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While some health care practitioners and health insurance providers feel that they often coexist on an adversarial level, it doesn't always have to be that way.A recent incident in California highlights what can happen when the two groups put their patients' well-being ahead of their own philosophies.
On January 17, 2001, Cigna Healthcare, one of the largest health insurers in the nation, informed a California-based acupuncture network, Acu-Care, that it had changed its policy toward acupuncture services. Instead of covering a wide range of conditions for which acupuncture has been shown to be effective, Cigna issued a statement to Acu-Care saying that only three diagnoses indicating the use of acupuncture - nausea resulting from chemotherapy; nausea due to pregnancy; and adult postoperative dental pain - would be accepted for coverage and reimbursement.
In response to Cigna's policy change, the president of Acu-Care, Ilan Migdali, LAc, contacted the organization's national medical director. The director explained that Cigna's accepted diagnoses stemmed from the 1997 National Institutes of Health's consensus statement on acupuncture, which states that "there is clear evidence that needle acupuncture is efficacious for adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and probably for the nausea of pregnancy" and that "there is evidence of efficacy for postoperative dental pain." The director also expressed a willingness to work with Acu-Care, and offered to review any information and scientific research Acu-Care presented about acupuncture in order to consider adding conditions to be covered.
While an early part of the consensus statement does indeed mention the efficacy of acupuncture for nausea, vomiting and postoperative dental pain, other parts discuss more than a dozen conditions for which acupuncture could be useful. For instance, a section on the use of acupuncture in comparison to (or in combination with) other forms of care states that "musculoskeletal conditions, such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and tennis elbow, or epicondylitis, are conditions for which acupuncture may be beneficial." It further states that there is either "ample clinical experience, supported by some research data," or "positive clinical trials" suggesting that acupuncture could be a reasonable option for a number of clinical conditions, including myofasacial pain; postoperative pain; low back pain; stroke rehabilitation; carpal tunnel syndrome; osteoarthritis; asthma; addiction; and headache.
In response to Cigna's stance, Acu-Care instituted an information campaign designed to educate and inform the insurance giant about acupuncture's benefits. First, Acu-Care contacted its network members, who in turn informed their patients of Cigna's decision. Acu-Care members also began collecting scientific abstracts, articles from peer-reviewed journals, and other information explaining acupuncture's efficacy in treating a variety of conditions, so that they could be presented to Cigna for review.
The information campaign worked better than anyone had expected. On January 25, 2001, Acu-Care was contacted by Cigna. The network was told that several patients had called Cigna to report on the benefits they had received from acupuncture, and that they demanded continuation of treatment. As a result of the response from patients and practitioners, Cigna ended up issuing a clarification to Acu-Care, informing them that the policy revision would apply only to a very limited number of HMO and point-of-service plans. Cigna also reaffirmed its position toward acupuncture, informing Acu-Care that the diagnosis guidelines for their PPO policies would remain as broad and as comprehensive as they were previously, and that PPO patients would continue to be covered for approximately 20 conditions, including back pain, bursitis, sciatica, tendonitis and tennis elbow.
"This outcome demonstrates the important role that practitioners and patients have in requesting and receiving desired health benefits," said Dr. Migdali upon hearing of Cigna's clarification.
"The results people receive from our medicine, and the type of relationship that develops between us, are both strong and influential," he continued. "I would like to see this energy used to further enhance insurance coverage and improve the reimbursement rates acupuncturists receive. Remembering this strength, accessing it and channeling it will help practitioners stand for their rights and their vision of how our medicine will be practiced. It will ultimately result in better health care."
Acu-Care's ability to develop an effective information campaign in a short amount of time provides an excellent (and all-too-rare) example of what an acupuncture organization can do if its members band together to work for a common good. Cigna's willingness to work with Acu-Care, meanwhile - and its clarification of what diagnoses would and would not be covered - shows what can happen when insurers and provider networks cooperate to try and deliver the best possible care for their patients.
Editor's note: While Cigna has clarified its position as to what diagnoses will be covered under its health care plans, Acu-Care has decided to continue gathering research and information about acupuncture. To find out more about Acu-Care, or to become involved in the network's information campaign, please contact:
7080 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 306
Hollywood, CA 90028
Tel: (323) 962-6294
Fax: (323) 962-2518


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REBEL FIGHTERS IN Syria have officially abandoned a ceasefire with regime forces that was brokered by UN envoy Kofi Annan.
Anti-government forces have launched fresh attacks over the weekend, saying that hundreds of people had been killed since the ceasefire took effect in April.
A spokesman for the rebel military council told Reuters: "We have decided to end our commitment to this [plan] and starting from that date [Friday] we began defending our people."
Questions have been raised over the viability of Annan's six-point plan for peace after a defiant speech by Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at the weekend, in which he insisted that unrest in the troubled country was due to a foreign plot.
In another sign that the armed conflict may be set to intensify, Syrian activists yesterday announced a new rebel coalition that aims to overcome deep divisions within the opposition.
The group, the Syrian Rebels Front, declared its formation in a news conference in Turkey. Khaled al-Okla, one of the organisers, said the fledgling group will coordinate with the Free Syrian Army, a loose coalition of rebel units.
"We might have some treaties or agreements to coordinate our work in Syria" said al-Okla, who claimed his umbrella group has 12,000 fighters. The announcement of the new rebel front was accompanied by a video presentation claiming the front has 100 "battalions or fighting formations," and it featured clips of masked fighters declaring their allegiance to the new entity.
- Additional reporting from AP
Read: Syria facing 'a foreign plot' for destruction, insists Assad>

subset: commoncrawl


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From a well-rewarded chair in e-science to a teacher trainer based in the Lakes, Pat Leon reviews what's on the science job market menu, and also finds culinary perks on offer for Oxford research fellows.
Salaries for advertised posts often vary according to the calibre and experience of the candidate but the £29,000 or so difference between the lowest and highest amount offered to the person who secures Edinburgh University's second chair in e-science is a job in itself. The salary range of £42,177 to £70,852 reflects the possibility that an e-chair is as likely to attract someone at the beginning of their career as an established leader in the field.
The successful applicant will deputy-direct the National e-Science Centre, a consortium involving Glasgow University, as well as leading multidisciplinary research projects in innovative information technology or science applications of IT.
Michael Forman, head of the School of Informatics, in which the post will be based, says the job is open to applicants from various science and technology disciplines. "We expect someone who is primarily an expert in informatics with application to science but we are open to a scientist who has worked with technology in the pursuit of their science. If it's the latter, the chair might be located in a different school."
No money is attached to the two junior research fellowships in sciences that Worcester College, Oxford, is advertising this week. Those elected will, however, be able to wine and dine in the college and apply for research allowances for books and travelling. The fellowships, for under 30s, are a bridge between postgraduate study and an academic post.
A salary of £45,000 to work on St Martin's College's Ambleside or Lancaster campuses ought to prove tempting. But the college is having to readvertise the position of head of its science education division after its first shortlist disintegrated when people were offered other jobs.
Now St Martin's is casting its net beyond university education departments in the hope of a bigger catch. Philip Gager, associate dean of the education faculty, says the division is one of the largest providers of school science teachers in the country. He says: "There are two categories of potential applicants - people who have been school science teachers and moved into a university school of education and are looking for a leadership role, and people who moved from schools into further and higher education science departments. Science eduction is a big division. There are 16 or 17 staff split between three campuses - Ambleside, Carlisle and Lancaster. Part of the job will be linking with Manchester Metropolitan University to manage our science learning centre."
Kent University seeks a school head of physical sciences to take over from present incumbent Richard Jones. Jones' alma mater is Wellington's Victoria University in New Zealand, which is also advertising a head of its school of chemical and physical sciences. The school recently established the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, named after 2000 Nobel prizewinner, Alan MacDiarmid.


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Guess what? So was one of the intended victims, and he wasn't having any of it.
A robbery attempt was thwarted by a victim with a license to carry Tuesday night.
The Tyler Police Department responded to a report of a robbery outside the Family Dollar store at 3505 Frankston Highway at 8 p.m., according to a news release.
The officers met with two victims who said they had come to the store to purchase a dog after seeing on advertisement on social media.
When they arrived, they were met by a single black male who led them around the building to make the transaction. As they turned the corner they were confronted by several more black males who yelled at them to get on the ground. The victims believe one of the suspects pointed a handgun at them, but could not be certain due to poor lighting conditions.
One of the victims, who has a valid Texas Handgun License, drew his weapon and pointed it at the suspects. The suspects fled and the victims went inside and asked store employees to call the police.
The thwarted robbery is both by far the most common use of a firearm in the United States, and the least reported.
The vast majority of defensive gun uses are instances just like this one, where a firearm is displayed or implied (someone strikes a defensive posture and puts a hand on a firearm, but doesn't draw it), but shots are not fired. Defensive gun uses like this happen somewhere between 300,000 and 3+ million times a year (depending on the researcher you want to believe), and few of these instances ever make it on the news because they're simply not deemed to be "newsworthy" most days in a news cycle dominated by "if it bleeds, it leads" sensationalism.
Guns save lives constantly, and most of the time, they aren't even fired.


