-Krol>>>
Thanks to Captain Krol for his contribution to the special edition newsletter!
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Announcement of an IDF Contest!
IDF is looking to have its own custom logo and we want
one made by you. This is a contest that is open to all
of the fleet including civilians and admirals and you
can submit as many designs as you want! Any and all
submissions need to be sent to me (Vice-Admiral
Dragonetti) at poisonwake@yahoo.com. Winning symbol
will be used on the website and you will get website
credits. This symbol will also be used for any
webrings or groups IDF wants to join!
When does it have to be in by? Just get all submissions to me by July 31, 2003 and the winner will be announced in the August 15, 2003 newsletter.
The only requirements are that it be between 100x160 pixels or 160x100 pixels. Smaller is just fine (not too small!), but please try not to go too much larger.
Have fun making a logo for us. Good luck! And don't forget you can submit as many as you want just get any and all to me by midnight on July 31. Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions/comments. Happy graphics!
Vice-Admiral Felicity Dragonetti
poisonwake@yahoo.com
AIM: Mystakae
=/\=INTERVIEW=/\=
Today, IDF staff had the honor of sitting down and talking with Commander Ace Decade. Decade talks about his simming career, stepping down, USS Washington, Admiral West, when he will call it quits and much more!
Editor: Ace I just want to say that it's taken us two years to catch up with you, and ironically enough it is on the IDF's two year anniversary. You must be honored to be interviewed for the Special Edition newsletter? A lot has happened since the last time we spoke. How have you been?
Ace: Great, and yes I am honored. How are you?
Editor: Oh I can't complain really. The wife and the kids are doing just fine, took a vacation to Florida about two months ago, had a blast. But, enough about me, everyone wants to know what Ace Decade has been up to. Just recently you took a step down and gave up your role as the Captain. Can you tell us how that felt and what was going through your mind when you made that decision?
Ace: It was a tough decision, it really was, but now that I look back on it I don't regret it. I was getting really busy in real life, and it was just bogging me down. I hardly ever posted and the Liberty became deserted. Everyone knows how much I love this sim, and I won't let anyone take it down, not even me. So I had to do what I had to do in order to save the sim. I asked a great guy by the name of Jeremiah Griffith to come in and take over for me.
Editor: Did he accept right off or was there any persuasion involved?
Ace: No, no, he told me to give him a few weeks to give the Patriot a notice and he would be right over. By the beginning of the new year he was the new CO.
Editor: Was Captain Griffith your first choice? Or was there candidates you were looking at? The Liberty is probably the single most successful sim in IDF, giving a big job like that up, must have took some time.
Ace: Oh it was a two month process. I looked at a lot of XO's on other sims before I asked. Admiral Star helped me out and suggested Henry "Hank" Logan, who was then the XO of the Washington and now Captains the Patriot. He declined and I went right to Jeremiah.
Editor: Did things get off to a great start under Griffith?
Ace: Yeah, the posting totals went up and everyone seemed to be having a great time, I know I was.
Editor: That's good news. Ace, through the years it has seemed that the USS Liberty and Washington were dominating the posting awards. Both ships have brought home the posting title five times, respectively. Nowadays it has been the Excalibur and the Conqueror winning the award. Can you compare those two sims with the Liberty or the Washington's success?
Ace: So your going to put me on the spot, huh? {Laughs} Umm, that's a tough one to answer. I think that all four ships have a similar dominance in the fleet. I mean, all have had great Captain's in the helm, all have made their mark in IDF history.
Editor: So to make a long story short, Seldon, McCloud, K'lar and Ace are just that damn good huh?
Ace: {Laughs} That's one way of putting it. But, a year ago I think the competition was more even, now you have the Conqueror pretty much owning it all.
Editor: Yeah, they have won the title five times in a row, a record in IDF which I might add, and they have done it inside this whole year.
Ace: Yeah, that's impressive. They have a great crew and could possibly, one day, be the best sim ever.
Editor: WOW, that's saying a lot for the sim. I am sure they will appreciate your comments, Ace. Another award that seems to mean a lot to the simmers is the MVP (Most Valuable Player). Being the very first, you actually laid the ground for the future MVP's to come. How does that feel?
Ace: Winning the MVP award just two years ago was an awesome feat. I beat out top simmers like Joey Carroll of the Washington, (who is now a member of the Liberty) and T'Cal formerly of the Sunfire. It wasn't easy, and winning that award eventually elevated me to become a Captain, and thus the Liberty was born.
Editor: Yes we all know that story, {Laughs} and if you don't you can check it out in the "History" of IDF section on the website at www.angelfire.com/trek/independencefleet Ace, do you have any intention of winning that award again, being that your are now eligible and have been since January of this year?
Ace: No, I don't set out to win it. If I do, then great. I pretty much have proved who I am and what I'm all about in this fleet. I encourage others to try and win it, but don't forget the fun of simming. If it becomes a competition, then it becomes a problem.
Editor: Well I hate to break the news to you, but your representing the Liberty for the MVP award this month! Do you think you can pull it off just two years after winning it for the first time?
Ace: {Laughs} It would be cool, but I am laid back about it. Now, it's like I am in a canoe, drinking beer and enjoying the ride, ya know?
