text: LogicWeavers 0 Posted October 28, 2013 Share Posted October 28, 2013 I got the Launchpad, RobG's 2.2" 240x320 Color LCD, downloaded CCS, got it all running ... realized there was no way to interactively test and debug a port pin, check a running timer, examine a memory location. Got Energia loaded and working, better interface than CCS. OK, let me clarify this all - CCS is great in a corporate development environment where multiple gearheads need to access, update and develop the same project, but, is total overkill for the small shop, hobbyist or student. Energia is cool as I can control the downloads, where as CCS seems to believe it knows best and provides a very frustrating abstraction layer. This is after all an embedded controller, not an object oriented app where an abstraction layer between data and code means anything. All in all any development interface that does not let me access the target at all levels is simply a distraction. You'll find most IDE writers don't actually use the IDE for work. I found a cool German group, 4e4th, with Brad Rodrigues help, ported a copy of Brad's CamelForth to the MSP430. It's very close to the ANSI standard and has all the functions for about anything you wish to develop. It has the standard interpreter allowing you to test code fragments, directly access the hardware, place data or code into ram or flash, twiddle a port bit. The IDE provided by 4e4th allows you to save the session, edit the code fragments you entered, save them to disk, then, wipe the 430 flash and load the edited code file to the 430 to be compiled into the flash. When you reboot the 430 the newly loaded program executes. Easy as programming a Z8 in Forth with a built in ForthROM. What I don't like about "C" IDEs is the abstraction layer. It's nice not programming in code, but 'C' generated output for the 430 seems to be rather blotted. Admitted, most apps will not use all the memory provided on a 430. Speed, however, comes into question, not just the app but the time to code it. I wrote a small Z8 based control app for Turner Cable that was used to measure antennae tower guys and then put paint marks on the cable where the swags are set. Trust me, this is not easy, the twist of the cable and stretch must be calculated in. The hardware eng on the project had three port pins connected different from the schematics. One was signal inverted and the other two where swapped. Because of the Forth Buffalo on the Z8 I caught the errors, it didn't therefore require getting new control cards made, I fixed it in code. Cost me a half hour of tinkering reading and setting port pins via the keyboard, no o-scope required. Do that in a 'C' IDE. As I'm using RobG's LCD for a project, I'll put the Forth code up here when I'm done. Let's see how big the compiled version is against the current 'C' code results. I'm interested to see what the speed difference is also. Yeah, just opened the 'Gates of Hell'. hehehe Gentlemen, take your positions, ten paces, turn and fire, on my mark! Quote Link to post Share on other sites


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Geographic Range
Scientific Information
Lifestyle and Lifespan
"A small to medium sized snake ranging from 3-4 feet in adult length, rear fanged snakes whose scales grow in uniform bands alternating from grey to a shade of orange or red and accents of black or white. These snakes have a rather small, wide head with large eyes and round pupils. Like other snakes lacking venom, the Grey Banded King Snake is adapted for constriction to subdue its prey. Fangs situated in the rear of the snakes mouth allow the snake to hold on tight while it maneuvers its coils into position around the prey of choice."
Grey Banded King Snakes, like other King Snakes are non-venomous
All snakes in the Genus Lampropeltis, also known as the King Snakes, have some degree of venom immunity which enables these snakes to extend their diet to other snakes considered venomous to other animals, such as the Rattlesnake or Coral Snake which shares its territory with the Grey Banded King Snake.
Mountain Desert
Occupying a very small ecological range, these snakes are often difficult to locate in the wild. From a small patch of South West Texas, SouthEast New Mexico and Northern Mexico, Grey Banded King Snakes are found at sea level up to elevations of 8,000 feet. The terrain is often considered impassible by researchers, being centrally located in rocky, mountainous desert accented with steep cliffs and sharp canyon walls.
Carnivorous, Small mammals and reptiles.
Ecological Role: Fulfilling an ecological niche within its habitat the Grey Banded King Snake is a valuable predator of Rattlesnakes which aids in keeping the population of the venomous snake in check where their ranges overlap. Without a predatory population of King Snake, some areas may be overwhelmed with venomous snakes such as Rattlesnakes or Coral snakes. The presence of King Snakes is often welcomed among rural and agricultural communities for this reason. Wild Diet: These snakes have been recorded preying on a variety of small animals including mice, squirrels, rabbits, rats, frogs, lizards, birds and rattlesnakes, Grey Banded King Snakes are nocturnal carnivores. Predators: Other nocturnal predators will consume Grey Banded King Snakes including Cats, Foxes, Coyotes, Badgers, Skunks, Raccoons and birds of prey.
Again, as with most reptiles, activity is temperature and season dependent. Favoring warmer temperatures and good sunlight for basking, Grey Banded King Snakes will go into hibernation dormancy through the winter months from November until March and may undergo brief dormancy in the heat of the summer around July and August. These snakes are actively hunting during the night and will bask in the day; as such they are considered to be nocturnal.
These snakes have adjusted to their environmental conditions by altering their activity patterns throughout the year to meet their temperature sensitive demands. These changes allow the snake to remain elusive to researchers and predators alike.
Much is left to be known about Grey Banded King Snakes in the wild due to their geographic isolation. It is derived from other data on King Snakes that the Grey Banded King Snake is not a social species and seldom encounters its conspecifics throughout its range, with a few exceptions allowed for hibernation and reproduction.
Upon leaving their winter hibernacula, usually in March or April snakes will begin a period of eating to gain nutrients necessary for reproducing. At this point females will shed their skin which marks the beginning of their ovulation. Pheromones are released by the female which signal males to start fighting for breeding access. Male competition is much the same for these snakes as it is with others, ritualistic biting and wrestling with intertwined bodies in attempts to pin one another.
Offspring are roughly 6 inches long and hatch precocial.
The IUCN and CITES both list the Grey Banded King Snake as a species of Least Concern due to the inhospitable nature of their habitat. This leaves most of their range protected and undeveloped. New Mexico Fish and Game has recently placed the Grey Banded King Snake on the endangered species list for the state and collection is illegal, whereas in Texas, the snake is not listed and collection is restricted by permit.
Notable changes have occurred within their historic range; populations occurring along roadsides have experienced severe decline due to vehicle impact and collection for the exotic pet trade. Today, snakes are confined to a small region in southern Texas and New Mexico and Northern Mexico and remain virtually undisturbed within the Mountainous desert and canyon habitats where they reside.
Oakland Zoo is home to one Grey Banded King Snake who is used in our educational programming throughout the community.
Snake researches revere the Grey Banded King Snake as one of the most elusive snakes, considering it a privilege to see one in the wild.
Internet: kingsnake.com; whozoo.org.
Mehrtens, John. Living Snakes of the World. 1987. Sterling Publishing Co, Inc. New York, NY.
Smith and Brodie.Reptiles of North America. 1982. Golden Press. New York, NY. CL:08