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You are here
Tough-talking Duterte makes international debut amid Obama spat
[BANGKOK] Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to swear at US President Barack Obama, dangled the prospect of leaving the United Nations and insulted the pope, all without leaving the country. Now he's ready to meet the world.
Mr Duterte, whose antics have repeatedly made headlines since he took office two months ago, is making his international debut at a pair of summits that start Tuesday in Vientiane, Laos.
The meetings will be attended by Obama plus leaders from South-east Asian nations, Russia, China and Japan.
Before the summits even begin, Mr Duterte has caused a stir. Hours after an expletive-laden outburst as he headed for Laos, in which he warned Mr Obama against questioning him about his war on illegal drugs, the White House announced their scheduled tete-a-tete was off.
"President Duterte is the most-talked-about leader in Asean and in the world," his Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a recent radio interview, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
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Yet Mr Duterte will also be the most diplomatically inexperienced leader at an event often dominated by thorny issues like the South China Sea. The Philippines under predecessor Benigno Aquino was a vocal critic of China's actions in the disputed waterway, though Mr Duterte has signalled a potentially more pragmatic approach with his biggest trading partner.
He faces a tricky time with military ally the US, given he has criticised those who called into question his violent war against drug suspects that has seen 2,400 people killed so far. The US is among those who have expressed doubts as to whether the campaign adheres to human rights norms.
Mr Duterte and Mr Obama planned to meet at Laos. But before flying there on Monday, Mr Duterte told reporters if the US president questioned him "I will curse you in that forum."
"I don't care about him," Mr Duterte said. "Who is he?" "The Philippines is not a vassal state," he said. "We have long ceased to be a colony."
The comments prompted Mr Obama, speaking to reporters in China, to refer to him - with a slight grimace - as a "colourful guy."
National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement early Tuesday that Mr Obama won't proceed with the Duterte meeting. He didn't give a reason.
As mayor of a city of 1.6 million people for two decades, Mr Duterte had little experience on the international stage before sweeping to the presidency with his populist rhetoric.
"This is Mr Duterte's first major diplomatic event, and it's hard to know exactly how he will present himself," said Gregory Poling, a South-east Asia specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Still, Mr Duterte can be a pragmatist, he said, and "regularly tones down his bombastic rhetoric when necessary."
This will be the first meeting of South-east Asian leaders since a tribunal in the Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines in July, rejecting China's claims to most of the South China Sea, which hosts more than US$5 trillion in international trade each year.
China's assertions to the area, where it has reclaimed thousands of acres of land and boosted its naval presence, are often a focus of Asean summits as they overlap those of Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia.
China wants the disputes settled on a bilateral basis and in the past has pushed Asean allies Laos and Cambodia to stop the bloc, which operates on a consensus basis, from issuing statements on the dispute that criticise Beijing.
Mr Duterte's vision for how he will manage ties with the US and China has varied wildly. He has shifted between saying he is open to co-operating with China on resource exploration in the South China Sea to warning of a "bloody" fight if Beijing pushes too far.
He's also questioned the US commitment to protecting Philippine interests and irked Washington by indicating he is open to direct talks with China.
"The country watching Mr Duterte most closely is probably the US," said Christian Lewis, a South-east Asia risk analyst with Eurasia Group. "From China's perspective, Mr Duterte is at worst neutral and at best a positive change from Aquino. From the US perspective, Mr Duterte is at best neutral and at worst a negative change from Aquino."
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay did not say how Mr Duterte would approach his time in Laos. "I do not want to speculate on that other than to assure you that he will do what is right and in the paramount national interest," he said in an interview last week.
The area where Mr Duterte has bristled most has been criticism of his drug war. He's lashed out at statements from the United Nations and the US, threatening to leave the UN and responding to comments from US Ambassador Philip Goldberg by calling him a homosexual.
Speaking to reporters on Monday before his departure, Mr Duterte blasted the US for its own record on human rights, having previously criticised it for a high death rate among black Americans.
"I don't want to pick a quarrel with Obama but certainly I would not appear to be beholden to anybody," he said. "Nobody but nobody should interfere. This is an independent country." "Nobody has a right to lecture me," Mr Duterte added. "God, do not do it. We will end up disrespecting each other if you do that to me."
Mr Duterte declined a request to meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in Laos, even if he clarified that his threat to leave the UN was just a joke. On the campaign trail, he had raised eyebrows by insulting the pope for causing traffic jams during a visit to the Philippines.
"Mr Duterte is always ready for criticisms," said Benito Lim, a political science professor from Ateneo de Manila University. "He could get back at other Asean leaders who criticise him, including Obama, by citing human rights violations in their own countries."
Still, Mr Yasay said there was no reason to think that Mr Duterte would change his persona in the presence of other world leaders.
"I am sure the president will be the same warm, engaging and charming leader that he is," Mr Yasay said. "He will continue to be his unpretentious self."
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Kagami-biraki 2014 ...
Cichorei Kano
- Posts : 1948
Join date : 2013-01-16
Age : 860
Location : the Holy See
- Post n°1
Kagami-biraki 2014 ...
"The world is a republic of mediocrities, and always was." (Thomas Carlyle)
"Nothing is as approved as mediocrity, the majority has established it and it fixes it fangs on whatever gets beyond it either way." (Blaise Pascal)
"Quand on essaie, c'est difficile. Quand on n'essaie pas, c'est impossible" (Guess Who ?)
"I am never wrong. Once I thought I was, and that was a mistake."
- Posts : 405
Join date : 2013-01-28
- Post n°2
Re: Kagami-biraki 2014 ...
Beautiful. The fluidity, centredness and control is inspirational. Structured yet free ...


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The Diversity, Power, Agency task force (DPA) has been asked to review the Multicultural Requirement (MCR) and make recommendations for updates/revisions. The following are excerpts from the task force's conversations thus far. This project is ongoing and feedback is encouraged. Continue reading Diversity, Power, Agency Task Force
Tag Archives: Diversity
IDEAL Framework Implementation
September 14, 2017
Bill Harbaugh
Senate Vice President
Dear Bill:
I hope that your summer has been restful and that your preparations for fall term are going smoothly.
As we look forward to the implementation stage of the Diversity Action Plans (DAPs), we are preparing an ecosystem of support that will facilitate the new programming as well as policies, partnerships, and innovations in our schools, colleges, and administrative units. The first step in this process is to reconfigure the University-Wide Diversity Committee (UWDC) as an infrastructure for IDEAL implementation, which will involve establishing and staffing a new committee and subcommittee structure. At that stage, we will need the participation of faculty, staff, GEs and students who are interested in this work. Attached, please find a table that we are using to guide the next phase of this process forward. The table lists the working groups being formed and their charges. The groups were selected based on tactics that appeared across multiple units' DAPs.
I write today to ask for your assistance in identifying and recommending colleagues from the UO Senate, who can assist us in carrying out the next steps/working group charge for the following tactics:
* Climate Survey Development and Analytics
* Implicit Bias Professional Development*
* Evaluating Existing Workshops, Professional Development Programs/Gap Analysis*
* Recruiting Processes, Outlets, and Retention Tools*
* Professional Development Pilot Programs
* Leadership Succession Planning*
* Onboarding and Training for New Employees and New Supervisors*
While recommendations for service on any working group is welcome and appreciated, those groups flagged with an asterisk (*) are in the greatest need of membership.
As you recommend colleagues, please also suggest the capacity in which they might serve (committee member, chair, co-chair, etc.) Be assured that each of the committees and subcommittees will be staffed and supported by a DEI team member. It is our intent to ensure that meetings are carried efficiently and make the best use of committee members' time and expertise.
It will be wonderful to get your feedback by September 30, 2017 so that we can include it in the proposed work plan for President Schill. Once we get approval from him, we will move forward to establish our working groups so that they are ready to begin meeting fall 2017. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Yvette M. Alex-Assensoh
Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
CC: Chris Sinclair
Lesley-Anne Pittard
Vickie De Rose
Kelly Pembleton
Samantha Zysett
US16/17-08: Proposed Senate Resolution: "Reaffirming our Shared Values of Respect for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion."
Senate Meeting Agenda – November 16, 2016
DRAFT (revised Wednesday 11/16/2016)
Location: EMU 214 (REDWOOD Auditorium); 3:00-5:00 pm
Call to Order (3:00 PM)
Introductory Remarks, Senate President Bill Harbaugh
Approval of Minutes from Oct 19, 2016 and Nov 2, 2016
New Business (3:15 PM)
1. Vote: US16/17-05: Graduate Online & Hybrid Courses policy proposal; Scott Pratt (Philosophy & Graduate Council)
2. Vote: US16/17-07: Student Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Violence Complaint and Response policy proposal; Merle Weiner (Law) & the Senate Responsible Reporting Working Group
State of the University update (3:40 – 4:00)
Mike Schill (UO President)
More New Business
Motion to suspend the rules and allow debate and vote on both:
3. US16/17-08: Reaffirming our Shared Values of Respect for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Senator Pedro Garcia-Caro (Romance Languages) et al.
4: US16/17-09: Declaring UO a Sanctuary Campus; Lynn Stephen (Anthropology) et al.
Open Discussion
Reports (4:45 PM)
1. Update on Accreditation update: Ron Bramhall (AVP for Academic Excellence).
2. IFS & PAC12-ALC: Robert Kyr (Music)
3. Governor's Campus Safety Workup Report; Robert Kyr (Music)
4:55 pm 7. Notice(s) of Motion
4:57 pm 8. Other Business
5:00 pm 9. Adjournment


