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Children play behind a pumpkin carved and lit for Halloween, on October 30, 2013 in Monterey Park, California. "What is … Continued
Summer Solstice, embracing change
(AP Photo/Dan Joling) Once again, the wheel of the year turns and brings us around to Solstice, the longest day … Continued
May Winter Solstice mark a shift in consciousness, a change in worldview
AP People soak up the sun after its rise at the ancient stone circle of Stonehenge, in southern England, as … Continued
Halloween in the wake of storms
EPA Siblings Rowin and Leticia are dressed as a vampire and a witch before they attend a Halloween party in … Continued
Summer Solstice: On the first day of summer, finding balance
View Photo Gallery: Wednesday marks the summer solstice for the northern hemisphere, the day with the longest period of sunlight, and … Continued
At Samhain, Halloween's deeper promise
Mario Armas AP A cemetery filled with candles and flowers for Day of the Dead covers a hillside as people … Continued
Dancing on the Grave of the Enemy
Dancing on the grave of the enemy–a human impulse, perhaps, but not one that we want to encourage if our … Continued
Out of darkness, light: Solstice and the lunar eclipse
Winter Solstice–the shortest day and longest night of the year. For Pagans, Wiccans and Goddess worshippers, this is one of … Continued
The rich benefit from society and should give back
A deal President Obama struck with Republican leaders last week will extend tax cuts across the board including, controversially, to … Continued
Voting is a moral and spiritual act
Pope Benedict XVI and Catholic Cardinal-designate Raymond Burke both recently characterized voting as a moral act with spiritual consequences. The … Continued
Real witchcraft deserves respect –not O'Donnell's dabbling
Whatever Christine O'Donnell may have dabbled in, it wasn't Witchcraft. As someone who is openly and publicly a Witch myself … Continued
We all must speak out to counter anti-Muslim prejudice
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, terrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann said that anti-Muslim rhetoric in America is bad news … Continued
In Afghanistan–Continued Occupation is Immoral
Q: In the wake of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's dismissal as chief commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, … Continued
The oil spill and the soul of nature
"I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe," Goddess liturgy written by Doreen Valiente. You don't … Continued
A moral path toward Gaza
Q: In a statement Monday, Vice President Biden said the U.S. is consulting with other nations "on new ways to … Continued
A woman's sacred right to choose
Can you be a feminist and oppose abortion in all circumstances? Can you be a person of faith and support … Continued
Sexuality and Paganism
Q:Do your religious beliefs exalt or stigmatize sex (or both)? Is religion a useful tool for helping young people navigate … Continued
Pagans and social justice
Q:Fox News commentator Glenn Beck claims that faith-based calls for "social justice" are really ideological calls for "forced redistribution of … Continued
When pagans get our rights, everyone benefits
In his recent guest column for On Faith, Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress states that "the decision by Air Force Academy … Continued
We need a different measure of strength
Q: Is there such a thing as a 'just war'? In his Nobel speech, was President Obama right to speak … Continued


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DonkeyBoy necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 329 diseños de 33 diseñadores freelance.
DonkeyBoy is clothing brand that represents testosterone charged male attitude that has a macho ego, thinks they are God's gift to women, want's to KICK ASS, a bad ass, full of charisma, has no limits or boundaries, POSITIVE ATTITUDE, take charge, conquer all, full of confidence and strength, tough, takes no crap, INDEPENDENCE.
The target audience is:
Gender: Male
Ages: Tween to Teen / 11 to 17
Race: None Specific
Culture: None Specific
Location Demographics: U.S.A. & European Markets
Competitors: BigDogs - http://www.bigdogs.com
We want our brand logo to be cool, fashionable but NON EXPLICIT. We want to push the limits but remain under the radar just enough to be allowed into schools.
The logo will be primary used printed on t-shirts. The logo can be a combination of graphic elements and typeface or stand alone typeface. Please limit colors to 3 spot colors plus black and white.
The upon winning the contest, the final output version of artwork will need to be in a vector format. Please setup the logo to show a color version on light and dark backgrounds and single color version of the logo on light and dark backgrounds. Please list all inks/colors used and all fonts used. I have attached a sample of the finial output layout and a template for the finial output layout.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us for clarification.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Naomi Village Resort and Lodges offers four seasons vacation in private cottages located right in heart of Pocono Mountain.
Explore the beautiful Poconos with someone who knows it best. With our top spa package, you'll enjoy a romantic weekend > Read More
Health and wellness are at the heart of the Poconos. Our All-inclusive SPA Retreat offers relaxing services. > Read More
Romance honeymoon awaits with weekend getaway specials offered by Naomi Village SPA Resort > Read More
Start Your Day with A Great Complimentary American Country Bed Breakfast in the your cottage or outdoors patio. > Read More
All-inclusive romantic packages priced for any length of stay so you can have the flexibility to enjoy a weekend retreat > Read More


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Mayor Don Wesely today presented the Mayor's Award of Excellence for May to Jean Wheelock, a Recreation Aide with the Parks and Recreation Department's Nature Center. The monthly award recognizes city employees who consistently provide exemplary service and work that demonstrates personal commitment to the city. The award was presented at the beginning of today's City Council meeting.
Wheelock has been a Recreation Aide since 1990. She was nominated in the category of productivity by Nature Center Coordinator Nancy Furman, who praised her talent, creativity and positive attitude as a teacher and naturalist. Wheelock's duties include leading hikes, presenting outreach programs to all ages, assisting with the pre-school program and working on displays and exhibits.
"Jean's avid pursuit of knowledge and fresh ideas enhance curriculum development," said Mayor Wesely. "She always shares her expertise eagerly and willingly with other employees. Whether on the ground crawling like a caterpillar with four-year-olds or hosting an herbal tea, Jean is an employee with grace and spunk."
The other categories in which employees can be nominated are customer relations, safety, loss prevention and valor. All city employees are eligible for the Mayor's Award of Excellence except for elected officials and some managers. Individuals or teams can be nominated by supervisors, peers, subordinates and the general public.
Nomination forms are available from department heads, employee bulletin boards or the Personnel Department , which oversees the awards program. All nominations are reviewed by the Mayor's Award of Excellence Committee, which includes a representative with each union and a non-union representative appointed by the Mayor. Award winners receive a $100 U.S. savings bond, a day off with pay and a plaque. Monthly winners are eligible to receive the annual award, which comes with a $500 U.S. savings bond, two days off with pay and a plaque.
Media Release


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stubby wrote:I'm kind of impressed that even the most epic MOC on the forum to date gets its thread derailed halfway into page two. We are a well-oiled thread destroying machine.
Seriously. The only other forum I go to is Something Awful, and people get perma-banned for derailing on this magnitude.
Oh, and meme-speak is already spoken by those who don't visit /b/. One of the girl who lives across the hall from me says "Epic Fail" just about every day, and has no idea what a chan is. Find a new meme, adopt it, spread it, then exile it. rinse, repeat.


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Title 30 TAC 116.130 - 116.143, September 13, 1993
Subchapter B New Source Review PermitsPUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENT PROCEDURES
§ 116.130 Applicability
§ 116.131 Public Notification Requirements
§ 116.132 Public Notice Format
§ 116.133 Sign Posting Requirements
§ 116.134 Notification of Affected Agencies
§ 116.136 Public Comment Procedures
§ 116.137 Notification of Final Action by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
§ 116.140 Applicability
§ 116.141 Determination of Fees
§ 116.143 Payment of Fees
(a) Any person who applies for a new permit shall be required to publish notice of intent to construct a new facility or modify an existing facility in a newspaper in general circulation in the municipality where the facility is located. Any person who applies for a permit amendment shall provide public notification as required by the executive director.
(b) Upon written request by the owner or operator of a facility which previously has received a permit or special permit from the TNRCC, the executive director, or designated representative may exempt the relocation of such facility from the requirements of this section if there is no indication that operation of the facility at the proposed new location will significantly affect ambient air quality and no indication that operation of the facility at the proposed new location will cause a condition of air pollution.
116.131 Public Notification Requirements
(a) Notification by applicant. If the application is complete, for any permit subject to the FCAA, Title I, Part C or D, or to Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 51.165(b), the executive director shall state a preliminary determination to issue or deny the permit and require the applicant to conduct public notice of the proposed construction. If an application is received for a permit not subject to the FCAA, Part C or D, or to 40 CFR 51.165(b), the executive director shall require the applicant to conduct public notice of the proposed construction. In all cases, public notice shall include the information specified in § 116.132 of this title (relating to Public Notice Format) and the applicant shall provide such notice using each of the methods specified in § 116.132 of this title. The executive director may specify that additional information needed to satisfy public notice requirements of 40 CFR § 52.21 also be included in the notice published pursuant to § 116.132 of this title.
