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Discussion in 'Fan Fiction' started by Admiral2, Aug 27, 2009.
Ooh, I really want to hear the rest of the message. What a ruthless act.
"It is not power that I use lightly, or without regret, but I will use it without hesitation. I want you to understand this as I state my purpose.
"Centuries ago, Humans invited non-Humans to stay on Earth after First Contact had been established. Since then, the planet has been overrun with non-Humans that have insinuated themselves into Human civilization and stunted Human development, which is actually a violation of the Federation's vaunted 'Prime Directive.' This situation is unacceptable. Earth is the Human homeworld, and it is time Humans reestablished their dominance over their parent world.
"To that end, I am issuing the following directive: All non-Humans inhabiting the planet Earth must be removed to either their own homeworlds or nearest habitable worlds outside the Solar System. Of course, I understand that this will mean repatriating millions of sentients to other star systems, so I will not impose an arbitrary deadline for completing the task. However, the repatriation must begin within the next seventy-two hours.
"If, at the end of that time, I've seen no indication that you are complying with this directive...I will destroy the Earth. If the Human Race may not have Earth exclusively to itself, then I'll see to it that no one will have it. Humans will start over on a new world, one not dominated by other races who will bend Humans to their will and their values.
"Three days, or the United Federation of Planets will need a new capital world." The woman called April settled back in her chair and closed with, "Thank you for listening, and please, do not hesitate to carry out my demands."
The President of the United Federation of Planets touched a contact on the display, freezing the image of April on the screen. She then rubbed her eyes and tried to think. She was tired. Her security force had literally grabbed her from her bed and spirited her away to an underground bunker when the first warnings about the Barb had come in. She was still there, meeting with her cabinet via holographic telepresence. They had all been scattered to different shelters in the hope that a single catastrophe would not eliminate the whole government.
The President raised her head and turned to the gathering. "Can she do it?" She asked.
The Science Advisor, A gray-haired Vulcan, answered. "A similar impact anywhere on the planet Earth would have disastrous effects on the whole ecosystem, while impacts at certain points would mean extinction of all life on the surface. Yes, Madam President. She can do it."
"The people on the Moon were lucky that there's no natural environment at all," The Home Secretary, a Human, chimed in. "With no atmosphere to contain and transfer the effects of the explosions..."
"Lucky?!" The Defense Secretary, a Tellarite, raged. "You call what they're going through lucky?? A thousand confirmed dead, more than ten thousand injured, and both those numbers are sure to rise as rescue efforts continue!"
"I read the report too," Home shot back, "but if the Moon had had an atmosphere everybody would have been dead immediately, and there wouldn't be anybody for rescue efforts to save!"
"What about the flooding here on the planet?!" Defense bellowed. "Should the people we had to fish from the tides consider themselves lucky that they weren't killed by Cochrane radiation?"
"Gentlemen," The President said. She wanted to move on. "How do we stop her?"
"We can't give in to her demands," the Justice Minister, A Betazoid, said. "Especially something so heinous."
"I wasn't suggesting we do that," The President said. "What can we do?"
"We can hunt her down and kill her!" Defense growled, pounding his fist on an invisible table for emphasis.
"That's a great idea," the Foreign Minister, a Deltan woman, said. "Do you have the first clue where to look?"
"The Barb was one of the ships that disappeared last week, and intelligence is sure that the ready room she was in was one that you'd see in an explorer. An Ambassador and a Sovereign - two explorers - are also missing. I've got every available unit searching for those ships. I'll bet my damned life that if we find those ships, we'll find her!"
"And then what? We just snuff her out?" The Foreign Minister said.
The Science Advisor agreed. "Would it not be a more appropriate goal to bring her in and have her stand trial for her actions?"
"More appropriate, maybe," Defense said, "but it might be impossible in the three days we have before she throws another one of those ships at the planet!"
"Then let's defend the planet," Home said. "Recall all those ships you have searching and set up a perimeter here. Destroy the next one she sends in."
"And if the next one has life-forms aboard?" Science said, making everyone turn to him. "I doubt, after today's events, that we are dealing with someone that would be against using...what is the human term? Human shields. Of course, any sentients might be suitable..."
Defense pounded the invisible table again. "Dammit! We can't worry about every little thing that might happen! This is a living world we're talking about! Billions of life-forms!"
"But we're also talking about Starfleet Officers," Justice said, "who we spend years training to resolve conflicts, not just kill the bad guys. And any Starfleet officer worth the name would want to save the the hostages and the planet if they could."
"But what if they can't? The Barb came in too fast for our normal safeguards to do anything. What if she sends all her captured ships back at once?? What if they all contain hostages? One hit would doom the planet! We can't afford to let that one ship through, for any reason!"
The President began to pace. "The Valkyries didn't stop the cutter at all. How could we be sure even a perimeter of starships could intercept starships on suicide missions?"
"They'd have the best chance if they were captained by sentients who won't hesitate," Defense reiterated.
"And it's unlikely you'll find any that won't," Justice replied. "Most of our veterans are tired of war, tired of killing. They'll all want to find another way."
"Then they'll waste time they won't have."
"What about Continuity?" Home asked. "That was the codename, right? Could we use that against this...April?"
Defense grunted. "The major systems have been fully integrated, but not tested."
The President was intrigued. "Could it be ready in three days?"
"I'll have to ask Admiral Janeway, but it is doubtful."
"Ask. And recall those search ships while you're at it and set up that perimeter. Their orders are to destroy any ship showing similar hostile intent without hesitation. I'm a Human Being too, Ladies and Gentlemen, and I'll not have some racist terrorist dictate who should live on my world and who shouldn't."
The others disappeared with a chorus of "Thank you, Madam President," leaving the President alone with her thoughts. She turned to look at the face of April.
We thought we were done with people like you. The last great gasp of human xenophobia was Terra Prime, active in the early days of Alpha Quadrant cooperation. It had mainly been through the efforts of human beings that Terra Prime had been defeated. Apparently, their cause had not been forgotten. April had decided to take it up.
The President balled her fists. You won't win. Not while I can do anything about it.
Oooh. Interesting. I'm wondering what exactly this Continuity is.
April is a classic genocidal psychopath in the mold of Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot. It's amazing such people manage to attract such a loyal following.
The Earth government is certainly in a quandary. Giving in to April's demands isn't a viable option, yet she's already demonstrated she's capable (and willing) to carry out her threats.
And so we come to the "Continuity." A Jayson Bourne clone, perhaps? An android programmed with his personality and abilities? Inquiring minds want to know.
April is really screwed up. I wonder how she managed to get all those other officers to follow her?
Pheromones and hypnotic sonic sub-tones in her genetically engineered voice. Or she offered them a cookie. Those are my guesses. Plus, I'm betting she's secretly a Romulan.
Seriously, this is a chilling and tension-filled story. I can't wait for more.
Wow, Mistral, all of your guesses are close and still wrong.
April does have her recruiting methods. They'll become clear in time.
TLR: What kills me is, you're trying so hard to figure this out you'll probably get it in the next scene, even though that's not the scene I want to reveal it in. Relax. We're getting there.
"I'll be on the next shuttle," Admiral Kathryn Janeway said. "I need to confer some more with the leaders of the project team, but I don't think we'll be able to launch in three days."
"Don't answer until you can give me a firm 'Yes' or 'no'," The Defense Secretary grumped. "It will take me at least five days to build up the type of defensive task force we'd need to combat this woman's suicide ships, so I need to know. If it can be ready, ready it! If not, let's not waste time grasping at straws!"
"Yes, Sir," Janeway said, nodding at the desk computer screen. "Anything else?" Would you like me to rob the Ferenginar Treasury while I'm at it?
"Hopefully that will be enough. Get back to me as soon as you can, Admiral."
"Aye, Sir," Janeway said. The screen reverted to the Federation emblem a split-second later, and Janeway took a moment to rub her eyes, sigh and take a swig of coffee before she set up the next conference call. She entered some commands into the computer and waited. Soon a split screen came, showing a man on half the display and a woman on the other. The man was handsome, square-jawed and had steely eyes to go with his dark hair. The woman was attractive with a tousle of red hair that matched the color of her lips. Both were around Janeway's age, but the woman was closer to it. The man wore the uniform and pips of a Starfleet Captain, his collar an Engineer's gold. The woman wore civilian clothes under a gold lab coat.
"Good to see you, Admiral," the man, Captain Roderick Post, said.
"It's good to be seen," Janeway said with a smile.
"Where ya'll callin' from?" Dr. Edwina Bush asked, her Tennessee drawl prominent as ever.
"The Sundown," Janeway said, "Earth orbit. I was one of the first people picked up, and I've been helping to coordinate things up here." She had actually been on leave when the Barb hit, in an area threatened with terrible flooding. She'd been in civilian clothes at the time, absently thankful that she had changed her mind about the moonlight stroll on the beach beforehand. "Picked the wrong week to visit Monaco, I suppose..."
"What's the situation?" Post asked.
"Secretary Kurhk is trying to set up a task force to protect Earth, but it will take time. We're dealing with a Human Supremacist that calls herself 'April'."
"April?" Dr. Bush said. "Just 'April'?"
"I'm sure the people in Intelligence will analyze that to death. Our main concern is that April has given us a deadline. Three days. Kuhrk thinks that's not enough time to mount a proper defense."
Post frowned. he could see where this was going. "He asked about Project Continuity."
On hearing that, Dr. Bush beamed. "He did? Outstanding! I hope you told him she's ready to go, Admiral!"
Janeway lowered her head for a moment and rubbed her eyes. Dr. Bush's un-infectious enthusiasm for her pet project had been the bane of Janeway's existence ever since the scientist had joined the Advanced Starship Design Bureau. "I told him I had to confer with you two and see for myself..."
"Admiral!" Bush said, sounding exasperated. "She's done! We have the tools and we have the talent! We could have gone out and met the damn cutter at the Asteroid Belt if you'd let us!"
"With half a crew and no real captain? Are you serious? No sane person would have authorized that."
"Well, what the hell is Cap'n Post? Chopped liver??"
"An engineer," Post answered for himself, "and not one with combat command training."
"But you've been in on this from the beginning! You know the systems as well as I do!"
"Knowing them from an engineering standpoint and using them in combat are two different things. You need a warrior for a captain, especially in this instance."
"The Defense Secretary apparently agrees with you, Rod," Janeway said, "and he's managed to convince the President. If we're going to deploy Continuity, we have to deploy her with a captain willing to shoot first and ask questions later. You certainly don't fit that bill."
"Well, there's gotta be somebody that does!" Dr. Bush protested. "How about Jellico?"
Janeway rolled her eyes, so Post answered. "Captain Jellico's last words before he retired were, I quote: "I'm never working for you ungrateful bastards again! Get someone else to save the Federation!" He's retired to planet that we can't even reach in three days, so he's not an option."
"So, what," Bush said, "There's nobody in Starfleet like Jellico?"
"Hasn't been for years," Post said, then he thought. "Then again, I do know another retiree like him that would be quicker to reach..."
"Would he help us 'ungrateful bastards'?" Janeway asked.
"It would definitely take some convincing..."
"Get on it. If you can convince him, can you get him here before the deadline?"
"Yes, I can."
"If Captain Post gets his man, Doctor, Continuity deploys."
Dr. Bush pumped her fist and grinned. "Y-Yes-s!"
April is a one scary xenophobe ... but then, most of them usually are, if for nothing more than their extreme viewpoints. And this one actually has the means to carry them out.
I like this story for its fast pace which promises a lot of action and plenty of fun. Can't wait to see where it all leads.
"Why in the hell would anybody want to live out here?" Dr. Bush wondered aloud.
She was sitting in the co-pilot's seat of the runabout she and Captain Post had taken from Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, watching in awe as the ship approached the Kuiper Belt Object MakeMake, one of the largest icy bodies in this region of the Solar System. It seemed dead by comparison to other inhabited worlds, its gray-white surface obscured mostly by shadow given its distance from the sun.
Captain Post, piloting the runabout, said, "When I asked him that, he told me that these were the only kinds of places within the Federation where men could at least pretend to be independent."
"Known him long?" Bush asked.
"He was my best friend before he left the service," Post said. "I like to think he still is. It's just...well, he's not a big fan of how Starfleet and the Federation do things."
Bush smiled. "Lemme guess: Maquis Sympathizer or Dominion War veteran."
Now Post smiled. "Maquis Sympathizer, yes, but he never made it to the Dominion War. His last battle was Wolf 359."
Bush's smile disappeared. "Oh."
"He was one of the people lucky enough to survive our first full-scale battle with the Borg. When it was over, I guess he didn't have much to do in his life pod but think, and by the time he was rescued he'd decided he couldn't serve the Federation anymore, for a variety of reasons. I'm sure you'll hear them all before we're done. He likes to talk."
Bush shrugged. "Nothin' wrong with talkin'. Gets stuff nice and out in the open."
Post frowned. "That may not always be a good thing."
They continued on in silence until Post brought the runabout on final approach. As they descended on the minor planet their destination came into view. It looked like a military outpost. "How many people live here?"
"Just Bob and his wife," Post said.
"By themselves?!" Bush said, aghast. "That place looks big enough for a small starbase!"
"That's what it was about a century and a half ago. It was originally built back when humans were first starting to colonize the system. The idea was to work out the feasibilty of colonizing bodies like Pluto. The powers that be back then concluded that it was possible but not practical, so this place was abandoned. It's been reopened a few times since then, and upgraded each time, but hadn't had a real permanent presence until Bob convinced Bureau of Installations to let him stay there as caretaker. Anyway, they don't use the whole facility. They keep to the base commander's quarters while he keeps the lights running. I think he finally got a holodeck installed last year."
"So they live in an abandoned base by themselves and he's the caretaker," Bush confirmed. When Post nodded, she asked, "And you're sure no kids?"
"Positive. Why?"
Bush chuckled. "I don't want us to go in there and find some rugrat ridin' a Big Wheel up and down the halls and goin' 'Redrum! Redrum!'"
Post looked at her like she was insane. "What...?"
Bush sighed. "It's too bad nobody in this fleet knows anything about the really fun popular culture from back in the day," she muttered.
Post shook his head as he settled the runabout on the station's landing pad.
The facility had been built in the days when people transferred from spacecraft to the entrance in spacesuits. No internal hangar had ever been constructed, and the need for one disappeared with the advent of personnel transport. Post and Bush beamed over, setting the computer to retrieve them on cue, hopefully with extra passengers.
They arrived in the corridor of what looked like the barracks part of the facility. While Bush looked around at the half-lit, gray interior, Post tapped his commbadge. "Post to Doctor Rabb."
The response took a few seconds, then a charming female voice said, "Doctor Rabb here. Hey, Rod! You made it!"
"Yeah, we just beamed into the barracks. Should we come to the residence?"
"No! Come to the holodeck. B.C. felt like barbecuing today."
"Okay, we're on our way. Post out." With that done, he started down a side corridor.
Bush followed him. "Who's 'BeeCee'?"
"That's what Etta calls him. Everybody else calls him Bob or Rob."
"How long they been together?"
"Fifteen years."
"Fifteen years and no kids?"
"Neither of them wants any. I gave up trying to change their minds ages ago. I can't imagine what I'd do without my three girls, but whenever I say that to Bob, he says 'No kids, no need to imagine, and I'm perfectly happy with the living arrangement.'"
Bush chuckled again. "I think I'm gonna like him."
They reached a squarish holodeck arch a moment later. Post tapped some controls and the doors opened to reveal a covered patio with wicker furniture. Beyond the patio was a large backyard. The grass was manicured and a lush green, and the yard itself was big enough for a gazebo, a wooden picnic table and a pit barbecue. Surrounding the yard was a white picket fence that was high enough to obscure the view from any of the neighbors, even though there didn't seem to be any other houses. Post guessed they hadn't bothered to program any in.
Someone had the pit barbecue going. Bush assumed it was the man they had come to see. He looked to be about as tall as her, with dark skin and a wiry build. As he cooked, a woman was setting up the picnic table. She was pretty and lithe with light coffee skin and dark brown hair done up in a ponytail. Both man and woman were dressed in civilian clothes. The woman's accentuated her pleasing shape.
