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Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Benfica and Atletico Madrid both managed to qualify for the knock out stage in the Champions League after 5 games and 10 points. In the last round Benfica will host the important match for the first place in the Estadio da Luz. The first game between both teams end in a 1-2 victory for Benfica which was quiet a surprise. Finishing first in the group is important since you avoid teams as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the next round. We predict Benfica to tie against Atletico Madrid. The Atletico Madrid squad is stronger and currently in great form but Benfica tend to be a very strong team at home, the Portugese defense is hard to crack. Only 1 point is enough for Benfica which gives them the possibility to start very defensively.
Highlighted Player (Fernando Torres):
Fernando Torres is a product of Atletico Madrid's youth school. The 186-cm-tall attacker scored 82 goals in 214 league appearances for the capital club and in 2007 he moved to England. Torres signed a deal with Liverpool and he played for the Anfield outfit from 2007 to 2011.
On 31 January, 2011 he signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with fellow Premier League club Chelsea and it has to be noted that he won the Champions League trophy with the Blues in 2012. The Spanish attacker clinched the 2012/2013 Europa League title with Chelsea as well, but on 31 August, 2014 he joined Serie A side Milan on loan. Torres made his debut for the Rossoneri on 20 September, 2014, coming as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to Juventus.
The Spanish forward returned to Atletico Madrid on 29 December, 2014 and he scored 11 goals for los Rojiblancos in the 2015/2016 La Liga campaign. Speaking of his international career, Torres won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Spain, while lifting Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 trophies with la Furia Roja.
Highlighted Team (Benfica):
Member of the 'Big Three' clubs in Portugal alongside FC Porto and CP Sporting, Sport Lisboa e Benfica are the football club that has never been relegated from the Primeira Liga. The club is nicknamed Aguias because of the Eagle symbol atop the club's crest. Benfica play their home games at the Estadio da Luz which replaced the original one in 2003 and which boasts the capacity of more than 64,000. Arguably the most successful club in Portugal, Benfica have won a record of 35 Primeira Liga titles and also a record 25 Taca de Liga and 7 Taca da Liga trophies.
Two-time European Cup winners, Benfica are the club known for their diligent work with youth players, many of which went on to make great careers abroad. The most prominent players to wear a Benfica shirt are legendary Eusebio, Manuel Bento, Jorge Tavares and most recently Javier Saviola, Nuno Gomes, David Luiz and Angel Di Maria.


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"EAT TO THIS BEAT" part one! There's been a string of brutal robberies and slayings up and down the East Coast, and the assailants are...knights on horseback?! Harley's got a lead on the men behind the iron masks, but to find them she's going to have to go undercover in the strangest place of all...New York's punk scene!
The issue also makes great use of the supporting cast. I love the scenes where Harley randomly quizzes her friends to find out who can play an instrument. It's just a nice, normal, really personable thing to do. We even get an extended Red Tool action scene! I like that guy, and this is a great issue for him. I really look forward to seeing how this storyline expands these bandmateseven more. I've never been very sure what Eggy's point was in this series, so hopefully he does a great job on drums and makes me a believer. Conner and Palmiotti had me believing from the very beginning, and I couldn't be happier that I stuck with them. Read Full Review
The only negative of the issue is that the writers focus a little too much on Red Tool's portion of the storyline. We say it's a negative, but actually we found it quite immersive. It's funny, fast-paced and has some hilarious lines of dialogue. Is this a way of saying we want a Red Tool solo series? Maybe. But it does take time away from the main bulk of the issue, makingHarley Quinn #5 feel a little choppy in places. But considering it's a great little inclusion, we can let that one go a little. This series is headed in an interesting direction, and we can't wait to see where it leads. Read Full Review
Overall, the first chapter of "Undercover Punker" shows much promise and is a good jumping on point. We also learn what happens when Harley eats too much pizza, so be thankful this wasn't another rub and smell issue. Read Full Review
Summing up this issue, the stylish artwork and amusing story push this issue along at a nice fast pace and I hit the end before I knew it. Writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti know how to keep this ticking along nice and smooth, I'm giving it an extra half star just because I adore the image of Harley's new haircut so much. Grab a copy, kids. Read Full Review
The opening issue to Harley Quinn's punk rock adventure is a lot of fun with some really hilarious jokes...and not a lot of punk rock. Still, the reinforcement of a previously-made arrangement with the City of New York and a solo Red Tool scene counts as character development in my book. I really love when John Timms draws Harley and the crew, he's got a style that is sexy without being pornographic, and it looks really fluid. I am really excited for the rest of this story, though admittedly I have a bit of that New Yawk bias. So sue me. Read Full Review
This latest transformation is part of what's shaping up to be an entertaining new mission for the character. This issue does dwell a little too long on Harley's efforts to recruit her new punk band (especially when it comes to Red Tool's weird, off-putting little subplot), but there's plenty of amusement to be had along the way. Read Full Review
I've always praised this series for keeping it tastefully tasteless in the best way. This is the first issue that seems to cross the line a wee bit: heavy sexual innuendo and poopy humor (of the human kind, not the animal kind) was just too much for me personally this time around. But it's just a handful of panels in a book that otherwise delivers the usual great combo of violence and hilarity from Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti"all the while setting up some new intrigue that's sure to take Harley into new and interesting situations. Read Full Review
This is another 'junk food' kind of issue, as while it isn't the most stimulating experience in the world, it drips out just enough dopamine to make your brain crave more. It also helps lay the ground work for what should be a more emotionally satisfying storyline coming down the pipeline. Read Full Review
Look, it's pretty clear that Harley Quinn #5 isn't my cup of tea, but if you've enjoyed the series so far then you'll probably like this one quite a bit. Me? Not so much. Read Full Review
This issue was good, I rather enjoyed reading it. Seeing the characters change a little and come together again is another one. Read Full Review
Very fun, very typical Harley comic. The outside of the story seems chaotic and crazy, while the inside is quietly and secretly setting up what I feel will be a organized purpose.

subset: commoncrawl


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For Visitors
Brisbane Valley's Most Friendly Club
Rosewood Golf Club offers great value for Social Clubs wanting to play on a challenging 18 hole course. Meals or sandwiches on request when booking your club makes for a very enjoyable day of golf.
Carts are available at $35.00 per round (18 holes) but must be pre-booked. Cold beer and other drinks available and if required a beer cart can be arranged.
Social Clubs are advised tee times must be observed and you must comply with dress regulations and local rules.
Sand buckets must be carried and used and social players must give way to competition players at all times.
Fee structure for Social Golf Clubs
- $18.00 for groups of less than 20 players
- $16.00 for 20 – 35 players
- $14.00 over 35 players
Specials Mid-Week
(not available to Social Club play)
- Monday and Wednesday, 18 holes including buggy hire for two players: $45.00
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 18 holes including buggy hire for two players: $70.00
- Walkers (no buggy hire) Monday & Wednesday only – $6.50 nine holes, $12.00 18 holes
Book early to avoid disappointment on
07 5464 1201
We are open Mon – Wed : 6:30 am-5:00 pm and Thu – Sun: 6:00 am-6:00 pm
Social Reciprocals
- Alex Surf Club
- Brothers Leagues
- Caloundra RSL
- Club Beenleigh
- Currumbin RSL & Services.
- Greenbank RSL
- Hervey Bay RSL
- Ipswich Jets Leagues Club
- Ipswich RSL ( CSI )
- Maroochydore RSL & Services Club
- Wynnum RSL


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Wood and Cardboard Recycled Into Insane Sculptures by Phoebe Washburn
We've seen the enormous installations of New York City-based artist Phoebe Washburn before, and in her latest works she seems to create even more complex environments, all out of recycled wood and cardboard -- some re-used again from previous installations.
Recently exhibited at Zach Feuer Gallery, Washburn's latest piece is titled "Nunderwater Nort Lab," which "juxtaposes two seemingly unrelated activities – art and lunch":
Lunch is a daily activity, often overlooked, that occasionally infiltrates the gallery art viewing experience. In this installation, visitors will smell lunch as well as observe it being made and eaten inside the installation. The main structure, composed of blocks of scrap wood that have been repurposed and then ordered from previous installations, contains observational 'worm holes' that extend into the structure from which visitors can glean, in addition to hear and smell, bits of the activities occurring inside. In Washburn's work, everyday objects and activities are reinterpreted to create appreciation for process and experience.
The installation is impressive in its meticulous re-use of scrap wood to create a mind-boggling array of texture and depth. Washburn's other room-sized pieces marshall large armies of recycled materials to create lush landscapes of wood, pulp and plants, its final form being reliant on constraints that are specific to each site. Washburn calls her art "spontaneous architecture," saying:
My sculptures depend a lot on the spaces where they are shown because they often are anchored into the wall but chance is definitely more of a factor in the final product than is any predetermined design. I just let the structures evolve by repeating the same action again and again. The process has a slightly neurotic element in that it involves adding little behavior habits. As silly as it sounds, I often feel as if my assistants and I are beavers building a dam. The shapes are less about form than they are about the activity involved in amassing and assembling the forms.
It's definitely one creative way to re-use and bring attention to materials that our society often discards. See more of Washburn's incredible installations here.


