text:
Subscribe to Email Updates:
Military / National Security News
McCain Calls for DOD Investigation into Statements by ULA Executive
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today called for DOD to investigate statements made by a senior United Launch Alliance (ULA) official that were reported in the media. ULA President Tory Bruno disavowed the remarks by ULA Engineering Vice President Brett Tobey, who has since resigned.
McCain spoke at the opening of a hearing before his Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) today where Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and two other top DOD officials testified. McCain did not refer to Tobey by name, but said the "disturbing statements ... raise troubling questions about the nature of the relationship" between DOD and ULA. "This committee treats with the utmost seriousness any implication that the department showed favoritism to a major defense contractor or that efforts have been made to silence members of Congress."
The controversy stems from an account on Reddit and a story in Space News reporting on statements made by Tobey on March 15 to an audience at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Both sites have links to a recording of the remarks. His comments about ULA's competition with SpaceX, the competition between Blue Origin and Aerojet Rocketdyne in building engines for ULA's new Vulcan rocket following political pressure to discontinue use of Russian RD-180 engines for the existing Atlas V, and other topics were quite frank.
Bruno distanced the company from Tobey's comments soon after they became public.
McCain told Carter that "I expect you will make a full investigation into these statements and take action where appropriate." The topic did not arise again during the hearing, which was broadly on the U.S. defense posture and the impact of the budget caps in the 2011 Budget Control Act. Space was mentioned only in the context of three areas where more investment is needed; cyber and electronic warfare were the other two.
What's Happening in Space Policy March 14-18, 2016
Here is our list of space policy events for the week of March 14-18, 2016 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
During the Week
Welcome to Daylight Savings Time in the United States. Not all countries offset their clocks for summer time and those that do may not make the change at the same time as us, so be sure to check your time zone calculator if you are, for example, planning to watch a launch taking place in another country. Like one or both of the two interesting launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) is scheduled for liftoff tomorrow (Monday) morning. The global time standard is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the launch is at 09:31 GMT. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) is GMT-4, which makes it 5:31 am EDT. ExoMars TGO is an orbiter, but includes an Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) demonstrator named Schiaparelli in preparation for the second part of the ExoMars program -- a lander scheduled for launch in 2018. ESA's first attempt to land on Mars was in 2003. Its Mars Express orbiter carried a small British lander named Beagle 2. It separated from Mars Express as planned, but did not transmit after landing (NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted it on the Mars surface in January 2015). Mars Express itself successfully entered Mars orbit and continues to operate today. It will be joined by ExoMars TGO in October 2016 if the launch goes as planned tomorrow. ESA will webcast the launch beginning at 4:30 am EDT.
On Friday, three new crew members will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Soyuz TMA-20M. NASA's Jeff Williams and Roscosmos's Oleg Skripockha and Alexey Ovchinin will launch at 5:26 pm EDT and dock with ISS at 11:12 pm EDT. Launch and docking will be broadcast on NASA TV. The crew is scheduled to stay until September. This is the third ISS visit for Williams who will set a new U.S. record for CUMULATIVE time in space if all goes as planned. (Scott Kelly has the record now and he will retain the U.S. record for CONTINUOUS time in space.)
In between the wee hours of Monday morning and Friday night, there's a lot going on. Various congressional committees will hold hearings on the FY2017 budget requests for NASA, NOAA and national security space programs, there's a Senate committee markup of the FAA reauthorization bill, and much more.
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden will testify to two House committees this week about the FY2017 budget request. First is the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. Second is the Space Subcommittee of the House, Science, Space, and Technology (SS&T) Committee on Thursday. The Senate CJS hearing was last week, which leaves only the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee as a potential hearing venue. The subcommittee that oversees NASA is chaired by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who is a little busy right now, so when or if that hearing will take place is unclear.
Separately, the full Senate Commerce committee will mark up its version of the FAA reauthorization bill (S. 2658) on Wednesday. Among its many provisions are one requiring a GAO report on the existing system of FAA-licensed spaceports and another requiring a rulemaking to implement an amendment added by the bill regarding navigable airspace analysis for commercial space launch site runways. The text of the bill is posted on the committee's website.
NOAA Administrator Kathy Sullivan will have a chance to explain NOAA's FY2017 budget request to the House SS&T Environment Subcommittee on Wednesday afternoon. Subcommittee chairman Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) is particularly interested in NOAA purchasing commercial weather data, so that may be one theme at the hearing.
On the national security space front, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) will hold its annual hearing on national security space programs on Tuesday afternoon. SASC held its hearing last week, but it was closed. This one will be open -- initially at least. HASC will hold a broader hearing on the budget requests for the military departments (e.g. Air Force) on Wednesday and SASC's annual DOD posture hearing is on Thursday.
Those and other events we know about as of Sunday afternoon are shown below. Check back throughout the week for additional events we learn about as the week progresses and are added to our Events of Interest list.
Monday, March 14
Tuesday, March 15
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 15-16
Wednesday, March 16
Wednesday-Thursday, March 16-17
Thursday, March 17
Friday, March 18
GAO: "DOD Is At A Crossroads for Space"
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said yesterday that "DOD is at a crossroads for space" and faces several major challenges as it tries to change its approach to space acquisitions.
In a statement for the record associated with a closed hearing held by the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee, GAO's Cristina Chaplain enumerated significant cost increases and schedule delays in several DOD space programs. The list includes:
More broadly, however, Chaplain reported that "Right now, DOD is at a crossroads for space. Fiscal constraints and increasing threats -- both environmental and adversarial -- to space systems have led DOD to consider alternatives for acquiring and launching space-based capabilities." Those alternatives include disaggregation, hosted payloads, and procuring some capabilities, such as bandwidth and ground control, as services instead of developing and deploying them as government-owned systems, she said.
GAO did not make any recommendations, but highlighted three broad challenges the department faces in acquiring space systems:
Chaplain gave DOD credit for improvements in cost estimating practices, development testing, and oversight and leadership (such as the addition of the Defense Space Council), but considering all the ongoing problems, particularly with the GPS program, "it is clear that more needs to be done to improve the management of space acquisitions." She noted that DOD recently designated the Secretary of the Air Force to serve as the Principal DOD Space Advisor, but said it is too early to tell how effective that position will be in meeting the challenges.
Aerospace Corp's Wanda Austin Wins AIAA-NAE Brill Lectureship
Wanda Austin, President and CEO of the Aerospace Corporation, has been selected as the recipient of the 2016 Yvonne C. Brill Lectureship. Sponsored the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), it is awarded biennially to emphasize research or engineering issues for space travel and exploration, aerospace education of the public and students, and other aerospace issues.
Austin is an internationally recognized expert in satellite and payload systems acquisition, systems engineering, and system simulation. Most of her career has been spent working on classified national security space programs, but she also has been involving in civil space programs and currently serves on the NASA Advisory Council and on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
The lecture honors Yvonne Brill, one of the nation's top aerospace engineers who passed away in 2013. President Obama presented her with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2011. Brill was an Honorary Fellow of AIAA (its highest level of recognition) and a member of NAE.
Austin obtained her Ph.D. in systems engineering from the University of Southern California. Like Brill, she is a member of NAE and was elected as an AIAA Honorary Fellow in 2015. She will present the lecture -- "Engineering Leadership: The Need for Technical Excellence and Diversity" -- on September 15, 2016 in conjunction with AIAA's SPACE 2016 conference in Long Beach, CA. Additional details are in AIAA's press release.
Space Industry Coalition Presents White Paper to Political Candidates
A coalition of 13 U.S. space industry organizations released a white paper on March 4 to help presidential and other political candidates understand the need for ensuring U.S. leadership in space. The paper does not advocate for any particular program, but more broadly explains why the United States should be a leader, the challenges it faces, and what actions politicians could take.
Led by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Space Foundation, and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), the organizations argue that government and private sector investments in space represent a $330 billion global industry and enable a broad range of capabilities critical to national security, communications networks, and understanding Earth. However, a list of challenges threaten U.S. leadership, including unpredictable funding; foreign competition; a congested, contested and competitive space environment, and workforce trends. The paper lists 10 actions that are needed, ranging from committing to predictable budgets and repealing the 2011 Budget Control Act (which requires sequestration if budgets exceed specified limits) to restoring a U.S. ability to launch astronauts into space to strengthening the U.S. industrial base to committing to a national security space program that maintains U.S. dominance in space.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham said the goal of the white paper is to ensure there is "an appreciation for the great importance of space" by the presidential candidates and other politicians. The purpose is "not to have space become a presidential issue," Pulham stressed, adding that "we would be happy if no one on the campaign trail says something stupid about space." Instead, they should understand that as a candidate for the highest office in the land that they should embrace the space program because it is "quintessentially American." AIAA Executive Director Sandy Magnus agreed that the goal was to create a strong consensus in the industry "such that [space] becomes a non-issue," a way to "take it off the table, but stress its importance." Eric Stallmer, President of CSF, added that they want to avoid space becoming a local jobs issue: "We have to think nationally, not locally."
Pulham said they had been able to present the paper to all but one of the presidential campaigns and it was received "with gratitude and interest."
The other 10 organizations involved in writing the white paper are: Aerospace Industries Association, Aerospace States Association, American Astronautical Society, Coalition for Deep Space Exploration, Colorado Space Coalition, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, Satellite Industry Association, Silicon Valley Space Business Roundtable, Space Angels Network, and Space Florida.
The white paper is posted on the websites of many of those organizations.
