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From Th e Ce nte r Se at By Captain D ave Low e
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h is m onth , w e w il l e xpl ore th e Ve s s e l Re adine s s Ce rtification Program (VRCP) th rough Starfl e e t Acade m y. In th e age s b e fore s tars h ips roam e d s pace , th e US Navy re q uire d th at e ach of its s h ips pas s a s e rie s of te s ts or dril l s in orde r to b e com e ce rtifie d for s e a duty. A Stars h ip, Space Station, or oth e r Ve s s e ls h oul d al s o pas s ins pe ction b e fore it is put into s e rvice . Each de partm e nt and ul tim ate l y th e e ntire ve s s e l can e arn its ce rtification. Th is s e rie s of ce rtifications is to b e e arne d th rough th e e fforts of th e e ntire Starfl e e t cre w of a Starfl eet Ve s s e l . It tak e s a m inim um of four cre w m e m b e rs w ork ing toge th e r to tak e a s e rie s of cours e s to b e com e ce rtifie d in various de partm e nts ab oard s h ip. We curre ntl y h ave s core d ce rtifications in five de partm e nts ; Com m and, Com m unications , Se curity, D ipl om acy, and Marine s . Th is is prim aril y from th e e s te e m e d Acade m y Care e r of s om e of our curre nt m e m b e rs , w ith s pe cial re cognition for Major K aith Rus h , w ith s om e 30+ cours e s to h e r cre dit. Th is is an optionalprogram , b ut one I de e m of val ue . I th ink it’s a good us e of your Starfl e e t m e m b e rs h ip to tak e cours e s th rough th e Acade m y. In m os t cas e s , onl ine cl as s e s are fre e of ch arge . And if you w ant to tak e th e m b y m ail , a s m al lfe e of $1 or $2 and se l f addre s s e d e nve l ope s and s tam ps is re q uire d. Th e s e l e ction of cours e s cove rs a l ot of inte re s ts . Es pe cial l y th e Ins titute of Scie nce Fiction, th e re are cours e s in oth e r TV and Movie s th an jus t STAR TREK . I k now th e re are cours e s in Bab yl on 5, Fars cape , Battl e s tar Gal actica, and Stargate SG1 jus t to nam e a fe w . Th e re is s om e th ing for e ve ryone . So l ook ove r th e de partm e nts and l e t's ge t th e MacArth ur ce rtifie d in al lare as .
General Orders
Ne w s l e tte r Re vam pe d
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ou m ay notice a cris pe r l ook to th e l ayout of th is ne w s l e tte r. It w as re produce d in a program cal l e d Scrib us and w as done on m y Linux l aptop. So now th e re is no de pe nde nce on Micros oft for th e ne w s l e tte r, it w as cre ate d us ing 100% Fre e or O pe n Source s oftw are . You m ay not th ink th at is im portant, b ut I do, Th e im age s w e re e dite d in Th e Gim p, th e GNU Im age Manipul ation Program . Th e e ffe cts and oth e r graph ics w e re al ldone in Scrib us . It w as e xporte d to a PD F fil e b y th e s oftw are its e l f, not Adob e Acrob at. So it's al lFre e Softw are th at b uil t th is is s ue . And h ow coolis th at? Pok e r Nigh t
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e ne e d to com e up w ith a date and tim e for anoth e r pok e r nigh t. W e h ave re ce ive d q uite a fe w inq uirie s on w h e n w e w oul d do it again. Th is tim e , h ow e ve r, I jus t w ant a frie ndl y, ope n gam e and not a tournam e nt. W e 'l lne e d to s e e if th e s am e l ocation, Top of th e Bay Cl ub, w oul d b e w il l ing to h ave us al lb ack . O r w e can s e l e ct anoth e r ve nue .