subset: commoncrawl


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There must be something about Kiprotich.
Stephen Kiprotich, 23, Ugandan national, won the marathon in London's Great Games extravaganza in 2 h. 08 min. 01 sec. yesterday, ahead of two Kenyans, the second of whom is Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, who ran the course in 2/09/37; the second place finisher, if you want to know, is Abel Kirui at 2/08/27. There was an Kiprotich on the French team, first name Abraham, but he dropped out of the race.
The name Kiprotich indicates that you come from a family within a clan of the Nandi people, who are classified by observers as falling within the Nilotic groups, East Africa, upper Nile, that area. So you will find Kiprotich's among Kenyans, Ugandans, South Sudanese.
When the Kenyans are described as great distance runners, usually the reference is to a Nandi.
Ethno-cultural considerations aside, it was a great marathon, with the young Stephen Kiprotich pulling a fast one — making his move, as distance runners say — at about three miles from the finish line and getting narrowly ahead of Kirui. The Kenyan team was troubled by the tragic death in May 2011 of its leader, the defending champion Samuel Wanjiru, who won his medal at 2/06/32 at the youngest age ever for this discipline, 21. Having won the London marathon last April, Wilson Kipsang was expected to prevail, but there it is. Another miracle marathoner was Emile Zatopek, the humble son of a Moravian carpenter who was a record-breaker in the five and ten thousand meters races and who ran his very first marathon, in fact, the day after he won these events at the 1952 Games. He won, with a time, 2/23/03, that was more than two minutes ahead of the number two, an Argentine named Reinaldo Gomo.
I owe this astonishing historical information to The Complete Book of the Olympics, 2012 Edition, by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky, a treasure trove of Sports Facts. True, the book is focused on the quadrennial Games that Mr. Pleszczynski and I preferred not to mention by name during the past two weeks in order not to distract from the National League pennant race as well as Yankee Dominance in the American League (with due apologies to our friend Larry Thornberry), as well as the Citi Open (ex-Legg Mason), which took place, as everyone knows, at the W. H. FitzGerald Tennis Center on 16th St., NW.
But that is all in the past, and so are the Games, and so we can say it. This was, notwithstanding this that and the other thing, a wonderful Olympics. These were Great Games. We are delighted to have followed from afar, I am still chafing from Mr. Tyrrell's decision not to attend, wherein I might have talked him into letting me go along for the ride and we might have had tea (or beer) with Mr. Boris Johnson, London mayor and Greeter Extraordinaire for the Games. My aim was to persuade Mr. Johnson to rise to the call and enter the U.S. presidential race, at least as V.P. on the Republican ticket, seeing as how he is New York born. Now it is too late, and I will not mention it anymore, because now is the time to close ranks, let bygones be bygones and failed opportunities be forgot, and turn the page and charge toward vict'ry. Like young Stephen Kiprotich, who ran a truly brilliant and inspired race, and while it is too bad for the Kenyans (who did not win gold in the five and ten thousand meters, either), it was a fine day for the sport, and the marathon, like the decathlon, like so many others, you have to admit, it is the stuff of dreams, but better because it is where dreams meet reality and give us a small brief vision of truth.
And this despite the horrendous record of the sportocrats who run these events, profit handsomely from them, humiliate and oppress the better men than they who compete, and generally remind us that in every endeavor, there are those who do and those who spoil. And from the morons — and, measuring my words, wicked and probably corrupt individuals at the AAU and IOC who brought down the great James Francis (Jim) Thorpe after the 1912 Games (violating their own rules in the process), the American sportocrat supremo Avery Brundage — whose record, in truth, is far more interesting and nuanced than that of most sportocrats, or crats generally, and must be understood to be appreciated, the appalling snobs who tried to prevent the great Althea Gibson from breaking the color line in tennis, the moron (corrupt?) head of the International Amateur Basketball Federation (a front organization?), one L. William Jones, who took it upon himself — though he had no authority to do so — to give the 1972 basketball final to the communistic team from Soviet Russia, and many more.
Note, though, that one of the pleasures of sports is that they bring out the good qualities with the bad ones in human beings. Jim Thorpe was staunchly defended by the Swedes who, after all, were the hosts and organizers of the 1912 Games and it was only due to the superior fire power (money, political influence) of the AAU and the IOC that they were unable to save Thorpe's medals. Following the disgraceful attitude of the current head of the IOC to refuse to make so much as a gesture toward the remembrance of the Israeli athletes murdered at the Munich Games 40 years ago, an athlete who could be his great grand daughter, American gymnast Alexandra Raisman, showed up his callousness by making her own gesture, and a beautiful one it was.
And as beauty goes, it was abundant at London. The U.S. basketball team — just take it at face value and worry another day about the issue of professionalism vs. amateurism at the Olympics, which basketball probably epitomizes more than any other sport — faced teams that included many of their own NBA teammates and rivals, who could and did give them thrilling runs for their money, notably in great semi (Lithuania) and final (Spain) games that went down to the wire. Liberated from the pressures of the pro hoops season, LeBron James and the gang played with a grace and generosity that we do not often see. Some deep pride and goodness brought out in these hugely talented but spoiled young men by the idea of playing for the Stars and Stripes? Something in Coach Mike Krzyzewski's leadership? Sports do have the capacity to change your life, if only for two weeks.
And what a gorgeous race that 5,000 meters was, wherein Great Britain's Mo Farah beat out Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel by scarcely a third of a second — a third of a second, over five kilometers! A week earlier he had won the 10,000 meters by the same kind of margin over his friend and training partner, America's Galen Rupp. Russia's Yuliya Zaripova leaping to gold in the women's 3,000 meters steeples, kissing her icon in happiness at the end, was moving indeed, as was Ethiopia's tiny gold medalist in the women's 5,000 meters, Meseret Defar, clutching an image of the Virgin and breaking down in tears at the end. Oh the tales you can tell. And this is long-distance admiration. Next time, I shall insist Mr. Tyrrell make the scene, and get us good seats, too.
Sports are gorgeous and you try to keep them in perspective, but so do you try to keep many other things in perspective, and you usually fail. I am not sure why they make such an extravaganza of these Olympic Games whose beauty used to be enhanced by the qualities of simplicity that were part of the original idea as dreamed up — and made real — by the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French person of the late 19th century. At the first Games, the marathon, since we are on to that, was fittingly won by a Greek, Spiridon Louis — again, I owe this to the diligent research of Wallechinsky & Co. and their brilliantly understated (and often subtly witty) summaries of legendary athletes and events — who arrived at the Games with shoes provided by his neighbors in his romantic little old Aegean village. There is some doubt whether Louis was a farmer or a soldier, actually, but no matter, he won the very first modern marathon (W. indicates that Herodotus makes no mention of an original one, though he covered the battle that gave it its name) in 2/58/50.
Speaking of shoes, there was a marathoner who ran shoeless (and won), Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila (2/15//16 in 1960 and, again winning gold four years later, 2/12/11). Sadly, he was terribly injured in a car accident a few years later.
Also on shoes, the first winner of Olympic tennis was an Irishman who played in street shoes, because he happened to be in Athens on vacation the day before the Games began and a pal of his from Oxford persuaded him to sign up. Greece was a little backward in those days, and there was no Modell's where to get gear. They faced each other in the final and, like gentlemen, John Pius Boland offered to forfeit — how could he take the prize away from the friend who had invited him in? — and Dionysios Kasdaglis would hear nothing of it. Boland, the authors of The Complete Book of the Olympics tell us, was an Irish nationalist who went on to have a great career as a barrister.
The astonishing speed feats of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps reminded me of another speed artist, Wilma Rudolph, who overcame childhood polio to triumph in the 1960 Games at Rome and become, to use the current cliché, a living legend.
It was perfectly in keeping with his lousy manners that IOC boss Jacques Rogge (internationally ranked rugby union in his youth, which shows you can be a great athlete and not learn anything) begrudged Bolt his hamming, which included self-designation as a legend. Legends are as legends do and it is not by making Rogge and co-conspirators rich (he said Bolt would be a legend if he returns to future Games and wins some more, increasing, the sportswriter Dan Wetzel was quick to point out, the IOC coffers) that one becomes a legend, but by the kind of human being and citizen one becomes, presumably, in relation to sports, aided by the virtues learned on the playing fields.
Thorpe, for example, lived his life, served his country, was a gentleman, scarcely complained, even when he was, in all but legal fine print, cheated out of the rights he was told he had to the film made of his life (with Burt Lancaster playing him). Bob Mathias, a great American decathlon winner, went on to serve honorably in Congress, a rarity. Eric Liddell, the Scottish runner whom many know through the film Chariots of Fire, practiced his Christian faith as a missionary in China, where he perished during World War II. There are many more, many many more. Yes, it is true sports, for all the sportocrats and profiteers and for all the wicked and mean qualities they only too often bring out in people, sports do have the capacity to make better individuals, in body and soul. I do not mean to inject politics into this sentimental and childish editorial, but it is, in fact, telling that Mitt Romney gave of himself to rescue the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 and did not become a sportocrat in the process, and I think it says much for the future of British public leadership that London's wise, erudite, and witty mayor, Boris Johnson, led the organization of this summer's Games with such exuberance and infectious élan.


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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the ordered nature of the cosmos convinces him of the existence of God.
Mr Rudd, a regularly practising Anglican, was on Friday asked on Fairfax Radio in Brisbane to give his single biggest argument in favour of the existence of God.
"As you know I'm a believer and I've never pretended not to be and I respect those who have no religious belief – it's a free country," Mr Rudd said.
"For me, it's ultimately the order of the cosmos or what I describe as the creation.
"You can't simply have, in my own judgment, creation simply being a random event because it is so inherently ordered, and the fact that the natural environment is being ordered where it can properly coexist over time. [Emphasis added]
"If you were simply reducing that to mathematically probabilities I've got to say it probably wouldn't have happened.
"So I think there is an intelligent mind at work."
Mr Rudd said in his entire political life he had never been asked in a media interview to prove the existence of God.
"You … have a world first," Mr Rudd said.
Rudd's position towards non-believers is a refreshing reminder that Australia is still not as deep in the mire of religious lunacy as the US, and he deserves kudos for being vocal about it. He also deserves praise, I think, for at least attempting to justify his theism in a public forum, rather than the "Look at me I haz teh jeezus" rubbish we would usually expect from god-soaked politicians.
And to be fair, the wording I chose for the title of this post was more a blatant grab for your attention than anything else. His argument for theism—a reiteration of the cosmological argument from design—is his argument, the reason (or one reason) he personally is a theist. Still, it must be said—as you can see from the section in boldface—it is an argument which suffers from a circularity so obvious that you could float a Collins-class sub through it. How can "creation be a random event"? By using the term "creation" he's assuming precisely that which he is seeking to establish: that the universe had a "creator." (The physicist and skeptic Victor Stenger's response to the appeal to improbability is worth noting also: "If we properly compute, based on our actual knowledge rather than speculation, the probability for the universe's existing with human life, the result is unity! We have only one datum, our universe, and it has human life.") I don't know if it bodes well that someone of Rudd's intelligence can make such a basic error of reasoning, but then he can't be a clear thinker on every topic.
But this is a man whose faith is central to his political philosophy, or so he tells us. And what he's given us here is a very mediocre and pat defence of his faith.


