text:
Freedom in the World
You are here
2012 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
New anti-union regulations, which took effect in September 2011, seriously limit trade union and collective bargaining rights. Also during the year, the interim government tightened control over the media, and prominent political opponents and critics continued to face harassment, including overseas travel bans, arrests, and serious charges such as sedition.
Fiji, colonized by Great Britain in 1874, became an independent member of the Commonwealth in 1970. Intense rivalry between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians is the main source of political and social tension in the country. Indians, who were first brought to Fiji in the 19th century to work on sugar plantations, came to control a large share of the economy. Armed coups by indigenous factions in 1987 and 2000 overthrew governments led by Indo-Fijian parties.
Following the 2000 coup, the military installed Laisenia Qarase, an indigenous Fijian of the United Fiji Party (UFP), to lead an interim government. Qarase was elected prime minister in 2001 and won a second term in 2006. That year, differences between Qarase and military chief Frank Bainimarama—another indigenous Fijian—over the fate of the 2000 coup participants resulted in another military coup. In December 2006, Bainimarama ousted Qarase and dissolved Parliament. He soon began silencing his critics, including filing legal suits against opposition leaders, and detaining, arresting, and expelling journalists.
In 2008, a 45-member council—handpicked by Bainimarama—completed the drafting of the People's Charter for Change, Peace, and Progress, a legal document designed to complement the constitution. The charter recommended addressing major sources of ethnic tensions by replacing communal electoral rolls with a one-person-one-vote system, and designating all citizens as Fijians, a term previously reserved only for the indigenous. The charter also officially confirmed the military's role in governing Fiji, paving the way for the replacement of civilians with military personnel in many high-level positions.
In 2009, the court of appeals ruled that the 2006 dismissal of Qarase and his cabinet, the dissolution of Parliament, and the 2007 appointment of Bainimarama as interim prime minister were illegal. The interim president, Josefa Iloilo, was ordered to appoint a caretaker prime minister to dissolve Parliament and call elections. The next day, Iloilo suspended the 1997 constitution, nullified all judicial appointments, reconfirmed himself as president, reappointed Bainimarama as interim prime minister, and imposed Public Emergency Regulations (PER) to ban public protests and tighten government control of the media. In July 2009, Iloilo stepped down, and Vice-President Epeli Nailatikau assumed the role of interim president.
The international community reacted by terminating millions of dollars in development aid and suspending Fiji from the Commonwealth. In spite of international pressure, Bainimarama announced in 2009 that new elections would not be held until September 2014, pending the passage by 2013 of a new constitution that would address the recommendations of the People's Charter. Bainimarama also declared in March 2010 that no politician active since 1987 would be allowed to run in the 2014 elections. In 2010, the interim government granted immunity from prosecution to all those involved in the 2000 and 2006 coups who had not been convicted in court hearings. Beneficiaries included Iloilo, Bainimarama, and members of the military, police, and prison service.
In 2011, the interim government continued to silence its critics. Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, a former lieutenant colonel and ally of Bainimarama in the 2006 coup, absconded bail and fled to Tonga in May, accused of making seditious comments and inciting a mutiny. Mara's sister, Adi Ateca Ganilau, then lost her position in July as head of the Lau provincial council for allegedly criticizing the interim government. On December 30, Dr. Mere Samisoni, a 74-year-old former parliamentarian who has close ties to Mara's family, was taken into military custody and charged with inciting violence. The interim government also increased its control of organized labor during the year, including limiting collective bargaining rights, refusing to grant permits for union meetings, and harassing union leaders.
Fiji's economy continued to suffer from the global economic downturn and the suspension of development assistance from international donors. The government consequently intensified efforts to attract Chinese investment in casino gaming, hotels, and mining. In 2011, China promised $4.3 million to fund a new hospital and gave $3 million to various development programs. To increase state revenues, the interim government raised the value-added tax in January and cut pensions in September.
Fiji is not an electoral democracy. Under the 1997 constitution, which was suspended in 2009, Parliament consisted of a 32-seat Senate and a 71-seat House of Representatives. The president was appointed to a five-year term by the Great Council of Chiefs; however, this role was suspended in 2007. The prime minister was appointed by the president and was generally the leader of the majority party or coalition in Parliament. Since the suspension of the constitution, the interim government has essentially ruled by decree.
The two main political parties are the UFP, largely supported by indigenous Fijians, and the Fiji Labor Party, which has a largely Indo-Fijian constituency.
Official corruption remains widespread, and reform agendas by multiple governments have not produced significant results.
While the 1997 constitution provided for freedoms of speech and of the press, extensive government censorship has been in place under the PER since 2009. In 2010, the government created the Media Industry Development Authority to enforce more restrictive media laws, including one requiring all media organizations to be 90 percent owned by local entities. The interim authorities continued their crackdown on freedom of expression in 2011. Numerous Fiji Times reporters were detained or arrested for material deemed critical of the government or its industries. In May, Mahendra Mohitibai Patel, the owner of Fiji Times, was sentenced to a year in prison for abuse of office while he was the managing director of Post Fiji for buying a clock for the office building without board approval. In August, the Ministry of Information began to require all media organizations to send news headlines to on-site government censors for approval half an hour before stories are published or broadcast. The interim government arrested five people in October for graffiti it considered seditious, and requested a closed court for their hearing in December. Access to the internet is spreading with increased competition, but remains limited outside the capital due to cost and infrastructure constraints.
Freedom of religion is generally respected, but the interim government appears to target those, including religious leaders, who speak out against the regime. Most indigenous Fijians are Christians, and Indo-Fijians are generally Hindus. Places of worship, especially Hindu temples, have been attacked. In August 2011, the interim government canceled the Methodist Church annual conference for the third consecutive year, citing that the speakers included senior church officials critical of the interim government. Methodist officials were also banned from traveling overseas to attend church meetings and conferences. Hindus are also now required to obtain a permit to hold religious events that involve more than 10 people.
While academic freedom is generally respected, the education system suffers from a lack of resources, and indigenous Fijians are granted special privileges in education.
Freedoms of assembly and association have been restricted since 2009 when the interim government suspended the 1997 constitution and imposed the PER, which gives power to law enforcement authorities to prohibit any public or private assemblies or meetings by three or more people.
The interim government increased its control over organized labor in 2011. In July, the interim government stopped automatically deducting union dues from the salaries of civil servants, claiming that union dues were unnecessary since amendments to the Public Service Act protect the rights of workers. The Essential National Industries Decree limits trade union and collective bargaining rights for those employed in industries that are considered essential to Fiji's economy, including the sugar industry, the airline industry, utility corporations, banks, and telecommunication firms. The decree took effect in September. Previously held collective agreements remained valid only for 60 days until new agreements could be negotiated, and strikes in essential businesses were banned. Violations carry a penalty of $50,000 or five years in jail. Furthermore, all union officials must be employees of the company whose workers they represent, and bargaining units must have at least 75 members. In October and November, the interim government arrested Daniel Urai and Felix Anthony, leaders of the Fiji Trades Union Congress. Urai was charged with sedition and released after posting bail, while Anthony was interrogated and released without being charged. Also in December, the government refused to grant permits—required under the PER—for union meetings.
Suspension of the constitution in 2009, the related dismissal of judges, and their replacement by appointees of the interim government have raised serious questions about judicial independence. The 2009 dismissals exacerbated an already serious backlog of cases, which continued in 2011. Prisons are seriously overcrowded, with poor sanitary and living conditions.
Race-based discrimination is pervasive. Indigenous Fijians receive preferential treatment in education, housing, land acquisition, and other areas. Discrimination, economic hardship, and political turmoil have prompted many Indo-Fijians to leave Fiji. A December 2011 study reported that an estimated 250,000 Fijians—many of them educated and skilled Indo-Fijians—had left the country in the last 25 years.
Discrimination and violence against women are widespread. Women are also underrepresented in government and leadership positions and do not receive equal wages. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 2010. A decree was passed in January 2011 to officially outlaw discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. Fiji is a source country for the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation and a destination country for the trafficking of men and women for forced labor and prostitution.


text:
History and Development of Nature Education in California with Emphasis on the Period Up to 1935
Cornell Univ., Sept., 1953 - Education - 192 pages
From inside the book
15 pages matching tine in this book
Where's the rest of this book?
Results 1-3 of 15
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Common terms and phrases
American Nature Study Angeles animals Appendix Assistant Berkeley Bertha Chapman Biology birds Botany boys bulletin Cady Calif Chico child City Schools Cornell County course of study David Starr David Starr Jordan Davis Director elementary school Entomology Fairbanks field froa fron geography grades high school hone garden Indiana Insects instructor interest Jenkins Jordan Joseph LeConte Kellogg Kern Lecturer Leland Stanford lessons Liberty Hyde Bailey Mature Miller National Parks natural history naturalist nature education Nature Guiding Nature Study Society Nature-Study Review Normal School Number Oakland ornia outline plants Professor public schools published pupils San Francisco school garden soil Stanford Stebbins Stories Study Review Superintendent supervisors Supt Talks taught teachers teaching tine tion tudy Univer University of Calif University of California vegetable Vernon Vernon Kellogg Volume whioh Winnebago County wrote Zoology