(b) Availability of application for review. The executive director shall make the completed application (except sections relating to confidential information) and the preliminary analyses of the application completed prior to publication of the public notice available for public inspection during normal business hours at the TNRCC Austin office and at the appropriate TNRCC regional office in the region where construction is proposed throughout the comment period established in the notice published pursuant to § 116.132 of this title.
(a) Publication in public notices section of newspaper. At the applicant's expense, notice of intent to obtain a permit to construct a facility, modify an existing facility, or to seek permit renewal review shall be published in the public notice section of two successive issues of a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality in which the facility is located or is proposed to be located, or in the municipality nearest to the location or proposed location of the facility. The notice shall contain the following information:
(1) permit application number;
(2) company name;
(3) type of facility;
(4) description of the location of facility or proposed location of the facility;
(5) contaminants to be emitted;
(6) preliminary determination of the executive director to issue or not issue the permit (for permits subject to the FCAA, Title I, Part C or D, or to 40 Code of Federal Regulations 51.165(b));
(7) location and availability of copies of the completed permit application and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission's (TNRCC) preliminary analyses;
(8) public comment period;
(9) procedure for submission of public comments concerning the proposed construction;
(10) notification that a person who may be affected by emission of air contaminants from the facility is entitled to request a hearing in accordance with TNRCC rules; and
(11) name, address, and phone number of the regional TNRCC office to be contacted for further information.
(b) Publication elsewhere in the newspaper. Another notice with a size of at least 96.8 square centimeters (15 square inches) and whose shortest dimension is at least 7.6 centimeters (three inches) shall be published in a prominent location elsewhere in the same issue of the newspaper and shall contain the information specified in subsection (a)(1)-(4) of this section and note that additional information is contained in the notice published pursuant to subsection (a) of this section in the public notice section of the same issue.
116.133 Sign Posting Requirements
(a) At the applicant's expense, a sign or signs shall be placed at the site of the proposed facility declaring the filing of an application for a permit and stating the manner in which the TNRCC may be contacted for further information. Such signs shall be provided by the applicant and shall meet the following requirements:
(1) signs shall consist of dark lettering on a white background and shall be no smaller than 18 inches by 28 inches;
(2) signs shall be headed by the words "PROPOSED AIR QUALITY PERMIT" in no less than two-inch boldface block-printed capital lettering;
(3) signs shall include the words "APPLICATION NO." and the number of the permit application in no less than one-inch boldface block-printed capital lettering (more than one number may be included on the signs if the respective public comment periods coincide);
(4) signs shall include the words "for further information contact" in no less than 1/2-inch lettering;
(5) signs shall include the words "Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission," and the address of the appropriate TNRCC regional office in no less than one-inch boldface capital lettering and 3/4-inch boldface lower case lettering; and
(6) signs shall include the phone number of the appropriate TNRCC regional office in no less than two-inch boldface numbers.
(b) The sign or signs must be in place by the date of publication of the newspaper notice required by § 116.132 of this title (relating to Public Notice Format) and must remain in place and legible throughout the period of public comment provided for in § 116.136(a) of this title (relating to Public Comment Procedures).
(c) Each sign placed at the site must be located within ten feet of each (every) property line paralleling a street or other public thoroughfare. Signs must be visible from the street and spaced at not more than 1,500-foot intervals. A minimum of one sign, but no more than three signs shall be required along any property line paralleling a public thoroughfare. The TNRCC may approve variations from these requirements if it is determined that alternative sign posting plans proposed by the applicant are more effective in providing notice to the public.
(d) The TNRCC may approve variations from the requirements of subsection (c) of this section if the applicant has demonstrated that it is not practical to comply with the specific requirements of subsection (c) of this section and alternative sign posting plans proposed by the applicant are at least as effective in providing notice to the public. The approval from the TNRCC under this subsection must be received before posting signs for purposes of satisfying the requirements of this section.
(e) These sign requirements do not apply to properties under the same ownership which are noncontiguous and/or separated by intervening public thoroughfares, unless directly involved by the permit application.
116.134 Notification of Affected Agencies
When newspaper notices are published in accordance with § 116.132 of this title (relating to Public Notice Format), the permit applicant shall furnish a copy of such notices and date of publication to the TNRCC in Austin; the EPA regional administrator in Dallas; all local air pollution control agencies with jurisdiction in the county in which the construction is to occur; and the air pollution control agency of any nearby state in which air quality may be adversely affected by the emissions from the new or modified facility. Along with such notices furnished to the TNRCC, the permit applicant shall certify that the signs required by § 116.133 of this title (relating to Sign Posting Requirements) have been posted in accordance with the provisions of that section.
116.136 Public Comment Procedures
(a) Comment period. Interested persons may submit written comments, including requests for public hearings pursuant to the Texas Clean Air Act, § 382.056, on the permit application and on the executive director's preliminary decision to issue or not to issue the permit. All such comments and hearing requests must be received in writing within 30 days of the last publication date of the notices specified in § 116.132 of this title (relating to Public Notice Format). The comment period for permit renewals and for concrete batch plants which meet the conditions of a standard exemption is 15 days. Any requests for a contested case hearing shall include a brief, but specific, written statement of interest and basis for challenging the application. Such statement shall convey in plain language the requestor's location relative to the proposed facility, why the requestor believes he or she will be affected by emissions from the proposed facility, what the requestor's concerns are about the emissions from the proposed facility, and how the requestor believes emissions from the facility will affect him or her if permitted. This statement shall not be used as the basis for denial of party status in any contested case hearing. Party status determinations will be made based on evidence developed at the initial prehearing conferences.
(b) Consideration of comments. All written comments received by the executive director during the period specified in subsection (a) of this section shall be considered in determining whether to issue or not to issue the permit. The executive director shall make record of all comments received together with the agency analysis of such comments available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Austin office of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and appropriate regional office.
116.137 Notification of Final Action by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
(a) Notification of applicant. Within 180 days of receipt of a completed application, the executive director shall notify the permit applicant of the final decision to grant or deny the permit, provided:
(1) no requests for public hearing or public meeting on the proposed facility have been received;
(2) the applicant has satisfied all public notification requirements of this section; and
(3) the federal regulations for Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality and nonattainment review do not apply.
(b) Notification of commenters. Persons submitting written comments in accordance with § 116.136(a) of this title (relating to Public Comment Procedures) or persons submitting a written request to be notified of the final agency action within the comment period specified in § 116.136(a) of this title will be notified of the executive director's final decision at the same time that the applicant is notified.
Any person who applies for a permit to construct a new facility or to modify an existing facility, or for an amendment to an existing permit under § 116.110 of this title (relating to Applicability) shall remit, at the time of application for such permit, a fee based on the estimated capital cost of the project. The fee will be determined as set forth in § 116.141 of this title (relating to Determination of Fees). Fees will not be charged for operating permits, permit alterations, amendments to special permits, standard exemptions, site approvals for permitted portable facilities, changes of ownership, or changes of location of permitted facilities.
(a) The estimated capital cost of the project is the estimated total cost of the equipment and services that would normally be capitalized according to standard and generally accepted corporate financing and accounting procedures.
(b) The following fee schedule may be used by a permit applicant to determine the fee to be remitted with a permit application.
(1) If the estimated capital cost of the project is less than $300,000 or if the project consists of new facilities controlled and operated directly by the federal government for which an application is submitted after January 1, 1987, and the federal regulations for Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Review do not apply, the fee is $450. The provisions of subsections (c) and (d) of this section do not apply to a project consisting of new facilities controlled and operated directly by the federal government.
(2) If the estimated capital cost of the project is $300,000 or more and the PSD regulations do not apply, the fee is 0.15% of the estimated capital cost of the project. The maximum fee is $75,000. For determination of fees for projects applicable to PSD regulations, see § 116.163 of this title (relating to Prevention of Significant Deterioration Permit Fees).
