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Fabbriche di Vergemoli
A territory with ancient origins surrounded by two valleys
The large territory around Fabbriche di Vergemoli is enclosed by the inviting mountains of the Garfagnana, a land of villages dotting an area whose beauty can never be mistaken, home to priceless waters, shaded forests and a rich history.
Water has always been a vital element in this territory, together with the mountains. Even the spirit of Fabbriche di Vergemoli is nourished by the rushing waters of the rivers, especially the Turrite, which since the 1900s has been a source of energy for ironworks, mills and paper factories. Nature here exists in harmony with man, even providing the space needed for trades that are today at risk of disappearing forever. Some still manage to live on, like the blacksmith in Gragliana, who uses a traditional water-powered mallet, or the cooper in Focchia, who skilfully continues the trade, building vats and barrels in chestnut wood.
Another charming, natural creation in this area are its caves, especially the Grotta del Vento, a breath-taking network of galleries that takes its name from the streams running through these calcareous corridors. The Grotta di Castelvenere is also evocative, found at the foot of Monte Penna in Vallico Sopra: this opening in the rock face was a genuine treasure chest, home to archeological artefacts that revealed how it used to be place of worship dedicated to fertility.
Surrounded by the Pania della Croce, Monte Forato and the Pania Secca, there are a lot of small but quaint towns in the area, each home to important cultural sites. In addition to Vergemoli, Vallico Sopra and Vallico Sotto, there are also San Luigi, a historic mountain pasture in the shade of the beech and chestnut trees with an impressive view, Fornovalasco, Gragliana and Calomini. The latter is home to a fascinating hermitage, a sanctuary nestled on a rocky spur in the mountains, which, with its veil of silence, is a great place for meditation and relaxation. The Calomini hermitage was founded as a sanctuary when a shepherdess saw the Vergine della Roccia in this place around the year 1000, which still today is venerated and whose image was carved into a simple but evocative wooden statue. To gather yourself and rest for a minute, there's nothing better than this place, suspended in both body and spirit.
The entire territory is a source of serenity, with spaces for meditation and listening that can reveal themselves during a simple stroll, so full it is of fairy-tale-like villages and forests that seem as if they hide fairies and sprites. Take a look inside the Romanesque Church of San Giacomo in Vallico di Sotto, or cross the bridge that connects the two parts of the town in contemplative silence, accompanied only by the powerful sound of the stream rushing below.


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In a go-go world, we get caught up in the tailspin of chasing after a job promotion, marking off items on our to-do list, running errands, and doing household chores — all for a sense of completion, relaxation, and peace of mind. Too often, our satisfaction is delayed, stalled, or sometimes never comes because of more stuff added to the plate, like that next stack of mail dropped at our doorstep.
When you think about it, most of our activity is outcome driven. It's ingrained in us from birth. Everything has a purpose. We make good grades to pass class and get promoted to the next level. We go to the gym for fitness and weight loss. Even most hobbies are results driven. Take scrapbooking, for example. You are working towards making a photo album from front to back.
With emphasis placed on results, we learn that good feelings ride on the final product. But, we can never win – good is never enough.
No wonder it's difficult for us to take it easy, be okay with failure, relax when things aren't moving forward, insert your stress here.
We need activities that are not centered around the goal.
What activities do you engage in for the sheer purpose of the activity itself?
What is one pastime you enjoy for the sake of the process and not the goal?
Examples might include exploring with art, music, and movement. Go to the art store and pick up materials that you find interesting. Read Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and learn how to draw. Or sit out in the sun and breathe in fresh air. You might play with your furry four-legged friend. Travel to somewhere new. Take a different exercise class.
Remember, you are doing the activity for the sake of enjoying it, not trying to be better at it.
It's more about expression than production, like play.
I invite you to consider adding a couple of these activities into your daily life, and explore what comes up for you. You might feel more calm, playful, and creative. You may notice a sense of ease and relaxation. Your family might enjoy spending more time with you. You might also surprise yourself with your artistic talents!

subset: commoncrawl


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Porto, Portugal
In October 2013 we headed out for one week to Porto for surfing, skating and traveling. This is what happened when I looked through my new 5D Mark III. I also wanted to check out its RAW capabilities, so I went extreme on the grading.
Special thanks to the performers: Tom Kleinschmidt, Werner Hoffmann and Markus Lange


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|Picture: Peter Ryan
The sinking of the Sewol ferry off the Korean peninsula six months ago remains a source of deep sadness and heartache in South Korea.
The fallout from the tragedy stunned the nation and even today many people remain suspicious about the Korean government's investigation amid claims of fraud, embezzlement and corporate coverup over who's to blame.
I visited a tent city in downtown Seoul, not far from my hotel, which is dedicated to the lives of the more than 300 people - mainly high school students - who drowned when the Sewol ferry capsized back in April.
Here's my report from this morning's edition of Saturday AM on the ABC.
|Picture: Peter Ryan
|Yellow ribbons mourn the 300 lives lost when the Sewol ferry sank in April Picture:Peter Ryan
|Picture: Peter Ryan
Most of the Sewol tragedy victims were high school students who stayed in their seats waiting for instructions as the ferry capsized and sank.
The ferry captain is facing the death penalty, accused of jumping ship and saving himself.
But he says the company is to blame for overloading the ferry and commissioning and illegal redesign.
The Sewol investigation has deadlocked Korea's National Assembly with more than 90 pieces of legislation, including a free trade agreement with Australia held up by the highly emotional and divisive investigation into the Sewol tragedy.
|ABC business editor Peter Ryan with protester Misun Cho at the tent city
|Many victims of the Sewol tragedy were high school students - protesters now worry their children are unsafe Picture: Peter Ryan
|Picture: Peter Ryan
|The vibrant music could be mistaken for a celebration. But there's only sadness here. Picture Peter Ryan
I visited South Korea as part of the Australia-Korea Journalist Exchange.
Thanks to the Walkley Foundation, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and the Korea Press Foundation.


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In no particular order or personal preference, and solely for the purposes of provoking thought and debate on these topics:
Irish Independent (Charlie Weckler): We are hypocrites on Charlie Hebdo and freedom of speech
Take France, the epicentre of attention after the Paris attacks on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper offices two weeks ago. After initially grabbing the high moral ground for defending freedom of expression, it immediately reverted to an old European habit: rounding up and jailing people for saying exactly the same things as Charlie Hebdo does, but focused on different targets…
In Ireland, we don't really have much of a problem curtailing free speech or communications when it's 'required'. The majority here agreed with a law that criminalised the broadcast of a person's voice if that person was a member of a particular political party (Sinn Fein)… [note from Oisín: the majority didn't actually get much of a 'choice' in the matter…]
US News & World Report (Charlie Schnurer): Let Charlie Be Charlie –
Yes, Charlie Hebdo is offensive, but freedom of speech is most tested by those on the fringe.
Unfortunately, very rarely do tests of freedom involve the popular, the tasteful and the acceptable. For what should be obvious reasons, our tolerance is generally tested by the intolerable – and, most often, this is represented by those on the fringes of society, not the powerful and dominant…
The notion that words or thoughts in themselves are harmful depends upon rejecting the concept of free will and human responsibility for one's own actions… we can't really build a functioning society without these concepts. Yet we are trying to do just that if we insist that someone who suggests something to you is responsible for your own actions and decisions.
Now, it's sometimes the case that independent, rational thought isn't involved, and these are circumstances that can make mere words responsible for ensuing harms – where, for instance, they can be understood as an order that the speaker reasonably knows will be followed, or a violent threat that the hearer can reasonably fear will actually be carried out. That's why yelling fire in a theater isn't protected speech: It can be fully expected to incite a dangerous panic. But where the opportunity exists for rational thought, an action is the responsibility of the person who chooses to take it, not the one who suggests or "incites" it…
This gets responsibility backwards. Except in rare instances… words do not cause harm. It is the people who act on them that do.
… suppression, by definition, emanates from majorities or those who otherwise hold power. It is always a tool of the powerful, not the weak and the downtrodden.
Humankind's advance is due to the development and spread of new ideas. Virtually everything that comprises modern life – from the scientific revolution to each of the three monotheistic religions – was originally considered unacceptable and repressed by authorities of the day. To stifle expression of thought – and, with it, thought itself – would be to consign humanity to stagnation and extinction.
The assertion that one shouldn't express controversial views because they will engender predictably violent reactions – and that such speech can and should therefore be suppressed – has been a frequent one, directed mostly against the civil rights and anti-war movements. Arguments that words can be equated to weapons, and ideas therefore suppressed, tend to arise from those intent on protecting status quo ideas and elites…
An Phoblacht (Mark Moloney): When did free speech become a British 'value'?
The three men who took to the platform days later called for those who supported freedom and democracy to face down these murderers. For their trouble, these three men were arrested and thrown in prison – charged with exercising free speech.
This was not, however, some reaction to the horrific killings at the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris – these murders took place on the streets of the Irish city of Derry in 1972…
When did freedom of speech become a British value, precisely? It certainly wasn't a value in 1972 when those three men were locked-up for a year and a half for speaking their minds.
It certainly wasn't a value when the British Government banned democratically-elected representatives from speaking on national airwaves in the 1980s and 1990s.
And it certainly wasn't a value when the British Government justified the bombing of a Serbian TV station and the slaughter of its employees just before the turn of the millennium.
It would appear "free speech" is only a British value when the Government agrees with what is said.
An Phoblacht (video): 'Freedom of Speech' at the An Phoblacht offices in Dublin, 23 November 1987 #CharlieHebdo
An Phoblacht newspaper office raid 1987
Techdirt.com: Sickening – Police & Surveillance State Apologists Leap At Charlie Hebdo Opportunity To Advocate For More Spying, Less Freedom
In the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris yesterday, many people have been talking about various issues related to free speech and satire… it's concerning to see that those who wish to suppress other civil liberties are jumping at the chance to use the attack yesterday as a jumping off point.
In an age of heightened terrorism liberty depends on increased security.
David Green of British "Liberal Civilization" group, Civitas
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
– US President,
Terrorist, Unconstitutional Demagogue, Anti-British & Successful Revolutionary, Benjamin Franklin