What's Happening in Space Policy March 7-11, 2016
Here is our list of space policy events for the week of March 7-11, 2016 and any insight we can offer about them. The Senate is in session this week; the House is in recess.
During the Week
It's another busy week as three conferences take place at the same time, all in the D.C.-area. One, AIAA's DEFENSE 2016, is classified SECRET/U.S. ONLY so that limits participation and is broadly focused, not just about space. The other two are open to anyone who can afford the registration fee: the American Astronautical Society's annual Goddard Memorial Symposium in Greenbelt, MD and, around the Beltway, SATELLITE 2016, in National Harbor, MD. Great sessions at both conferences will make it difficult choose where to be. Without traffic, the distance between the two is about 25 minutes, so conceivably one could go back and forth, though in reality the "without traffic" hours in the D.C.-area are severely limited.
Up on the Hill, House members are taking the week off from legislative duties to check in with their constituents back home. The Senate is in session, though, and on Thursday the Senate Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee will hold its hearing on NASA's FY2017 budget request. As usual, the Obama Administration decided to request far less funding for programs that are congressional priorities -- like the Space Launch System, which is near and dear to subcommittee chairman Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), so one can well imagine how the hearing will go. Not to mention that the Obama Administration is using the "gimmick" explained in our fact sheet on NASA's budget request. The White House and NASA say the request is for $19.025 billion, which is $260 million less than what Congress provided for FY2016, but be sure to read the fine print. In actuality, the request for appropriations is $18.262 billion, about $1 billion less than FY2016. The White House and NASA display the request as $19.025 billion by adding in $664 million they expect Congress to transfer to the discretionary portion of the federal budget (that funds NASA and other agencies) from the mandatory portion (that funds Medicare and Social Security, e.g.). Then they add another $100 million for aeronautics from a $10-dollar-a-barrel tax the White House wants to levy on oil companies for a 21st Century Clean Transportation System initiative. If you haven't heard about this already, you can learn more from our fact sheet, but, safe to say, the hearing will be lively.
If all that doesn't keep you busy enough, the NASA Advisory Council's Science committee is meeting at the end of the week, preceded by a meeting of its planetary science subcommittee.
And all of this will be topped off Friday night with the annual "space prom" -- the National Space Club's Goddard Memorial Dinner -- with about 2,000 VIPs from all sectors of the aerospace community dressed to the hilt.
Those and other events we know about as of Sunday morning are listed below. Check back throughout the week for additional events that we learn about as the week progresses and are added to our Events of Interest list.
Monday, March 7
Monday-Thursday, March 7-10
Tuesday, March 8
Tuesday-Thursday, March 8-10
Wednesday, March 9
Wednesday-Thursday, March 9-10
Thursday, March 10
Thursday-Friday, March 10-11
Friday, March 11
McCain, James Trade Barbs Over RD-180 Engines
At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) today, SASC chairman John McCain (R-Arizona) and Secretary of the Air Force (SecAF) Deborah Lee James engaged in a feisty exchange over Russian RD-180 rocket engines. The two disagree on how many RD-180s the United Launch Alliance (ULA) should be able to obtain for launching national security satellites. Today's exchange focused on whether ULA should be prohibited from buying any because a restructuring of the Russian aerospace sector places the engines under the purview of two Russians who are sanctioned by the United States.
McCain challenged James's knowledge of the new Russian space governance structure, repeatedly asking if she knew that two "cronies" of Russian President Vladimir Putin are now on the board that oversees the new Roscosmos state corporation. In his view, they financially benefit from the sales of RD-180s because the company that manufactures them, Energomash, is now part of the Roscosmos state corporation.
Roscosmos was a government agency separate from the Russian aerospace industry, but was recently restructured into a state corporation with the same name that merges both sectors. Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister who oversees the aerospace sector, and Sergei Chemezov, both were sanctioned by the United States after Russia's actions in Ukraine. McCain asserts both serve on the new Roscosmos Board of Directors. McCain argues that sales of RD-180 engines provide financial gain to those two individuals and therefore the sales should be stopped. The U.S. Treasury Department is in charge of implementing sanctions and DOD acquisition chief Frank Kendall reportedly said last week that it has made a preliminary determination that the RD-180 sales do not violate them.
In his opening statement today, McCain said the Treasury Department's determination reflects "a level of hypocrisy" that will "make it harder to convince our European allies to renew their own sanctions on Russia this summer."
The FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) limits to 9 the additional RD-180 engines ULA may obtain beyond 15 that were purchased as part of a 2013 Air Force-ULA block buy contract for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) services. ULA's two EELVs, the Atlas V and Delta IV, launch virtually all U.S. national security satellites. The block buy was for 36 launches, 29 of which were Atlas Vs, which are powered by Russia's RD-180s. At the time of Russia's incursion into Ukraine, 15 were purchased, leaving 14, of which 5 were under contract. The Air Force and ULA have steadfastly insisted that all 14 are needed despite efforts to build a new U.S. engine to replace the RD-180s. McCain insists that only 9 are needed (the 5 under contact plus 4 more), hence the language in the NDAA. In recent months, the Air Force and ULA have been saying that 18 (not 14) more are required.
At today's hearing, McCain repeatedly challenged James over whether or not she knew that Roscosmos now is overseen by individuals who are sanctioned.
James insisted she does not know who makes money from RD-180 sales and the Treasury Department determined that purchasing them does not violate the sanctions. In her opening statement, she said the sooner an RD-180 prohibition comes into effect, the more disruptive it will be and the more it will cost -- $1.5 to $5 billion -- and none of those costs are included in the Air Force's FY2017 budget request.
McCain sternly asked if she knew Roscosmos is the parent of the company (Energomash) that manufactures RD-180s. She replied she had not studied the matter in detail but "if you say so, I believe you." McCain angrily honed in on whether or not she knew that the new Roscosmos, with Rogozin and Chemezov on its board, is the parent company. James frostily rejoined "prior to you telling me this today, that individual aspect, no. But I accept your word and I know it now." She insisted that the Treasury Department does not have Roscosmos on the sanctions list.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) focused on the opportunity costs to the Air Force of ending use of RD-180s soon: "You really can't make foolish decisions and incur more costs than is reasonably necessary...." ULA builds the Atlas V and Delta IV in Alabama.
James's estimate of the potential cost of ending use of RD-180s sooner rather than later reflects a potential need to shift satellites to the much more expensive Delta IV. SpaceX also recently was certified to launch national security satellites with its Falcon 9 rocket, but Falcon 9 is not capable of launching the heaviest national security satellites. The Air Force has announced four rocket propulsion awards for the development a new U.S.-built rocket engine to replace the RD-180, but it will take some time for them to be ready and integrated into a launch vehicle. The Air Force, ULA and Congress agree on the need to transition from the RD-180s to a U.S. alternative. The debate is over the timing.
James told SASC member Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) that assured access to space is the Air Force's top concern. She argued for more flexibility over when RD-180s no longer will be allowed. Nelson said he worries that there will be a gap between when RD-180s are prohibited, meaning Atlas V rockets are no longer available, and when new launch vehicles with new engines are ready. The result would be that the expensive Delta IV Heavy rockets will be required to launch the majority of national security satellites, costing a lot of money. James agreed.
ULA President Tory Bruno estimates the cost of a Delta IV launch at $400-600 million versus $140-164 million on average for an Atlas V.
The RD-180 issue splits congressional defense authorizers, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, who want to limit RD-180s, and appropriators, the House and Senate appropriations committees, who want flexibility.
At a House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing yesterday, James faced a much more friendly audience that agreed that flexibility is needed as to when the use of RD-180s should end. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) complimented James on the award of four contracts to build new rocket propulsion systems. He and subcommittee chairman Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) quizzed James on whether SpaceX could launch more national security satellites. She said there are eight types of launches and SpaceX can launch four. Calvert and Frelinghuysen focused on the need for assured access to space and James stressed that having a new U.S. engine ready by 2019, as required by law, is one thing, but it will not be integrated into a new launch vehicle and certified by that time, hence the need for flexibility on the availability of RD-180s.
Today's SASC hearing ended on a combative note. In its final moments, McCain challenged James on her earlier statement that terminating use of RD-180s could cost between $1.5 billion and $5 billion. He cited a letter he received from James that day "after several months" of waiting saying that the cost would be "in excess of $1.45 billion," but now she was saying up to $5 billion. She rejoined that it is matter of what assumptions are made. McCain had the last word: "I am to disregard, really, the letter you sent to me that I've been waiting several months for. Maybe that helps explains some of the difficulties that we have."
ULA Wins Big with Two AF Propulsion Contracts, One with Blue Origin, One with Aerojet Rocketdyne
The Air Force awarded the last two of four contracts to develop new rocket propulsion systems today. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) is partnered with Blue Origin on one of the awards and with Aerojet Rocketdyne on the other. The Air Force announced the other two awards last month.
The Air Force is using "Other Transaction Authority" to enter into public-private partnerships with companies to develop new rocket engines. The first two awards went to Orbital ATK and SpaceX in January, with initial government investments of $46.9 million for Orbital ATK and $33.6 million for SpaceX.
The awards announced today will benefit ULA's development of a new rocket, Vulcan, to replace its existing Atlas V.
The government's goal is to have at least two competitive U.S. launch vehicles, using American-built engines, to launch national security satellites beginning in 2019. The catalysts for this effort were a congressional decision to end use of Russian RD-180 engines, which power the Atlas V, because of Russia's actions in Ukraine, and more broadly a desire to lower launch costs through competition. ULA has been essentially a monopoly provider of national security launch services with its Atlas V and Delta IV rockets since it was formed in 2006 as a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The debate over RD-180s and the timing of the transition to an all-American rocket is much debated and has been reported extensively on this website.