subset: commoncrawl


text:
5.0 Speed Lust - June 2013
Summit 'Shaft
Summit Racing [(800) 230-3030; www.summitracing.com] says you can add strength and dependability in a lightweight package with its new aluminum driveshaft. The company also says adding an aluminum driveshaft to your '79-'04 Mustang is an easy way to improve throttle response while lowering e.t.'s. Made of aluminum, these driveshafts feature seamless tubing that ensures both strength and rigidity. They use high-performance, 1330-style U-joints that can withstand the additional power of a race-prepped Mustang.
Good Points
Kenny Brown Performance's [(855) 847-4477; www.kennybrown.com] '05-'14 Mustang rear shock-tower brace is designed to reinforce the shock mounting points and the mid-section of your Mustang over the rear axle. By triangulating this area, Kenny Brown Performance says it creates a much more rigid structure that improves ride quality and handling, while also adding the reinforcement needed for coil-over or racing shocks. The three-point design also allows for minimal weight addition with maximum strengthening. Installation involves OEM hardware with pre-drilled mounting locations, and is compatible with coilover rear shock assemblies. It is manufactured from high-grade steel, finished in a durable powdercoating, and includes all the required hardware.
Ram Flair
Cervini's Auto Designs [(800) 488-6057; www.cervinis.com] got its start creating ram-air hoods. If you want to add some flair to your '13 Mustang GT and '10-'13 GT500, check out the company's Type IV Ram Air Hood ($638.99). This hood features functional ram-air ducts and heat-extractor vents designed to improve cool airflow to your Mustang's engine. The hood also provides increased engine clearance if a bigger supercharger is in your Mustang's present or future.
Coyote Cover
This one's pretty self-explanatory. It's Shelby Performance Parts' [(702) 405-3500; www.shelbyperformanceparts.com] Shelby GT350 carbon-fiber engine cover for '11-'13 Mustang GT engines. It's simple—pop off the original, and snug Shelby's cover down onto your Mustang's engine. Shelby also carries matching coil covers to make it a clean sweep to dress up your Mustang's Coyote engine. The engine cover, combined with the coil covers, are designed to add a sophisticated race car look under your Mustang's hood.
As If
Does your '13 GT500 need more power? Corsa [(800) 486-0999; www.corsaperformance.com] has an exhaust system for you. To keep the drone away, it features the company's exclusive Reflective Sound Cancellation technology. "We designed this new exhaust to unleash the power of the 2013 Mustang GT500," said Craig R. Kohrs, vice president and general manager at TMG Performance Products. "The combined axle-back system and XO-style crossover pipe improve airflow to deliver impressive performance gains of 35 horsepower and 47 lb-ft of torque." Corsa offers the Mustang GT500 dual-rear-exit exhaust system with Twin Pro Series 4-inch tips in either polished (PN 14323) or custom Diamond-black finish (PN 14323BLK). The exhaust tips are manufactured from polished stainless steel, feature double-wall construction, and are laser-etched with the Corsa logo. The axle-back system (PN 14321) and XO-style crossover pipe (PN 14322) are also sold separately.
Wide Range
Hotchkis Performance Wheels [(877) 4-NOROLL; www.hotchkis.net] believes one of the most underappreciated components of a well-balanced performance suspension is a good set of wheels. To properly enhance the performance of a vehicle, Hotchkis says a Mustang's wheels should be light, strong, and provide a wider track. Its new H-Sport, S-Sport, and Y-Sport wheels are ready to provide those features. The H-Sport wheel is a multi-spoke design that is available in gloss silver or matte black. The S-Sport wheel features a double five-spoke design, is available in a gloss silver or matte black finish, and has machine polished accents. Featuring a classic Y-spoke design, the Y-Sport wheel is available in matte-graphite finish or with a machine-polished face and matte-graphite accents. Hotchkis Performance Wheels are, on average, 2 to 4 pounds lighter than the stockers.
Turbos & More
Dickmeyer Automotive Engineering [(260) 723-4584] is pleased to release DAE Turbo Systems, its new line of turbos, wastegates, and intercoolers. High-quality yet affordable, DAE's turbos are available in multiple sizes and configurations, and the company's wastegates are sized from 35mm to 66mm. DAE's efficient intercoolers are built with bar and plate cores in several sizes as well, but DAE can also build a custom intercooler to fit your Mustang's needs.
Kickin' Tunes
Kicker has a long history of answering the needs of audiophiles. Its new CX-Series amplifiers ($169.95-$449.95), Kicker [(405) 624-8510; www.kicker.com] continues that tradition by providing consumers with an amp to fill the needs of every music nut. The CX-Series consists of flexible multi-channel models and potent mono models, both with the power to exceed expectations. Kicker amplifiers come loaded with Fail-safe Integration Technology and advanced circuitry for superior power, clarity, and dependability. FIT uses lab-grade, balanced differential inputs to provide the best possible noise rejection, high- and low-level input capability, and the acceptance of output from virtually any factory or aftermarket source.
New Heights
Ridetech's [(812) 481-4752; www.ridetech.com] new '05-'13 Mustang strut offering is available as a coilover or in the company's Shockwave air suspension design. Both are designed with handling performance and ride quality in mind, featuring a custom extruded-aluminum clamp mount that integrates ABS and brake lines to make installation a true bolt-on affair. Not only are these struts available in coilover or Shockwave designs, they're available in several shock valving options, as well. In coilover form, a Hyperco spring is used; with either design, ride height is up to your discretion.
Torquey Tool
Everyone needs an impact, and Ingersoll Rand [(704) 655-4000; www.ingersollrand.com] thinks you need its new 2350XP 1⁄2-inch, composite Impactool. It operates with a six-vane motor and twin-hammer impact mechanism, delivering 690 lb-ft of reverse torque. The rugged composite housing and lightweight aluminum hammer case make the 2350XP just 4.1 pounds without sacrificing long-lasting durability. The ergonomic design and feather-touch trigger are intended to make the Impactool easier to use, increase comfort, and reduce fatigue. With a patented one-hand Forward/Reverse control and a wide range of power regulator settings, the 2350XP offers users precise control so you can perform multiple tasks with one tool. The silenced tool technology reduces noise levels in the garage, while the large grease fitting makes it easy to maintain.
Three Strikes
If you need a new shift lever for your Mustang, check out Bowler Performance Transmissions' [(618) 943-4856; www.bowlertransmissions.com] new line of billet shift levers for Tremec transmissions. These levers feature a direct bolt-on design for the Tremec TKO-500, TKO-600, and T56 transmissions. Lightweight and strong, while adding a cool custom look, the levers are available in 6-, 8-, and, 10-inch lengths. All three lengths are offered in either a straight or 30-degree-angled design. Finish options include brushed, black-anodized, and black-anodized with brushed edges.
Shelby Sauce
If you're looking for quicker e.t.'s from your Shelby GT500 (we're not talking to you, Editor Turner!), check out Nitrous Express' [(888) 463-2781; www.nitrousexpress.com] new GT500 System featuring a billet nitrous plate that fits between the throttle body and intake making for a quick, simple, and attractive installation. The system includes aluminum and carbon-fiber solenoids, and a fuel-rail adapter for simple fuel system hook-ups without the need to cut factory fuel lines. The system also features a throttle-position switch, a 15-foot nitrous feed line, a master arming switch, a relay, a relay harness, and all the necessary hardware to complete installation. Nitrous Express' GT500 system comes with jetting from 35 to 200 hp, and can be purchased with a 5-, 10-, or 15-pound bottle.


text:
The National Cotton Council expressed its gratitude to North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan on Thursday for her submission of an amendment to the 2012 farm bill that would reduce the regulatory burden on producers and reaffirm the primacy of the Federal Insecticide Rodenticide and Act (FIFRA) in regulating pesticide applications, including those over and near bodies of water.
The amendment includes the language of H.R. 872, which was passed by the House in March 2011 and was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The letter from NCC President/CEO Mark Lange thanked her for her leadership and stated that U.S. cotton's central organization strongly supports her amendment and looks forward to working with her to ensure its adoption on the Senate floor.
The letter noted that the requirement for producers to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for certain pesticide applications, as mandated under National Cotton Council v. EPA, adds unnecessary, duplicative and costly requirements for farms already operating on the margins and which are already in compliance with FIFRA pesticide use restrictions. Since the inception of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972, water quality concerns from pesticide applications have been addressed during the registration and labeling process under FIFRA.
"Pesticides must undergo a minimum of 125 safety tests -- including impacts to aquatic environments -- before they receive a registration for use," Lange said. "Permitting under the CWA is duplicative regulation which will burden applicators with high costs and liability without providing additional environmental protection."
The letter said EPA estimates that NPDES permit requirements will affect about 365,000 pesticide applicators nationwide that perform 5.6 million applications annually. Further, EPA estimates it will cost $50 million and require more than a million hours per year to implement. Industry cost estimates are much higher. The permit's complex compliance requirements will impose additional burdens on thousands of small businesses, communities, counties, and state and federal agencies legally responsible for pest control, and expose them to liability through citizen suit provisions in the CWA.


text:
ebraska scored five runs in the top of the first inning and bolted to a 9-1 lead before hanging on to defeat Creighton, 12-9, before 10,418 fans at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha on Tuesday evening. Nebraska earned the season split with the Jays, while improving to 24-26 on the year. Creighton dropped to 28-15 with the defeat after picking up a 5-3 win over the Huskers on April 26th.
Down 9-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning, Creighton mounted a seven run rally over the next two frames to make it a game. Junior Federico Castagnini got the Jays going with a one-out infield single to short. Sophomore Jake Peter followed with a walk, the freshman Reagan Fowler earned a free pass to load the bases with two down. Senior Brennan Murphy drew the third walk of the frame for Creighton, forcing Castagnini home. Fellow senior Michael Blatchford followed with another walk to make it 9-3. Ironically the Jays' first run also came on a bases loaded walk to junior Jerry Mitchell in the second inning.
Still in the fifth, freshman Ryan Fitzgerald lofted a double off the glove of a sliding attempt by Nebraska's Chad Christensen to chase home Fowler and Murphy. Blatchford, however, was cut down at the plate on a close call to send the game to the sixth with the Huskers up, 9-5.
The Jays' rally continued in the sixth as junior Brad McKewon drew the first free pass of the frame with one out, then Castagnini launched his first home run as Bluejay over the left field wall to cut the deficit to 9-7. With two down, senior Alex Staehely worked another walk, then Fowler lifted a single into left. Murphy and Blatchford followed with back-to-back walks, forcing home Staehely to bring the Jays within a run at 9-8.
Nebraska skipper Darin Erstad went to closer Dylan Vogt with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, and Vogt got Fitzgerald to fly out to right to end the threat.
The Huskers answered Creighton's rally with two runs in the seventh and one in the ninth, while Vogt limited the Jays to an unearned run in the eight on a leadoff triple by Peter and a two-out error.
Bluejay starter Matt Warren (2-3) allowed seven runs (four earned) in two innings to pick up the loss. Nebraska's Tyler Neiderklein (1-1) was credited with the win after throwing a predetermined two innings of work, allowing one run on two hits. Josh Roeder's perfect ninth inning earned him his fourth save.
Offensively the Jays were led by two hits from Castagnini, he finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Story courtesy of GoCreighton.com