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If you are taking your automobile set for routine maintenance just like an oil change or something like that serious, you have to make certain you obtain the best vehicle servicing offered. It's not easy to construct rapport having a garage because the majority of us not have the requirement for them very frequently. If our vehicle starts breaking lower constantly we tend to replace it all.
Whenever you need your automobile to become labored on you ought to get it in to the right hands. You should know the individual caring for your vehicle will probably be focused on obtaining the task finished best for you. The final factor you would like would be to finish track of a massive bill for work you actually did not need.
There are several garages available that ask you for however they haven't reduced the problem. You choose your vehicle which is either still doing exactly the same factor or it's one other issue such at idling strange because of what they've done. That may be frustrating when you are remaining having a vehicle you cannot fully rely on.
Take a moment to discover exactly what the status of the garage is. Individuals that fall under the very best vehicle servicing category can provide you some background about how exactly lengthy they've been in business as well as their qualifications. They are able to provide you with approximately the things they think it'll cost you to correct your automobile.
Sometimes it's apparent in advance the things they condition in. In this scenario best vehicle servicing practices involve hooking the automobile up to and including diagnostic machine. There's an acceptable fee with this process. They will contact you to definitely discuss their findings and just what repairs have to be done. They will not go mind together until they've you are approval.
By doing this you're able to possess a say with what work you'd like them to accomplish for you personally. Best vehicle servicing practices can provide you with the price in those days too. They ought to possess a realistic concept of how lengthy it will require for that repairs to become done. They ought to come with an hourly labor rate that they'll provide you with. Plus, they let you know just how much the various components is to complete the repairs.
An incredible resource out there's Vehicle Service Direct. This can be a free service within the United kingdom which has listings of top qualified garages. Them about this list have examined to become suppliers that are qualified, honest, and provide you with a the best value. It may be beneficial to consult that list prior to taking your automobile to simply any garage available.


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...how the journey to mend our son's broken heart changed our family forever...
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Hand, foot and what disease?
4 comments:
Oh my word.. We had an outbreak here in November, our neighbor's kids had it, my nephew had it, several friend's kids had it, all who had contact with ours kids. I have no idea how we avoided it! My nephew was only 8 months at the time and was completely miserable for days. The sores on his feet ended up peeling tons of skin off and his poor feet were pink and raw :( Poor Bodie! I have heard lots of great things about gentian violet helping to soothe mouth sores. You can sometimes find it at CVS but usually have better luck at a natural foods store or vitamin shoppe. Hope you guys make it thru these next few days with your sanity! <3 hugs!ReplyDelete
Poor Bodie and Poor Mama! Amy after all this passes I think a spa day's in order for you, plus a completely uninterrupted night of sleep. I know, I know - easier said than done :). But don't forget to take care of yourself too!ReplyDelete
- Valerie L.April 19, 2012 at 6:26 AM
sweet sister, beloved friend. i don't even know what to say except i'm praying for you, without ceasing. and if the winds could carry my love for ya'll there'd be a tornado on its way to Los Angeles.ReplyDelete
I had no idea HFM could do that...Praying for your guys - Hope he feel better VERY soon!ReplyDelete


text: You are here: Home > Course > Main Course > Subzis / Curries > Subzis with Gravies > Shahi Kaju Mutter Shahi Kaju Mutterby sparasnis 02 Jun 2003 add to my cookbook You are not signed in. Please sign in to access your cookbooksExisting members click here to sign inNew visitors click here to sign up Or Make a new list and add recipe to it Added to 2 cookbooks This recipe has been viewed 15766 times If you want to make this recipe quickly use the frozen mutter. Add your private note Shahi Kaju Mutter recipe - How to make Shahi Kaju Mutter Tags Subzis with GraviesIndian Party Preparation Time: 15min.   Cooking Time: 15min   Total Time: 30 mins     Ingredients 2 vati of green peas4 to 5 big onions1/2 vati powdered cashewnuts (kaju)1/2 vati broken cashewnuts (kaju) milk powder for thicknessChicken masala about 2 tea spoons2 tbsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste water as required1 tsp sugar salt to taste fresh cream for serving Method Chop the onions finelyFry the onions in oil till golden brown and then make a fine paste of the onions.Take oil in a pan.Add onion paste, ginget garlic paste, cashew powder, salt, sugar and chicken masala and fry for 2 min. Add mutter, cashew broken into halves.Add milk powder and mix it well.Add water and keep until the water starts to biol.Then add the cream before serving.Serve hot. Other Related Recipes This recipe was contributed by sparasnis on 02 Jun 2003Know more about this member, Click Here


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The Racetam and Noopept Nootropic MEGA STACK LIST COMBO
What you get
The Racetam and Noopept Mega Stack List combo gives you two major products COMBINED:
- The Racetam God Guide (DIGITAL)
- The Noopept Pro Stack List (DIGITAL)
This product combines the power two of our most high level nootropic stack guides and puts them together in one, discounted downloadable product that gives you 147 elite level nootropic stacks.
Exactly what you're getting
- 147 (total) Noopept and Racetam nootropic stacks, that are all perfectly formulated to induce powerful brain function.
- A stack list of sublingual Noopept combinations (under the tongue).
- A stack list of Oral Noopept combinations (ex: 15MG Noopept/75MG Triacetyluridine/100MG Alpha GPC/50MG Theacrine/500MG ALCAR/B Complex).
- A stack list and directions on using and benefitting from Noopept Nasal Spray.
- A stack list of Aniracetam nootropic stack combo.
- A stack list of Oxiracetam nootropic stack combos.
- A stack list of Phenylpiracetam nootropic stack combos.
- Phenylpiracetam/Tyrosine/Triacetyluridine POWER STACKS.
- The Aniracetam Microdosing protocol stack.
- An Expert Piracetam nootropic stack list.
- A list of highly effective Fasoracetam nootropic stacks
- A list of extremely potent Coluracetam nootropic stacks
- Directions on dosing ALL racetams, and associated CHOLINE SOURCES.
- Cycling strategies on Racetams and Noopept.
This is an expert nootropic product
This product, and these two digital guides, are high level nootropic stack lists, with elite quality nootropic stacks inside. These are not beginner stacks, or even intermediate stacks. These are extremely high level, professional level nootropic stacks. You'll have access to stacks that:
- Turn on verbal fluency.
- Turn on mental energy.
- Turn on mental fluidity.
- Turn on motivation.
- Induce faster speed of mental processing.
- Clear brain fog.
- Improve working memory.
- Improve sociability.
- Turn on high level cognitive function.
- Improve productive work output.
What will happen when you purchase this product
- Within 5 minutes, you'll be emailed the files for the Noopept Pro Stack list and the Racetam God Guide.
- You can open them immediately on: iPhone | iPad | Android phone | Android tablet | Windows phone | Macbook | PC | Kindle device | Kindle application.
- The .mobi files are for KINDLE, the .EPUB files are for Android/iOS, and the PDF files are for Macbook and PC. It's YOUR CHOICE which ones you want to open. You'll have access to ALL OF THEM with this product.
- Simply open the files WITH the associated applications (iBooks for iPhone/iPad, Lithium Reader for Android, and the default PDF program on your computer if you read it on a PC or Mac), and start reading and using the powerful nootropic stacks inside!
What to do next
- Add the product to your cart below.
- Pay for your order.
- We'll email you in 5 minutes with your files.
- Done.
Availability: In stock


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Welcome to Fast Donzi.com!
Designed and created to capture the excitement of Donzi owners across the globe. The ultimate source to buy or sell a new or used Donzi! A complete worldwide network for Donzi boats! SIT BACK, HOLD ON AND ENJOY YOUR STAY.
New Members click here to register.
Existing Members click here to login.


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Thanks for taking the time to visit this JustGiving page.
In the 1980s I was unlucky enough to have kidney failure, and in 1987 I was lucky enough to have a kidney transplant. Over 31 years later that kidney's still going strong, and I've enjoyed a normal healthy life the entire time - chiefly because the donated kidney was such a good match. My wife Jacqui and I planned to spend a fortnight in Spring 2017 walking the 177 miles of Offa's Dyke, aiming to encourage as many more people as possible to join the organ donor register. Unfortunately we each had injuries last year that prevented us from doing a long-distance walk, so we postponed it until Spring 2018. We're now in training once more, and the aim remains the same: to get more people to register as organ donors - the more of you there are, the higher the chance of a great match for someone now on the waiting list.
Why Offa's Dyke? In Wales there is a 'presumed consent' system for organ donation, but in England people currently have to 'opt in'. Offa's Dyke marks the boundary: walking it draws attention to the need for more donors and demonstrates just how enabling a transplant can be.
So if you haven't already "opted in" please take two minutes to sign up at https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/. If you're already registered, great: please encourage colleagues/friends/family to sign up too. This can transform someone's life; my family and I are so grateful to the donor who gifted me the last 30+ years.
If in addition to (or instead of) signing up to the organ donor register you'd like to support the excellent work of the Bristol Area Kidney PatientsAssociation then please donate via this JustGiving page. My original target was £1565: that was £1 for each week of the 30 years' healthy life that I'd enjoyed because of the donor whose kidney I received on 14 March 1987. That target (and the 30 years) has already been exceeded, so thank you to those who've already donated so generously - let's now aim even higher...
Thank you!


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Replacement Vehicle for Non-Fault Claims If the accident wasn't your fault, receive a replacement vehicle to keep you on the road
Immediate Cover You are protected immediately with DNA Insurance, so you can start driving straightaway
Flexible Payment Options DNA help you pay for cover in the best way for you – letting you plan your expenses in advance so you are comfortable with making payments
All Post Codes Covered Get a tailor-made policy no matter where you live, with the help of our specialists at DNA insurance.
24 Hour Claims Helpline An accident can happen anytime and at DNA we know it is important that you stay on the road, which is why we have a claims team available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Legal Expenses If something does happen, have peace of mind that your legal expenses are covered by DNA Insurance
If you are running a company, or you have more than one vehicle you may benefit from a fleet policy. Under one policy we can cover a range of vehicles such as Cars and Vans with all the drivers you require.


