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Turn the Page - The 2015 Cut Paper Art Calendar (+ T-shirt) Campaign
Hello Everyone,
Thank you once again for your support in making the 2013 Cut Paper Art Calendar Campaigna success! I was so pleased that some of you joined us... Read more
Coming Around Again - the 2014 Cut Paper Art Calendar Campaign
Hello Everyone,
Thank you so much again for helping to make the 2013 Cut Paper Art Calendar campaign a successful one! I had a fantastic time getting to know all... Read more
The Big Wrap Up
Hello again Everyone,
This will most likely be the last update for quite awhile - perhaps until Autumn when I start digging in my heels and working on the 2014... Read more
Hello Everyone,
I'm recently returned from the opening in Changwon, South Korea (a very nice town with a ton of museums and, I think, more cafes than people) when today,... Read more
The Rollercoaster
Hello again, and Happy March!
Things here in the studio have been exciting since the last update. Many calendars and postcards have shipped out, and found their way to the... Read more
Over the Ocean
Hi everyone! This is just a quick note today, as I'm sitting here at the gallery watching the rainy deluge outside. As of this morning, if I have your mailing... Read more
And So It Begins...
Shipping, that is.
The calendars arrived yesterday, and promptly got stuffed... ahem, I mean gently placed into bubble wrap with stiff cardboard backing, then slipped into shipping boxes. Address... Read more
Good News, (slightly) Bad News, Side News
Hello Everybody,
I realize it's customary to lead with the bad news, but in this case it wouldn't make any sense without the good news. So...
The Good News
In... Read more
Proof of Proofs
Happy New Year, everyone!
Right on time, I've received the color proofs from the printer. Overall they look pretty good - perhaps a teensy bit overly bright and colorful, but... Read more
Hey, What's your name?!?
Hi all! I know I said that I wouldn't be in touch until after the holidays... but I just couldn't help myself.
I've finalized the calendar a bit quicker than... Read more
Pre-Holiday Update!
Hello all,
Thank you again for helping the 2013 Cut Paper Art Calendar become such a success! We did better than I had ever expected, blowing past our original goal,... Read more
Postcards Postcards Postcards
Postcard Pack 4 is a go!!!
Thanks to the generosity and exuberance of our backers, we've blasted by the $3500 goal we needed to print our next set of postcards!... Read more
Hi everyone,
Just a quick note today. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the progress on the Year of the Snake piece for the calendar (and...perhaps...the laser cut?).... Read more
Goals for Everyone, Paper For all!
Hi everyone,
First off all, thank you once again for helping to make the 2013 Cut Paper Art Calendar Campaign a success!
As promised, I've been digging deep to come... Read more
Carried Over the Goal Line
Well, I guess there's really only one super-important thing to say right now:
A huge, gigantic, humungous heaping helping of appreciation goes out to all of you. The... Read more
The Future Is What You Make It - a poll!
Hello everyone!
The most important news is that I'd love for you to help customize the calendar!
But more on that at the bottom of the post (with pictures)
First... Read more


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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Redstone Arsenal's two teams, led by Brandon York and Brad Schroeder, defended their championships Sunday in the 27th Army 10-Miler, which featured over 30,000 runners.
Redstone won the government agency division for the fifth consecutive year and the all-comers division for the third straight year in the world's largest 10-mile race. Redstone team No. 1 took the all-comers division with a total time of four hours and 44 seconds for its top four runners. Fort Lee, Va., was second in 4:18:13. Team No. 1 included York (51:24), Brett Wilks (1:02:25), Randy McFarland (1:03:19), Tim Pitt (1:03:37), retiring Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Cooper (1:30:27) and assistant coach Skip Vaughn (1:49:45).
Redstone team No. 2 took the government agency division in 4:00:33, followed by PM Soldier Warrior in 4:20:44. Team No. 2 included Schroeder (54:57), George Heeschen (56:44), Erik DeBolt (58:37), Joseph Robenson (1:10:16), Command Sgt. Maj. Corey Smallwood (1:12:46), Coach Harry Hobbs (1:25:53) and Col. John Hamilton (1:34:16).
Team Redstone dedicated this year's race to former member Capt. Laura Matejik Eberts, who drowned March 21 while vacationing in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

subset: commoncrawl


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Star Tracks
From Hollywood to New York and everywhere in between, see what your favorite stars are up to!
Credit: AKM-GSI
Published: Tuesday Aug 11, 2015 | 06:00 AM EDT
More from PEOPLE
Latest News!
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- WATCH: Justin Theroux's Cousin Louis Takes on Church of Scientology in New Movie
- WATCH: Verne Troyer Opens Up About Being Called the M-Word As a Child – and How He Physically Defended Himself Against a Bully


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C & R Welding - Troy, NY - Phone: (518) 274-5755
Chain Link Fence Connection - Troy, NY - Phone: (518) 273-0487
Dog Guard Fencing - Troy, NY - Phone: (518) 687-0030
Dog Guard Out of Site Fencing - Troy, NY - Phone: (518) 885-0175
Fence contractors in Troy are the professionals who install, remove or repair fences on a contract basis. These contractors have years of experience in installing and repairing Industrial, Commercial and Residential applications. Troy has few of the largest companies that install and repair Automatic Gate Operators and Access Systems. Fence contractors in Troy serve commercial and industrial properties, apartment communities, residential subdivisions and private residences.
NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli Addresses Clean Energy Leadership Task Force
Audits Confirm Savings from Energy Efficiency Improvements at Long Island School Districts (Long Island, NY) On Friday, February 19th, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli spoke before the Clean Energy Leadership Task Force which is a project directed by the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College located at Republic Airport in Farmingdale NY. Mr. DiNapoli discussed the results of audits..


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G.I. Langston, A.H. Minter, T. M. Freismuth (NRAO)
We calculate the number density of faint radio sources that are expected in radio source surveys due to the isotropic emission of Gamma Ray Burst sources. The calculation assumes the beamed supernovae model for gamma ray burst sources detected in gamma rays, x-rays, optical and radio wavelengths. Since the radio wavelength emission is expected to be more isotropically radiated, the parent population of gamma Ray burst super novea are expected to more easily detected in radio wavelength surveys than at higher frequencies.
Our calculations show that the number of transient sources expected is small at the flux density limits of current surveys. We compare our models with the transient source counts detected in the NRAO Galactic Plane (GP) survey observations, a program to monitor the sky at 8.35 and 14.35 GHz. These observations used the NRAO/NASA Green Bank Earth Station to survey the galactic plane.
If you would like more information about this abstract, please follow the link to http://www.gb.nrao.edu/$\sim$glangsto/gpb. This link was provided by the author. When you follow it, you will leave the Web site for this meeting; to return, you should use the Back comand on your browser.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.


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Peter M. Eick
September 26, 2011, 04:49 PM
This weekend I got my 722 up over 10,000 rounds fired. It takes a while at 6 at a time but I sure enjoy doing it. I have had this one for years and try to work on my DA trigger pull with it. Great gun and built like a tank since it is a 22 on a 357 magnum frame.


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DUMAS - It has been more than two decades since Moore County residents began their quest for an Amarillo College campus in Dumas. On Monday, county commissioners took steps toward reaching that goal.
Commissioners voted unanimously to have the Dumas Economic Development Corporation begin seeking proposals from area firms interested in providing architectural and engineering services for a college facility. The DEDC will then submit the top three prospects to the commissioners who will make the selection.
Larry Appel, president of the AC college campus committee, said he hopes to submit the three possible firms at the commissioners' March meeting. "We want to get the architect working soon so 30 days after the tax election in May, we can have the plans," he said.
The DEDC will fund any planning work done, but will be reimbursed if the tax is passed, Appel said.
However, the election creating a maintenance tax to fund the campus has not been scheduled. The tax proposal, along with a feasibility study, must be approved by the Texas Higher Education Board, according to AC President Bud Joyner. That approval is expected at the board's April 23 meeting, he said.
Commissioner Louis Dubuque's resolution to hold the election and purchase a former discount store to be remodeled, assuming the state approval happens, passed unanimously. The DEDC now owns that building.
Billie Faye Schumacher, a member of the steering committee, said there is a great deal of community support for the campus, even with the tax of 5 cents per $100 of property value.
"We tried this 25 years ago, but it wouldn't fly. People were not as education oriented," Schumacher said. "Also, the 5-cent tax is the maximum allowed. It could eventually be lowered."
According to state law, the vote for establishing the tax could only be held from May 17 to June 25, if the coordinating board passes the proposal on April 23, said R.E. Byrd, AC vice president and dean of instruction.
Joyner explained to the commissioners how the tax money would be spent by AC. He based all his figures on the assumption that 500 students would sign up for eight credit hours each and that enrollment would increase 3 percent annually.
Joyner estimated $800,000 in operating costs for the first year of operation. Tuition would cover $280,000 of the tab, and tax income would provide $250,000, after debt service. The remaining funds would be provided by AC. Over the first two years, AC would spend about $600,000 dollars, Joyner said.
State funds would begin to come in during the third year of operation, reimbursing AC. Joyner proposed a "trust agreement" because one commissioner's court cannot obligate a future one. He estimated AC's investment would be covered in five years.
"The upfront money would come from our reserves because we can't use Amarillo tax money in Moore County," Joyner said.
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Former home run king Hank Aaron tonight endorsed the bid for U.S. Senate being mounted by his longtime friend, state Sen. Vivian Davis Figures, D-Mobile.
Aaron, a Mobile native, said they share the same values and he compared his struggle to pass previous home run record holder Babe Ruth to Figures' campaign against incumbent Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions.
"What you see is what you're going to get," he said of Figures. "I think what I respect most is her honesty."
Aaron, who is retired and lives in Atlanta, hosted a fundraising dinner at The Summit Club in downtown Birmingham. Supporters at the event each donated up to $2,300 to the campaign.