text:
|Be My Valentine Gift Basket
Has your Valentine ever surprised you by sending a gift to you at work, or even at home?
We secretly just love that, don't we!
Be it flowers or treats for taste buds or body, nothing quite compares to that knock on the door or the delivery person coming right to your desk!
If your Valentine hasn't quite caught on yet, make it easy on him and send him the link to
|Fresh Memories
From blossoms sure to delight...
|Gourmet Cheesecake Sampler
to cheesecake, decadent and rich...
|Hand Dipped Artisan Truffles
from chocolate delights...
|Premium Spa Collection
|Let Your Body Do The Talking
from naughty and daring...
|Evening of Indulgence
You can find your heart's desire at Gourmet Gift Baskets!
Shop with ease, by occasion, holiday or price, just to name a few of the categories!
I had opportunity to explore a scrumptious basket from Gourmet Gift Baskets ~
the Be My Valentine Basket ~ simply brimming with chocolate delights! Did I feel a little guilty getting into all those goodies...only for a minute! I read a wonderful article on the benefits of the right chocolate at the Gourmet Gift Basket blog, Chocolate Should and Can Be Part of Your Daily Diet. I also enlisted the testing assistance of the whole family!
While all the chocolate treats were delicious, everyone had their own favorite selection.
My husband loves dark chocolate, and predictably, his favorite was the Lake Champion Dark Chocolate Bar. My son loved the Dolcetta Chocolate Wafer Petites, with their fudge like center, surrounded with a light, crisp wafer. Chocolate Covered Cherries, sweet and tart by Marich were quickly spoken for by my daughter. My personal favorite were the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Sticks by Sweet Co, so delicious!
Although not selected as "personal favorites", the Be My Valentine Basket also included other luscious treats that were enjoyed by all: English Toffee Singles, Cherry Vanilla Va-Voom Nut Confection, Peanut Roll and Almond Roca Buttercrunch Toffee!
Whatever the occasion, you can find a basket or gift perfect for your needs from
|Fishing ~ Caught The Big One
|Around The World Beer Bucket
Ladies will want to peruse the Gifts for Him section; you'll be impressed by the wide selection!
Running a bit behind? No worries! Gourmet Gift Baskets has a selection of Same Day Gifts to keep you out of the dog house!
Gourmet Gift Baskets is generously offering my readers a chance to win a Be My Valentine Gift Basket, ($49.99)! You must follow That's What She Said via Google Friend Connect (mid right sidebar) to be eligible to enter this giveaway. The giveaway will conclude on Thursday, February 10th, 2011 at 6am EST. The winner will be selected randomly from all eligible entries and will be notified by email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond before I move on to a runner up. Please leave your email address in your comments, if it is not available via your comment name, so I may contact you if you are the winner. The prize is being supplied by Gourmet Gift Baskets and they are responsible for shipping.
You must follow That's What She Said via Google Friend Connect (mid right sidebar) to be eligible to enter this giveaway. To enter, please "like" Gourmet Gift Baskets on Facebook, leave a comment telling them your favorite gift basket, then leave a comment here with your facebook name and also sharing with me your favorite gift basket.
* Follow Gourmet Gift Baskets via their RSS feed or email, leave a comment with your applicable name, 5 entries per method.
* Subscribe to That's What She Said via RSS feed or email (mid right sidebar), leave a comment with your applicable name, 5 entries per method.
* Follow Gourmet Gift Baskets on Twitter, leave comment with your twitter name, 5 entries.
* Follow That's What She Said (tsue1136) on Twitter, leave a comment with your twitter name, 5 entries.
* Tweet about this giveaway with a direct link back here. Please include @tsue1136 and @gmtgiftbaskets in you tweet. Leave a link to your tweet in your comment. Limit of one tweet per hour. 5 entries per tweet.
* Share about this giveaway in some other fashion, whether by posting on your facebook, blogging, stumbling, posting on a giveaway linky, anything goes! Leave a comment with a link to your sharing so I can find it. Handy share button at the bottom of this post. 5 entries per method.
* Enter any of my other active Pamper Your Valentine Giveaways. Leave a comment letting me know which you entered. 5 entries per additional giveaway.
* Put my button (mid right sidebar) on your blog and leave a comment with a direct link so I can find it. 5 entries.
Congratulations to Susan1215, comment #374, courtesy of Random.org!
I was provided with a Be My Valentine gift basket to explore for the purposes of creating this feature. The opinions expressed above are both honest and my own. Images and information taken from various Gourmet Gift Basket sites. Gourmet Gift Baskets is supplying the prize for this giveaway and is responsible for shipping.


text:
17 March 2014
Q2 2014 Brings Big Changes to the PL/SQL Challenge
It went pretty well. Some players did write quizzes (a big thank you most especially to Jeroen Rutte, who wrote a total of 7 quizzes, 5 of which were used in Q1). But I still spent and spend lots of time writing quizzes, which I enjoy greatly, but unfortunately is not sustainable.
So starting in Q2 2014, the daily PL/SQL quiz will end and in its place we will offer three weekly quizzes in its place:
PL/SQL Challenge
The PL/SQL Challenge replaces the daily PL/SQL quiz that ran from April 2010 through March 2014. I will write all the quizzes for the PL/SQL Challenge quiz. They will focus on "core" PL/SQL features (including commonly-used supplied packages like DBMS_OUTPUT and UTL_FILE), up through the latest production version of the Oracle database. Players who take this quiz are eligible to qualify for the annual PL/SQL Challenge Championship.[We may decide to increase the frequency of those championships, but for now: annual.]
PL/SQL Explore
The PL/SQL Explore quiz explores the nooks and crannies of the PL/SQL language, and the many PL/SQL packages supplied by Oracle Corporation. Quizzes are provided by both Steven Feuerstein and players, and can range from "core" PL/SQL functionality to "edgy" elements of the language, like calling Java from PL/SQ or rarely used supplied packages. like DBMS_XA.
PL/SQL Deja Vu
PL/SQL Deja Vu offers quizzes from the past - PL/SQL quizzes previously played on the daily PL/SQL quiz or one of the other PL/SQL quizzes. Use Deja Vu PL/SQL to reinforce your PL/SQL knowledge without worrying about competing with others. These quizzes are not ranked!
We will also "re-brand" the daily PL/SQL quiz to the "PL/SQL Challenge", so the daily quiz names will be of this form:
PL/SQL Challenge #276 D2011-04-12
and the weekly PL/SQL Challenge quiz names will look like:
PL/SQL Challenge #1240 WS2013-04-12
where "WS" is the "Weekly quiz Starting on".
We will look into ways to offer rankings across the various competitive PL/SQL quizzes, but we will not be able to get to that immediately.
Of course, the new quarter has not yet started. I am very interested to hear your feedback on these quizzes.
And, of course, you are welcome to shower me with flattery about how much you love those daily quizzes and want them to continue. Surely, my ego could use the stroking. :-)
But this time the decision is made: the daily quiz will end, and three new PL/SQL weekly quizzes will take its place.
17 comments:
I support the decision - you do need a life outside the Challenge at least a few hours a week ;-)ReplyDelete
(And maybe I'd even start playing the PL/SQL weekly quiz - I haven't played the daily for a while as SQL quiz writing takes most of the timeslot available to this...)Replies
Nothing to add, hopefully you are able to dedicate the freetime to your grandchild and your wife ;-)Delete
- Arthur Landsbergen17 March, 2014 19:47
Quite understandable, Steven.ReplyDelete
Thanks a lot for what you did, do en will be doing for the PL/SQL-community :-)
- Marga18 March, 2014 08:02
Well, I guess this is it. I can understand why you made this decision and I guess the other players now also know how timeconsuming the making of a quizz is. I think the choices you offer for weekly pl/sql quizzes are nice choices and I'm looking forward to have more time to answer the other weekly quizzes ;-).ReplyDelete
Kind regards,
PLSQLChallenge is the most altruistic effort in normal (business) life I have ever seen.ReplyDelete
Your decision to regain a personal life is indeed very understandable...
We can not thank you enough for your time spent in building this website.
I wish you good luck for your life und will continue to visit this website on a weekly schedule...
Many, many thanks Steven for the great effort done until now!ReplyDelete
See you on many of the next coming quizzes!
- Peach18 March, 2014 11:34
Thank you Steve for doing it so far.ReplyDelete
PL-SQL daily is great. But weekly is better. I have often stress enough to fill out in the daily rhythm. The weekly gives more time and is ok for me as well and I have time for the other weekly quizzes.Replies
I cannot but agree. Thank you, Steven, for all that effort so far.Delete
I think it's time to go weekly, and I was suprised earlier when you said it will keep going daily. It's nature finding a balance ;-)ReplyDelete
Thanks a lot for all the great work in providing the quizzes (having written only two quizzes myself, I'm only beginning to appreciate how hard writing good quizzes really is). And thanks for continuing the site - I'm looking forward especially to the PLSQL/Explore quizzes :-)ReplyDelete
- Anonymous20 March, 2014 16:32
I very much appreciate having the PL/SQL Quiz. My work has greatly improved as I have learned so much about Oracle and PL/SQL that I otherwise wouldn't have discovered. It is wonderful that you are keeping it going, even if in a reduced capacity. Thank you.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous21 March, 2014 08:46
Thanks a million for the daily PL/SQL quiz, it was always a great day starter !ReplyDelete
I will enjoy the new quizzes.
- Anonymous27 March, 2014 09:45
Thanks Steve for your altruistic efforts on building this community.ReplyDelete
As a father of a one year five months boy I understand the importance of family and I appreciate your implication into this project.
Lets the new phase start!
I'm sure it will be successfully.
I think that now we have much more hope to very rare tests based on errors thrown by the compiler or at run-time.ReplyDelete
Being given the fact that the quizzes are much rare it opens the way to put problems for which the system would give us, humans, no hints (via raising errors).
Less quantity should come with much more quality.
- Anonymous31 March, 2014 20:00
I just played the last daily quiz.
Checking on my lifetime ranking I played the daily PL/SQL challenge for 1 day and 17 hours.
Every minute well spent. It was fun and I learned a lot from it.
Thanks for all the effort you put into this, and I can't wait for the weekly quizzes to start.
Congratulations on your new job. The weekly quizzes must be of even higher quality since they are now written by an Oracle employee ;-)
Thanks Steven!ReplyDelete
It was a real pleasure to play PLSQL quiz and I'm looking forward for the new format!
Thanks so much to all of you for your kind comments and best wishes. I am sure I will be keeping very busy at Oracle, but do not worry, the PL/SQL Challenge to continue to get lots of my attention.ReplyDelete
Jeroen, I have been amazed over the years at the dedication and flat out amount of time players have committed to the quizzes - and improving their PL/SQL craftsmanship.