(c) If the estimated capital cost of the project is less than $50 million, the permit applicant shall include a certification that the estimated capital cost of the project is correct. Certification of the estimated capital cost of the project may be spot-checked and evaluated for reasonableness during permit processing. The reasonableness of project capital cost estimates used as a basis for permit fees shall be determined by the extent to which such estimates include fair and reasonable estimates of the capital value of the direct and indirect costs listed as follows.
(1) Direct costs are as follows:
(A) process and control equipment not previously owned by the applicant and permitted in Texas;
(B) auxiliary equipment, including exhaust hoods, ducting, fans, pumps, piping, conveyors, stacks, storage tanks, waste-disposal facilities, and air pollution control equipment specifically needed to meet permit and regulation requirements;
(C) freight charges;
(D) site preparation (including demolition), construction of fences, outdoor lighting, road, and parking areas;
(E) installation (including foundations), erection of supporting structures, enclosures or weather protection, insulation and painting, utilities and connections, process integration, and process control equipment;
(F) auxiliary buildings, including materials storage, employee facilities, and changes to existing structures;
(G) ambient air monitoring network.
(2) Indirect costs are as follows:
(A) final engineering design and supervision, and administrative overhead;
(B) construction expense (including construction liaison), securing local building permits, insurance, temporary construction facilities, and construction clean-up;
(C) contractor's fee and overhead.
(d) A fee of $75,000 shall be required if no estimate of capital project cost is included with a permit application.
(e) An applicant for a permit or permit amendment not involving any capital expenditure shall be required to remit the minimum permit fee of $450.
All permit fees will be remitted in the form of a check or money order made payable to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission or TNRCC and delivered with the application for permit or amendment to the TNRCC, 12124 Park Circle, Austin, Texas 78753. Required fees must be received before the agency will begin examination of the application.
(1) Single fee. The executive director shall charge only one fee for multiple permits issued for one project if it is determined that the following conditions are met:
(A) all the component or separate processes being permitted are integral or related to the overall project;
(B) the project is under continuous construction of the component parts;
(C) the permitted facilities are to be located on the same or contiguous property; and
(D) applications for all permits for the project must be submitted at the same time.
(2) Return of fees. Fees must be paid at the time an application for a permit or amendment is submitted. If no permit or amendment is issued by the agency or if the applicant withdraws the application prior to issuance of the permit or amendment, one-half of the fee will be refunded except that the entire fee will be refunded for any such application for which a standard exemption is allowed. No fees will be refunded after a deficient application has been voided or after a permit or amendment has been issued by the agency.
Questions? We Can Help
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Please visit the U.S. Naval Institutes Youtube page for videos from the conference.
Please visit the U.S. Naval Institutes Flickr page for photos from the conference.
The Newseum is conveniently located between the U.S. Capitol and the White House on historic Pennsylvania Ave. We're just one block from the National Mall.
Physical Address: 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20001
Whether you are driving and parking, or taking advantage of some of Washington's alternative transportation options, the Newseum is easy to find and conveniently located.
If you are looking for the best place to park, check out Parking Panda for real time space availability and rates right by the Newseum.
Welcome Remarks
VADM Peter H. Daly, USN (Ret.) opened the US Naval Institute's Defense Forum Washington 2013, "Shaping the Maritime Strategy and Navigating the Budget Gap Reality," at the Knight Conference Center at the Newseum in Washington, DC on 10 December, with an expression of gratitude for those who came out for the event during inclement weather. He acknowledged the distinguished visitors attending the event, as well as the uniformed service men and women, and the forum's sponsors USAA and Lockheed Martin.
"We are a maritime nation," said Daly, "Each day, units are deployed to the far corners of the earth. For the nation's sake, and for their sake, we have an obligation to get this right." The forum is an opportunity to address these critical issues, as the country's longest war draws to a conclusion, a sense of isolationism is on the rise, aggression from China and the Arab world is growing, and efforts are being made to secure energy independence for the nation. Realistically, said Daly, we know that Defense will have a reduced role, but many of us realize that the sequester mechanism is exactly the wrong method to obtain budget cuts. "Both sides are looking for a way out," he explained.
RADM Daly then introduced Representative Forbes, the Forum's first speaker.
Representative J. Randy Forbes
Representative J. Randy Forbes (R-VA), a Member of the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees and Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, began by saying that RADM Daly should not feel that he had to apologize for the weather. "This is the kind of weather that we [in the Navy] love to have," quipped Forbes. "It's a challenge, but that's what we're facing today."
Rep. Forbes began by discussing the Congressional budget situation. "Ideally we'll have the Defense Authorization Act out this week," he said. "I really think we'll see a bill come out of the House that will go over to the Senate and get passed."
"When I look at what we're doing in national defense today, I can't help but think back to the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said that this country is still the best hope for the world, a treasure beyond comparison," said Forbes, "and I wonder if we're doing everything today to defend and protect it." He noted that $778 billion has been cut from national defense prior to sequestration, and that in the agreement to end the shutdown, Congress unwittingly cut an additional $55 billion. "My biggest fear is not that that happened, but that that people are starting to settle for that and saying that's the new norm." He argued that those numbers are insufficient to enable the military to defend the country. He asked attendees not to settle for these numbers until they've ascertained whether those resources are sufficient to protect the national treasure.
Rep. Forbes observed that the country has gotten away from developing strategies that look beyond the immediate future, and has failed to make its strategies known to its allies so that they can work together. Furthermore, military leaders have failed to communicate that the role of the Navy extends beyond the wars that are being fought, and not to protect the global commons. Concerns about space and cyber warfare are also making it tougher for the United States to fulfill its mission of dominance. He noted that 85% of the world's surface goods move over the seas, and that 95% of the world's data is transferred by undersea cables. "The only Navy in the world that can protect [those resources] is the United States Navy," he observed. And even brief interruptions to those channels can seriously disrupt the economy. Nevertheless, preparedness levels have declined precipitously.
Over the next decade, China will have 8 submarines to our projected 32, but funding for more is in jeopardy. "We've got to stop this faucet on, faucet off approach," he explained. "What we're planning to do requires a sustained, predictable funding stream." With regard to carrier strike capability, he expressed concern for the reduction in the F22 program and the proposal to reduce the F18 and F35 production lines. The risk from China is growing, and he assured the audience that his subcommittee will be looking at factors such as survivability and the number of ships available to meet these threats. It appears likely that the Navy could be reduced to 230-240 ships in the near future, he said, "and that's just not acceptable. It is incredibly difficult to defend the global commons with only 230 or 240 [ships]."
Rep. Forbes quoted ADM Locklear's response to a question about why the nation was spending so much on the Navy when other countries were spending less on theirs. "If you want me to defend only San Diego and Norfolk, I'm good to go," Rep. Forbes quoted, adding, "Don't anyone lull you into believing this is the best we can do. It's not." Second, he said, it's important to "paint pictures" for the general public about the importance of the Navy and its global mission. Third, there is a need to establish a larger grassroots network to respond to efforts to cut the military budget. "We need to ratchet that up and change that," he argued. Lastly, he encouraged the audience to remember the reason that the Navy is there: "One, this [country] is the world's best hope, and second, we are the backstop for freedom in the world, and we can't get it wrong, because if we do, then none of the rest of what we do will matter."
Senator Tim Kaine
Senator Tim Kaine (D - VA), a Member of the Armed Services, Budget, and Foreign Relations Committees and former Governor of Virginia, spoke next because he had to leave to make a Senate vote. He explained that while it may be a truism that former governors often end up feeling unhappy in Congress, he's enjoying it very much so far, in particular because he is on committees that parallel his personal passions -- particularly as his son is currently serving in the Marine Corps. "Being on both the Budget and Foreign Relations Committees gives me a 360-degree view," he explained. He recapped the problems in Congress in passing budgets, and is hopeful that the current Congress will be able to pass one.
"Of course Virginia is very closely connected with the military," explained Sen. Kaine, "and I'll state that proudly in a room full of senators from anywhere." Furthermore, he noted, many Virginia residents are involved directly or indirectly to the military. "But, if there's a first among equals in Virginia, it's the Navy," he said. "We are a Navy state." So he agrees with the President that the coming decade will be about the Navy. "This is a world that needs a flexible force more than a fixed force," he observed. "The way to address those problems is through a expeditionary force." Strategically, be believes it's an important but also a very good time for the Navy.