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What effect did the global financial crisis have upon youth wellbeing? Evidence from four Australian cohorts
Publication Date
Publication Details
Parker, P. D, Jerrim, J. & Anders, J. (2016). What effect did the global financial crisis have upon youth wellbeing? Evidence from four Australian cohorts. Developmental Psychology,52(4), 640-651. United States of America: American Psychological Association Inc.. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000092
Recent research has suggested significant negative effects of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) on mental health and wellbeing. In this article, the authors suggest that the developmental period of late adolescence may be at particular risk of economic downturns. Harmonizing 4 longitudinal cohorts of Australian youth (N = 38,017), we estimate the impact of the GFC on 1 general and 11 domain specific measures of wellbeing at age 19 and 22. Significant differences in wellbeing in most life domains were found, suggesting that wellbeing is susceptible to economic shocks. Given that the GFC in Australia was relatively mild, the finding of clear negative effects across 2 ages is of international concern.
Institute for Positive Psychology and Education
Document Type
Open Access Journal Article
Access Rights
Open Access
© The Authors. This article has been published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s). Author(s) grant(s) the American Psychological Association the exclusive right to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.


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2 Credit(s) Received
Hello Everyone, We are Rekt. Resurrekt is a pretty flexible clan with interests in all this game has to offer. Which includes Crucible, Raids, Strikes, Nightfalls, Gambit, and much more. Overall we are a pretty chill clan with love for this game and other games. We are Friendly and always down to play. Resurrekt is looking for 15 new members, however we are looking for very active players to join. Follow the steps below and we look forward to gaming with you. 1) Upvote this post :) 2) Join the discord and follow the steps in #announcements. Discord link: https://discord.gg/RTQVvBw
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(615) 301-1650: MLS #1985262 Official listing information! Eagle Ridge Estates neighborhood - 10 Eagle Ridge Lane located in Summertown TN 38483, priced at $25877, with bedrooms.10 Eagle Ridge Lane Summertown TN - MLS #1985262 Close
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The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange Program of RealTracs Solutions. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage are marked with the Internet Data Exchange Program logo or thumbnail logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.
Disclaimer: All information is believed to be accurate but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal.
Copyright 2020 RealTracs Solutions.
Listing information last updated on October 28th, 2020 at 5:57am CDT.


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From Gaga to Beckham: The September 2012 Cover Girls
By Lindsey Schickner 08/08/12 at 10:15 PM
The crème de la crème of covers, the September Issue is the most anticipated and fullest issue of a fashion magazine, thus the most coveted cover slot for any star to score.
If we learned anything from the September Issue film, the Devil Wears Prada-editor-in-chief of every publication knows that the September cover girl must be a highly strategic decision that will set the stage for the magazine's circulation success for that month and the many months to follow.
From Glamour's cover star and guest editor Victoria Beckham to Gwen Stefani in all pink for Harper's Bazaar, and the just released Lady Gaga for Vogue, we rounded up the most buzzed about September covers for 2012 in the gallery above!


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land trust
Use land trust in a sentence
" You should try and keep a land trust if you think that the investment will pan out in the long run. "
" The land trust was created for a sense of stability for the group of business men who wanted to feel secure. "
" I thought we needed some land trust because it would be important to us in the future and would make me feel better. "


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Bungee cord is also commonly referred to as shock cord or stretch cord.
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Cortado has made their Flight Mode App free for this summer only. Cortado Flight Mode is an offline mode that allows users to safely read e-mails during flights. Before Flight Mode disconnects from all wireless connections, it downloads any incomplete emails from your server so you can view them in full length during the flight and use that time to work.
Download a free copy of Cortado Flight Mode App.


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First United Methodist Church of Jamaica
162-10 Highland Avenue
Jamaica, New York 11432
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you. Deuteronomy 16:17
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First United Methodist Church of Jamaica is a recognized not-for-profit. Upon request or as deemed appropriate, donations to the church will be formally acknowledged in writing.


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Overcoming the Stuff
Have you been going through some stuff lately? Have you experienced some opposition? We seem to be in a season of great shaking. In Hebrews 12:27 it says, "...God will remove those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."
We're in the season of removal. A time where everything that isn't kingdom will be shaken off the Body of Christ. God is preparing His victorious church to bring in His Kingdom. The Things that can be shaken are those things that we seem to want to hang on to that God didn't give us; things like fear, lack of faith, not trusting in God, but man, failing marriages, loss of kingdom vision, worry about the economy of this world, disease, religion, etc... This scripture tells us God wants something to remain. What is it? It's those things that cannot be shaken by the enemy or the world. In verse 28 we see what it is. "Therefore since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire."
The shaking is simply getting the stuff out that God doesn't want us to have. I don't think we're going through stuff, I think stuff is going through us. Maybe, it's a kingdom cleansing. The church without mixture will receive the spirit without measure. The key words in verse 28 are, "...offer to God an acceptable service." How can we offer to God, "the stuff," with our service? How can we receive the power of God when we carry things in our life that deny God? Let's face it, we're not going to be the church running from the devil, looking for a rapture. We're going to be the kingdom church built upon the rock and the gates of hell shall not overpower it. (Matthew 16:18)
When the stuff is gone we will have an acceptable service to God. When we have an acceptable service, notice what God gives us in Matthew 16:18, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." I don't know about you, but I call that authority. God tells us in the world you will have stuff (tribulation), but take courage; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
You may, in the world, have stuff going on around you, but it doesn't have to be in you. If you have the keys of the kingdom, then you are in the house of God and can open every door. Let God shake everything that is not of Him that can be shaken. When He's through, what will remain will be those things of God that cannot be shaken. Then you will be filled with only what God has that He wants to put in you. This is how the end-time bride of Christ will overwhelmingly conquer. (Romans 8:37)


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My Life as a Turkey
Based on the true story of writer and naturalist Joe Hutto (portrayed here by wildlife photographer Jeff Palmer), this film chronicles his remarkable experience of imprinting wild turkey eggs and raising the hatchlings to adulthood. Deep in the wilds of Florida, Hutto spent each day out and about as a "wild turkey" with his family of chicks – until the day came when he had to let his children grow up and go off on their own. As it turned out, this was harder than he ever imagined. Hutto's story also became a book, Illumination in the Flatlands.