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What should I do if work has gone wrong?
If the complaint is about your own building work, you should initially raise it with your builder. You should always use a reputable builder who is a member of a trade association - such as the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The association has a published complaints procedure, which sets out what you can do if your building work has gone wrong.
Local council building control teams inspect building work and certify it meets building standards. If they find work is not up to minimum legal standards they have the power to require the builder to bring it up to the required level. So if you have concerns about the quality of work on your building site you should contact the local council building control team to discuss your concerns.
For general advice on consumers' rights about building work contact the local Citizen's Advice Bureau.


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Progunfighter is about promoting professionalism in the combat arts – specifically firearms, equipment and training. Much of our material is geared towards law enforcement and other "armed professionals" though lessons from the mil/LE world are often applicable to private citizens as well.
The term "armed professional" gets thrown around a lot, especially in law enforcement circles. Unfortunately that is often not an accurate description.
"Professional" means more than simply getting paid to do something. Another definition of "professional" is: "a person competent or skilled in a particular activity." So it begs the question – is a police officer who struggles to pass a simple marksmanship qualification really an "armed professional?" Or are they simply just "armed?" Is an agency that allows that kind of mediocrity to carry on in their department truly a "professional" law enforcement agency? Is an instructor who can't explain the reason behind a particular technique or tactic and compare and contrast it to others truly a "professional instructor?"
Usually it is not a lack of desire or dedication among officers and instructors that produces this culture of mediocrity, but rather a lack of knowledge. Often times, due to the culture of "training inbreeding" where instructors are trained by others within their agency, who were trained by others within their agency – the result is a cadre of instructors who have never been exposed to the world outside their "sphere" – and thus teach outdated information, resist innovation and creative-thinking without even realizing it.
And then of course in today's world, the majority of training agencies provide their officers is simply "check the box" training intended to limit their own liability, or pass it onto the shoulders of their officers, rather than training that will actually save an officer's life? Why else do they allow officers who can barely pass the above-mentioned qualification out onto the street?
That all may sound harsh, but the first step towards improvement is understanding where you are – and where you can potentially be.
About the Author:
Adrian Alan served as a full-time police officer from 2005-2018, and is currently employed as a range and training director for an optics manufacturer in the midwest. He is co-owner of Performance on Demand Shooting, and serves as a part-time deputy sheriff. Over the course of his career, Adrian has served in patrol, on a crime suppression team and on SWAT serving time as an assaulter, DMR and sniper. He is a state-certified LE instructor in a number of disciplines including pistol, rifle, firearms MIT, EVOC, tactics among others. Over the course of his career, Adrian has worked on firearms training programs and department policy, assisting agencies across the country in equipping their officers and developing patrol rifle programs and training. He is a certified armorer on a number of weapons platforms, and In 2015 he was recognized nationally, receiving the Chudwin Award for Patrol Rifle Excellence at the 2015 National Patrol Rifle Conference, and now sits on the NPRC advisory board. He resides in southwest Wisconsin with his family and enjoys hunting, fishing and competitive shooting.


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This tutorial is meant to tell beginner the facility of pointers in C programming. The first describes the C language within the strict sense of the time period; the second describes the usual library, and the third describes the process of compiling and testing applications with the instruments within the common GNU software assortment. Assembly languages are low-degree programming languages which can be particular to a particular computer architecture.
Also, the Q&A bit at the finish of each chapter makes this e-book a must have for novices. Most of the belongings you be taught with C will be instantly transferable to future programming languages. The best of these have shared one feature all: they had been set down in the language of Kernighan and Ritchie, the syntactic heritage of systems programmers because the minicomputer era. This website is a information for the novices and likewise for those who have little information on C Programming fundamentals. I read the e book fully by and initially thought chapter 5 was unnecessarily complicated. However earlier than we begin with Pointer we should have some concept on the operators we're going to use in Pointer programming. Use the C language dynamic reminiscence allocation (malloc, calloc, realloc and free).
By 1973, with the addition of struct sorts, the C language had become powerful enough that most of the Unix kernel was rewritten in C. This was one of the first operating system kernels carried out in a language apart from meeting. But, if you can't say why while (s++ = p++); copies a string, you're programming on a superstition. If you're new to programming, C is a good choice to start your programming journey. If htsi argument is right please ship me some examples packages with capabilities. It is useful to know, however don't forget that this programming language shouldn't be much in connection with something concrete and tangible. Topcoder is among the most popular websites providing programming challenges and exercises. SPOJ is basically a big database of programming issues in numerous languages.
Except for how asinine and useless these measures are, since they let you know nothing about its reputation with developers, it appears awfully unusual to choose a fight with a language that's solely ever compiled once and never formally executed in its original form.
A number of the websites on the programming challenges list run contests and, for those who do well on puzzles on one site, you could possibly land your self a brand new job! Before getting started with C programming, lets get familiarized with the language first. This course will provide an introduction to the C programming language and its usage.


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North America, United States, California, Sierra Nevada, Tehipite Dome, Wall of Ages
Tehipite Dome, Wall of Ages. Last summer John Fehrman, Bryan Sweeney, and I completed a route (Wall of Ages V-VI 5.11+ A0) up the main south face of this magnificent dome in Kings Canyon National Park. This three-year project had involved Richard Leversee, Mike Davis, Scott Thelen, and Brandon Thau on two previous forays. While the route can be approached from the valley floor, it is in the best interests of future parties to rap the route and climb out. The climb is 23 pitches long, free at mostly 5.10-5.11, except for one short tension traverse and one short bolt ladder that spans a blank bulge. A spacious wooded ledge, Sherwood Forest, offers bivy options at the midpoint, though the final complete ascent was done in a long day. There are now several independent finishes on the upper section of the formation that alone are worth the hike in.
Dave Nettle


text: The name given to the manager selection and placement system worldwide is the Executive Search Consultants. About 50-60 years executive search consultants has for time been a very specialized management form of consulting, where firms can identify and secure the leading candidates. With this methodology, Human Resources consultants find out the managers they need and place them in positions. The managerial selection work, which is a systematic and disciplined working adventure, is carried out professionally byHuman Resource specialists and executive search consulting companies. Why executive search In a global economy system, companies need to be strong in the face of competition,… Read More