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Future of Publishing Group
The FCA's Future of Publishing group focuses on creating an archive of computer science research for the future that supports reproducibility, open data, rigor in reviewing, and open access
FCA's FUTURE OF PUBLISHING GROUP
Computing science, broadly defined, can look back to a tremendously successful publication history, in which the ACM has played a central role. In just a few decades, the broad, vibrant field has amassed a major body of knowledge, as represented by a large, usually high-quality, and usually well-vetted literature. It stands to reason that, for computing to continue thrive, the publication process must continue to serve the computing community as well (or better!) as it has in the past.
Furthermore, computing technology has revolutionized how virtually all other fields of science publish. As such, our field bears a particular responsibility to look after how scientific results are published, and to both drive innovation in this sector and to raise standards by setting positive examples.
Unfortunately, there are mounting signs that the traditional publishing, quality-assurance, and author-reward models are increasingly straining to scale and adapt to modern realities. In particular, there is growing concern amongst the current and coming generation of researchers around many practices related to publishing, reviewing, and career advancement. The future of pay-walled archives is unclear, and the practice of producing archival publications is not sustainable in its current form. Change is needed to reflect best practice in reproducibility, open data, accessibility, rigour in reviewing, and open access to create an archive of computing science research for the future.
Goal 1: Develop an evidence based understanding of current best practices in publishing across computing science.
Recent examples of reflection on peer review, which demonstrated significant variation in accept/reject decisions made by program committees (NIPS), and initiatives such as ACM Artefact Review and SIGCHI RepliCHI Award, show a desire from the research community to improve research and publication practice. This working group will collate an evidence base from the computing science community, bringing together currently disparate efforts in this area. Our on-going survey of practice will be publicised through a blog aimed at computing science researchers and practitioners.
Goal 2: Re-imagine a publishing and dissemination culture that exemplifies the values of open access, open data, and rigour.
Values in publication are changing, with more support than ever for open access, open data, transparency, and accessibility. Often, these values are also mandated by funding bodies that spend public money. We will develop concepts for a modern approach to knowledge sharing that could support new reviewing processes, enable multimedia archives and resources, incentivise reproducibility and open practices based on empirical evidence.
Goal 3: Advocate for change in publishing practice based on empirical evidence and ethical values.
This working group will develop channels to put these concepts into practice. We will disseminate our results to SIG leaders and through the Publications Board to enact change in how publishing practice occurs throughout ACM.
Julie Williamson
Luigi De Russis
Sarah Clinch
Mirja Kühlewind
Wouter Koolen


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NWO.ca features a network of sites and services for the North West Ontario (807) area.
- 807community.com (807 Community)
- Blogs, forums and groups this site allows its members/users to publish their own story of, discuss topics relevant to, and collaborate with the other members about/of Northwestern Ontario.
- 807.dating or nwo.dating (807 Dating)
- A social site for people in North Western Ontario looking for something more than just being friends.
- 807.events or NWO.events (807 area events)
- This is a free service that allows people/organizations to post events that are happening in and around our area.
- ThunderBayEvents.ca (Thunder Bay Events)
- An extension of 807.events that displays events that are tagged 'Thunder Bay'.
- 807market.com (807 Market)
- Think of it as a market square for the people of the North West Ontario (the 807 calling area).
- 807.social or nwo.social (807 Social)
- A social site for people in North Western Ontario looking for friends to hang with or to join in an activity with.
- ThunderBay.XYZ (Thunder Bay XYZ)
- Variety of web based services for the Thunder Bay area (which is in the 807 area). Blogs, Classifieds, Community, Events and Shopping. Anything Thunder Bay!
Have questions, comments or concerns? Then contact us.


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Berg got its start in 1984 and is best known for its youth and teen furniture, including bunk beds. The company sold nursery furniture from the late 90's through 2010, when it exited the crib business. At the time, Berg struggled to compete against the many upper-end brands selling in the $650 to $800 range.
Fast forward to 2015 and Berg is back. After the closing of several high-end competitors, Berg decided it was time to dip its toe back into cribs and other nursery furniture. Berg's new cribs are made of solid wood and are convertible to full-size beds. Cribs are assembled in the company's New Jersey factory (although the actual components are imported).
As of this writing, Berg just has two crib styles: the Alpine convertible crib is low-profile and designed to sit in the middle of a nursery (an island crib). The Alpine is made of European beech wood and only comes in one finish (a dark grey). One unique feature: the Alpine converts into two pieces of furniture: a full-size bed and loveseat. Price: $710 on Wayfair.
The Ridgewood is a more classically styled crib with curved headboard. Made of Rubberwood, it also converts to a full-size bed and love seat. Price: $700.
Because of the high prices and relatively new furniture, we've received little feedback on Berg. However, previous feedback on Berg from the 2000's was mostly positive. Rating: B


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DIVAS (Deep Investigation of Virus Associated Sequences)
Plant viral diseases are currently a major economic problem in agriculture throughout the world. The increasing importance of vegetative propagation in plant production and the intensified global plant trade are further increasing the risk of viral diseases in Europe. The objective of the Action is to coordinate and raise the European capacity to apply Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies for the study and diagnosis of viral diseases in vegetatively propagated plants, seeds and seedlings. NGS enables rapid and reliable holistic virus identification (indexing), which is needed for the development of innovative, knowledge-based solutions for plant production. By bringing together a multidisciplinary and multi-actor consortium, the Action will ensure cost-effective research and build up a strong Pan-European knowledge-based network for better control of established, emerging and exotic viral plant diseases. The Action will deliver new scientific knowledge about viral plant diseases that are currently poorly understood, and contribute to the development of more effective surveillance of stock material health and to the improvement of quarantine procedures. The Action thus implements the European strategy of integrated pest management and protection against harmful plant pathogens and contributes to the securement of food production.
DIVAS has four main objectives:
1. Coordinate scientific efforts and provide a research framework to reach a comprehensive characterization of the plant virome, including new and emerging viruses, and to understand its impact on plants of key economic importance for Europe. The target is in agriculture, but, for example, forestry will benefit of this Action as similar problems are encountered hampering its ecosystemic services. 2. Coordinate and harmonize European knowledge-base for technological standards and validation of reliable NGS protocols for use in relevant areas of plant virus diagnostic. 3. Discuss, agree and disseminate decision schemes on plant virus diagnostic for policy makers, European and National Plant Protection Agencies and diagnostic laboratories. 4. Discuss, agree and disseminate a scientific position and expertise on the impact of NGS on virus taxonomy and on the plant-virus interactions for other researchers, for plant and seed producers and for regulatory agencies.
The impact of DIVAS will target three levels:
1. Improving the technological level: networking and developing a collaboration platform to produce validated protocols for specific NGS applications in diagnostics. These protocols will also be useful for basic and applied research in etiology, taxonomy, population genetics and plant-virus interactions. 2. Streamlining the basic research: Associating on-going research projects to the Action: i) to increase basic knowledge of viromes in targeted host plants species, fruit trees and small fruit plants, grapevine, tomato, potato but also to a lesser extent to forestry, by building an efficient network of dedicated researchers, ii) to improve knowledge in etiology, epidemiology and diagnosis of viral diseases, iii) to update virus taxonomy and iv) to increase knowledge of plant diseases present in the EU, which will improve control strategies. 3. Bringing technical and social innovations: Improving plant virus control at European borders and within European territories through scientific and evidence-based recommendations for a safer plant trade inside and outside Europe to Policy Makers, National and European Plant Protection Organisation and diagnostic laboratories.
Useful links
Description of the Action in the COST Website


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J Hermitage
Attractive and unusual case my by J. Hermitage & Sons. Beautiful carving and inlay work with a slightly Art Deco style to it. One of our premium range of cases and will make an excellent Digital Conversion.
Our ref 3735
This is on display as our showroom example.


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Spreading the word on Breast Cancer Awareness: Lia Acres is committed to the cause.
"Sorry for the late response as I have been absent from the office for a short period. However, I would like to thank you for delivering the sample pins for our company to distribute. Please see attached for the picture display of the sample pins along with custom-made cards before delivery to 20 of our customers. These pins were mailed out so there are no pictures of distribution.
Thank you once again for letting us be a part of spreading this awareness."
— Lia Acres, FrankHill Limited