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9:00pm Update;
Air support has been "released" this evening after Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton called up the Minnesota National Guard this afternoon assist the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fighting a five hundred acre wildfire in the Red Lake National Wildlife Refuge, four miles north of Four Town in Beltrami County.
Wildfire Section Manager Paul Lundgren says the ground fight is continuing with no injuries and no property damage reported.
Lundgren said containment efforts will continue Friday morning, with monitoring and patrolling through-out the day.
At the height of the fire the National Guard provided a UH60/Blackhawk helicopter capable of dumping 660 gallons of water and a CH47/Chinook helicopter with water capacity of 2000 gallons, along with one fixed wing aircraft and tanker support out of Ontario, Canada.
The Minnesota State Patrol has provided air reconnaissance throughout.
The DNR rated Fire Danger as "Extreme" today in Northwest Minnesota, the highest alert level possible short of a Red Flag Warning; with no burning permits issued and only recreational campfires (within a three foot ring) allowed.
3:20am Update;
DNR officials say they are "making good progress" against the Moose River West Fire, a wildfire burning on 525 acres North of Four Town in the Red Lake Wildlife Management Area / Beltrami County.
Spokeswoman Kristi Coughlon says some the aircraft fighting the fire has been released and fire fighters are "holding the line," with no injuries reported and no property damage.
The cause of the fire was a DNR Prescribed Burn in the Moose River Wildlife Management Area that jumped the containment line at Dick's Parkway and was moving north this afternoon.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is at the scene of a wildfire burning on over five hundred acres north of Four Town in the Red Lake Wildlife Area this afternoon.
Inter-Agency Fire officials confirm the blaze began as a prescribed burn in the Moose River Wildlife Area, but jumped the containment line at Dicks Parkway, and is moving north in an area 4 miles north of Four Town.
The DNR is throwing everything they have at it, fighting the fire with track vehicles and a heavy effort by air, including three helicopters, a fixed wing aircraft and air tanker with the Minnesota State Patrol providing air reconnaissance.
No injuries or damage to this hour but motorists are advised to stay out of the area until the situation stabalizes.
The DNR rating "Fire Danger" today as "Extreme," the highest level of fire alert available – with no burning permits being issues and only recreational campfires allowed. Every precaution is advised.


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Haley saw her fraternal twins, Cole and Calvin, off to prom earlier that evening. She rented them each a luxury sports car while Kevin, her husband, gave them $500 each. Aware that the gifts would be used as ammunition to conduct mischief, she couldn't help but smile. She was proud of them. Each scored academic and sports scholarships to their first-choice universities, and they were on their way down the well-traveled road to success.
Haley turned from the table to deliver the dishes to the kitchen sink and found Kevin standing there. He shot her a frustrated glare.
"Are you ready?" he asked, placing both hands in his khaki pants pockets.
She knew for what. The talk. The talk they had promised to save until their sons were graduating from high school, had driver's licenses, and college scholarships. When the boys were on their way out into the world.
"Yeah," Haley groaned as she dried her hands with a dishtowel. She slammed it down on the counter in a huff.
Kevin led the way to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair for her. She sat. And he sat across from her.
They stared.
A thin layer of sweat glossed Kevin's face and his fingers tapped at the table. Haley, however, took stable and soft breaths, sat motionless, and met Kevin's piercing gray eyes with a discerning glare.
Kevin opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He dropped his head and his eyes conducted a frantic search on the honey oak surface for the words he wanted to say.
"We raised two wonderful kids," Haley said in her attempt to initiate dialogue.
Kevin's eyes were waterlogged, and his lips shuddered. She'd never seen him so weak.
"I know. You are a wonderful mother," he finally said.
"You are a beautiful father. I couldn't have done it without you."
Kevin opened his mouth to speak once more but quickly rejected his words by hanging his head again.
"Kevin, what do you want to say to me?" Haley asked softly. She maintained her posture eager to start and end this much-anticipated conversation.
Kevin wiped the falling tears from his eyes. "We planned this ten years ago, remember?"
She did. The weight was placed on top of the crumbling marriage when they fought and argued over who the boys would spend that summer with: Kevin's parents or hers. That fight marked the official end. They had been fighting over everything, hating one another since her affair. They'd tried therapy, retreats, and even going on dates every Friday. The results made them resent one another even more.
But the twins had no idea of their family's fate. Haley nor Kevin wanted to raise children under such circumstances. So they argued in private, fought when the chance was presented (like soccer practice), and kept their marital problems among themselves.
It's finally over, she praised.
"I hate you so much that I love you," Kevin spat through his now gritting teeth. "I never thought I could feel this way about anyone before. I could kiss you or strangle you right now, Haley. You get under my skin, make me hate myself, just… forcing out the worst of me. Making me weak!" He slammed his fist on the table top. " I genuinely hate you. I feel like you were sent here to make me suffer. My feelings are never clear when it comes to you. To be so confused about whether I love you or not kills me!" His face went scarlet as tears trickled down his cheeks. His glare begged for answers that she couldn't provide.
"What do you want me to say?" Haley replied, refusing to be excitable.
"You don't owe me anything, Haley. You've given me the best thing I could ever have, my boys. You are a great mother, but you are the worse type of person. I gave you everything, and you betrayed me!" His bloodshot eyes leaked onto the table. "I thought I could forgive you, but I don't think I can." He shook his head. "I want to forgive you. I wish I could. I… I wish we could get along better. I really wish, but I can't."
No one spoke. The only sound was Kevin's sobbing.
Haley smiled and finally responded to the crumbling man across from her. "I'm happy you're leaving. I'm repulsed by you. Your voice, your scent, just your presence puts me on edge. You're boring. I mean, really," Haley chuckled, still holding his eyes in hers, not breaking her stance for a second. "I'm just happy that this is over and I can move on with my life. Just promise you will be there for the boys." Haley's nonchalant glare turned cynical.
Kevin stopped sobbing. She knew he got the depth of her message, but she pressed on to be sure.
"You see, Kevin, you don't know how you feel about me. Right? I know exactly how I feel. I feel nothing for you. I want you gone." Haley rose from the table. "Are we done here?" There was no use in continuing the conversation. The years of arguing, fighting and infidelity spoke volumes; their marriage was nothing more than a sheet a paper that needed to be shredded.
Kevin stood and wiped the stray tears from his face and underneath his chin. "Yeah," he said, clearing his throat. "So, uh, tomorrow, we tell the boys, and I'm going to move in with―"
"I don't care where you're going. That's none of my concern and hasn't been for a long time," Haley interrupted.
Kevin scoffed and stormed out the kitchen, leaving remnants of his ferocity behind.
Haley went back to cleaning. She'd start packing soon. Her ocean side condo in Southern Florida that she'd scrimped and saved for was ready and waiting.
Soon. Very soon.
She smiled and drifted off as optimism took over her dreams offering the unlimited possibilities of where life would drag her next.
Reblogged this on KyroBooks and commented:
#flash-fiction #amwriting
Haha, I didn't expect quite so venomous a reaction from her… Well done!
An easy read. I could really feel both characters' emotions. I was hooked from start to end. Well done!
Thanks😊. I'm happy you enjoyed it.
Very powerful. I have favourited you, will be reading and look forward to news of your making the bestseller list in the years to come. Are you thinking of a novel or short story is your fomat of choice? Alex
Thanks Alex. I like both formats so every year I plan to release one of each.
Oh Kyla you had me fooled 🙂
Set in a kitchen. Undoubtedly a cutlery draw nearby. I had Kevin reaching for something sharp and dangerous. Obviously, such was his character, he'd have probably accidentally cut himself on it so I think your version is far superior to my ropey anticipation. Nicely done 🙂
Thanks lol. This piece was a little different for me but I'm proud of it 🙂 so happy you enjoyed it.
Horror and suspense flash fiction, short stories, and novelsGuest Appearance on the Speculative Fiction Cantina Radio BroadcastDark Fiction By Kyla Ross April 21, 2017 at 11:49 am
[…] If you've read my stuff, then you know that 95% of it is Rated R/ MA (lol). I'll be reading the most modest short I've ever written, Happier Beginnings. […]
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The 2018 Game Awards were packed with honors, tributes, entertainment and gaming announcements. One of the biggest came from the legendary creator of the Mortal Kombat series. Yes, it's true. Mortal Kombat 11 is on its way and it will arrive with a plethora of fanfare.
A trailer for the new game was revealed along with some pre-order details, the date for a community reveal and the official release date (April 23, 2019) for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Fans can start pre-ordering the game on December 8 and that will get them access to the Beta and the Shao Kahn DLC once the game is released.
Let's get into the meat of the reveal.
The Trailer
What Song Was Playing During the Reveal?
One of the most commonly asked questions moments after the trailer went live was, "what song was that playing?" The track playing during the MK11 trailer was "Immortal" by 21 Savage. As of now, the song doesn't have a video or any presence online, but that will likely change as 21 Savage and his team and label will be sure to circulate the track.
The Gore Returns
A calling card for the MK franchise has always been its gore. Based on what we saw in this trailer, the blood and guts will be back in a major way. There is a dramatized fatality in the trailer, that should really be in the game, and it's Scorpion's against Raiden.
There is No Real Gameplay
While all of the CGI in the trailer looked great and drove home the concept, it's important to remember, there was no actual gameplay in the trailer. Unlike Devil May Cry 5 from Capcom, which showed off a ton of in-game action, MK11 is apparently waiting until its community reveal event on January 17 to show the real action. That said, we've learned one of the major selling points for MK11 is its graphics, customizable characters and new additions to the roster.
Character at the End
There's a female character shown at the end of the trailer just before Shao Kahn appears and the release date information is shared. She's standing next to some sort of partially transparent structure or weapon and her eyes are glowing. I'm sure we'll find out more information on her as the weeks and months roll by.
As of now, I'm happy there is a sequel on the way but eager to see how or if the overall package has progressed.
I cover sports video games like NBA 2K, Madden, MLB The Show, FIFA, NHL, EA UFC, Fight Night, Super Mega Baseball, DIRT, F1, NASCAR, Forza, and everything in between. You…
I cover sports video games like NBA 2K, Madden, MLB The Show, FIFA, NHL, EA UFC, Fight Night, Super Mega Baseball, DIRT, F1, NASCAR, Forza, and everything in between. You can also find me previewing and recapping WWE PPV events.