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You will need:
1(6 pound) whole chicken that has been cleaned and patted dry.
5 carrots cut into large chunks
5 large celery stalks cut into large chunks
1 pound of small, baby potatoes cut in half
1 bulb of garlic cut in half
1 stalk of bruised lemongrass(trimmed)
1 package of roasted potatoes spices(follow the directions on the package but only rub about 1 Tbsp onto the actual potatoes)
3 Tbsp of softened butter
black pepper
Dry rub for chicken:
1 Tbsp of Chinese five spice
1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp of paprika
1 1/4 tsp of salt
1 tsp of black pepper
2 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of onion powder
3 tsp of sugar
1/4 tsp of msg(optional)
Kitchen twine or string
For the gravy:
3 Tbsp of butter
3 Tbsp of sifted all purpose flour
about 2 cups of chicken broth(use your pan drippings and mix with chicken broth to total 2 cups)
salt, pepper, and sugar to taste
First, make your dry rub and then set aside. Next, remove giblets from the chicken, then wash it thoroughly(don't forget to clean the inside as well). Generously coat the chicken with the dry rub. Then, add some softened underneath the skin. Once done, salt and pepper the cavity and then add in your garlic and lemongrass. Take some kitchen twine and securely tie the legs together. Allow the chicken to rest overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Take your chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temp. Next, take your celery and carrots and place them into your roasting pan. Drizzle in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Do the same with the baby potatoes or use a package of roasted potato seasoning like I did in the video. Put your chicken directly on top of all the veggies and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. You may tent the chicken with foil if it gets too dark looking for you. Let chicken rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it. Remove the veggies from roasting pan and pour the liquid/drippings from the pan into a fat separator or measuring cup and scoop out most of the fat. Add in some chicken broth to make a total of 2 cups. Set aside.
On medium high heat, add in 3 Tbsp of butter into a hot, cast iron skillet. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until butter has completely melted. Then, add in 3 Tbsp of sifted flour and continue to whisk until smooth. Once it has started to turn color, slowly pour in your reserved drippings/chicken broth mix and continue to whisk. Add in some salt, pepper, and sugar, and taste check as you go along. Continue to cook until gravy has thickened, about 15 minutes or so. Transfer to gravy bowl.
Cut up your chicken and place on a platter along with your roasted veggies and homemade gravy!! YUMMY!!


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To survive and thrive, every organization must know how to navigate change. Unfortunately, 75 percent of change initiatives will fail, according to McKinsey & Co.
When change initiatives fall flat, organizations suffer and the leaders of those failed initiatives are hit with major career setbacks. The impact includes low morale, low trust in leadership, low productivity, and, worst of all, low expectations and lack of confidence in the future. Externally, failures erode trust in management and drive stock prices down. Failed leaders are often reassigned, redeployed or removed from a company and the failure follows them until they manage a success that offsets it.
Conversely, leaders who successfully reshape their organizations are sought after and respected. Their organizations leverage changes in the industry. Aside from the tangible wins — revenue growth chief among them — there's a psychological lift when change flourishes. Like a winning sports team, employees become more confident in their individual and collective talents. The ball and the referees' calls always seem to go their way. Over time, they develop resilience and the confidence to "see over mountains" as new challenges come along.
So how to navigate change? Here are the four critical skills leaders must develop:
1. Listen to your front-line people. Many change initiatives are doomed from the beginning because leaders spend all their time listening to each other and third parties with impressive resumes, when they should be listening to their front-line people. Front-line employees know the score, because they're interacting with customers, suppliers and co-workers day in and day out. They know exactly what is wrong with an organization's processes, what is frustrating to customers and what competitors are doing to take business.
2. Play the politics of change. Every change is political because there will always be winners and losers. Losers see their control and influence diminish. To protect their own agendas, many will fight back by playing Machiavellian politics instead of bringing fresh ideas to the table. Change leaders need to understand every competing agenda and anticipate and manage politics by reducing uncertainty, brokering deals, checking their own egos and making a sincere effort to help people feel respected and heard. Doing so saves time that would be wasted by people trying to protect the status quo by any means necessary and inspires team members to bring their A-game and become partners, not opponents.
When a leader becomes known as a champion of good ideas, people with good ideas from inside and outside the organization will start knocking at the door. The leader will quickly build a following and a chest full of ideas that promote and sustain change.
3. Know the organizational priorities. Getting the trust and alignment needed to implement change is the hardest step of all, because transformational change must always span organizational boundaries. A leader has to develop a rapport with key people within each boundary by learning what is important to them as individuals and in their groups. The leader must create intersections to develop a shared culture and learn how to truly read people, instead of merely presenting PowerPoint slides and stoplight reports.
4. Ability to persevere. As a leader of transformational change, you can always count on something going wrong, whether it's your fault or someone else's. Your ability to course correct, rally the troops and start moving in the right direction will determine success or failure. In my experience, leaders will always face their biggest challenges when they're closest to the finish line. I've seen far too many give up or make an irreversible error at that point, and the whole team's efforts are wasted. To press on in the face of difficulty, leaders must have a North Star, a core purpose they strongly believe in that anchors the initiative and guides their and their team's decision making. The most powerful North Stars are end-user focused and very simple for everyone to understand. Unfortunately, the simpler the North Star, the more complicated it is to implement it, because making things easy for end customers means crossing many turfs and breaking down walls within and outside the organization.
Without these skills, a leader managing change will see teams — and the organization — founder.


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Welcome to CP/M Boot Disk.
Listed below you will find many boots disks you can order for various CP/M systems. These boot disks are created using brand new 5 1/4" floppies from freely available images located on the internet. Using either TeleDisk or IMD and 30+ year old PC's I am able to create these diskettes. You can do so yourself if you have the hardware, if not, then you can purchase these from me.
These images have been tested to work and every disk is verified before being mailed. I have sold over 500 disks in the past 3 years and I have learned that the only reason why the image will not work is that either the customer purchased the wrong one or that the actual hardware is dirty, damaged or does not work for another reason. If you do not see the system you want listed below contact me, I may be able to find it for you.
All boot disks are $5.99 each plus shipping. All payments are made via PayPal and are shipped out the next business day after receiving payment. Each boot disk contains PIP.COM for copying files, STAT.COM for viewing file information, ED.COM for editing files and DDT.COM for editing / debuging or the equivalent if the original computer manufacturer created their own versions of these programs. Some boot disks also contain additional programs, you can click on the computer name to see a screen shot of the disk contents.
Thank you,
William "Milli" Hicks
Boot Disks
- Casio FP1000 (Floppy Based) (c1000f)
- Casio FP1000 (Hard Drive Based) (c1000h)
- Coleco Adam SSDD
- DEC Robin VT-180 (decrobin)
- Epson QX-10 (qx10cpm)
- Heathkit 89 / Zenith 89 / Magnolia (zmag)
- Intertek Superbrain (sbrain32)
- Kaypro I SSDD (K1)
- Kaypro II SSDD (kayproii)
- Kaypro 2-84 (2X) SSDD (k2-84ss)
- Kaypro 2-84 (2X) DSDD (k2-84ds)
- Kaypro 4-84 DSDD (k4-84)
- Kaypro 10 DSDD (K10)
- Morrow MD DSDD
- Osborne 1 SSDD (occ1)
- Osborne Executive (ose)
- Osborne Vixen (vixen)
- Phillips P2000
- Sanyo MBC-1000 Series (smbc1000)
- Sanyo MBC-1100 Series (smbc1100)
- Sanyo MBC-1200 Series (smbc1200)
- Televideo 806 (tv806)
- Zorba 2000 DSDD (zorba1)


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Nothing's worse than finding out that an unsavory celebrity shares your name, or that you're eating a candy that sounds like a terrible disease, so you can imagine how the wireless operator-led joint venture Isis felt when the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant decided to go by its initials, ISIS, as well.
The awkward coincidence and the recent rise of the violent militant group, responsible for thousands of deaths across Iraq and Syria in recent months, has caused the mobile money venture to rethink its name. Isis CEO Michael Abbott wrote in a blog post Monday that it would rebrand the company, though a new name is still in the works. "However coincidental, we have no interest in sharing a name with a group whose name has become synonymous with violence and our hearts go out to those who are suffering. As a company, we have made the decision to rebrand."
It should be noted that Isis (the militant one) also rebranded to Islamic State as of June 29, but the association and negative press was still too much.
Rebranding isn't an easy process, especially since Isis (the mobile wallet one) claims to be have added 20,000 mobile wallets per day in May and is preloaded on 14 devices. But it has gotten off to a slow start, and it isn't exactly a household name yet. Raising awareness of what the mobile phone can do when it comes to payments, coupons, and loyalty programs will be an important part of getting the service off the ground. A better suited name might not be a bad place to start. (See Isis Adds 600K NFC Wallets in 30 Days and Isis Opens Its Mobile Wallet Nationwide.)
Anyone have suggestions for a new name for the mobile wallet company? Let's hear them in the comment section below.
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Editor, Light Reading