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The Heidelberg University-Community Chorus and the University of Findlay Concert Chorale are to present "Carmina Burana" at 3 p.m. Sunday in Findlay High School's R.L. Heminger Auditorium.
The ensembles are to repeat the concert at 7 p.m. Monday at Columbian High School.
Paul Mayhew of Heidelberg and Michael Anders of UF are to share conducting duties of the 150-voice choir. The concert also is to feature a 21-voice choir from Seneca East High School, directed by Heidelberg alumnus and Seneca East music teacher Lynn Huenemann.
Professional soloists for the performance include soprano Carol Dusdieker, voice professor at Heidelberg, tenor Tim Sarsany and baritone Lance Ashmore. Accompanists are Kelly Lewis and Sharon Vaas (piano) and percussionists Michael Malloy, Brent Deskin, Matt Timman, Jose Duarte and Craig Schutz.
"Carmina Burana" was composed originally for three soloists, a large mixed chorus, a children's chorus and a large orchestra. But in 1956, Carl Orff commissioned his student, Wilhelm Killmayer, to arrange a version specifically for educational use. This version uses the same vocal forces as the original but with the accompaniment reduced to two pianos and five percussionists.
The "O Fortuna" movement from "Carmina Burana" has become one of the most recognized themes in western music and has been featured in numerous movies, television programs and commercials.
"Carmina Burana" originally was completed by Orff in 1936 and was premiered a year later in Frankfurt, Germany. The text consists of 23 13th-century poems from a collection found in the Benedictine Monastery at Beuern in the Bavarian Alps.
Orff arranged the poems into three parts, each dealing with springtime, activities on the tavern and the court of love. Running throughout the work are references to Fortune, the goddess of fate.
A prologue, addressed to "Fortune, Empress of the World," also appears as the closing number.
For the Findlay performance, admission is free but tickets are required. Call (419) 434-5335 to reserve your tickets.
There is no admission charge for the Tiffin performance, but an offering is to be taken.
Call Heidelberg's music school at (419) 448-2073 for additional information.


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Federal Pell Grant
This is a need-based federal grant program for students who are seeking an undergraduate degree and whose Expected Family Contribution is below the amount designated by the United States Department of Education. The annual Federal Pell Grant award amount is determined by the student's EFC and enrollment status.
Initial awards are estimated based on full-time status (12 credit hours) and on the evaluation of information submitted on the FAFSA. Estimates will change if any criteria used to determine the student's eligibility, such as program of study or area of interest, degree status, satisfactory academic progress, income or family information changes. Actual payment will be determined based on enrollment at the census date (please see the definition of census date for clarification) listed in the college calendar.
The amount paid to the student from the Federal Pell Grant listed in the student's award notification will be prorated if the student enrolls for less than 12 credit hours in a given semester. The student must begin attending all of his or her classes before disbursement of any funds are made. If the student's attendance is not confirmed for one or more classes, aid will be adjusted to the enrollment level of the credit hours that have been confirmed.
Federal Pell Grant awards may be used for the equivalent of two full-time semesters each year. Students who attended part-time in fall and/or spring semester(s) may use their remaining eligibility in the summer semester.
Federal Pell Grant Program — Duration of Eligibility
Students are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant for up to 12 semesters (600 percent) or the equivalent. If a student has exceeded the 12-semester maximum, the student will lose eligibility for additional Federal Pell Grants. Equivalences are calculated by adding together the percentage of a student's Pell eligibility that is received each year to determine whether the total amount exceeds 600 percent.


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Synchronizing Fireflies NG
Tinkerlog writes:
This is a remake of the fireflies which I did a year ago. I was always fascinated by the emergence of patterns. One I like most is the synchronization of hundreds or thousands of fireflies. First they flash randomly but after some time and influencing each other, they flash in sync.
This circuit simulates fireflies with small microcontrollers. Note that every firefly acts completely autonomously, it is not a preprogrammed pattern. It is a self organizing system.
The NG version uses a small PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and a RGB-LED.
Synchronizing Fireflies – [Link]