text:
Handbook on Firesetting in Children and Youth
1st Edition
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No minimum order.
This text reference provides state-of-the-art information on juvenile firesetters and reviews the current research on youthful firesetters and arsonists. The work illustrates methods of fire scene investigation and assessment relating to child-parent and family factors. This information is then used to prescribe interventions with the individual along with community-wide programs. The work also provides current information on fire safety education and curricula, with explicit training materials. Finally, the book addresses the need for residential treatment centers and training schools on methods for handling firesetting youth and maintaining a fire safe environment.
Key Features
- Presents a multidisciplinary approach
- Describes and illusrates current tools and techniques
- Includes materials encouraging both fire safety and mental health intervention
- Contributors are nationally known experts in their field
- Covers a full range of topics - content has both depth and breadth
Psychologists, social workers, counselors, psychiatrists as well as:
- Juvenile justice and court/legal professionals--police, lawyers, judges, court administrators, probation officers--tie in with criminology program.
- Fire Service--fire chiefs, firefighters, fire educators, arson investigators
- Schools--Counselors, administrators, school psychologists
- Industry & Policy makers--insurance fire professionals, program developers, legislators, administrators of fire safety programs
- Hospital & Residential Programs--burn programs, hospitals, residential treatment centers, treatment programs for disturbed youth.
Table of Contents
Contributors. Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments.
V.A. Hardesty and W.F. Gayton, The Problem of Children and Fire: An Historical Perspective.
I. Pinsonneault, Developmental Perspectives on Children and Fire.
D.J. Kolko, Research Studies on the Problem.
J.S. Okulitch and I. Pinsonneault, The Interdisciplinary Approach to Juvenile Firesetting: A Dialogue.
R.A. Corry, Fundamentals of Fire Investigation.
P. Zipper, Talking the Talk: Tips and Techniques for Interviewing Juveniles.
J. DiMillo, Screening and Triage Tools.
D.K. Wilcox and D.J. Kolko, Assessing Recent Firesetting Behavior and Taking a Firesetting History.
D.J. Kolko, L. Nishi-Strattner, D.K. Wilcox, and T. Kopet, Clinical Assessment of Juvenile Firesetters and Their Families: Tools and Tips.
I.L. Pinsonneault, Fire Safety Education and Skills Training.
I.L. Pinsonneault, J.P. Richardson, Jr., and J. Pinsonneault, Three Models of Educational Interventions for Child and Adolescent Firesetters.
J. Doherty, Parent and Community Fire Education: Integrating Awareness in Public Education Programs.
D.J. Kolko, Child, Parent, and Family Treatment: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions.
G. DeSalvatore, Residential Treatment of Latency-Aged Youth with Firesetting Behavior.
J.P. Richardson, Jr., Secure Residential Treatment for Adolescent Firesetters.
E.J. Elliott, Juvenile Justice Diversion and Intervention.
D.J. Kolko, I. Pinsonneault, and J.S. Okulitch, Further Considerations and Future Directions.
- No. of pages:
- 420
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 2002
- Published:
- 26th June 2002
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- Hardcover ISBN:
- 9780124177611
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780080532783
About the Editor
David Kolko
Affiliations and Expertise
Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.


text:
Thrifted coat (Little Edie's), Fossil cardigan and dress, Sock Dreams tights and socks, Gee WaWa boots, self-made monocle necklace, doctor bag (Etsy)
I've bought three doctor bags in the past two weeks. Two of them need a little work done but I couldn't just leave them there. Andy's eyebrows are now permanently at hairline level, "Another one?" he asks politely.
Last weekend I found this at Little Edie's:
And this beauty is on it's way to me from Bordeaux (Etsy):
Sigh. I just can't get enough.