ULA initially chose Blue Origin as its engine partner to build an American-only alternative to the Atlas V. Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, is developing a new type of engine that uses liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas (methane). Designated BE-4, Blue Origin is funding the engine development program itself. Two BE-4s would replace one RD-180, although other engineering modifications are needed. It is not a simple swap. The contract announced today will pay for integrating the engine into the new Vulcan rocket and for ULA to develop a new Advanced Cyrogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) upper stage. The initial government investment for this contract is $46.6 million -- $45.8 million for the integration effort and $0.8 million for ACES. Neither ULA nor the Air Force announced the total potential government investment, only the initial investment.
ULA subsequently decided to partner with Aerojet Rocketdyne as a "backup" in case Blue Origin's engine did not work out. Aerojet Rocketdyne is developing the AR1 engine that will use traditional liquid oxygen and kerosene. The other contract announced today is for that effort. Aerojet Rocketdyne said in a press release that the total agreement is valued at $804 million, with the Air Force potentially investing $536 million and Aerojet Rocketdyne and its partners $268 million. The initial government investment is $115.3 million, with Aerojet Rocketdyne and ULA contributing another $57.7 million.
Aerojet Rocketdyne President and CEO Eileen Drake said the AR1 has the least technical risk and work is expected to be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2019. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the leading advocate for replacing Russian RD-180s with an American-made engine, put 2019 in legislation as the date by which the new engine must be ready. Drake said the AR1 will be available for use on the Atlas V, Vulcan, and "other launch vehicles in development."
ULA President Tory Bruno said that ULA is "fully committed to transitioning as quickly and affordably as possible to a domestic engine" and Aerojet Rocketdyne "is moving us toward one of two viable options with the excellent progress on the AR1 engine development."
In a separate press release about the Blue Origin contract, Bruno said ULA continues to work with both Blue Origin and Aerojet Rocketdyne "to pursue two options for a next-generation American engine and that is why we are teaming with two of the world's leading propulsion companies."
Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, commander of Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center and the Air Force's Program Executive Officer for Space said these "innovative public-private partnerships" are key to assuring access to space and addressing "the urgent need to transition away from strategic foreign reliance."
What's Happening in Space Policy February 29 - March 4, 2016
Here is our list of space policy events for the week of February 29 - March 4, 2016 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in session this week.
During the Week
It's another busy week -- on the Hill, off the Hill, and off the planet.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is finishing up his last days on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the "year in space" mission (it's not quite a year, actually, but about 340 days). He and cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have been on ISS since March 27, 2015 (Eastern Time) to further studies of human physiological and psychological adaptation to spaceflight in preparation for even longer trips to destinations like Mars. Theirs is not the longest duration mission -- four Russian cosmonauts spent 365 days or more continuously on the Soviet/Russian space station Mir in the 1980s and 1990s -- but is the most recent and Kelly is the first American on such a long mission. (The record for total consecutive days in space is held by cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov who spent 438 days aboard the Mir space station in 1994-1995. Sergei Avdeyev spent 380 days on Mir in 1998-1999. Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov spent 365 days together on Mir in 1987-1988. In all cases, other crews came and went during those missions.)
Kelly and Kornienko are scheduled to land in the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft along with cosmonaut Sergei Volkov (who arrived at ISS in September) very late Tuesday night -- 11:27 ET. Kelly will embark on his trip home to Houston very soon thereafter, arriving late Wednesday night (11:45 pm ET) where he will be greeted by Second Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden and other White House and NASA dignitaries. On Friday, he will participate in a press briefing from Johnson Space Center at 2:00 pm ET, preceded at 1:00 by a briefing by two NASA scientists and his identical twin brother, Mark. The two brothers have been part of a Twins Study during the mission. NASA TV will cover it all.
It may be hard to top that in terms of news value, but there is much more going on, including quite a few congressional hearings on military and civil space programs. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III will appear before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee on Wednesday and the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta will testify to the House Appropriations Transportation-HUD subcommittee on Wednesday, though it is not clear how much focus will be on the $19.8 million request for the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
Perhaps of most interest to readers of this website is a House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) subcommittee hearing on Thursday on NASA's new "Ocean Worlds" program. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX), who chairs the subcommittee, is an enthusiast for sending a probe to Jupiter's moon Europa, which is thought to have an ocean under its icy crust. It is not the only solar system body thought to have an ocean and Culberson directed NASA to initiate a program to explore these "ocean worlds" in his report on last year's appropriations bill. He has invited Charles Elachi, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Cornell's Jonathan Lunine to testify about the program. JPL is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) operated by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), so some people consider it a NASA field center while others point out it is a contractor and not "government" in the same sense as the rest of NASA. Thus one can say that the hearing has a NASA witness or not as one chooses, but it is interesting to see just this one part of NASA's program singled out for a hearing, reflecting the chairman's intense interest. Culberson says often that he is convinced that evidence of life will be discovered on Europa and hence he believes this is one of NASA's top priorities. Elachi is retiring this summer, by the way, after 15 years at the helm of JPL (part of a 45 year career there). He will move over to CalTech as professor emeritus to continue his research. His successor has not been announced.
Meanwhile, there are meetings of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG), several NASA advisory committees, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committees, the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop, an ISU-DC space cafe, an Orbital-ATK investors teleconference, and an announcement by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden about NASA's new plans for X-planes. Whew! Get out your running shoes.
The many events of interest this week that we know about as of Sunday morning are listed below. Check back throughout the week for additional events that we learn about later and add to our Events of Interest list.
Oh, and happy Leap Year! We certainly need that extra day.
Sunday-Wednesday, February 28-March 2
Monday, February 29
Tuesday, March 1
Tuesday-Wednesday, March 1-2
Wednesday, March 2
Wednesday-Thursday, March 2-3
Wednesday-Friday, March 2-4
Thursday, March 3
Friday, March 4
Editor's Note: NASA has countdown clocks on its website for the 1-year mission showing elapsed time and remaining time. At this moment (February 29, 5:50 pm) it shows that the mission duration for the two men will be 340 days, 7 hours, 44 minutes and 2 seconds, not "just under 342 days" as we calculated yesterday. The text has been changed accordingly.
Bridenstine Lays Out Multipronged Legislative Agenda for Commercial Space
Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Oklahoma) is planning a multipronged approach to getting government space agencies to adopt commercial solutions. He will introduce a comprehensive bill -- the American Space Renaissance Act -- later this year, but does not expect it to pass en toto. Instead, he sees it as a repository of "plug and play" provisions that will be inserted into other pieces of legislation, especially this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Speaking at a Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) breakfast meeting on Friday, Bridenstine laid out his plans "to promote policies that will permanently make America the predominant spacefaring nation." A draft of the American Space Renaissance Act will be released at the Space Foundation's Space Symposium in April and Bridenstine is seeking feedback from interested parties.
He listed a number themes that will be included in the draft legislation: fostering, encouraging and incentivizing industry to innovate and thrive in the United States; expanding launch options and producing more satellites in the United States; having a robust space travel infrastructure; being the home of world-changing plans like point-to-point suborbital flight, lunar habitats and asteroid mining; and getting the government to purchase services instead of owning satellites.
The bill is intended to serve as a "conversation piece as well as a repository for the best ideas that we can plug and play into different pieces of legislation," he said.
Bridenstine serves on both the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Environment, and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is a member of the subcommittee on Strategic Forces. That provides him a broader view of space issues than most Members of Congress. The second-term Congressman said his constituents (in the Tulsa area) have little interest in space programs because they do not recognize the role that space plays in their everyday lives, but he is convinced of its importance.
He is particularly passionate about the nation's weather satellites. His goal is for forecasts to become so accurate that there will be zero deaths from tornadoes, a frequent occurrence in Oklahoma. He has been a strong critic of NOAA's management of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R series because of their high cost and schedule delays, but more broadly worries that NOAA builds "Battlestar Gallaticas" that are vulnerable to a range of threats -- from launch failures, to system failures, to attacks from enemies -- and sees commercial weather companies and their constellations of small satellites as part of the solution.
The FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act directed NOAA to initiate a commercial weather data pilot program to purchase, evaluate and calibrate commercial weather data and assess its viability for inclusion in NOAA's numerical weather models. The idea originated in the Weather Research and Forecast Innovation Act (H.R. 1561) that passed the House last year, which Bridenstine co-sponsored. It would authorize $9 million for this effort. The Senate has not acted on that bill yet, but the weather data pilot program was included in NOAA's portion of the FY2016 appropriations bill, with $3 million allocated. A Bridenstine aide said on Friday that a report from NOAA on its implementation of the pilot program was due on February 16, but has not yet been received. NOAA is requesting $5 million for FY2017.
Bridenstine said he plans to try and include a similar provision for DOD in this year's NDAA. DOD is still struggling to shape its weather satellite strategy following the 2010 cancellation of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). It has had a few false starts and Bridenstine clearly sees commercial data as part of the solution.
He also will try to include language in the NDAA to begin a transition of responsibility for providing space situational awareness (SSA) data and conjunction analyses (to warn of potential collisions) to commercial entities and foreign governments. Today, DOD's Joint Space Operations Center (JPSoC) provides SSA data to everyone, but Bridenstine reiterated Friday what he has said in the past that it is a distraction for JSPoC, which should be focused on its DOD mission of "fighting and winning wars." He wants to create a commercialized Conjunction Analysis and Warning Center that fuses unclassified DOD data with data from international partners and commercial operators. The Center would be subject to oversight by the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST).