Editor: That does sound relaxing. Tell me something, does the step down from CO to XO bring you closer to drawing your simming career to a close?
Ace: Nothing is definite, I see all these veteran simmers lately resigning, calling it quits. Make no mistake, I am still in my prime and have a ways to go before I give it up. I don't plan on it, but plans change when you least expect them. All though I will admit, I have thought about it numerous times, but something always brings me back.
Editor: Well thank God for that. Do you ever see yourself becoming CO again?
Ace: Oh yes, always. I am comfortable where I am at right now, and in no hurry to be a CO again. But, if my ship needs me to fill that spot, I will always be here.
Editor: Ever think about leaving the Liberty and making your mark elsewhere? Say on another ship in IDF, or possibly outside the fleet?
Ace: Truthfully, once I am done on the Liberty I will take a break and come back somewhere else. That has always been my plan, and I intend to stick with it. It will be a while before any of that happens I might add.
Editor: What do you think of the Admiralty at this point in time? Robert Seldon has long since retired, and Admiral Star appears to be on a long LOA, can West handle things?
Ace: Oh no question. West knows what he's doing, plus he has some good help behind him. Like Dragonetti and Rager, I am confident in both gals. Griffith has just gotten a promotion to, and he's more than worthy.
Editor: So your not worried about the admiralty's leadership skills?
Ace: No.
Editor: What do you think about the USS Sunfire's departure? Do you think it was a wise decision for Captain Murchadh to make?
Ace: Murchadh knows what she's doing. And as I understand it, it wasn't just her choice, but her crew's as well. I have known her for a little under two years now and she is a great person and a great leader, she'll be all right. I hate to see the Sunny leave, but it's for the best I suppose.
Editor: I hear Admiral West plans on re-launching a new Sunfire in the distant future. If IDF made a list of the top twenty greatest simmers in her history for these past two years, where, and be honest, would you see Ace's name? What number pursay from one being the best and twenty being the worst?
Ace: That's a very interesting question. So basically you want to know how good I think I am, or have been over the years? Hmm, tough decision. To be honest it would have to be one of the top three spots, and we'll just leave it at that.
Editor: Well, it is no secret that your one of the cockiest simmers ever, {Laughs} but you have a right, and it's definitely arguable. You've done a lot for this fleet, but the competition is stiff these days.
Ace: Yes, we have some awesome simmers in this fleet. A lot have came from the Liberty too.
Editor: Who is your favorite character on the Liberty?
Ace: Wil Parks. We've been friends since the beginning of the old Sunfire days, and he is probably the greatest, or one of the greatest simmers I've ever seen. He isn't given enough credit like most people are, and his time is limited, but he sure can write.
Editor: Yes, I have seen some of his work, he is a talented young man. You have other great writers on that ship too, Joey Carroll, Envy Conyers (AKA Ashla Bogan), the new comer Leto Corrino and thats just naming a few! Are you satisfied with what the Liberty has accomplished and how the Liberty is today.
Ace: Who wouldn't? Five time posting champs, we have had three MVP's on that ship, the crew has won numerous awards and there is much more to accomplish. The crew of today is as good as any crew. And I couldn't ask for anything more.
Editor: No one should. Just recently, the Liberty has moved from the DSE (Deep Space Exploration) division to the SOD (Special Operations Division). How did you feel about the move since the Lib has been in the DSE since it's creation?
Ace: It was no big deal, I loved the DSE don't get me wrong. Now, we will have to see what life is like in the SOD. {Laughs}
Editor: Ace, before I bring this interview to a close, and it has been great talking with you, I am going to ask you some real quick questions and you give me your opinion.
Ace: Okay, I think I got it.
Editor: Which do you prefer? Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?
Ace: Star Wars, by a long shot.
Editor: In a wrestling match, who would win? "Hitman" Bret Hart or "Nature Boy" Ric Flair?
Ace: The Hitman!
Editor: Who would kick who's ass? Willow or Yoda?
Ace: Yoda.
Editor: Metallica or Kiss?
Ace: Kiss.
Editor: Lebron James or Michael Jordan?
Ace: Air Jordan all the way!
Editor: Who's the better Captain? Picard or Kirk?
Ace: Picard.
Editor: Godzilla or King Kong? Who would win?
Ace: King Kong.
Editor: Spider-Man or Batman?
Ace: Batman.
Editor: Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis, Part 2?
Ace: Lewis, no question.
Editor: Ace Decade or Robert Seldon?
Ace: Ace Decade {Laughs}
Editor: {Laughs} Ace it's been great having you, we hope to see you soon and try and not wait a year before we talk to you again. Good luck with your simming career, and with the USS Liberty!
Ace: Thank you, it's been a pleasure.
=/\=CLOSING=/\=
Thank you to everyone who made this newsletter possible. Special thanks to Mr. Robert Seldon, who took the time to create the opening for this special newsletter.
There will still be a newsletter issued as normal on July 15th as well. However, since so much was covered in this newsletter, the normal issue may be pretty short!
Let's move forward from here on out and make it to another year. I hope all of you are still here when I (or whoever) types up the 3rd anniversary newsletter!
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Admiral James West
Director of Operations
Independence Fleet
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