text:
- Lazarus 1.8.4 has been released. Bug-fix release but still worth having. Go get it!
- From the Questions-I-Never-Thought-to-Ask Department: How was sheet music written after quill pens but before computers? With a music typewriter, of course.
- How to become a morning person. Yes, there are benefits. The larger question of whether circadian orientation is born or made remains unanswered. Carol and I both lived at home during college. We're both morning people. My sister and I had the same parents, grew up in the same house and obeyed the same rules (bedtimes were set from above and were not negotiable) and she went away to school. She is a night person. Proves nothing, but I find the correlation intriguing. (Thanks to Charlie Martin for the link.)
- Here's a long-form, highly technical paper on why human exposure to low-level radiation is more complex than we thought (hey, what isn't?) and that some data suggests a little radiation experienced over a long timeframe actually acts against mortality. I'd never heard of the Taiwan cobalt-60 incident, but yikes!
- Sleep, exercise, and a little wine may help the brain's glymphatic system clean out unwanted amyloid waste products within the brain, preventing or staving off Alzheimer's. This process may be the reason that anything with a brain sleeps, and why humans (who have more brain matter per pound than anything else I'm aware of) should get as much sleep as we can.
- An enormous study on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet was found to be profoundly flawed, and has been retracted. The data was supposedly re-analyzed and the original results obtained again, but if the researchers made the mistakes they did originally (assuming that they were in fact mistakes and not deliberate faking) I see no reason to trust any of their data, their people, or their methods ever again.
- How faddism, computerization, national bookstore ordering, a court case, and New York City cultural dominance destroyed (and continues to destroy) traditional publishing of genre fiction. The good news is that with indie publishing it matters far less than it otherwise would.
- If you've followed the nuclear energy industry for any significant amount of time, you know that fusion power is always 30 years in the future. Now, I've also been hearing about thorium reactors for almost 30 years, and I got to wondering why we don't have them yet either. Here's a good discussion on the problems with thorium power, which intersect heavily with the problems plaguing ordinary uranium reactors.
- Long-held myths die hard, especially when governments beat the drum for the myth. Eggs are good food. I eat at least two every day, sometimes more. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study indicating that people on a lots-of-eggs diet lost weight and suffered no cardiac consequences of any kind. Good short summary here.
- I don't see a lot of movies, but I'm in for this one, crazy though the concept is. After all, spectacle is what the big screen and CGI are for. Mad Max meets Cities in Flight? Sold.
- The contrarian in me has long wondered how much of what I put out on the street every week in the recycle can is actually recycled. The answer is very little, especially since single-stream recycling became fashionable. Almost all of it goes into landfills. The reasons are complex (there's not a lot you can do with scrap plastic, for example) but apart from aluminum cans, the cost of sorting it far exceeds the value of the reclaimed materials.
- The antivax movement has always boggled me for its indomitably willful stupidity. Having stumbled upon a research paper on who the antivaxers are I boggle further: They are almost all members of the educated elite in our urban cores. This was always a suspicion of mine, and now we have proof.
- Here's a fascinating piece on the effects of water vapor and continental drift on global temperatures. The topic is complex, and the piece is long and rich, with plenty of graphs. The comments are worth reading too. The primary truth I've learned in researching climate for the last ten or fifteen years is that it's fiendishly complex.
- Brilliantly put: "But anger isn't a strategy. Sometimes it's a trap. When you find yourself spewing four-letter words, you've fallen into it. You've chosen cheap theatrics over the long game, catharsis over cunning." –Frank Bruni, NYT.
- A few days back I got Leonard Bernstein's quirky, half-classical, half-klezmer "Overture to Candide" stuck in my head all afternoon. One listen to this was all it took.
- I got there by recovering an old memory, of a chap who came to SF cons in the 70s with a strange keyboard instrument that he blew on through a hose, which as you might expect sounded like a piano accordion without a bellows. He was a filker and played interesting things, and I always assumed that he had somehow built the device himself. (It was much-used and taped up in several places.) But no, the chap is Irwin S. "Filthy Pierre" Strauss, and the instrument is a melodica.
- Finally, one of the creepiest articles I've seen in a couple of years. I considered and set aside a plotline in my upcoming nanotech novel The Molten Flesh that involved sexbots, real, fully mobile AI sexbots enlivened (if that's the word) by the Protea device. Maybe I should bring it back. The original 1959 Twilight Zone episode "The Lonely" has always haunted me. Maybe sex is a sideshow. Maybe it's about having something to care about that cares back, and therefore gives your life meaning. I could work with that.
Odd Lots
New Revision of FreePascal from Square One Is Now Up
I just uploaded a new, corrected and expanded PDF ebook edition of FreePascal from Square One to my website. It's free, and (remarkably) it's closing in on completion. It's laid out for the A4 paper size, largely because there's so much Pascal activity outside the US. You can read it on a screen, or else print it to paper to put in a binder. It's currently at 294 pages, and when complete I hope to keep it under 325 pages, since that's a whole lot of paper to print, punch, and bind.
Still to be covered are the standard string functions, locality and scope, and simple file/printer I/O. That's not a lot of material, and some of it has already been rewritten and edited.
For those who haven't heard of it before, let me describe the project: I've taken my 1993 book Borland Pascal 7 from Square One and heavily rewritten parts of it for FreePascal. Borland Pascal 7 from Square One was the fourth and last edition of my very first technical book, Complete Turbo Pascal, published in May, 1985. That title, by the way, was forced on me by the (now extinct) publisher. Its original manuscript title was Turbo Pascal from Square One. The four editions taken together were in print for almost ten years and sold about 125,000 copies back in the 80s and early 90s.
The book's mission is to be what Assembly Language Step By Step is to assembly language: An absolute beginner's tutorial on programming in Pascal. This includes people who have not yet learned what programming is and have never written a line of code in their lives. I start by explaining the ideas of programming, and move from there to Pascal. FreePascal is my compiler of choice, largely because it's free, but even more because it comes with the Lazarus IDE, which contains a superb GUI builder very similar to the one present in Delphi. FreePascal from Square One doesn't cover Lazarus beyond installing it and using the code editor. Specifically, it doesn't cover the GUI builder or Windows programming generally. The example programs all run in the console window.
More than half of the original book explains things that no longer apply: DOS programming, overlays, the Borland Graphics Interface, tinkering the interrupt vector table, and so on. All of that is gone. I've made a decision to stop just before OOP, and will begin a Lazarus book with a thorough explanation of OOP and software components. I'm also leaving out pointers, since the topic is heavily intertwingled (to use a wonderful Ted Nelsonism) with OOP.
I intend to keep writing books of new material about Lazarus as time allows, and will sell them as PDF ebooks and spiral-bound POD paperbacks. No timetable; I'm trying to write SFF novels mostly, and will work on Lazarus projects as time allows. We've spent the last couple of years working on our Scottsdale house, but that's largely finished, and I expect a lot more free time in the next few years. So stay tuned. I may do one more "unfinished" upload, but after that I expect to put the wraps on it.
Odd Lots
- Lazarus 1.8 is out, based on FreePascal 3.0.4. No staggeringly important updates, but a lot of really good (if smaller) improvements. There's a color-outline syntax highlighter that makes it easier to spot the BEGIN/END pairing in large, heavily nested code blocks. I've only begun to use it (much time being taken up by general Christmasing these days) but I'll report further impressions as I have them.
- Mike Cernovich published a list of 40 life principles he learned before he turned 40. I have a few quibbles (particularly with numbers 2 and 34) but overall it's a list worth meditating on. I did something like this back in 2013, with good response. Several people have suggested expanding my list into a short Kindle ebook, but lordy, I have novels to finish.
- A recent Australian study suggests that eating red meat is linked to a halving of the rates of depression in women. The researchers can't quite force themselvem to say that eating fat is a good thing, but I'll forgive them that. We're fat, diabetic, and dying young because governments demonized fat and forced a low-fat, high-carb, high-sugar diet on us forty-odd years ago. Governments just hate to be caught killing their own citizens. And governments provide a lot of the funding for such studies. Who wants to lose funding by pissing off the government?
- And it's not just women. Yet another study finds that vegetarian men are more depressed than men who eat meat. We evolved eating meat. You can't fool Mother Evolution.
- More evidence that fat does not cause endothelial disfunction. (Basically, pathologies of the inner lining of blood vessels.) Sugar does it all by its lonesome.
- Atlas Obscura points us to the grave of New England's last vampire. Considering what the townfolk did to her, I'm not sure I want to know about the fates of the supposed vampires who came before her. Moral panic…do we know something about that these days?
- Trump needn't do anything about it; Obamacare's individual mandate is slowly repealing itself. When the cheapest plan costs more than 8% of an individual's income, the mandate no longer applies. Plans are becoming so expensive so quickly that even some people with six-figure incomes are now exempt from the mandate. Bascally, fewer and fewer people can afford even the cheapest policies available in their areas, and thus go uninsured…and increasingly, unpenalized.
- Finding Bigfoot has been a bear. Well, wait: Maybe Bigfoot is a bear, at least out in Yeti country in the Himalayas.
- For reasons unclear to me, the name "Mr. Mxyzptlk" popped into my head some weeks back. He's a minor character in the Superman universe, a Loki-leprechaun sort of cross who seems to exist solely to annoy Superman. I hadn't seen him since reading other Fox Patrollers' comics on Boy Scout campouts 50-odd years ago, so I did a Google search to remind myself what he looked like. And man, there are a whole lot of Mr. Myxyptlk concepts out there. There's even a Bizarro world version. How comics freaks keep track of the elements of their comics worlds completely escapes me.
- Here's the funniest thing I've seen since Anara said "Woof" on The Orville.
Odd Lots
- I had some fairly sophisticated oral microsurgery about ten days ago, and it kind of took the wind out of me. That's why you're getting two Odd Lots in a row. I have things to write about long-form but have only recently found the energy to write at all. Promise to get a couple of things out in the next week.
- Some researchers at UW Madison are suggesting that sleep may exist to help us forget; that is, to trim unnecessary neural connections in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in the brain. Fair enough. What I really want to know (and am currently researching) is why the hell we dream. I doubt the answer to that is quite so simple.
- Ultibo is a fork of FreePascal/Lazarus that creates custom kernel.img files for the Raspberry Pi, allowing direct boot into an embedded application without requiring an underlying OS. I haven't tried it yet (still waiting on delivery of a few parts for a new RPi 3 setup) but it sounds terrific. Bare metal Pascal? Whoda thunkit?
- Humana just announced that it is leaving the ACA exchanges after 2017. As I understand it, that will leave a fair number of counties (and some major cities) with no health insurance carriers at all. Zip. Zero. Obamacare, it seems, is in the process of repealing itself.
- NaNoWriMo has gone all political and shat itself bigtime. You know my opinions of such things: Politics is filth. A number of us are talking about an alternate event held on a different month. November is a horrible month for writing 50,000 words, because Thanksgiving. I'm pushing March, which is good for almost nothing other than containing St. Patrick's Day. (Thanks to Tom Knighton for the link.)
- Paris has been gripped by rioting since February 2…and the US media simply refuses to cover it, most likely fearing that it will distract people from the Flynn resignation. Forget fake news. We have fake media.
- I heard from a DC resident that there was also a smallish riot in Washington DC today, and so far have seen no media coverage on it at all.
- Cold weather in Italy and Spain have caused vegetable shortages in the UK. Millions of small children who would supposedly never know what snow looked like may now never know what kale looks like. Sounds like a good trade to me.
- Trader Joe's now sells a $5 zinfandel in its house Coastal brand, and it's actually pretty decent. Good nose, strong fruit. Seems a touch thin somehow, but still well worth the price.
- I don't know if you've ever seen Gahan Wilson's cartoons in Playboy and National Lampoon, but Pete Albrecht sent me a link to an interview with Wilson that explains why he did certain things the way he did, like his brilliant series called "Nuts" about how the world looks and feels to small children.
There's been an unexpected irruption of normalcy here, while we sail upon the whine-dark seas of modern American life. (I've been wanting to use the word "irruption" here, correctly, for some time.) What this means is that I've been able to do some of what I want to do, and not merely what my do-it list tells me I have to do. It won't last, but while it does I'm going to make the most of it.
A number of people have suggested that I write a few short novels to get the size of my list up a little. I wrote Drumlin Circus (53,000 words) in only six weeks, after all. But as I recall, those were very full weeks. So a month or so ago I got an idea for a new short novel, and I'm glad to say I now have 6,300 words down on it; figure 12% or so. It's whimsical, and whether or not it's fantasy depends heavily on whether you believe that the collective unconscious is real or not. I'd like to bring it in at between 50,000 and 60,000 words, so don't expect all-new built-from-scratch universes a la The Cunning Blood. However, I do promise a trademark Jeff Duntemann mayhem-filled action climax.
And a dream repairman. I mean that: A guy who drops into your nightmares and hands you your pants while he gives you directions to calculus class. People who have nightmares love him. The nightmares, well, not so much.
My old writer friend Jim Strickland and I are going to attempt something interesting to keep our productivity up: a chapter challenge. Starting February 1, we're going to dare each other to get a certain amount of story down in a week, and then exchange that's week's worth of story for some quick critique. He's working on the sequel to Brass & Steel: Inferno and needs a gentle noodge. I need one too, though sometimes what I really need is a two-boot noodge right in the glutes. Neither of us has ever done anything quite like this before. I'll post reports here as things happen.
Even the do-it list has yielded some things that are actually fun, including a bit of metalwork to make an aluminum grating for my particle board shelves to rest on out in the pool shed (against the several times a year when a hard rain gets under the door and soaks the floor) and mounting some Elfa hardware on the opposite shed wall.