She noticed them first. After she finished the last place setting she turned to the arch and smiled. "Rod! Come on in!" She met Post and Bush in the patio as the arch closed and disappeared, revealing the back of a modest but pretty house.
"Good to see you again, Etta," Post said as they hugged. Bush grinned when she saw the towering man had to bend over to do it properly.
"Oh, it's great to see you!" Etta said, then suddenly she turned toward the man at the barbecue. "B.C.!" She called out.
"What?!" He called back.
"Your friend is here, and he's finally gonna take me away from you and all this squalor!"
The man addressed his response to Post. "You better have brought me something useful in trade, Rod! I keep telling you she's not for free!"
"Got nothing today, Bob!" Rod called back.
"Then you're just stuck with me, babe!" The man called triumphantly.
Etta sighed as she released Post. "Threats just don't work on him." She turned to Bush and offered a hand. "How do you do? I'm Doctor Etta Rabb."
"Doctor Edwina Bush," Bush said. The women smiled as they shook hands.
"What do you think?" Post said to Etta quietly. "Will he...?"
Etta glanced at her husband, then turned back to Post. "He knows about everything, and we're barbecueing. What do you think?"
I think he's going to need some serious convincing. But he'll come around eventually. And he's probably not going to be the kind of guy who plays by the rule. In other words, exactly the kind of guy they'll need to stop this crazy woman who is behind this all.
I think I like Bob (B.C.). I have a soft spot for cynics. Interesting setting you've provided with this couple living on a rather large, mostly abandoned station. The reference to The Shining was appropriate.
Now let's see what they bring into the mix. Time is getting short and April is madder than a March hare. They better get crackin'!
CeJay: Thank you for sticking around. I hope I don't disappoint.
TLR: If you like cynics, I think you'd have loved the guy I'm modeling him after.
Post left the women to get acquainted on the patio and walked across the lawn to his old friend. Bob seemed intent on watching the barbecue pit, seeming almost immune to the smoke rising and heady aroma of meat cooking that was reaching out across the holographic scene. He also seemed oblivious to Post's approach, but the captain was pretty sure that was fake. "How'ya doin', Bob?" He said as he came close.
"Pretty good, Rod," Bob said without looking up. "Thought it was a good day for a barbecue."
"Looks like," Post said, looking around and noting the moderate temperature, the ridiculously blue and clear sky and the sun shining high and bright. Of course it was all programmed. The sun might as well have a smiling face on it. He turned back to Bob. "Of course, it's not as nice a day everywhere..."
"Rod, this station's a bitch to maintain," Bob said. "I've been thinking about doing this for the past month, and this is the first week I've had any significant downtime. Now, I am going to have my barbecue, and you are not going to ruin it by trying to dump Starfleet's problems on me."
Fine. No more pretense. "They're not just Starfleet's problems. The Earth is in danger..."
"And defending the Earth is Starfleet's problem. Don't worry, though. I'm sure some big brain on a Galaxy-class will figure out a way to put her to sleep or something, then they can say 'Oh, we defeated her without violence! We're so cool!'"
Post frowned, but his retort was cut off by Dr. Bush's voice. "Is that steak I smell?"
Both men turned. The women were approaching the barbecue pit, Bush with an expectant grin on her face. "Sure is," Bob called back.
"Real steak?" Bush said. "Not replicated?"
"Real enough, and about to be super-enhanced by my grandaddy's top-secret barbecue sauce recipe!" With that he got ready to braise the two big slabs of meat on the grill with homemade-looking sauce.
"How'd you get real steak?" Bush wondered. "I thought it was illegal to raise animals for slaughter in the Federation?"
"It is," Bob said, "in the Federation, which is why these choice cuts came from the Breen homeworld."
Bush blinked. "Say what?"
"I've got a few contacts. One of them's a Ferengi trader I do business with every now and then. The meat was part of our last transaction. He's gotten it for me before, and I thought it was so great that I wanted to try barbecueing it this time."
Bush was still confused. "Wait...they got cows on the Breen homeworld?!"
Bob shrugged. "Well, they don't call 'em 'cows'. I've seen what they look like, though. They're certainly bovine."
Bush grinned again, then giggled. "Well, I hope ya'll don't mind me invitin' myself, but I just gotta find out what steaks from the Cows of the Breen Homeworld taste like barbecued!"
"You're welcome to join in," Etta said.
"We've got plenty," Bob confirmed, "and Etta's got cole slaw and potato salad made. All that's real food, too. Get you a good meal away from that protoformed shit that comes from the replicators."
"I don't think we'll have the time," Post grunted.
Everyone got serious and silent then. The first one who dared to say anything was Bob. "You said Earth was in danger, Rod. From what?"
"You must have seen the news..."
"I want you to tell me."
"A human supremacist is threatening to destroy the Earth if we don't get all the non-humans off it."
"She give us a time frame?"
"We have three days to start."
"Are the three days up?"
"She give any indication she'll attack before it's up?"
"Then until she does, I'm pretty sure we have time to sit down and have a decent meal, so you two will join us and you can make your sales pitch."
Etta and Dr. Bush smiled, and Post sighed. "I guess we will," he muttered, then he turned to Bush. "Doctor, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Blanchard Robert Rabb."
Bush gasped and grinned as she shook his hand. "Blanchard! BeeCee!"
Rabb shook his head and looked at Etta. "Y'know, I hate when you call me that around people!"
"I'll call you what I please!" Etta said with attitude.
The resulting argument lasted till the steaks were done.
Interesting guy. What makes him so special?
Mistral: I can't promise you'll get why with this installment, but I'll state it plainly in the next one.
The conversation began soon after the quartet settled down to eat. Rabb made a point of taking a bite of his steak before starting things off. "Let's hear it," he said to Post.
"You know, I shouldn't need a pitch, Bob," Post shot back. "I would think the phrase 'The Earth is in Danger' would be enough to motivate you."
"You might think that," Rabb said, "but I've already done the 'Save the World' thing and got nothing but a trip in a lifepod for my trouble. What makes you think I'm eager to repeat the experience?" A pause. "You're not eating."
Post looked down at his steak reluctantly. "It's just that…"
He was cut off by an exclamation from Dr. Bush, sitting next to him. She had just finished a big hunk of steak. "MMMM-MM! That is incredible!"
Rabb smiled. "Sauce really brings out the flavor, doesn't it?"
"It does! And it's got a great, smoky flavor! Did you smoke it yourself?"
"Nope. That's the big secret. That flavor's natural to the meat."
"Still haven't figured out the biological source for it," Etta Rabb added, "but I study random pieces of every batch we get, so I'm sure I'll figure it out."
Bush acknowledged that with a nod, then dug into more of the meat. "MMMM! That is so good!" She turned to Post. "Cap'n, what're you waiting for? You gotta try this!"
Post leaned toward her and said softly. "Yeah, right. It comes from the Breen Homeworld by way of a Ferengi. And it smokes itself."
Rabb shook his head. "Rod, did you not just hear my wife say she studies the stuff when we get it? That's an understatement. She tricorders it all to hell and gone."
"It's perfectly safe for human consumption, Rod," Etta said. "No pathogens or poisons…at least not this batch."
Post raised an eyebrow before looking back at his plate, then he cut a small piece of the steak and forked it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, then smiled. "Okay, fine…it's great."
Rabb smirked. "Yeah. Nice to know we live in a society where nobody judges others by their species or biology."
Post turned the jibe right back on him. "It's even nicer when we put aside our petty differences with that society and help preserve it when it's threatened."
"Oh, they're petty, are they? Okay, fine. I'll help you save your wonderful society. I'll tell you how to do exactly that. Here goes: Give the psycho what she wants."
Post's face twisted up. "How does disrupting the very core of the society save it?"
"Back in the olden days the main thing you wanted to do to your enemy in a war was capture or sack the capital. Do that and you either end up owning the enemy country or disabling it for decades or even centuries to come. The problem with this tactic is that it only works if your enemy confuses real estate for nationality. No matter how much it gleams, a city is just a city. Same goes for a planet. The real core of any society is its ideals and the people who hold them. If the Federation is so strong, then removing a bunch of non-locals from one planet won't mean much in the grand scheme of things."
"Unless you're doing it at the behest of someone who just killed hundreds of people on the planet and its moon!"
Rabb frowned. "Yeah, well. You know that old Vulcan saying: Needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I think the need of billions of sentients to live past the deadline outweighs the needs of the few thousand that aren't alive right now."
Bush, who'd been listening intently to the conversation, quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and looked at Rabb aghast. "That's awfully cold."
"Welcome to my life," Etta muttered. She just continued eating.
"It's also not how the Federation deals with threats," Post said indignantly.
"Oh, bullshit!" Rabb said, tossing his utensils on his plate. "That's exactly how the Federation deals with threats! Resolve the Conflict! That's what they drilled into our heads at the Academy! Resolve it, hopefully before you actually have to fight it! And if you are unlucky enough to actually have to fight, just do it enough to make the bad guys stop! Y'know, just fight a little bit! And when that doesn't work, you run out and beg somebody who actually knows how to fight a war to do it for you! That was our whole Dominion War strategy! Talk, talk some more, talk a whole bunch, shoot a little, talk a bunch more, then beg the Klingons and the Romulans to remind us what we used to know how to do! And that was after The Federation displaced whole shiploads of people in an effort to resolve a conflict with the Dominion's main ally in this quadrant! That sure worked out great, didn't it?
"But you know what? I'm glad you think that's not how the Federation works! It'd be great if the government felt that way too, because this is the war the Federation needs to fight! For once, you're up against somebody that won't be talked down and who won't be put to sleep with a computer command after committing mass murder! And the rest of the quadrant's just going to sit back and let it happen! They'll call 'internal matter' and throw the Prime Directive back in our faces and laugh their asses off if we ask for help this time! Well, maybe you'll get the Bajorans to help. Exactly how big is their Starfleet again?"
Then Post threw his utensils on his plate. "All right, wise-ass. Y'Know what? You get your wish! The government agrees with you! They want a fight, and they want someone who doesn't think like a typical Academy golden boy to lead it! That's why I'm here!"
"Yeah, I get that you came here to recruit me, but I believe you were there when I stated plainly that I'll be damned if I ever put on another Starfleet uniform!"
"Lots of people say that, and lots them change their minds later when the need arises!"
"Man, you don't need me! What you need is about five or six hundred of the biggest, baddest, meanest-lookin' combat spacecraft you people at the Design Bureau can think up, and then Starfleet needs to use those ships to scare the piss outta anybody that wants to try something like this…and if they try it anyway, Starfleet needs to use the ships to kill them and all their friends!"
"Maybe, but I haven't got those ships! What I've got is one experimental ship, a third of a crew and orders to turn them over to somebody willing to kill 'em all and let various deities sort it out, and I have to put them all together in the next couple of days!"
Rabb and Post sat there for the next few seconds, arms folded and glaring at each other silently, then Rabb glanced away, calmed down a little, then met Post's gaze again. "One of these days," he said, "that 'one ship, one crew' shit's gonna be the end of all of us."
Post smirked, but before he could reply, Bush shrugged and blurted out, "Just don't let it be this time." When she had both men's attention, she said to Rabb, "I agree with a lot of what you're saying. That's kind of why I wanted to work on this project. And maybe one of these days we're gonna push our luck with this 'one ship' thing, but we haven't yet, and, well, we really gotta make sure it's not this time. I mean, Federation or not, what that woman wants is just wrong."
Rabb cocked his head a little and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think she's wrong?"
At that, Bush's blood ran just a little cold. "What…it's not obvious?!"
"Two and a half centuries ago a Human Being named Zephram Cochrane discovered the secret of traveling at warp speed. Had he simply taken his maiden flight and flown back, the Human Race might have reached the rest of the planets and the nearest stars on their own, and then maybe branched out to the rest of the galaxy. Instead, the Vulcans spotted him and came down and decided to be our mammies, and our lives as an interstellar race have been managed for us ever since. We don't even get to keep our own planet to ourselves. How many Andorians live on Vulcan? How many Tellarites live on Andor? How many Vulcans live on Tellar? Now how many of all of them live on Earth?
"The only thing obvious about April is that she's willing to commit mass murder for her beliefs. Lots of people throughout human history have had the same motivation. That doesn't automatically make the beliefs wrong. John Brown was an anti-slavery activist who used terrorism to get his point across. French and Russian peasants railed against absolute monarchy and went around beheading and shooting and running down every royal and noble they could find. We can say her methods are 'obviously wrong', but I'd be dishonest if I said I had any problem with humans getting the Earth back again."
More silence. Bush was stuck for an answer, so Post jumped back in. "But you don't agree with her methods, right?"
"No," Rabb said. "Who would?"
Post smiled triumphantly. "So go to war for your beliefs. Go find her and punish her. Take my ship and go scare the piss out of her and kill her and all her friends."
Rabb's eyes widened a little, then he grinned, then he chuckled. "Well, damn, Rod. If you're gonna sweet talk me into it…"
"Let's be clear," Post said, still smiling, "do I have a 'yes'?"
"Yes, Roderick, I will do it! Was that clear enough for you? Can I finish my meal now?"
"Oh, absolutely! Wouldn't want you crusading on an empty stomach, would we?"
Etta, who'd never stopped eating, huffed as she had some potato salad. "All that mess just to do what his old buddy wants anyway…"
"Don't you start, Etta…" Rabb warned before he dug back into his steak. Etta smiled without looking up.
That left Dr. Bush the only one not eating. She was still staring at Rabb in disbelief, then she looked at Etta, then at Post. "What in the hell just transpired here?!"
"You convinced Bob to join up," Post said with a mouth full of steak. "Congratulations! This is really good, Bob."
"We'll save some of the next batch for you," Rabb said. "Gotta have someplace cold to keep it, though."
Bush just looked at them like they had three eyes, then she turned to Etta, who finally looked up. "Don't pay them any mind," Etta said. "They've been like that ever since I've known them. I'm just sorry I only thought to put out lemonade. Get a couple of real beers in the two of them they'd've been much more entertaining."
That left me smiling! Awesome!
Thank ye!
The story so far: A Human Supremacist called "April" has stolen several Federation starships and threatened the Earth with destruction if all non-humans do not begin evacuating the planet within a few days. To demonstrate her resolve, she uses one of the ships as a kamikaze and attacks Earth's Moon. With the Fleet war weary and scattered, the Federation government turns to an experimental weapon system for defense, and the weapon's creators have been sent to recruit an unconventional man to command her...
After the meal, The Rabbs, Captain Post and Doctor Bush got down to discussing the mission. They started by reviewing the original message. "The deadline just seems odd to me," Etta said. "It's like she's starting out by cutting us some slack. The average nutcase would have given us a deadline to complete the evacuation."
"That's probably the idea," Post said. "She's gone out of her way to show us she's not the average nutcase by giving us a demand she knows we can meet on her terms."
"That's a problem in a couple of ways," Rob said. "It means that we're not likely to force her to make a mistake, and an open-ended schedule gives her just as much time as it gives us, which means she'll have more of an opportunity to prepare for whatever we might hit her with." He turned off the PADD they were watching and sat back in his chair. "We're dealing with somebody that covers their bases."
"Maybe that's a good thing," Bush chimed in. "If she thinks she's got all the bases covered, all we need to do is figure out what she missed and exploit it."
"Right," Rob said with a smile, "That's all we have to do. You wouldn't happen to know off-hand what she missed, would you?"
Bush grinned. "Maybe she doesn't know that we've got the granddaddy of all bad-ass starships tucked away at Utopia Planitia. There are only about a hundred people in the whole Federation that know about her capabilities, and security on our project is air-tight."
Rob looked at Post. "That the ship you mentioned before?"
"The very same," Post said.
"And you think we can use it to find and take down April?"
"I do!" Bush said enthusiastically.
Post was more reserved. "The Defense Secretary wants us to make an evaluation. If we can get her ready before the deadline, she goes to space. Whether or not she's a match for whatever April has waiting is anybody's guess."
"Well, it could only be the ships she's already stolen, Rod!" Bush said defensively. "My baby could dribble a Sovereign or an Intrepid like a basketball, which means the other ships'll be the next thing to target practice!"
"Your baby?" Etta asked.