He does not like the term "pivoting toward Asia," however. The threat is very real, and is being addressed, but the challenge is that our allies in Asia and the Gulf States are concerned that such a move would be at their expense. "I think the focus is on the more our forces are truly flexible, the more we can be when we need to respond wherever we need to respond." He reminded the audience that there is a perception that national security is a zero-sum game, but pointed out that our economic and military outreach efforts are continuing where they are welcomed. It is in those countries where the United States is being asked to leave where reductions in US presence is occurring, not elsewhere. "That's not to underestimate our challenges in Asia, or our nation's ability to respond to them," said Kaine. "The Navy can respond to them." Taking Iran as an example, Kaine pointed out that "the diplomatic solution can only be possible with a credible military threat. And the Navy is critical to that."
With regard to the budget process, he said that he is optimistic that Congress will reach a "good, solid deal" that, while not as comprehensive as he would have liked, provides some much-needed certainty to the Navy, the military, and the nation. The committee is dedicated to normal-order budget as established in the law. "I view it as incredibly important that we do budgeting in the normal order to give certainty to our Pentagon and to our broader economy," said Kaine. Ideally, he said, strategy would drive the budget; the second preference would be for the budget to drive strategy. The "far distant third" option, he explained, would be to let budgetary indecision drive strategy -- "and that's the situation we're in right now," he said. "That's what Congressional budgetary indecision has done." The result is harm to not just military readiness, but also to morale. The absence of certainty also affects the economy broadly because it can cause people to hold off on making investments and hiring people. However, he believes that there's a widespread recognition that it's time to provide certainty to the military and the country at large, for at least the remainder of FY14 and through FY15. He hopes that the committee will also perform two-year budget reviews to ensure the process remains on track.
The budget deal will smooth out the sequester-induced budget cuts by allowing the services to return funding as line items. Sen. Kaine ended his remarks by expressing confidence that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is on track for being passed by the House and then the Senate. "Stay tuned on that as well," he said.
The Honorable Ray Mabus
The Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, opened his remarks by reminding the audience of the mission of the US Naval Institute: "...to provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write in order to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of seapower and other issues critical to national defense." "Today, more than ever, we need that kind of daring thinking," said SECNAV Mabus. "We need innovative ideas, we need creative solutions." He noted that the preceding speakers may have been on opposite sides of the aisle, but shared with him a dedication to ensuring that the Navy received the resources it needs to carry out its mission successfully.
SECNAV Mabus echoed Sen. Kaine's observation that state governors -- as both he and the Senator have been -- are required to pass a budget. "You don't have the luxury to say, 'We'll get to that someday.'" Budgets and laws are passed by state legislatures all the time, so it can be done.
The Secretary explained that the past 4 1/2 years has afforded him a unique opportunity to observe the Navy and Marine Corps, and he shared that perspective with the audience. "The value of the Navy and Marine Corps is as apparent today as it was when the nation was founded," he said. "The framers of the Constitution understood that we have to maintain a constant and persistent presence," he explained, recounting the many campaigns in which the services have fought through the nation's history. "In each of those the American Navy has maintained control of the seas and guaranteed freedom of navigation between those wars, and peaceful free trade, and in doing so, has underwritten its contribution to the growth of the world economy." The Navy responds to every call, whether combat or humanitarian aid disaster relief, recalling recent aid missions to the Philippines, Japan, and Haiti. "It's one of the things that we do, and we are very good at it." In fact, he noted, the US receives requests for humanitarian assistance every two weeks -- and is the only naval service in the world being capable of performing that role. That also precludes the need for securing overflight rights or permission to base. Instead, he notes, "We [the Navy] don't have to come in from anywhere; we are already there."
How do we keep that presence? SECNAV Mabus explained that it requires four things: people, platforms, power, and partnerships. People are first because they are the most important asset, as the machines can't operate without them. "We push responsibility, and we push authority down," he explained. "We expect from junior sailors and junior officers great decision-making. We expect them to do these incredibly complex jobs and we expect them to do it every single day."
With regard to platforms, the Secretary observed, "at some point quantity becomes a quality all its own. We have arrested the decline of the fleet." The post-9/11 climate saw one of the greatest buildups in the Navy's history. In his term, the Navy has put 60 new ships in service through innovative partnerships and collaborations. In turn, the partners owe us the investment and the training to carry out their work. "There ought to be a learning curve," he said, noting that that is happening with the work being done on the Virginia-class submarines.
Power, in the form of energy, is critical to ensuring naval assets can be put on station and sustained. "Fuel prices surge whenever there's an international crisis," he noted. The "security premium" of oil price spikes since the start of the Syrian crisis have cost DOD $5 over what had been budgeted for fuel, and cost the Marines $2 billion over what the Navy had budgeted for its fuel needs. That means taking money out of operations and training, and if that's insufficient, then that means taking money out of platforms. "I don't think either one of those is a good choice," the Secretary said. "I think there needs to be a third choice." For every one-dollar spike in the price of a barrel of oil, it costs the Navy $30 million, he noted. Therefore, the Navy has set a goal that by 2020 at least half of the Navy's fuel needs will be met by non-fossil fuel sources. He noted that the Great Green Fleet, which participated in RIMPAC 2012, used a 50/50 blend of biofuels and diesel or avgas. "You know what the good news was?" he asked. "No news." There was no difference, other than "less gunk on the engines." Partnerships are now being signed to scale this effort fleet wide, reaching 170 million gallons a year by 2016 for less than $3.50 a gallon. He reviewed recent progress with hybrid ships and changes in the culture as evidenced by young seamen proposing ideas for how to save fuel and energy. "That's what we're beginning to do around the world."
The defense strategy requires the Navy to focus on the Western Pacific, the Arabian Gulf, and on building partnerships. "That's a description of the United States Navy and Marine Corps," said SECNAV Mabus. "We are uniquely suited to going in and building partnerships." And he added that interoperability allows the Navy to be better prepared when those times come.
Like Sen. Kaine, the Secretary is optimistic about getting a budget deal and the NDAA. "The way we're going puts at risk all the progress we've made, it puts at risk the ability to provide that presence, it puts at risk the options that we give the President." By requiring the services to cut indiscriminately, sequestration is "just a dumb way to cut." Just as harmful, he said -- and particularly to the Navy -- are continuing resolutions. "I have never seen a budget on time since I've had this job," he said. "And when you have a continuing resolution, strange things happen. We can't put a ship in a shipyard because it's a new start. If we're going to spend more money building a ship than we did the previous year, when we reach the previous year's amount, we have to stop. Makes no sense." Certainty, which passing the budget and the NDAA would provide, is absolutely essential. However, that does not mean that we should not spend less on defense "The American people have the right to expect that after we come out of two very long wars that we will spend less on defense," he argued. "But, what I am saying, is that you ought to do it in a smart way, you ought to do it in a way that supports strategy, it shouldn't be with a blunt object, and it should be with a thought of, 'What kind of force do we want? What kind of force do we need? What would the force be able to give this country, in terms of options for this country and options for the President?'"
Since their establishment, the United States Navy and Marine Corps have answered every call that has been asked of it, and they will continue to do so. And the work of the US Naval Institute will help it continue to do so. "It is my hope, and in fact it's what I'm obligated to do, it's my charge as Secretary to do everything I can to ensure that the options that the Navy and Marine Corps give to the President are there as long out as we can see."
"For the life of this republic, the United States Navy and Marine Corps have proven themselves to be an agile, professional, adaptable force, forward deployed," he concluded. "There are no true homecomings for sailors and marines. Once we come home, we turn around and go back out. People who join the Navy and Marine Corps want to see what's over the horizon. They want to see what comes next. They're willing to sacrifice; their families are willing to sacrifice. To do that, and by doing that, they protect us all. With this forward footing, with this presence, we remain the most responsive option to defend, to represent, to protect the United States of America. And we have to endeavor, even in these difficult times, to keep it so."
"So from the Navy, Semper Fortis, and from the Marine Corps, Semper Fidelis, Thank you."
LtCol Frank Hoffman
Following SECNAV Mabus' remarks, LtCol Frank Hoffman, USMCR (Ret.), a Senior Research Fellow at the National Defense University, spoke to the audience about his faith in the Marines and the value of seapower. "We sometimes have our own rites and our own sacred liturgies and our own lexicon," he observed. "But our faith in seapower is not universally held, particularly by some outside the room." Referring to the work of Alfred Thayer Mahan as the "Old Testament" of naval seapower, LtCol Hoffman remarked that "What we need to do now is to work on the New Testament for the 21st century."
