems: 'center',
    marginLeft: 60,
    marginTop: 5,
    marginBottom: 5,
  }
})
export default TaskModal;


The complexity and the gradual accumulation of environmental problems exacerbate governance challenges at various scales. Turning the challenges in practice is not an easy task. In these web-pages we aim to identify a number of scale challenges and possible responses to them.


Browse listings of Member users here at Free Transvestite Dating that are associated with Russian. Dating other singles that have similar interests is an ideal way to come up with ideas to do on a first date. Create a 100% Free Account to Meet Someone Tonight!
Most importantly I'm consistently nice, respectful, and appreciative. A former teacher and writer of equality and representation in politics, law, and society, I seek to enhance our level of humanity, uplift and inspire family, loved ones, and community.