"Dr. Bush was the lead designer and engineer on the project," Post said.
"Well," Rob said, standing up, "we might as well go see what her baby looks like and what she can do."
Bush stood up as well. "Actually, I can show you right here! We're on a holodeck, right? All the information and specs are on the PADD."
The others stood as Etta said, "Let's clear the table. The food and dishes aren't part of the program." Everyone lent a hand as Etta took the leftovers and dishes back into the caretaker's residence.
They returned to the holodeck a few minutes later. "Computer, retain arch!" Bush called out, then she used the PADD to enter in specifications for a new program. "Run program Bush One-One A."
The backyard setting faded out to be replaced instantly by the Number Eight Refit Spacedock of the Utopia Planitia facility in orbit over Mars. The quartet found themselves in the main operations station overlooking the dock. Bush took a moment to check the controls and displays in the room, then turned to her guests, grinning as wide as ever. "Lady and Gentleman," She said, sweeping a hand to the observation window, "I give you the Federation Starship Jason Bourne!"
Rob and Etta shot her a confused look, then went to the window. Etta was even more confused when they took a good look at the ship floating in the dock. "Isn't that just another Sovereign?"
Rob shook his head. "No," he said softly, "I'm pretty sure that's not just another Sovereign." The hull was Sovereign-class, but the differences were immediate. First, unlike most modern Federation ships, which were painted in grey tones so light that they often looked white in unobstructed light, this ship was painted in tones of dark grey and black.
Another difference had Etta scratching her head. "What happened to the windows?"
"Weendows?" Dr. Bush said in a horrendous Mexican accent. "We don't need no es-stinking weendows!"
Etta cocked an eyebrow at her, then turned to her husband who offered her a half smile. "She's right. Every spacecraft built for, like, centuries now has been piloted on instrumentation. Windows are only useful if you want to go sightseeing. I'm guessing we won't be doing any sightseeing in this thing, so why bother with windows?" He turned back to look at the ship. "It's about freakin' time somebody thought of that."
"I thought so, too," Bush said without a trace of modesty.
Etta just shook her head. "Okay…so why did you name it 'Jason Bourne?'"
Post sighed. "Its official designation is Project: Continuity. It's still in development and an official name hasn't been chosen yet." He glanced at Dr. Bush. "Only the good doctor here calls it the Jason Bourne."
Etta's brow went up again as she smirked and asked Dr. Bush, "And who was Jason Bourne?"
Bush looked flabbergasted. "You don't know?" Etta shook her head. "Y'never read the Robert Ludlum books?" Etta shook her head again. "Never saw the movies?" Once again, Etta shook her head, prompting Bush to shake hers. "Man, all the good literature is in danger o' being lost in this here technological age. Okay, Jason Bourne was a man who was transformed by the CIA into an assassin to do the government's dirty work. He had his true identity and memories wiped in the process of the transformation so that even he wouldn't realize the kinds of crimes he was being asked to commit in the name of his country."
"And you thought it was appropriate to name a Federation Starship after a criminal?"
Rob chuckled. "The point is Jason Bourne was someone forced into doing the job that his handlers didn't want to get their hands dirty doing." He pointed at the black Sovereign. "This ship is getting forced into the exact same job."
"Exactly!" Bush said. She clapped Rob on the shoulder. "I knew there was something I liked about you!"
Post rolled his eyes. "Well, as I said, her official name has yet to be chosen…"
Rob turned to him. "Man, you change the name of my ship and I'm going back home and you can find somebody else to command it!" He extended his arm to Bush gallantly. "Doctor Bush, I would be honored if you'd take me on a tour of the Federation Starship Jason Bourne."
Bush linked her arms with his and said in her best southern belle voice, "Why, it would be my pleasure, sir. Is there anything in particular ya'll are interested in seeing?"
"Don't make me separate you two," Etta said huffily.
Rob ignored her. "I believe I'd like to see the horses pulling this vessel, ma'am."
"Then see them you shall!" She switched to her normal speech. "Computer, transfer inspection party to Main Engineering."
The computer beeped in response, then the operations station dissolved and reformed into a small space with a few control stations and a moderate-sized hatch on the opposite wall.
Etta crossed her arms and huffed, "Okay, even I know that this is too small to be Main Engineering on a normal Sovereign-class."
"And you would be right, madam," Bush said, grinning brightly, "if this were a normal Sovereign-class. The Bourne, however, is anything but a normal Sovereign, and this Engineering Section is perfect for power sources that aren't built to be freaking tourist attractions!"
"And you've lost me again," Etta said.
"I get that a lot," Bush said. She let go of Rob's arm and came closer to Etta to explain. "Okay, so obviously you've seen the engine room on a typical Explorer, right? And it's always this big huge split-level cathedral with all sorts of light and transparent material, and the reactor's always suspended between two translucent tubes so you can see the matter and anti-matter flow into it, right?"
"Right. I thought that seeing the matter and anti-matter injections with the naked eye was the point, so that you could see first-hand that they were actually taking place."
"That was the point, but it was still dumb because any material porous enough to let visible light out of the reactor assembly is also porous enough to let more dangerous particles into it, and it always amazed me that after years of reports where Explorers have experienced all kinds of heinous effects to their warp engines because of some stray material or other getting into the works it never occurred to anybody to build more protection into them than parts made of little more than really strong clear plastic."
Etta smirked. "But you're a genius, so the Federation Starship Jason Bourne doesn't suffer from that malady, right?"
Bush grinned just a bit wider. "Now you're catchin' on." She motioned the group over to the hatch and used a key code to open it. Just beyond was a ladder. Bush led them up to a space on another level. This space was bigger than the last, about the length and width of a tennis court, but the ceiling was barely a foot above Post's head, and there were only two control stations, one to port and one to starboard. The deck was jet black and seemed to be made of hard rubber.
Bush spread her arms out theatrically. "This, Lady and Gentlemen, is the Main Reactor Space."
Etta looked around. "And where, pray tell, is the reactor?"
"You're standing on them."
"Did you say 'them'?" Etta said.
Rob was suddenly beaming. "Tell me you said 'them'!"
"I did indeed," Bush said, extending her arms in a flourish. "One to port and one to starboard, right under our feet."
"Why would you put in two reactors?" Etta asked.
Bush shrugged. "Twice the available power, half the chance that catastrophic damage to one reactor will deprive you of all main power. You can run the ship off one and put the other in standby, or run the warp nacelles off one and power the other systems with the other, or dedicate a reactor each to specific nacelles and run the other systems off auxiliaries..."
"At which point," Post interjected, "we expect the ship will leave anything that runs on standard warp engines in the dust."
"Anything in Starfleet?" Rob said.
"Anything in the galaxy," Bush grinned.
Rob lowered his head and extended his clenched fist to her. Bush clenched her fist and touched it lightly to his for a second. When they were done with the fist-bump, Etta said, "Okay, but why are these reactors under our feet?"
"They're both protected by casings made of totally opaque, ten-inch-thick duranium alloy," Bush said, "and an inner layer of energy absorbing composite material. It would take a direct Type 11 phaser blast to damage the casing and get through to the reactors. Stray particles would just bounce off and feel stupid."
"Outstanding!" Rob said.
"Fine," Etta said, "so what would you do if you wanted to see the injectors and reactors with your own eyes?"
Bush held up a finger and trotted over to the lonely-looking control panel on the port side. She pressed two contacts. "Inspection hatches," she said as three small, thick doors opened up in the deck. Rush motioned them over to the center one and pointed to the forward one. "Matter injector." She pointed to the aft one. "Anti-matter injector." She pointed down into the center one with her hands. "Reactor core. It's the same on the other side."
Rob and Etta peered into the hatch. A transparent port offered a view of a brightly lit Matter/Anti-Matter Reactor Core, which was a few feet below the surface.
"Of course there are imagers built into the casing," Bush said, "so you can actually get a better view on the control station monitor."
"And you don't have to expose the reactors at all," Rob said. "Doctor Bush, where have you been all my life?!"
Bush got melodramatic. "Slaving away, toiling under the thumb of lesser beings until one day, one day, I got my big break and gave it my all!"
"You two are just gonna be like this the whole tour, aren't you?" Etta sighed.
"Probably," Rob said with a smirk, then he turned to Bush and exclaimed, "Doctor! To the Bridge!"
Bush offered a mock salute and said, "Oui oui, Mon Capitaine! Computer, relocate inspection party to Main Bridge!"
The holodeck scenery reconfigured again, leaving the quartet standing in a place Etta easily recognized. It was, after all, a standard Starfleet Bridge, with a big viewscreen forward, command chair in the center and control stations around the perimeter. Only the architecture - which included two upright stations behind the command chair - made it stand out, but this configuration was standard for a Sovereign.
Etta was suspicious. "Okay, what does the bridge do?"
Bush shrugged and said innocently, "What do you mean? It's just the Bridge."
"Right. And it doesn't turn into a phaser robot or something."
Bush chuckled. "Don't be silly! ASDB would never let me do anything that cool!"
"Okay...so what's special about it then? Don't tell me you completely redesigned the Engine Room and left this place alone."
Bush glanced at Rob. "Should I make her guess?"
"Oh, absolutely," Rob said, deadpan. "Make her guess until her head explodes."
"My hero," Etta said. "I suppose you already know what she did."
"I have no idea. I'm just standing here waiting to be pleasantly surprised."
"You're impossible sometimes." She turned to Bush. "Edwina, please. You know you're dying to tell me, so just tell me already."
Bush grinned and looked up. "Computer, state location of Main Bridge."
"Main Bridge is located on Deck Eight, Center Deck," the computer's voice responded.
Rob pumped his fist and said, "Score!" Post shook his head.
Etta looked hopelessly confused. "Hold up. Wouldn't that put the Bridge in the middle of the saucer?!"
"Smack in the middle!" Bush said. "I did for the Bridge what I did for the reactors. I put it deep in the hull so that it's protected..."
"...by the rest of the saucer! I would think people who work in other places in the saucer would find that a problem!"
"Any Saucer spaces that have to be occupied during a battle are located on Decks Seven, Eight and Nine, all of which are protected by internal force-fields and reinforced armor above and below. Any deck not similarly protected will pretty much be empty during a Red Alert anyway, so, no big deal if something is actually lucky enough to break through the external defenses."
"Sure," Etta said, "because nobody's ever been that lucky against a Starfleet ship, right?" Her anger was starting to build up. "You think you're so brilliant. Well, what do you do against an enemy that has weapons that can tear through shields and armor? How brilliant will your deck plan seem then?"
Rob reached out and gave Etta's shoulder a little squeeze. He knew where this was coming from. She'd been with him aboard his ship when it was destroyed at Wolf 359. Neither of them had dealt with the experience well over the intervening years, but simply resigning from Starfleet had alleviated most of his demons. It had been harder for Etta. She still had vivid nightmares.
Dr. Bush softened a little and came close to Etta. "You really wanna know what I'd do? I'd run. Run hard and fast. That's one of the reasons this thing has two reactors, because a good run is better than a bad stand and I wanted enough power to leave a threat like that standing around looking confused. I never claimed this design was perfect. Just more survivable than the average starship."
Etta wasn't mollified. "I'm just worried that you've got it in your head that this creation of yours will survive anything. Too many people have lost their lives because some engineers thought they could plan for every possibility."
Suddenly Dr. Bush got very serious. "I know that. Believe me, I know. I was on the design team that created the Defiant."
The bridge was silent in response to that revelation. Rob tried to lighten the mood with a jibe. "So that thing was partially your fault, huh?"
Bush offered him a sad smile, but addressed Etta. "We thought we were brilliant back then too. 'We're gonna build a battleship!' We said. 'It's gonna rough and tough!' We said. 'It's gonna be our ultimate weapon against the Borg!' We said.
"Have you ever studied the Defiant's combat record? We turned the prototype over to Starfleet and that thing proceeded to get its ass handed to it in practically every adverse situation. It was a horrible warship. It got stolen and blasted and crashed all over creation, but we kept building 'em, and those other ships got their asses handed to them too. And then, just to put the exclamation point on the whole story, the Defiant finally met up with the enemy it was meant to beat: The Borg. Remember a while back when that cube got into Earth orbit? You know how that one went?" She mimicked an explosion with her hands and a sound effect. "PKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
She shook her head and continued. "I've spent the intervening years going over the Defiant design again and again trying to figure out all the mistakes we made, and I ultimately realized that our biggest mistake was thinking we could build a fighting ship when the majority of our experience came from building pretty cruise ships for diplomats and scientists. Defiant wasn't a warship. Defiant was an oversized runabout that had a couple of big ass pulse phasers hung off its sides. A real warship, one whose purpose is to kill people and break stuff, is a balance of characteristics; size, speed, stealth, defense and offense. Defiant never had that balance. It was too small, too slow, only stealthy at certain times and all of those things contribute to a ship's defensive capabilities, and beyond that the defenses on the ship were limited to say the least, and its most powerful offensive weapons weren't powerful enough by themselves to accomplish its primary mission. You'd need an armada of Defiants just to make one Borg cube slow down. Forget destroying it."
Suddenly the grin came back. "But now, I give you the Jason Bourne. Size and mass of a Sovereign, protected by a double-thick armored hull, passive and active stealth characteristics that don't require a full-up cloaking device, so fast it would make an Intrepid or Prometheus captain cry in his Romulan Ale, enough power to create shields that would protect it from the outer layers of the sun - You could eat frozen yogurt in the lounge while we're cruising through the corona and it wouldn't melt - energy weapons that can be used as active defenses against other energy weapons, and, aaaand-" She turned and walked over to one of the LCARS stations, activated it and configured it to Tactical. Then she invited the others to the display with a sweep of her hand. "Et Voila!"
Rob and Etta walked over to the display, which showed the ship's offensive capabilities. "Day-um," Rob said with quiet reverence.
"Pulse phasers?" Etta said. "I thought you said those were one of your mistakes?"
Bush shook her head. "The only mistake in that case was making the ship too small to carry more than four of them. The Bourne mounts 20..."
"Along with Type 11 phasers," Rob said, "a full tricobalt array, a full load of quantum torpedoes...what's this?" He looked closer. "What's a 'Cochrane Torpedo'?"
"Our big secret," Bush said. "Warp-capable torpedoes."
Etta's head whipped around. "Excuse me? Warp torpedoes? Aren't those illegal?"
"Warp warheads are illegal," Bush clarified. "These are simply warp-capable probes with some of their hardware replaced with quantum warheads. No treaty bans anything like that, and it gives the ship a powerful, fire-and-forget, one-shot-one-kill weapon."
"That will suffer a warp-core breach on impact with the target! I'm pretty sure that violates the spirit of the warp warhead ban!"
Bush shrugged. "Not if we don't tell anybody..."
Etta turned to her husband. "B.C.! Say something!"
Rob was just studying the Tactical display, lost in thought. Finally he sighed and said, "There's only ten."
Now Post shrugged. "That's all we were allowed to build for testing, and this crisis has completely circumvented the test program."
"So we have to learn how to use these on the fly?"
Rob smirked. "Fine by me. Computer! Save program and exit!"
The Jason Bourne and Utopia Planitia disappeared, leaving the deactivated holodeck behind. Rob was the first one through the arch and back in the residence. "We're not finished the tour!" Bush protested.
"I've seen everything I need to right now," Rob said. "I'll see the rest when we get to the actual ship." He suddenly stopped short. "You promise everything I saw actually exists?"
Bush nodded. "That program was composed from updated internal sensor footage and log entries retrieved before we left the facility. It's all real."
"Then you've got your captain. Let's sit down and discuss the details."
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Simulab has introduced the EDGE, a laparoscopic surgical education and evaluation system. EDGE is a reality-based laparoscopic training system that uses real laparoscopic instruments integrated with sensors. Along with measuring time to complete each exercise, the system's sensors accurately measure the tool path, rotation, grasp path, and grasp force of the instruments. These sensors are recording data throughout each exercise at a rate of 30 times per second. The data that is created during the exercise is then run through a validated algorithm which delivers a score between 0 and 100, which is a rating nationally against the user's peers.
For more information, visit www.simulab.com.
Related Reads