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It can be really tough to run an escorts agency in London, says Viva, the owner of Tooting escorts.
I have been in the business for several years, and it can be tough to make it in this line of work. Not only do you have to put up with newspapers that don't allow you to advertise, but you have to put up with the mis-perceptions of the general public as well. We recently moved offices, and all of the other companies in the building we moved into, immediately wanted us out. It is not fair, and we pay our taxes just like anybody, says Viva.
This doesn't only apply to Tooting escorts from https://charlotteaction.org/tooting-escorts, this applies to escorts services up and down the country, and it is really unfortunate. They think that escorting is the same thing as prostitution but there are huge differences. Our girls are encouraged to be sexy, but not to have sex with dates. The industry is totally misunderstood, and I think we need to have more of a positive focus on the escorts industry in this country. We are almost seen like villains, says Viva. It clear that Viva, along with so many others, think that the escorts industry is getting a tough ride in this country.
I have been in the escorts industry for a long time, continues Viva. When I left the agency that I was working for, I decided to set up my own agency. At first, I didn't think that Tooting escorts were going to get off the ground, but we finally did. Now, we are very popular in the local area, and the girls are very busy. It can be quite hard to recruit girls to work as escorts, Viva says, many girls have the wrong impression of the service, and do not want to work as escorts.
Most of the time agency bosses are very good, says Viva, and they really look after the girls. The truth is that there are bad bosses everywhere but I have met very few rotten apples in the industry. There used to be a lot of male bosses, but now you will find that many of the owners are ladies. They know what it is like, and appreciate the business. I am sure that a couple of the girls who work for me at Viva escorts, will go on to set up their own services. Good for them I say.
I hope my business will go from strength to strength but you never know. All of the Tooting escorts who work for me are keen to introduce new services. This year we are going to introduce escorts for couples dating, and we are already getting calls. It is a new service to our agency, and up until now, we have been doing a lot of one-on-one dating. I am sure it is going to be very popular, and along with our new web site, it will probably bring a lot more business to our agency, smiles Viva.


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Pahre, Robert. (2004) Formal and Informal Ratification in the Intergovernmental Policies of the European Union. University of Illinois EUC Working Paper, Vol. 3, No. 1. [Working Paper]
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Putnam's theory of "two-level games" has spawned numerous studies examining the interaction between international and domestic politics, many focusing on politics in the European Union. While noting that ratification may be formal or informal, much of this literature treats each important domestic actor as if it has de facto formal ratification power. This means that the literature overlooks the very real distinction between formal and informal ratification. Informal ratification may be thought of as a case in which the government pays "audience costs" for unpopular international agreements. In this case, a government must respond continuously to public opinion. This presents constraints very different from those faced by governments who must obtain the formal approval of the legislature (or other actor). For example, divided government has no effect on the likelihood of informal ratification but often does affect the distribution of gains, while it often affects the likelihood of formal ratification but often has no effect on the distribution of the gains. Because these kinds of ratification differ significantly, Putnam's ratification metaphor is not always the most appropriate conceptualization of two-level politics in the European Union. The formal ratification metaphor is especially inappropriate for studying policy-making in the second and third pillars of the EU, which are mostly characterized by intergovernmental bargaining without formal ratification requirements.
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Despite a struggling chart profile, Ciara remains optimistic: 'I'm in this for the long run'
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
On the eve of the release of her fourth album, Ciara stood attentive, watching her choreographer run through moves for a planned performance of her single "Gimmie Dat." It was well after midnight when the songstress arrived at a rehearsal studio in Burbank. She'd just flown in from filming promotional appearances in New York, and without time to shake off any jet lag, she joined in with the army of dancers awaiting her.
Though in later conversation, the 25-year-old was steadfast in her optimism, there is a lot riding on "Basic Instinct."
Her offering on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" -- for which she was prepping -- and later in the week, "Lopez Tonight," would be the first time fans saw televised performances for the album that hit stores the same day of her planned Ellen spot –- and they were already buzzing about the seeming lack of promotion.
And after a revolving door of release dates and a slew of poorly received leaked tracks –- paired with the underwhelming reception of the albums' predecessor, "Fantasy Ride," excitement, and patience, seemed to be waivering among her fans on popular urban music blogs.
"Even though 'Fantasy Ride' didn't sell as much records as all my other albums, you have to recognize the time that we're in. We're in a time where records don't perform as strong as they used to," she said after wrapping "Lopez Tonight" a few nights later. "However, I'm very proud of that album … but creatively, I wanted to go back and throw my sneakers back on. The inspiration was really about taking it back to basics, to where I first started. I wanted to make sure my core, core fans got to connect with me. But it doesn't mean ['Fantasy Ride'] was wrong, or it wasn't good."
"Basic Instinct" sees the singer return to the team that crafted "Fantasy Ride," The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. The album is chock full of the seductive dance floor jams that have been a staple through her career. Though she doesn't have the big voice of Beyoncé or other R&B divas or the pop prowess of Rihanna, Ciara has always held her own, being able to outdance the big boys while maintaining a purring femininity.
But when she traded in her high octane footwork for the sensual bump and grind of the album's first single, "Ride," not only did the steamy video -- which features a soaking wet romp on a mechanical bull -- get tongues wagging, but it also subsequently was banned from BET. To date, the Ludacris-assisted clip has logged more than 18.5 million views on YouTube.
"To be honest, I was very happy with the overall reaction to the record, because, you know, one thing that I've taken pride with is being able to do something that may not be expected. I think people were expecting me to do [dance] records, and it was fun to switch it up," she said. "The tempo, the production, it is very distinctive. It's very aggressive. It felt good that the world embraced it. The views are still going on YouTube. I'm getting a lot of love from it even though it got banned on BET … thank God for new media."
"When the video got banned, it was definitely unfortunate for me. The core of my music is R&B, and there is a pop element that's added, but that's the core of who I am, so when BET banned it, that was really unfortunate because that's one of the biggest platforms that plays urban music. At the same time, it brought a lot of attention to the video, so it was like a positive too."
The album debuted to weak reviews -- The Times gave the disc 1½ stars -- and even weaker sales, it landed at the No. 43 spot on Billboard 200's chart, having sold about 38,000 units, making it her first to not debut in the top three. When pressed, her mind doesn't appear to be focused on the charts.
"When you think about first week [sales] and performance, you don't really think about that because I'm in this for the long run," she points out. "I'm in this to build a brand, I'm in this to one day hopefully be known as a solid touring act. That's the ultimate goal, and there are so many other factors that you have to put into play when it comes to being an artist. And it allows me to be in a positive place."
Ciara is quite aware of the rumblings about the project. She gets humble and confesses what bloggers had been murmuring about the album's opening track, 'Basic Instinct (U Got Me):' 'I was on the red carpet when I shoulda been in the studio laying down hot [stuff].'
She admits with a laugh that she is currently ignoring the gossip.
"You know what? Its so funny. [I'm doing] an Internet fast where I don't see what exactly is being said when it comes time to promo because I am just getting started," she said. "And a lot of things that happen behind the scenes, honestly, one day I'll be able to share with my fans that I don't necessarily say. However, I do hear what my fans say and it's exciting to know I have a solid fan base and it's exciting to have people that rock with me, no matter what."
As to any rumors of label disputes holding up the album's release and promotion, she remains circumspect.
"I did see a few comments and I said, 'You know what? I one day look forward to being able to share with my fans (things that happen).' Right now, this is about living in a world of possibility and doing my best," she maintains. "Getting the record out there, I just want my fans to hear it. This album is really for my fans, and it's good to know the energy and the feedback has been great. It really is just the beginning."
With the clock approaching 1:30 a.m., she wanted to run through one more time, before everyone departed. As the lyrics "I've been gone for too long, think it's time I bring it back" filled the studio, she stomped her feet and pushed further, flinging her bone-straight hair over her shoulder and hitting every mark as her production team, including creative director Kim Burse, nodded in approval.
"Did you see that?" Burse boasted when the run-through was completed. "That's how you know she's a superstar."
-- Gerrick D. Kennedy


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Daniel 10:7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
When an angel came to Daniel, Daniel alone was the only person who saw the vision.
When God gives us a vision, everyone may not be able to see it at first. They can't see how you're going to start a church. They can't comprehend how you're going to get out of debt in two years. They can't see how you're going to totally submit to God in all areas of life. They can't understand how you're going to have children after 50.
Others might not be able to see it but, that's okay. It wasn't meant for them. It was meant for our eyes only. Realize this, when God gives us a vision, everyone may not be able to see where God is taking us, but if we believe and have the vision anchored in our hearts, we'll fulfill our assignment.


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Health & Waiver
HIITit Kelowna Fitness
Participant Consent Form
I acknowledge, to the best of my ability, that I am in good health and have no known medical problems that could restrict my ability to participate in a Hiit it Kelowna exercise program. HIITit Kelowna programs are high intensity workouts geared towards individuals in good health and are not intended as a pre or post-natal workout. If workout seems too much at any time, please modify exercises as to not cause strain. If you are unsure in any way that this workout may not be suitable for you, or you have any health or injury concerns, please visit your doctor for a note of full clearance prior to beginning program. HIITit Kelowna will not be held liable in any way to personal injury.
I waive all claims against HIIT it Kelowna (www.HIITit.ca) and the instructors Chelsea Harrison and Melanie Breitkreutz, and release and discharge them from any and all action, causes of action, claims and demands which may arise in consequence of my participation in the exercise program irrespective of whether my death or injury to me resulted from negligence by the aforesaid parties. This waiver and release is binding on my estate and my heirs. As with any new exercise program, it is always recommended to consult your doctor prior to workout.
(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
ga('create', 'UA-55581721-1', 'auto');
ga('send', 'pageview');