text:
|Belgium's Bishops Follow Francis "Seamlessly"
(Brussels) In Belgium the remarried divorced persons may, if the bishops allow it, receive Communion. The media are almost triumphant: "Belgium's bishops are with Francis."
On 24 May, the Belgian bishops published a pastoral letter in Dutch and French, calling upon ambiguous passages in the post-synodal letter Amoris laetitia by Pope Francis. According to Cathobel , "the bishops of Belgium follow the teachings of the pope with their pastoral letter by allowing remarried divorced people to receive Communion when they decide according to their conscience."
No one can say by decree, everyone can go to the communion (therefore, all who want it)
"Monitoring, differentiation and integration. Nothing more. The prelates follow Pope Francis seamlessly because they are aware that every situation has its own particularity," said Cathobel . One can not say by decree that "all remarried divorced people can go to communion." No one could do that. A "path" is necessary and a "distinction" and a "pastoral discernment of conscience."
"The divorced are part of the Church for Francis. Even for the Belgian bishops." Without any reinterpretation, the prelates will have started to heal wounds. "This decision deserves respect," says Cathobel .
"Between laxity and rigorism, Francis chose the ways of personal choice,
According to the letter of the shepherd. A "decision of conscience" was called for, according to the bishops.
From objective criteria to subjective opinion
"Without any reinterpretation" obviously means two things. On the one hand, the Belgian bishops, with their step, follow exactly what Pope Francis reaches for with Amoris Laetitia, namely, that remarried divorced people if they find it right before their conscience, can receive the sacraments. The decision no longer follows objective criteria but the subjective opinion of the individual. On the other hand, it is the "rigorous" bishops who do not adhere to the doctrine of the pope and "reinterpret" Amoris laetitia in order to maintain a "continuity" with the traditional doctrine of the Church. This swipe would then be first applied to Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Congregation of the Faith, and the Diocesan Bishops, who maintain the sacramental inviolability of marriage -- and make a mockery of the "Bergoglian" bishops.
With the dismissal of André-Joseph Léonard and the appointment of Jozef De Kesel as archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, the Church in Belgium has once again taken a full steam tour of its lack of orientation. It was Pope Francis who, on the insinuation and incitement of Cardinal Godfried Danneels (Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, 1979-2010), denied him a cardinal dignity, as he did to the metropolitans of Philadelphia and Venice, among others
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Cathobel (Screenshot)
Photo: Cathobel (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Either you are completely done with stock fonts available on your Mac or PC, or you are that artistic type who wants everything to be beautifully customized. In both cases, this short, quick tutorial will teach you how to make your own font.
Things you need:
- Paper
- Pencil
- Artistic brain (or any brain will do)
- Sharp pen to outline
- Computer
- Vector software such as Adobe Illustrator
- Scanner or camera or smartphone with camera
Step 1
Start brainstorming your design or font on a piece of paper. Sketch out all possible strokes and shapes.
Image from: http://www.bittbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/how_to_make_a_font_2.jpg
After you have brainstormed ideas, it's time to put down the best ones with a pen or a marker. Outline the fonts or shapes you made. Make sure to draw punctuations as well.
You can skip this step (and the beginning of Step 2) if you are tech guy or a hardcore designer who has a stylus or a graphic tablet. In that case, you can directly draw on your computer.
Step 2
Scan your sketch or take a photo of the sketch right from above. Make sure to scan in the minimum 200dpi (dot per inch) setting. After scanning, clean up the haze or any areas that you don't want, either in Photoshop or whichever editing software you feel comfortable with.
Step 3
Now put your cleaned scanned images into a vector software. You can also use a font editor directly, but having your drawings in vector will give you a much cleaner result. I would recommend using Adobe Illustrator to convert to vectors.
Click image trace in order to trace out your sketches and then click expand to make it vector. After going through this step, go onto any font-editing software website such as:
All of the above are equally good, and it's up to you to decide which one works best for you.
TIP: Try using Kerning in your typeface, since it gives the entire font a nice feel and depth to it, and makes it unique and beautiful to look at.
That's pretty much it. After exporting your typeface, you can install it on your computer, use them in your websites, or sell them online.
If you are having difficulty getting ideas during your brainstorming stage, you should try visiting dafont.com, as the site allows you to download various custom fonts. This way, you can learn how the kerning, spacing, and strokes on each font are made. Happy font designing!


text:
Hayward® Commercial Pool Launches New PoolComm® App
The advanced web-based management tool that revolutionized remote monitoring and control is now even more mobile.
For more information, contact:
Gary Young
Phone: 908.351.5400 x4252
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
ELIZABETH, NJ (March 4, 2013) - Hayward® Commercial Pool Products announces the launch of a new mobile app for PoolComm® -- its NSF Certified CAT Controllers® wireless web-based control system for the commercial pool market. The new app affords commercial pool servicers, operators, and managers greater convenience and flexibility when monitoring water quality at their various facilities.
The PoolComm app, designed for iPhone® and/or Android™ provides users with a more accessible, user friendly way to view and dynamically control water quality, create compliance charts, audit tracking and view alarms fed from either their CAT 4000® or CAT 5000® controllers. This new app will allow pool operators to create pool and pump room survey reports and immediately send the information to their email, all within the app.
In conjunction with the release of the PoolComm app, Hayward is also introducing Wi-Fi® communication capabilities for their CAT 4000 and CAT 5000 models. This breakthrough opens up PoolComm to an even greater number of users without monthly or annual usage fees. Existing CAT 4000 and CAT 5000 controller installations can be field upgraded via a Wi-Fi retrofit kit.
According to General Manager of Hayward Commercial Pool Products Patrick Sweeney, "Since its launch in 2004, PoolComm has revolutionized the way pools are managed, enabling remote web-based monitoring and control of multiple bodies of water anywhere at any time. Wi-Fi will further accelerate the adoption of this technology making automated pool management even more affordable." He noted, "For controllers already installed in the field without active communications, the Wi-Fi field upgrade kit is a quick and easy way to access the world of remote communications, bringing control literally to your fingertips."
The app is now available for free download at the Apple® App Store for the iPhone® and the Google Play™ Store for the Android™. If you would like to see how the app works, a video can be watched by going to the Hayward Pool Professional YouTube page at http://bit.ly/PoolCommVideo
Click to Download PoolComm App for iPhone
Click to Download PoolComm App for Android
About Hayward Industries, Inc.
Hayward has been a global leader in the development and marketing of swimming pool equipment for both residential and commercial applications for almost 50 years.
The company manufactures and markets the Totally Hayward System of advanced pool equipment designing innovative solutions to enhance the swimming pool experience. Our eco-friendly Hayward Energy Solutions® products employ advanced energy efficient technology to deliver environmentally responsible products with lower cost of ownership.
Hayward Flow Control serves industrial and commercial markets requiring robust, state of the art control products for managing a diverse group of liquids in process and water treatment applications.
Hayward Industries is headquartered in Elizabeth, N.J. For more information, contact Hayward at
+1 (908) 351-5400 or visit www.haywardindustries.com
Apple and iPhone are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.


text:
Welcome to the AT-49 Gallery. Click any image for a closer look...
Laser Interface+
Universal Laser Systems has developed the world's most advanced, powerful, and flexible laser print driver.
1-Touch Laser Photo
We developed this software to make any photographic image suitable for laser engraving.
Univeral Laser Cartridges
Our exclusive line of patented CO2 Free-Space Gas Slab Lasers is designed specifically for the needs of laser cutting, engraving, graphic imaging and marking applications.
High Power Density Focusing Optics
These optics allow the laser beem to be focused to a much smaller spot, producing sharper images at tighter tolerances.
Welcome to the AT-VLS350 Gallery. Click any image for a closer look...Read More


text:
Be Pretty in Pink for Prom 2013!
When it comes to prom, we all know that you can never go wrong with a "pretty in pink" dress!
The color itself is not only sassy and sweet, but is also the go-to hue if you're opting for something fun and youthful! As you know, for the prom dresses 2013 season, we'll be rounding up some chic, competitive posts to give you a range of our looks, leaving it up to you to select your favorite, ultimate HOT dress. And for 2013, the trend for prom emanates around the short meets long high-low dresses (especially if you're looking for a dramatic long dress that shows off your gams), aesthetically eye-catching ombre sheens (when you're not sure what color dress you want to wear…there's the option to mesh a series of lovely hues into one beautiful style) and then there's the strapless long prom dresses with the sweetheart necklines. You'll be surprised how a simple shape of the bust line can really complement your shape and overall silhouette of your prom dress look. And who can forget the added touches of luxurious bling like some sprinkles of rhinestone and beading along the bodice! And for this post, we not only highlight these aforementioned trends, but leave it to you to decide what looks best!