Bridenstine insisted that he is a conservative Republican who typically does not favor government regulation, but it is necessary in some cases. Commercial space is one of them because "the lack of appropriate regulation is regulation itself." His goal is to find a "sweet spot" to "maximize regulatory certainty and minimize regulatory interference - a de minumus approach."
As for his Conjunction Analysis and Warning Center that he wants included in the NDAA, he stressed that he is not proposing any new regulatory authority. "Zero. My objective is to gradually build the capacity of a civilian agency" to do SSA. Eventually, he thinks a government agency -- specifically FAA/AST -- should be in charge of Space Traffic Management, but he is not proposing that right now. He also restated his intent for FAA/AST to be designated as the government agency in charge of implementing a requirement in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that governments authorize and continually supervise the actions of their non-governmental entities, like companies. FAA/AST regulates commercial launches and reentries, NOAA regulates commercial remote sensing satellites, and the Federal Communications Commission regulates commercial communications satellites, but no agency has been appointed to regulate activities such as asteroid mining or commercial activities on the lunar surface. He thinks FAA/AST should expand its role to do so.


text:
Posted by a Debt Collection client
Called to set up a consultation and gave him a brief overview of the issues at hand. His words, verbatim "I cannot help you, and to be honest no one can." Then Mr. Relman hung up the phone when I was in the middle of asking if he have any suggestion of my next step. He didn't even take the time to say good bye, or nice talking to you. He was obviously extremely busy to be bothered by a potential client. Regardless of people's situations, they do not deserve to be judged or treated like a second class citizen. I work in the legal field, and was expecting to be treated with some decency.
Posted by a Debt Agreements client
As an old client of Mr. Relman's, I've fallen on hard times, unable to make my mortgage payments, I've had to default. Mortgage holder was unable to get good service on me as they had sent complaint to wrong address. Then out of the blue, several years after I've had any dealings with Mr. Relman I get an email asking how I am dong. I respond, including my return address and phone numbers, and an inquire as to his well being. I get no further response to my inquire, as he already got what he was trully looking for. Good service address follows. Dates match up on docket vs. emails.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Maritime Today
The Maritime Industry's original and most viewed E-News Service
National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), the exclusive oil-shipper for Saudi Aramco, reported a 47.2 percent increase in second-quarter net profit on Tuesday.
U.S. Secretary of State Kerry says backs bilateral talks; Philippines says dispute does not involve United States.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is notified by Samil PwC, a local member of the global accounting firm PwC, that its 3.5 trillion won worth management improvement
China has taken a major step towards establishing a speedy new "Silk Road" to Europe by signing up to a U.N. trucking treaty.
Fifteen years after joining the World Trade Organization (WTO),
Gulf Petrochem Group, the UAE based global bunker supplier, has announced that it is now officially offering physical bunker supply in the port of Rotterdam, out of its new office based in Dordrecht.


text:
SHARE THIS PAGE View Viral Dashboard ›
- MichelleCornish "25 Reasons You Should Never Visit Texas"
Just one? Funny joke BuzzFeed.
I was only supposed to pick one?! NICE JOKE BUZZFEED.
- MichelleCornish "19 Insanely Clever Products That Prov..." and thinks it's OMG , LOL & WIN
- MichelleCornish "19 Fall Doughnuts You Need In Your Li..."
- MichelleCornish "How Weird Are Your Texting Habits?" and thinks it's LOL


text:
Killer Pizza
Killer Pizza
The Slice
Feiwel & Friends, Hardcover, 9780312580889, 352pp.
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Four months after they discover that their new place of employment, Killer Pizza, was a front for an underground Monster Hunting Organization, Toby and his fellow rookie Monster Combat Officers, Annabel and Strobe, have been invited to New York City to tour KP Headquarters. But the exclusive tour is cut short when a monster emergency sends the trio off on a secret mission delivering Calanthe, a beautiful 14-year-old, defecting monster with serpent-like abilities, into the Monster Protection Program. It seems like an easy assignment until the teens realize Calanthe is the sacrificial offering in a ceremony set to happen in a few days and her people will stop at nothing to get her back
Greg Taylor delivers a tale of horror and humor that even reluctant readers will love.
Greg Taylor is the author of the young adult novels The Girl Who Became a Beatle and Killer Pizza. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Penn State University and started out his career as a professional drummer, before moving to Los Angeles to become a screenwriter. His screenwriting credits include Jumanji, Harriet the Spy, Prancer, and The Christmas Box.
"I love the idea of a pizza joint being a front for fighting monsters! I love the names of the pizzas, and I love the banter between the three friends and the co-workers. THE SLICE includes lots of action, danger, and suspense. It's a winner!" --Teensreadtoo.com "Readers new to the series can jump right in to this follow-up, which opens with a battle scene and leans heavily on action." --SLJ Praise for Greg Taylor and Killer Pizza: "A monster is roaming the nights in Hidden Hills, Ohio. But why worry about monsters when you can sink your teeth into a Killer Pizza? Greg Taylor serves up a hot slice of horror that I couldn't put down!"—R.L. Stine "Taylor keeps the action coming at a brisk pace…a fun diversion."—Publishers Weekly "A delectable choice for horror fans as well as reluctant readers."—School Library Journal "This much-needed book definitely fills a gap in horror stories for young readers left by the end of the Goosebumps series."—VOYA


text:
FoCS partners
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
We are transforming the health care industry by helping doctors better manage their practices, their patients, and their cash flow. Our goal is to bring order to the chaos of the U.S. healthcare system by harnessing the power of the cloud to modernize healthcare. We develop easy to use, ultra powerful, cloud based tools which allow medical professionals to focus on what they do best – treat patients. Our challenge: make this system work, while it's running! Come help us solve this problem!
Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company's strength delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately is at the core of the Bloomberg Professional service, which provides real time financial information to more than 315,000 subscribers globally. Bloomberg's enterprise solutions build on the company's core strength, leveraging technology to allow customers to access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the world's most geographically diversified casino entertainment company. With 53 casino resorts in seven countries, Caesars Entertainment has the most recognized brands in the industry. Leading brands include Caesars, Planet Hollywood, Horseshoe, and the World Series of Poker. We have 70,000 employees, $9B in revenue, 42,000 hotel rooms, and 3 million square feet of gaming space.
Why work for a company when you can serve your nation?
The Central Intelligence Agency is the premier agency responsible for providing global intelligence on the ever-changing political, social, economic, technological and military environment. Here, your paramount goal and mission will be to protect the national security of the United States. Virtually any job you can imagine is available at the CIA — plus, some you can't even imagine.
The Charles Schwab Corporation is one of the nation's largestfinancial services firms engaged, through its subsidiaries, in providing securities brokerage and related financial services for over seven million active accounts. Our clients include domestic and international individual investors, independent investment managers, institutions, broker-dealers and 401(k) plan sponsors. Nearly 30 years ago, Charles R. Schwab founded a securities and financial services brokerage with a clear mission that revolutionized the way Wall Street served individual investors. His unique vision continues to guide our values driven approach to growth, customer service, community involvement and employee development.
Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies and conducts business worldwide. Our success is driven by our people and their commitment to get results the right way—by operating responsibly, executing with excellence, applying innovative technologies and capturing new opportunities for profitable growth. We are involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. We explore for, produce and transport crude oil and natural gas; refine, market and distribute transportation fuels and lubricants; manufacture and sell petrochemical products; generate power and produce geothermal energy; provide energy efficiency solutions; and develop the energy resources of the future, including research for advanced biofuels. Come visit us to find out more about career opportunities at Chevron.
Cognitive Scale is revolutionizing the cloud and big data analytics market by the first unified platform for massively scalable cognitive computing applications. Cognitive clouds help enterprises weave contextual insights into the fabric of their business. They improve business performance by orders of magnitude, using cognitive applications that source and process data, then deliver contextualized real-time insights and services.
ConocoPhillips an international energy company, is the third largest integrated energy company in the United States and the second largest refiner in the United States. The company is known worldwide for its technological expertise in deepwater exploration and production, reservoir management and exploitation, 3-D seismic technology, high-grade petroleum coke upgrading and sulfur removal. ConocoPhillips operates in more than 40 countries and has approximately 35,600 employees.
Dante's mission is to build an intuitive platform created by innovative people that enables customers to deliver game-changing solutions. We are a consulting firm with a product that we have built and use to bring our clients' offerings to market in rapid time. Technology is only part of the solution and not the solution itself. If you like working alongside the brightest and most engaging teammates in the industry while interacting directly with client stakeholders, then Dante is the place for you.
With more than 100,000 team members globally, Dell promotes an environment rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit with which the company was founded. Dell follows an open approach to technology innovation and believes technology is essential for human success. Life at Dell means collaborating with dedicated professionals with a passion for technology, developing solutions to help our customers, and investing in people to enable them to pursue a career that fulfills their potential. As well, a spirit of volunteerism contributes to local communities.
EOG Resources, Inc. is one of the largest independent (non-integrated) crude oil and natural gas companies in the United States with proved reserves in the United States, Canada, Trinidad, the United Kingdom and China. EOG Resources, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and is traded under the ticker symbol "EOG."
EOG's goals remain consistent—to deliver the highest stockholder appreciation measured by stockholder returns and to be the most profitable independent exploration and production company in terms of return on capital employed.