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DJI has built the ultimate aerial photography drone
DJI has teamed up with camera giant Hasselblad to create a brand new aerial photography platform for drones.
The Chinese drone giant has built what it claims is the "world's first" 100-megapixel integrated aerial photography platform, paving the way for incredibly high-resolution bird's-eye imaging.
The system is built using a number of different components, as DJI explains:
"The DJI M600 Pro drone, the Ronin-MX gimbal and the Hasselblad H6D-100c camera combine each company's unparalleled technological expertise to create an unprecedented tool for precise, detailed, and accurate aerial imaging."
The company continues: "Professional drone users can continuously control camera operations in flight using the DJI GO app, in order to provide rich imagery for landscape and fine-art photography, robust data for surveying and mapmaking, and endless possibilities for future professional endeavours."
The DJI M600 Pro is a six-rotor drone that uses a Lightbridge 2 transmission system, and offers rustproof propulsion:
That's paired with the Hasselblad H6D-100c camera, which DJI describes as a "triumph of camera technology". It features a huge 53.4 x 40.0mm sensor that should provide strong detail, colour reproduction, and tonal range even in poor lighting.
This camera is mounted onto the drone using the Ronin-MX, a gimbal that offers three-axis stabilisation, courtesy of powerful motors and inertial measurement units. This allows the drone to resist high G-forces, maintaining stability and holding the horizon.
DJI, which owns a stake in Hasselblad as of late 2015, will be showcasing the new aerial photography platform at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, and will be releasing the bundled product in the third quarter of 2017. There's no official pricing just yet, but we'd expect it to be seriously hefty.
Related: Best camera
Do you own a drone yet? Let us know your thoughts on it in the comments below.


text: So what happens to the zillions of ageing rock bands who don't end up with the megabucks, the groupies and the fame of clever bastards like the Rolling Stones? Can you still wear the gear, pull the chicks and apply the makeup after a couple of decades of resounding failure? No, it's not a mockumentary, this is the real thing, and while it's undoubtedly comical and touching, a pall of middle-aged gloom hovers over the antics of Canada's longest surviving death metal band as they peddle their wares in seedy bars across Europe, rejected by record companies, forgotten by fans, and unable to give up the dream they've nurtured since adolescence. Beware your Anvil! moment. Coming to a life near you.


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Parenting And The Zen Of Roller Coaster Riding
I have a recurring vision of a roller coaster. It's a behemoth of a thing, which would be named Intimidator or Titan if my mental picture were that specific, and it is not only towering but also thunderous.
In my mind's eye it heads skyward, then plummets toward earth, and immediately roars upward once again. People I love are on that coaster — most often my children — but I'm not barreling and shrieking with them. Instead I am standing, and observing, from solid, stable ground.
No, this isn't a dream. It's parenting.
Growing up has its ups and downs, some wild, many downright frightening. Our kids must stay on for the ride, because you can't get from childhood to adulthood without all these lurches and loops. Parents, though, have a choice (or a semblance of one). We can get on the roller coaster with our children, riding shotgun, feeling every vertiginous stomach drop, or we can hang out by the ticket booth, waving reassuringly as they hurtle past.
"Off the roller coaster, off the roller coaster," I remind myself, sometimes as often as several times a day. I've chanted it silently just before answering the phone during times when one or another of my teens was going through a rocky patch. I recited it daily for awhile at middle school pickup, as I waited to see if my struggling guy would walk out the door with a friend or all alone again. I've summoned it for things as mundane as their search for a lost car key and as life-changing as their search for the right college. "Off the roller coaster," I've reminded myself.
Sometimes I've actually succeeded.
Even on the ground, though, I spend a lot of time holding my breath. After all, the purpose of parenting — letting them go — is in direct conflict with the fiercest instinct of parenting — keeping them close — making for a carnival ride of a different sort. Our breath-holding moments are as varied as the equations of our lives. On a playground, as they negotiate the ladder to the slide. On the first day of kindergarten, when they take a seat on the bus. When they use a knife, or remove their training wheels, or sing a solo, or drop a fly ball. READ MORE


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Howard Marks, co-chairman of Los Angeles–based Oaktree Capital Group , who appeared at the conference by video link, said he has taken the plunge and invested in oil-related assets. He also suggested that shares of social-media companies are too rich for the value crowd.
Marks, addressing about 450 attendees at London's Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, blamed lower interest rates for distorting valuations. "Lower base interest rates have made all assets relatively more attractive than they otherwise would have been," he said.
The manager said he doesn't consider oil a value investment because it is impossible to calculate its intrinsic value. But he said he has made "oil-related investments," which he wouldn't specify, since January, when West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark crude, slipped below $30 a barrel.
Investing By Design - by Chris Pavese (LINK)There was plenty of talk about emerging markets. James Montier, on the asset-allocation team at GMO, says they are genuinely cheap versus developed markets, especially after resources and financial stocks are stripped out. Jean-Marie Eveillard, formerly a portfolio manager at First Eagle Investment Management and now a board trustee, sees potential in India. "I am much more positive in the long term about India than I am about China," he said.
The Afterlife of Polaroid [H/T @chriswmayer] (LINK)
Marc Andreessen on the Tim Ferriss podcast (LINK)
a16z Podcast: Trade, Commerce, Manufacturing, Immigration, & Cuba — with Penny Pritzker (LINK)
Farnam Street: 12 Things Lee Kuan Yew Taught Me About the World (LINK)
The Selfish Gene turns 40 (LINK)
Related book: The Selfish GeneBook of the day [H/T Scott Adams]: Impossible to Ignore


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Notes: Gators offensive line showing progress, LB Antonio Morrison honored, Missouri news
Florida's offensive line was seen as the team's weak link entering the season.
It was justified, as the No. 11 Gators began spring practice with just seven healthy scholarship linemen. When asked about that time of uncertainty surrounding the unit, Jim McElwain didn't want to bring back those memories.
"You really want to make me miserable," he answered.
But McElwain isn't as miserable when he is asked to discuss the current state of the offensive line. With the additions of Fordham transfer Mason Halter, and talented freshmen Martez Ivey, Fred Johnson and Tyler Jordan, Florida has been able to field a solid offensive line this season.
"Obviously the influx of the new guys has been fantastic," McElwain said Monday. "I would say the biggest thing I see there is they're starting to understand the value of communication."
The Gators allowed just two sacks and one quarterback hurry against Ole Miss on Saturday. That's a big improvement over the first four games, as opponents combined for eight sacks and nine quarterback hurries over that stretch.
Even more impressive is that linemen have been able to play different spots while making progress. At one point against the Rebels, senior Trip Thurman moved from guard to center and Ivey moved from tackle to guard.
"I'm honestly not surprised at all," Halter said of the unit's progress. "Coming in here, I knew the quality of guys we had and just the personalities we had. We meshed really well together and we're still growing as an offensive line obviously. But I'm really proud of how we've been playing and it's going to get better each week."
SEC honors Morrison: Just nine months after suffering a serious knee injury in the Birmingham Bowl on Jan. 3, linebacker Antonio Morrison was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
It was well-deserved, as the senior turned in his best performance of the season against Ole Miss on Saturday with 16 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss, and a 0.5 sack. Morrison has recorded a team-high 40 tackles this season.
Mauk still suspended for Gators game: Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk's suspension will continue through Saturday's game against Florida, according to multiple reports.
The suspension began last week against South Carolina for disciplinary reasons. Quarterback Drew Lock played well in Mauk's place in Missouri's 24-10 win over the Gamecocks, throwing for 136 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Mauk has struggled this season, completing 51.82 percent of his passes and throwing for six touchdowns and four interceptions in four games this season.


text: We buy 1980 Rolls Royce Corniches. Email email@example.com or call us on 424-383-8333 to value your classic car. We offer easy, hassle free transactions and quick payment. We also pick up from anyway in the United States and will take care of all associated paperwork. Premium prices paid for premium cars. Sellaclassiccar.com accepts consignments too.Take advantage of our unique consignment program, you pay no fees or expenses. Visit our consignment page for more details.


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This picture is inspired by a photograph I took in 2007. You can read the working process here.
I had a hard time with this one, because I had a clear image in my head, but way too much noise, too! I'm currently in these kind of "very agitated" mood and it's difficult to focus.
April 11, 2012


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The word 'kwareżimal' is derived from the latin word quaresima referring to the 40 days of Lent, and the ingredients of this sweet reflect the simplicity of food during this period. In fact, during this time, traditionally there is no use of eggs and fats.
This recipe is based on the book by Helen and Anne Caruana Galizia L-Ikel u t-Tisjir ta' Malta (The food and cookery of Malta) and to me this book is a genuine reference for typical Maltese cookery. I find this kwareżimal more attractive and I like the practical bite sized portions. I have reduced sugar in this recipe and use honey and stevia as an alternative source of sweetness.
You will need:
- 200 g ground almonds
- 200 g plain flour, sifted
- Stevia, check label on jar and use equivalent of 150g sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon orange flower water
- Grated zest of one lemon, one orange and one mandarin
- 3 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons stevia
- Crushed pistachios, almonds and grated orange zest to decorate.
Combine all the ingredients and add just enough water to make a tough dough.
Knead lightly into an bite-sized oval shape.
Place on a baking dish and bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
While they are still warm, coat with thyme honey and sprinkle crushed pistachios and almonds and grated zest.