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Starting production at Iraq's West Qurna-2 oil field shows Russia's Lukoil views Iraq as one of its most valued assets.
Lukoil President Vagit Alexperov said his company positioned itself as a strategic player with the launch of operations at the West Qurna-2 field.
"The start of production at West Qurna-2 is strategically important for LUKOIL," he said in a statement Saturday.
West Qurna-2 is estimated to hold up to 14 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, making it among the largest undeveloped fields in the world.
Lukoil said West Qurna, located near the Iraqi port city of Basra, will begin in phases, with an initial start up volume of around 400,000 barrels of oil per day. A production plateau of 1.2 million bpd is expected to last for nearly 20 years.
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said in its March market report Iraq was one of the bright spots in terms of crude oil output.
Iraqi oil production from January to February, the last full month for which data are available from OPEC, increased 13 percent to 3.3 million bpd.


text:
Brazil's forest code debate may determine fate of the Amazon rainforest
Brazil's forest code may be about to get an overhaul.
The federal code, which presently requires landowners in the Amazon to keep 80 percent of their land forest (20-35% in the cerrado), is widely flouted, but has been used in recent years as a lever by the government to go after deforesters. For example, the forest code served as the basis for the "blacklists" which restricted funds for municipalities where deforestation has been particularly high. To get off the blacklist, and thereby regain access to finance and markets, a municipality must demonstrate its landowners are in compliance with environmental laws.
The blacklist approach proved highly effective in attacking the largest driver of deforestation in the Amazon: cattle ranching, which is now facing much stronger regulation than in the past. Several major meat processors now have huge fines hanging over their heads.
But some interests in the agricultural sector are now fighting back. They aim to change the forest code that underpins the blacklists, making it legal to clear larger areas of forest. But the proposed changes include some compromises including a regularization process that would require landowners to register their properties so laws could be more effectively enforced. So while the legal forest reserve requirement may fall, it would be more difficult for ranchers and farmers to disregard the law.
The debate over the forest code is still very much in flux so mongabay.com turned to Daniel Nepstad, a renowned Amazon scientist who runs the North American branch of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), for an update and analysis on the latest developments and what it means for Earth's largest rainforest.
Article continues: http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0505-nepstad_forest_code.html
Image credit: www.mongabay.com