He began by observing that faith in seapower is based in logic, international economics, and geopolitics. "Our security and our interests are entirely dependent on access to the seas," he said. He noted that although the focus of the forum is on the future of maritime strategy, it is in fact not possible to know what that future is because of the budget situation and a lack of consensus. "We need a new military strategy and a new maritime strategy to support that," he argued. However, it is not possible to make strategic decisions without the flexibility to allocate resources or appreciation for the cuts that the military has already made.
He noted that previous speakers all expressed agreement about the importance of the Navy's role in national defense. "No other component of American power is as flexible, adaptable, or relevant as seapower," he said, because it extends our perimeters to protect American citizens and allies, prevents terrorist threats, and enables humanitarian intervention. But, LtCol Hoffman noted, there has not been as much discussion about the purpose or content of a maritime strategy. "I'm not sure we have a common agreement, even among those of us in the room about what a maritime strategy is or what elements should be constituents of that strategy," he said. "A strategy isn't about just a number and it isn't just about an articulation of objectives that we want. A strategy is a set of implementable actions toward some defined end state with clear steps and clear resources. It's more than a simple list of interesting goals."
LtCol Hoffman summarized four benefits of having a comprehensive maritime strategy: to define the shared vision of seapower, to create an awareness to the core challenges to the national interest and to naval power as it is employed, to identify the way those core challenges are deflected and defeated, and most importantly to guide the development of the capabilities and capacity of the fleet. And while a bad decision on any one of these factors can affect the Navy for 20-30 years, a good decision can affect it for much longer. He is in favor allowing design principles such as modularity, open architectures, commonality and interoperability, endurance, and versatility to guide the development of the fleet rather than a focus on a specific number of ships. As budgets continue to be squeezed, flexibility will be a vital consideration. With regard to technology, it is as important as personnel for the future of naval capabilities. The fleet must articulate strategies for leveraging such game-changing technologies as unmanned systems and robotics.
With reference to threats, the Asian Pacific theater is important to discuss squarely as China broadens its reach, and our maritime strategies should take these scenarios and threats into consideration. Resource limitations may affect the speed with which the Navy can respond to threats such as this, however. "We need to keep the final destination in mind," he said. As defined, that destination is a balanced, forward-operating fleet that can project power where it is needed, at great distance from our shores, promptly, and with options for the President.
"Let us praise seapower and lift our voices in song about the Navy and Marine Corps team, but let us also get Congress to pass the plate and the basket, pass a budget, and put more than just coins in the plate," he quipped. "We need shipbuilding that is a match for our aspirations. Our fleet is in need of investment capital. The CNO should not be asked to make fishes and loaves from saltwater and sand, as he has been asked to for the past several years."
Senator Kelly Ayotte
Rounding out the remarks at Defense Forum Washington 2013 was Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), a Member of the Armed Services and Budget Committees. She began her remarks by noting with pride that Maine, too, has a long and proud association with the Navy.
Recalling Oliver Hazard Perry's famous observation that "We have met the enemy and they are ours," Sen. Ayotte expressed the opinion that had Perry written those remarks today, he might have written instead, "We have met the enemy and they are us." She said that the President and Congress have "failed to make the difficult decisions to put the nation's fiscal house in order and to put the nation on a stable fiscal path." The failure to pass a budget and to reform entitlement programs, and the reliance on continuing resolutions, has affected the nation's military readiness by denying them the certainty they need to plan.
She noted, for example, that in October 2007, the CNO, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard met to prepare "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," yet the ongoing budgetary uncertainty has precluded them from preparing a planned update to the strategy. "At a time when challenges to our naval supremacy and threats to our national security are growing, the failure of Congress and the Administration to do the basic work of governing has really resulted, I think, in declining naval readiness." She reports that the chief problem is that strategy is not driving the budget in Congress or at DOD. Under sequestration, for example, even though defense spending accounts for approximately 18% of the federal budget, defense spending is absorbing 50% of the sequestration cuts. "It's difficult to identify any strategic rationale that would justify this approach, particularly when the defense of our nation is our foremost Constitutional responsibility and without it, we can't guarantee any other freedom, we can't guarantee a strong economy, we frankly can't guarantee anything else for the American people."
The budget situation has also resulted in a growing gap between the Navy we have and the Navy we needs, added Sen. Ayotte. To answer the question of how much we should spend on the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, it is important to identify the threats to national security and determine what those services need to protect us against those threats. Yet, that analysis. has not been happening. Sen. Ayotte proposed five key interests that affect the determination of America's seapower needs: preventing a catastrophic attack on the homeland; maintaining access to the global commons; preserving a favorable global balance of power; and restoring America's economic health and maintaining and extending the open economic system that benefits Americans and prevents conflicts; and promoting the expansion of constitutional democracies and the observance of human rights. "No matter how you look at it," Sen. Ayotte argued, "continued US naval supremacy is central to these key national security interests."
Approximately 90% of the world's commercial goods traverse the oceans, and the Navy has been essential for keeping those sea lanes open. "Thanks to American naval power, the United States has been one of the greatest forces for global economic growth and the open international economic system," she observed. "We have been probably its greatest beneficiary, but we have also elevated many other countries around the world. And I think there's not often that connection made [by] your average American." Yet, sequestration cuts forced the Navy to cut its budget by $11 billion, though some were mitigated by drawing on unobligated balances. Nevertheless, five ship deployments had to be cancelled in FY13. "And [FY]14 is going to be a lot tougher," she noted.
Because the sequestration budget cuts were not across the entire federal budget, they were disproportionate in terms of defense. Continued sequestration-related budget cuts could cost a Virginia-class submarine, a littoral combat ship, and an afloat forward base ship, as well as delay the delivery of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the midlife overhaul of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington. Furthermore, aircraft procurement and maintenance as well as personnel hiring would be put at risk as well. Eventually, many talented shipyard workers may choose to leave defense work for other STEM related fields, and the number of ships in the Navy may dip far below the minimum requirements to meet global strategic needs.
"In light of the difficult budget environment for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, it is more essential than ever that the services rethink how they do things to ensure that every dollar spent is maximized for the defense of this nation," Sen. Ayotte continued. "It is more essential than ever that the services scrutinize every budget line to identify savings, eliminate waste, [and] prioritize spending."
"And no more acquisition debacles," she added. "We just cannot afford it and we have to be smarter about it."
Referring to a recent op-ed by former SECNAV John Lehman in the Wall Street Journal that noted the decline in the size of the US Navy's fighting fleet has shrunk dramatically since the early 1990s, yet the civilian and uniformed bureaucracy has more than doubled. "And so that needs to be reviewed as well," she argued. "We need to be focused on how to do better with less, particularly those of us who are going to advocate when you need more." She praised the collective expertise in the room, which can address the issues.
Sen. Ayotte concluded her remarks by urging Congress to resolve the budget impasse and pass a budget in order to allow the military to have the certainty it needs to develop a sound strategic plan. "I certainly hope that at a minimum we get some decisions made for this country so that we don't find ourselves in another foolish shutdown situation or something that leads to more uncertainty for our military at a time when they need certainty." Even a short-term doesn't enable the nation's fiscal view to extend beyond immediate needs that will lead to the exhaustion of funding for Medicare and Social Security. "If we do not take on those big problems with a large fiscal deal for the nation -- which, by the way, is going to be tough for Republicans and tough for Democrats or it won't get done -- if we don't do that, we're going to find ourselves having this conversation again on Groundhog Day over and over again, and ultimately we end up sacrificing the readiness of our Navy, the readiness of all our armed forces, and our nation becomes less safe because we've not taken on the difficult questions of really getting our fiscal house in order and making some tough calls on behalf of the American people."
"We can never assume that the shipping lanes will remain open in the absence of America, that peace between great powers will hold if America is weak, and that rising powers will not challenge our core interests," said Sen. Ayotte. "If the United States wants to maintain the security of the American people and its allies, as well as the open international economic system that is the lifeblood of our nation's prosperity, there is simply no substitute for United States naval supremacy."
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|Registration and Coffee
|Welcome Remarks
|Closing Remarks
Featured Speaker
Member, Armed Services Committe and Budget Committee
Kelly Ayotte is a New Hampshire native who has devoted her life to public service - first as a long-time prosecutor and now in the United States Senate.
In her first bid for public office, she was elected to the Senate in 2010 with 60 percent of the vote. Kelly currently serves on the Armed Services, Budget, Commerce, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Aging Committees. She is the Ranking Member - top Republican - on the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations.