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Pacific Ponycon is ramping up it's press releasing for the coming season, and with that starts an early event! Head on down below the break for the infos on it!
Pacific PonyCon hosts ConFab Meetup
San Diego, California - 3 November 2016 - The organizers of Pacific PonyCon will host a Convention Fabricators Meetup at the San Diego Wyndham Bayside in "America's Finest City". Interested conventions, can inform Pacific PonyCon of their interested by filling out the google form linked here: https://goo.gl/forms/y6EQtF6kI6JJfmHI2 . Conventions can request badges for up to two representatives to attend. We look forward to receiving plenty of request and sharing your company in January 2017.
Pacific PonyCon is an event hosted by Order of the Friendship. A second-year convention with multiple show voice actresses, comic book artist, and community guest planned to attend. In addition, the convention will have multiple gaming tournaments, and a multitude of vendors. Follow our social media feeds to stay up to date on all our announcements.
Thursday, November 3, 2016 op 11:00 PM
Labels: Community, Convention, Not-Fanfiction
Pacific PonyCon hosts ConFab Meetup
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It is that time of the week for another Top Ten Tuesday. It is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010. This weeks topic is something 'Back to School' related. One of the suggestion was required reading for fantasy fans and since I love fantasy it seemed like the most appropriate topic. Obviously I am not saying you have to read these books or if you haven't read these books then you are not a fantasy fan – I am just suggesting some of my favourites that I think fantasy readers might like. As always these are in no particular order and I have included some honourable mentions as well. I apologise in advanced if it gets abit repetitive – I love all of these series so I may forget to use different words to express my love. 🙂 Anyway let's get started.
Pellinor series by Alison Croggon – if you've followed this blog at all you will know my love for this series. It has incredible characters and an engaging story. I cannot recommend this series enough. Check out my review here – 5 reasons to read the Pellinor series. I also created a book tag all about it 🙂 check it out here.
Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien – these are both classics in the fantasy genre for a reason. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is quite dense but they are well worth a read. The Hobbit is also wonderful and probably more accessible to a variety of readers.
Black Magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan – I have reread this trilogy so many times now and I think I have read every published book by this author. Amazing characters, engaging story and interesting magic system. Well worth a read.
Old Kingdoms trilogy by Garth Nix – this is the trilogy that got me into fantasy, and reading as a whole, so this will always hold a special place for me. I adore the characters, the magic system and villains in this trilogy and the story is wonderful.
The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson – this is the trilogy that started my love for Brandon Sanderson. It is an amazing trilogy with a really unique magic system and I highly recommend it. I also loved Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson. Definitely check these books out.
Fudoki by Kij Johnson – once again if you've been following my blog for a while now, you will know I read and adored this book earlier this year. It is a wonderful mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I cannot recommend this enough – I think it is really underrated. Check out my full review here.
Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb – if you like very character driven fantasy than you need to check out Robin Hobb's books. She is amazing at it. Her Liveship Traders trilogy is definitely my favourite of hers so far – I have only read one other trilogy by her, the Farseer trilogy. Both are amazing. I am so excited to read more by her. Check out my full review of this trilogy here.
Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss – the first two books of this trilogy are out, but the wait for the third (and, I think, final) book has been a long one. If you like university settings, then this is well worth a read. I have to admit that these books are probably my least favourite of this list but I still really enjoyed them. I felt the second book was definitely weaker than the first but I am still interested to see where things go.
Gentleman Bastard sequence by Scott Lynch – this series is amazing. It took me a little while to get into the first book but after 100-200 pages I was engrossed. The plot, characters and the many plot twists are all amazing. The relationship (or bromance) between Locke and Jean is one of favourite literary friendships. I am so excited for the fourth book which comes out in September.
Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan – I picked up the first book of this trilogy on a bit of a whim and I am so glad I did. This is a wonderful flintlock fantasy with a great cast of characters. The magic system is interesting and the plot will have you engaged to the very end. Well worth a read if you are a big fan of the fantasy genre.


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Future Site of Preet Boutique
For more info, please call us at (317) 603-4018 or e-mail.
We serve you from our Greenwood Indiana store and sell the products listed below. We specialize in ladies un-stitched & stitched suit, Saris, Bhangra Dresses, Kid's suits and Indian Jewelry. We also sell Rumala Sahib (various sizes), Dastars, and Sikhi Related T-Shirts. Last but not least, we also provide alteration services.
Please visit us and give us an opportunity to serve you!


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One of the unique features of Fabrik is the concept of portfolios. Think about these as a way to group together and organise your projects in a way that makes sense, perhaps by genre, director, subject or period.
Every Fabrik site has a main portfolio that your projects (your work) belong to. This provides the main feed of content for the home and project pages on your site.
Adding a new Portfolio
To add a new portfolio log in to Fabrik and go to Portfolio > Portfolios on the main menu. Then click the "Add a new Portfolio" button.
Give your portfolio a title and cover image. The other sections are optional.
Finally, click "Save Portfolio".
Assigning Projects to a Portfolio
Let's add some projects to our new portfolio. Go to Portfolio > Projects on the main menu and find a project you want to assign. On the project details page, click the "Portfolios" tab. Here you'll see all the portfolios you have created. Click the portfolio name to assign your project:
Finally click "Save Project" to save your changes.
When a project is assigned to one or more portfolios, its default portfolio is displayed below the project title on your site:
Linking to Portfolios
There are two ways you can link to custom portfolios on your Fabrik site. The first is to add a link to the "Portfolios" page. This displays the cover image of each of your portfolios:
Clicking a portfolio then display its projects. This works well if you have quite a few portfolios.
The second option is to provide a direct link to a portfolio in your site's main menu. If you've only got one or two portfolios (e.g. such as an Archive portfolio) this may be the best option for you:
You can add either type of link from the Fabrik dashboard. Go to Customise > Menu on the main menu and you'll see links to the "Portfolios" page as well as any custom portfolios you've created in the side panel. We have a detailed tutorial on customising your site menu here.
Default Portfolios
You're not limited to just one portfolio per project. Some of our customers use portfolios for individuals (e.g. Directors) and Genres (e.g. Music Videos).
The portfolio title that is displayed below your project title is determined by the project's "Default Portfolio", which can be changed from the Portfolios tab side. For example, I'd like to keep my project in the "Photography" portfolio but I want the default portfolio to be the region in which it was shot; in this case North America:
After updating the Default Portfolio, North America is now displayed below the project title on my site:
Get the look
The site featured in this example uses our Aidura theme, perfect for Designers, Photographers and Artists.


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Visit Tisco at stand 1-349.. Together with our partners within the company group,
we host a new stand. Tisco is an exhibitor for many years now at the BIOFACH.
The fair is well known and has a good reputation for quality exhibitors and visitors.
At the fair we will show a wide range of new ingredients as well as more common products. For special requests there is room for collaboration and new ideas.


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Writing Academic Papers in English Literary Studies
On this page you will find some general hints and guidelines for writing a term paper in the field of English literary studies. The information provided here, however, only gives you a broad overview. For more detailed information and further examples see the document "Practical Guidelines for Writing a Paper in Literary Studies" .
Read the hints provided on this page and in the "Practical Guidelines" before you start working on your term papers!
Basic Structure of a Term Paper
A term paper has to include:
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 'Main Body': The individual chapters and subchapters of the paper (do not actually call any section of your paper 'Main Body')
- Conclusion
- Works Cited
- Declaration of Academic Integrity (this document has to be signed by the author of the term paper)
For more detailed information on each of these elements an on page formatting, see the "Practical Guidelines".
Aims of a Term Paper in Literary Studies
- Your term paper should answer a question or prove a thesis – the paper should not be just descriptive; at the end of the paper there should be some kind of a result
- Write your term paper by starting from a clear question and trying to solve a problem
- The term paper should have a clear, logical structure – develop a clear line of argument in order to answer the question or prove the thesis
- only include material that helps you to answer your question or to solve the problem your paper tackles
- Do not just take over ideas from your secondary sources, but try to form your own judgments
Documenting Sources
- A term paper has to be based on verifiable sources
- You must always document all of the sources from which you take over ideas
- This rule applies to quotations and to paraphrases (i.e. you adopt ideas from a text and put them into your own words)
- See the "Practical Guidelines" for further information


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Matching gifts
Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match charitable contributions made by current employees, former employees, and employee spouses. To find out if your current or former employer has a matching gift policy, please enter the company name below and submit your match request according to their guidelines.
If your company requires a form, please fill out your portion, and send it to the WSU Foundation. The WSU Foundation will complete the form and submit it to the company for your matching gift.
Please send your completed form to:
WSU Foundation
PO Box 641927
Pullman, WA 99164-1927
Matching Gifts database provided by HEPdata exclusively under these
Terms of Use.


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doTERRA Branded 5/8 Dram Sample Case (Holds 12 Vials)
In stock
As low as CA$12.53
Perfect for travel or handing out samples.
- Holds 12 small 1/4 or 5/8 dram vials.
- Or fits 6 of 1 dram vials and 6 small.
- Individual elastics secure oils.
- Clear window for sample cards.
This small, zippered case is perfect for travel, trade shows, home presentations—any time and place you want oils with you! It holds 12 small oil vials (¼ or ⅝ dram) with elastic straps to keep them securely in place. The exterior comes in fun, vibrant colors or patterned fabrics: the front sports a clear window pocket for business cards or pass-along cards: the back is imprinted with a dōTERRA® branded logo. The interior is black.
Dimensions: 5" wide x 3¾" tall x 1" deep.
Features: Holds up to 12 vials, ¼ or ⅝ dram. Can also fit a combination of 6 larger vials (1 dram) and 6 smaller vials (¼ or ⅝dram). (Oil vials not included.)
Write Your Own Review