text:
THOMASVILLE | Jewel Pierce Watford, 78, a resident of Lee Road, died Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, at the Hinkle Hospice House in Lexington.
THOMASVILLE | Jewel Pierce Watford, 78, a resident of Lee Road, died Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, at the Hinkle Hospice House in Lexington.
Her funeral will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Liberty Baptist Church by the Rev. David Bowman. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at J.C. Green & Sons Funeral Home and other times at the home.
Mrs. Watford will remain at the funeral home until taken to the church 30 minutes prior to the service.
She was born Oct. 11, 1935, in Randolph County to Royce Pierce and Millie Barnes Pierce. She was former co-owner of Thomasville Apparel. Mrs. Watford was a member of Liberty Baptist Church, the teacher for the Louise Moore Sunday School Class for many years and an active member of WMU.
She was preceded in death by her parents; son Allen Watford; sister Pauline Gordon; and brother Don Pierce.
Surviving are her husband, John Benjamin Watford of the home; daughter Kay Watford and husband John Collett III of Thomasville; sons Sam Watford and wife Karen, Frank Watford and wife Robin, Ben Watford and wife Mitzi and Luther Watford, all of Thomasville; sisters Louise Elberson and husband Jim of Thomasville and Mary Hughes of Denton; brothers Charles Pierce and wife Glenda of Lexington and Dolan Pierce and wife Bonnie of Thomasville; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
The family requests any memorial contributions be sent in Mrs. Watford's honor to Hospice of Davidson County, 200 Hospice Lane, Lexington, NC 27292 or Liberty Baptist Church, 225 Liberty Ave., Thomasville, NC 27360.
Online condolences may be sent to the Watford family at www.jcgreenandsons.com.


