[stylist] Braille Monitor and Vejas

Sat Jan 7 19:50:47 UTC 2012

Robert and Vejas,
I am a few months behind on my reading, so thanks for posting.

Vejas, or shall I call you Makani? You may not know it, but you are truly
blessed to have a family that does not limit you with archaic notions of
blindness. After reading your father's article, I can now guess where you
got your interest in writing. Your father does a great job. BTW, I'm
assuming that Petras means rock. How cool is that that your parents named
their sons rock and wind!
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Robert Leslie Newman
Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2012 1:23 PM
To: writers nfb
Subject: [stylist] Braille Monitor and Vejas

Did all of you catch the article in the December Monitor which featured our
newest and possibly youngest member of the Writers’ division, Vejas? I’ve
pasted it in below, take a read:

Braille Monitor December 2011

(back
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm11/bm1111/bm111107.htm> )
(contents
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm11/bm1111/bm1111tc.htm> )
(next
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm11/bm1111/bm111109.htm> )

Tandem Surfboarding Brothers

by Eric Vasiliauskas

From the Editor: Dr. Eric Vasiliauskas (Dr. V as he is known affectionately)
is no stranger to readers of the Braille Monitor and Future Reflections. His
family, which includes two intelligent, articulate, active, inquisitive
blind children, has appeared a number of times in these publications, and
some of his writings have also been offered to parents who want helpful
literature about how to nurture and raise blind children. What follows is a
sequel to the article "So Dad, When Can I Go Surfing?" which appeared in the
special issue of Future Reflections dedicated to sports and recreation
activities published in 2007. Dr. V’s answer and the subsequent adventures
he recounts have helped to build and strengthen the self-concept of two
youngsters and the bonds that unite this special family. Reading about their
adventures will prove invaluable to many other families who wrestle with the
question of how to incorporate adventure activities into their children’s
lives. Here is what Dr. V has to say:

A few years back I wrote an article chronicling a five-year-old's quest to
learn to surf. As it turns out, that was only the first part of our story, a
story that continues to unfold. The article “So Dad, When Can I Go Surfing?
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr26/Issue2/fr07sum02.htm> "
left off with the mention that Vejas and I visited a local surf shop to
purchase a board of his own.

Description: Petras riding a waveWhat I did not say in that article was
that, when we got home, Vejas's little brother Petras eagerly awaited and
greeted us at the door, very anxious to check out the new surfboard. Vejas
and I carried the board into the living room. As soon as we laid it out on
the floor, Petras leaped on top. We explored the surfboard together: the
soft-top surface, the smooth bottom, the nose (front part), the tail (back
part), the rails (sides), and the fins. His bounding excitement was
precious. Wanting to capture this moment, I asked Petras to stand up on the
board to pose for a photo. He agreed, and, as I was snapping the shot, with
a great big smile he confidently asked, "Where's my surfboard?" I was
admittedly caught off-guard by the question and tried to explain to my then
preschooler that when he was older, if he enjoyed surfing, we could discuss
getting him a surfboard. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when he
sincerely and earnestly responded with "So what about me Dad? When can I go
surfing?" I scrambled for an answer and suggested that for now we focus on
boogie-boarding and followed that up with an enthusiastic suggestion that we
head to the beach that weekend for an ocean-side picnic and some
boogie-boarding fun.

As it turns out, the local surf in the Los Angeles area is very different
from the surf in Hawaii. While waves come in all sizes in the tropical
island state, Hawaii is an ideal place to learn to surf, because there are
many areas where the smaller waves gently roll for hundreds of yards—helpful
to beginning surf enthusiasts of any age. In contrast, the waves in the
South Bay of Los Angeles are much choppier and crash much more
suddenly--sharply and very close to the shore. Vejas and I have tried
surfing together locally several times, but the reality is that the waves
are harder to catch and more unpredictable and the runs are much shorter.

Because it had been a number of years since we had been able to take a long
vacation, last year we decided to take a family trip to the North Shore of
the island of Kauai. We stayed near Hanalei Bay, which some claim is home to
Puff the Magic Dragon. As soon as my wife Rasa and I told the boys about our
plans, Petras's face lit up, and, without missing a beat, he asked, "Dad, am
I going surfing?" Vejas almost immediately chimed in that he too was very
much looking forward to formal surfing lessons once again.