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Bangladesh tour of New Zealand called off after Christchurch terror attack
The team was en route to the Al Noor mosque for Friday prayers at the time of the attack but escaped to the nearby Hagley Oval
Bangladesh's tour of New Zealand has been called off following a terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques, in which at least 40 people have been killed. The players and other members of the touring party are safe, in lockdown at their hotel; some of them were on their way to one of the mosques for Friday prayers at the time of the attack but escaped to the nearby Hagley Oval.
New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said police had made four arrests in connection with the attack, which included multiple improvised explosive devices attached to vehicles.
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern called it a terrorist attack. "There is no place in New Zealand for such acts of extreme and unprecedented violence, which it is clear this act was," Arden said. "This is and will be one of New Zealand's darkest days. I would describe it as an unprecedented act of violence, an act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand. This is not who we are."
The attack took place just after 1.30 pm local time. The players and some support staffers were on their way to the Al Noor Mosque, less than a mile from Hagley Oval, when they saw signs of the unfolding carnage. They initially stayed in the bus and made phone calls, including one to this reporter, who was at the ground. Several journalists then came over to where the bus was and accompanied the players to the ground.
ALSO READ: 'There's shooting here, please save us'
Much of the coaching staff were back in the team hotel while the head coach Steve Rhodes was at the ground. Later, the players went back to their hotel.
Team manager Khaled Mashud said the players had had a lucky escape. "We must have been about 50 yards from the mosque. I would say we were really lucky. Had we reached even three or four minutes earlier, we probably would have been inside the mosque. This could then have been a massive incident."
He said arrangements were being made to fly the team back to Bangladesh as soon as possible.
Within a couple of hours the two boards had decided on the fate of the tour. "We are shocked and appalled as I am sure all New Zealanders are," NZC CEO David White said. "We are offering support to all those within the teams affected by the situation and are continuing to take advice from authorities on the ground."
The Bangladesh team will take off from Christchurch at midday on Saturday and arrive in Dhaka in the evening.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84


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The name PRAYAAS FOUNDATION in itself encompasses the mission and vision of our organisation. The acronym "PRAYAAS" stands for – People Rising Against Alcohol and Substance Addiction in Youth.
Our organisation absorbs all simple and complex methods / approaches for Addiction Treatment which have a solid FOUNDATION.
Our theory of treatment is very simple. We precisely rely on 4 approaches i.e.
1. Ayurveda ( which is known to treat the root cause & heal thoroughly )
2. Yoga & Meditation
3. Psychological Counselling (under a trained and experienced Psychologist)
4. Spiritual Healing ( this includes NA's 12 Step Treatment other than daily Bhajans, Godhuli, Spiritual Enlightenment etc.)
Length of our treatment program is variable depending on
1. Type of Addiction
2. Length or Period of Addiction
3. Daily Frequency of Addiction and
4. Quantity of Daily use.
We truly believe that all kinds of addiction and addicts are unique in their own way and there exists no single magic wand to treat all addicts with it. Every case is unique hence every treatment is unique.
We are very focused on the problem of addiction in middle class and upper class families as they are the worst hit. Problem being the FEAR OF SOCIAL STIGMA. Hence we ensure that the IDENTITY of the PATIENT is never disclosed under any circumstances unless otherwise required by the Enforcement Agencies of The Govt of India.
Send Your Direct Enquiry
Services Offered
- 12 Step
- Alcoholism Treatment
- Ayurveda
- Corporate Program
- Depression
- Detoxification
- Drug Addiction Treatment
- Family Services
- Nasha Mukti Kendra
- Occupational Therapy
- Out Patient
- Relapse Prevention
- Residential Rehabilitation
- Smoking Cessation
- Substance Abuse Counselling
- Yoga and Meditation
- Youth Substance Abuse
Prayass Foundation Reviews
Be the first to leave a review.


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04 Jan Wind Down Your Mind: Sleep Well
Can't Turn Off Your Mind?
After a long day at work do you lay your head down on your pillow and find that you can't shut off your mind? Do you lay awake thinking about the challenges you faced throughout the day or what you have to face tomorrow? When you struggle with insomnia their body's want sleep, but their mind won't turn off. Once your body notices that sleep isn't going to happen your muscles tense up, breathing and heart rate increase (think fight or flight) and sleep is near impossible.
Lack of sleep can increase symptoms of anxiety. If you already live with anxiety and are not able to get adequate sleep you often feel irritable and on edge the next day. Also, if you are a new mother and not achieving consistent periods of sleep it can contribute to increased symptoms of anxiety.
Many treatments for insomnia include mindfulness. Try this grounding exercise, consistently, for a few weeks to see if you can train your brain to shut off.
Turn off Your Mind
- Dim the lights in your home at least one hour before you get ready for bed
- This cues your body into getting ready to relax mode
- Complete quiet activities outside your bedroom (bedroom is for sleeping not for using the computer, Ipad, or watching TV)
- At bedtime avoid looking at anything with a screen
- Turn over your phone at night so if the screen lights up it doesn't wake you
- Turn off the TV
- 10-15 Before Bedtime Try a Mindfulness Activity
- If you mind wanders, notice it and get back on track focusing on the mindfulness exercise
- Get into bed and focus on your breath
- Notice your breath rising and falling in your body and the feeling it creates
- Take a deep breath and exhale slowly trying to push the breath down to the tips of your toes
- If you sleep with a partner and they are already asleep try to match your breathing to their breathing


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Not every meal is worth posting, but this one was. Sometimes you just need a meal that doesn't tie you to a seat or require both hands. I figured out that I can easily carry a mug of cereal while cradling his head, and if I need to I can forego the spoon and drink it straight.
Month: January 2016
Soft scrambled
Have I ever told you about my idea to open a breakfast place in San Francisco that serves Hard Scrambled Eggs and sells Toast for 5¢? No one would ask you what kind of toast you wanted because it would all be on white bread (ok, maybe all sourdough). We would sell Pancakes and French Toast and neither would have any sort of cheese or fruit in them.
All that aside, I do like my eggs softly scrambled, the way Jacques Pepin would make a classic french omelet as opposed to what he calls a country omelet, which is closer to the way most of us grew up with scrambled eggs. The difference is in the size of the curds. You control the size of the curds by how much you agitate it and by controlling the heat. Bigger curds happen with higher heat and less agitation.
There are lots of places to learn how to scramble eggs, from Jacques' omelet method to Gordon Ramsay's popular method. The things I've taken away from those is to:
- Decide what kind of eggs you want beforehand
- Use a heavy pan that will hold heat
- Use butter, milk, cream, or something similar to get a nice, creamy texture
- Use heat and agitation appropriate to what you want
One reason I don't always make creamy, soft scrambled eggs is because it usually makes the pan comically difficult to clean, but I digress…
If you're cooking with eggs and have either a baby or a camera in one hand, it's good to know how to crack them cleanly just using the other. I finally learned this trick when I realized that it's all about the squeeze. After you crack the shell, squeeze with your thumb and middle finger, then pry the egg apart. The third picture shows how I position my hand to make that happen.
This time, I added the eggs and butter into a mostly cold pan and started beating immediately. Notice the empty burner to the right. That's important if you need to take the eggs off the heat for a bit.
I usually cook the eggs with a rubber spatula until I can see the pan while I'm stirring, then I move it off the heat and scramble some more until it cools down, then back on the heat
(sorry for the blurry picture, I was just moving that fast)
I usually take it off the heat just before it's done and let the heat from the pan finish it. It takes constant attention, but is delicious, especially with a stiff piece of toast with some butter melted on top.
Fried Rice
I realized recently that this blog is about cooking food with a newborn and I have shown a lot of cooking but no newborn. Most of these meals I've made while wearing him in a sling – the Baby K'tan. He's really small and it's the only one that keeps him remotely secure. It was important for me to figure out early how to watch him without feeling like I couldn't do anything else, so he was in it the first day we got home.
Can we talk for a little bit about the name Baby K'tan? I've done some searching and can't find any K'tans for later stages in life. I find that a little annoying.
When I made this meal, though, he was just getting used to
being in his car seat, so I rigged it up with a broom stick so I could rock him with my foot while still attending the stove.
On to the recipe…
My mother is a great cook, which she used to her advantage. When my sister and I were teenagers, we hosted afterparties at our house for proms or school shows. There would be dozens of people and we'd stay up all night. My mom would stay up all night, too, making food for us (and keeping an eye on things) and everyone loved it. One year she must've cooked three huge batches of fried rice until three or four in the morning.
We had some ginger rice left over from the fish dish that I figured I'd save for jook or this. Since we still had some jook, I made fried rice.
I took my inspiration from Gimme Some Oven's fried rice recipe. I like that she's been trying to perfect it for so long and that she uses a lot of butter. Here's my version based on what I had available (and it was delicious):
leftover rice (maybe 2 cups?)
two boneless chicken thighs
frozen peas
tamari/soy sauce
sesame oil
- Scrape (don't slice) most of the fat off the chicken thighs – hold your knife at a 90° angle to the chicken and scrape away from the meat. Most of the fat will come away, and you want to leave some fat there anyway. Then cut the chicken into bite-sized bits.
- I like to use the fat, so I rendered it in the pan by adding a little water and cooking it on low heat.
- Take the solid fat out, add some butter and brown the chicken on med-high heat.
- Take the chicken out, add more butter and hard scramble the eggs.
- Take the eggs out, add more butter and cook the veggies according to how you like them. I started with the broccoli and carrots because they take the longest, then added the whites of the scallion, then the peas. Cook until everything is almost done.
- Add the rice (cold) and cook it until it's a little crispy. Things are going to start sticking to the pan at this point.
- Add some tamari sauce and use the liquid to scrape some things off the bottom of the pan.
- Finally, add the sesame oil, chicken, eggs, and scallion greens. Cook for another minute or so and serve.
Like I said, this was delicious and I'm not even sure if the left-overs made it until the next day. I might have eaten them while I was with the baby in the middle of the night.
Some of you might be asking, "Why chicken thighs and not breasts?" It's because chicken thighs taste like something: chicken. Don't ever eat chicken breasts; why would you do that to yourself?
Surprise Omelette
I hadn't planed on blogging this morning's meal – it was sort of a throw away last minute breakfast but it was delicious (thanks mostly to Caitlin), so here it is:
baby arugula
4 eggs
parmesan cheese
red pepper
- Sauté the onions and garlic on medium-high heat in an oven-proof pan, then add the mushrooms and cook on medium-low heat until they are tender, then add the arugula and cook for a bit.
- Add beaten eggs, mix it around so things aren't bunched up too much, then throw the pan under the broiler until it just starts to brown.
- Add parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.
We ate ours with bacon (also cooked in the oven) and toast with browned butter. So good.
The last supper (with champagne)
The first time I had miso-glazed cod was actually in London at Nobu many years ago. It's one of their signature dishes, though I didn't know that at the time, and it stuck with me.
Protein and omega 3 fatty acids have a lot of benefits for breastfeeding mothers and their babies, including helping with a baby's brain development and helping with postpartum depression (in the mother). Cod is high in protein and while it doesn't have as much omega 3 as salmon, it does have some. One of our healthcare providers suggested fish as a good food for breastfeeding, and I've been meaning to try to make the miso cod anyway. Plus miso is nice to have on hand for a warm, quick snack.
There are a lot of recipes online for how to recreate Nobu's cod. Some relatively complex, calling for sake, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, etc… and others as simple as spreading miso on the fish. We didn't have any sake, but did have some champagne left over that a friend brought so I decided to use that. Plus it was New Year's Eve, so appropriate. In retrospect, sugar and a little more liquid would have made the marinade more like a glaze, but it was still really tasty.
The ginger and the scallions were for the rice. I just chopped off about an inch of ginger and put it in with the rice as it cooked, then topped with scallions.
Here's what I did for the fish:
fillets of cod – enough for two (ask your fishmonger)
champagne, sake, or some kind of white wine
miso paste (I used white)
- Put a couple of tablespoons of miso in a bowl, and thin with the wine until it will easily coat the fish.
- Put the fish in the bowl, cover it with the marinade, and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Put a heavy pan or baking dish in the oven on the top rack and turn on the broiler.
- When the pan is hot, add the fish (I scraped some of the extra miso off first). Broil each side for 3-4 minutes and serve.
If you're going to make white rice, you can start it when you put the fish in the fridge. Start brown rice about 30 minutes earlier. While you're waiting for the fish to marinade, you can cook some kind of green. I boiled broccoli, which was nice because I didn't have to watch it much.
I foiled the pan because it's not mine and I didn't want to "fish it up," but that's not necessary. If your fish has the skin on, leave it – it's great for you. If you time everything carefully, everything will be done with the fish and you can serve it immediately.
And Happy New Year!
Caprese and leftovers
Nothing dresses up leftovers like something you've prepared fresh (it's true). Caitlin decided to make a "salad of Capri" to go with last night's dinner, and it was delicious.
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil
olive oil
Cut up the tomatoes and mozzarella – you're looking for about a 1:1 ratio. Add basil and salt and mix it up. Top with fresh basil.
Caitlin also likes to throw some avocado in if we have it, which is great.
What to do with leftovers: Toast some bread with some olive oil on it then top with the Caprese and you have a delicious bruschetta.
An aside on how to keep fresh basil fresh – put the basil stems down in a glass (like a flower arrangement), and then cover the whole thing with a plastic bag.