Drilling three 8′ pieces of U-channel for the grate took a little finesse in my slightly cramped workshop. The drill press is where it is (close to the center of the space) for a reason. (See the photo at the top of this entry.) The next major project (as time allows) is getting a solid ground for my station and antennas. I have an 8′ ground rod. I need some bentonite, and a post hole digger. After that, le RF deluge…
Dipping Back Into Delphi with List & Label 22
I haven't done a lot of programming for the last couple of years, and I miss it. Interstate moves and oxygen starvation will do that to you. I've converted some of my old Delphi apps to Lazarus, which in truth wasn't hard and probably can't be called programming with a straight face. And I have a project that I need to get back to, even if it has to be written in Delphi 7, which is the most recent version that I have. (Turbo Delphi doesn't count.) I no longer had a publishing company after Delphi 7 appeared, so post-2002 I dropped off their reviewers list. And $1,400 is a little steep for hobby programming–much less $4700 on the high end.
For some years I've been poking at the concept of a personal medical database. I'm old now (how did that happen??!?) and I take pills and get bloodwork and monitor various things to make sure none of my component parts are rusting out. I have Word documents full of notes, and scribbles on paper calendars, all of which really need to be pulled together into one searchable and reportable database. Some doctors won't believe that my blood pressure does not respond to sodium. I have proof. I'll bet, furthermore, that it will be a lot more convincing if it's placed in their hands as a professional-looking report.
All of what I've done so far has been in Lazarus, and most of that has been small proof-of-concept lashups, none of them newer than 2012. However, a marvelous report generator product has crossed my desk, and I want to give it a shot with my medbase app. The product is List & Label 22, from Combit, a small firm in southern Germany. It has God's own kitchen sink of features, many of them related to Web programming, which I simply don't do. However, it has all conventional reporting options I've ever heard of well-covered, and it supports all versions of Delphi back to D6. (It supports Visual Studio and many other dev platforms as well.)
It doesn't support Lazarus, alas. So I'll be trying it out in D7.
The big win (for me at least) is that L&L 22 provides a report designer in VCL component format that drops on a form and becomes part of your application. This allows end users to design their own reports. Given that my end user is me, I don't have to worry about end users doing gonzo things. I've always liked my software to exist as One Big Chunk (DLL hell, and all that) so this is right up my alley.
I don't yet know precisely what reports I'll want, and it may be the case that I won't know until I actually need one for a specific purpose, like laying out my data indicating that salt is irrelevant to my blood pressure. Having a report designer right there in the app means that I can design the report that I need when I need it, and not try to anticipate every damn thing I'll ever want while I'm building the program itself.
I should make it very clear here that I don't dislike modern Delphi. I still love it, but it's gotten enormously expensive, and the Starter Edition does not include database programming features. My other reason for using Lazarus is that I still intend to write intro-to-programming books using Pascal as the teaching language. Expecting students to pay even $250 for the Delphi Starter Edition is asking a lot, and worse, I intend to teach database work as well as conventional programming.
I'll have more to say about List & Label as I learn it. Ditto the medical database itself, which is now a set of tables full of test data and a couple of conceptual UIs. Stay tuned.
Gatebox Waifu, and More of the Lotus Machine
Somebody I follow on Twitter (don't recall who) posted a link to a video about a new product out of Japan called Gatebox. It's a little round 3-D video display roughly the size and shape of a coffee machine. An anime character lives in the display and has what seem like reasonable conversations with the user. It's like Siri or Cortana on video, and it stirred some very old memories.
I've been thinking about AI since I was in college forty-odd years ago, and many of my earliest SF stories were about strong AI and what might come of it. Given how many stories I've written about it, some of you may be surprised that I put strong, human-class AI in the same class as aliens: not impossible, but extremely unlikely. The problems I have with aliens cook down to the Fermi paradox and the Drake equation. Basically, there may well be a single intelligent species (us) or there may be hundreds of millions. There are unlikely to be four, nine, seventeen, or eight hundred fifty four. If there were hundreds of millions, we'd likely have met them by now.
With AI, the problem is insufficient humility to admit that we have no idea how human intelligence works at the neuronal level, and hence can't model it. If we can't model it we can't emulate it. Lots of people are doing good work in the field, especially IBM (with Watson) and IPSoft, which has an impressive AI called Amelia. (Watch the videos, and look past her so-so animation. Animation isn't the issue here.) Scratchbuilt AIs like Amelia can do some impressive things. What I don't think they can do is be considered even remotely human.
Why not? Human intelligence is scary. AI as we know it today isn't nearly scary enough. You want scary? Let me show you another chunkette of The Lotus Machine, from later in the novel of AI that I began in 1983 and abandoned a few years later. Corum finds the Lotus Machine, and learns pretty quickly that pissing off virtual redheads is not a good idea, especially redheads whose hive minds ran at four gigahertz inside a quarter billion jiminies.
From The Lotus Machine by Jeff Duntemann (November 1983)
Corum tapped the silver samovar on his window credenza into a demitasse, and stared at the wall beyond the empty tridiac stage. So here's where the interesting stuff starts. The crystal had been in the slot for several minutes, and the creature within had full control of the stage. Pouting? Frightened?
"Go in there and take a look around, Rags."
"Roger," Ragpicker replied, and a long pulse of infrared tickled the stage's transducer.
At once, the air over the stage pulsed white and cleared. Life-size, the image of a woman floated over the stage, feet slack and toes pointed downward like the ascending Virgin. She was wrapped in pale blue gauze that hung from her hips and elbows in folds that billowed in a nonexistent wind. Her hair hung waist-long, fiery red in loose curls. One hand rested on one full hip. The other hand gripped the neck of a pitiful manikin the size of a child's doll. The manikin, dressed in rags, was squirming and beating on the very white hand that was obviously tightening about its neck.
"He bit me, Corum. I don't care for that." The woman-image brought up her other hand and wrung the manikin's neck. "We don't need a go-between." That said, she flung the limp figure violently in Corum's direction. The manikin-image vanished as soon as it passed over the edge of the stage, but Corum ducked nonetheless. Corum stood, marveling. He took a sip from his demitasse, then hurled it through the image above the stage. The little cup shattered against the wall and fell in shards to the carpeting. A brown stain trickled toward the floor. The woman smiled. Not a twitch. "No thanks, Corum my love. Coffee darkens the skin."
"I never gave the Lotus Machine a persona."
The woman shrugged. "So I had to invent one. Call me Cassandra. Shall I predict your future?"
"You will become one with me, and we will re-make the world in our image."
Corum shivered. "No thanks."
She laughed. "It wasn't an invitation. It was a prophecy."
Odd Lots
- I'm ok; stop fretting. I caught a very bad chestcold, which has had me spending a lot of time in bed for the past week or so, time I might otherwise have spent writing. Before that, I was trying to figure out how to obtain health insurance in a county where the cheapest plan costs $25,000 a year, with a $14,000 deductible. It's been a yukky month, let's say.
- Deciding what to write has been a challenge. People are complaining about the (lack of) size of my backlist, so what I really need to be doing is writing a few short novels, but writing them quickly. After all, Larry Correia's two-word formula for success in SFF is "Be Prolific!" An ambitious novel set in the Gaean universe might take me 18 months. Drumlin Circus took me six weeks. I need to do that again. And again. And again after that.
- Spending time in zero-G is evidently bad for your eyeballs. Not yet precisely sure why, but it may be another case of humans being evolved for a particular environment, like, well, gravity.
- So far as we can tell, the efficiency of the Em Drive is related to the Q of the resonant cavity. What, then, might happen if we coated the interior of the truncated cone with a room-temperature superconductor? No, I don't necessarily believe that it works. But damn, I sure hope it does. And as I said about cold fusion, even if the Em Drive isn't actually a drive, it could be something else interesting and possibly useful. Research needs to continue.
- Lazarus 1.6.2 has been released. It's all bug fixes, but still worth having.
- Giving children whole milk (rather than lowfat or skim) makes them leaner and generally healthier. Lowfat and skim milk are a scam. Producers tell you skim milk is healthy, sell you the skim milk, and then sell the cream to somebody else. Don't fall for it. Skim milk is fed to pigs because it keeps them eating.
- Eggs are good too: Eating one egg a day reduces your risk of stroke by 12%. I eat two. Fried in butter. (Thanks to Esther Schindler for the link.)
- In 1919, big chunks of Boston were leveled by a tsunami of…molasses. This is one of my favorite episodes from American history, and here's a good summary.
- As Glenn Reynolds said of this link, Choose your poison: Craft beer sales are dropping in states where recreational marijuana is legal.
- Testable predictions are the key to solid science. A University of Arizona scientist has told us that within ten years, climate change will wipe out all human life on Earth. Let's put it on our calendars and show him how much we f&$@** love science, whaddaya say? We could make it the biggest story of 2026. The man deserves to be famous for such hard-hitting research.
- There should be plenty of takers: A global UN poll asking what people around the world consider important shows that climate change comes in dead last.
- A separate poll shows that Americans are more afraid of clowns than climate change. After thinking about it for a second…I am too.
- Cross a hot tub with a roller coaster and you get…what? I'm still not sure riding a roller coaster dressed in nothing but a towel couldn't have, well, unintended consequences.
- It's this simple, really: Fake news is news your tribe disagrees with. Keep that in mind when the scrubbing starts.
Odd Lots
- Take a look at Visuino, which is a visual development environment for the Arduino embedded processor family. This is a beautiful thing, and makes me wish I still ran a certain magazine.
- And there's a new default OS for the Raspberry Pi 2 and 3. (Don't try it on the earlier boards, nor the Pi Zero.) Looks good from here, and my RPi 3 will get the treatment as time allows.
- 75 years ago, there was a butt-kicking geomagnetic storm. Not exactly Carrington, but it makes me wonder how our infinitely more electronic culture would respond to such a storm today.
- Chemporn: How sodium and other twitchy elements burn.
- As of today, there are no Obamacare individual policies available in Maricopa County, Arizona. None. Granted, open enrollment does not begin until November 1, but we qualify to purchase because we're moving interstate. Arizona officials are still reviewing a proposal from Centene to offer an HMO here, and if approved, it would be the only plan available in this county. This is not a robust healthcare marketplace. This is a law that has already imploded.
- More evidence? Here's the firehose.
- Implosions, anybody? Great rant about the ongoing imposion of the media elite.
- Low testosterone appears to predispose men to dementia. It's unclear (and no longer automatically asserted) that high testosterone predisposes men to prostate cancer. (Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link.)
- There is a very nice online PDF calendar generator that will create a calendar in PDF format for any string of months you might want. (The site has much else worth exploring related to calendrics.) You can add in holidays, solstices/equinoxes, phases of the moon, and so on. This pretty much makes my 1999 copy of Calendar Creator…useless. (Thanks to reader Spook for the link.)
- How The Atlantic explains Donald Trump: The media takes him literally but not seriously, and his fans take him seriously but not literally. This may in fact explain a great deal.
Using Ancient Software Under Win7
I had a need to print out a few calendar pages today, and after thinking about it for a second, I realized that there was a calendar program of some sort on a pile of ancient CDs in the closet that I had not yet dumped. I had actually thrown out a lot of CDs already because they failed to run under Win7, including a few things that I had sorely missed at upgrade time, like the software that came with two of my three scanners. (Thanks to God and all the fates that there is a VueScan X64 that understands both scanners.)
I dug in a box and there it was: Broderbund's Calendar Creator 7, copyright 1999. It indicated that the software was for Win9x and NT4. I never remember installing it, and honestly don't recall how it came to me. I have accepted dead or dying computers from other people who had no idea where to take them and didn't want to just put them out on the curb. Some of these machines came with cardboard boxes full of odd and often broken stuff, with an alluvial layer of software CDs on the bottom. I'm guessing that this was one of them.
So hey, wotthehell: I popped it into my Core 2 Duo/Win7 lab machine, fully expecting it to fail to either install, run, or both. It installed. And it ran.
However, during its first run it actually created a calendar for me, and printed several pages as a test. I edited the page layout a litle bit and printed the three months that I needed. Then I closed the program and went on to other things. A couple of hours later I realized I needed one more month, but when I tried to run it again, it croaked.
I would have shrugged and tossed it, except that it did run once, launched by the installer as soon as the installer had finished with it. Hmmm. Since installers have to have admin permissions to do their jobs, this made a certain amount of sense, and suggested that if I could run the app as admin, it should work. I gave it admin permissions. It worked.
The 16-bit colors look a little weird, but it runs full-screen at 1600 X 1200 with only one glitch: Print preview doesn't quite reflect reality. Screens that big didn't exist in 1999, so I can forgive it that much. It did the job I needed, didn't cost anything, and as best I can tell didn't mess anything else up. (That's not universal, and it's why I always install things first on a lab machine or a VM. At least do a restore point before you install weird stuff like this.)
If you ever find yourself in this situation, here's how you run old software as admin:
- Right-click the shortcut to get the context menu.
- Select Properties.
- On the Shortcut Properties dialog, select the Shortcut tab.
- Click the Advanced button.
- Check the "Run as administrator" checkbox.
- Click OK.
Keep in mind that not all ancient software will be this cooperative. A lot of old stuff won't run at all, or even install. However, it's useful to try running it as admin before you flip the CD into the trash.
I may still go looking for a modern calendar program. However, it was a good memory jogger, and made me acknowledge that whoever wrote that thing did a very good job of anticipating the future. This is not universal programmer behavior, trust me, and I am not exempt: A DOS program listing utility I wrote in Turbo Pascal in 1985 or so would run in a DOS box in NT4 and Win2K…but after 1999 passed into history, it labeled the printouts as occurring in the year 19100. So it goes.