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Karl-Johan Leuchowius, PhD
CRISPR Screening Scientist
The High Throughput Screening Facility
Walter+Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
1G Royal Parade, 3052 Parkville, Australia
André Maia
BioSciences Screening Unit
4200-135 Porto - Portugal.
"Before we tried the Blue® Washer, we had 4 cellular screens in 384w plates for which we could not achieve the reproducibility and z' metrics required to put those screens into HTS and we were ready to give up on those screens. When we tried the Blue® Washer, our quality metrics were immediately met and we have been running those screens ever since."
Bio Informatician
US Pharmaceutical Company
"The time the Blue® Washer saved us in fixation protocols and the increased reproducibility of cell numbers between wells after washing allowed us to use poorly adherent cells that we had given up on using."
"With the Blue® Washer we see much lower %CV and have on average higher number of cells remaining in the wells after the wash steps, which is improving our results. Also, the Blue® Washer is much faster at doing the media replacements than doing it on our robotic platform (about ten times faster with 1,536 well plates)."
US Pharmaceutical Company
"My conclusion is that the Blue® Washer is the best plate washer we have ever tested."
" The statistics of data sets generated with the Blue® Washer are vastly improved vs our conventional methods. Because there is so much less background noise in the data I can set the hit calling threshold much lower - I miss fewer potential hits and I generate fewer false positives, making our downstream discovery efforts much more productive."
Read what our users say about the Blue® Washer.
US Pharmaceutical Company
" Blue® Washer improved the z' of an assay for which I used to do the media change manually by "dump and tap" from around 0.6 to 0.8."
Aaron Lock
Senior Research Assistant
Discovery Biology | Cancer Therapeutics CRC Griffith University
Nathan | QLD Australia 4111


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Past tenseBy Tom Briglia
Round 23, 2017
Richmond 4.1, 11.5, 12.7, 19.8 (122)
St Kilda 1.2, 4.3, 9.9, 12.9 (81)
Crowd: 69,104 at the MCG, Sunday, August 27th at 3.20pm
I've been putting off writing this. It can't possibly be a game review as it usually would be. Inevitably it would be all about Nick. Writing about his last match would also make the fact that he is now retired more real.
Thinking about his final game is to think about his career and be moving in and out of moments of hope and heartbreak, and very little in between. I began shedding a few tears when the scoreboard flashed up his career statistics in the minutes after the final siren; the first time I would see any final reference to his playing career. 336 Games, 718 Goals. That's how it will remain.
For all intents and purposes, Nick Riewoldt was the one who would lead the St Kilda Football Club to its second premiership. I don't know how many times I've written that on this thing, let alone just thought it. The thought of him holding the premiership cup made sense. Who else would it be?
To believe in Nick Riewoldt playing in our next premiership challenge was to believe that we might be able to find redemption for anything that happened throughout all the extremes since the 2000 and 2014 wooden spoons, and what we seem to refer to now as "the Grand Finals". Nick was someone that had been there with you for that journey. It made sense that he was the number one pick at the end of the year 2000, at a(nother) ground zero for the club that he would lead with his good mate picked at number two to the promised land. He won the 2002 best and fairest, a season that returned just five wins and a draw. He was a key part of the 2004 and 2005 teams. He was the one who led the team out on the Grand Final Days of 2009 and 2010. It's worth noting that he was at the front of the "St Kilda schoolgirl" bullshit in the months following the Replay, that marked the beginning of the end. His faux-knee in Round 1 apparently heralded the handover to the players who we hope are part of our next premiership challenge. To watch the end of his career is let all of that go, to let it all become part of history.
In lieu of vast quantities of team success over 144 seasons, it is individuals that we have had to celebrate more so about this club. Nick was a beating heart in a human body that represented the club. Right now we can only hope that this club is better for having had him. Hell, even our premiership has solitary elements to it. We remain with the failed St Kilda identity in tact. One Darrel Baldock. One Ian Stewart. One Tony Lockett. One Robert Harvey. Still, somehow, One premiership, by one point. One Nick Riewoldt.
I shed more than a few tears as he was carried off by The Most Inaccurate Man in the AFL and, wonderfully, his cousin. I'd taken both my Maddie's Match and membership scarves to the game and wrapped the former around my face. I stood outside the MCG after the game for a bit but they weren't really going to stop, so I walked to the city with it over my face the entire time and caught the 58 tram home, sitting in the corner facing backwards and out the window.
Until I'd come home and watched Richo's post-match press conference and the highlights I could stay in that moment in which we were all experiencing Nick Riewoldt's last match. He wasn't quite retired, not just yet. For just those few moments. But watching back his final post-match interview on the ground, his final moments in a St Kilda jumper on a footy field – one based on the jumper he wore in his first game, no less – Richo talking about the day in the past-tense, and then an interview in the rooms with Nick himself made it very real. I ended up pulling my dressing gown over my head, lest an individual look up to my bedroom window overlooking Brunswick West and see my oddly lamplit face crying at my desk over the computer. On behalf of whoever might stumble across that: no thanks.
What to say about the game itself? By quarter-time the season was officially over as the Dockers' late push against the Bombers fell short. Our effort ended up being a disappointing replica of the Melbourne match just a fortnight earlier; in fact, all three results on the Sunday were the opposite of what was required for us to make the finals.
If we shat ourselves under the pressure of the occasion and the gaze of 53,000 people against the Demons, then the 69,000-plus fans might have amounted to the most people Billings, Gresham, et al might had ever seen in one place and the effect was the same. Never in it as Richmond looked like the top four team they've become, getting first use and breaking down any move we made coming the other way, and getting an even contribution across the ground.
Flipping the Port Adelaide result would have only meant missing out on finals by percentage for the second consecutive season, and we were rightly left lamenting inherent aspects of our game plan rather than just thinking "what if" about a few moments and ignoring the constant inaccurate kicking and useless delivery going forward.
The final few minutes were almost – almost – enjoyable. The stress of this season, the stress of having a countdown clock on Roo's career, they were coming to a close, and it should be pointed out the Richmond fans and players were excellent in their reception of him after the game. His first mark on the wing in the final minutes was met with a huge cheer, as we sought to soak up what he brought the field for perhaps the final time. The umpire decided to step in and pay a free kick to his cousin Jack, which was a little bit funny to begin with, and was made funnier when the smiles on the ground brought everyone in on the joke. Shortly afterwards he took another contested mark in the same spot, and still managed to break the emotion of the moment by kicking a torp. I don't think he particularly tried kicking it any further than he usually would have; he carefully put it onto his boot to make sure he kicked it correctly, and it took me a couple of days to realise it wasn't a barrel at all – it was an NFL-style punt; a nod to a sport he loves and the country that is now an integral part of his life.
It would prove to be his last contribution. He would be on the goal-line for the final the siren; the final play of his final game. As Josh Bruce moved to wrap his arms around him, Jade Gresham – who had turned 20 three days earlier – kicked his fifth goal.
It would be remiss of me to not mention Joey after today's announcement. He never got rid of the loopy kicks and he was probably the most unfashionable of a core midfield brigade with Lenny, Dal and, for a period, Harvey, Thompson and Powell. He was capable of long running goals too but also handy for some clever moves. His great goal late in the third quarter of the 2009 Grand Final has been pushed to the darker corners of our memories. It would prove to be our last goal of the 2009 season.
He was overlooked over the past few years as a leader around the club. It's hard to compete with Riewoldt's blonde hair alone on the field, and it's more of a shame that his exit would be pushed so far into the background. Leigh Montagna's 2010 season is second in St Kilda history for most disposals with 745, 10 ahead of Robert Harvey's 1998 season and 11 behind his 1997. Joey's 2009 is seventh on that list. Of the 1,589 people to have played for St Kilda, he has played the seventh most games.
"Be proud that you're a St Kilda person."
In the frenzied off-season following 2010, Nick made an impassioned speech at the club's annual general meeting. He closed with these words, which were so simply against the tide of the time. In front of the board, the entire playing list, and members, he took a swipe at the media and at anyone looking to "denigrate us". As fans of course we were all feeling it, and the 2011 season would prove the players were too. The introduction of the black collar and cuffs on the jumper felt like a mark of disgrace emanating from the failed premiership bid over so many seasons, and after so much promise.
It was left to him to guide the club out of the black hole it was swallowed by. Even in the 2010 Draw, it was Roo who wouldn't let us go down, who took what remains an overlooked mark across half-back to shift the play to our front half for the final score and final moments. In a club that has only existed in extremes, seven days later he would be on the wrong side of the moment that represented the gulf between the teams. Dodgy knee and frustration aside, he took on the figurehead role through another wooden spoon, and the early, unrewarding stages of a rebuild. Of course, he suffered extreme personal duress in that period, also.
For the first time this club will be without a clear leader, or clear heart and soul. Barker's career overlapped with Frawley and Lockett, which were given over to Harvey, Burke and Loewe. Harvey remained, and Lenny and Riewoldt were there to take on what had been built from 2009.
That lineage is done now appears done now. It really began with the 1991 and 1992 finals appearances, took in 1997 and the failed 1998, the rebuild to 2004 and 2005 and then 2009 and 2010. History will tell us if it represented the closest to a golden era the Saints can get after the period overseen by Allan Jeans. That era succumbed to a long winter, and after this season we're painfully unsure that this rebuild will take us close.
That Nick Riewoldt would ever retire seemed something bordering on unfathomable for so long. I remember early in 2004 thinking how bright and how endless the club's future looked. Nick embodied the notion that GT instilled in him – that the way footy is played can be a reflection of the person. Nick was the embodiment of St Kilda in a number of ways, and therefore he represented something so dear to us for so long.
Nick's retirement is sad perhaps because it felt that it came at the right moment. That definitively it would ever be a reality. It is a reminder that time doesn't wait for anything or anyone. Not even Saint Nick.