text:
One of those venues that some will overlook is a cemetery! Hard to believe, but visiting a cemetery, that you have kin folks buried in, can be a genealogist dream. Those of you who have been a genealogy junkie for a while, will know what I'm talking about. And maybe any of you who are new to the world of genealogy will have a new venue to check out now. You can find birth/death/marriage dates, full names, spouse's name, parents names, children names, etc. Not that you are going to find all of that on each/every headstone, but some have been known to have all of that on them.
Just a couple of months ago, we made a trip down to one of the cemetery's that we have family buried in & couldn't believe all the "new" information I was able to discover that day. Plus, I don't know how to say this without it coming out as I'm a morbid type of person (which I'm not, by the way....lol), but I kinda felt closer to the relatives by being there. Up to then, most of them had just been a name I had down on my family tree. Now they were more real to me by me being with them at their last resting place.
Also on that trip I learned a couple of things that I wanted to pass on so you don't make the same mistakes that I did.
1. You'll definitely want to take your camera to capture a photo of their headstone. One thing I learned is to take the biggest/highest resolution of a photo that you can with your camera. I thought I would play it smart & take a small photo so I wouldn't run out of space on my camera's memory card. Big Mistake.... As I said, take the biggest/highest resolution photo that you can. You can always re-size a photo down but you can't always re-size a photo up!
2. Take your laptop with you if you are lucky enough to have one. For two reasons this is a good idea. One is, if you "should" fill up your camera's memory card, just download your photos onto your laptop -- then delete those off of your memory card & carry on. Second reason to take your laptop is, if you should run into a situation where you need to do a look-up of a relative, you'll have your genealogy program with you.
3. Another good idea to do is to take a few tools/supplies along. By that I mean, a pair of gardening hand clippers would be good to have....in case the cemetery hasn't been taken care of & you need to clip back some of the growth/grass that might be covering up a grave marker. Also, take a soft brush (like a big paint brush) along. Many graves will have dirt & such on them & you'll want to brush it off to take your photo. A large garbage bag is good to have in the event the ground is wet & you need to get down on your hands/knees for cleaning the headstone or to take the photo. Don't forget to take a bottle of water, for drinking or to wash off a tombstone. One more thing that might come in handy is a big golfer's umbrella, if the sun is bright that day, you might need a way to block it from glaring on the tombstone. A lawn chair believe it or not. This will come in handy for taking some photos when you need to be at a certain angle. A spray bottle of water, this will be good to wet down a headstone (to bring out the engraving) if it is hard to read. A first-aid kit is always a good thing to have. You might be stung by a bee/wasp, cut yourself on one of the headstones, brush up against poison ivy.....just a lot of possibilities that might call for a first-aid kit. Roll of paper towels....they are always good to have along. FYI: Be sure & be on the look-out for Fire Ants! They are fast becoming a danger in our area (& the rest of the country) & are not to be messed with. I discovered several mounds of them up against the headstones in the cemetery I went to on my trip a while back.
4. If the cemetery is in a small town or way out in the country, think about taking a sack lunch. Believe me, you might be there longer than what you think. A trip to a cemetery is one that you don't want to rush through & take a chance of missing someone. Plus, taking a break to eat your lunch will give you time to re-evaluate your game plan & check to see who've found or haven't found yet. I wish I had done this on that trip we took. I could have sat down & took a closer look at the photos I had taken & discovered that some of them were out of focus & needed to be re-taken!!!
5. Be sure (& this is the most important hint of them all) to take someone with you! NEVER go along, sad to say nowadays it is never a good idea to go to a remote area by yourself. As well be sure to take a cell phone with you. Just as important also is to let someone know where you are going, the time frame you expect to be there AND the name/address of the cemetery. Play it safe...................
Hope any of you who have never been to a cemetery in your research, will plan a trip on some nice day in the future. I think you will be surprised in what you'll find & believe it or not, its a fun trip to take.
Later, Deb
One Last Thing....One very important note to remember....never EVER do anything that might harm the cemetery &/or headstone(s). And please be respectful of where you are & act accordingly.


text:
Gland, Switzerland, 24 May 2004 (IUCN)-The World Conservation Union. 'Expanding the Ark' neatly summarises the aims of the invertebrate specialists who gathered at the American Museum of Natural History in New York for a symposium recently. They plan to raise awareness of invertebrate conservation requirements so that these are included in conservation planning, management and policy decisions. Currently, invertebrate species are often overlooked in conservation strategies, despite representing the vast majority of our planet's biodiversity: a staggering 95% of all known animal species.
To address this, the global invertebrate conservation community, including SSC, has united under a new initiative: the 'Expanding the Ark Coalition' (ETAC). This will provide an ideal forum for deciding the best ways to advance invertebrate conservation and help mobilise the necessary resources.
Considering the sheer number of invertebrates on our planet - 1,190,200 species have been described and nearly 10,000 new ones are discovered each year - it is not surprising to learn that they play an indispensable ecological and economic role. Invertebrates occupy key roles in most food chains through nutrient recycling, pollination, pest control and water filtration, as well as performing many other vital functions. Conserving invertebrate biodiversity is therefore essential for the maintenance of ecosystem health. From squids to dragonflies, and spiders to termites, invertebrates are also fascinating animals in their own right, many displaying incredible life histories.
However, it is the sheer abundance and diversity of invertebrates that makes assessing their conservation status on limited resources one of the biggest challenges to conservationists. Recent studies suggest that many invertebrates face imminent extinction, so the importance of this challenge cannot be understated. To date, the threatened status of only 3,400 invertebrates has been assessed (0.2% of known species) and 1,959 species are included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Initial steps were taken by the IUCN's Species Survival Commission (SSC) to improve invertebrate conservation by organising a workshop in November 2001. This brought together representatives of all the SSC invertebrate Specialist Groups and other experts to develop a plan of action for the Commission's invertebrate conservation work.
As a result, the geographical coverage of invertebrate Specialist Groups has increased, with the creation of new European and South Asian Specialist Groups and a Declining Pollination Task Force. The ongoing SSC Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme has fully integrated invertebrates starting in Eastern Africa where all species of odonates (including dragonflies and damselflies), freshwater molluscs and crabs have been assessed.
ETAC aims to build on this work and give fresh impetus to invertebrate conservation. A lot remains to be done, but following the symposium, the global invertebrate conservation community, including SSC members, are enthusiastic and motivated to meet the challenge.
Several proposals have already been suggested:
Revive the Grasshopper and Cricket (Orthopteroidea) and Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) Specialist Groups.
Complete a Global Dragonfly Assessment
Consider developing a European Invertebrate Red List
Further information
Andrew McMullin, IUCN/SSC Communications Officer, firstname.lastname@example.com; Tel: ++41 22 999 0153


text:
The Alabama Tourism Department says 22 towns across the state will participate in the department's April Walking Tours.
The department's Brian Jones says more than 1,700 tours have been done since the program started 10 years ago. The free, hour-long tours of historic districts and courthouse squares will start at 10 a.m. on April 6, 13, 20 and 27.
Participating cities are Athens, Atmore, Birmingham, Butler, Courtland, Cullman, Decatur, Eufaula, Fairhope, Florence, Huntsville, Madison, Mobile, Monroeville, Montevallo, Montgomery, Phenix City, Prattville, Sheffield, Sylacauga, Tuscumbia and Wetumpka.
Online: http://www.alabama.travel
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


text:
MoP is fun! If you are thinking of coming back, please post here so one of our active members can send you a Scroll of Resurrection and get their free mount.
LB is very casual. No raiding. Just hanging out and enjoying the game. This is the best expansion yet. Old friends are trickling in.
If you got your scroll, please edit your post so we know!
Hey Brooders
General discussion of WoW topics
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
- Motagus
- Artifact
- Posts: 1897
- Joined: Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:57 pm
- Server: Thunderhorn
- Guild: Lobster Brood
- Race: Undead
- Class: Mage
- Xbox GamerTag: GrumpyPerlMonk
- Battle Tag: dobbz#1930
- Location: Minneapolis
- Contact:
Hey Brooders
Q: Why is leveling a mage like being Irish?
A: Because it's drink, fight, drink, fight.
A: Because it's drink, fight, drink, fight.
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