To learn more about careers at EOG Resources, visit www.eogresources.com
Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.
First Trust was established in 1991 with a mission to offer investors a better way to invest. We are very proud that we continue to fulfill this mission and have built a firm of over 650 employees who concentrate on our mission every single day. First Trust's developers analyze systems and processes and deploy applications to help the firm succeed in all aspects of our business. We have built a very strong team through our belief that technology will help us to not only compete, but to win, in the fast-paced financial services space. As a developer at First Trust, you will work closely with various departments and product teams, and have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, experts in the field of finance, while enjoying a collaborative team-building environment.
At the new General Motors, we are passionate about designing, building and selling the world's best vehicles. This vision unites us as a team each and every day and is the hallmark of our customer-driven culture.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program, which is the largest and fastest growing in the industry, provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
HBK Capital Management is an alternative investment firm currently managing approximately $8 billion in capital. The firm was founded in 1991 and employs approximately 200 individuals in Dallas, New York, London, and Charlottesville. Among the top-rated and longest-tenured hedge funds in the world, we have a refreshingly transparent and team-focused culture. Investment teams look to our proprietary software for real time insight into markets and to aid in formulating and executing strategies.
At HP, we believe in the power of ideas. From cutting edge personal digital equipment to the most powerful IT solutions, we use ideas to put technology to work for everyone. And we believe that ideas thrive best in a teamwork culture. That is why everyone at every level in every function is encouraged to have original ideas, to express them and to share them. We believe anything can be achieved if you really believe in it, and we will invest in your ideas to change lives and working practices. It is all to do with what sets us apart as a company. At HP we work across borders, and without limits. Global virtual teams share resources and pool their brainpower to solve business issues and meet personal goals. Each individual is valued for the unique skills, experiences and perspective they bring. That's how we work at HP. And it's how ideas – and people – grow.
IBM is a worldwide multinational corporation which strives to lead in the creation, development and manufacture of the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM's worldwide network of solutions and services professionals translates these advanced technologies into business value for our customers.
Indeed is the #1 job search engine worldwide. Since 2004, Indeed has given job seekers free access to millions of jobs from thousands of company websites and job boards. Our core mission is to help people get jobs. To make this possible, we built an amazing platform that handles 5 billion job search queries from over 140 million unique visitors per month. This platform relies on a massive, distributed, location-aware storage of job and job seeker data. It delivers highly relevant search results to job seekers around the world in real-time using powerful, ad-hoc analytics. We are a fast-growing company that accomplished a lot with a small and focused team. We deliver 2+ million unique visitors per engineer, which is on par with industry leaders such as Facebook. We are going to accomplish even more as we continue to build more great products. Come join our team!
Information Technology Services (ITS) provides, innovative, customer-focused, and robust technology solutions to the campus community. The organization values professionalism, honest and open dialogue, and a commitment to high quality customer service. Working for ITS exposes you to new technologies and a collaborative work environment. With a combination of student, faculty, and staff input, ITS is an excellent resource within the campus community.
We changed the world with Words With Friends. We led the charge in the mobile gaming revolution by making beloved games that brought the world together. We created 100 million new gamers out of people who had never played games before in their lives. It was totally awesome.
Now we're starting a new revolution. We're creating a mecca of game development in Austin, with world-class people, culture, and compensation. We are inventing a series of sexy and dangerous new games on a host of diverse platforms. If you're an elite engineer and you're passionate about games, drop us a line. We're looking for heroes.
Lockheed Martin is a premier systems integration company of 132,500 employees of whom 55,000 are scientists and engineers. Of those, 30,000 are software and systems engineers. Sales are $31.8 Billion and the company has a backlog of $76.9 Billion. Lockheed Martin business areas range from aeronautics to space as well as information and technical services and electronic systems.
Microsoft is on the forefront of technology because of the people who work here. Creative and passionate people who love what they do. From operating systems, to applications, to games, to internet technologies, we're ushering in the next generation of computing. By creating and supporting software that furthers understanding, lightens workloads and increases communication, we're changing the way people work, live and play.
National Instruments is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists approach measurement and automation. Leveraging the PC and its related technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs through easy-to-integrate software, such as the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment, and modular hardware, such as PXI modules for data acquisition, instrument control and machine vision. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,200 employees and direct operations in 40 countries. In 2003, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. For the past five years, FORTUNE magazine named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.
A leading Silicon Valley technology company, Palantir Technologies designs, develops, and deploys software products that transform how the world's most critical government, commercial, and non-profit institutions use their data. Palantir has more than 1,500 employees across 11 offices worldwide and our software is currently in use at many of the most critical intelligence, law enforcement, finance, healthcare, and defense organizations in the world. Palantir is based on the simple idea that the human mind is the most effective tool to identify patterns in information, while computers are most effective at managing enormous amounts of data. By identifying the optimal point of interaction between the two, it is possible to perform analyses on data that were not possible just a few years ago. Our platform sits above traditional data systems, enabling people to ask questions and get answers in a language they understand.
Qualtrics is growing rapidly and now is the time to join our team! Best known for our award-winning survey engine, Qualtrics offers SaaS-based solutions that revolutionize the way organizations capture and respond to customer, employee and market data. With offices in Seattle, Dublin, Utah, Sydney and Dallas we continue to lead in this market.
Serving over 7,000 enterprises worldwide in 75 countries, including 99 of the top 100 business schools and Fortune 500 companies within America. We've secured $150M Series B funding from Sequoia and Accel Partners and we are currently generating over $100M in annual revenue. With a scrappy, start-up feel and the amount of growth we're experiencing, it's no surprise Business Insider deemed Qualtrics one of 25 startups to bet your career on in 2015 and we've joined the Billion Dollar Startup Club.
We are excited to introduce our product lines which include: Research Suite, Vocalize, and more. Our environment is primarily Java, node.js, MySQL, angular.js, python, PHP, Postgres, javascript, html/css, etc. We almost tripled in size this last year and plan to continue growing exponentially! Come join our Qualtrics family and be apart of this exciting opportunity!
Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) is the global leader in hybrid cloud and founder of OpenStack®, the open-source operating system for the cloud. Hundreds of thousands of customers look to Rackspace to deliver the best-fit infrastructure for their IT needs, leveraging a product portfolio that allows workloads to run where they perform best—whether on the public cloud, private cloud, dedicated servers, or a combination of platforms. The company's award-winning Fanatical Support® helps customers successfully architect, deploy, and run their most critical applications. Headquartered in San Antonio, TX, Rackspace operates data centers on four continents. Rackspace is featured on Fortune's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Write code today for millions of people to use tomorrow. RetailMeNot is actively looking for wicked-smart undergrad computer scientists for summer internships and full time positions. You will work in our hip headquarters in vibrant downtown Austin and be mentored by the best and brightest technical talent.
Salesforce.com is the global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) software. We pioneered the shift to cloud computing, and today we're delivering the next generation of social, mobile and cloud technologies that help companies revolutionize the way they sell, service, market and innovate–and become customer companies. We are the fastest growing of the top 10 enterprise software companies, the World's Most Innovative Company according to Forbes and one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. Our "more human, less corporate" culture is built around doing work that matters, winning as a team and celebrating success.
Sandia National Laboratories is a national security laboratory involved in a variety of research, development and engineering programs to help secure a peaceful and free world through technology. We develop and deliver science-based solutions to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, defend against terrorism, protect our national infrastructures, ensure stable energy and water supplies, provide new capabilities to our armed forces, and sustain, modernize, and protect our nuclear weapon stockpile.
Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) is the leading oilfield services company supplying technology, project management and information solutions that optimize performance for customers working in the international oil and gas industry. We are committed to excellence in technical innovation, teamwork and creating value for our customers, our shareholders and our employees. At the well site, in our global connectivity centers and in our R&E facilities, we are working to optimize customer performance in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Schlumberger is an equal opportunity employer. To learn more about careers in Schlumberger, visit www.careers.slb.com.
Seeking an internship or career in one of the nation's largest IT shops, you've come to the right place—a company consistently ranked among the 100 Best Places to Work in IT* and recognized as an employer of choice.
State Farm's mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. On the surface, State Farm is a top insurance and financial services provider.
Dig deeper and you'll find vast information technology required to do what we do, on the massive scale that we do it. And the State Farm Systems Department is at the center of it all.
Tableau Software is a company on a mission. We help people see and understand their data. After a highly successful IPO in 2013, Tableau has become a market-defining company in the business intelligence industry. Tens of thousands of companies and organizations have chosen Tableau. Our software can be found anywhere people have data and questions.
Headquartered in Seattle - Tableau's culture is casual and high-energy. We also have offices in Kirkland, WA, Palo Alto, CA and Austin, TX. Passionate about our product and mission, we are loyal to each other and our company. We value work/life balance, efficiency, simplicity, freakishly friendly customer service, and making a difference in the world.
Are YOU Tableau?
We are the leading source of intelligent information for the world's businesses and professionals, providing customers with competitive advantage. Intelligent information is a unique synthesis of human intelligence, industry expertise and innovative technology that provides decision-makers with the knowledge to act, enabling them to make better decisions faster. We deliver this must-have insight to the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With over 50,000 employees in more than 100 countries, we work flexibly across boundaries and realize innovations that help shape industries around the world.
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. We offer trusted advice from travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 315 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 200 million reviews and opinions covering more than 4.5 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 45 countries worldwide. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.