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The Cherry Pie Society
The Cherry Pie Society Logo
The Cherry Pie Society is the House's intellectual discussion group, open to every member of the community. Founded more than 50 years ago, the Cherry Pie Society was originally the name of a group of residents who would meet up from time to time for dinner to discuss intellectual topics. Every meeting would end with dessert, typically cherry pie since that was a personal favorite of one of the Cherry Pie Society's original members, Housemaster Avery Ashdown.
The modern incarnation of the Cherry Pie Society dates back to 2012 and closely resembles the original Cherry Pie Society in both spirit and format. The topic of each meeting is introduced by a Society member through a short presentation, after which a discussion of the topic amongst attendees commences. The discussions typically last 1-2 hours and are accompanied by tea/coffee, light refreshements, dinner (sometimes) and, of course, cherry pie (always)! Occassionally, documentaries or video clips are shown and guest speakers invited (e.g., at a March 2014 meeting, Professor Christopher Leighton of MIT was invited to contribute to a discussion about a documentary on democracy in China). At the end of every meeting, each attendee is invited to give their closing opinion on the topic at hand.
Every meeting is run according to the Cherry Pie Ideal, an emphasis on mutual respect, openness and fair discourse. Debate is allowed (and sometimes encouraged), but, at all times, attendees are urged to remain cordial and courteous to others with whom they disagree.
A partial list of past Cherry Pie discussion topics include:
Cherry Pie Society officers include:


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Mar 2017
Businesses often say they want to achieve digital transformation or become more 'digital', but are not specific or vivid enough in their ambition. This leaves their teams on the ground unsure of how to execute this digital change. The result? Digital transformation fails to make the transition from a set of PowerPoint slides to organisational reality.
That's why we always suggest anchoring your digital ambition to some revenue or results in order to provide a clear, measurable rallying call for your team. Now, how do you go about doing that?
Watch these videos for an inside look into our digital marketing and transformation trainings:


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You've Been Tubed: from Alessio Rastani and Mad Men to outer space
This week's hot viral videos from across the net...
1. "You're all doomed!" says man. World panics, briefly
Alessio Rastani's startling appearance on BBC News spread rapidly on Tuesday, because it seemed to be someone in the know dropping their guard and giving us the unvarnished truth. "Governments don't rule the world," said the suited Rastani, who billed himself as an independent financial trader. "Goldman Sachs rules the world." Rastani went on to predict a massive Eurozone meltdown and urged viewers to "protect your assets" and hunker down for a depression, which he freely admitted he was going to profit from.
Soon, though, Rastani himself became the story. At first, social networkers thought he was a spoof, based largely on the bizarre and, let's face it, borderline racist notion that he and this famous Yes Man prankster are one and the same guy. Then it turned out that Rastani, whom the confused Twitter hivemind had ended up erroneously billing as a "Goldman Sachs trader", was actually a bloke who lives with his girlfriend in Bexleyheath and who probably shouldn't have been giving expert analysis on the Beeb.
Doesn't make him wrong, though. "A must watch if you want to understand the euro crisis and how markets work," tweeted BBC business editor Robert Peston, before Rastani's status was questioned.
2. Norwegian scores headed goal from his own half
Goals where players chip it in, David Beckham-style, from their own half are ten a penny. What most football fans have never seen before is a headed goal from 60 yards out, but that's what 27-year-old Norwegian midfielder Jone Samuelsen pulled off this week, netting in the last minute to give Odd Grenland a 3-1 win over Tromso. Less heroic: the Portuguese referee who made like a footballer and feigned terrible injury when confronted by an angry player.
3. Astronaut shoots video out of spaceship window
Nasa's incredible one-minute film, shot using time-lapse cameras by the astronauts on the International Space Station, sweeps you from the northern Pacific, past the western United States and on down through South America until you hit Antarctica, where the sun comes out. "Cosmic," said 5 million YouTube users, inhaling deeply.
Also pretty mellow and mind-blowing: the same spaceship films the Auroras.
4. Paxo scalds Obo for making guest run away
Newsnight viewers getting ready to nod off during a discussion of the Euro got a surprise this week when increasingly off-message conservative columnist Peter Oborne made an appearance. Oborne repeatedly referred to a hapless Eurocrat as "this idiot", to the point where the man from Brussels stormed out and Jeremy Paxman felt the need to give Oborne a dressing-down, on air. Oborne was pretty rude to a former editor of the Financial Times as well, at one point standing up to hint that his lax coverage of the banking crisis made him worse than Hitler.
5. Don Draper Pitches Facebook Timeline
Another week, another annoying Facebook redesign. But the new Timeline feature has American advertising's best brain on board, thanks to a clever reworking of the classic scene from Mad Men series one where Don Draper faces up to his own emotional bankruptcy, but then channels it into a pitch for a Kodak slide projector. That scene is so good, it's still quite moving even with the Facebook gag plastered over it.


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|Sanofi Head of Human Resources Roberto Pucci to retire; Company names Caroline Luscombe to take over October 1st
|Thursday, 26. July 2018 07:00
This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Sanofi via Globenewswire
|Related Links: Sanofi S.A.
Copyright GlobeNewswire, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved.
You can register yourself on the website to receive press releases directly via e-mail to your own e-mail account.


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UPDATE: The Secret Sisters' album, "You Don't Know Me Anymore," is nominated for Best Folk Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards.
Sisters Laura and Lydia Rogers — known as The Secret Sisters — had an auspicious start to their career.
After landing a record deal in 2010, the singing and songwriting duo from Muscle Shoals, Alabama released two albums — 2010's "The Secret Sisters" and 2014's "Put Your Needle Down." Both were produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett. The sisters were also in demand as an opening act for the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Paul Simon.
But creative differences with their label, Universal Republic, led to a series of problems, including a lawsuit from their former manager. Laura found herself cleaning houses and Lydia was forced to file for bankruptcy.
But the story of The Secret Sisters didn't end there. Following the advice of singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, the sisters turned to their fans for support and launched a crowdfunding campaign via PledgeMusic.
The sisters are back with a brand new album, "You Don't Know Me Anymore," that speaks to the resilience they've built up over the past eight years of their tumultuous career.
When the Secret Sisters stopped by The Frame, Laura talked about why they parted ways with their old label:
I think in the early, early stages … with the first record cycle … a lot of choices were made that maybe had good intentions, but not a lot of longevity. But then, of course, when everything fell apart and we found ourselves completely alone with no label and no management — our entire team had just disintegrated — that was when we really started saying, You know, if we're going to rebuild this and do it again we're doing it our way — we're wearing what we want to wear, we're playing our songs that we want to play.
The beauty of this new record is that we were not signed at the time that we made it. We crowdfunded the whole record. There was no label standing there [saying], You need a radio single, you need a hit song that you need to put on a TV show … We just allowed the music to be what it was.
Lydia says that launching a crowdfunding campaign for their new album was an important decision they made following the suggestion of singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, who helped produce the record:
[The crowdfunding campaign] was so integral to everything we did. Brandi was actually very helpful in helping us do that. We did two shows with her — opening for her — in Seattle, I think it was late 2015. That's when we started having conversations about making a record together. Even when we weren't touring with her, she would call and check on us and give us advice. And then when we went through the bad part — we went through bankruptcy and weren't really feeling creative — she was the one who checked on us and told us that we had to continue.
That's really when she put the idea in our heads to look at crowdfunding. And we were very intimidated by that for a long time. We were afraid we wouldn't raise the money in time or it would make us look weak in some way. But our fans just came together and it established a really true connection. And I am so thankful that we did it because it was crowdfunded within two weeks or so.
The sisters talk about how growing up in Muscle Shoals, which was home to two studios that produced a lot of classic R&B and soul music in the 1960s and '70s:
LYDIA: It didn't really influence us that much when we were really young. We actually grew up around a lot of bluegrass music and gospel music. We were always going to a lot of bluegrass festivals with our dad and spending a lot of weekends doing that. I think when we were very, very young we weren't even aware of the legacy that Muscle Shoals left. But when we got older we realized that it had a huge impact on music. And we're still finding out things about it that we never knew.
LAURA: It's a really interesting place geographically because it's kind of right in the center of a lot of different styles of American roots music. You have country music coming down from Nashville, you've got Appalachian music coming down from the mountains, you've got blues up in Memphis, you've got Cajun style next door in New Orleans. So I feel like there's just this really cool music that just kind of mixes together all in the state of Alabama ... We're always cautious about trying not to imitate anyone and to try to forge our own way, but also keep in the influences there that are kind of hard to resist.
Another big influence on their sound was church music. Lydia talks about how they learned to sing at church:
[Church music] was absolutely critical. It was really all of our influence growing up. We grew up in a church that didn't use any musical instruments whatsoever. And so when we would sing together, there wasn't a choir, there wasn't one person singing. We were all singing as a congregation. And so we would get out our songbooks and learn how to harmonize that way, without realizing that we were learning how to sing. And we can really attribute all of our sound to that.
The sisters agree that, despite the twist to their Cinderella story, these experiences shaped their new record. But they had to write about them in ways that could be relatable for their audience:
LAURA: The things that were inspiring the record — the bankruptcy and getting dropped from our record deal and finding ourselves in a lawsuit — those are not things that your average music consumer is going to be able to identify with ... In writing the songs, we knew that we, for our own sake, had to express the emotions behind what we had endured. But we also realized that the music had to have a space for our listeners to find themselves.
["Tennessee River Runs Low"] was actually the very first song we wrote with the hope of making a third record. I think that river — the river that runs through our home town — is just mythical in so many ways and so it felt right to write about it, especially after all the tumultuous rough current that we found ourselves in.
LYDIA: Yeah, a lot of those emotions we tried to personify them in a lot of ways — whether it was through a lover or from the perspective of a river. So I think in that way we were able to make it more relatable.
To hear John Horn's conversation with the Secret Sisters, click on the player above.