text:
FamilySearch Wiki:Wiki Support/Foundation
From FamilySearch Wiki
Wiki Support > Foundation
Vision: Improving the FamilySearch Wiki
- The goal of Wiki Support is to help make the FamilySearch Wiki a better place for:
- Researchers to find information that will help them find their ancestors
- Contributors who want to help make the Wiki better for researchers
- Support team that wants to make the Wiki a better place for researchers and contributors
- Everything we do relates to making the Wiki easier to use, and to help those who would like to do more with the Wiki as they grow from new, to experienced researchers, to contributors.
Primary Responsibility: Community Involvement
- The best way to make the wiki a better place is to come to understand the needs of each of the above groups by interacting with community members to:
- take care of their problems,
- answer their questions,
- and listen to what they have to say.
- The places these discussions take place are:
- In the Forums
- On article discussion pages
- In Family History Centers, genealogical libraries, societies, and anywhere else where the Wiki is used
- On Facebook
- On GetSatisfaction
- At Community Meetings
- For FamilySearch service missionaries, through Phone Support and emails we receive into Amdocs
- It will also be important when possible to:
- Proactively reach out to Wiki contributors to help them in their work
- Help Researchers find the information they need to progress in the search for their ancestors
- Communicate with the entire community on those things that will affect them through the Forums and the Community News page
Patrolling and Maintenance
- When any collaborative venture is undertaken, as people learn, they do things "imperfectly," and as such, there is always much that can be done to help "clean up" the Wiki.
- Patrolling helps to ensure that the content in the wiki is appropriate for the wiki.
- Maintenance is done so that the wiki remains always user friendly.
- Patrolling is explained here:
- Maintenance work is done here:
- Special pages that show other reports about Wiki pages, contributors, and their contributions:
Help Content for Researchers and Contributors
- Help Content in the Wiki is all about teaching how to use and contribute to the Wiki.
- Help Links for Researchers:
- Help Links for Contributors:
- More Help Links:
- All Help Pages - Scroll down to the Pages section
- Basic Editing and Contributing Help Articles
Policies and Guidelines
- Policies and Guidelines help govern how contributors add information and communicate with each other. As we work on the above, it will be vital to be familiar with the following:
- Policies
- Policies are important rules that are widely accepted, and procedures for important processes such as deletion.
- FamilySearch Wiki:Policies
- FamilySearch Wiki:Policies/Proposed enhancements - this page begins to document the procedure, supporting template if available, the role responsible for follow-up, the supporting Help article, and the category for each policy. This page needs a thorough review and update.
- FamilySearch Wiki:Policies/Noticeboard
- FamilySearch Wiki:Privacy Policy
- FamilySearch Wiki:Conditions of Use
- FamilySearch Wiki:Copyrights
- Help:Namespaces - the list states that the FamilySearch Wiki namespace is for policies.
- Category:FamilySearch Wiki policies and guidelines
- Category:Policy proposals
- {{Policies and guidelines}}
- The discussion pages for all of the above.
- Guidelines
- Guidelines are consensual rules-of-thumb that are not strict, but are considered by most FamilySearch Wikins to be useful most of the time.
- Governance is about how decisions are made, how policies and guidelines are agreed upon, and what to do when those policies are broken. Wikipedia has some solid procedures surrounding this and can be found in the article How Community Governs Wikipedia.
- The main focus we will have is on developing policies and procedures that will help to prevent problems from escalating. But if they do, the Dispute resolution process documentation will guide the support teams in managing issues that arise.


text:
Some months ago, Greg Kaufmann, The Nation's fine poverty columnist, launched a Twitter campaign to interject poverty into the Presidential debates.
Not much success there, as I noted at the time. But the campaign morphed. And of late, some tweets have looked forward to the inaugural address.
The President did indeed talk poverty yesterday. And I think he did it very well.
On the one hand, the speech had a framework and language designed to unify us as a people supportive of a progressive agenda — or if you prefer, to bring us over to "his side," as Wonkblogger Ezra Klein says.
On the other hand, it drew a bright, white line for the policy battles ahead, with only the subtlest hints of the great divide between the Democratic and Republican leaderships.
Essentially, the President co-opted the right wing's claim to grounding in the "self-evident" truths of the Declaration of Independence — particularly, the "inalienable rights" to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
These, as you know, have been used to justify minimal government — and minimal taxes — based on the original, inspired intent of our Founding Fathers.
The President instead defined the truths as the basis for an evolving process of expanded understanding and enlightened collective decisions.
Thus, we "learned" that we would have to make ourselves anew, as a country without slavery, to remain true to the "principles of equality and liberty."
And "[t]ogether, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune."
This, his speech implied, is a done deal, leaving only issues of how we can best do this. "For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn."
Looking back and forward, the equality in the Declaration's creed becomes more than the anti-slavery, equal protection and voting rights guarantees of the post-Civil War amendments.
"We understand," the President said hopefully, "that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it" — which, as I understand it, implies that acute income inequality is inconsistent with our creed.
More clearly, equality implies opportunities for everyone to "find independence [note that word] and pride in their work" — and wages sufficient to "liberate [and this one] families from the brink of hardship."
It implies opportunities for "a little girl born into the bleakest poverty" to have "the same chance to succeed as anybody else."
Which, we're to understand, will happen only if we collectively, through our government, ensure that she's not denied the chance by the impacts of poverty — hunger, homelessness, meager early developmental experiences, lousy and/or inappropriate public education, etc.
The speech goes further in gathering us into a consensus on the value of safety net programs.
"We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm."
We, in other words, know better than those who attribute poverty to failures of personal responsibility — and contend that safety net programs sap the will to overcome them.
And now the bright, white line — with a tacit parry and thrust to right-wing Republicans, including the right-wing convert Obama recently defeated.
"The commitments we make to each other — through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security — these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great."
Some perhaps may wish that the President had laid out a more specific anti-poverty agenda.
But I think he talked poverty in a more important way — by rooting policies to address it in our history and core values we share.


text:
Did they find the Higgs Boson? I don't know, but you're reading this, so at the least it didn't destroy the earth!
Yay science!
10 September 2008
LHP Rap
Posted by shadowfax at 6:42 AM
3 comments:
Come on, don't perpetuate the hysterical hype about the destruction of the world. The LHC is turned on this morning, but the particles are all going in the same direction right now.ReplyDelete
It's when they collide that we're all going to die.
Sheesh, stop being such a Chicken Little!
I found that quite amusing...ReplyDelete
Then I had a vision of one of my A-level physics teachers beat boxing, whilst the other jumped around in front rapping. I broke down in hysterics!
I hadn't seen this video before, so I had to yank it from your blog and post on my own. It's a credited steal though, hope you don't mind!ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Lipscomb University's men's basketball team added some height with the signing of Thomas Pfaff, a 6-foot-6 forward from Clarksville Northeast.
"I like his athleticism," said Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson. "Thomas really runs the floor well. He can shoot facing the basket or with his back to the basket. He also has an incredible work ethic."
Pfaff averaged 6.5 points and 5.8 rebounds a game last season as a junior.
"Thomas is one of the hardest working young men I have ever coached," said Al Cooper, Clarksville Northeast boy's basketball coach. "He has gone from a kid, who I was told by his middle school coach would never play for me, to receiving a full Division I scholarship. He is the true meaning of a student-athlete. He is very deserving of the scholarship he has received."


text:
jakewilliams wrote:natty_dread wrote:jakewilliams wrote:I'm very disappointed to see a new map start with 12 terits per person in 1v1. Shame that you couldn't have made it more balanced.
The map never went through the foundry process, so what do you expect...
It's not like the foundry foreman was involved in the map or anything. Very disappointing.
As is the case with any map on Conquer Club, it won't be perfect for every setting, (but should be good for the majority of settings) and some settings should be avoided if you want to avoid any early luck factors. In that sense, it really is no different.
Moreover, limited edition maps are usually crafted for specific purposes, as was the case here.


text:
Wed, 25 January 2012
Sabrina Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Independent Women's Forum... says Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a bad deal for both employers and women. Then, Iowan's respond to the Nancy Pelosi threat against Newt. Plus, Iowans are spittin' mad over run amuck traffic law enforcement.
Direct download: mickelson-2012-01-25.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:09pm CST