text:
Since the upgrade (and the contest dialog started popping up), the Control Center window is blank. Well, not totally blank - it has a help button. And nothing else.
The "spam" window that shows up with the Facebook contest displays fine. Any suggestions?
Core stats:
Windows 7 (32-bit Ultimate) on AMD Athlon 4200+, 3GB RAM


text:
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This oversized Bullymong randomly spawns in a few locations in Eridium Blight, close to Hero's Pass.
King Mong is most notable for the fact that he sometimes drops the legendary Bandit rocket launcher Badaboom. Additionally, killing King Mong while he is slagged will complete a challenge.
Related character: Donkey Mong
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text:
From autistic kids to people with chronic pain, they've been shown to be beneficial without any real side effects. They aren't miracle pills, they're pups, and they are making a real difference in health care.
Sergeant Matthew Krumweide lost both legs and severely injured his arm in Afghanistan.
"I stepped on an IED," said Krumweide.
Rehab's been hard, but Kelsie makes it easier. Krumweide says, one day during physical therapy, he was struggling while working on his arm's range of motion. He says when Kelsie came in, the pain went away.
"We were able to get there. Get to 90 degrees," he said.
Dr Elizabeth Johnson, Medical Director of the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, in San Antonio, Texas, believes therapy dogs are, "Just probably the most holistic approach to treatment that I think is out there."
A study found therapy dog visits to chronic pain patients led to significant reduction in pain and emotional distress. Research shows therapy dogs also lowered autistic children's stress hormones or cortisol levels by 48 percent, which points to potential behavioral benefits. Various reports say, pet therapy can help lower anxiety, decrease blood pressure, shorten hospital stays, and improve patient outcomes.
Krumweide's improving every day. He's working on walking and eventually wants to snow ski.
"So that's gonna be hard. I gotta work at it," he said.
And Kelsie will be close by to help him through it all.
A dog's gaze can also have an interesting effect on us. A Japanese study found just by looking at their dog an owner's oxytocin levels increased. It's the so called "cuddle hormone" produced by the pituitary gland associated with human bonding.
Additional Information:
BACKGROUND: Pet therapy is a broad term that includes animal-assisted therapy and other animal-assisted activities. Animal-assisted therapy is a growing field that uses dogs or other animals to help people recover from or better cope with health problems, such as heart disease, cancer and mental health disorders. (SOURCE: www.mayoclinic.com/health/pet-therapy)
WHAT IS ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY?: Animal assisted therapy (AAT) uses trained animals to enhance an individual's physical, emotional, and social well-being, thus improving self-esteem, reducing anxiety and facilitating healing. The use of AAT reportedly dates back to the 1940s, when an army corporal brought his Yorkshire terrier to a hospital to cheer wounded soldiers. There was such a positive response that the dog continued to comfort others for 12 more years. (SOURCE: www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03171/Animal-Assisted-Therapy.html /)
BENEFITS: Animal-assisted therapy can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with a range of health problems:
- Children having dental procedures
- People receiving cancer treatment
- People in long-term care facilities
- People hospitalized with chronic heart failure
- Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder
And it's not only the ill person who reaps the benefits. Family members and friends who sit in on animal visits say they feel better, too. Pet therapy is also being used in nonmedical settings, such as universities and community programs, to help people deal with anxiety and stress. (SOURCE: www.mayoclinic.com/health/pet-therapy)
RISKS FACTORS: The biggest concern, particularly in hospitals, is safety and sanitation. Most hospitals and other facilities that use pet therapy have stringent rules to ensure that the animals are clean, vaccinated, well trained and screened for appropriate behavior. It's also important to note the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has never received a report of infection from animal-assisted therapy. (SOURCE: www.mayoclinic.com/health/pet-therapy)
Copyright 2013 by Ivanhoe Broadcast News and News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Officials said Tuesday that 24-year-old Tonya Renee Smith of Hollister, Mo., was charged with felony computer fraud.
State police said on June 23, Smith sought to obtain a copy of Morgan's birth certificate through an Internet-based company and allegedly represented herself as Morgan Nick. The girl's disappearance has never been solved.
Police have brought Smith to Little Rock to face the charge. Smith is in the Pulaski County Jail on $200,000 bond.
Smith is wanted in Louisiana for an alleged probation violation. It's unclear whether she has a lawyer.


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All quotes tagged Invest
(3007 quotes found)
"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
"Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give."
"We will invest in our people, quality education, job opportunity, family, neighborhood, and yes, a thing we call America."
"The desire for the creation to exist - not for a return on investment, not for what it may say about you, but for the love of the thing, the creation, itself. One creates music because we love it enough to make it happen. The reason you would create anything is because you love it enough to see it exist."
"I thought we were a real love relationship. I did. I was very invested in love, but it was just this long long sex thing that could end at any moment because after all, it's just about getting off. Almost all the time, you tell yourself you're loving somebody when you're just using them. This only looks like love."


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Welcome to the Membership section for the Five Rivers Council. Here you will find resources to use to help grow and strengthen your unit.
The Boy Scouts of America is an educational resource program. It charters community or religious organizations or groups to use Scouting as part of their service to their own members, as well as the community at large.
The BSA local council provides the support service necessary to help the chartered organization succeed in its use of the program.
What is a "Charter"?
The word "Charter" that is used so widely in the BSA is not always well understood. Informally, the term "franchise" helps to explain what is meant by "chartering" an organization. "Franchise" implies local ownership while still using the corporation name and resources.
Marc McGrain
Vice President for Membership
Website sponsor
Five Rivers Council is supported by


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Like his campaign did 24 years ago, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown�s meeting Friday morning started with a prayer.
Editor's note: To read the prepared remarks, click here.
Updated at 5:19 p.m.
Like his campaign did 24 years ago, Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown�s meeting Friday morning started with a prayer.
A congregation of brown uniforms � in two distinct shades � packed the pews at First Baptist Church downtown during the organizational gathering, which started punctually at 9 a.m.
After Brown�s half-hour presentation to most of the Onslow County Sheriff�s Office and Detention Center staff, he grinned and outlined a future serving God and family � in that order � he said.
�I�m going to live like I�m dying,� Brown told The Daily News after the meeting.
The Harris Creek native raised with his brothers on a farm will retire at midnight on Nov. 30, he told the crowd.
But the self-described �Humble Shepherd Sheriff� is not relieved by his departure, which trails his loss at the polls May 7 in the Republican primary for the sheriff�s office.
�Only can you be relieved when you can walk away from what you love,� he said after the meeting. �I can�t walk away from what I love, the people. I can�t walk away from what I love, the officers.�
What a day in his life might entail after retirement is an inexact forecast.
�I�m just going to take it as it comes to me,� he said.
And he did not deny or confirm whether he would pursue another public office.
�I�m not putting myself in any boxes,� Brown said.
The segments of his message, delivered with an accompanying PowerPoint presentation, targeted his staff, Onslow County citizens, his family, government officials and, lastly, sheriff�s candidates Hans Miller, a Republican, and Scott Himes, a Democrat.
Miller soundly defeated the incumbent sheriff in a contested campaign marked by personal and criminal allegations. Miller will face Himes in the November general election, and the winner is scheduled to be sworn in the day after the retirement date Brown announced.
Himes and Miller attended the meeting Friday morning, and Brown asked them to stand as he addressed their candidacy.
�I recognize you both equally as viable candidates for the office of sheriff for Onslow County,� Brown said as the candidates stood beside the front row facing the assembled crowd. �This office of sheriff will work with you both equally. Therefore, to assure fairness to both of you, I request that you contact me or Mr. Doug Freeman with business or political matters that involved the Onslow County Sheriff�s Office-Onslow County Detention Center operations and employees.�
Brown said partisanship should have no bearing on how people are treated.
�I pray that you represent two separate political parties, Democrat and Republican, you will be committed to serving all people fair, honest and equal regardless of their political party or even if they have no political affiliation,� he said.
He advised the candidates to make decisions based on compassion.
�If you do not, your actions will likely be unfair, uncivil or harsh,� Brown said.
Brown said all of his staff was invited, but about 35 members had to remain on duty at Onslow County Jail during the presentation.
To his staff, Brown noted the agency�s growth and reiterated his compassion toward his employees.
In 1990, Onslow County�s population was 150,000 and its sheriff�s office and jail employed 80 people, Brown said. Friday, the county�s population was roughly 193,000 and the agency and its jail had a staff of 278, he added.
�I never once wavered in my love and responsibility,� Brown said. �... Only a good shepherd of God�s children can relate to the load of burdens I have carried for you and your family the past 24 years because I cared more for you and your family than I did for my life.�
To Onslow County citizens, Brown cited population growth and his calculation of reduced crime rates.
�I love each of you citizens and would give my life to save your life,� Brown said. �... All because I cared more for you than I did for my life.�
To his family, Brown said he was glad to have more time with them.
�I thank God the Creator for allowing my dad and mom to live until I retire so I can be more of a part of their lives,� Brown said.
He told political officials his main objective the last 24 years was a better government.
�In reflecting back over our 24 years of working together, our personal and professional interactions have always been civil,� he said. �Never once did hate or anger raise its ugly head.�
Some of his comments spurred standing ovations.
As to whether Brown would take time off in the coming months, he said �I�m going to take a breath, but I�m not going anywhere.�
The Onslow County sheriff announced at his department's organization meeting this week that he would retire on Nov. 30.
"I am excited as my retirement of Nov. 30, 2014, draws nigh," Sheriff Ed Brown said Friday morning, reading from prepared remarks to a packed First Baptist Church in downtown Jacksonville.
The sheriff had individual messages for his employees, county citizens, his family and local officials before turning the attention to the two candidates for his office: Republican Hans Miller and Democrat Scott Himes, who will face off in the Nov. 4 election and who were both present. Miller beat Brown in the Republican primary earlier this month for a spot on the ballot.
"I recognize you both equally as viable candidates for the office of sheriff for Onslow County," he told them and those in the room. "I congratulate both of you."
He pledged to work with the winner of the November election before his retirement.