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Greg Wooledge has an excellent list of Bash Pitfalls, with good explanations as to why they are wrong, and what the correct syntax should be.
Shell PitfallsJuly 30, 2007
Understanding init scriptsJuly 25, 2007
UNIX and Linux systems use "init scripts" – scripts typically placed in
/etc/init.d/ which are run when the system starts up and shuts down (or changes runlevels, but we won't go into that level of detail here, being more of a sysadmin topic than a shell scripting topic). In a typical setup,
/etc/init.d/myservice is linked to
/etc/rc2.d/S70myservice. That is to say,
/etc/init.d/myservice is the real file, but the
rc2.d file is a symbolic link to it, called
"S70myservice". The "S" means "Start", and "70" says when it should be run – lower-numbered scripts are run first. The range is usually 1-99, but there are no rules.
/etc/rc0.d/K30myservice (for shutdown), or
/etc/rc6.d/K30myservice (for reboot; possibly a different scenario for some services), will be the corresponding "Kill" scripts. Again, you can control the order in which your services are shut down; K01* first, to K99* last.
All of these rc scripts are just symbolic links to
/etc/init.d/myservice, so there is just one actual shell script, which takes care of starting or stopping the service. The Samba init script from Solaris is a nice and simple script to use as an example:
case "$1" in start) [ -f /etc/sfw/smb.conf ] || exit 0 /usr/sfw/sbin/smbd -D /usr/sfw/sbin/nmbd -D ;; stop) pkill smbd pkill nmdb ;; *) echo "Usage: $0 { start | stop }" exit 1 ;; esac exit 0
init daemon, which controls init scripts, calls a startup script as
"/etc/rc2.d/S70myservice start", and a shutdown script as
"/etc/rc0.d/K30myservice stop". So we have to check the variable
$1 to see what action we need to take. (See http://steve-parker.org/sh/variables2.shtml to read about what
$1 means – in this case, it's either "start" or "stop").
So we use case (follow link for more detail) to see what we are required to do.
In this example, if it's "start", then it will run the three commands:
[ -f /etc/sfw/smb.conf ] || exit 0 /usr/sfw/sbin/smbd -D /usr/sfw/sbin/nmbd -D
Where line 1 checks that smb.conf exists; there is no point continuing if it doesn't exist, just "exit 0" (success) so the system continues booting as normal. Lines 2 and 3 start the two daemons required for Samba.
If it's "stop", then it will run these two commands:
pkill smbd pkill nmdb
pkill means "Process Kill", and it simply kills off the two processes started by the "start" option.
"*)" construct catches any other uses, and simply replies that the correct syntax is to call it with either "start" or "stop" – nothing else will do. Some services allow for status reports, restarting, and so on. The one thing we do need to provide is "start". Most services also have a "stop" function. All others are optional.
The simplest possible init script would be this, to control an Apache webserver:
#!/bin/sh /usr/sbin/apachectl $1
Apache comes with a program called "apachectl" (or "apache2ctl"), which will take "stop" and "start" as arguments, and act accordingly. It will also take "restart", "status", "configtest", and a few more options, but that one-line script would be enough to act as /etc/init.d/apache, with /etc/rc2.d/S90apache and /etc/rc0.d/K10apache linking to it. To be frank, even that is not necessary; you could just link
/usr/sbin/apachectl into
/etc/init.d/apache. In reality, it's normally good to provide a few sanity-checks in addition to the basic stop/start functionality.
The vast majority of init scripts use the case command; around that, you can wrap all sorts of other things – most GNU/Linux distributions include a generic reporting script (typically
/lib/lsb/init-functions – to report "OK" or "FAILED"), read in a config file (like the Samba example above), define functions for the more involved aspects of starting, stopping, or reporting on the status of the service, and so on.
Some (eg, SuSE) have an "INIT INFO" block, which may allow the
init daemon a bit more control over the order in which services are started. Ubuntu's Upstart is another; Solaris 10 uses pmf (Process Monitor Facility), which starts and stops processes, but also monitors them to check that they are running as expected.
After a good decade of stability, in 2007 the world of init scripts appears to be changing, potentially quite significantly. However, I'm not here to speculate on future developments, this post is just to document the stable interface which is init scripts. Even if other things change, the basic "start|stop" syntax is going to be with us for a long time to come. It is easy, but often important, to understand what is going on.
In closing, I will list the run-levels, and what each run-level provides:
0: Shut down the OS (without powering off the machine) 1, s, S: Single-User mode. Networking is not enabled. 2: Networking enabled (not NFS, Printers) 3: Normal operating mode (including NFS, Printers) 4: Not normally used 5: Shut down the OS and power off the machine 6: Reboot the OS.
Some GNU/Linux distributions change these definitions – in particular, Debian provides all network services at runlevel 2, not 3. Run-level 5 is also sometimes used to start the graphical (X) interface.
Shell Pipes by ExampleJuly 22, 2007
Pipes, piping, pipelines… whatever you call them, are very powerful – in fact, they are one of the core tenets of the philosophy behind UNIX (and therefore Linux). They are also, really, very simple, once you understand them. The way to understand them, is by playing with them, but if you don't know what they do, you don't know where to start… Catch-22!
So, here are some simple examples of how the pipe works.
Let's see the code
$ grep steve /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f 6
What did this do? There are two UNIX commands there:
grep and
cut. The command "
grep steve /etc/passwd" finds all lines in the file
/etc/passwd which contain the text "steve" anywhere in the line. In my case, this has one result:
steve:x:1000:1000:Steve Parker,,,:/home/steve:/bin/bash
The second command, "
cut -d: -f6" cuts the line by the delimiter (-d) of a colon ("
:"), and gets field (-f) number 6. This is, in the
/etc/passwd file, the home directory of the user.
So what? Show me some more
This is the main point of this article; once you've seen a few examples, it normally all becomes clear.
$ find . -type f -ls | cut -c14- | sort -n -k 5 rw-r--r-- 1 steve steve 28 Jul 22 01:41 ./hello.txt rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 6500 Jul 22 01:41 ./a/filefrag rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 8828 Jul 22 01:42 ./c/hostname rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 30848 Jul 22 01:42 ./c/ping rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 77652 Jul 22 01:42 ./b/find rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 77844 Jul 22 01:41 ./large rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 93944 Jul 22 01:41 ./a/cpio rwxr-xr-x 1 steve steve 96228 Jul 22 01:42 ./b/grep $
What I did here, was three commands: "
find . -type f -ls" finds regular files, and lists them in an "ls"-style format: permissions, owner, size, etc.
cut -c14-" cuts out the first 14 characters, which mess up the formatting on this website (!), and aren't very interesting.
sort -n -k 5" does a numeric (-n) sort, on field 5 (-k5), which is the size of the file.
So this gives me a list of the files in this directory (and subdirectories), ordered by file size. That's much more useful than "
ls -lS", which restricts itself to the current directory, but not subdirectories.
(As an aside, I have to admit that I only concocted this by trying to think of an example; it actually seems really useful, and worth making into an alias… I must do a post about "
alias" some time!)
So how does it work?
This seems pretty straightforward: get lines containing "steve" from the input file ("
grep steve /etc/passwd"), and get the sixth field (where fields are marked by colons) ("
cut -d: -f6"). You can read the full command from left to right, and see what happens, in that order.
How does it really work?
EG1 Explained
There are some gotchas when you start to look at the plumbing. Because we're using the analogy of a pipe (think of water flowing through a pipe), the OS actually sets up the commands in the reverse order. It calls
cutfirst, then it calls
grep. If you have (for example) a syntax error in your
cut command, then
grep will never be called.
What actually happens is this:
- A "pipe" is set up – a special entity which can take input, which it passes, line by line, to its output.
cutis called, and its input is set to be the "pipe".
grepis called, and its output is set to be the "pipe".
- As
grepgenerates output, it is passed through the pipe, to the waiting
cutcommand, which does its own simple task, of splitting the fields by colons, and selecting the 6th field as output.
EG2 Explained
For EG2, "
sort" is called first, which ties to the second (rightmost) pipe for its input. Then "
cut" is called, which ties to the second pipe for its output, and the first (leftmost) pipe for its input. Then, "
find" is called, which ties to the first pipe for its output.
So, the output of "
find" is piped into "
cut", which strips off the first 14 characters of the "
find" output. This is then passed to "
sort", which sorts on field 5 (of what it receives as input), so the output of the entire pipeline, is a numerically sorted list of files, ordered by size.
Shell CheatsheetJuly 14, 2007
There doesn't seem to be any decent shell CheatSheet out there, so I have undertaken to write one.
This is my first attempt; once I actually printed it out, I realised that the the font was actually rather large, so I had room to include much more than I had originally sketched out.
Cheatsheet You may notice that there are a lot of blanks; Shell Cheatsheet has the same content, with some ideas for new content. Please tell me what you want to see in there – There is still lots of room, it's only about 60% full.
What would you fill the other 40% with?
Does this seem to be a useful cribsheet? What would you like to see in it?
Also, what format would you prefer? PDF? PNG? GIF? DOC?!
TermcapJuly 13, 2007
I could talk for hours about TERMCAP, but I won't; instead, here's a link to one usage of termcap:
The post is interesting, the comments are probably at least as useful as the post.
Positional argumentsJuly 11, 2007
A tutorial reader, Maarten Zeinstra, emailed me the other day about Variables – Part II, where I "kinda implicitly state that there are only 9 available params to be given in any program $1..$9 so if you wanted do have more then those you might want to do something like your example. But ${n} also works to get above 9 params."
It turns out that this is entirely true – for bash, dash, csh, ksh, and probably other shells too. The ${9} limitation seems only to apply to the traditional Bourne shell – that is, #!/bin/sh on commercial Unices.
If you can be sure that your script will be interpreted by bash, or similar, you can quite happily refer to your tenth argument as ${10}.