Kelly's top priority is to get America's fiscal house in order. She has stood on principle to vote against bloated budget bills that have included money for programs we don't need and can't afford. She is a staunch advocate for common sense budget reforms, including a permanent ban on earmarks, a Balanced Budget Amendment, and strict spending caps.
As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Kelly has quickly established herself as a leading voice in Congress on national security issues. She has written legislation with senior members of both parties to create workable terrorist detention policies that keep Americans safe. And as part of her strong commitment to reducing wasteful spending, Kelly has led efforts in the Senate to save over $1 billion in the Pentagon's budget - successfully passing legislation to stop the Defense Department from spending money on unnecessary programs.
In her capacity as Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, Kelly is well-positioned to highlight the national security value of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the Pease Air National Guard Base. The panel's oversight responsibilities include military readiness, military construction, base realignment and closure, and industrial operations - including shipyards.
Coming from a small business family, Kelly understands that decisions made in Washington have serious consequences for New Hampshire's small business economy. Having helped her husband launch a family landscaping and snow removal company, she knows that high taxes and burdensome federal regulations discourage investment and job creation. In the Senate, Kelly is a strong voice for lower taxes and a simplified tax code. She also supports legislation to eliminate burdensome federal requirements that tie up small business owners with unnecessary red tape.
A prosecutor at heart, Kelly served as the chief of the state's Homicide Unit and Deputy Attorney General before being named in 2004 as New Hampshire's first female Attorney General. First appointed to that position by a Republican governor, she was twice reappointed by a Democratic governor. During her time as Attorney General, she successfully led efforts to secure the first capital murder convictions in New Hampshire in over 60 years - for which the Union Leader newspaper named Kelly "Citizen of the Year" in 2008.
Kelly attended public schools in Nashua, where she was born. She graduated with honors in 1990 from Pennsylvania State University and earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1993 from the Villanova University School of Law.
She is married to Joe Daley, a Nashua native who flew combat missions during the Iraq war. He retired from the Air National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Kelly and Joe live in Nashua with their two young children, Katherine and Jacob.
Featured Speaker
Member, Armed Services Committee and Judiciary Committee and Chairman, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces
Placed prominently on the wall of Congressman Randy Forbes' Washington office is a framed copy of the Declaration of Independence surrounded by portraits of the fifty-six founding fathers who signed the document asserting our nation's freedom. Frequently when Randy is in our nation's capital, he can be found personally escorting constituents through his office to tell the story of how this powerful document and its signatories serve as reminder of the sacrifices that were made during birth of our nation and the weight of responsibility on elected officials to preserve the freedom for which so many have fought and died.
Since his constituents elected him to Congress in 2001, one of Randy's key priorities has been to protect and defend our nation. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, Randy is responsible for the research, development, acquisition, and sustainment of Navy and Marine Corps programs as well as the Air Force's bomber and tanker fleets. Randy's position is central in developing the nation's long-term strategies to meet our future security needs. As a result of his work on behalf of our military, in 2009, Randy became one of only a few individuals to have been honored with the highest civilian award offered by both the United States Army and the United States Navy.
In a time of broken government and stale ideas, Randy has focused on legislative solutions that have proven to be refreshing alternative to the status quo. His much-hailed New Manhattan Project for Energy led the Wall Street Journal to ask: "Why is Randy Forbes all alone? ... The surprising thing is that there aren't 100 Randy Forbes out there, issuing similar calls to arms to seize this moment and finally cure the country's oil addiction." The Virginian Pilot, similarly, commented: "Outrage won't solve the nation's energy troubles, or safeguard jobs. For that, you need something else, something Forbes is displaying: Leadership."
Randy has rejected Washington political rhetoric and has instead focused on solutions-based leadership to tackle issues such as economic recovery, health care, tax reform and government spending. In health care, Randy has introduced proposals to protect seniors and individuals with preexisting conditions from health insurance cancellation, to harness the potential in ethical stem-cell research, and to double the investment the federal government is making in research to cure diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. His work has earned him the award, "Guardian of Seniors' Rights." In addition, Randy has introduced legislation to improve efficiency in government agencies, and he has been named a "Hero of Taxpayers". Instead of abandoning sound fiscal policy in the face of economic challenge, Randy was one of only 17 Members of Congress to vote against each stimulus and bailout package under both the Bush and Obama Administrations.
Randy founded and chairs the Congressional Prayer Caucus and has led this group of bipartisan Members in national efforts to protect prayer and our nation's spiritual history. He is known as a skilled orator on the Judiciary Committee and, as the former Ranking Member of the Crime Subcommittee, Randy is often called upon to lead the debate on national issues such as gang crime or immigration reform. As founder and chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, Randy has introduced legislation to combat Chinese espionage and is frequently tapped as a national commentator on Sino-American relations. Groups as diverse as the US Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, the National Taxpayers Union, and the American Farm Bureau Federation have all recognized the work Randy has done in Congress - a testament to Randy's independent problem-solving and focus on bipartisan solutions.
While Randy's legislative proposals have received significant national and local attention, Randy's commitment to improving quality of life for his constituents has been the hallmark of his career in Congress. Randy places a high-priority on partnering with community leaders and elected officials of all political persuasions to bring about greater economic prosperity, increased educational opportunities, safer communities, and improved local transportation and infrastructure for the Fourth District. His work to position Fort Lee through the last BRAC round led to the arrival of nearly 12,000 jobs in the Chesterfield/Tri-Cities area and his work as founder and chairman of the Congressional Modeling & Simulation Caucus has elevated Hampton Roads as a premier destination for high-paying tech jobs.
Working in Washington has not changed Randy's enthusiasm for serving those that elected him. Richmond Times Dispatch noted Randy has "earned a reputation for constituent service" for his ability to cut through red tape and for his unparalleled constituent communications. Randy publishes a weekly email newsletter with over 85,000 subscribers that includes commentary and as well as factual information on the issues before Congress.
Randy has long worked under the belief that transparency is a key condition of good government. In addition to his unparalleled work to inform and solicit input from his constituents, Randy was one of the first members of Congress to publish appropriations requests to his website, causing the Richmond Times Dispatch to call him, "an admirable example for openness." His website was selected by the Congressional Management Foundation as one of the best websites in Congress and was specifically commended for offering constituents a "clear understanding of his work in Congress".
A life-long resident of Virginia, Randy began his career in private law practice helping small and medium-sized businesses and ultimately became a partner in the largest law firm in southeastern Virginia. From 1989-2001, he served the Commonwealth of Virginia in the General Assembly. As a member of the House of Delegates, he served 7 years, quickly establishing himself and serving as the Floor Leader until his election to the State Senate in 1997. One year later, he became the Senate Floor Leader. He served in the State Senate for 3 1/2 years, until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Randy graduated from Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake in 1970. He was valedictorian of his 1974 class at Randolph-Macon College. In 1977, Randy graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Randy attends Great Bridge Baptist Church, where he has taught adult Sunday school for over 20 years. He was born and raised in Chesapeake, Virginia where he still resides with his wife Shirley. He and Shirley have been married since 1978 and have four children: Neil, Jamie, Jordan, and Justin.
Featured Speaker
Senior Research Fellow, National Defense University
Senior Research Fellow, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University
Effective June 20, 2011, Mr. Hoffman is serving at the National Defense University as a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for National Strategic Studies. He directs the NDU Press operations which includes the journals Joint Force Quarterly and PRISM. From August of 2009 to June 2011, he served in the Department of the Navy as a senior executive as the Senior Director, Naval Capabilities and Readiness.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Mr. Hoffman began his public service career when he was commissioned out of the NROTC program at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated as the Distinguished Military Graduate and was commissioned a 2ndLt, USMC. From 1978-1983, after graduating both the Basic School and Infantry Officer Course as an honor graduate, he served in a variety of line and staff positions in the Second and Third Marine Divisions. In between tours in the Fleet Marine Force, he was the Adjutant, Company Commander and Head Tactics Instructor at the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune.
In 1983 he was assigned to the then Requirements and Programs Division at HQMC. Frank served as a Defense Systems Analyst, Force Structure analyst and Supervisory Resource Analyst at Headquarters Marine Corps until 1991. During this time he was responsible for Marine force structure and manpower studies and analyses. In his tours in R&P, he served as editor of the Marine Corps annual document Concepts & Issues.