text:
Customers Also Bought
Product Description
- Power Supply: AC-DC adaptor (DC>6V 800mA)
- Consumptions Current: 400mA
- Power Consumption: Approx 3W
- Storage Temperature: -40C~>85C/-40F>185F
- Operation Temperature: -10C~>50C/>14F~>122F
- Operation Humidity: 85%RH
- Size: 140 x 70 x 30mm/5.5 x 2.8 x 1.2in(L x W x H)
- Built-in Li-ion Battery
- Type: TFT-LCD
- Dimention: 2.5"
- Display Resolution: 480 x 234
- active Area: 49.2(W) x 38.142(H)mm
- Dot Pitch: 0.1.25(W) x 0.163(H)mm
- View Angle(U/D/L/R): 10/30/45 degree
- Brightness: 250cd/sq.m
- Contrast: 150:1
- Light Source: LED
Radio Frequency:
- Demodulation Type: FM
- Input VSWR: 2:1
- Receiving Frequency: ISM2.400MHz~2.483~MHz CH1=2.414MHz CH2=2.432MHz CHI=2.450MHz CH4=2.468MHz
- Intermediate Frequency: 480MHz
- Frequency Stabilization: 100KHz
- Local Leakage at Input Terminal: <-55dBm
- Receiving Sensitivity: <-85dBm
- This LCD baby monitor is best solution for entertainment, attendance, surveillance and security
- This best baby video monitor supports you talk to your baby freely. You keep an eye on your children, pets when they are playing in the garden
- A personal professional security specialist for you
- Two way communication to wirelessly listen and talk to your baby
- This LCD baby monitor baby monitor is truly portable for the busy parent
- Now you can know that your baby is safe at all times with this discrete yet cute and cuddly wireless color baby monitor
- Stable signal and without interference
- High resolution picture of this LCD Baby Monitor
- The smart unique design of this Wireless Baby Monitor bring you a happy mood
- It is perfect for placing in the two most popular rooms in your house
- This Color Baby Monitor offers soothing effects to help baby fall asleep
Size in Detail:
Benefits of Using a Video Baby Monitor
For years, parents have used audio baby monitors to listen to their children's activities at nap time and bedtime. Recently, however, this useful technology has been upgraded, as video baby monitors have hit the market. These monitors deliver both audio and visual information. Although video baby monitors are more expensive than the older variety, the benefits of video baby monitors make them well worth the cost
- Peace of Mind: A video baby monitor provides greater peace of mind for a parent than an audio monitor because of the additional information it offers. A visual picture allows parents to be aware of their child's position, safety and crib habits even when the child is being quiet. It also helps parents to sleep well at night, giving them full confidence that they can check on their baby at any time without even getting out of bed
- Scope of Monitoring: A video monitor allows parents to supervise a wider variety of their child's crib activities than simply the noises he makes in bed. If a child is repeatedly throwing up in his bed, a video monitor may reveal that he is gagging himself, or if he is pulling things into his crib from a nearby table, a video monitor may show how he is managing the feat so it can be avoided in the future
- Watching Without Waking: Parents often feel the need to regularly check on their child during her nap or in the night to be sure she is sleeping, breathing and resting comfortably. A video monitor easily meets this need without the risk of waking the child.
- Shared Bedroom: When an older sibling shares a baby's room, a video monitor can help parents supervise the older child's interaction with the younger child. A parent can allow the two children to nap in the same room, knowing that the monitor will reveal when the older child wakes, before that child is able to unintentionally put the baby at risk by dropping toys into the crib or climbing into the crib
- Health Concerns: A video monitor can serve as a helpful tool for enhancing the health and safety of children with physical problems. For example, a video monitor can alert parents to a child's asthma or allergy attack that may be undetectable on an audio monitor. For children with skin problems such as eczema, a video monitor can alert parents to a child's scratching and discomfort
How Does a Baby Monitor Work?
- Basics: Since babies sleep a lot and new parents can't stay in the room with a baby the entire time, the baby monitor is a great way to listen for sounds of distress from the child. A baby monitor is a device that sends sound over a one-way radio frequency to a receiver. The distance the sound is projected varies between different models. Most baby monitors are built to work within a distance of about 150 feet. The transmitter is placed in the room with the baby and should be plugged in no more than 10 feet away from the crib. The receiver is usually portable and carried around with the parent throughout the house and outside on the porch or in the yard
- Issues: The radio frequency used to transmit sound from the baby to the caregiver is the same frequency used for cordless telephones and other transmissions that can come from police and emergency signals. More expensive models are built with higher frequency abilities that can eliminate outside interference. Baby monitors used by neighbors also can provide interference in listening to a child in one household. Monitors that come with a scrambler can minimize and remove any outside interference. To work, baby monitors must be turned on at both ends. Less expensive baby monitors that run on batteries may leave parents under a false impression that they are secure in their ability to hear when the baby wakes up
- Advanced: Look for features that allow the baby monitor to work through any number of scenarios. Monitors such as the Evenflo Monitor and Intercom are usually less than $80. They beep when the battery is low and provide an option to turn the sound down and display noise by emitting a flashing light, which may be useful when parents do not want to disturb others in the room. The Evenflo model also features a two-way sending option that allows parents to speak back to the child, sometimes soothing the infant back to sleep. More advanced baby monitors come with video displays that send pictures to the receiver over a digital wireless signal. Audio/video baby monitors such as the Babyview20 by Levana run closer to $200. High-speed microprocessors are built into the latest baby monitors that are placed under the sleeping baby and detect movement. If the baby stops moving for more than 20 seconds, an alarm sounds. Movement detection monitors such as the Babysense V from BabySafe also include the traditional sound monitor and cost about $100
How to Buy a Baby Monitor
Baby monitors are radio transmitters that allow you to hear your baby when you're not present in the room with her. Monitors come in a variety of styles and include many different features, so follow these steps to buy one that suits your needs and lifestyle
- Look for a baby monitor with a small receiver, which will make it more convenient for you to tote around your home. Make certain the baby monitor will run on batteries
- Buy a baby monitor with a light that activates when it picks up sound. This feature will allow you to know your baby is awake and needs you when you're running the dishwasher, listening to music, or vacuuming and cannot hear the noise from your baby's room
- Find a baby monitor that includes two receivers which will allow you to leave first receiver in your bedroom or another room you frequent often, and carry the second receiver around the house with you
- Verify that you can easily clip or attach the baby monitor's receiver to your belt loop if you plan on carrying it around with you
- Search for and buy a baby monitor that includes a low-battery light; when lit, it indicates that you need to replace the batteries
- Research the bandwidth you need for your home. Pricier baby monitors include a bandwidth of 900 megahertz, which provide great reception, but this kind of reception is only available in suburban or rural areas. If you live in an urban area with a lot of interference, a baby monitor with 40 megahertz should suit your needs just fine
- Purchase a multiple-room baby monitor if you have more than several children you need to care for. These baby monitors often come with up to three transmitters and receivers for three different rooms, and can help you keep tabs on all three rooms or a single room
Tips & Warnings
- Baby monitors are priced from $50 to $100 for transmitter and receiver models, and close to $300 for baby monitors that include a video monitor
- Keep a baby monitor away from water at all time to prevent the risk of electrocution
Why does someone need a LCD Baby Monitor?
- Business owners may need them to keep an eye on their employees. Are employees actually doing their jobs while the boss is away? Has the secretary been dipping into the petty cash? Are office staff stealing valuables, such as inventory or office supplies?
- Homeowners, even those renting a home or apartment, may need a hidden camera to keep an eye on service people that come in and out of their home. Is the maid really cleaning? Is the pet babysitter actually coming to take the dog for a walk, or let the cat out to use the bathroom? Are the pets getting fed? Maybe a neighbor has a spare key. Is he/she coming in uninvited while the homeowner is not there?
- Parents may need a nanny camera to make sure their children are being well taken care of. What is the babysitter doing? Is he/she playing with the children, or talking on the phone? Are they inviting their friends over? Is there alcohol or drug use going on? Are the children being abused?
- Even if you own a business, own a home, rent an apartment, or have children, you may not necessarily NEED a camera for any of the above examples. But, how about peace of mind? Even if you do not suspect any "foul play" going on, wouldn't it be better to KNOW there isn't? A hidden camera, nanny camera, or surveillance camera can fill that need of peace of mind. These wired and wireless hidden cameras have helped many people catch abusive nannies that otherwise would have continued to abuse or neglect their children. If you suspect your child is not being properly treated, get a hidden camera. You owe it to your children!
Package Included:
- 1 x 2.4GHz 2.5" TFT LCD Screen Wireless Baby Monitor
- 1 x Power Adapter
- 2 x AV Cables
- 1 x 2.4GHz Antenna
- 1 x Headset
- 1 x Built-in Li-ion Battery
If the order has not been shipped; please contact DinoDirect Live Support for order cancellation.You will get your refund within 24 hours.
If the order has already been shipped; you may return the item to us postmarked within 30 calendar days of delivery. Before that, please contact our Live Support to inform that.
In that case we will refund you the payment excluding actual shipping fees already incurred.
If the item is defective, please contact DinoDirect Live Support and send an email to us at firstname.lastname@example.com attached an image or video file clearly showing the defect of the product. And we will give you a response within 24 hours whether we will resend the item or refund the payment to you for compensation.
For customization, please consider carefully before ordering.Because we do not accept return and replacement.
Quantity Range
|Unit Price
|Enter Wholesale Channel>>
• If the order has not been shipped; please contact DinoDirect Live Support for order cancellation.You will get your refund within 24 hours.
• If the order has already been shipped; you may return the item to us postmarked within 30 calendar days of delivery. Please contact our Live Support to inform that.
• Please contact Live Chat or click here to learn more return policy.


text:
True Wild Life | Indochinese Tiger | The Indochinese tiger (also known as the Corbett's tiger) is a subspecies of tiger, found throughout south-east Asia. The Indochinese tiger is now an endangered species and actually thought to be extinct in the Chinese wild today. The Indochinese tiger is found throughout Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam, although the Indochinese tiger's range is much smaller now than it once was and no Indochinese tigers have been seen in the wild in China since 2007.
The Indochinese tiger is a medium sized species of tiger that is found inhabiting the secluded forests in the mountainous regions that generally lie along the borders between countries. This makes studying the Indochinese tiger very difficult so not much is known about them. The Malayan tigers found in Malaysia and parts of Thailand, were once thought to be the same as the Indochinese tiger and it was only recently that the two were classified as separate subspecies.
The Indochinese tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting it's prey by stalking it until the Indochinese tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Indochinese tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats. Due to the size and power of the Indochinese tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Indochinese tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Indochinese tiger.
After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Indochinese tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Indochinese tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Indochinese tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Indochinese tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own. Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Indochinese tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Modern estimates suggest that the current wild Indochinese tiger population is between 1,200 and 1,800 individuals.


text:
Moderators: Three Stars, dagny, pfim, netwolf
iEUX wrote:you gotta run the player in IE for some reason, WWGRD. Firefox just aint havin it
iEUX wrote:tampa radio seems to be the only route right now
wdae 620
Kicksave wrote:What time is the game? That'd be sweet to see a feed of the game while I sit in class.
Users browsing this forum: lemieuxReturns, SteelCityFan and 24 guests


text:
Offices & Services
Caltech's leadership and administrative offices work to ensure that the Institute is properly positioned to pursue its mission of research and education. Information about these offices and service can be found below, while contact information for all Caltech departments and services is available in the departmental directory.
- Athletics and Recreation
- The Athenaeum
- Board of Trustees
- Business & Finance
- Development and Institute Relations
- Facilities
- Faculty Board Administration
- Human Resources
- Office of the General Counsel
- Government Relations
- Investment Office
- Office of the President
- Office of the Provost
- Office of Strategic Communications
- Student Affairs
- Sustainability
- Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships (OTTCP)


text: Part gleaming farce, part-tough-minded exploration of the inherent insanity of love and desire, "Heartbeats" centers on two close friends: Francis and Marie. At a dinner party one evening they meet Nicolas, a striking young man from the country who has just recently arrived in town. His boyish charm and classical good looks create an irresistible mystique that neither of the two friends can shake. The threesome begins to spend more and more time together. But the more intimate they get, the more remote and unattainable Nico becomes, sending Francis and Marie's comic obsession into overdrive. And as their hunger for Nicolas' affections grow, the more their once cast-iron friendship begins to crack and shift to rivalry.