text:
Pour lire cet article en français, cliquez ici
We call for the consultation of citizens prior to decision-making. Knowing the opinion of citizens is a necessary precondition for making strategic political choices, particularly with respect to those decisions concerning priorities in innovation and the dissemination of new technology. In these instances, it is highly important to gather the opinions of citizens unfettered by conflicts of interest.
Post written by Jacques Testart, past president of the French Commission for Sustainable Development, author of Réflexions pour un monde vivable (Mille et Une Nuits, 2003), Le Vélo, le Mur et le Citoyen (Belin, 2006), co-founder and secretary of the Citizens' Association for Scientific Training, co-author of a law project on citizens conventions.Author : Challenge for Europe


text:
REVOBOTIK GmbH, a company that develops and distributes robots for mass production, shows how to set new standards in an established market. The remarkable thing is that their robots significantly outperform previous systems in terms of payload and speed; this means that the number of robots in a machine can be greatly reduced, resulting in savings both on costs and space. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is using seed financing to acquire an interest in this unique technology.
High-speed robots in mass production process up to a million products a day. Machine manufacturers in this area are forced to go 'to the limits of physics', so that robots move at almost incomprehensible speed. Nonetheless, in most instances several robots have to operate in series to achieve the target production speed, and having several robots in one machine requires higher investment, greater machine complexity and above all more space. Depending on the application, REVOBOTIK can make it possible to halve the number of robots used. The available applications for the technology are diverse, from packaging to assembly or inspection.
The benefit offered by REVOBOTIK products can be summarized in one phrase: "Advancing the combination of payload and speed." One key part of the technology is an efficient revolving drive principle that is tailored for high-speed continues operation. The technology helps to reduce the driving load, and thus increasing performance.
Dr. Torsten Löffler, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds: "I'm glad that innovations can still have an important impact on existing machine-technology, especially if they are using modern control techniques to utilize basic kinematic principles."
Since REVOBOTIK was founded in 2014, this company from Dresden University of Technology has been working with renowned small and medium-sized enterprises and proving the performance advantage its products offer. Although the packaging industry has been their main focus to date, there is growing interest in other sectors too; for this reason, REVOBOTIK will make use of additional capital to present their robotics technology to a wide range of customers. Their products will also be tailored and refined to meet specific market requirements. REVOBOTIK GmbH has one overarching goal: to broaden the existing possibilities in the world of pick-and-place and facilitate new creativity in machine layout.