There is a lot more to a successful surfing experience than just standing up
on the board. Since this would be Petras's first time surfing, we wanted it
to be a positive experience. Rasa and I concluded that individual lessons
would be better that a group lesson. We did not really know the best local
surf school or instructor to work with our boys. I scanned through some
tourist brochures we had picked up at the airport and called the number on
one of them. The lady who answered greeted me with a very pleasant "Aloha."
I explained that we wanted to arrange for lessons. When I mentioned that the
boys were blind, she made casual note of that and shortly thereafter called
back with a time for the lessons.

A few mornings later we showed up at the bayside Hawaiian Surfing Adventures
<http://www.hawaiiansurfingadventures.com/>  Surf School with our two very
excited boys. We met their instructors, two native Hawaiian locals, Uncle
Mitch (who we later learned owned the surf school) and Ke'ale, a pleasant
younger instructor. The boys then got the customary on-land interactive
intro to surfing session and were encouraged to explore the surfboard, shown
how to lie down on it properly, and taken through the steps of how to pop up
into proper surf stance, etc. Petras is very much a kinesthetic learner--he
learns best by actually doing something or experiencing the activity. Though
he paid very close attention, I could tell he was eager to move beyond the
pretend part of the land instruction and get into the water.

Description: Uncle Mitch and Ke'ale teach Vejas and Petras how to transition
to proper surfing stance during the land portion of the lesson while Rasa
looks on.We then headed over to the beach, where Uncle Mitch paused to
assess the ocean conditions. "Good surf today, boys," he commented.

While Rasa went to get something from the car, I followed the boys and their
instructors as they stepped into the water of Hanalei Bay. Unlike the
southern part of the island, where there is lots of sharp coral, this part
of the ocean near the mouth of the Hanalei River is shallow and sandy. We
waded out several hundred feet from the shore. Uncle Mitch then asked me to
stop and explained that it was going to be my job to catch the boys. The
four of them then proceeded further into the bay.

In the distance I could see Vejas and Petras practice standing up, while
their instructors stabilized their boards. Uncle Mitch worked more with
Vejas and Ke'ale with Petras. After about five minutes I saw Petras stand up
on the surfboard as he headed my way. Ke'ale rode the back of the board the
first few times with Petras, who seemed reassured and clearly excited by his
initial success.

Description: Vejas riding a waveThen from a distance I saw Vejas stand up.
Surfing is like riding a bike; even when you haven't done it for a while,
you quickly remember--and remember Vejas did! He stood up and rode the wave
towards me. Camera in hand, I started taking photos while at the same time I
enthusiastically cheered him on as he surfed past me Déjà vu! Oops all over
again! I snapped out of my trance and then made a mad rush (half swimming,
half sprinting) through the water after Vejas as he headed towards the mouth
of the river. After a 200-plus-yard dash, I finally caught up with him. I
quickly learned my lesson. Rasa then joined us, laughing at the scene she
had just witnessed.

The rest of the morning was somewhat surreal. It drizzled on and off and
even rained a bit. From time to time the sun would peek out. It was evident
why Hanalei is known as the land of rainbows, for we saw quite a few that
morning.

We decided that Rasa would position herself closer to the shore to catch the
boys as they approached. My new assignment was to stand between her and the
instructors to capture dynamic photographs of the boys as they surfed by.
Rasa got proficient at immediately turning the surfboards around and pushing
them back toward me. I in turn guided them back toward their instructors,
who were deeper in the bay. This strategy worked well--except when the boys
caught the same wave--in which case Rasa and I both jumped into high alert,
each focusing on whoever was headed closer to us.

"Huli maka Huli" is a local term for flipping off the surfboard into the
water. The waves that morning varied from small to over two and a half feet
in height, yet Petras amazingly remained glued to his board like a gecko and
fell off only twice the entire day. When they did tumble off their boards,
the boys could sometimes feel the ocean bottom--other times not.