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Sandy Carter: Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) -- Off the Record
Big Blue goes for viral marketing!
I am now in Prague speaking to a marketing group on viral marketing and SOA. As I am here, I just saw this in Blue Blue Article! .
Check it out !!!
Big Blue Goes for Viral MarketingComing soon to a theater near you- IBM's Service Oriented Architecture [SOA]. Is video supposed to be viral? A strange IBM spoof movie trailer which advertises a new movie called "Launch" and which seems to be about a returning executive who tried to implement SOA at a distressed company full of mystery. Is it just us, or does anyone else wish that IBM actually made the full movie. It has "cult film" written all over it and looks far more interesting than most Hollywood fare. They could do an online movie release whereby the SOA is used to conquer some pretty tough obstacles. Perhaps stubborn long term employees, supported by a mysterious Union, could try and sabotage the process. Oh well, maybe its just us. Nevertheless, good to see IBM trying new marketing techniques- we're giving it publicity at least.[Read More]
BlogHer - My Top 10 Ah Ha's & Views as a first timer
SOASOA 060000JRQN 3 Comments 6,828 Views
I had the great pleasure to attend BlogHer for the first time this year. How did I get to attend? A perfect storm really. 3 things happened that allowed me to attend: first, a customer had asked me to support them in their session and to talk about how my book on social media helped them with their strategy, second, I spoke with Charlene Li at the WITI conference and she knew the founders and secured me a ticket and then finally, I was asked to speak on how to leverage social media as the only real IBM presence at the conference.
So what is BlogHer? I pulled this from the BlogHer site. It was founded in February 2005 by Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone. BlogHer's mission is to create opportunities for women who blog to pursue exposure, education, community and economic empowerment. BlogHer is the leading participatory news, entertainment and information network for women online and creates opportunities for its members via a community hub (http://blogher.com), annual conferences and a publishing network of more than 2,500 qualified, contextually targeted blog affiliates. BlogHer provides the highest quality content on a range of topics, with all blogs continually edited to meet strict editorial standards, including content quality, category relevance and blog frequency
The Top 10 Ah Ha's 1. The Business BlogHer had a lot of great case studies. While not sold out on the business side, I found the case studies innovative and best practices. I have blogged on the specific case studies that I heard ... Allstate, Tropicana, Pepsi, Sprint, Coach and many others (THE Social Media Blog!.
2. Lots of Geek Labs - Hands on! I love the hands on labs. You could set up a new blog here with step by step instructions to learning HTML and PHP.
3. Networking The conference was setup to network. They did speeddating in a new and innovative way, and arranged the sessions and breaks to stimulate discussion.
4. Community keynote I attend a lot of corporate events and shows. Usually the keynoter is the CEO or GM in charge of the work. While powerful, I have not experienced a more moving and powerful keynote that BlogHer did on Friday night. It was a community keynote where bloggers were selected to read their blog entries. It was amazing. I am glad someone who had been here before told me to make sure I didn't miss it!
5. Swag. Again, going to CeBit or GiTex is an experience and everyone gives away their toys. But I have never seen the swag that was at BlogHer. From products, to free services on site, to designer scarfs, and vendors printers, servers, and phones. If you come, be prepared. This shows me that the vendors view this show as an important way to reach the tippers. One of our competitors was here for Small Business and I saw the bump in blogs on their products in the GB space go up 3x over the last 3 days.
6. Panels. Most of the sessions here were in a set of tracks on Geek Labs, Business, Leadership, Room of your own, Identity and Passions. But most of the sessions were panels. If you don't learn this way, it may not be the way for you!
7. Q&A's are LONG! Another culture here at BlogHer is to learn from a Q&A session. The sessions here are meant for learning not gaining exposure. I would say that in the sessions over 1/2 the time was spent answering questions from the audience.
8. Amazing Women in New Media. The BlogHer team brought out the stars. From Lisa Stone to GM of CBS, to Donna Bryne, etc. This is the place for the new adventurers in the social media world!
9. Purpose I was truly impressed by the purpose that I felt from all these women and men. These guys, while looking to monetize, are truly dedicated to their mission. I heard about blogs on the homeless, soberity, raising disabled kids, traveling, shyness, and the list goes on. Everyone I met loved what they blogged on. A great lesson in you do more of what you love -- for employers getting people into the right roles.
10. Fun I loved it. It was energeric, and fun. It energized me and showed me that one with a purpose can accomplish more than you can imagine! There were over 1999 parties. That's right.. suites to teach photography, small busines skills, word of mouth marketing, silk screening, etc.
Next Year: Next year the conference will be in NYC in August. Will I go? Absolutely.
The Future - Generation C This is the future. Everything is going online. 53% of women WW are online. Generation C -- which I have defined as the next generation who wants to co create, collaboration, and use their creavitiy. They are going to be around for a while. Join the exploration and see what works for you![Read More]
Business Week Article Rocks!!!
SOASOA 060000JRQN 1,138 Views
This is a REALLY awesome article!
This story from Businessweek profiles IBM's software business, the impact of the recent acquisitions and the importance of service oriented architecture as "the next big thing" for IBM.
A few highlights include;
Here's the big surprise: Big Blue's $16.8 billion software business now contributes even more profit to the bottom line than services, and it's just now emerging as the $91 billion company's most dependable growth engine. "Software is not only the fastest-growing but the most entrepreneurial and the most profitable part of IBM," says analyst Bob Djurdjevic of Annex Research.
The profit picture for software is even prettier. Annex Research estimates that for 2006, software will account for 20% of IBM's revenues but 37% of its profits.
The most successful products fall within the so-called "middleware" segment—software that sits between computer operating systems and run-the-business applications like payroll that a company's executives and employees use day to day. IBM leads the $80 billion middleware market with an 18% share ($12.6 billion in revenues last year), compared with less than 10% shares for Oracle and Microsoft.
Now a fundamental shift is taking place in middleware that could light a fire under IBM's software business. More and more, companies are using a new kind of technology called service-oriented architectures (SOA) for building new computer systems or revamping old ones.
SOA allows companies to build new applications faster, reuse older software, and reuse the new components they create. So it's fast and efficient. No wonder an April survey of chief information officers by Merrill Lynch showed that 87% of them expect SOA to be the " next big thing" in enterprise computing. IBM is already the leader in SOA, and that puts it in a great position to benefit from its soaring popularity.
Mills' group has a 44% share of the market, compared with 13% for second-ranked Sun Microsystems and 10% for BEA Systems, according to WinterGreen Research.
Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson (HDI ) shows how SOA works—IBM-style. The company has a vast portfolio of applications for running every aspect of its business. But it found that once its applications are created they're very hard to change. So it bought IBM software and hired IBM consultants to revamp its systems using SOA technologies so they can be more flexible.
To make life simpler for customers, IBM last month introduced a catalog of premade components and a collection of templates designed for more than 15 industries. It developed these pieces in the course of more than 2,000 SOA engagements. The Webify purchase adds pages to the catalog, since Webify has focused on components and templates for the telecommunications industry and government.
> The Full Article Link [Read More]
Cargo Airline uses SOA! And Thanks to the US Air pilot and crew!
SOASOA 060000JRQN 1,014 Views
This is in honor of the great job done by the US Air pilot and crew and to the Ferry and rescuers. As a frequent flier, I was very thankful for their courage and safety awareness. Thank you!!!
For our SOA reference today, we will focus on Atlas Air, who is the world's largest cargo airline and the world's largest fleet operator of Boeing 747s.
Over the past several years, Atlas Air's operations had become increasingly complex and process-intensive. Its infrastructure was also complicated, comprising a variety of "homegrown" messaging applications that did not integrate well with its back-end systems.
Atlas Air needed to simplify this infrastructure and coordinate the various moving parts, and it decided to do so by implementing a middleware solution that was based on Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). They replaced their existing messaging system with a true enterprise service bus (ESB) through which all messages flow.
They now have the ability to integrate real-time information with process workflows, improving efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing their ability to respond rapidly to customer needs.
As many of you know, AirBus is also a big SOA client reference![Read More]
CIO Conference in Monte Carlo: Some thoughts
SOASOA 060000JRQN 915 Views
OK...now I am in Monte Carlo at the IBM CIO event. There are about 100+ of the most influential CIOs around the world here. Why am I here? Of course, SOA. We have several discussion points around SOA that were quite interesting!
But back to the CIO event, Sam Palmisano kicked off the meeting around Innovation being the path to growth. It was very interesting as he outlined some of the changes needed in the market place thinking....business model innovation being a key differentiator over just new products, new services. For external innovation, collaboration is critical and most companies get their best ideas from employees and customers. He challenged the CIOs with 2 results from IBM 's CIO study .... #1 challenge is that CIO's role are misunderstood because the business acumen is not a strength, and #2 how should CIOs be measured -- not cost so should it be productivity ... or?
A very cool panel followed led by one of my ex Harvard professors Linda Applegate! She led off challenging the audience on the new "inflexion" point. And that innovation is becoming more radical -- it is not what you do but how you do it! She asked how we viewed threats...and said that entrepreneurs viewed threats as opptys ... and innovation is the relentless pursuit of new opportunities regardless of the resources at your disposal. (very cool thought!)
The other folks on the panel were from ING and Astrazeneca. Some important points that came up were: How do we form a relationship between CIO and CFO? How do we manage Maintenance type activities and innovation -- same team, different teams, can they be done by the same person? Are you a risk taker or a risk manager?
It was interesting to see how much alignment there was around the concept of moving from processes that are sequence driven to processes that are now multi-layered and filled with various forms of collaboration! All the items that we have been discussing as part of SOA! Also the concept that innovation is really about a series of incremental steps!!
A thought to depart on for this very late night....are you a Business Outcome Manager? What outcomes are you managing and what are you really measured on!
Well, I'll be here for one more day ... then back to NY! I'll blog on new discussion points tomorrow!
[Read More]
CIO: Is Santa the Original SOA Architect
Thu, Dec 13, 2007
Is Santa the Original SOA Architect?
Posted by: Sandy Carter IBM in Soapbox
It's the most wonderful yet hectic time of the year as consumers vie for mall parking spaces and also spend their precious lunch hours shopping online. Meanwhile, vendors are busy carefully managing and monitoring inventory and their supplier relationships to ensure their goods are delivered to stores and homes on time. Of course, an SOA could help these vendors streamline, integrate and manage their various CRM, ERP and SCM applications. Ideally, this integration through the SOA would help ensure that customers are satisfied and retailers have a successful holiday season. For many retailers, however, it's not an easy task to oversee the manufacturing and timely delivery of goods in a highly competitive, global marketplace – all during a finite period of time. With this in mind, perhaps we could all learn some important lessons about building a service oriented architecture by taking a closer look at one of the first and most successful SOA projects. This project is representative of a Smart SOA strategy, is based in the North Pole and was initiated by Santa Claus to better manage his workshop. Here are 10 reasons why Santa's SOA is exemplary:
1. Global: the infrastructure follows the sun in order to deliver goods to its client base in a timely manner.
2. Cross-company effort: the SOA bridges the gap between the executive office (Santa) and staff (elves) to execute on common goals.
3. BPM support: has built in business process management (BPM) capabilities to streamline and ensure consistency of toy manufacturing and distribution.
4. Flexibility: enables The Workshop to easily anticipate and respond to sudden spikes in end-of-year activity without resulting in any hiccups in workflow.
5. Reusability: the SOA takes advantage of reusable services so that employees can accommodate consistent customer requests (dolls, teddy bears) as well as easily manage and integrate new requests (Wii, DVD player) using the same, proven best practices.
6. Standards-based: enables Santa to protect existing investments such as the home-grown shipping and distribution application while allowing the infrastructure to integrate the latest CRM tools to manage a client base that completely turns over every few years.
7. Unified communications: supports UC by integrating and identifying the individual letters delivered via various communications methods such as email, traditional postal carriers, in person requests delivered to Santa's helpers in the mall, and inquiries sent via Santa's website. Additionally, the SOA infrastructure will be able to support future demands for text, instant messaging, and click-to-call capabilities.
8. Security: ensures the protection and sharing of confidential information including the list of who's naughty and who's nice.
9. Competitive advantage: consistent and timely delivery of requested toys has resulted in a satisfied customer base and a dominant market position.
10. Everybody knows that SANTA is an acronym for the North Pole's SOA approach: Strategic Architecture, Not Tactical Achievements. Not only has Santa mastered the creation of a successful SOA, he's also the ideal employee because he gets the job done, is a well respected leader with longevity and experience, and is satisfied with a cookies and milk end-of-year bonus.[Read More]
Costa Rica & IT-- Blog 1 of 3!
SOASOA 060000JRQN 5,523 Views
I am here in Costa Rica meeting with our Partner GBM and customers and had the honor of being able to meet the President of Costa Rica -- Oscar Arias Sanchez. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his efforts to end civil wars in Central American countries. He is an amazing man well versed in IT.
Along with Gabriela Llobet, they gave us an overview of IT in Costa Rica. There are over 700 software companies here with over 10.6% of the country's GDP coming from ICT. Given they do not fund an army they invest in training and technology. They are the #1 high technology exporter in Latin American and the 4th largest in the world. They receive about $1.9B foreign investment in IT -- more than China, Brazil or Mexico.
They are super creative and technology focused. I was very impressed with the customers and partner I met here. In addition, I sat with Dr Roberto Sasso. He has helped Costa Rica with a digital strategy.Check it out!http://www.clubdeinvestigacion.com/
And their Minister of Foreign Trade is on twitter! That's right! Social Media insight abounds! Follow Marco Vinicio Ruiz at twitter.com/maviru.
I will blog and post pictures for my next post on Costa Rica...not at midnight![Read More]
Countdown to IMPACT 2008--Ready, Set, GO! April 6-11, 2008
Recently, Forrester Research published a telling report on SOA Adoption. According to Forrester's latest survey data, "the IT industry is continuing its strong adoption of service-oriented architecture (SOA)." And satisfaction with SOA implementations continues to run high. Why? Because SOA continues to help businesses solve real business problems.
IBM's IMPACT conference offers the proof of the Forrester data. Check out the number of customer speakers that will be there to talk about their SOA implementations. This is one of the conference highlights that is truly superior.
The list of companies is right out of the Fortune 500: Aetna, AllState, Bank of America, Countrywide, Harley Davidson and more. Its a rare opportunity to hear actual customer case studies and SOA best practices.
And there's more...
And just for fun...
[Read More]
Credomatic - An Innovative Bank in Central America
SOASOA 060000JRQN 3 Comments 5,785 Views
While in Costa Rica, I had the pleasure of meeting with an innovative team for IT at Credomatic. Their leader & CTO, Alfonso Salvo, approaches the business with a focus on value.
Who is Credomatic? The company is a leader in Central America. Credomatic began its operations in Nicaragua in 1971. Subsequently, it expanded throughout Central America as the pioneer in the bankcard industry, forming Grupo Credomatic, a network of service providers of integrated credit card issuing and merchant acquiring services. The development of financial products and services combined with quality, state-of-the-art technology and experience has given Grupo Credomatic a leadership position in the Central American financial market. As one of the signature brands within the BAC Financial Network, Grupo Credomatic has been able to successfully adapt to changes in the competitive environment, thereby consolidating its leadership position in the payment systems industry in Central America. Grupo Credomatic has an extensive network of financial institutions across Central America, the Caribbean and Miami.
A wow team! What impressed me most about the team is their focus on the business. Their projects include Business Process Management. And a new exploration of Social Media. Watch this company for some best practices and leading IT practices!
Meet the team! [Read More]
Crowley Maritime and SOA!
SOASOA 060000JRQN 1,160 Views
I am just back from Dubai where I saw a lot of the marina area. (More on Dubai later!)
So I thought of Crowley Maritime for our SOA story time who operates globally in a variety of businesses with a mantra of "Small Company Mentality, Big Company Efficiency." Founded in 1892, and family run ever since, Crowley Maritime began with a single 18 ft. rowboat servicing ships and sailors in San Francisco Bay.
Their primary logistics operations are based here in Florida. Over the following century, the Crowleys have grown and transformed the business into a major provider of maritime services ranging from tugs and barges to containerships, with operations from Central America and the Caribbean to Alaska's North Slope.
Their CEO is not guiding a carefully paced streamlining and repositioning of the company to meet the new challenges of its second century of operations. As Crowley Maritime has grown, it has accumulated business lines and strategies that needed reexamining and improvement in light of changing market conditions that have made 'return to core competencies' the new reality for many industries. Crowley turned to SOA as the foundation for reshaping their business for the next century.
The started with IBM Advanced Enterprise Service Bus as the backbone for corporate integration to connect disparate application components without each application component having complete dependency on other application components by service enabling existing assets. One early benefit was a reduction — by at least half — of the usual time and costs incurred in tying new, third-party applications into the Crowley core infrastructure, which included a legacy mainframe-based customer-information system. With a 30-year-old system that was heavily customized, this was no small achievement. Under previous practices, integration projects typically ate up about 300 work hours of people in the Crowley information technology group. More important for Crowley Maritime were the strategic benefits, which are part of the ongoing savings and increased operational efficiencies. Early results were seen when a major business initiative at Crowley was launched.
This major initiative, implementation of a transportation management system for inter-modal transportation, was purchased and effectively "plugging into" the adapter framework and the ESB. This particular inter-modal transportation management system automates the routing of Crowley cargo containers — several hundred per day — to dozens of terminals across North America. The application manages and improves operational efficiency of the intermodal portion of Crowley Maritime's ocean shipping business. As the first true test of the ability of the Crowley Service Oriented Architecture to easily integrate with a substantial package, the adapter framework and Enterprise Service Bus performed above expectations and with unprecedented flexibility. They began to see immediate operational efficiencies.
The routes chosen were, on average, better, cheaper and faster. They raised the quality of services and increased customer satisfaction. The ability to create services for legacy applications has subsequently added life to legacy applications that were not ready for replacement (due to years of heavy customization and unique abilities of that existing package).[Read More]