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It wasn't a donkey or an elephant that stole the debate spotlight Wednesday night. Rather, a giant yellow bird seemed to be the morning-after punch line.
Continue Reading Below
Big Bird.
That's right, PBS's feathered Sesame Street character.
With 10.3 million tweets spanning 90 minutes, the first presidential debate in Denver turned out to be the most tweeted event so far in U.S. political history. But Democrats and Republicans weren't the most-talked-about in 140 characters. Big Bird was the subject of 135,332 tweets. The surge of Big Bird-inspired tweets resulted from Mitt Romney's response to a question on government funding, and how he would tackle the growing U.S. deficit.
"I'm sorry Jim, I'm going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I'm going to stop other things. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too. But I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for things we don't need," Romney said.
It took no time for #BigBird to trend on the social network. Shortly after Romney's comments, users posted an average of 17,000 tweets per minute mentioning the popular children's character. In the aftermath of the Big Bird mention, several parody accounts popped up on the social network including @FiredBigBird, whose account has since been suspended, and @BIGBIRD which now has more than 21,000 followers.


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Vehicle Bonuses
Vehicle Disabled (100 XP)
Disable an enemy vehicle by causing enough damage to it.
Vehicle Destroyed (50 XP)
Destroy an enemy vehicle.
Vehicle Destroy Assist (Varied XP)
Help destroy an enemy vehicle. The XP will vary depending on the amount of damage you did to the vehicle.
Driver Assist (10 XP)
Be the driver of a vehicle while the passenger kills an enemy.
Passenger Assist (10 XP)
Be the passenger of a vehicle while the driver kills an enemy.
Roadkill (10 XP)
Run over and kill an enemy with your vehicle.
Target Designated (10 XP)
Lock on to an enemy vehicle with your CITV Station in the Main Battle Tank.
Designated Target Hit (50 XP)
Hit an enemy vehicle with your CITV Station in the Main Battle Tank.
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Ok, I'll admit the title is somewhat exaggerated. My second choice was "I would never recommend a reverse mortgage to my grandmother." I think you know where I'm going with this article. I'm not a fan of reverse mortgages. In fact, I despise them. Before I go into the details as to why, let me ask you a question? If you had an opportunity to get a loan and didn't have to make a payment during your life, would you consider it? If you answered yes, you're easy bait for a reverse mortgage.
What is a reverse mortgage? A reverse mortgage is a loan against your home that requires no repayment as long as you live in the home. Unlike a traditional mortgage where you make regular monthly payments, a reverse mortgage provides regular payments to you. Payments can be made to you in one of four ways—lump sum payment at closing, regular monthly payments over a specified period of time, a line of credit where you can access money when you need it up to a limit or a combination of the three. You're not required to repay the loan until either the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or permanently move away. A lender can also force you to repay the loan if you fail to pay property taxes, homeowner insurance or if you fail to properly maintain the home. In order to get a reverse mortgage a few things are mandatory:
* Homeowner has to be 62 years old or older
* The home has to be your primary residence
* You must have substantial equity in the home—either no debt or debt must be small enough to be paid off with loan proceeds
As long as you meet those requirements, you'll qualify for a reverse mortgage. They don't verify your income, credit or other assets such as savings and investments. Reverse mortgages are generally given to elderly homeowners who are struggling to make ends meet and desires to "age in place". In other words they would like to live out the rest of their days in their home but for one reason (expense) or another, they're having a hard time paying the bills, living their desired lifestyle and maintaining their home.
Why do I, a mortgage and personal finance expert, despise reverse mortgages? I'm glad you asked. For starters, reverse mortgages are extremely expensive. The interest rates on reverse mortgages are usually adjustable. As prevailing interest rates rise, you'll realize less income from the reverse mortgage. The fees, interest rates, and mortgage insurance associated with reverse mortgages is extremely high when compared to fees, interest rates, and mortgage insurance associated with traditional mortgages. Secondly, reverse mortgages overshadow the heart of the financial problem—living above one's means. No one regardless of their income can survive long-term financially living above his or her means. At some point, you'll be forced to live within the confines of your income. I advise you to face the music now as oppose to delaying the inevitable. Should you delay, you'll more than likely have a similar income with a larger debt balance to payoff. Lastly, reverse mortgages destroy the wealth (equity) you've worked hard all of your life to build. That's why reverse mortgages are called rising debt, falling equity loans. As a financial advisor, I feel it's responsible that I give ideas on how to build and preserve wealth, not erode wealth.


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Exeter Chiefs 33-9 Worcester Warriors, Aviva Premiership
Exeter power past Worcester
ESPN Staff
November 3, 2012
Exeter powered past Worcester%]
Exeter Chiefs bounced back from their defeat to Bath last weekend with a commanding 33-9 win over Worcester Warriors at Sandy Park on Saturday.
Exeter led 19-3 at half-time but the match then went off the boil, with the hosts only finding their rhythm in the final 10 minutes as they pulled further clear thanks to tries from Haydn Thomas and Chris Budgen. Gonzalo Camacho touched down for an early try, and Gareth Steenson booted 16 points, with Worcester's reply coming in the form of three Andy Goode penalties.
Exeter approached the game on the back of three straight defeats, to Leinster and Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup and away to Bath in the Premiership last weekend. They made four changes, with Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki starting at outside centre, Chris Whitehead at hooker, and skipper Tom Hayes linking up with Aly Muldowney in the second row, meaning Dean Mumm switched to the back row.
Worcester also made changes, with hooker Ed Shervington and prop Ceri Jones making their first Premiership starts of the season. Lock Dean Schofield returned to lead the side, Chris Jones came in at number eight, while Josh Drauniniu returned on the wing. The visitors had won their last three games across all competitions but were forced to make a late change when Samoan international wing David Lemi withdrew due to a tight hamstring. Andy Short was drafted in for his first Premiership start.
Exeter took the lead after full-back Luke Arscott put a grubber kick through and wing Camacho hacked on and won the chase for the try line. Fly-half Steenson added the extras. Exeter's smooth start continued as Steenson, who had seen an early attempt hit the upright, took advantage of the wind at his back by adding three penalties to give the home side a 16-0 midway through the half.
Worcester full-back Chris Pennell was then forced to race back and touch down behind his own line after the Chiefs mounted another attack down the right. The visitors continued to test the patience of referee David Rose as they conceded another penalty at the scrum and Steenson again found the target to stretch the lead to 19 points.
With time almost up in the first half, the Warriors again kicked a couple of penalties to the corner to set-up catch and drives. They came to nothing but then home centre Phil Dollman was penalised for a high tackle and Andy Goode reduced the arrears to 19-3 at the break.
Worcester started the second period with a lot more energy but Exeter's defence stood firm for almost 10 minutes until they were penalised for hands in the ruck and Goode made it two successful kicks from two attempts. The visitors had a try from replacement Ravai Fatiaki ruled out for a forward pass, and from the resultant scrum Exeter were able to clear their line.
Worcester tried to capitalise on Exeter errors to creep their way into the opposition half and the penalty count continued as Goode landed his third penalty with 10 minutes remaining. But the Chiefs sealed the game as breaks from Arscott and Rich Baxter pressed them towards the line. Scrum-half Thomas picked up at the back of the ruck and dummied before diving over the line with Steenson adding the conversion.
With five minutes remaining, Worcester's former Cornish Pirates flanker Sam Betty was sent to the sin-bin for taking out Arscott. Dave Ewers went close to crossing the try-line but was stopped short and his fellow replacement Budgen went over, with Ignacio Mieres adding the extras.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


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This post comes from my last re-reading of "Stayin' Safe," a book of columns by the late Lawrence Grodsky for "Rider" magazine. I would highly recommend the book, but what follows are my interpretations.
1. What is unfolding 4 seconds ahead of you requires your fullest attention and often immediate action. (12 seconds ahead is what you would like to see and often can't.) So are you aware of everything 4 seconds ahead of and off to the side of your bike? And since you probably don't have a second hand mounted on your faceshield, try counting. (One thousand one, one thousand two... or One Mississipi...) This is a very good reality check.
2. If you are really safety conscious, you want to be able to stop in any "blind" situation, whether that is a curve or a hill. Grodsky's informal tests seemed to indicate 4 seconds was the time needed for good experienced riders to stop in a curve when there were not any road surface problems. Cresting a hill can be a more insidious problem unless you take into account the possibility of a hidden driveway to your right or a vehicle crossing the centerline. Again, count the seconds to what you can see.
There are many riders who violate the second rule - and some of them have been doing it for many miles and years. I don't understand why they are still alive. Maybe they can tell us how Larry and I are wrong. At any rate, I am not telling YOU how to ride. Just offering some thoughts which make sense to me.