In 1992 Frank transferred to Quantico, where he served as a program analyst for the Training and Education Command. Here he was responsible for successfully introducing ground simulators into the Marine Corps. After graduating from the Naval War College with highest distinction in 1994 he transferred to the Studies and Analysis Division at Quantico as their historical analyst, and represented the Marine Corps on the Defense Science Board and at the Commission on Roles and Missions in 1995.
Up to 1998, Frank continued to serve at Quantico as the national security analyst and Director of the Marine Strategic Studies Group. As a Marine Reservist he also worked at the HQMC Strategic Initiatives Group at the same time. In 1999 Frank was named to the National Security Study Group which was the professional staff supporting the U.S. National Security Commission for the 21st Century. There at the Hart-Rudman Commission Frank was responsible for crafting the Commission's future security assessment, military strategy, and homeland security recommendations which eventually were implemented with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
That appointment was concluded in 2001, and Frank returned to work at Quantico as a strategic planner and concept developer for the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. He served as a Research Fellow at the Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities, where he was responsible for leading and conducting assessments and developing concept papers on future threats and emerging opportunities. While at Quantico, Frank authored numerous Marine concepts on distributed operations, urban ops, and hybrid threats, as well as contributing to the Marine Corps newest vision and strategy, and penning chapters to the Army/Marine Corps COIN doctrine. While at Quantico he worked with Joint Forces Command and our British, Australian and Israeli partners on alternative futures, concepts, and a number of wargames and experimentation activities.
He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in the summer of 2001 at the grade of Lieutenant Colonel.
In addition to his formal duties, he has lectured extensively at institutions in the United States, the Middle East and Europe. He has authored one book (Decisive Force; The New American Way of War, Praeger, 1996), over 100 essays and articles, and frequently contributes to Orbis, Joint Force Quarterly, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Parameters, the Naval Institute Proceedings and Marine Corps Gazette.
Featured Speaker
Member, Armed Services Committee, Budget Committee and Foreign Relations Committee, former Governor of Virginia
Tim Kaine has served people throughout his adult life as a missionary, fair housing attorney, teacher and elected official. He is running for the United States Senate because America needs optimistic doers who know how to find common ground.
Tim grew up in Kansas City, working in his father's ironworking shop, where he learned the values of thrift and hard work. He graduated from the University of Missouri and Harvard Law School.
Tim began his public service career when he took a year off law school to work with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. He served as principal of a technical school that taught teenagers carpentry and welding. There, Tim committed his life to serving others and grasped the power of education to enable each person to live up to their God-given potential.
After finishing law school, Tim practiced law for 18 years, specializing in representing people who had been denied housing due to their race or disability. He also began teaching at the University of Richmond, an association that continues to this day.
Tim entered political life in 1994, running for the Richmond City Council in order to bridge divisions in city leadership. He served until 2001 as a Councilman and Mayor. During his service, Tim helped implement targeted tax cuts for small businesses and homeowners, built the city's first new schools in a generation and dramatically cut the city's crime rate. Richmond saw an economic renaissance that led to increasing population, a bond rating upgrade and recognition by Forbes Magazine as one of America's ten best cities for doing business.
In 2001, Tim was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He worked for four years with then-Governor Mark Warner to reform Virginia's budget and improve Virginia's education system. During this time, he was co-chair of the 2002 statewide campaign to expand higher education facilities and helped create the New College Institute in Martinsville, greatly expanding opportunities in historically underserved Southside, Virginia.
In 2005, Tim was elected Virginia's 70th Governor. In the midst of America's deepest recession in 70 years, Tim led the state to national recognition. Virginia was honored as the best managed state in America (Governing Magazine), the Best State for Business (Forbes.com -- four years in a row) and the best state to raise a child (Education Week). Virginia maintained its Triple A bond rating for fiscal management -- an honor shared by only 7 states -- and had one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates and highest median incomes.
During his tenure as Governor, Tim demonstrated true fiscal stewardship by cutting the state budget by more than 5 billion dollars, including a reduction in his own salary. But Tim also expanded early childhood and technical education, passed the largest bond package for higher education construction in Virginia history, reformed the state's mental health and foster care programs, reduced the infant mortality rate, protected open space and the Chesapeake Bay, banned smoking in bars and restaurants, and pushed major rail and public transit improvements throughout the state. Tim also brokered the deal to eliminate Virginia's estate tax and cut income taxes for tens of thousands of low-income residents.
Tim was the Chairman of the Southern Governor's Association in 2008-09 and served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 through 2011. He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees from organizations such as the Richmond Bar Association, Virginia Military Institute, the National Fair Housing Alliance, the Virginia Holocaust Museum and the Virginia Council of Churches.
Tim has been married for 27 years to Anne Holton. Anne -- the daughter of former Republican Governor Linwood Holton -- served as a legal aid lawyer and juvenile court judge before becoming First Lady of Virginia. After working with Tim to reform Virginia's foster care system, she now helps other states as a child welfare consultant with the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Kaines have three children -- Nat, Woody and Annella -- all of whom attended Richmond Public Schools. The family is active in their church and spends all the time they can camping, hiking, canoeing and biking in Virginia's outdoors.
Featured Speaker
Secretary of the Navy
Ray Mabus is the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy and leads America's Navy and Marine Corps.
As Secretary of the Navy, Mabus is responsible for conducting the affairs of the Department of the Navy, including recruiting, organizing, equipping, training and mobilizing. Additionally, he oversees the construction and repair of naval ships, aircraft, and facilities, and formulates and implements policies and programs consistent with the national security policies established by the President and the Secretary of Defense. Secretary Mabus is responsible for an annual budget in excess of $170 billion and leadership of almost 900,000 people.
Upon assumption of office and throughout his tenure, Mabus has prioritized improving the quality of life of Sailors, Marines and their families, decreasing the Department's dependence on fossil fuels, strengthening partnerships and revitalizing the Navy's shipbuilding program.
Leading the world's only global Navy, Mabus has traveled nearly 715 thousand miles to over 95 countries to maintain and develop relationships with national and international officials and visit with Sailors and Marines forward deployed or stationed around the world. He has traveled to Afghanistan on 11 separate occasions, in recognition of the sacrifice and service of Sailors and Marines deployed in combat zones.
To prepare service members and their families for the high tempo operations of today's Navy and Marine Corps, Mabus announced in 2012 the "21st Century Sailor and Marine" initiative, designed to build and maintain the most resilient and ready force possible.
Mabus also directed the Navy and Marine Corps to change the way they use, produce and acquire energy, and set an aggressive goal that no later than 2020, the Navy and Marine Corps obtain at least 50% of their energy from alternative sources. In pursuit of that goal the Department has achieved several milestones. In 2012, President Obama announced in his State of the Union address that the Department will purchase or facilitate the production of 1GW of renewable energy for use on Navy and Marine Corps installations. The Navy also demonstrated the Great Green Fleet in 2012, a carrier strike group in which every participating U.S. Navy ship and type of aircraft operated on alternative energy sources including nuclear energy and biofuels.
Secretary Mabus has made increasing the size of the naval fleet and protecting the industrial base a top budget priority of the Department. During his tenure, the Navy went from building fewer than five ships a year to having more than 40 ships under contract, most of them in fixed-price, multi-year deals that assure value for taxpayers, certainty for industry partners and strength for our nation.
In June 2010, as an additional duty, President Obama appointed Mabus to prepare the long-term recovery plan for the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Mabus' report was released in September 2010 and met with broad bi-partisan support with most recommendations passed into law by Congress as the Restore Act. Included in the legislation was a fund to aid in the Gulf Coast's recovery by distributing 80 percent of any civil penalties awarded as a result of the damage caused by the disaster. To date, civil penalties total more than one billion dollars.
Before his appointment, Mabus held a variety of leadership positions. From 1988 to 1992, Mabus served as Governor of Mississippi, the youngest elected to that office in more than 150 years. Mabus was Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 1994-1996 and later was Chairman and CEO of a manufacturing company.
Mabus has been recognized for his leadership of the Navy and Marine Corps on multiple occasions. In 2013, he was named one of the top 50 highest rated CEOs by Glassdoor, an online jobs and career community. Mabus was the only leader of a federal agency to receive this award.
Secretary Mabus is a native of Ackerman, Mississippi, and received a Bachelor's Degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, a Master's Degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a Law Degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. After Johns Hopkins, Mabus served in the Navy as an officer aboard the cruiser USS Little Rock.