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|My Wandy's Girl (here in archive photo) imposed in the Thanksgiving Day Stakes.
The two year old imported, My Wandy's Girl, achieved her first victory in a stakes event when this past Thursday, November 24, dominated the 60th edition of the Thanksgiving Day Stakes on the Hipódromo Camarero's track with the direction of its regular jockey Juan Carlos Díaz.
Díaz made My Wandy's Girl advance from the fifth place in the six participants race when there were left 600 meters to the finish line, while Successful Talent led the pack from the start.
It was precisely Successful Talent to whom My Wandy's Girl outperformed entering the last stretch after being threatened by Aracelis Baby M., who was able to be placed within less than two lengths from the pointer, but was not able to keep the advance letting the winner to unlink clear to lead in the last 50 meters of the race.
My Wandy's Girl covered the distance in 1:24.98, carrying the most part of the $75,620 prize offered for the event. The winner is owned by Wanda Iris stable and trained by Samuel Díaz.
The Pick-6 payed $14,183.40 with six winners and $42.25 with five. The winning digits are: 4 – 2 – 9 – 10 – 8 – 2.


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Scholars at Risk is expanding its outreach beyond North America, beginning with a planning meeting on November 11, 2005 in London for universities and colleges in the United Kingdom. The meeting is co-sponsored by our partners in London, the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (UK).
We ask for your help in forwarding the attached invitation to your colleagues at UK higher education institutions who might be interested in attending or otherwise supporting our work for academic freedom and threatened scholars.
If you have any questions, or to RSVP, please contact us at +1-212-998-2179 or by email at email@example.com .
Carla Stuart
Scholars at Risk
tel: 1-212-998-2179
To view the press release for the Nov. 11 meeting, visit: http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/pr05_10_10.html


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Yeah, that cover does zip for me. And I'm pretty much done with love triangles. Too many of them in the last 10 years worth of books--very avoidable. Good review!
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One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire – review
Publisher's Description:
October "Toby" Daye is settling into her new role as Countess of Goldengreen. She's actually dating again, and she's taken on Quentin as her squire. So, of course, it's time for things to take a turn for the worse.
Someone has kidnapped the sons of the regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist. To prevent a war between land and sea, Toby must find the missing boys and prove the Queen of the Mists was not behind their abduction. Toby's search will take her from the streets of San Francisco to the lands beneath the waves, and her deadline is firm: she must find the boys in three days' time, or all of the Mists will pay the price. But someone is determined to stop her–and whoever it is isn't playing by Oberon's Laws…
What I Expected: I fully expected another enjoyable ride while following Toby Daye around in her world full of magic, surrogate families, and cutthroat political maneuvering. I also expected to meet some new and interesting faerie folk. I expected that Toby would be saddled with a nearly impossible task and that her fate and that of those she loves would be dependent upon her success.
What I Got: I got everything I expected and more. Not only are the fates of many of her friends riding on her detective work, but her actions also carry many unintended consequences. Toby is facing growing up, which comes with trials, tribulation, and heartache. I was very happily introduced to the fae who inhabit the sea with their very different lives.
What I Enjoyed: I love how Toby has configured "her" knowe with the pixies and the bogeys sort of ruling the rest. I was glad I had read the short story in Home Improvement: Undead Edition before reading this book, as it details how that happened. Otherwise I might have been a bit confused. Mild Spoiler Alert: I loved that the pixies, when released from their lamps later on in the novel, work to help those that freed them. Some of my favorite parts of these stories are the little behind the scenes details like this. I love that Toby is using her talents in new and interesting ways.
What I Did Not Enjoy: There wasn't too much I didn't like in this outing, although I can't say that the love triangle, mild though it was, was a favorite part of the tale.
Cover Thoughts: I wasn't terribly fond of this cover. While I love the font and how it has stayed truthful to the style of the first books, and the quality of the cover art is there, the image of Toby lying dead in desert sand (yes, that is exactly what it looks like to me) does not seem to match the story. I think I understand what the artist and designer were going for, but it just doesn't work for me.
Would I Recommend this Title? Of course I would. This book would appeal, for the most part, to the fans of the earlier books of the series. You definitely don't want to read this as a standalone, because there are so many large and small pieces of the story that will not make sense to the reader without that background. However, if you have not tried these books, you may just want to give them a go. A little outside of the ordinary paranormal investigator, Toby Daye is fun to follow around with her hang-ups, her insecurities, her competencies, and her motley adopted family. Out of the many female investigators of varying sorts and styles out there in urban fantasyland, Toby feels very much to me like the girl you would see in the neighborhood store, or the one you see on a regular basis stopping in at the coffee shop. She seems like real people. I like that.


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Enroll Now!
A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Today we'll begin to explore Al-jabru, Arabic for algebra, which means the science of restoration and canceling. We'll go in search of algebraic solutions. On our quest, you'll learn definitions, numeric properties, and basic operations that originated from the ancient lands where papyrus was used instead of paper.
How do calories contribute to weight gain? How can you make a dense cake? You'll answer these and other questions in today's lesson. You'll learn the different physical quantities, their units of measurement, and why they're important. I'll show you the dimensions of length, area, and volume and how to convert their units of measurement. You'll also learn the difference between mass and weight, and density and weight density.
Today we'll talk about evaluation, but not the type of evaluation your boss or your teacher may give you … well, at least not until your final exam. In this lesson, we'll evaluate algebraic expressions by using the order of operations and the distributive property. You'll also learn translation as we translate word problems into numerical ones.
In this lesson, you'll learn formulas for basic shapes: squares and rectangles, triangles, circles, spheres, cylinders, and cubes. You may be thinking, "This is a geometry course, too?" In a way you're correct—some aspects of geometry involve formulas, which people use in everyday life. And where there are formulas, algebra can't far behind.
Today you'll learn how to balance equations while learning even more formulas, such as those used to calculate interest, distance, and temperature. We'll talk about how to translate these types of verbal equations into numerical ones. So this is your chance to hone reading comprehension skills, too!
In this lesson, we'll calculate problems involving percentages, such as how much to invest at different interest rates to obtain optimum interest, and you'll learn how to determine a specific quantity of a component of a mixture or solution given specific concentrations. I'll also show you how to buy wisely by teaching you how to calculate percent increase and decrease, sales tax, and discounts.
The more you practice, the better you'll be able to speak the language: the math language. Practice makes perfect! So in this lesson, you'll calculate populations, averages, lengths, and widths. You'll also learn how to calculate consecutive integers, including consecutive odd and even integers.
In today's lesson, you'll learn ratios and how to apply them to probability and odds. You'll learn how to solve proportions involving wildlife census taking, measurement of scales, and calculation of gas mileage. You'll also find out how quantities vary in equations, whether directly or indirectly, and how to apply these variations to scientific laws and equations involving weight, area, and equations of lines. Let's get moving and try not to break any laws—scientific laws, that is!
In this lesson, you'll engage in outdoor activities such as jogging, boating, and traveling in order to solve equations of uniform linear motion. We'll talk about how to calculate distance, rate (speed), and time while going in the same direction, opposite directions, and with wind and water current.
Today, you'll learn how to use the formula that employs the same concept as the uniform linear motion equation. It is the job formula (or equation) and it involves rational equations. You'll calculate how long it takes to finish the job, how much of the job is done, and at what rate the job is done, depending on the number of people doing the job.
Discover some of the natural laws that govern our universe and delve into other physics concepts such as resistance, conductance, focal length, and forces while you learn some history of D-Day.
Potpourri, anyone? Test various problem-solving skills while you meet General Sherman and experience the gloominess of the Great Depression. I told you it was potpourri.