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For those unfamiliar with this segment, I trawl through Amazon—Amazon.co.uk, mainly—for forthcoming non-fiction vampire books and share my thoughts on what they might be like. For the previous instalment, click here.
July 4, 2014
Reading Vampire Gothic Through Blood / Aspasia Stephanou
Its Amazon.co.uk link (above) says the book "examines the promiscuous circulations of blood in science and philosophy, vampire novels, films and vampire communities to draw a vascular map of the symbolic meanings of blood and its association with questions of identity and the body."
I'm not familiar with Stephanou's work in the genre, apart from finding out she wrote an article called "Lovely Apparitions and Spiritualized Corpses: Consumption, Medical Discourse, and Edgar Allan Poe's Female Vampire," The Edgar Allan Poe Review 14, no.1 (2013), while researching this post.
The book's publisher listing mentions Stephanou "has published on race and the vampire, transgression and blood in contemporary performance art, globalisation and vampire communities, and Black Metal Theory in a range of international journals." You'll also find the book's contents in that listing, too.
Sounds like it could be an interesting read, though I'm not a fan of the title. It's cumbersome. Say it out loud; you'll see what I mean.
July 15, 2014
The Vampire in Science Fiction Film and Literature / Paul Meehan
The book's Amazon link (above) has bugger-all to say on it. Neither does its Amazon.co.uk listing, which only has a differing publication date: July 30, 2014. Meanwhile, its publisher listing says the book will be available in "Spring/Summer 2014". It also provides further info on the book's subject matter (as it if wasn't obvious from the title):
This examination of the history of vampires within the science fiction realm also analyzes the role of science and pseudo-science from the 18th century to modern times. The vampire's connection with science fiction is traced to its literary origins during the Victorian Era in seminal works by Bram Stoker, H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle and other writers of the period and later refined by modern SF writers such as Richard Matheson, Whitley Strieber and Brian Aldiss.
The only other book I can think of that devotes itself to sci-fi themes in vampire fiction is Margaret L. Carter's Different Blood: The Vampire as Alien (2001), so Meehan's broader outlook could certainly be a welcome addition to the genre.
His previous works include Tech-noir: The Fusion of Science Fiction and Film Noir (2008), Cinema of the Psychic Realm: A Critical Survey (2009) and Horror Noir: Where Cinema's Dark Sisters Meet (2010).
July 31, 2014
Vampires: The Myths, Legends, and Lore / Aubrey Sherman
Readers of this blog will know I'm a big fan of vampires in myths, legends and lore, so this sounds like it could be right up my alley. At least it sounds like it could be. There are a few things that make me wary, though.
Firstly, I haven't heard of Sherman before and she's published now other work in the field I'm aware of. Second, the book's Amazon description make it sound like a generic walk-through:
Since the seventeenth century, people have been frightened, mesmerized, and fascinated by the terrifying tales of vampires. In this book, you'll uncover the history and mystery behind these bloodthirsty monsters with folklore, mythology, and poetry from every tradition in the world. From the Bosnian Lampir, whose disease-ridden corpse spread infection and death throughout villages, to Bram Stoker's charming Dracula, who helped define modern-day vampires, the wicked stories surrounding these nocturnal beings are sure to captivate anyone who has ever wondered about these shadow-loving creatures. Whether you're interested in exploring the culture of vampires or just want to learn more about their supernatural abilities, you'll discover dozens of compelling tales, historical accounts, and haunting legends that shed some light on these sinister beings.
That sounds suspiciously like a typical "field guide" vampire book to me.
Apart from that, its publisher—Adams Media Corporation—has no listing for the book that I could find, but I am familiar with a previous non-fiction vampire book they released: Barb Karg, Arjean Spaite, and Rick Sutherland's The Everything Vampire Book: From Vlad the Impaler to the Vampire Lestat—a History of Vampires in Literature, Film, and Legend (2009).
That book was like a low-rent version of Jay Stevenson's surprisingly decent The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vampires (2002). So, if Karg, Spaite and Sutherland's book is anything to go by in terms of Adam Media's output, let's say I'm not holding high hopes for this one.
On a lighter note, Amazon.co.uk says the book will actually be available on September 26, 2014.
January 30, 2015
I'm Buffy and You're History / Patricia Pender
I must confess, I wavered including this item in this segment as its listings feature no bibliographic descriptions (not even its publisher's); but the Buffy element saved it from a cull. After all, how could it not cover vampires, considering that slaying them was her bloody job?
Other things that work in this book's favour? It's part of I.B. Tauris's "Investigating Cult TV" series, which includes Brigid Cherry's True Blood: Investigating Vampires and Southern Gothic (2012).
Also, the book appears to be an expansion on Pender's essay, ""I'm Buffy and You're … History": The Postmodern Politics of Buffy," which was published in Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002), edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox & David Lavery.
Perhaps it'll be similar to Twilight and History (2010), edited by Nancy Reagin, in which historical subjects are discussed through the lens of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight saga. Maybe. We'll see. Either way, this work should appeal to the Buffy studies crowd.
February 28, 2015
The Things That Fly in the Night: Female Vampires in Literature of the Circum-caribbean and African Diaspora / Giselle Liza Anatol
Of all books on this list, this one intrigues me most. Firstly, it appears to slot in with regional, non-European vampire works like Hugo G. Nutini and John M. Roberts' Bloodsucking Witchcraft: An Epistemological Study of Anthropomorphic Supernaturalism in Rural Tlaxcala (1993) and Luise White's Speaking with Vampires: Rumor and History in Colonial Africa (2000).
That's good, because coverage of region-specific areas means the author has more time to get in-depth with their subject matter, rather than breeze through it in something like, say, a "field guide" style book…
Second, it fills a gap in a pretty damn specific niche. I mean, "Female Vampires in Literature of the Circum-caribbean and African Diaspora"? Really? The book's publisher listing fleshes it out:
Giselle Liza Anatol focuses on the figure of the soucouyant, or Old Hag—an aged woman by day who sheds her skin during night's darkest hours in order to fly about her community and suck the blood of her unwitting victims. In contrast to the glitz, glamour, and seductiveness of conventional depictions of the European vampire, the soucouyant triggers unease about old age and female power. Tracing relevant folklore through the English- and French-speaking Caribbean, the U.S. Deep South, and parts of West Africa, Anatol shows how tales of the nocturnal female bloodsuckers not only entertain and encourage obedience in pre-adolescent listeners, but also work to instill particular values about women's "proper" place and behaviors in society at large.
It also gives the much vaguer "February 2015" for its date of availability.
The "Old Hag" emphasis is certainly an interesting angle, as its one of the few universal elements present in the vampire myth. Better yet, Anatol also has experience with vampire scholarship, by virtue of editing Bringing Light to Twilight: Perspectives on a Pop Culture Phenomenon (2011). Should be a good one.
Have I missed anything? If you're aware of any upcoming non-fiction vampire works I've overlooked, feel free to drop me a line and I'll include it in another instalment.


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Friday, August 14 2020, 05:02:48 +12:00
SKU: 351327 Product ID: 252217
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The vívofit jr. 2 isn't just a fitness tracker¹ for kids. It's an interactive experience where activity unlocks adventure. The swim-friendly band features a 1+ year battery life. With it, kids can uncover Disney Princess adventures on the parent-controlled app by completing 60 minutes of daily activity.
Stylish and StrongTough and durable, vívofit jr. 2 features a customizable color screen and comfortable band, available in two colors. The purple band features princess character icons and the pink showcases Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan and Rapunzel, all on one band. Your kid can show their Disney Princess style and rock it everywhere from recess to soccer, during bath time and even to bed. The user-replaceable battery will keep kicking for more than a year — no charging necessary.
Magical Kingdoms: A Disney Princess Adventure Every day, kids have more to explore when they reach their daily 60-minute activity goals, inspiring them to do their very best. With you as their helper, your child will unfold new adventures and explore magical kingdoms alongside Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan and Rapunzel. They'll help Rapunzel and Flynn Rider escape Mother Gothel, save the Emperor with Mulan and even explore the Cave of Wonders with Jasmine. The more they meet — and exceed — their activity goals, the more of the story they'll get to see.
Interact with a Magical KingdomIn addition to uncovering more adventures with the princesses, kids can gain access to fun games and more. Meeting their daily activity goals gives kids more chances to play the tap challenge game. Their fingers will be flying as they race against the clock to make as many matches and rack up as many points as they can before time runs out. Meeting their daily activity goal gives kids more chances to play fun games and collect gems to reveal their very own kingdom on the adventure map. To get more gems and more chances to play the tap challenge, kids will need to keep logging those active minutes!
The Parental Personal AssistantThe mobile app isn't just for the kids to enjoy. Parents can use it to manage the vívofit jr. 2 fitness tracker. View activity, responsibilities, sleep, chore data and more after syncing with compatible Apple®, Android™ and Amazon Fire Tablet devices. Invite the whole family to compete in a daily step challenge, assign tasks and chores, designate a reward virtual coin value, and find out how many coins each child has. Those in-app coins can be redeemed by your kiddos for agreed-upon rewards. It's all controlled right from your device.
Rewards, Reminders and ResponsibilitiesKids will see just how fun and rewarding household chores can be. With vívofit jr. 2, parents assign chores and schedule alerts from the smartphone app, and kids' bands show them their new jobs to do. These can be set up to recur weekly or even daily — perfect for children who need reminders. And for youngsters who procrastinate, schedule alerts in the parent app so vívofit jr. 2 reminds them to finish homework, brush their teeth and more. The alert will remind them with an icon what they're supposed to be doing. Then, the child can start the task timer on the device so they know how long they have left.
Friendly Step ChallengesFriendly competition comes to the playground and the backyard. Toe-to-Toe™ step challenges let kids sync with nearby friends to challenge each other (one-on-one challenge) — or even themselves — to timed step competitions. Once complete, they'll see their total number of steps during the challenge and find out if they triumphed over their friends or beat their own personal bests. Your kids can access the app to view results from completed challenges and show off their latest victories. Parents can get in on the fun, too. Download the Toe-to-Toe Connect IQ™ app to a compatible device to challenge your kids to a step competition.
Key Features
Swim-friendly band features a customizable color screen and user-replaceable battery that lasts 1+ year; no recharging needed
Parents can access chore management and reward tools on the parent-controlled app
Motivates kids to achieve active minute goals that unlock adventures, games and icons featuring Disney Princesses Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan and Rapunzel
Tracks steps, sleep and 60 minutes of daily recommended activity¹
Reminder alerts and task timer keeps kids on top of chores such as homework, practice time and brushing teeth
Wearable Type - Trackers
Activity tracker for kids - True
Colour - Purple
Strap Size - Adjustable
Pedometer - True
Battery life - Up to 1 year
Water Resistant - True
Manufacturer's warranty - 1 Year
^Discounts apply to most recent previous ticketed/advertised price. As we negotiate on price, products are likely to have sold below ticketed/advertised price in stores prior to the discount offer.
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Senior Electrical Design Engineer (Building Services)
Job description
Senior Electrical Design Engineer (Building Services)
A fast growing MEP design & sustainability consultancy who i have recently met with are really moving in the right direction and are looking to bring on a Senior Electrical Design Engineer to join their team in London. This consultancy has 2 offices, one in London and the other in Serbia. They have a headcount of 40 in the London office and are looking to being on at least 5 more through 2020.
The progression track at this business is the best in the market right now. Their senior engineers work directly with the Associates and they always look to get their Senior engineers to Associate level quickly as the workload is always increasing year on year. You will be given the chance to fully run jobs in the high end residential and commercial sectors ranging from £100m - £500m. (High profile projects for high profile clients).
The office is very modern and open, the company has a fantastic working environment with a big push on employee well-being and ensures all employees have the right divide between work/life balance. The perfect candidate will have at least 5 years industry experience also experience leading projects. Being driven, outgoing and confident are all traits they are looking for in this role as you will be client facing and have the chance to fully deliver projects with the help of the team.
If you could be interested in this role that has fantastic progression tracks to Associate level, please contact your expert recruitment consultant - Jake Troubridge on 02074227326 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Eden Brown is committed to equality in the workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. Eden Brown Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.