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Background: The Tour of Thailand is currently underway in Thailand and it breaks my heart I can't be there racing it. Back in 2009 when my mate Adam Semple rang me up and proposed I buy a plane ticket and come race with Plan B I was hesitant...
... for 3 tenths of a milisecond. And what a tour it was.
Semp won a stage and the KOM and I snuck home with 3rd on GC. I got to meet Wayne Evans who is one of the men that make Plan B (now know as Satalyst Giant Racing) one of the best up and coming teams in the Australasian region. I raced with some great blokes including 'EJ' Wells, Doug 'Repa' Repacholi and Patty Gill. I also met my future Marco Polo team mate and asian stalwart Brad Hall who is back in Thailand as we speak.
Not to mention 15 people crammed into the tray of a ute at 2am trying to find a notorious night club by the name of "U Pop" in the jungle city of Udon-Thani. Ahh the memories. And the not-so memories.
We all took home many things from that tour. Depending on where the final night landed you, however, some folks may have taken home things more tangible than they originally bargained for!
But to the present; I am living vicariously through the twitter and instagram feeds of the lucky competitors who are over there now. Bastards.
Here's why I love racing in Asia;
You can take your snowy Milan San Remo
You can take your twice cooked flacid french pasta dredged in tomato sauce
You can take your dishwater french coffee
You can take your stunning Italian Podium girls (actually, they can stay)
You can take you 12 hours trips on the auto strada
You can take your sh*tty Ibis sweatbox motels
You can stick it!
Because this is where I want to be.#Thailand is just a gift that keeps on giving... #view from the #hotel balcony. #lovinglife :-) http://instagram.com/p/XmFzOlBkVz/
In the jungle, at the street stalls, jumping potholes and fending off dengue fever. becuase it's awesome.
From the twitter feed of Paul van der Ploeg;
It's a jungle out there! #Thailand... Epic day doing just over 200k in some of the most beautiful… http://instagram.com/p/Xou-B1hkeu/
And for me? Well I've been training hard. And I'll be back in Asia soon. Japan and China await, and plenty of exciting news coming up.
Hope everyone is well, and I'll see you on the road, or at the cafe, or on facebook, or on twitter, or instagram or .....
Postscipt: It is also, abso-freakin-sensational to see Mr Loh get a stage win in stage two. Loh is the stalwart of the Asian Peloton. The Patron. He has been around for a long time. He is always attacking, riddled with panache, and ripe with enthusiasm.
When I joined Marco Polo I couldn't believe how much easier life was, each day Loh would be sitting the 'gate' behind the leading team that was controling the front of the peloton. Now instead of fighting for wheels near the front people just let me slot in behind Loh. It was magic.


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We have, once again, moved the game to a new server. I think this one will be where we stay for a while, though, it seems a pretty good compromise between price and performance.
Anyway, let me know if anything is horribly broken.
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According to information from the Beaumont Police Department, investigators became aware this past week that 30-year-old registered sex offender John Brenton Daigre was operating a fraudulent business to solicit applications for female models at a local hotel.
"Investigation revealed that Daigre had formed the business named 'Pastry on Wheels' and had developed a website where people could apply for various positions" information provided by BPD Officer Carol Riley states. "Daigre would then set up appointments to direct female applicants to a meeting room at a local hotel, where he would interview and photograph them.
"On Friday, May 3, 2013, Beaumont Police officers from the Special Assignments Unit, Special Services Division and Special Crimes Investigations Unit conducted an undercover operation targeting the fraudulent business being operated by Daigre. A female officer working in an undercover capacity contacted Daigre and met with him at the area hotel. Daigre had set up a meeting room and was conducting interviews. Backup officers monitored the conversation and then contacted Daigre. He was found to be in violation of numerous provisions of his sex offender status and his probation."
As a result of the information gathered during the investigation, Jefferson County Adult Probation officers obtained an arrest warrant for Daigre for Motion To Revoke Probation for a previous sex crimes offense. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail.


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Anyamaru Tantei Kiruminzuu Description:
Plot Summary: The "heartwarming comedy" story poses the following premise: "What if you can really transform into an animal?" Riko, Rimu and Nagisa Mikogami are three cute sisters who live in Kamihama, a Japanese city abundant with natural wonders. On an otherwise peaceful day, the three come across a mysterious Kirumin compact in an attic. With the Kirumin, these character-costume-wearing girls can transform into real animals.
Genre: comedy/cartoon
Anyamaru Tantei Kiruminzuu Episodes:


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Beit Arabiya," the home of Arabiya and Salim Shawam-reh, a Palestinian couple, was demolished by Israeli authorities on Jan. 23 for the fifth time since 1994. Three houses as well as outhouses and animal pens were knocked over by bulldozers accompanied by heavily armed soldiers as 20 residents, including young children, looked on.
The main house, Beit Arabiya, was dedicated by the Shawamreh family as a peace center after its last demolition and reconstruction and was regularly put to use by the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions. This most recent bulldozing of the Shawamreh home is an example of a stepped-up rate of home demolitions by Israeli authorities on the West Bank. Almost 1,100 Palestinians, over half of them children, were displaced by home demolitions in the West Bank by Israeli forces in 2011—over 80 percent more than in the previous year—according to a United Nations report released on Jan. 26.
"Demolitions and Forced Dis-placement in the Occupied West Bank," prepared by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reports that an additional 4,200 people were affected by the demolition of structures related to their livelihoods. According to the O.C.H.A., in 2011 Israeli forces destroyed 622 Palestinian structures including homes, animal shelters, classrooms and mosques—a 42-percent increase over 2010. At least 93,100 residents remain at risk of displacement.
The home demolitions have been widely condemned. "The current policy and practice of demolitions cause extensive human suffering and should end," the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for the occupied territories, Maxwell Gaylard, said on Jan. 27. In an annual report on conditions within the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Human Rights Watch reported on Jan. 22 that on the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israel had by Nov. 1 demolished some 467 Palestinian homes and other buildings, displacing 869 people, the highest number in five years.
"Israel usually carries out demolitions on the grounds that the structures were built without permits, but in practice such permits are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain in Israeli-controlled areas," H.R.W. reports.
According to the United Nations, 90 percent of the demolitions and 92 percent of the displacement occurred in already vulnerable farming and herding communities in the territory known as "Area C"—a zone representing over 60 percent of the West Bank, where Israel retains control over security, planning and building. Seventy percent of Area C is off-limits for Palestinian construction, allocated instead for Israeli settlements or the Israeli military; an additional 29 percent is heavily restricted. Most communities visited by O.C.H.A. in Area C reported that families are being displaced because Israeli policies make it difficult for them to meet basic needs. The inability to build was one of the main triggers for this displacement.
The Israeli State Attorney's Office has promised to respond by August 2012 to all pending appeals by Palestinians against demolition orders. In practice this will lead to more rapid demolition of many Palestinian buildings that have been tied up in court. Among the structures whose demolition was postponed by Israel's High Court over the past several years were 32 Palestinian schools with demolition or stop-work orders for all or part of the structure. According to the United Nations, 24 remain in danger of being torn down.


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Knows Aerospace, Approachable
Fund: SunBridge Partners
Posted by yourjet on 2008-01-25
I met John Gannon electronically via a connector about whom Sunbridge was conducting due diligence. I found John to be very cordial, indeed, welcoming and polite. His background is quite diverse which explains his range of knowledge and ability to share and understand both the space in which we are launching our company and our vision. Though he declined to invest in our startup, he continues to be available for direction and advice and networking. One of the few VC that are willing to invest in the emerging markets created by the Very Light Jet.PRIVATE: Members Only (201 Characters)


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With USB ports on laptops becoming a precious commodity, an external hub can be the answer to maintaining optimal productivity. The UH4000 USB 3.0 4-Port Hub ensures you can connect all your peripheral desktop accessories so you can perform at your peak. Leveraging USB 3.0 technology, each of the four ports can support lightning fast transfer speeds so you can work more efficiently. And because there are no drivers to download, simply insert the USB cable on the hub into your laptop and you're ready to go. New model 39121 available.
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After a school massacre in Connecticut, the National Rifle Assn. suggested that public schools should each post one armed sentry to provide security. Now politicians in California are debating the proposal. One risk nobody has thought of yet: What if the guards are embarrassed by the students' superior knowledge and possession of firearms?
Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons
McManus: The perils of political punditry
Follow Ted Rall on Twitter @TedRall