Description: Petras stoops down on his board at the end of another
successful ride.The boys spent nearly two hours in the ocean with their
instructors. Vejas and Uncle Mitch and Ke'ale and Petras bonded in a
remarkable way. At the end of the lesson Vejas told us that he had learned a
few songs about Hawaii and a bunch of new Hawaiian words. He even emerged
with a new name, "Makani" (pronounced mah-KAH-nee), which is Hawaiian for
"the wind" ("Vejas" means "the wind" in Lithuanian).

We were very proud of the boys. While I will never forget the expression of
pure joy on Vejas's face and his beaming sense of accomplishment when he
caught his first wave and rode his board all the way to the shore, the glow
of excitement and confidence that radiated from Petras at the end of this
first surfing lesson was equally memorable. Petras quickly made it clear
that he wanted to go surfing again.

After the lesson I spoke with Uncle Mitch and Ke'ale. I mentioned the Future
Reflections surfing article I had written. Over lunch our family discussion
covered not only what the boys had learned that morning but what might be
done differently in the future, since each of them expressed a desire to do
an even better job during the next lesson.

We were lucky to get the same instructors for the second lesson later that
week. Ke'ale mentioned that he had read the article; I'm not sure if Uncle
Mitch had or not. The lesson started with a brief on-land refresher on
technique. It wasn't hard to tell that the boys were anxious to get back to
where the action was, for I heard Petras ask, "Are we ready to get back into
the water yet?"

As we stepped from the sandy beach into the water, Uncle Mitch said to
Vejas: "Makani, take me to the surf!" Then he continued, "Makani, I'm going
to teach you some new Hawaiian words." Vejas's ears perked up. "The first is
`Ku'--that means `stand tall.' Uncle Mitch then took the opportunity to
discuss and emphasize the importance of body posture, which is key to
optimal performance and success. "Don't look down at the ocean; keep your
head up and look at the nose of the board."

Description: Ke'ale working with Petras on proper stance between wavesAs we
headed out into the bay, Uncle Mitch told the boys to feel the power of the
water and to become one with the wave. The ocean was much calmer that day.
As they waited for the right wave, Uncle Mitch and Ke'ale drilled the boys.
They had clearly raised the bar and their expectations for what they wanted
the boys to do. They focused more on technique this go-round. They worked
intensively on the details of proper positioning and stance. As it turns
out, Petras surfs "goofy foot," a term used for those that keep their right
foot forward, whereas Vejas surfs "natural” or “regular foot," with his left
foot forward. Between runs I could see Vejas and Petras in the distance lie
down and stand up over and over as their instructors tried to reinforce the
boys' motor memories. Using a combination of detailed explanation and
kinesthetic input by manually guiding them through the movements as they
practiced, the instructors worked on fine-tuning the boys’ technique,
teaching them to transition smoothly from lying on the board to achieving
the proper riding stance, and focusing on center of balance and what to do
with their trunks, arms, legs, and heads.

Later Petras explained that, as they practiced on the water, Ke'ale told him
to pretend he was catching a wave and to practice until he was "really,
really good at it." Petras took this all very seriously and, like a sponge,
soaked up the information. He said that he was instructed to hold his arms
out for balance and to bend his knees to get more speed if he wanted to go
"really fast." He mentioned that they also discussed what to do when he fell
off the board: to stand or swim or float--then to get up again and try
really hard. Petras's smile widened as he then relayed that the first time
he fell off the board with, as he put it, "a whaaa--crash!" Ke'ale "laughed
like Santa Claus."

Description: Petras gliding across Hanalei Bay on a surfboardBy the end of
the lesson the boys were noticeably exhausted. Then Uncle Mitch called Rasa
and me over and, with a big smile and a twinkle in his eyes, said that he
and Ke'ale wanted to try and see how the boys would do on a tandem ride. He
proposed Petras ride the front of the board, with Vejas on the back of the
same board. Imagine trying to balance on a surfboard in the water and the
waves with someone else also standing on the same board. I don't think any
of us were confident that this was going to work all that well, especially
at the end of the day, but we had developed a trust in these instructors and
their judgment. We asked the boys what they thought. They were both open to
the idea, so we agreed.