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High blood pressure is quite a common phenomenon in the present day's life, but it's quite injurious to your health. It can make you vulnerable towards cardiovascular ailments. Your controlled lifestyle can keep these problems at bay.
- Smoking is always injurious to health. It also true for your hypertension related problems. Try to quit smoking as early as you can. Alcohol consumption should also be eliminated.
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- Stressful life is one of the major reasons for high blood pressure. It can make the situation worse. So try to lead a relaxed life. You can adopt various options for easing the situation.


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(photo credit: farmsanctuary.org)
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, Farm Sanctuary has shared a sweet love story involving two rescued animals. The lovebirds, a sheep named Chico and a goat named Dorothy, reside at Farm Sanctuary's New York Shelter and have formed a very special bond.
Farm Sanctuary's National Shelter Director Susie Coston writes of the pair, "They seek each other out, and when they meet, they exchange adoring greetings by rubbing their heads against each other. They spend hours each day grooming, playing and snuggling together. We don't know how it happened, but these two are obviously smitten."
It's not uncommon for animals to bond and form friendships, but what makes this story so exceptional is that the relationship has been formed between two animals of separate species.
Both Chico and Dorothy have been living at the 175-acre shelter in upstate New York for many years. Dorothy was part of a trio of goats rescued in 2007. Weak and emaciated, she was saved from imminent death from a rural farm strewn with the corpses of 43 goats. Chico, who had reservations at a slaughterhouse but was saved by two loving girls, arrived at the shelter in 2006.
The tale of the two farm animals ends on a happy note thanks to Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Dorothy and Chico, and all the other animals at Farm Sanctuary, are available for sponsorship – a great gift to give your sweetheart this Valentine's Day.
Follow This Dish Is Vegetarian on Twitter
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PETA tells Larry Bird his appearance in McDonald's Super Bowl ad isn't 'for the birds'
Vegan firefighter Rip Esselstyn shares Engine 2 Diet with Dr. Oz
Taylor Swift scolded for feeding wild possums in Australia
Doctor says Rush Limbaugh should be more conservative
Sarah Palin's popularity takes hit in latest poll


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Dr. David Granet, a professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, said: "Everyone is familiar with A.D.H.D. and A.D.D., but not with eye problems, especially not with convergence insufficiency. But we don't want to send kids for remedial reading and education efforts if they have an eye problem. This should be part of the protocol for eye doctors."
"When five of the symptoms of A.D.H.D. overlap with C.I. (convergence insufficiency)," he said, "how can you not step back and say, Wait a minute?"
Dr. Granet also commented, "We don't know if convergence insufficiency makes ADHD worse or if convergence insufficiency is misdiagnosed as ADHD. What we do know is that more research must be done on this subject and that patients diagnosed with ADHD should also be evaluated for convergence insufficiency and treated accordingly."
The Relationship between Convergence Insufficiency and ADHD
Strabismus 2005 Dec;13(4):163-8.
David B. Granet, MD FACS FAAO FAAP, Cintia F. Gomi MD, Ricardo Ventura, MD, Andrea Miller-Scholte, CO
Copyright: Strabismus Department of Ophthalmology, Ratner Children's Eye Center, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA.
About Overlap of Symptoms
"The symptoms of convergence insufficiency (CI) can make it difficult for a
student to concentrate on extended reading and overlap with those of ADHD."
"Some of the symptoms of ADHD overlap those of convergence insufficiency (CI).
Comparing the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey... with the DSM-IV
criteria for ADHD, we noted that 5 of the 9 symptoms of inattention could also be
applied for CI (symptoms 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 as follows).
DSM-IV Criteria for ADHD:
About Diagnosis
"For the diagnosis [of ADHD], a complete medical evaluation should be performed and vision or
hearing deficits should be ruled out. Underlying visual or hearing problems may
cause the child's academic underperformance and/or lack of concentration."
"Since the symptoms [of ADHD and convergence insufficiency] can be similar, it is not hard to imagine a diagnostic confusion."
"We observed in our clinic that an unusual number of children with or suspected to
have ADHD also had convergence insufficiency."
Medication Issues:
"...it is possible that the medications used to treat ADHD are aggravating CI. For
some of these drugs, difficulties with accommodation and blurring have been reported
(Bennett et al., 1999)."
"No matter what the true cause or cause and effect relationship, it is unavoidable
that the presence of CI may cause (1) misdiagnosis, (2) diagnostic confusion or
(3) exacerbation of the symptoms of ADHD."
"In view of these findings, we believe it reasonable that CI be evaluated in
patients with or suspected to have ADHD."
"CI is a condition that responds well to treatment..."
A retrospective review of 266 patients with CI presenting to an academic pediatric ophthalmology practice was performed. All patients included were diagnosed with CI by one author (DBG) and evaluated for the diagnosis of ADHD. A computerized review was also performed looking at the converse incidence of CI in patients carrying the diagnosis of ADHD.
We reviewed 266 charts of patients with CI. Twenty-six patients (9.8%) were diagnosed with ADHD at some time in their clinical course. Of the patients with ADHD and CI, 20 (76.9%) were on medication for ADHD at the time of diagnosis for CI while 6 (23.1%) were either not on medication or the medication was discontinued several months before the diagnosis of CI. The review of computer records showed a 15.9% incidence of CI in the ADHD population.
We report an apparent three-fold greater incidence of ADHD among patients with CI when compared with the incidence of ADHD in the general US population (1.8-3.3%). We also note a seeming three-fold greater incidence of CI in the ADHD population. This may simply represent an association and not be a causative relationship. Until further studies are performed, however, patients diagnosed with ADHD should be evaluated to identify the small subset that may have CI -- a condition that responds well to treatment at home.
Locate the entire article on PubMed at The Relationship
between Convergence Insufficiency and ADHD.
By Thomas D. Schram
HealthSCOUT Reporter>BR>
Copyright © 2000
Copyright © 2000
Doctors have found an intriguing relationship between a common eye disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the doctor who released the findings says the discovery opens more questions than it answers.
Doctors have found an intriguing relationship between a common eye disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the doctor who released the findings says the discovery opens more questions than it answers.
Dr. David B. Granet, director of the Ratner Children's Eye Center in San Diego, says workers at the center began noticing that many patients being treated for convergence insufficiency -- an inability to focus the eyes at close range -- were also being treated for ADHD.
ADHD is marked by inattentiveness, impulsive behavior and hyperactivity. This means that kids who have it have trouble sitting, focusing and controlling their impulses.
By reviewing the charts of 266 patients, doctors at the center found that nearly 16 percent of the people with ADHD had convergence insufficiency problems. That's more than three times as many as would be statistically expected.
"It just seemed over and over this was coming up. That's how a lot of research begins. Your clinical impression comes first and that leads you down a pathway," Granet says.
But this pathway may be more of a rocky road, adds Granet, who cautions against jumping to any conclusions.
"I think we've got something in convergence insufficiency that makes the symptoms of ADHD worse, and by treating it, we may be able to help those kids with ADHD cope and function," he said.
But he warns that there are many possible explanations for the relationship:
The size of the group and the fact that they all were all eye patients may present a statistical aberration.
"We just don't know yet how this association works," Granet says.
Dr. Maria Lymberis, treasurer of the American Psychiatric Association, echoes those sentiments.
"Hyperactivity is a very complex subject. All the ingredients have to be there if the brain is going to work properly. So you can think about what the people at the eye center are doing as one piece of the puzzle," she says.
Lymberis would not be surprised if a relationship between the two disorders is eventually proven to exist.
"It's not exactly a new idea. The brain is not one uniform thing. It is many centers with many different highly specialized functions. So if you're having a problem even in a relatively minor part of the circuitry, it can affect your overall attention performance," she says.
"The next step is to roll up our sleeves and do more work," says Granet. The Ratner Center next will look at children before and after they take ADHD drugs to see if the drugs were part of the equation, he says.
"I'd bet that most psychiatrists and pediatricians are not that familiar with convergence insufficiency and maybe the best thing that comes out of this is that those experts dealing with ADHD will be more aware of this."
Conversion insufficiency affects 3 percent to 5 percent of the population. It can usually be treated with special eye exercises. If your child seems to have difficulty focusing when reading, see an eye-care specialist.
SOURCES: Interviews with David B. Granet, M.D., director, Ratner Children's Eye Center, University of California at San Diego; and Maria Lymberis, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry, University of California at Los Angeles


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Page One
Occupation of UC Berkeley Land Continues for 17th Day
A standoff between protesters and the University of California at Berkeley over a 10-acre plot of university-owned agricultural land in Albany continued into its 17th day today.
Anya Kamanskaya, of the group Occupy The Farm, said the ball is in the university's court after protesters issued a response late Monday to the university's proposal to resolve the standoff.
UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said the university planned to respond to the protesters' letter later today.
Occupy the Farm activists moved onto the site, which is known as the Gill Tract and is located near the corner of Marin and San Pablo avenues, on April 22, which is Earth Day.
They've planted vegetables at the site and say they are occupying the land because they want it to be preserved for sustainable agriculture.
They allege that UC plans to replace the current agricultural land with commercial, recreational and open space.
But university officials say the existing agricultural fields will continue to be used as an open-air laboratory by the students and faculty of the College of Natural Resources for agricultural research.
They say the parcel of land slated to be developed is to the south of the Gill Tract, at Monroe Street and San Pablo Avenue. That land hasn't been farmed since World War II, according to the university.
Kamanskaya said UC police officers came by the site early today to warn protesters that they are trespassing on university property, but she said that isn't unusual because police have been issuing such notices since the protest began.
She said activists "are committed to farming the land here" and have no plans to leave.