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"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal…" Women, however…
Posted by Dave on Feb 11, 2016 in Boob Bloopers, Other SCORE Group websites, Tit Tricks
Out of the SCORE and Voluptuous mailbags
Posted by Elliot James on Jul 28, 2015 in Letters and comments, Men's Products, print magazines, Readers' wives, The Life of an Editor
From D.F.: I'm pretty sure Liza Biggs will have my vote as the year's top Voluptuous newcomer. Kamille Amora mentioned that she is into girls. Is there anything that girl won't do sexually? If there is, I haven't seen it yet. That said, I would like to see her in a girl-on-girl scene with Maya Milano, who also said she's into girls and would like to have sex with another big-boobed girl. Kamille says she used to be a tomboy, so have her dress up as one, and the setup would be Kamille attempting to seduce Maya. Getting back to Liza, I'd love to see her in a girl-on-girl scene, too. Seeing another girl play with her tits, explore her fantastic body and eat her pussy would be so hot.
From T.W.: I feel like I have won the big-boob lottery! Recently, while reading Voluptuous, I learned I had won Ann Calis' bra! Then, a few weeks later, I opened the mail again to find a package with SCORE printed on it, and I'm wondering what I ordered and forgot about. I couldn't think of anything, so I walked into my house dreaming that it may be another bra from one of your gorgeous SCORE models. To my surprise, there was a beautiful bra and a letter congratulating me for winning Melissa Manning's bra! How lucky can one man get? Well, these were just icings on the cake, as I had already hit the big-boob lottery when I met my wife six years ago and I was introduced to my first and last pair of ginormous boobs! Now, compared to SCORE models, my wife is average at 38DD, but in my world, she is larger than life. This in addition to the fact that she is Russian, tall, and voluptuous (with suckable, long nipples), so she satisfies every fetish and fantasy I could ever dream about. I tell you all this because I always said that if I were to win any bras from a SCORE or Voluptuous model, I would have my wife model in it for me before doing anything else. And I never imagined my wife would spill out of these bras, but that is exactly what happened! Of course, this is partially due to the fact the models were no doubt wearing bras a size or two (or even more) smaller than their actual size in order to enhance their boobage for us. Not that they have any need to do so! But the other reason my wife is spilling out of the bras is that she wears a 38 band, and Melissa is a 36, so it was extremely tight-fitting. Of course, I am not complaining one bit because I witnessed the love of my life busting out of these titillating bras that these beauties have worn! And for that, I must thank you all once again. You've made my year!
R.N.: Sheridan Love makes me appreciate pierced nipples more than ever. Tigerr Benson's layout with two men is the most-thrilling photo shoot of its kind I have seen in many months. I love the taste of pussy, and reader's wife Red Vixen's love nest looks so delicious that I am drooling right now as I fantasize about going down on her.
S.F.: I'm now approaching my 78th birthday and probably wanking more than ever. That's because of some of the real prick teasers that you have shown in recent months: the magnificent tits of Amy Andersson; the beautiful fuck-worthy MILF Annellise Croft; cock hungry Sharon Pink; the lush-bod Tigerr Benson and the wanker's dreams Bridgette B., Bella French and Valory Irene. There are many others
that have also kept me as stiff as a poker. At my age, it is a sheer thrill to still get a big hard boner and toss off several times a day. Many thanks to SCORE, and I intend to shoot my load a great deal longer. Incidentally, 50 and 60Plus MILFs is utterly cock blowing because of the incredible Sally D'Angelo. My God, what a fantastic body she has at 60 years of age! She's had my cum flying everywhere!
"I think all men like big boobs. It's normal," says Juliana Simms, the bustiest florist we ever saw.
Posted by Elliot James on Feb 5, 2015 in Deep Inside Scoreland, Letters and comments, modeling jobs, New at Scoreland, newcomers, Tits in Tight Tops
Comments "Benny Hana," "I just want to give a big shout out to the SCORELAND model scouts finding all these huge, natural-titty, voluptuous and very sexy Eastern European girls. I think it's the most common trend on here, but that's a good thing. Juliana Simms being our newest addition."
First, I'd like to thank Benny for his comments and also thank him for his fun restaurants.
In the 1990s, when it came to naturals, the British ruled: Linsey, Lorna Morgan, Jessica Turner, CJ, Kerry Marie and many more. Now the Europeans rule: Vanessa Y., Sha, Valory, Joana, Angel, Micky and newcomer Juliana. But America is still not down for the count just yet. There's Maserati, Cat Bangles, Marie Leone, Rockell, Jenna Valentine and new girls Harlow and Chloe Rose. Still, it does seem like the USA lags behind badly in the international boobs race.
Writes Roberto, "Juliana is the most beautiful florist in the world and by far the best discovery since Romanian Joana Bliss. Her massive jugs are the most hypnotizing I've seen in a long time. She is now a strong candidate for Newcomer of the Year."
New scene today at SCORELAND.
Bex Shiner lands at SCORELAND's big boob house
Posted by Elliot James on Oct 4, 2013 in Behind the Scenes, Boobs in the News, Interviews, modeling jobs, New at Scoreland, newcomers
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The world loves busty Brits.
Busty Brits bounce off the walls at SCORELAND. Linsey Dawn McKenzie, Dawn Phoenix, Lorna Morgan, Chaz, Kerry Marie, Denise Davies, Kelly Kay, Kirstyn Halborg, Kellie Garnett, Susie Wilden, Laura Bailey, Miss Emma, Jessica Turner, Emily Cartwright, Michelle Bond, Lisa Marie Greener…the list goes on.
In recent years, Terri Jane, Dors Feline, Karla James, Dolly Delight, Beti Phellasio, Charley Green and Leanne Crow have filled the cups.
A few weeks ago, you met Lily Madison. Now here's Bex Shiner, a former Big Brother contestant who became a huge tabloid celebrity. Big Brother housemates can go topless on TV unlike repressed American Big Brother residents.
(Pop quiz: Name the SCORE Girl who lived in the Big Brother house in both Germany and the Philippines.)
When we met Bex, her British ways made instant fans of us. She's funny, energetic and upbeat. And she has big baps.
"I was flat-chested until I turned 18 years old, and then I became the biggest-chested of my friends," Bex said.
Better late than never, Bex, and that includes visiting the Colonies.
Bex's first photo set and a meet-n-greet video tomorrow kick off her arrival in the USA.
Some guys want to marry their favorite SCORE Girls. Some guys want to fuck them. But why can't we do both?
Posted by Dave on Jul 19, 2013 in Deep Inside Scoreland, Other SCORE Group websites
One of the all-time great dirty talkers: Kerry Marie
Posted by Elliot James on Mar 27, 2013 in Deep Inside Scoreland, DVD, Men's Products, Other SCORE Group websites
Someone who will always be one of my favorite SCORE and V-mag Girls is a busty brunette Brit.
Among Kerry Marie's many talents is the knack for jack yak. She's brilliant, like the English say.
As the Brit actress in those chewing gum TV commercials says, "Dirty Mouth?"
I was reviewing some of the videos on BustyKerryMarie.com that Kerry made when she used to visit the SCORE building in Miami. What she said was so perfectly hot, I realized that even if she did hardcore with some stud, I'd still want to watch her P.O.V. solo scenes instead. What a phone sex operator she would have been. Some of the stuff that she came up with still knocks me out. Kerry can say the dirtiest things with such conviction and yet she's never less than wholesome and innocent-sounding.
Kerry's also an expert with toys, which started in 2002 when she did her first toying scene with Cassandra in On Location Costa Del Sol. After that, she made a bunch of very horny dildo videos in the USA with some very clever set-ups and that wonderful vocabulary. This is a sample from her video Phone Sex. She does justice to her Union Jack dress too. A lot of girls say nothing in their solo videos. But if they can learn to talk the talk like Kerry, they'll make the world a better place to jack.
This is my dedication to Kerry. What a doll.
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Bound For Glory?
Posted by Elliot James on Jan 17, 2013 in newcomers, Other SCORE Group websites
This new XLGirls.com scene with Nikki Smith is unusual for us.
BDSM isn't a kink we do much of in any of the sites, and it's virtually non-existent in the print magazines.
Years back, we had a short-lived "Big Tit Bondage" section with Kerry Marie, Plenty UpTopp, Jezhabelle, Brittany O'Neil and others. Even Linsey Dawn McKenzie got in on the act. The department is still archived at SCORELAND. It was just bondage. No beatings, whippings, torture or hanging girls off insane suspension devices. It never got all that much of an enthusiastic response. I'd chalked THAT up to our crowd preferring to see tits, ass and good, old-fashioned fucking rather than chicks tied up, gagged and squirming around on a bed.
XLGirls never gets wrapped up in the bondage and discipline scene, but since Nikki mentioned to Maria that she likes bondage, the studio thought some B&D experimentation before the hump and pump would be interesting and different. So this is a first for XLGirls. Even when bondage expert Kelly Shibari was here, we never did any BDSM, just straight sex. Nikki's released from her bounds when the fuckin' begins.
We should interview Nikki one of these days and find out what the story is about getting all trussed up and how far she takes it. I was more impressed by her curvy bod in that string bikini and heels, although she did look fit to be tied.
Miss Smith's sexy with a ball gag in her mouth, but gagging on a boner in her mouth is more fun, and Nikki would probably agree, if she could speak.
What do you think about tying up and gagging girls? Yea or Nay?
The 12-plus babes of Xmas
Posted by Elliot James on Dec 24, 2012 in Behind the Scenes, Boob Watch, Boobs in the News, Deep Inside Scoreland
All SCORE and V-Men want for Christmas are jiggle belles with big boobs decorating their trees and dancing around them.
Twelve days? Let's make it 14.
This is the reason for the season.
I don't need another Swiss Army knife.
I will take cameltoe instead of mistletoe.
At this time of the year, I give thanks. Thanks that girls like these decided to show us what they're made of.
Wishing every model, every contributor, every reader, every DVD collector, every website member, every store employee, every friend of The SCORE Group and everyone on our cool staff a Happy Holiday.
Some Xmas week birthday babes: Victoria Lane (Dec. 22), Mercedes Mounds (Dec. 23), Jeannine Oldfield (Dec. 25), Desiree (Dec. 24), Alanna Ackerman (Dec. 25), Goldie Blair (Dec. 26), Angel Eyes (Dec. 26), Ivy Dreams (Dec. 28), Lanea Love (Dec. 29), Melonie Max (Dec. 31) and Holly Halston (Dec. 31). Happy Birthday.
And here is the trailer of my all-time favorite SCORE Xmas video (not counting the SCOREtv Holiday Specials).
Babes, boobs and beer
Posted by Elliot James on Dec 8, 2012 in Behind the Scenes, birthdays, Boobs in the News, Confessions, Tits in Tight Tops
I've blogged about beer before.
I like a beer-drinking woman, especially when she's hoisting one over bare cleavage mounds.
I think babes and beer is an unbeatable combo.
Did you know:
Canadian scientists claim that more than 43% of women drink beer weekly.
Women drink 25% of the beer in America.
Many brewers in ancient times were women. By the 1700s, many European brewers were women.
Women are more attracted to specialty beers than the major brands.
Ninkasi is the name of the Sumerian Goddess of beer in ancient times. She gave the world the secret of beer brewing.
The Zulu Goddess of beer is named Mbaba Mwana Waresa.
In Slavic and Baltic mythology, Raugutiene was known as the Goddess of beer.
The Great Yorkshire Brewery in the UK brews a black lager called Yasigi named after the African Goddess of beer, "known for her love of partying and extremely large breasts."
Kaiser Wilhelm II allegedly wrote, "Give me a woman who truly loves beer and I will conquer the world." (History proves that didn't work out too well for him.)
St. Pauli Girl is the best known but there are other beer brands with girls on their labels such as Southern Star Bombshell Blonde, Middle Ages Double Wench and (I'm not kidding) Coney Island Sword Swallower.
In the '90s, I wrote in SCORE's "Boob Beat" column about an entrepreneur in Newport Beach, California who started a beer company called Wanker. Sexy bikini girls were printed on the Wanker bottle labels.
The combination of babes and beer always brews good spirits in me. Here are a few of my favorite hot SCORE and Voluptuous Girls in a beery mood.
Let's recap the month of September at SCORELAND
Posted by Elliot James on Sep 13, 2012 in New at Scoreland, newcomers, Tits in Tight Tops
Okay, it's only September 13th but I want to go over who's new, hip, hot and happening at SCORELAND this month because a lot is going on.
On September 2, Kalila Kane arrived for the Big Show. Kalila is slim, exotic, stacked and slinky. She comes to us courtesy of a friend who is a SCORE fan. Kalila says "I just started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I'm teaching myself to play the piano. I trap, have fixed and release feral cats in the D.C. area. I currently have a 1992 Kawasaki Ninja Ex250 motorcycle that I'm fixing up. I'm really into group sex and consensually forced sex at the moment, so most of my fantasies revolve around that. Having sex when it's kind of wrong satisfies me." Okay, I'd like to see her do a XXX video for us. She had me at altruistic stripper and Kawasaki Ninja 250.
On September 5, Jazmine debuted. A pretty, slim-n-stacked bikini beach bunny, Jazmine went straight from New Discovery to boy-girl in the space of two days. She's got a rack and she's on track. In this era of instant gratification, it's interesting to observe that here's someone who waited to do a XXX scene, even if it was for a day. I'm not quite sure why Jazmine waited so long but I'm sure the Boob Brotherhood was happy about it. Jazmine likes doggie-style, oral sex, her hair being pulled, being finger-fucked and spanked. "I try to have sex every day," says Jazmine. If she's gonna have sex every day, she might as well do it here, right? Why keep it a big secret?
On September 10, Rockell hit SCORELAND like an asteroid. In other words, a heavenly body. SCORE doesn't get many models from Alabama. "I love being nude. If I could be a nudist and do it in Alabama, I would. But I turn heads wherever I go, topless or not." I absolutely believe that and I think that being seen at SCORELAND is Rockell's big break-out move. I also think the magazine readers who pay little or no attention to this thing called the Internets are going to go ga-ga-gazongas over Rockell. She has the kind of easy-going, relaxed, having-fun vibe I got from Kerry Marie, Jessica Turner, Lorna Morgan as well as from Valory, Terri Jane, and Kaytee Carter.
On September 12, Roxi Red exposed her shock and awe inspiring K-sized wonders for the first time. Dave, Maria and I felt like we were Tasered. Memories of the mammaries of Sammie Black, Jenny Hill, Mianna Thomas, Miosotis, Vanessa Del and Kristina Milan flooded my brain. Roxi is a rare one! "In high school, I went from DD to H to K," said Roxi. "I was always interested in becoming a model but I was always told that my boobs are too big. But I'm happy to be where I'm at now. This is the first time I've ever done any adult modeling." The swine who dictate to the sheep of society what models should look like would not give Roxi her due but we are happy to place her on a pedestal. You can also get some really good boob angles when they loom over you.
And tomorrow, a new SCORE wife enters these Hallowed Halls of Hooters and she's going for the big enchilada with special sauce. Barbie Kelley is the spouse of a reader who has collected and kept every single issue of SCORE and Voluptuous ever published. That's 20 years. He could have kept his own SCORE wife to himself yet they chose to share her with the big-boob world and to enjoy seeing their own fantasies come to life. Now it's official: Barbie has joined the League of Extraordinary Busty Housewives of SCORE. "If I am going out, I usually wear a bra. Around the house, all bets are off and you'll be lucky to find me in any clothing if I am home." Lucky man!
I'd like to point out that we're only through half the month. So stay tuned.