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(b) The use of a short-handled hoe or any other short-handled hand tool is prohibited in agricultural operations, as that term is defined in Section 3437, for weeding, thinning or hot-capping when such hoe or short-handled hand tool is used in a stooped, kneeling or squatting position. A long-handled hand tool used for these operations shall not be used as a short-handled hand tool in a stooped, kneeling or squatting position.
(c)(1) Hand weeding, hand thinning, and hand hot-capping in a stooped, kneeling or squatting position shall not be permitted in agricultural operations as defined in Section 3437, unless there is no readily available, reasonable alternative means of performing the work that is suitable and appropriate to the production of the agricultural or horticultural commodity.
(2) Upon inquiry made by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health personnel, the employer shall bear the burden of justifying that the use of hand weeding, hand thinning, or hand hot-capping was required due to the unsuitability of the use of a long-handled tool or other alternative means of performing the work.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting occasional or intermittent hand weeding, hand thinning or hand hot-capping in a stooped, squatting, or kneeling position that is incidental to a non-hand weeding operation. For purposes of this subsection, occasional or intermittent means an employee is devoting 20 percent or less of his or her weekly work time to hand weeding, hand thinning and hand hot-capping.
(4) Every employer shall provide employees engaged in hand weeding, hand thinning and hand hot-capping, not determined to be occasional or intermittent as defined in subsection (3), an additional five (5) minutes of rest period time, which insofar as practicable, shall be in the middle of each work period. The authorized rest period time shall be based on the total hours worked daily at the rate of fifteen (15) minutes net rest time per four (4) hours of work, or major fraction thereof. Authorized rest time shall be counted as hours worked for which there shall be no deduction from wages.
(5) Employees engaging in hand weeding, hand thinning, or hand hot-capping shall be provided gloves and knee pads, as necessary, and training required to perform the job in accordance with all guidelines of Section 3203, Injury and Illness Prevention Program.
(6) The employer shall, in accordance with Title 8, Section 11140, provide any hand tool that may be used under subsection (c)(1).
(d) The provisions of subsection (c)(1) and (c)(2) shall not apply to the following situations:
(1) High density plants spaced less than 2 inches apart when planted;
(2) Any agricultural or horticultural commodity grown in fields or greenhouses which have been registered with the County Agricultural Commissioner as organic;
(3) All agricultural or horticultural commodities when they are seedlings; and
(4) Horticultural commodities grown in tubs or planter containers with an opening not to exceed fifteen (15) inches.
Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.
1. New section filed 1-5-87; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 87, No.2).
2. Amendment of subsection (b) and new subsections (c)-(d)(4) filed 10-7-2004 as an emergency; operative 10-7-2004 (Register 2004, No. 41). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 2-4-2005 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
3. Amendment of subsection (b) and new subsections (c)-(d)(4) refiled 1-26-2005 as an emergency; operative 2-4-2005 (Register 2005, No. 4). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 6-6-2005 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
4. Certificate of Compliance as to 1-26-2005 order, including amendment of
subsections (c)(1), (d)(2) and (d)(4), transmitted to OAL 3-18-2005 and filed
4-29-2005 (Register 2005, No. 17).
Go Back to Article 13 Table of Contents


text:
Use the
puppetlabs-puppet_metrics_collector module to diagnose common performance issues that can result in symptoms such as failed catalog compilation and/or a growing command queue in PuppetDB.
Version and installation information
Puppet version: 5.0, 6.0
Installation type: All
Note: Links to our documentation are for the latest release of Puppet. Use the version selector on our docs site to make sure you've got the right version of our docs for your deployment.
The first step to resolving a performance issue is to gather data on the performance of services. You can easily gather metrics from Puppet Server and PuppetDB by installing and using the
puppetlabs-puppet_metrics_collector module.
Note: If you already have the module installed, please update it to the latest version.
In the following sections, we'll take a look at key metrics for Puppet Server and PuppetDB and use them to optimize your deployment.
Learn more about configuring Grafana, Telegraf, and InfluxDB to use metrics from Puppet's services using the puppetlabs-puppet_metrics_dashboard module.
Puppet Server metrics
One of the most important metrics for Puppet Server is
average-free-jrubies. See that metric over time by running:
grep average-free-jrubies puppetserver/127.0.0.1/*.json
For example:
cd /opt/puppetlabs/puppet-metrics-collector
grep average-free-jrubies puppetserver/127.0.0.1/*.json
puppetserver/127.0.0.1/20170404T170501Z.json: "average-free-jrubies": 0.9950009285369501
puppetserver/127.0.0.1/20170404T171001Z.json: "average-free-jrubies": 0.9999444653324225
puppetserver/127.0.0.1/20170404T171502Z.json: "average-free-jrubies": 0.9999993830655706
average-free-jrubies is consistently below one, improve performance by increasing the
max-active-instances setting to increase the number of JRubies available to Puppet Server.
The default recommendation for this setting, CPUs-1, assumes that your master node is dedicated to running only Puppet Server. If Puppet Server and PuppetDB are on the same node, be careful not to set the number of JRubies so high that Puppet Server is competing with PuppetDB for resources. We recommend increasing
max-active-instances by one and watching CPU utilization in conjunction with Puppet Server metrics. Depending on how many CPUs are allocated to your master, you might need to increase the number of available CPUs before you can further increase JRubies.
When you increase the number of JRubies, increase the heap size of Puppet Server linearly using the instructions in our documentation.
For example:
|Number of JRubies
|Java heap
|Number of JRubies
|Java heap
|2.66GB = 2GB + (2GB/3 JRubies)
|5.83GB = 5GB + (5GB/6 JRubies)
average-free-jrubies is occasionally (but not consistently) dropping to zero, you probably have a thundering herd. Read more about:
- Detecting a thundering herd
- Preventing thundering herd completely by running puppet out of Cron
- Prevent a thundering herd: Use
PuppetDB metrics
One of the most important metrics for PuppetDB is
queue_depth, also referred to as the Command Queue in the PDB dashboard. See that metric over time by running:
grep queue_depth puppetdb/127.0.0.1/*.json
For example:
cd /opt/puppetlabs/puppet-metrics-collector
grep queue_depth puppetdb/127.0.0.1/*.json
puppetdb/127.0.0.1/20170404T170501Z.json: "queue_depth": 0
puppetdb/127.0.0.1/20170404T171001Z.json: "queue_depth": 0
puppetdb/127.0.0.1/20170404T171502Z.json: "queue_depth": 0
queue_depth metric should stay around zero, or slightly above zero in busy systems. The
queue_depth can ebb and flow, but it should not show a pattern of consistently increasing. If the
queue_depth is persistently larger than 100 and/or is continually growing, then increase your command processing threads.
Command processing threads defaults to CPUs/2. If PuppetDB is on its own node, increase the number of command processing threads. If PuppetDB is on the same node as the master, increase the CPUs available to the master to provide enough resources to increase the number of command processing threads.