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XVIIIth AIFREF Congress
It is with great joy that we invite you to the XVIIIth AIFREF Congress which will be held from May 15th to 17th, 2019, in Martinique, more specifically at the Hôtel de la Batelière in Schoelcher, near Fort-de-France. This hotel offers an idyllic environment to optimize exchange, discussion and reflection, in all serenity and depth.
In Martinique, the sky, the sun and the sea are certainly present ; but there are also the locals who will welcome you with warm smiles. The population has experienced many hardships – slavery, earthquakes, cyclones – but they have always recovered. Nevertheless, there are traces of the suffering endured. Is it not advisable then to organize a Congress on Resilience in this paradisiacal country, which, however, has frequently experienced hell ?
The theme chosen for the Congress, "Education and Resilience", is therefore not innocent. We would be extremely happy to explore this topic with as many experts as possible and to share innovative practices that facilitate the resilience process.
Three sub-themes will structure the communicators' presentations :
Resilience and Society
Given the cultural and societal characteristics of the Caribbean, research and action deserve to be proposed in relation to the following sub-themes :
- ecological transition ; attachment to the land ;
- justice, truth and historical reconciliation (slavery, colonialism) ;
- the sense of empowerment in the Caribbean and elsewhere ;
- digital inclusion ;
- mobilization of youth with emancipatory activities ;
- Cities of Education ;
- …
Resilience and Family
As family issues are particularly acute in the Caribbean, it is important to consider the following sub-themes that contribute to the quality of life of the family :
- risk and protective factors within the family ;
- transmission of trauma ;
- maternal and child protection (educational, medical, social, economic …) ;
- prevention of delinquency, radicalization … (early childhood, childhood, pre-adolescence, adolescence) ;
- social inclusion of vulnerable families ;
- …
Resilience and School
The problem of school failure and dropping out leads to many clashes in terms of people's identity and their social adaptation. Here again, the problems are acute in the Caribbean. The following sub-themes should be considered :
- student retention and encouraging students to return to school ;
- fight against illiteracy ;
- school-family-community coeducation ;
- school as a place of solidarity ;
- school as a support for resilience ;
- …
We hope to see you in our beautiful Caribbean island.


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Web Hosting
We have been hosting our own customers websites since 1996. We utilize managed dedicated web servers and can guarantee 99.9% up-time with daily backups and dual redundancy we can provide peace of mind. Our servers are on a Tier 1 backbone and have multiple Gigabytes of provisional data capacity. The network is devoted exclusively to hosting and is hardened with multiple layers of redundancy and security.
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Bell Racing USA 60th Anniversary
Since 1954 Bell has led the racing industry in innovative design and a progressive approach to safety. We designed this 60th Anniversary logo to honor and celebrate their success, in addition we created a few specific ads for the occasion. The icon appears in ads, brochures, websites, and on helmets flying by at 190 miles per hour. Feels good to know we're helping to write a bit of their history.
This entry was posted in Branding / Identity, Copywriting, Featured, Graphic Design, Web / Interactive, Work and tagged Advertising, Bell Racing USA, Branding, Copywriting, Design, Identity, Logo, Web. Bookmark the permalink.


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Well, before you start racing your heads, it is not any Bollywood hottie that Hrithik Roshan is organizing a special screening for. The actor wants his kids to watch the film first and thus will be holding a special screening of Bang Bang, his upcoming action drama with Katrina Kaif.
Hridaan and Hrehaan love to see their father doing the action stunts and considering that with Bang Bang, Hrithik has gone a notch higher and pulled off some never seen before stunts, they are really excited to see the film.
The doting father that he is, Hrithik wanted to make sure that his kids enjoy the film's music too and thus even took them to composers Vishal and Shekhar's studio for an audio session. The kids enjoyed watching the whole process of song composition.
Well, Hrithik sure knows how to keep his kids happy!
Now, enjoy reading koimoi.com on your Windows Phone, iPhone/iPad and Android Smartphone


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In the entryway of my mother's house hangs a beautiful picture of a waterfall surrounded by trees. You'd never know the picture was made up of hundreds of puzzle pieces unless you examined the picture up close. One thousand small jig saw puzzle pieces, precisely fitted together with seams lined up perfectly, create ...Read More »
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Improving College Graduation Rates for Low-Income and Minority Students (Video)
About 10 years ago, Georgia State University realized it had a large achievement gap — low-income, minority, and first generation students were dropping out at high rates. So they began analyzing student data to figure out solutions. The university's research has resulted in novel approaches across campus, including redesigned curriculum, special programs, and grants designed to retain students.
This video aired on PBS NewsHour on June 28, 2016.
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Governor J.B. Pritzker's announcement mid afternoon has prompted Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to suspend in-person instruction through the end of this school year, June 18, 2020, to protect the health and well-being of students, staff and Chicagoans due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Eagle looked down from its 70-foot perch at a swarm of singing, chanting, marching, drum banging and sign waving Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers and their strike supporters Tuesday morning. They were shoulder to shoulder around the Illinois Centennial Monument surrounded by Milwaukee, Kedzie Avenues and Logan Boulevard. A few of the teachers were willing to share their thoughts on education in Chicago and working conditions.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot's afternoon arrival at Jose De Diego Elementary School, 1313 W. Claremont Ave., in Wicker Park came as students were leaving the school following their first day of the 2019-20 school year, yesterday.
David Ramos, President of the Smith Park Advisory Council and a member of the Polish Triangle Coalition, was honored by Chicago's City Council for 23 years of service on the Local School Councils for Ogden International School of Chicago and Lincoln Park High School as well as the Local School Council Advisory Board, LSCAB representing Network 6.
The second Taste of Yates Fundraiser, organized by a group of Yates Elementary School parents in Logan Square, will
Scared by the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, Theo Williams, 10, who lives in Logan Square and attends a Chicago Public grade school, says, "I really, really, really want no more killings." He backs that up with action and you can help.
A rousing 17-minute #ENOUGH rally at 10 a.m., March 14, took over the Wolcott side field of LaSalle II Magnet School,
Five students at Roberto Clemente Community Academy, 1147 W. Division, were taken to
Chicago area girls 13 to 18, who love science, technology, engineering and math, could win up to $2,500 scholarship money and cool prizes in the 4th Annual Icebox Derby Contest and Race sponsored by Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), with an entry deadline of June 22 at 11:59:59 p.m.
Officer Friendly, 14th District Officer Tom McNamara, is standing in the hall at Goethe Elementary School, 2236 N Rockwell St.
UPDATE: Auditions extended to Feb. 1-2, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Teens from 14 to 18-years-of-age who enjoy musical theatre are encouraged to audition for Hairspray Jr. between Tuesday and Thursday, Jan 24 through 26.
Free Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus and train rides during the first day of Chicago Public Schools' on Tues., Sept. 6, for all students and accompanying adults was announced Thursday by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr.
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is being invited to join four Illinois State Representatives on a tour of Brentano Math and Science Academy in Logan Square.
Voices were raised in protest against accepting Federal grant seed money to add 24 new charters in Chicago's already financially strapped system.
An elected Chicago School Board became one step closer to realty Thursday afternoon following an overwhelming vote of 110 to 4 for Bill HB0557 (originally HB 4268), in the Illinois House of Representatives.
High school sophomores have an opportunity to learn more about the Chicago Police and Firefighter Training Academy (CPFTA) and being part of the Cadet Class of 2018.
West Town schools don't have enough students, according to a Chicago Public Schools assessment, with 11 of 16 schools considered "underutilized."
The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Board agreed today to free rides for students
LaSalle II Student Council's Carnival was a "fun" fundraiser that included hanging the principal and two teachers from the wall (literally),
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced Wed., Oct. 22, that they are adding $28 million to their coffers from the sale of their downtown headquarters building, 125 S. Clark St and another $3.5+ million for the former Peabody School, 1444 W. Augusta.