At Two Sigma, we like to solve hard problems. What kinds of problems do you want to solve? At our core, we're a technology company applying our talents to the domain of investment management. We've created a system that combines artificial intelligence and keen human insight—a system that's constantly learning, improving, and advancing. We're a destination for the intellectually curious who want to learn, invent, create, and watch what they build make a difference. Start a conversation. Please contact email@example.com.
Union Pacific Railroad, a Fortune 200 company, is one of America's premier transportation and logistics companies. UP operates more than 32,000 route miles in the western two-thirds of the United States and serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers. Union Pacific is a leader in developing and applying new technology to efficiently move freight in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner, while operating one of the most advanced telecommunication networks. UP is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, with a satellite IT facility in Austin, Texas. To learn more about careers at Union Pacific, visit www.unionpacific.jobs.
At VMware, we thrive on forward momentum. We are an engine of opportunity fueled by the transformative products and solutions we bring to market, the passion and trust we inspire in our customers, and our collaborative drive to imagine, define and deliver the future of IT through cloud computing. Through our strong ties to the academic community, we strive to connect with top university students to infuse new ideas into the innovation culture at VMware. As a student, the contributions that you make are both real and amplified, impacting the company,our customers and the larger community.


text:
You are a fan of deforest orton ? Come to discover the best forums deforest orton on the internet and share your experience with a community fan of deforest orton . You can also build a forum deforest orton and create your online discussion.
Free forum : A place for fans of wrestling to gather and discuss the goings on.
forum, universe, wrestling, john, cena, undertaker, triple, randy, #orton, morrison, sheamus, daniel, bryan, wrestlemania, view, stone, cold, rock, chirstian, alberto, edge, kane, show


text:
O'Sullivan won a fifth World Championship crown against Barry Hawkins with a rousing 18-12 success in Sheffield despite only playing one match this season before arriving at the Crucible.
The Rocket, who has always questioned his own motivation for playing tournaments, refused to confirm he would be back in 2014.
"I can't say that I will be back next year because I enjoyed my year out," he said.
"I'm well equipped to win more titles but it's not easy.
"There were times in this tournament when parts of my game weren't great.
"But, having worked with [sports psychiatrist] Steve Peters for the last two years, I was able to manage my emotions better than I ever have done, which got me through."
O'Sullivan said he was not going to go straight back into retirement but would see how he felt after playing some more tournaments.
"One good thing this tournament has done is get me a wildcard into the Masters," he said.
"In many respects it's given me the chance to rebuild if I want to.
"I intend to play in some smaller events and, come December-January, I'll have a better idea what I want to be doing and whether my heart's still in it.
"I just feel like I've done a job. It hasn't really sunk in. But for me it's been like a dream, Harry Potter stuff."
After losing to O'Sullivan in the decider, Hawkins admitted that his opponent was "by far the best player in the world."
"The way he makes it look so easy is frightening for most players, so I am glad I made a game of it and pushed him a bit," he said.
"I tried my hardest but I just made a few more mistakes than Ronnie and you cannot afford to do that against him.
"It is a shame I lost, but Ronnie is by far the best player in the world."
- Sports & Recreation
- Barry Hawkins


text:
What Do You Mean? Martina Morati spins Justin Bieber's latest with creative hooping choreography, video editing and more. She lives in Verona, Italy.
Tag: italian Hoopers
Rachel Meyer LED Hooping at Twilight
Rachel Meyer LED Hooping at Twilight. The Hoopie Award nominated video artist returns to spin up something truly magical at twilight in silhouette.
Federica Pennetta at Cirk Fantastik 2015
Federica Pennetta at Cirk Fantastik 2015. Federica Pennetta spins a beautiful performance at "Vola Tutto Cabaret" for Cirk Fantastik in Florence, Italy.
Paola Berton Spins a Hoop Meditation in Venice
Paola Berton spins up a gorgeous and meditative hoop dance on the water at sunset in Venice, Italy, quieting her mind inside the circle.
Hoop Dance Como Spins Parada par Tucc 2015
The Hoop Dance Como group participated in the Parada par Tucc (Parade for All) for the second year in a row in Como, Italy. Photo by Fabio Fargnoli.
Monica Saso
We love this shot of Monica Saso and her magic floating hoops. She lives in Catania, Italy. Photo by Giovanni Tomaselli.
Federica Pennetta
When photographer Camilla Bonadonna needed a representation of fire for her photographic exhibition "The Four Elements", her answer came in the form of Federica Pennetta and her fire hoop. Federica lives in Pisa, Italy.
Federica Pennetta
We love this shot of Federica Pennetta of Easy Juggling, taken during her "Singin in the Rain" performance. Part of the "Relive The Dream" joint project with The Circus Gang in Tuscany, Federica lives in Pisa, Italy.
In this ethereal hooping montage, Eleonora "BijHoop", takes us on a journey of visual delight. Spinning her way through several varied locations, we witness interesting angle shots of her prodigious hooping skills. With all this goodness it's an added bonus…
Kikka Hooper: Gone With the Wind
I am convinced hoopers don't really care about weather. The sensible thing to do when the conditions are a bit rugged outside is to stay inside, especially when it's a tad breezy out as the wind has a habit of…


text:
Enemy Chatter: KG is a braying jackass
I often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics after playing the Celtics. Here's a dose of 'enemy chatter' from Chicago. …the Bulls can play up to the Celtics…as long as Kevin Garnett isn't on the court. Garnett is obviously the anchor of the Celtics world-class defense, but... [More]


text:
At the 2011 NAB Show, WideOrbit unveiled its IT-based WO Master Control solution that offers an alternative to traditional master control equipment. WO Master Control fully integrates IT and DTV hardware and software into a single-rack solution. Through its streamlined architecture, WO Master Control can feed and control up to four channels per server of HD/SD, including master control switching, graphics and automation per server.
Each server has automation and content storage onboard along with live master control switching, picture-in-picture and branding graphics. WO Master Control uses low-cost, off-the-shelf servers and provides direct-to-storage file transfer from edge severs with no transcoding required. It also supports transfer of any content from mainstream creative tools, such as Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Creative Suite.
As many as four servers with up to 16 HD channels can reside in the rack, which not only eliminates a substantial amount of equipment and wiring, but also significantly reduces power consumption and heat generation in an operation.
AT&T Files For Title II Re-Hearing
Sinclair Pays $9 Million-Plus to Settle FCC Retrans Investigation
NAB: FCC Maintaining Crossownership Ban Is Inexplicable
Comcast's First HDR Box in Employee Trials
TVBAwards 2016 nominations open
Massive Interactive launch Halo
Twitter pens Premier League highlights deal with Sky
Filmmaker Steven Caple Jr. Shows the Many Sides of Cleveland with Debut Film 'The Land'
Watch Ed Morris's Unsettling Music Video for Massive Attack
Girls Sing About What They "Really, Really Want" In Empowering UN Video


text:
Search Results: ''
Holy Pascha: Order of Holy Week Services in the Coptic Orthodox Church (English Edition) - Second Edition
eBook (ePub): $9.99
This book contains the text and rites of one of the most holiest seasons in the Coptic Orthodox Church. All Holy Week readings are in English. The Holy Week of Pascha is central in the church life. ... More > It is a celebration of God the Heavenly Father's love. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16, NKJV). It is also a living remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ, "who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb 9:14, NKJV).< Less
Holy Pascha: Order of Holy Week Services in the Coptic Orthodox Church (English/Arabic/Coptic)
eBook (PDF): $8.99
This book contains the text and rites of one of the most holiest seasons in the Coptic Orthodox Church. All Holy Week readings are in English, Coptic, and Arabic. This version is unique in many ways;... More > it is the first version to include Coptic, English, and Arabic texts that are readable, coherent, and easy to understand. This is the first version to include a contemporary and elegant English and Arabic translations that are most often quoted by our beloved father H.H. Pope Shenodua III and all the clergy of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The file is formatted for viewing on large eBook readers such as the Apple IPad, Kindle DX, Android tablets and laptops.< Less
Top 10see more >
In the Wake of Lewis and...
Paperback: $14.95
Feel Good Nutrigenomics
Paperback: $14.95
The 13 Critical Tasks...
Paperback: $15.24
Joe Peas
Paperback: $16.95
Norah Bedorah and the...
Paperback: $14.99
Identity and Mission of...
Paperback: $7.95
College Algebra: A...
Paperback: $13.00
Handbook for Missionary...
Hardcover: $25.00
Chess Workbook
Paperback: $9.95
Driving In LA
Paperback: $14.99
Age Verification
The page you are attempting to access contains content that is not intended for underage readers.
Please verify your birth date to continue.


text:
Improvised, Organic, Dirty Rhythmic Gymnastics:
When body and mind synchronize, through 10,000 hours of practice, the result appears effortlessly, joyfully graceful.
Stella Angelova director/choreographer/editor – this was shot with a 7D in my garage. All of what you see was improvised on spot, there was no rehearsal…i wanted to be very organic. This was shot & edited in just a few hours. (RG – AKA- for Rhythmic Gymnastics)
Music by: Example – Kickstarts (Bar9 Remix) Dubstep
And: four seconds:
Stella Angelova is a successful Stunt Coordinator, Martial Artist, Dance and Stage Choreographer, Actor and Weapons Connoisseur. She has appeared in over 20 national commercials, multiple music videos, films, and television shows.