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Casino game - Baccarat - testing application
I need single file executable,which will simulate baccarat card game betting and playing for money.
There will be 2 modes:
[url removed, login to view] simulation
[url removed, login to view] using archived data in xls format i will supply to bidder(can be converted to other format)
The game rules [url removed, login to view] or [url removed, login to view]
The application will be window with following features:
Editable box:
-Starting cash
-Minimum bet
-Maximum bet
-Number of rounds of the test
-Row (explained later)
-Multiply (explained later)
-Seed number for random number generator (range)
List box
-Number of decks: 1-8
-Bet on: Player-Banker
-Shuffle: After each round - after end of shoe
-Start test
-Pause test - Important,application must be able to pause at any time,implement multitasking
-Stop the test
-Modes: Switch button between 2 modes
In case of pause ,stop or finished test results will be updated and showed in the same window
Shoes played
Hands dealed(both player's & banker's together)
Hands won
Hands lost
Starting cash
Cash now
Testing time
The application will bet according to rules i will disclose
when bid is accepted(it's very simple, Row and Multiply variables will be used)
and must be optimized ,enabling maximum number of testing rounds in minimal time.
## Deliverables
1) Complete and fully-functional working program(s) in executable form as well as complete source code of all work done.
2) Installation package that will install the software (in ready-to-run condition) on the platform(s) specified in this bid request.
3) Exclusive and complete copyrights to all work purchased. (No GPL, 3rd party components, etc. unless all copyright ramifications are explained AND AGREED TO by the buyer on the site).
## Platform
Windows 98/2000/ME/XP


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|4 Cyl
|Interior color:
|Vehicle Title:
|Item location:
|United States
Hello to all eBayers!I have been with eBay for several years and I want to keep my reputation here 100% positive. I am a private collector, who has endless passion for classic cars and trucks. 90% of the vehicles have been rented out to movies commercials or high-class parties. Right now, I'm liquidating my collection since I'm selling my warehouse. Are you an old vehicles connoisseur looking for classic/vintage vehicles without having to pay luxury prices? You are in the right place!... I know that magic feeling when the right quality meets the right price, so I sell my vehicles worldwide at the most reasonable prices. I bought this vehicle with the intention of bringing it to California to add to my collection.This 1929 FORD is located in a Copart facility in 501 VALLEY CHILI RD ANTHONY, TX 79821. I tried to sell it on Copart, but this vehicle is a classic, clean title vehicle. You can buy this vehicle on Ebay or through Copart by becoming a member. This vehicle has a clear CA Title. EXTREMELY DESIRABLE 1929 FORD MODEL A•CLEAN CA TITLE•WELL MAINTAINED AND GARAGE KEPT•VERY COMPLETE AND VERY ORIGINAL CAR•ENGINE, MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND ALL MECHANICAL/HYDRAULIC ORIGINAL PARTS ARE IN PLACE •REPAINTED AND REDONE INTERIOR •THE CAR DID RUN WHEN PARKED NOW NOT RUNNING DUE TO SITTING FOR A FEW MONTHS•IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH TO GET IT GOINGPlease note, I want to make sure that you are absolutely satisfied with your purchase. Bid with confidence and if you have any questions that I might not have covered in the description, don't hesitate to ask. You can email me or send me your telephone number and I will give you a call. I have tried my best to describe this vehicle as accurately as I can. People have different opinions and expectations of older vehicles. It is your responsibility to inspect the vehicle or send a third party inspector for your satisfaction. Remember, this car is from the 1920's and can have some imperfections that I'm not aware of. ShippingBuyer is responsible for shipping costs. I can cooperate with your shipper. This vehicle is advertised on other websites, so I have the right to end the auction early if it gets sold. I'm not a dealer, but just a very passionate collector of classic cars and trucks.PaymentPlease, be ready to buy when you click. A non-refundable $500 deposit is due when the auction ends. The final payment is due within 7 days after the auction ends. Balance is to be paid via bank wire or a certified bank cashier's check. Check will need to clear before the vehicle is released and the title is sent. The winning bidder needs to contact me within 24 hours of auction end to make payment arrangements. Please, arrange all financing prior to bidding. If you are not sure about anything, please don't assume - just ask. I'm very easy going and will help in any way I can, but, please, be absolutely sure that you are ready to buy when you bid. All non-paying bidders will be reported to eBay.DisclaimerPeople have different opinions and expectations of older vehicles. It is your responsibility to personally inspect the vehicle or send a third-party inspector that will perform an inspection to your satisfaction. Remember, this vehicle is from the 1920's, and even though I've tried my best to describe it, it can have some imperfections which I'm not aware of.I'm saying this because I've had a bad experience with a ruthless dealer that tried to extort money from me after the car was inspected and delivered! If you are buying and paying for this classic, please contact your transporter after vehicle is picked up and within 2 hours please give me a positive feedback!This is your chance to own a great classic at a great price!


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Remote Learning FAQ page
Students in preschool through fifth grade are scheduled for library one day each week. Students in the primary grades focus on the love of reading and are participating in the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award process. Throughout the year I will be reading them books nominated for the award and students will get to vote for their favorite book. The final vote from our school will be submitted along with many other schools across the state. The winning book will be announced around the end of May.
Students in grades 4 and 5 are learning a variety or research and library skills which will benefit them as they move into the middle school program.
Our Lady of Guadalupe students are encouraged to activate a Seattle Public Library card account as early as first grade. Students at a variety of grade levels are learning to access resources available to them from the Seattle Public Library.
Students in kindergarten through eighth grade are scheduled for a minimum of thirty minutes of technology each week. Students in grades 4-8 have access to individual Google for Education. Middle school students have access to school sponsored email accounts to be used to communicate with teachers and classmates on assignments.
Digital Citizenship
Students are taught specific grade level skills relating to how to be a good digital citizen. Those skills are reinforced throughout the year as students use the computers to access information for research or to complete cooperative learning tasks.


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A growing city has a diverse culture.
The culture in Regina is unquestionably unique. Sporting elements of both a small town and a large urban centre, our city is friendly and welcoming, while also being progressive and innovative. We are a place where you know your neighbours but are constantly being introduced to new people and experiences.