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Akubra brand broad-brimmed fur felt hat worn by anthropologist by Dr Peter Sutton when he was doing fieldwork
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If you are reading this blog, it is because you want more from your Real Estate Business. You want to Revamp your Real Estate Business! You want more than you have right now. You want more from your business, you want more in life. Let's face it, you know you are capable of producing better results than you are currently producing, but you are just so busy with the day to day of real estate, that you are not even sure where to start.
This is where you start. Right here at the very beginning.
You start with making a decision.
A decision that you are tired of putting in lots of hours and not getting the results you want.
The decision that you are ready to refocus, regroup and revamp your Real Estate Business.
The decision that you are sick of playing small in life.
The decision that you are ready to go after everything you have dreamed of and desired.
The decision that NOW is that time for you.
Think back to a time in your life where you have accomplished something great. What did you do? How did you achieve that accomplishment? If you analyze your process, I will bet you followed this 3-step success formula:
1. You decided what you wanted exactly
2. You looked at where you were at the time, and then
3. You created a plan to bridge the gap.
That's it! It sounds so easy. Now, let's apply this same formula to your business.
What exactly do you want?
It sounds easy on the surface, but you want to create a goal that is going to be worth it. You want it to give you the outcome you are looking for. However, you don't want it to be so big that it's unrealistic.
You want to stretch yourself to live up to your full potential, but you need to believe you will get there as well. If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. We have all heard that we should set goals, but how?
Well, whether you realize it or not, the next five years will be a blur…. and when you get there you will either be asking yourself where the time went and bemoaning that you just didn't have the time to accomplish anything, or you can smile into the mirror with the realization that you took the time to plan out where you want to be and not only arrive there, but far surpass your wildest imagination.
It can be done!
The power of this process is incredible. It all starts with a far-out goal, followed by a detailed plan of action. Then simply add in the baby steps it will take along the way and you're almost there.
I've designed a 17 part-planning workbook in response to the needs of many Real Estate Agents who have been awed by what they perceive as a near impossible task that goes into great detail on how to do this. As a bonus to your purchase of this Agent Revamp book, I have provided a link in the back of this book that will take you to a website where you can request the downloadable Business Planning Guide as well as access to three live recordings where I was walking a group of agents through the process. Let me summarize the process for you here.
It is important to set goals that are meaningful to you; goals that are really YOUR goals, not goals that are set for you by your broker or spouse. You also want to set goals that are the right size goals. Not too big, not too small, goals that stretch you out of your comfort zone, but not so big your subconscious mind doesn't believe you.
You must first figure out your WHY.
What do I mean by your WHY? Your WHY is the driving force behind your goals. Your WHY may be your family, or your kids. Maybe you want to provide a great lifestyle for your kids, you want to put them in private school, pay for the best colleges, or provide five star family vacations.
What is your purpose?
Purpose provides the foundation of our values, vision and goals. Purpose gives meaning to everything we do in our personal and professional lives, yet not all of us recognize our purpose or can articulate it. The following questions will help you uncover your purpose.
Let's first talk about your life in general. What are the things that give you the most joy in your life? What are you most proud of having accomplished at this point in your life?
A "Purpose Statement" for your life is a few sentences that summarize your "WHY" for life. What really matters for YOU? What are YOU all about? What is your "Life Purpose Statement"?
Then we can focus in on your Real Estate Business. Have you had a time, professionally, in the past year when you have said, "This is why I do what I do everyday"? Describe that experience.
What do you offer that is unique or excites you?
A "Purpose Statement" for your business is a few sentences that describe the "WHY" you have a business in the real estate industry. If you are a real estate agent, you do have your own business in this industry. What is your purpose statement for your business?
Business and Life Purpose Statements can provide a basis for creating a vision and goals that are truly meaningful. They can also help drive us on a daily basis to do the things we need to do to reach our goals.
What are your values?
Your values are at the core of your personality and influence the way you respond to people and events. Your core values dictate what is important in both life and business: how business should be conducted, your view of humanity, and your role in society. Your core values are always at work in the background and are always present as a shaping force. They come from inside you and are an authentic extension of what you hold in your gut. Values direct and motivate us towards certain goals.
The first step in planning goals is figuring out who you really are, what is in your gut, so you can come up with goals that are in alignment with your core values. Not just regurgitate someone else's goals.
We want goals that FIT!
Next, we will explore the process of creating the vision.
Sometimes life seems to get so busy and you are constantly working on the list of to-dos that you don't take the time to stop and evaluate your life. It is important to recognize everything you have done this year, celebrate the accomplishments and also look at what may have stopped you short of reaching a goal. This process will help you to learn from your successes and shortcomings and apply these lessons to achieving your long-term goals. What did you accomplish this year? What was challenging in this past year? What did you learn from going through these experiences of the past year?
Is your Life in Balance? Sometimes we focus our energies so much on a few areas of our life that we forget that other areas are also important. Which areas have you neglected recently? The Wheel of Life, sometimes called the Balance Wheel, will help you visualize your current situation. It will provide a snapshot of how you see your life today. Each spoke in the Balance Wheel represents an area in
your life that can contribute to your feeling of happiness and satisfaction.
Now, you will NEVER be in total balance, however, it is important to acknowledge the areas of your life you may have been neglecting in pursuit of your other goals. If you wish, you can make the wheel more meaningful by changing any of the eight aspects given here. Give yourself a score based on your current level of satisfaction with each. This does not mean you are to grade yourself compared to others success based on society's ideals. This is about you and how you feel right now about your life. Rank the eight areas in the Wheel of Life on a scale of 1-10 (1 being completely dissatisfied and 10 being completely fulfilled)
1. Career/Business/Work _____ (1-10)
2. Social/Friendships _____ (1-10)
3. Community/Service/Charity _____ (1-10)
4. Financial/Money/Lifestyle _____ (1-10)
5. Physical/Fitness/Health _____ (1-10)
6. Spiritual Growth _____ (1-10)
7. Family/Love/Relationships _____ (1-10)
8. Mental/Personal Growth _____ (1-10)
If theses 8 areas were sections on a circular graph, or "wheel" and each was filled in on this graph based on your score, you would get a visual representation of how your life is balanced. How would your car travel if the wheels were in this shape? If half of the wheel is flat or if it is an odd shape and not round you will have problems gaining momentum in all areas of your life.
What would you need to do in each of the 8 areas to raise the number in the next year? What are the 2-3 areas that if you improved, would make the biggest impact on your overall life? This exercise should be repeated at least quarterly to once again get this mental snapshot of which areas you may be neglecting and why you may be having trouble gaining momentum.
Next, we will begin to review what happened in your business this past year. Is Your Business Running Smoothly? Let's take that same overall process and break it down to your business. Just like in the previous exercise where we looked at your life overall, let's take some time to break down that first section call Career/Business/Work into 8 segments so we can really analyze how smoothly your business is running currently.
What is the shape?
What one, two or 3 areas could you concentrate on and make the biggest impact in your business?
Then it is time to begin Goal Setting! Write down every goal you hope to accomplish in the next year. Don't hold back, dream LARGE, think BIG, aim HIGH. Write out personal and Real Estate Goals.
Writing them down is crucial. Your goals can't just be in your head. After you have done that, star the top 20%. 80% of your results will come from these top goals! Rewrite the goal in present tense as if you have already achieved it. Then write how you will feel when this goal is a reality.
Next, we will be looking specifically at your production goals in your business. We will work the numbers to find out how many clients you need to work with in order to reach not only your business goals,
but the personal goals listed here as well. In order to hit the personal and general business goals, how does that break down into specific number goals for the next one to five years?
Once you have specific production goals set for the next 1-5 years you will begin creating the business and marketing plan to hit those goals.
Next we will be taking a closer look at your target market and how you are going to attract business from that niche.
Sometimes you choose your niche and it works out from the beginning. Other times, your niche evolves as you and your business change and grow. Remember, mass appeal equals no appeal. You can't be
everything to everyone. Specialization gives people a reason to choose you. Specialization builds perceived value and being a specialist is also easier because you know your clients you can create systems
so you can be more effective. Describe in detail your current niche: "Who" do you best relate to? And why? Who is your "ideal client"?
The money you make is in direct proportion to the Value you provide to the marketplace. When you are clear on your Value Proposition, your confidence will come across to every client and prospect you communication with.
Why should a prospect choose you as their agent?
What is your value proposition to buyers?
What is your value proposition to sellers?
I really want to stress the importance of doing this exercise. Be able to articulate your Unique Selling Proposition. This one thing alone can drastically change your business next year!
In order to attract your ideal clients to you, you must have an effective lead generation system and marketing plan in place. Earlier we looked at where you anticipated the leads for the sales you are projecting would come from. You need to create a marketing plan that will work in generating the leads from the sources you are projecting. It is important to recognize what specific changes to your current plans are necessary to make in order to reach your goals.
Describe your current lead generation system.
Describe your current Marketing Plan.
Create next year's Marketing Plan that can be broken down to a more specific "Editorial Calendar" Spreadsheet.
What changes are you going to have to make for next year in order to reach your goals? Be specific.
It is important to understand the Organizational Structure of your team. This includes team job descriptions and anticipated changes in the next few years.
Who is on your team?
Summarize their job descriptions.
Describe the compensation plans with those positions.
What changes do you expect to make in the next year?
In order to reach your goals next year, what changes do you need to make in specific areas of your business?
● A Development Plan will list the projects you will be working on throughout the year. This is the place to capture all of those things you have wanted to research, create, do, perfect, delegate and
implement in your business. You may not have something for every area.
● Marketing and Lead Generation Systems (What kinds of systems do you need to bring in the leads, lead capture, database, social media, video, special reports, lead magnets, Referral of a Lifetime Plan, Relationship Marketing Plan)
● Sales and Servicing Systems (What kinds of systems do you need to convert and keep the leads, CRM, Top Producer, Auto responder, CardsForRealEstate.com)
● Equipment (i.e. Computers, printers, camera, Tablets, Smart Phones, Desks)
● Technology (i.e. Computer Programs, Websites, Internet Marketing, Social Media, HootSuite, Apps, SEO)
● People and Staffing (i.e. Assistant, Lead Buyer Agent, Transaction Coordinator, Marketing Manager)
● Support Systems (Coaching, Legal, Mentor, Social Media Management)
● Training – Self (i.e. NAR Conference, GRI, Real Estate Training Seminar, Personal Growth Seminar, Script Writing, Social Media Training, Internet Marketing)
● Training – Staff (i.e. Real Estate Training Seminar, Software Training, Team Retreat, Sales Training, Script Writing)
● Policies (i.e. Bonus Structures, Vacation Coverage, Policies for Buyer Agent Team or Administrative Staff)
● Procedures (i.e. Initial Lead Contact Procedure, File Coordination, Consistent Incoming Phone Answering Procedure, Documentation of Procedures)
● Team Development (i.e. Adding positions, moving people within your team, increasing or setting minimum standards)
● Other (Anything else that you have wanted to do in your business, but have not implemented yet.)
Next, we will discuss budgeting and creating an Expenses Worksheet for next year. You will want to review your expenses for the current year and include any new marketing and development changes from the previous section.
Most budgeting and account software, such as QuickBooks, will provide reports for you to analyze your current business expenses and will assist you in creating a budget. If you do not have that type of system in place yet, you can use these charts in my Business Planning Guide to help you get started.
If you are not happy with these numbers, you may need to rework your development plan, marketing plan or production goals from previous sections. After you have total expenses, break them down to monthly expenses. This will be how you will use to monitor your expenses throughout the year.
Next we will break down your production goals even further.
In order to hit your business goals, you will need to break down a few of the key numbers down to quarterly and monthly goals: Number of Closed Transactions, Number of Buyer Sales, Number of Listing Sales and Number of New Listings for next year.
Break them down to Quarterly Goals and then Monthly based on your past sales trends. These Monthly Goals are what you will have to do and monitor on a monthly basis in order to hit your production goals next year.
This concept seems simple, but tracking these four numbers is KEY to a successful real estate business in the next year!
The final section of the Business Planning Guide will be to take everything and put it into a Master Project List that will break down all of your goals to specific next steps, breaking down goals and projects
down to quarterly or monthly items that can be implemented and you can be held accountable to.
The Master Project List must be reviewed weekly with each action step actually scheduled into your calendar. Each week you will have new "next steps" that will need to be scheduled as well. As a result,
your Master Project List will be a living document that will change, grow and evolve on a weekly basis.
Just completing this process does not complete your journey. You will need to constantly review and analyze your numbers, break down your next steps, schedule them and then do the things you know you
need to do. This will be an ongoing process you will review and add to throughout the year as you hone in on completing each task on the road to achieving your goals.
The most important thing that you can do to reach these important life goals is to have an accountability partner or coach to help keep you focused and on-track so that "everyday life" doesn't creep up on
you and rob you of this focus. Your old ways can distract you from the steps you need to take to propel you forward.
Big goals, when looked at in their entirety, can tend to be overwhelming. When whittled down into smaller, easy-to-digest steps, you will find yourself able to, bit by bit, finish up each individual project. By
being consistent with following this plan, I have no doubt you will hit your goals, achieve your dreams and create an amazing year and life for yourself.
To find out more download our book Agent Revamp for only $0.99 from Amazon