Born in Bulgaria, Stella began her Rhythmic Gymnastic training and competitive career at the age of 4 with the legendary trainer and coach, Efrosina Anguelova, who is in fact her mother. Stella was invited to join the Bulgarian National Gymnastics Team in Sofia by the age of 8. She gained massive popularity from such competitions as the Intervision Cup, Wacoal Cup, 88 Europe Championships, 89 World Championship, and other broadcasted National and International Championships. Having won over 265 Medals, 5 National Championships, Europe and World Championships, Stella decided to retire from gymnastics at the age of 16.
Moving to America at the age of 17, Stella was asked to coach and choreographfor the US National Gymnastics Team. Her love for the arts prompted her to start auditioning for dance and acting projects as well. She booked her first job as a dancer for R&B sensation, Tevin Campbell, and went on to tour with artists such as Boys II Men, Babyface, Ricky Martin and Paulina Rubio, Prince, Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys, Mase and Latin singer/producer Robbie Draco Rosa.
Here is a film of Stella using her sword skills with a Japanese katana. The film was shot on an ITD Y6 High Speed Digital Camera at 1000 fps. It's amazing and beautiful to watch Stella use her skills when she's captured in super slow motion.
hot on elephant
A Letter to my Children: You do not come from a Broken Home. These People are Rare Gems—Keep Them, Fight for Them, don't Give Up on Them. Mom, can I Call her Mom, Too? My Marriage had to End—for my Life to Begin. The Day I Stopped Running. My Favorite Part of Sex is You. {Adult} Why your Yoga Goals are (Probably) Irrelevant, if not Downright Dangerous. Overcoming the Storm by Becoming the Storm. Dear Woman in the White Car at Margaritas Mexican Grill in West Memphis, Arkansas on July 15th, 2012. A Toast to PTSD: The Solution Starts with One Question.


text:
Maelstrom the Pokegirl Master
Naruto x Harem
Post Fourth War Naruto
Author's Note
Its been a long time, but I am finally coming back to this and other stories. So everyone get hyped. XD
Story Start
Life did exist after death for those who were gifted. It also was for those bestowed with gifts or curses. In that case Uzumaki Naruto had fit that criteria. He wasn't sure how many decades or centuries had passed during his journey, but his mind felt the weariness of of an existence beyond one's lifetime.
This world, this strange new world he found himself in was ripe with opportunities he had grown to enjoy. Naruto had remembered when he first awoken one morning and found himself in the bed of a small cabin. It looked abandoned if the condition of the wood and smell was any indication. He looked around to see a girl walked through the door. She was a beautiful young woman about age fifteen or sixteen. Her skirt looked fair, maybe a hint of creaminess. She was about 5'6 or 5'7 in height. She was wearing a black tank top that contained her sizable bust. She was also wearing a pink miniskirt that hung casually off her long legs. Her eyes were a darker shade of blue then his, along with her hair which she kept worn under a white cap. She also wore black knee-high shocks and pink boots.
''I see you're awake that's good. Do you remember what happened?''
''Not much. I'm kind of drawing a blank."
''Well you were lucky that my Foxxsea found you floating down a river.''
Naruto raised an eyebrow. ''A river? You have my thanks then.''
The girl smiled, ''My name is Dawn by the way? What's yours?''
''My name is Naruto Uzumaki." He introduced himself. "...sorry but you said your Foxxsea found me earlier?'' he was curious as he had never heard of such a thing.
''Yeah my Pokegirl?'' she answered as the expression in his eyes showed off he had no idea what he was talking about. ''You must have hit your head.''
He had to play along if he wanted any information. "My mind feels a bit hazy. Could you explain to me what Pokegirls are?"
''I'll start from the beginning then. It all started with this master of technology and magic called Sukebe. The infamous man was not only a mage, scientist, but also a pervert created an army of powerful female weapons and slaves call Pokegirls. He caused an event which has been named Sukebe's revenge killing millions, leaving near all the female sterile, and other horrible things. Now we get to what a Pokegirl is. A pokegirl is a female creature with special powers, an impressive libido, and a natural psychology to submit to a "master." Some were human females who have undergone Threshold and transformed. All pokegirls have some sort of special ability, if not looks, that separate them from normal females. They were originally created by Sukebe as super-soldiers. Though during the course of the war it was discovered that people could make Pokegirls loyal to them giving birth to tamers.''
''The Pokegirls owner or partner, depends how you look at them. You capture them then train and tame them for various things like combat or everyday life. Because of their libido they need to be tamed or engage in sex in order to prevent them from becoming feral. When Pokegirls become feral they become very animalistic to the point of becoming wild beasts.'' Dawn went on to explain how the world was united by the war, the famous San Bay battle where energy weapons were first created and the beginning of tamer forces and how tamers still exist today to tame feral pokegirls."
"Wow." An army of super sexy soldiers. This was quite the world he ended up in. "Where do I sign up to be a tamer?"
''You certainly became interested quick.'' she responded, her expression being amused.
''From the sound of things this is a dangerous world and I'm guessing you need to be a tamer in order to defend yourself."
''Well you have to come to a lab and upload your data. You're going to need a license, Pokedox, some pokeballs and a few other things.'' Dawn had led him to a lab a few miles east of their location.
It took a few hours for Naruto to set up everything. He needed to set up birth records, schooling, family, medical history, all which had to be falsified, but for the most part was truthful. Not like anyone in this world could you it against him. Naruto was then handed a black Pokedex and checked his information.
Name: Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze
Age: 18 (It was his physical age more or less)
Date of birth 10/10/ 292 AS
Height: 5'11
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
Next of Kin: N/A
Experience: Rookie
Tamer license: y
Master license : n
Researcher license: n
Breeder license: n
Alpha: N/a
PG2: N/a
PG3: N/a
PG4: N/a
PG5: N/a
PG6: N/a
Naruto frowned as he went over the information. He was going to have to make a few changes so everyone and anyone couldn't basically discover his future harem with a mere scan and try to take advantage. After being set up Naruto decided to take Dawn aside and explained to her some key concepts about who he really was. He hoped the girl wouldn't freak out. She was pretty cute and he hate to have to kill her.
Naruto walked out of the path with Dawn along side him. ''So? Where are you heading from here?'' She asked as he shrugged.
''I don't know...I don't know a thing about this world.''
''Then...maybe you could travel with me,'' She said hopefully. ''It's gets a little lonely sometimes.''
''You have Pokegirls right?'
''Just one...I've only been a tamer a little over two months now. I'll show you,'' She took one of her Pokeballs out of her backpack and pushed the button in the front causing it to enlarge. ''Come on out...Foxxsea,'' She said giving a twirl and tossing the ball.
The light on Naruto's pokedex started beeping. He opened it and scanned the Pokegirl.
FOXXSEA, the Water Fox Pokegirl
Type: Near Human - Animorphic (vulpine)
Element: Water
Frequency: Rare
Diet: omnivore, preference for fish and meat
Role: calm and relaxing influence, antithesis to the Vixxen
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Fire, Rock, Water
Weak Vs: Electric, Ice, Plant
Attacks: Quick Attack, Scratch, Bubbles, Water Gun, Water Barrier, Cry, Disable (Lv. 30), Teleport (Lv. 40)
Enhancements: Enhanced Hearing (x4), Enhanced Olfactory Sense (x4), Enhanced Agility (x4), Minor Psychic Capabilities, Hydrokinesis, Constant Aura of Calm
Evolves: None
Evolves From: Kitsune (Water Stone)
It is certain that a Tamer that trains and Tames a Kitsune regularly will see definite improvement in her capabilities and overall strength. However, most Tamers aren't patient enough and want a big bang as fast as possible. This normally means the Tamer would acquire a Fire Stone as soon as possible to Evolve the Kitsune into a more powerful form. However, not everyone wants a Pokégirl that are after and ready for Taming anytime, anywhere, under any conditions with anyone at the drop of the hat. For those Tamer, there is hope. With the use of a Water Stone, an incredible change comes over the Kitsune and she evolves into a much calmer and surprisingly less horny vulpine pokégirl: Foxxsea.
The Foxxsea is indeed a rare evolutionary path of the Kitsune, what with the Vixxen being considered the default evolutionary path, not to mention that the majority of Tamers prefer the flash and raw power that comes with owning a Fire-type Pokégirl. Still, even without as large a fan-following, the presence of a Foxxsea is nothing to sneeze at.
While she is not a Psychic-type, a Foxxsea has an unusually high intelligence and E.S.P. ratings, allowing her to tap into a number of Psychic-type techniques as she grows in levels of power, allowing her to support her solid repertoire of water-based techniques. And even better, these psychic powers even strengthen her primary element as the first thing that develops is Hydrokinesis, allowing the Foxxsea access to a nearly limitless amount of water anywhere on the planet.
One of the most important psychic capabilities of the breed is that the Foxxsea has a calming effect on her Tamer thanks to the constantly generated technique Aura of Calm. Thanks to this psychic rapport, a Foxxsea can allow her Tamer to never be surprised or incapacitated by fear or anger. This also allows her to calm more easily agitated and excitable Pokégirls, including their sister species of Vixxen.
When it comes to the looks of a Foxxsea, one should understand that the build is very similar to a Vixxen. 4'10" to 5'8" in height, bust ranging from a large B-Cup to a solid C-Cup, and a large fluffy and incredibly soft tail. However, unlike the Vixxen, the coloration of the Foxxsea is either blue or sea-green, with the fringes of her hair giving the coloration and effect of looking like white sea-foam. Eye color correlates to the color of her fur, albeit a shade or two darker.