Petras and Vejas then headed deeper into the bay with Uncle Mitch and
Ke'ale. They waited for just the right wave. After a while in the distance I
saw Vejas stand up, then Petras. As they neared, I could see that both were
completely focused. Our eight-year-old and twelve-year-old surfed over 200
yards--the length of over two football fields--together--without falling.
They were totally stoked as were Rasa and I and Uncle Mitch and Ke'ale. This
was definitely a highlight of our family trip. To say the boys really
enjoyed themselves that day would be an understatement; they, in fact,
radiated joy and a sense of personal accomplishment.

Description: Tandem-surfboarding brothers, Vejas and Petras, riding the same
surfboard at the end of their runLater Petras excitedly told me one morning
that he had a dream about surfing. He smiled as he described how the waves
were crashing down around him with a loud "Kaboom!" He explained how, in his
dream, he caught a wave and rode it "really fast and really far--all the way
to the shore."

Over the following Labor Day weekend, Petras asked me if I planned on going
surfing. Before I could answer, he then said that, if I decided to, I should
pay attention and proceeded to give me a detailed surfing list: stance,
technique, and all of the other things that demonstrated how well he had
been paying attention.

Petras opted to celebrate his first surfing success by going out for pizza
that evening. Fate was smiling upon us when we decided to eat at Hanalei
Pizza, a small local pizza shop tucked in Hanalei's Ching Young Village
shopping center. Not only did we dine on an awesome pizza, we had the good
fortune to meet the owner, a gentleman named Karlos, who, after taking our
order and crafting our personalized pizza, came to our table to chat with
us. Petras showed off the new surfboard keychain he had chosen for his long
white cane; the boys then took turns enthusiastically sharing their surfing
adventures. Their boundless excitement could accurately be described as
contagious. Karlos then surprised us with an invitation to take us stand-up
paddleboarding. I had never tried paddleboarding before but had observed
others enjoying the sport and found the concept intriguing. Karlos reassured
us that it was not too difficult, so we took him up on his offer.

We met near the mouth of the Hanalei River early one morning. Karlos greeted
us, and we carried two paddle boards from his car to the bank of the river.
Paddle boards are longer and wider than standard surfboards, characteristics
that provide enhanced stability. Karlos gave me a concentrated crash course
on stand-up paddleboarding; he showed me how to stand on the board correctly
and instructed me on proper paddling technique. He then smiled and handed
one paddle to me.

We decided that Vejas would go on the board with Karlos and Petras with me.
The boys waded into the water and helped guide the boards away from the
shore. Once the water was deep enough, they climbed onto the front of the
boards. They started sitting cross-legged. Karlos was right; while there is
clearly a learning curve, paddleboarding on the river was technically not
particularly difficult. Nevertheless, it did end up being a full-body
workout, and it was a challenge for me to keep up with him and Vejas. We
paddled for about an hour or so up river, usually within sight but
oftentimes out of hearing range. Vejas chatted with Karlos; Petras and I
shared stories as well.

Despite his surfing success, Petras remained stationary and glued to the
front of the board during our trip upriver, expressing concern about falling
off the board into the cool morning water. From a distance I was pleased to
see that, after a while, Karlos had managed to convince a somewhat nervous
but excited Vejas to stand up. He showed Vejas how to position his body and
paddle.

The scenery was gorgeous, with lush vegetation lining the riverbank and
Kauai's mountains towering in front of us. Standing up straight while
gliding across the smooth surface of the river created a sensation of being
able to walk on water. Paddleboarding on the river turned out to be a unique
blend of physical exercise and meditation--what a serene and relaxing
experience.

Description: Paddleboarding instructor Karlos takes a brief break while
Vejas paddles down Hanalei River.Before heading back, Karlos suggested that
the boys transfer boards. While I suspect we all felt somewhat uneasy about
the idea, I supported the proposal and did my best to be the reassuring
father; the boys agreed to give it a try. As it turns out, a board-to-board
transfer on the water is not all that simple, because it is really tricky
for everyone--on both boards--to maintain balance with the sudden weight
shifts. The slightest miscalculation, by either over or under-compensating
by any of the four of us, could easily have resulted in the board tipping or
flipping and everyone getting very wet. To the amazement of all of us, we
did it. It was only after the successful maneuver that our instructor told
us that 90 plus percent of the time he has tried this floating transfer,
everyone ends up tumbling into the water. Petras broke out into unbridled
laughter. Now that he was safe, the thought of everyone toppling into the
water seemed hilarious.