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Part 2 of a 3-part interview
David Kupfer visited with Pete Seeger just before his 90th birthday in the spring of 2009, on a warm afternoon. The home he shares with his wife Toshi overlooks the Hudson River and Denny's Point near Beacon, New York. This is the second installment of a three part series based on the interviews. (The first part: Pete Seeger on the power of songs, an interview.)
Growing up
David Kupfer: Didn't Ernest Thompson Seton have a big influence on you as a young man?
Pete Seeger: He boosted the idea of learning about the North American Indians. I learned that they shared everything that they had. If somebody shot the deer, everything was shared with the rest of the tribe. There was no such thing as one person in the tribe going hungry and others having full bellies. If there was hunger, everybody was hungry. The chief was hungry, and his wife and children were hungry. That seemed to me to be a sensible way to live.
Now today I know that anthropologists call that tribal communism. So I say that I was a Communist ever since I was age seven, when I first started reading about Seton. So these teenagers, they argued with me and said, "you're going to be nice and let the rest of the world go to hell. That's your idea of morality?"
DK: When you were a teenager?
PS: I was about 13, I was going to prep school at the time. I decided they were right. They posed their Jewish traditional sense of social consciousness against my more New England, Thoreau way of thinking. I decided they were right, so I got more involved. The following year I joined the Harvard student union, and I have been more involved, in one way or another ever since.
DK: Was joining the Harvard student union pivotal for you?
PS: I was a sophomore, in the second year there. My first year there, I tried to keep my independence but some friends criticized me, saying "you mean you're at Harvard and you're not a member of the Harvard student union?" So I went back and joined and pretty soon I was the secretary of the club. We decided to run a monthly magazine all of four pages - The Harvard Progressive.
Outlooks and viewpoints
PS: If I'd known then what I know now, I would have worked to see that someone like Dr. King came along. He really turned my thinking around.
DK: How did Dr. King turn your thinking around?
PS: When you face an opponent over a broad front, you don't aim at your opponent's strong points. People say "why did he waste time trying to get a seat on the bus? Why didn't he spend time working on jobs or education or housing or voting?" But he took on the view that you don't aim for your opponent's strong points, you take on something to the side. You win it, you capture it, and then you go on to something else.
DK: You once said you were a Communist like the average Indian would be, and your view on Communism involved nothing that wouldn't fit in the Constitution. In today's North America, what does being a Communist mean to you?
PS: After I dropped out of college in 1938, I joined part of the Youth Communist League, making posters. I drifted out of the Communist Party in the early 1950s. This past Memorial Day, someone asked me "Seeger, are you a Communist?" and I said, "depends on the description." I became one at age seven and in a sense I still am one. I would to like see a world with no millionaires.
DK: You mentioned you have reassessed Abraham Lincoln's administration. Why?
PS: I did not realize what a job he had to do. I read this book about Lincoln and the team of rivals he put together. The men of his cabinet really disapproved of one another. The Republican Party was a coalition of dissatisfied Democrats and some abolitionists.
Lincoln pulled together this coalition and then three years into the war they started bringing in the black troops. I didn't know how horrible the draft riots were, the Irish didn't want to be drafted. If when you came over here you had $300, you'd pay that and you didn't have to be drafted. In other words, rich people didn't get drafted. The Irish blame that on the Africans having a whole batch who were just lynched in New York City. This went on for several weeks and then finally Lincoln found a way to cool them down to end the draft riots, which was to bring the Republican coalition together.
They were all ambitious people; at least 3 of them thought they should be president, and if they did not win the nomination on the first ballot, they would win it on the second. Lincoln kept himself in the background. He did not run against it on the first and he did not run against it on the second ballot. But on the 3rd ballot, he all of a sudden came forward. Lincoln would say a word here and a word there and he was able to pull together that coalition that would win an election.
Career and influences
DK: What role did your musicologist Dad play in your career choice?
PS: A very big influence. He was a brilliant scholar and writer, though he only put out one book, a collection of papers that he produced for the Society of Musicologists.
I remember at age nine, he told me that a rich person could live cheaper than a poor person. "What do you mean?" I asked him. "Well, take rent for example," he said. "The average person pays rent all of his life, but if you can get far enough ahead of the game and can buy a place, taxes will never be as much as rent is."
My father was the one who started me thinking about radicals. In 1929, like a lot of people, he thought the crash was the end of the free enterprise system. He started a group called the Composers Collective. Aaron Copeland was a member and Marc Blitzstein and half a dozen others. They were trying to think of what kind of music this new social situation demanded. However, their efforts were almost laughable failures. They went in for dissident, counterpoint Schoenberg, Stravinsky and so on. The working people were quite uninterested in learning their songs.
My father brought Aunt Molly around to the Composers Collective, and they listened to her and said, "but Charlie, this is all music from the past. We are supposed to be composing music for the future." He took Molly back to her apartment on the Lower East Side and he said, "Molly, I am sorry they did not understand you, but I know some young people who are going to want to learn your songs." And I was one of them. She was outspoken.
(sings) "I am a union woman, as brave as I can be, I do not like the bosses and the bosses don't like me."
Photo: 1964 anon for BBC Tonight In Person - #08 Pete Seeger playing mountain banjo. By blacque_jacques, CC 2.0
Pete Seeger on Woody Guthrie, youth and the environment,