When it comes to Taming, one shouldn't be surprised that it is often a gentle experience. Where the Vixxen can handle sex any which way possible with great enthusiasm, a Foxxsea initiates Taming in a more reserved, yet definitely intimate way. No one that has Tamed a Foxxsea can say anything bad about the experience, and some say they've even found it surprisingly refreshing. The Aura of Calm is a definite blessing in this case and neither the Tamer nor the vulpine Pokégirl are pushed hard during their time Taming together, finding themselves just going with the flow.
There has yet to be a single recorded case of a girl going through Threshold to become a Foxxsea. It would seem that the more common branches of vulpine Pokégirls, the Vulvixx, Kitsune, and Vixxen will remain dominant for quite some time until more Foxxsea are bred and bare children via natural sexual reproduction than through parthenogenesis.
A word of warning for Tamers and Pet Owners that decide to keep a Foxxsea. It is suggested to keep them away from any alcoholic beverages. As for what happens when they drink some... you really, REALLY do not want to know.
''Impressive,'' He whistled as Dawn scratched the back of her head and grinned sheepishly. ''Well I put a lot of time and experience into her when she was a Kitsune,'' She said a she gazed at the 5'3 Foxx-sea proudly. The light blue skinned Foxx-sea yawned.
''Mistress? Do you require my services?''
''Not at the moment Seava...I just wanted to introduce you to our new companion. He just became a tamer and he's going to be traveling with us,'' She said as the Foxxsea turned to Naruto.
''Hello Tamer, I am Seava the Foxxsea.''
''Hey there, my name is Naruto. Looking forward to see what you can do. Hopefully I get my own pokegirl soon.''
''Uum ok.''
''Ok Seava...that's it...you can return now,'' Dawn said recalling her Seava back to the ball. ''Well let's head on to the next town shall we?''
''Right...after you?'' He said following after the girl. This was going to be an interesting journey.
Today was the day that Naruto would acquire his first Pokegirl. He and Dawn had set camp and turned in early so they would get a good night's rest. After that they packed up their camping gear and made way through the forest. They had traveled 27 Kilometers into the forest before taking a break at a makeshift camp site, obviously made by a previous traveler. After collecting some branches and leaves Naruto ignited a small fire, placing a barrier of rocks around it.
Dawn had returned with a kettle of water and set it on the fire to heat so they could brew tea. They then went over their rations. They had enough food for three days before they would restock. There was enough fresh water in their canteens for four days as well.
''So Dawn...I'm curious...why did you become a tamer?'' Naruto asked, breaking the silence.
''Because of my mother...my mother is a well known tamer and I wanted to follow in her foot steps. I also wanted to travel and see the world. Unless your a training or a military personal it isn't exactly safe traveling alone.''
''I see...it's strange don't you think?'' He asked as the girl adorned a quizzical look.
''What's strange?''
''That we've traveled this far in and we've yet to encounter another tamer or even a feral pokegirl. I don't like this...''
''Maybe we should look around then,'' Dawn said as she summoned her Foxxsea from the Pokeball. ''Me and Seava will search both to the east and south of our position for the third of a kilometer and well leave the west and north up to you. That sound ok?''
''Right...we'll meet back in an hour then,'' Naruto said as he went to the west. Naruto took careful notice of any signs of disturbed land. He didn't notice any humanoid footprints. When it came to Pokegirls he was unsure of all the tracks to discern from. Some of the tracks looked fresh. Maybe they belong to wild animals? Naruto continued until he came across a cliff side. He focused chakra into his eyes and looked towards the bottom noticing what looked like the shredded remains of a backpack. Something definitely wasn't right. He noticed movement and trailed down the mountain.
He then noticed what was curled around what looked like human remains was a Pokegirl. He took out his Pokedex.
KITSUNE, the Mischievous Fox Pok girl
Type: Anthropomorphic (vulpine)
Element: Normal
Frequency: Common
Diet: omnivore, preference for fish and meat
Role: domesticated Pokegirl
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Ghost, mouse Pokegirls, bird Pokegirls
Weak Vs: Fighting, dog Pokegirls
Attacks: Scratch, Bite, Pummel, Leap, Tackle, Psychic Illusion, Ember
Enhancements: Enhanced Speed and Agility (x2), Enhanced Hearing (x4) Enhanced Olfactory Sense (x4)
Evolves: Vixxen (Fire Stone), Foxxsea (Water Stone), Hoarfoxx (Water Stone and arctic conditions), Nogitsune (personal dishonor; loss of tail), Psivyx (Psi Crystal)
Evolves From: Vulvixx (normal or Fox E-Medal)
A Pokegirl based on the pre-Sukebe animal known as a fox, this Pokegirl was designed to create confusion in the ranks of the human armies. One of the first of the mass-produced breeds due to her relatively simple genetic code, the Kitsune was distinctive for the bushy tail that is about two feet long and the vulpine-like muzzle on their faces. However, numerous accounts are known of the Kitsune assuming human forms with their Illusion and Psychic Illusion techniques to bring confusion to most any human command structure.
There has been some confusion in the centuries since, as the Vulvixx was discovered. The Vulvixx, a Fire-type, evolves into the Kitsune, which is a Normal-type, and then evolves in one of many directions (although, admittedly, most include a fire-type in the evolutions). Research remains ongoing into this particular phenomenon, but it's widely considered to be a genetic quirk, and nothing else.
The Kitsune, or fox Pokegirl, is a common form for girls undergoing Threshold to evolve to. Like the Eva, it has multiple evolutionary tracks but is not high powered in its base form. Kitsunes are highly mischievous and delight in innocently causing trouble (no malicious intent), such as taking pictures of embarrassing situations and posting or selling them, inciting romantic triangles from both sides, enjoying the good life and stiffing total strangers with the bill, etc. It's this particular trait that kept them from being targeted widely by anti-Pokegirl organizations, as even they realize and understand a good joke when they see one (or can at least find a use for the Kitsune, one way or the other). They also make great pets, as most Kitsune are rather intelligent and are proficient in the kitchen and at household chores, though do well with children also. Just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't teach the children how to play pranks on their parents.
Despite not being a fire-type, the Kitsune does have access to an array of elemental techniques to assist in their mischief. Not especially great in either sex battles or standard battles, the Kitsune are often evolved quickly when found in a combat harem. These Pokegirls have a slight quirk, however: despite their mischievous nature, every Kitsune chooses their own rules and code to live by- whether it be as simple as never allowing her tamer to be harmed, to never harming a child. If their rule, or code, is broken by a certain measure (by choice or accident), this often triggers the evolution into a Nogitsune, which all Kitsune dread with a passion. Kitsune get along well with Trixies and other Pokegirls that enjoy playing jokes on others, and it is not recommended to have two or more pranksters in a single harem as they will constantly attempt to outdo one another.
(Note: Name is taken from Japanese fox-spirit which are highly mischievous.)
''Hey there...''
The Pokegirl flinched as she looked up at him with tear stained eyes. Naruto accessed the body and placed the time of death about three to five days ago. He then looked at the Kitsune who looked quite thin. It was obvious the Pokegirl was distraught and in pain. Someone had killed her master and she basically had given up on life.
''It's ok...I want hurt you...'' He said reaching out to the guarded Pokegirl. She closed her eyes and flinch as his hand stroke her head. The Vulpine's bushy two foot tail wrapped around her torso. Naruto was able to relax and calm down the Pokegirl. Soothing her enough to where she fell asleep he brought her back to the camp site.
"I'm sorry Naruto but I didn't see any other Pokegirl around." Dawn said a she and Foxxsea returned to the site. ''Where did she come from?''
''I found this Kitsune by human remains. Someone killed her master,'' He stated as Dawn gasped in horror.
''Oh you poor thing...Naruto, what do you plan on doing?''
''I'm going to take her with me...when she wakes up I'm going to offer her to be my Pokegirl.''
''I see...whoever did this...''
''Could still be close by. That's what I was able to figure from the body so we need to be careful. For now on if either of us heads anywhere the other follows.''
''R-Right...I suppose we should start cooking now...'' Dawn said, taking out some of the remainder of the food.
Naruto softly brushed the cheek of the sleeping Kitsune. Whoever was responsible was going to pay.
Chapter End
I hope you guys liked my chapter one revision. Sorry it took so long to update. I'm think I'm finally getting the feel of doing a Pokegirl story. Let me know what you guys think? I know you have all been waiting forever for me to really write this story, but I feel by this point my writing has gotten much better. Let me know whatcha think?
Also this story is still seperate from the Unleashed series and also takes place in a parallel world. In this world takes place in the far future of not only Naruto's world, but many others which will feature the reincarnation of many characters. More will be elaborated on at a later date.
List of possible girls. Please give your suggestions.
Vampire: Moka
Succubus: Kurumu (Original)
Yuki-Onna: Mizore
Witch: Ruby
Bunnygirl evolved into ? :Usagi Tsukino
Ronin: Motoko Ayonama
Samurai: Tsuroko
A-Bra to Alaka-wham: Jean Grey
Shadowcat: Kitty Pryde
Sayjin: Pan
Tomboy to Pirouette: Akane
Gemini-Shion and Hinata


text:
backgammonnoun [ U ]uk /ˈbæk.ɡæm.ən/ us /ˈbæk.ɡæm.ən/
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
(Definition of "backgammon" from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
(Definition of "backgammon" from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
Get a quick, free translation!
Create and share your own word lists and quizzes for free!
Word of the Day
a piece of cloth with a pattern or picture that is created by sewing or weaving different coloured threads onto a special type of strong cloth