Petras remembers Karlos’s asking him, "What does Humpty Dumpty do on a
paddle board? Sometimes he falls off!" That broke the ice as they started
back down the river. Nearing the end of the journey, Petras gained the
confidence to stand up on the paddle board, and Karlos instructed Petras on
how to stand on the board properly and paddle--this made for quite an
impressive finale for Rasa, who was waiting for us by the shore.

Description: Karlos uses hand-over-hand technique to guide Petras on proper
paddling technique.It is important to acknowledge that part of our boys'
successes in these activities was that both Vejas and Petras were already
quite comfortable in the water. Every child, blind or sighted, should be
taught swimming basics--at least to tread water and a basic stroke at a
minimum--so that they are confident, or at least comfortable, in the water.
Over the course of my life I have seen quite a few children and adults
unintentionally end up in the water, having tipped out of a canoe into a
lake or river or having accidentally fallen or having (in fun) been pushed
into the pool at a party. During my residency training I saw far too many
near-drowning victims. Learning to swim is not just fun and good exercise
but could some day save your child's life.

Petras and Vejas have been receiving formal swimming instruction since they
were two or three years old. They both really look forward to their weekly
swimming lessons. Of note is that their swimming instructors have had no
special training in blindness. The instructors use their common sense along
with a lot of verbal cues and lots of explanation and, when necessary,
physically guiding the boys through the various aquatic movements. The boys
are working on all the strokes: free-style, backstroke, breaststroke, even
the butterfly--and how to swim laps with the eventual goal of being able to
do so independently.

The ripple effect is real. As I reflect, it's amazing to think that the
sequence of events that subsequently unfolded all started with a simple
question posed by a curious five-year-old seeking clarification of a concept
first introduced in a story. From there, one thing led to another, and
eventually he was able to pursue one of his dreams successfully. His
enthusiasm about surfing ultimately inspired his younger brother, father,
and even cousins and uncles to give the sport a try. As a result each of us
not only has his own stories to tell, but we too have a powerful sense of
personal accomplishment and share a unique bond. The excitement and
confidence gained from the successful surfing experiences ultimately
contributed to our pursuing new activities and adventures, including skiing;
snowboarding; sea-kayaking; rock-climbing; and, most recently,
paddleboarding. Indeed, through these shared experiences we have created a
tighter family bond.

Successfully participating in and perhaps even mastering sports and
recreational activities has an impact that reaches far beyond the activity
itself. The social benefits cannot be overstated. Participating in such
endeavors results in immeasurable personal growth and increased
self-confidence. These experiences, including camping, hiking, sledding,
inner-tubing, rollerblading, roller-skating, ice-skating, attending live
sporting events, bowling, watching the latest movie in the theater, or
having fun at a water park, provide the experience from which blind children
can more actively engage in conversations with their friends and peers about
activities they have tried and enjoyed or might like to try in the future.

Pictures of a blind child taking part in activities like surfing and skiing
also go a long way toward immediately changing the perceptions of classmates
and their parents, teachers, and others about a child's abilities. I have
made a habit of taking along a few key photos of each of the boys engaged in
selected activities, including surfing, skiing, snowboarding, and
rock-climbing. I admit that I show these photos to new instructors to spark
a paradigm shift in their level of expectation. It helps establish a
different framework for the initial interactions and expectations--and kids
tend to live up to those expectations.

If you, your child, or your student can think of a sport or recreational
activity, there is a high probability that somewhere in the world blind
people have tried or actively engage in it. To get a flavor of the kinds of
sports and recreational activities blind people enjoy, I urge you to search
the term "blind sports" on Google, Yahoo, Bing, or any other search engine
of your choice. Sighted people can quickly scan the possibilities using the
image or video search options to find page after page of blind children and
adults engaging in all sorts of physical activities. This simple exercise is
sure to amaze many, even seasoned professionals in the VI and O&M fields,
while challenging preconceptions about what is feasible and realistic.
Indeed the possibilities are virtually endless.