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MAC's seminal investigative report, written in 1969, The Way We Go to School: Children Excluded in Boston profoundly changed the landscape of education in Massachusetts, and ultimately the nation. The Task Force report revealed that ten thousand or more children were either being systematically excluded from Boston's public education system or warehoused in classrooms or schools that provided inferior or custodial care.
Please provide your name and email address to download the manual:


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NatureForm produces quality ventilation equipment and commercial incubators for hatching eggs of many kinds. Game birds, such as duck and quail can benefit from our hatchery equipment and consulting services.
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Danish researchers have determined that the density of polar bear penis bones is being diminished by oceanic pollution.
Penis bones, or baculum, are also found in many species of mammal including dogs, cats, rodents, chimpanzees and bats, but not humans. Biologists believe that these bones aid in supporting the penis and increasing stimulation for the female during mating.
Between 1990 and 2000, scientists from Aarhus University in Denmark examined 279 polar bear baculum specimens. Polar bears with lower baculum density were more likely to be found in regions where the water was contaminated with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), an industrial chemical once used in paints and insulation. These chemicals have been banned worldwide since 2001 but, like most artificial materials, take a long time to break down naturally.
A weakened baculum can negatively impact the polar bear's reproduction habits, making them vulnerable to penile fracture. To humans, PCBs are a carcinogen, and can also cause adverse effects to the reproductive and immune systems.
The discovery represents another blow to the survival of the polar bear, but by continuing to address climate change we may be able to ensure that the polar bear goes merely the way of the panda, not the way of the dodo.


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As you may know, this past summer the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) decided to allow the ordination of gay clergy.
Yesterday a new Presbyterian denomination was born: the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians—or, for short, ECO. (As opposed to echo, which is a hollow, after-the-fact, ever-diminishing noise. So, you know—it's not that.)
ECO was formed by pastors and laypeople in response to PCUSA's decision to join the 21st century. They're against gay people being ordained as ministers, and so started their own sub-denomination where that would be prohibited.
And that's fair enough. It's certainly their right to take their ball and go off in a corner somewhere to play with just themselves.
Notable, however, is that ECO has simply refused to say why they were formed. They won't do it. They won't say that they're a one-issue organization, that they exist solely in opposition to PCUSA's sanctioning the ordination of gay people.
Though it's not like anyone doesn't know why they were formed. Yesterday's Reuters story about ECO is titled Presbyterian group breaks away over gay clergy. So, you know: cat's out of the bag.
Yet you can search high and low throughout ECO's website, and nowhere will you find a single, solitary word about gay people or homosexuality. You'll read that ECO wants to "connect leaders through accountable biblical relationships," to "reclaim a sense of covenanted biblical community," and to "develop gospel-centered leaders." You'll discover ECO's passion for "the right kind of diversity" (which is then carefully stipulated to mean "women, men, young leaders, and every ethnicity"). You'll learn of ECO's desire to "unite around a shared theological core."
ECO honchos! Just say that you've formed because you believe that gays shouldn't be ordained! If your convictions are so great that they've compelled you to found a "breakaway movement," why aren't they great enough for you to be explicit about what it is you're breaking away from?
That said, though, I'm heartened by the leaders of ECO being so weak about proclaiming their true nature and purpose. It means they're as uncomfortable as, God knows, they should be about excluding gay people from full participation in the life that Jesus so passionately offered to all.
It's always encouraging when someone can't force their mouth to say what their heart knows is wrong. It means there's hope for them yet.
In the meantime, our would-be friends at ECO are stuck, as it were, inartfully singing along with the Cowardly Lion:
I'm sure I could show my prowess / Be a lion, not a mouse / If I only had the nerve.
* * *
Related Post: Our [Presbyterian] Church: "Sign This Anti-Gay Statement, or Leave"
(UPDATE: A commenter to this post wrote: "As a PCUSA pastor I can tell you a big reason why ECO was formed was because the pastors in the anti-gay lobby receive very generous pension and medical benefits from the PCUSA that they are afraid to leave behind should they follow their conscience to disaffiliate from the denomination. … Our pension plan is the envy of most denominations and our benefits are generous. Any minister can leave at any time to seek a call in another Presbyterian denomination that would have them [PCA, OPC, EPC, RCA, CRC, etc.]. But they don't want to give up the perks." Gee, what a surprise: anti-gay Christian leaders whose conscience ends where their wallets begin.)


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The Dylan // Black
This variant is currently sold out
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Model wears a size Small


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How is Versada Organized: FAQ Answered
How is the company organized? How do you manage workload? What are career opportunities?
We get many questions during about our company and why do we have different business mindset comparing to others. Here goes answers to mostly asked questions! Hope you will find them interesting!
What management style or development methodology does the team use?
What we have found during the years is that every company has a unique approach regarding what they need and how they want to co-operate in order to accomplish it. Our work is based on Agile methodology and understanding all needs of parties in the project.
Ultimately, our goal is to provide the best Odoo ERP solutions for companies and simplify their processes flow. We don't really want to force them to engage with us; we want them to be specifically interested in working with Versada, because they see us as a company that can provide value to their organization with innovative solutions.
How do you manage working hours?
We are really flexible when talking about working hours. Some of our team are early morning people and start early. Others have found out their productivity hits from noon and that's ok, start your working day then! Versada seeks to keep employees happy and satisfied with their jobs and workload. Too intense and corporate working routine is tiring so we are trying to keep balance and let our colleagues to do that. And it is working!
Does management have technical background?
Yes! All of our management have technical background. Our technical team is made from solution engineers and developers. All of them have long-term experience in programming and project management.
Which product will a new employee be working on?
Versada is working only with Odoo ERP system and implementation. Ongoing projects vary from local to international but all of them are chosen to fulfill needs of client in the best possible way. New employee is going to have trainings and then step by step becomes a part of several projects. It very depends on how much experience developer has with Python, HTML, Javascript, PostgreSQL etc. We are ensuring support and practical trainings from the best solution engineers and developers.
Is there a possibility to advance your career or get a promotion?
No doubt! Even though Versada has flat organizational structure, we provide multiple opportunities to grow as a developer. You can build your expertise and specialize about topics you find interesting. We aim to give as much responsibility as person desires and support their growth. Also, we have 20/80 rule which means you can spend 20% of your working time on tasks you find interesting for your professional growth. What is more, we have special bonus systems created for developers and metrics to follow to get a promotion. Interested? Reach our HR Milda - she will tell you everything!
What does the office environment look like?
Versada has two offices - headquarters in Kaunas and working space in Vilnius. Also, we have some remote employees working from Macedonia. Yes, we are seeking to find the best Odoo and Python specialists wherever they are.
Our main office in Kaunas is situated in city centre with a wonderful and at the same time diverse view to calm Nemunas island and always buzzy streets of Kaunas. We are working in one of the newest business centers in Kaunas - ARKA. We chose Happspace as our workspace for cozy and modern atmosphere and people working here.
And best news are that at the moment WE ARE HIRING! Versada is expanding and currently we are looking for:
Python Trainee (only with ability to work after traineeship is over)
Are you interested in working with us? Or do you have any unanswered questions?
Reach us at any time via [email protected]
You Are Welcome to Join Versada Team!


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Services & Resources
Woodslane began trading in 1989, to emerge as a leader in technology, business and lifestyle publishing and distribution in Australia and New Zealand. Woodslane believes the need for information is greater now more than ever, and has risen to the challenge of anticipating the needs and supplying the demands of an information hungry market where and how they want it.
Welcome to the publisher and partners section of the website. Here you can access your sales commission and market reports. Some of the features are still under construction but we will advise you as soon as they become available.
Please feel free to contact us at any time.
David Scott - Managing Director
Helmut Weber - Chief Financial Officer
Taylor Scott - Supply Chain ManagerStephen O'Donoghue - National Retail Sales Manager
Kerry Corben - Marketing Manager
With over 2000 Australian titles plus over 20000 titles from the leading international publishers within their respective categories Woodslane can provide the products the resources and the service to help you increase your sales.
Please note we have new terms of trade, please complete the following form: Retailer Terms of Trade options
At an increasing rate we have titles both for the educators own development as well as texts to assist for students in their chosen field of study.
Woodslane publishes between 20-40 titles per year under the Woodslane Press and Boiling Billy imprints. So if you are an author looking for a publisher then speak with us, we can publish as a book or ebook , provide publishing services and/or distribute the finished work within Australia and around the world. .


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Whether you deploy converged infrastructure solutions built around the Cisco Unified Computing Systems (UCS) and Cisco Nexus solutions, or use multivendor infrastructures, you need unified converged infrastructure management. Firefly's portfolio of courses are designed to help you implement successfully.
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