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The Fishing Forum where Anglers Connect...
Welcome to the Salmon Anglers Group. This group is for those who share an interest in Salmon fishing. Create or join in on discussions in this group's forum or share pics of your latest catch.
Website: http://www.fishing.ie/group/salmon-anglers-ireland
Location: Ireland
Members: 4
Latest Activity: Mar 14, 2012
Started by Mairtin Cathbhar. Last reply by Paul Heaney Jan 31, 2012. 2 Replies 2 Likes
What ever it is about angling, I am an addict. And am hopeless at it.The practicalities of life mean I don't fish as much as I would like. I am self taught and still learning. I got hooked during a stag weekend and dabbled in "course" but found fly…Continue
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At Blackwater Lodge Salmon Fishery, it has been an outstanding start to the 2012 season, with plenty of fish running the river. Five springers caught up to the 14th., but none for the second half of the month.
This is the (joint) Best February Total since 2004 & the (joint) Second Best total since 1994.
The five fish were caught for only 30 rod days for the 11 days from February 3rd. to 14th. The total rod days for the month were only 79.
There were plenty of reports of fish running in the first 2 weeks including one from Cappoquin of 22 seen going through in one day on the 6th. February.
In the second half of the month fish were still being seen, but proved elusive to catch.
Ian Powell caught the very first fish off the entire river on Friday, February 3rd. with a 6.2 pounder on spinner on Lower Kilmurry, which would have been released
had it not been deeply hooked & bleeding. He was the only rod out that day & only fished for an hour.
On Sunday, February 5th. , one four rod party caught two springers - again on Lower Kilmurry - & saw at least a dozen moving through.
Paul Howard caught his very first springer on his first day ever fishing the Blackwater - it weighed 8.5lb.
Later in the day, Ger McCarthy also landed a 5 pounder. Both fell to spinner.
Michael Sheridan was top rod for February with two springers, both of which he released. The first was a 4 pounder on Lower Kilmurry on the 8th. & the second an 8 pounder from Kents on the 14th.
March started very well too. There was just one rod out each day on the first weekend (March 3/4) & each of them landed a springer.
Two fish for two rod days is indeed a remarkable result at this time of year!
On Saturday 3rd. March, the Best Fish to be caught so far this season was taken. It was a very fresh fish of approx. It was also the first on the fly.
It was netted after being played for 20 mins. last Saturday (3rd.) by Shane Kinsella (Wicklow), It was Shane's first on fly & his personal best as well.
On Sunday 4th. March., the Lodge's first fish from the upper river this year was caught. It was a very fresh 7 pounder on spinner for Tom Donovan
at the Junction Pool on Bridgetown Abbey. There was also a reliable report of another fish taken on the beat above the day after.
Total for the season to date is now seven.
At the time of writing (March 13th.) the river is approaching summer level – perfect fly conditions.


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Healthcare providers generate volumes of patient information that result in coded medical records. This coded data is valuable to providers, regulators, payers and consumers who want to understand the value of patient care. A careful analysis of an organization's coded data can provide insights into patient mix, expected reimbursement and quality outcomes.
3M classification and grouping methodologies for both inpatient and outpatient records can be used to help organizations review coded data and claims to:
3M classification and grouping methodologies can help hospitals and care providers:
3M APR DRGs provide a clinically based measurement system to help organizations adjust for patient SOI and ROM, providing more relevant inpatient data for quality, analytics and public reporting.
Used by payers, managed care companies, claims review companies and other payers of provider-submitted patient claims, 3M Clinical Claims Editor Software evaluates groups of inpatient medical records for accuracy and completeness, identifies potential coding errors and verifies hospital claims for reimbursement.
The 3M Clinical Risk Groups (CRGs) are a risk-adjustment tool and clinically-based classification system used to measure a population's burden of illness, using standard claims forms for both inpatient and outpatient care.
This grouping software for providers, payers, managed care companies, claims review companies and other payers of hospital-submitted patient claims evaluates groups of inpatient or outpatient medical records for the accuracy and completeness of clinical data. It identifies potential coding errors and verifies hospital claims for reimbursement.
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The 3M PPC Grouping Software also applies sophisticated 3M clinical logic to determine whether conditions were potentially preventable, using such criteria as patient characteristics, reason for admission, procedures, and the interrelationships between underlying medical conditions. 3M PPCs cover 64 different potentially preventable complications and identify CMS hospital-acquired conditions (HACs).
Both 3M PPCs and 3M PPRs rely on the 3M™ APR DRG Classification System as a foundation for a more accurate level of analysis by adjusting for patient severity of illness and risk of mortality.
3M classification and grouping software is available as integrated and embedded solutions to group and edit outpatient claims using the CMS Ambulatory Payment Classifications (APCs) and 3M™ Enhanced Ambulatory Patient Groups (EAPGs) as specified by outpatient prospective payment systems.
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I think you need *some* carbs, but if you feel good -- clear headed, well-rested, energized -- you're probably OK doing what you're doing.
Considering it took me DECADES to discover that wheat is the #1 reason my body suddenly tries to stop breathing (asthma -- from which I'm now med-free thanks to Primal), I don't think a few weeks or even few months of very low carb is going to be the end of you. The human body can tolerate a LOT that may not be "ideal". Just keep watching how you feel and add carbs back as needed.


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"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind."
Related quotes
"With each sunrise we start a new beginning. We are given a new day to make up for our mistakes of yesterday. We have a fresh start to say today will be better. By embracing hope, we visualize how the world should be And on the day we recognize that our fate is controlled by our actions, we enable our inner strength to conquer our fears of the unknown."
"I am the captain of this ship! I have control of what's goes on or in. For I am the master of My thoughts. And No doubt or fear is welcome aboard!..."
"It is time for you to know the difference between your fears and danger! Danger is real while your fears are nothing but mind-made!..."
"Torment ensues the almost conquered man, who shares the regions of his mind, with two warring rivals. Where one enjoys the comforts of soothing light, the other is in disarray; needing total darkness, to remain unseen."


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'Common Sense Legal Reform' and Bell's Toll: Eliminating Punitive Damage Claims from Jurisdictional Amount Calculations in Federal Diversity Cases
Russell G. Murphy
Suffolk University Law School
Kentucky Law Journal, Vol. 84, p. 71, 1995
This article re-examines, in the context of modern federal court diversity of citizenship litigation, the rule of Bell v. Preferred Life Assurance Society (US Supreme Court 1943) that punitive damage claims can be used to satisfy the jurisdictional amount requirements for federal court diversity jurisdiction. It considers the history of diversity jurisdiction, major criticisms of reliance on punitive damages, the larger debate over justifications for such damages, and the ways in which jurisdiction based on punitive damages disrupts the functioning of federal courts. The article concludes with a recommendation that either the Supreme Court or Congress reverse Bell and prohibit use of punitive damages in measuring the existence of the jurisdictional amount in diversity law suits.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 36
Date posted: August 26, 2007
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Fuzzy Zoeller, known on the PGA tour as a lighthearted quipster, invoked racial stereotypes in joking about Masters champion Tiger Woods. Citing those remarks, Kmart Corp. yesterday ended its longtime association with Zoeller.
In an interview with CNN on the final day of the Masters - the tape wasn't shown until seven days later - Zoeller called Woods ``that little boy'' and told reporters to urge Woods not to order fried chicken and collard greens - ``or whatever they serve'' - at the annual Masters Champions Dinner next year.


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About Us:
Hi, my name is Sindy So. I'm a website developer who lives in Malaysia.
I have a passion in website template developments especially templates for eBay, PrestaShop and WordPress.
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Skype: dreamystar1314
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com | email@example.com


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President Obama has named Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory physicist Kennedy Reed as a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Engineering Mentoring. Reed is a theoretical physicist at the laboratory, conducting research on atomic collisions in high temperature plasmas. Reed has been a leader in national efforts to increase opportunities for minority students and professionals in the sciences, and has been instrumental in the development of programs that have had national impact. He initiated and directed the laboratory's Research Collaborations Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions - an innovative program that links laboratory scientists with professors and students in forefront research that benefits the laboratory and the universities.