text:
Rick Ross Offers Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo A Deal To Sign With Haitian Mafia! (Says Their Careers Is Over & Got Dropped From Interscope) "Nelson You May Need A Job. Chris Lighty Your A Bum"
Rick Ross blog. Courtesy of Spiff TV
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Related Items
Trending Stories
Trois Pour Leroux: The U.S. U-20 WNT Striker's Journey in Soccer
U.S. U-20 forward Sydney Leroux came from the North, but she's found a home in the United States despite a somewhat tumultuous youth career. This is a story about a player fueled by an unusual competitive fire, a stubbornness to reach her goals and a big dose of (oft-tested) self-belief.
When Sydney Leroux was nine years old, she had the same dream as hundreds of thousands of girls across the United States. She wanted to play for the globally revered U.S. Women's National Team.
There was one problem. She was in Vancouver, British Colombia, at the time. In Canada. And she was Canadian.
How she came to play for the United States is a story of perseverance and single-mindedness, qualities that are highly valued in strikers and ones that surely helped drive her to become one of the world's top young forwards.
Leroux was raised as an only child by a single mom in the Surrey section of Vancouver. Her mother Sandi, who played softball for Canada at the Pan Am Games in 1987, and father, a former professional baseball player, separated when her mom was three months pregnant. They never married and she hasn't had much contact with her dad over the years. He did, however, leave her with one great gift: He is American. And now, so is she.
Leroux's attacking talents were identified early in Canada and at the age of 14 she was invited to train with the Canadian U-19 team. At first her mother balked. As a single, working mom, she had neither the time nor the finances to shuttle young Sydney to and from national team practices, even though they were in Vancouver.
Leroux's youth coach at the time, Dom Mobilio, stepped up to make sure she got to national team trainings and she did well enough to be named to Canada's squad for the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Cup in Thailand. She was the youngest player on the Canadian team and the youngest player in the tournament, but as it turned out, it was not a positive experience for young Leroux.
While she respects head coach Ian Bridge, appreciates the opportunity he provided and says it was important for her soccer development, she just did not mesh well with the team. And as a 14-year-old, perhaps she was not ready for such an experience. To make matters worse, Mobilio passed away during the tournament and Leroux returned home feeling like she needed something more, in soccer and in life.
It's well known that the USA's biggest women's soccer icon has had an impact on several generations of young players across the United States, but perhaps she also gets some credit for her pull north of the border as well.
"I saw Mia Hamm and how she was the big star," said Leroux about her pre-teen dreams, which apparently combined soccer reality with some Hollywood glamour. "We didn't really have that in Canada. I knew even at that young of an age that the U.S. was where all the opportunities were for women's soccer. That's where all the famous people were and that's where all the movies came from. I just wanted to be involved in that."
She wrote an essay for school and drew a picture of herself playing for the USA by the age of 15, just like Mia Hamm had done. She longed to trade a maple leaf for stars and stripes and begged her mom to let her play for the United States. And what's a mom to do when your only child makes such a passionate plea?
So soon after Thailand, she began the process of researching how to get her U.S. citizenship. She would not get approved to play for the USA until a few months before the 2008 FIFA U-20 FIFA Women's World Cup. In between came a bumpy and circuitous route to soccer success. It's the story of a young girl with a dream and a combination of naïveté and stubbornness to actually make it happen.
Without any contact with the U.S. Soccer Federation, she moved to Washington State at the age of 15 to begin her journey to play for the United States. She left her mom, who has worked as a cashier in a supermarket for 26 years, and lived with a club teammate in Seattle. She was home-schooled for a time and played for the Eastside FC, but things did not go well on or off the field.
"I just had a bad year," said Leroux. "I'm not sure if I was homesick or too young for that kind of a move, but I played poorly, scored only a handful of goals and it was worst year of my life. I thought that all the success I had to that point was just luck. I honestly thought that it was it for me."
Her first call-up for a U.S. training camp also did not go as planned. She was invited in with the U.S. Under-16 Girls' National Team in Boca Raton in 2006, but then U.S. head coach Kaz Tambi played her as a defender, and then told her she would not be getting called in again.
"I told him I thought he was wrong," said Leroux, showing the spunk that helped her become the USA's all-time leading scorer for the U-20s with 25 goals in 32 games leading into this World Cup. "I didn't give up my whole life and my family back in Canada to be told I wasn't good enough. But maybe I wasn't at that time. It just made me work even harder."
Emotional, energetic, dramatic, vivacious and passionate are all words that describe Leroux. She admits though, that her intensity can be a double-edged sword.
"Every single time I have a bad game, every time I don't score, I think maybe I've scored all the goals I'm going to get in my career," she said. "Maybe, I think, I'm done … until I score again, then I'm OK."
She kept battling after that bad year in Washington, even though there were certainly more obstacles to come. So over 2005 and 2006 she went back to Vancouver and back to school, but that's when she hit a self-proclaimed "rebellious stage."
"I was just hanging out with wrong crowd," said Leroux. "They were my good friends, but no one was going to college, and I was falling into some bad habits. I came to realize that if I didn't get out of there soon, I never would. So I kind of gave my mom an ultimatum. 'Move me now' or I don't think I am going to keep playing soccer. As much as soccer was my life, my playing was also a huge part of my mom's life too. She knew it was my ticket to college. She also knew Washington was too close. I could come home whenever I wanted. My mom always loved Arizona so after that talk, she pretty much sent me on the next plane to Phoenix."
It was in the desert that things began to change soccer-wise for Leroux, who started turning heads with her speed, scoring ability and cheetah-like acceleration while playing for the Sereno Soccer Club. Still, she was 17 years old and heading into her junior year of high school, and once again, she wasn't happy off the field. For the second time she had gone from being a popular girl with tons of friends to a teenager in an unfamiliar city who didn't know anyone.
She stayed again with club teammates but over 2007 and 2008 she lived in five or six different homes, bouncing around and trying to find a place she was happy. She fondly remembers living with the family of Dana Wall (a current teammate at UCLA) and the Birkhold family, but she was still a bit lost and trying to find her way.
U.S. U-20s COME CALLING
Things started to take a turn for the better after being recalled for a few camps with the U.S. U-18s. Current U.S. U-20 head coach Jill Ellis began recruiting her to play at UCLA, liked what she saw, and decided to give her a chance with the U-20s. After Ellis left to join U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage's staff for the 2008 Olympics, the legendary Tony DiCicco took over as head coach of the U-20s and Leroux started getting consistent call-ups. Still, she did not yet have her U.S. passport and couldn't go on trips abroad.
By the time she finally got her citizenship and was able to switch her international affiliation to the United States (her mom called her at school to give her the good news), Leroux had not given much indication that she'd be a starter at the 2008 FIFA U-20 FIFA Women's World Cup in Chile, much less a top player. She had scored just five goals for the Bruins before joining the U.S. team for the World Cup that fall and seemed slated to be a substitute in Chile.
"On the U-20s, we always talked about how you have to accept your role, but honestly, deep down, I never accepted it and I never believed I shouldn't be on the field 90 minutes," said Leroux bluntly. "I was mad, so when I went in against France (in the first game), I had something to prove."
And prove it she did. Seven minutes after coming on at halftime in that opening game, she got an assist. Three minutes later, she scored her first goal of the tournament. Fifteen minutes after that, she sealed the victory against France with another goal. She played all but one minute of the rest of the tournament, and her five goals in the competition earned her the Golden Shoe as the top scorer in that U-20 Women's World Cup. The USA would go on to lift the trophy with a 2-1 win against Korea DPR in the championship game.
Over the years dozens of American girls and women have pursued dual citizenship to play for other countries at the youth or senior levels. Mexico, Ireland, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, England, Iceland, Brazil and Portugal, just to name a few, have benefited from U.S. players.It seems only fitting that the USA would get at least one.
"Yeah, I got burned on some forums and threads back in Canada, still do," said Leroux, who adds that it doesn't bother her. "I guess it's a given, but I love Canada. I have nothing against it, it's still a part of me, it's where I grew up and I would love to have a house there someday. It's where my family is from and Vancouver is my favorite city in the world, but I am really happy at UCLA and in America to play for the United States. This is what I needed to do and what I wanted to do since I was a little girl."
Her performance in Chile, where she became the first American woman to be named MVP of a FIFA Women's World Cup since Carin Gabarra in 1991, did wonders for her confidence and she was a terror during her sophomore season at UCLA in 2009, scoring 23 goals including eight in the post-season.
"I feel like I'm completely different (from 2008)," said Leroux. "I've matured. I still joke a lot and make people laugh and maybe I'm not the most serious person off the field, but I can get serious quickly, get mad easily, and on the field my teammates have told me I can be intimidating because I am so competitive. I didn't see myself as a leader last time. I just did what I was supposed to do. I'm a forward and I was supposed to score goals."
When Leroux looks back at her rough and tumble road to soccer stardom, she says she wouldn't change a thing and values all the memories, good and bad. In fact, she couldn't forget them if she wanted to as her 11 tattoos, most intricate and colorful, symbolize all different parts of her life.
On her right hip, she has a silhouette of mother and a little girl holding hands, surrounded by butterflies. She has a caterpillar on her right ankle, reminding her that often you have to go through something ugly to get to something beautiful. She also has her U.S. jersey number "19" on her right wrist, interlocked with vines, reminding her of the success she had in Chile.
"I believe if you have an amazing amount of passion for something, anyone is capable of doing anything," said Leroux. She is certainly proof of that.
But…will she soon get that long-awaited call-up to the full Women's National Team? Another good tournament in Germany could certainly help, but in the end that is up to Pia Sundhage and for now, Leroux is focusing on the task at hand.
"It's my third World Cup, so I feel like I've been here forever," said Leroux, who could likely have played in another for Canada in 2006 in Russia had she not been pursing her U.S. dreams. "I'm as excited as I was for the first one, but I have a different role now. In the first one, I was strictly a bench player. In the second one, I started on the bench and then sort of came out of nowhere to have a big role. I am going to try to have a big impact in this tournament as well. I know it's a difficult task, but I am up for it. I love this team and I love playing with pressure. That's what excites me."
Leroux has traveled all over the world in pursuit of her soccer dreams, but even in Germany, as the USA prepares for the 2010 FIFA Women's World Cup, there is a reminder of where she came from. Just off the corner of the USA's training field in Dresden, sits a tree. A large, leafy maple tree.