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Search |
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Computer Information Systems
CISCO Networking and Network Security certificate
Note: This program is not available in 2014/15.
The certificate in CISCO Networking and Network Security provides students
with a solid, broad background in computer networking and network security using
the CISCO curriculum. The program will prepare students for the CCNA
Certification exam and partially for the CCNP, NS, and FWL exams which can be
written through Cisco Systems (external to UFV). Please note
that not all courses can be offered on a regular basis.
Entrance requirements
• B.C. secondary school graduation or 19 years or older.
• The prerequisite to CMNS 125.
Students who do not meet entrance requirements may be considered if they can
demonstrate a reasonable chance of success. Applicants will be required to
submit a portfolio and be interviewed. Students who do not meet the requirements might
also consider the Computer
Information Systems Studies
program path.
When to apply
This program is not accepting applications for 2014/15.
How to apply
1. Submit the application fee along with your UFV application for admission form to the Office of the Registrar (OReg). You can apply online or download an application form at ufv.ca/admissions/admissions/apply. Application forms are also available from any OReg or Student Services office.
Additional documents required for a complete application:
• Proof of B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent, or permission from the program head.
• Transcript (or interim transcript) showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements.
• An official transcript from every post-secondary institution you have attended. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details. Unofficial copies may accompany the application form if official transcripts have been ordered.
2. You will be informed of the orientation meeting date. This meeting is usually held on a weekday evening in April or May. You must attend or make special arrangements with the department.
3. Upon admission to the program you will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required when you register (see the Fees and Other Costs section). The deposit will be applied to the tuition fees. Final payment of all course fees is due the end of the second week of classes.
If the program is full, or you are waiting to find out about admission to the program, you will be given an opportunity to register as a general student. It is not necessary to submit a separate application form. If you meet the entrance requirements and a space becomes available later, you will be contacted.
4. In some cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements is due by the end of the first week in August.
Continuance requirements
Students must maintain a 2.0 program semester grade point average (GPA).
Students whose grades fall below a 2.0 CGPA will be placed on Academic Warning
for the next semester.
Required to withdraw
Students who do not achieve a minimum semester grade point average of 2.0
while on Academic Warning will be withdrawn from the program. A student who has
been required to withdraw may continue to take courses as a CIS Studies student.
Readmission to the program
To be readmitted to the program, you must complete nine university-level
credits (can be duplicate courses), with a minimum 2.0 GPA.
Once these criteria are met, you may apply for readmission at the Office of the Registrar. When readmitted, you will remain on Academic Warning until
your overall program GPA is 2.0.
At least 8 of the required upper-level credits must be completed at UFV.
Graduation requirements
Students in the Certificate in CISCO Networking and Network Security program
must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0 in order to be awarded the
Fees and additional costs
See the Fees and Other Costs
section. Books and additional supplies would normally cost $75 to $150 per
course. There may be some additional recommended and mandatory costs in Computer
Information Systems program courses, above tuition and textbook costs. These may
include training manuals, software, and hardware costs.
Program outline
Program requirements: 30 credits
Note 1: Students who have completed CIS 192 may use this course
in place of CIS 193/194.
Note 2: Students who have completed CIS 292 may use this course
in place of CIS 293/294.
Course listings
For complete details on courses see the
course descriptions section.
Return to main Bachelor of Computer Information
Systems page
Return to main Computer Information Systems page


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There are several similarities between Longboat Key and the city of Sanibel.
Both are similar barrier-island communities with virtually the same amount of beach frontage and similar numbers of seasonal and full-time residents.
The list of aesthetic and demographic similarities goes on and on — except when it comes to budgeting reserves.
Town Manager Bruce St. Denis provided a report on the city of Sanibel's reserves at Thursday's Aug. 27 budget workshop to compare how the two islands budget their rainy-day funds.
St. Denis reported that because Sanibel received storm damage from Hurricanes Charley and Wilma in 2004, it raised its millage rate from 1.7291 mills to 2.5 mills for three years to build up its disaster reserve.
Now, the city's current millage rate is 2.1561 and it's proposed to climb to 2.2808 in the upcoming fiscal year.
In comparison, the town's current millage rate is 1.5 mills and the Town Commission may reduce the millage rate at budget hearings later this month.
The city of Sanibel also has a reserve balance of $15,113,000, which is 122% of the city's operating expenditure budget.
Sanibel's reserve balance includes $4.5 million for disasters.
St. Denis noted at the meeting that total costs incurred by Sanibel related to Hurricane Charley were $12,754,000, with the city forced to pay $2.5 million out of pocket after all insurance claims were paid.
To put Sanibel's reserve numbers in perspective, the town of Longboat Key's reserves were $6 million at the end of fiscal year 2007.
"Reserves were being increased a few years ago, in part, because of the storm experience of communities such as Sanibel," St. Denis said.
But by the end of fiscal year 2009-10, St. Denis said the town's reserves (unreserved fund balance) is expected to be $4.2 million, or 30% of the general fund's operating expenditure budget.
St. Denis and Mayor Lee Rothenberg would like the town to adopt the maximum millage rate of 1.6 mills to prepare for another year of declining revenues.
Rothenberg expressed his desire to increase reserves, pointing out that Sanibel has more than $15 million in reserves just in case it needs the money.
Commissioner Gene Jaleski, however, disputed the numbers presented at the meeting, explaining that Sanibel has only $4.5 million for use as disaster reserve funds.
"The rest of the reserve funds sit in different independent reserve accounts to help offset losses in other budget line items," Jaleski said. "What this means is we have virtually the same amount of reserves on hand as Sanibel that are slated for emergency purposes."
And, just like Sanibel, Jaleski said the town has more than $20 million worth of insurance and federal funds to draw from in case a storm hits the area.
But Finance Director Tom Kelley said although Sanibel has $4.5 million available in storm reserves only, the city can allocate its other reserves to help pay for storm damages before resorting to borrowing money.
St. Denis said the town presented the data to simply show what a community that's similar in size is doing to prepare for future storms.
And the town manager noted the town has made it a policy decision to perform storm cleanup on the island, regardless if it gets reimbursed for the costs.
"If you reduce your reserves, you increase the risk of possibly increasing costs involved with storm damage and cleanup," St. Denis said.
There are several similarities between Longboat Key and the city of Sanibel.


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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - With the NBA Draft rapidly approaching, the pool of available big men has taken a major hit.
Of course the biggest of those has come from Joel Embiid's camp. The former Kansas center, who was projected by many to go No. 1 overall, already had health concerns swirling around him after he missed the last seven games of this past season with a back injury.
Now Embiid's draft stock is likely to drop once again, as it was revealed late last week that the 7-foot center had a stress fracture in his right foot that required surgery. It is estimated that his recovery will take at least 4-6 months.
The development likely opens the door for teammate Andrew Wiggins and Duke's Jabari Parker to slot into the first two draft positions, and could even push Embiid out of the top five.
However, the news about Embiid takes a backseat to the terrible situation facing former Baylor center Isaiah Austin.
Being considered a serious NBA Draft prospect is a rare accomplishment. According to a 2012 report by the NCAA, of the 535,289 high school student athletes to play basketball, a mere 0.03 percent went on to be drafted into the professional ranks.
Austin seemingly beat those odds and, after two years of hard work and strong play with the Bears, was in position to hear his name called on Thursday night in Brooklyn.
Unfortunately for the 7-foot-1 center, his fortunes changed for the worse this past weekend when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a career-ending medical condition that has squashed his dream before it was ever realized.
According to the Marfan Foundation, the syndrome is a "genetic disorder that affects the body's connective tissue", with the most common areas affected being the heart, blood vessels, bones, joints and eyes.
In an emotional interview with ESPN, Austin explained that tests in preparation for the NBA Draft revealed that his arteries and heart were enlarged, and that extended physical activity could lead to a rupture.
The news is obviously devastating for the 20-year-old, who was projected to go somewhere in the late first or early second round of the draft. Like most players to reach the upper echelon of college basketball, Austin's life has been centered on the game he loves for so long, making such an abrupt end to his career tough to swallow.
However, although the professional route is no longer an option, Austin is fortunate to have found out about this condition prior to the grueling process he would face to make an NBA roster. It may seem like a pittance in the immediate aftermath, but in the long run preserving his life is obviously more important than fulfilling his dream of playing what is after all, a game, as a profession. Basketball, while it may appear to be around March, is not a life and death affair. Austin's health obviously is.
To his credit Austin has shown a great deal of strength in the days following the bitterly disappointing diagnosis.
"Words can't explain how thankful I am for the time I had to play this wonderful sport. It changed my life forever. #NewBeginnings," Austin tweeted on Sunday.
It should come as no surprise that Austin would take such a determined and positive approach to dealing with the news. After all, he played through much of his later years with partial blindness, as he could not see out of his right eye due to a detached retina.
Any shortcomings that might have been expected from a player with such a disadvantage never came to light for Austin. He averaged 12.1 ppg during his two seasons in Waco, and also led the Big 12 in blocks as a sophomore (3.1 bpg). That type of production along with his desirable 7-1 frame made Austin one of the more intriguing frontcourt options in this year's group of draft prospects.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew was quick to not only show his vocal support for his former player, but to shed light on the positives that Austin still has in his life.
"This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him," Drew said in a statement released by Baylor. "His health is the most important thing, and while it's extremely sad that he won't be able to play in the NBA, our hope is that he'll return to Baylor to complete his degree and serve as a coach in our program."
In the grand scheme of things, Austin clearly has many things still to be thankful for, even if it may not feel like it right now.