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On radio this morning, Glenn looked at the troubling news of the day in a slightly different light. Glenn remains steadfast in his belief that the United States government must bring our servicemen and women home and not put troops on the ground in Iraq. This morning, he went so far as to "lead with his mistakes" and admit that liberals had the right idea back in the early 2000s when they opposed intervention in the Middle East. And yet despite all the forces at play that are trying to tear us apart, Glenn remained surprisingly optimistic about America's future.
Below is an edited transcript of the monologue:
I want to the start in a different place. The media keeps saying we are a nation that is being torn apart at the seams. In some ways, I agree with them, only because we are not looking for the things that bring us together. The left and right, we can't agree on anything, right? The only place we can find common ground is in the hatred of one another. That's the narrative that everybody is giving you. Unfortunately, there is some truth to that, unless we decide to look for more.
We have been greatly divided. When the President burst out on the scene, he talked about how George Bush tore us apart with two wars and we had an economic disaster. A lot of people said, 'He's right. We were a mess.' We really, truly were a mess in 2008.
I don't think it's gotten any better for the last five years. We have done nothing but watch our country and our families, our friends be ripped apart. We are deeper in debt. We are immersed in foreign wars. Our economy is much more fragile than it was in 2008. Racial tensions are higher than I have ever seen them. I'm 50 years old. I don't remember an America that felt like this race-wise. We are far from reaching across the aisle. I shouldn't say that. The Republicans and Democrats are perfectly fine reaching across the aisle. They are not only reaching across the aisle, they are reaching across the aisle and fondling each other. It's just they are on the same exact page, and they will demonize. The Republicans are doing it, and the Democrats will do it. They will demonize anyone that steps out of line with the parties.
As bad as it has been, amazingly enough, lately, we seem to be finding areas where we all agree. There are things that are happening in America. For instance, the VA scandal. The VA scandal, Americans agree, is horrific. We need to plant our flag in some places where we know we are on the right side. Let's start planting our flags where we can have some victory. That's one of them: The VA scandal. Let's start reaching across to people in our neighborhood, our friends who vote differently than us, on things like the VA scandal. There's tons of blame. The President campaigned in 2008 on the VA saying that it was completely out of control. Now it's much worse now, but that's the place we could start. George Bush screwed it up. I know. It was horrible. Good. Your guy didn't do anything, so let's fix it now.
We will be coming together to stop Common Core. I can't tell you how remarkable this Common Core thing is. When Bill Gates comes up and gives a speech: 'How about we call it a two-year hiatus? Just give it two years, see if it works. If it doesn't, we'll just give up. Let's do that.' Really? They're letting Justina [Pelletier] go probably in the next couple of weeks too. We're on to you, Bill.
Here's the great thing: No matter how much money you are spending to sell us this load of bull crap, Americans aren't buying it. It is not just the right. It's the left too. It's the teachers. It's the Chicago teachers union. Could we get any more left than that? The Tea Party standing side-by-side with the Chicago teachers unions? That's fantastic.
America is healing herself. I really want to talk to you about this compass I have been working on. I have said for a while that there's going to come a time when everything you know is upside down, when what you thought was solid would be liquid and liquid will be solid. Up is down, down is up. What was right will be wrong. Good will become evil. And there will be nothing that you recognize or can count on. I have said that for probably eight years. The time is here.
We are headed in exactly the wrong direction. We are at the polar opposite now of where we should be going. That's not a conservative saying that. I believe that's anyone with any common sense. 'We should be doing more testing on our kids?' Come on. You know that's not right. 'We should have more Islamic oversight in our Department of Homeland Security.' You know that's not right. 'We should spend more money to get out of debt.' You know that's not right. 'We should rush doctors and nurses and build emergency centers for the people who are coming across our borders, and they are coming here illegally and we are putting them on military bases.' Meanwhile, we can't get the military to be able to get in to see a doctor for things like cancer. You know that's not right.
Maybe we could come together now on this nightmare in Iraq. From the beginning, most people on the left were against going into Iraq. I wasn't. At the time I believed that the United States was under threat from Saddam Hussein. I really truly believed that Saddam Hussein was funding terrorists. We knew that. He was funding the terrorists in Hamas. We knew that he was giving money. We could track that. We knew he hated us. We knew that without a shadow of a doubt. It wasn't much or a stretch to believe that he would fund a terror strike against us, especially since he would say that. So I took him at his word.
There were also atrocities that were happening in Iraq torture chambers, mass graves. At the time, the unanimous belief – even with Hillary Clinton and everybody else – was that he had weapon of mass destruction. There was also the element – and this is really what spoke to me – of bringing freedom to the people of Iraq for the first time in their long history. I don't want to control Iraq, but I have a soft spot for people who are being tortured and just want freedom because I really, truly believe Democrats and Republicans are the same. Israelis and Palestinians are the same. Once you get the politicians to leave the room, once you can deprogram people from what the politicians and leaders have said, everyone is pretty much the same. It's like, 'I just want to be left alone.' 'I just want to raise my family, have fun.' 'I want a decent life.' Then politicians get involved and program us to hate each other. You have to be carefully taught who to hate.
Now, in spite of the things I felt at the time when we went into war, liberals said: We shouldn't get involved. We shouldn't nation-build. And there was no indication the people of Iraq had the will to be free. I thought that was insulting at the time. Everybody wants to be free. They said we couldn't force freedom on people. Let me lead with my mistakes. You are right. Liberals, you were right. We shouldn't have.
Now, if you believed those things, let me say: You were right. If you were just using it for political purposes, well, we don't have anything in common, But if you really believe those things, I would like to have a conversation with you now to find out exactly how you came to terms with that – especially being a progressive. If you know the history of the progressive movement, it was Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson that started imposing democracy in South America. The reason why South America is just loaded with communists is because we put a lot of them in. That's the progressive ideal.
But I agree with you: You cannot force democracy on the Iraqis or anybody else. It doesn't work. They don't understand it or even really want it. They may be too immersed in their own belief of Sharia Law to embrace liberty or at least at this time. If people vote for Sharia Law, they vote for Sharia Law. We tried. What can we do? We have lost thousands of American lives. We have lost thousands of lives on the Iraqi side and tens of thousands have been wounded. We have spent $2 trillion – say that again – $2 trillion, and upwards of 200,000 Iraqi citizens, aid workers, insurgents have been killed. That's the conservative number. Liberals will tell you it's almost 1 million people. I don't know what the number is, but after all of that, hundreds of thousands of lives, $2 trillion, the best minds in the world trying to do it, it's about to fall apart.
Terrorists of the most radical kind – maybe the most radical we have witnessed since Nazis – are now poised to overrun the capitol city. All of our effort, all our sacrifices, all of it is gone. $1 billion embassy, which I contend, I have nothing to back it up except my gut, that's not an embassy. It is a listening station. There's something wrong with that embassy. You don't build something that big in Baghdad. How many of us are going, 'I'm going to vacation in Baghdad. Hope they have a nice embassy'? What do we have it there for? Why is it that big? Something is wrong with that.
But, anyway, all of that is gone. And yet, this is something I think that we can come together with, on the right and the left. And it's this – I have more of a chance of hacking off my loyal listeners and audience by saying this, but so be it: Not one more life. Not one more life. Not one more dollar, not one more airplane, not one more bullet, not one more Marine, not one more arm or leg or eye. Not one more.
The people of Iraq have got to work this out themselves. Our days of being the world's policemen, our days of interventionists is over. If we are directly attacked, so be it. But this must end now.
Can't we come together on that? Are we not all a people that can come together on that? Wedon't want our sacrifice to be a waste. Let me ask you this question: What good will one more life do? To waste one more life, what good will it do, to waste another dollar, let alone another trillion? And conservatives, is there one that believes this President will prosecute a new war in Iraq properly? When the biggest hawk of them all, the Darth Vader of the entire galactic empire, Dick Cheney and George Bush didn't prosecute it right? No. In the end, the result will be the same. Another group of radicals will pop up again. It is like a never-ending game of whack amole over there. The only way to prevent Baghdad from being overrun eventually is stay there and continue to fight this militarily in perpetuity. Are you willing to do that?
Don't even start with me on your oil an gas. Guess we should have thought about that earlier. Maybe if we use our own oil and gas, we wouldn't have to worry about this. Liberals, you were against it in the first place. How could you be in favor of more intervention now? How could you possibly be for that after everything you have said about how it's going to fall apart in the end was right? Everything I said that we could hold it together was wrong.
We need to pull out and end the long nightmarish involvement in this mess. We need to do the same in Afghanistan, once and for all. I remember back in the 1970s, we were going to the moon and liberals at that time would say, 'We have bigger problems here on earth that need to be taken care of.' How much more is that argument correctly applied to today's situation?
Finally, there are some things we can agree on. Finally, there are some things we can come together on and clean up our own house. But if we do to the liberals what they did to us and George W. Bush and make it just about politics, we will be divided more. This cannot become about the President. It cannot become act the Democrats. This has to become about the principles because in the principles we all agree. Enough is enough. Bring them home, period.