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Horseback riding tours
Rides in
Intro to Romania
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Eastern Africa
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Transylvania is a land made for the adventurous horseback rider and there truly is no better way to explore the endless hills, meadows, and medieval villages it has to offer. The ride starts at the Southern edge of Transylvania and travels through the Southeastern corner of this mystical land. Journey 110 miles through the lush hills and medieval villages in a big arc back to Sinca Noua from which you begin. See and experience some of the most rural areas that Europe still has hidden, with tens of thousands of sheep grazing traditionally in the hills. Many of the beautiful and famous fortified churches of Eastern Europe along the way are 800 years old! Sinca Noua lay at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and is from which the ride ventures towards the plains of the Olt River valley. Many long canters make the riding exhilarating for even the most advanced riders among us. Splash across the Olt River and visit Ticusu Veche, an old Saxon village then ride towards the town of Selistat while observing the continuous beautiful Romanian landscapes. You are likely to see colorful Bee-eaters, the crowned Hoopoe, and the Lesser Spotted Eagles! Journey over the hills to Viscri, famous for its fortified church, the village restored by the Mihai Eminescu Trust (under the patronage of Prince Charles) to its original setting. Have an evening to explore the village and its 1100 AD church, designated a World Heritage site in 1993 by UNESCO. In the village of Jibert stay in a newly constructed log-house and enjoy a great dinner and bonfire party! With stunning scenery and many chances for strong canters all along the way, the horseback riding and culture available on the Carpathian Mountains holiday is phenomenal and not to be missed!
Progressive Ride (no camping)
Sample Itinerary - Subject to changes.
Day 1 Saturday: Arrival in Bucharest (please note latest arrival is 16h00) transfer by minibus from Bucharest to Sinca Noua, overnight at the guesthouse, dinner and evening introduction to the ride. (Single rooms available on request)
Day 2 Sunday: After being introduced to the horses, we will leave Sinca Noua, ride through the ancient forests of the Carpathian mountains towards the plains of the Olt River valley. We pass the 'Daffodils Meadow' Nature Reserve and can experience already several of the long canters before we arrive after about 7 hours at our destination in Mândra, where we will stay with a local family. 35 km distance (no Single rooms available - 1 double and triple rooms only)
Day 3 Monday: We will cross the Olt River at Halmeag and continue to Şona (pronounced Shona), where we will ascend the high plateau of Transylvania. We ride for about 7 hours on the rolling hills around the Felmer Valley and reach our goal of the day in Cobor, an old Hungarian village in the middle of the Saxon area. Here, Barbara and Christoph run a conservation project to which the traditional restoration of some of the abandoned houses belongs. We stay overnight in one of these new-old guesthouses. 36 km distance (no Single rooms available)
Day 4 Tuesday: Full-day ride (7 h) to the village of Calbor (in Saxon: "Kaltbrunnen" = cold well) through some of the most beautiful landscapes. There are lots of opportunities for long canters and we will likely see bee-eaters, hoopoes, great grey shrikes, or lesser spotted eagles. In Calbor, we stay at a new guesthouse with billiard, and WiFi in the house. 34 km distance (Single rooms available on request)
Day 5 Wednesday: Full-day ride ca. 7 hours over the hills to Viscri, our destination for the next night. Viscri is probably the famous most Saxon village in Transylvania with a stunning fortified church, and the UK based Mihai Eminescu Trust (under the patronage of Prince Charles) has restored the village in its original setting. We stay in the old farmhouses, which are transformed into little guesthouses, and enjoy the traditional Saxon cuisine. In the evening there is time to explore the village. 36 km distance (Single rooms available on request)
Day 6 Thursday: In the morning we explore the fortified church in Viscri and ride in the afternoon over the hills to a newly built log-house near the village of Jibert. Stunning scenery and great canters all along the way, but today is a rather fast but shorter ride, ca. 3.5 hours. We get a great dinner and will enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the Transylvanian hills. 25 km distance (Single rooms available on request)
Day 7 Friday: Today, after some sheer endless canters, we are leaving the hills of Transylvania and descend down into the Olt River Valley again (6 hours ride). In Halmeag, we enjoy a barbecue and a bus takes us back to the riding canter in Sinca Noua - also our horses get a transport back home. Surprise dinner in the evening. 35 km distance (Single rooms available)
Day 8 Saturday: After a last breakfast, the minibus takes us back to Bucharest for our flights.
The above sample itinerary is subject to changes at the tour operator's discretion.
With an assortment of horses to choose from there is a suitable horse for everybody, from calm horses for the lesser experienced, to fast and fiery horses for the demanding rider. All horses have stamina, are fit and are used to the mountains
Not suitable for novice riders, participants have to be competent in all speeds and able to fully control a horse at a canter.
16 to 24 miles a day = approx 4 to 7 houre per day (incl. lunch break)
Shagya Arabs, Arabs, Kisberi, Gidran, Hungarian crossbreds. Horses are very lively, fast, and forward going.
The Stables...
The upper stables cover approximately 300 m2 and hosts about half of the horses (and our donkey Maja), which have the possibility of moving around freely. The horses have an open stable with two large boxes (50 m2 and 35 m2) and approximately 1,000 m2 of paddock. Furthermore, we have a separate box (18 m2) for horses that we want to temporarily separate from the herd (e.g. for fowling), and a box for a stallion with 16 m2.
The stables provide space for most of our hay, oat, and straw supplies
The lower stables also consist of an open stable for the remaining horses and also the other animals have their boxes for the night: sheep, goats, chicken, ducks, geese, and our pigs. And of course our cats and dogs spend much of their time down there.
With the large amount of animals, there are almost always puppies, kittens, chicks, ducklings or goslings around and children will find their own little paradise here.
Education and Information...
Our visitors get a first-hand experience and extensive information about flora, fauna, and sustainable land-use systems. Our experience of many years of field research about wolves, bears, and lynx is an excellent basis for discussions about wildlife and habitat conservation.
Conservation contribution...
We ask all our visitors for a donation of 40 Euro per week for our regional conservation and development fund, which supports sustainable projects in and around Sinca Noua. Furthermore, we are personally involved in a number of conservation projects.
Romania has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are cool and pleasant, making May and June, and September and October the best months to visit. Summers are hot from July to August and winters are harsh and very cold between December and March, with snow falling throughout most of the country. Spring and summer are the wettest seasons, but rain can be expected throughout the year.
A continental climate ensures that Bucharest experiences hot, dry summers and cold winters when temperatures often drop well below freezing. The city lies on the Romanian Plain, and this brings chilly winter winds. Summer temperatures are usually pleasantly warm with occasional heat waves, and humidity is low, but there can be occasional rainstorms. The rainiest seasons in Bucharest are spring and autumn.
recommend you bring your own helmet if possible for this ride. If not,
there are a limited few around to borrow, but they are not property of
the outfitter (they are forgotten helmets of past riders at the riding
centre) and they will not assume the risk for their use.
Average ratings
(see details below)
The Guesthouse at the Riding Center:
(first & last night accommodations)
The guesthouse has six double rooms, each with a bathroom. Downstairs, there is a nice dining room and there is a large veranda outside where guests can sit in the summertime. An extensive living room with open fireplace and bar is inviting for relaxing evenings. We heat our guesthouse with a modern wood central heater and treat our sewage with a reed bed for biological cleaning.
During the trail: Overnights are in guesthouses or with local people on the way.
Attention: We are in rural Romania and the standard and comfort is not very high. Some overnight stays are rather basic, others very cozy and nice. The tranquility and slow pace of life in these villages makes up for the discomfort.
Single rooms are not available at every location. Where available and applicable, the single supplement is paid locally.
There is now good cell phone coverage and wireless internet access at the farm.
We use mainly locally produced food in our kitchen. People in Sinca Noua generally don't use pesticides or artificial fertilisers, and the livestock is still kept the old way, that is, outside on the pastures. Our own vegetable garden delivers fresh onions, salad, zucchini etc. Other food such as milk, potatoes, lamb, and veal is bought from the farmers in the neighbourhood. We support the village on their way certifying their whole agriculture as being organic.
Accommodations on the Trail:
In guesthouses or with local people on the way.
Attention: We are in rural Romania and the standard and comfort is not always very high. Some overnight stays are rather basic, others very cosy and nice. The tranquillity and slow pace of life in these villages makes up for the possible discomfort.
Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart except:
(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for the following lengths of visit:
(a) nationals of EU countries for a three-month period (those intending to stay for a longer period than three months must apply for a registration certificate issued by the Romanian Authority for Aliens);
(b) 2. nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for touristic stays of up to three months.
Visa Note
Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements


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Food Safety Audits, Plant Characteristics, and Food Safety Technology Use in Meat and Poultry Plants
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Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-82) 44 pp, October 2011
Food safety technology can increase a company's capacity to prevent a foodborne contamination. A food safety audit—a quality control tool in which an auditor observes whether a plant's processing practices and technologies are compatible with good food safety practices—can indicate how effectively food safety technology is being used. Fast food restaurants, grocery stores, and other major customers of meat and poultry processing plants conduct their own audits or hire auditors to assess the soundness of a plant's processing operation. Meat and poultry plants can also audit themselves as a way to help maintain process control. In this report, we document the extent of food safety audits in meat and poultry processing plants. We also examine the associations between the use of audits and plant size, firm structure, and food safety technology use. Results show that larger plants, plants subject to food safety audits, and plants that are part of a multiplant firm use more food safety technology than other plants. Plants subject to both plant-hired and customer-hired audits had greater technology use than single (plant- or customer-hired) audit plants.
Keywords: Meat and poultry processing, safety standards, product recalls, food safety technology, food safety audits
In this publication...
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Last updated: Wednesday, June 20, 2012
For more information contact: Michael Ollinger, Mary K. Muth, Shawn A. Karns, and Zanethia Choice