I have often been asked, "How do you find someone experienced and willing to
teach a blind child?" For many activities it is unlikely that you will find
an instructor who has formal training in how to teach blind children or any
experience working with a blind child or adult. In fact, for many first-time
experiences, parents may very well find themselves in the role of
instructor.

So how do you create opportunities? Start by searching for possibilities in
your neighborhood and surrounding communities. Find out what your friends,
coworkers, acquaintances, and the parents of your child's classmates are
doing. By actively seeking this information, you will be surprised at the
range of activities people pursue for fun, and many potential opportunities
are likely to arise. Then, when opportunity knocks, answer the door.

While I can certainly empathize with the argument that "We're always busy"
it is critically important to create time for adventure with your children
and also to be spontaneous. Vacation time is an especially golden
opportunity to try new things. Those parents who choose to pursue sports and
recreation activities with their children will create a powerfully unique
bonding experience that will strengthen their relationships.

To grow and experience the most from life, children and parents alike must
step outside their comfort zones and from time to time engage in some
thoughtful risk-taking. One of the mottos of the National Federation of the
Blind is "Changing what it means to be blind." Parents live on the front
lines with their children and hold the master key to changing what it means
to be a blind child. Indeed, it takes a blend of courage and faith on the
part of both the parents and children to try some new activities.

I'll be the first to admit that it's an uneasy feeling to let go and to send
a child, sighted or blind, into the ocean with a stranger to try something
totally new and unpredictable such as standing up and riding a floating
board with loud waves crashing around--and sometimes on top--of them. Petras
and Vejas were both totally out of their comfort zones during their first
surfing experiences, in which they spent most of their time away from Mom
and Dad. Likewise our new acquaintance, the pizza shop owner, was initially
a stranger; yet we decided to try a completely new activity, one in which a
slight miscalculation could easily have resulted in our tumbling into the
water. We were not sure what to expect ahead of time, and during the
activity we were not really together much of the time--usually within our
sight, but generally out of hearing range; and yet our children did fine and
loved the adventure. These both turned out to be exhilarating experiences.

When possible, it is very helpful to do your homework ahead of time by
trying to learn from the real-life experiences of blind youth, blind adults,
and parents of other blind children. Such pearls of wisdom can be
invaluable. Understanding what might work well and, as important, what to
avoid can make the difference between success, a mediocre experience, and
failure. For parents and teachers seeking real-time guidance based on the
experiences of other blind individuals, the two best resources at this time
are the Blindkids listserv
<www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindkid_nfbnet.org> and the NFB Sports and
Recreation listserv
<www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/sportsandrec_nfbnet.org>. The Blindkids
listserv is a network of parents of blind and visually impaired children and
blind adults from all over the U.S. and beyond. The NFB's Sports and
Recreation Division listserv is another truly amazing resource--a network of
blind sports and recreation enthusiasts who enjoy or are seeking to figure
out how to try a whole host of activities. Some listserv members are even
Paralympic athletes. By joining and posting questions or situations on these
listservs, parents and educators will receive a host of responses and
suggestions within minutes or hours from parents or blind children, based on
their own experiences.

In order to get the most out of the experience, one must remember to have
high, age-appropriate expectations. Don't underestimate the abilities of
blind children or students, for they are likely to surprise you and even
themselves. Though in our family we truly strive for high and
age-appropriate equal expectations, it seems our boys never cease to amaze
us. They not only rise to the occasion, but often exceed everyone's
expectations, including their own. My children have revitalized my pursuit
of fun and fitness and have given me the gift of new and exciting
recreational activities that I can now pursue and enjoy. I encourage you to
open yourselves to that possibility as well.

(back
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm11/bm1111/bm111107.htm> )
(contents
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm11/bm1111/bm1111tc.htm> )
(next
<http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm11/bm1111/bm111109.htm> )

Robert Leslie Newman

President, Omaha Chapter NFB

President, NFB Writers' Division

Division Website

 <http://www.nfb-writers-division.> http://www.nfb-writers-division.net

Chair, Newsletter Publication committee

Personal Website-

 <http://www.thoughtprovoker.info/> http://www.thoughtprovoker.info

=======
Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
(Email Guard: 7.0.0.21, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.19000)
http://www.pctools.com/
=======