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Comfort Systems USA Launches a New Approach to Technician Development
Comfort Systems is pleased to announce the launch of its Technician Development Program, an online campus where its technicians can enhance their skills and knowledge. In late 2014, Comfort Systems partnered with HVACRedu.net to greatly improve access to education for its technicians nationwide. This partnership has produced a robust, comprehensive, and engaging online campus that provides a wide variety of educational courses for Comfort Systems' technicians wanting to boost their career in HVAC.
Roger Rinker, VP of Talent Management at Comfort Systems USA states, "Our Technician Development Program was built by our technicians, for our technicians. Technicians were involved in building this program from start to finish. They told us what they thought was important to them and how we could create a program meaningful to them." The program consists of three levels of certification and includes courses ranging from fundamentals to the more complex and technical aspects of being a top-level technician.


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Welcome to the Gospel Life Podcast! Each Monday, we offer a short podcast to get you thinking about how to show and share the love of Jesus in our broken and hurting world and with your friends and neighbors.
Today, Dr. Rick Richardson, Wheaton College Professor and Director of the Church Evangelism Initiative at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism, explains that often when people ask us tough questions about faith there is emotion and hurt underneath. Sharp questions sometimes signal a felt need. How can we best respond when posed such questions?
You can also subscribe to the Gospel Life podcast on iTunes here.
Click here to listen to previous episodes.


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On the fast track
Indoor bike park owner rides his hobby into a career
Ray Petro owns and operates Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
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(CNN) -- When Ray Petro started riding trails on his new mountain bike, he was looking for a way to keep in shape.
Little did he know that he was about to find a new passion and a new career.
Petro owns and operates Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park in Cleveland, Ohio, the world's only indoor mountain-biking venue.
The bike park is an old converted warehouse that holds a vast obstacle course of wooden ramps, turns and tracks.
Riders zip around the course. Some fly up ramps, perform aerial tricks and land in foam to cushion any falls.
Petro, a remolding contractor, started mountain biking in the spring of 1996 to improve his health. "I was out of shape, and I was nearing 30, and I was like, I've got to do something."
He rode bikes when he was younger and thought cycling would be a good way to stay in shape.
Soon, he was hooked. "I fell in love with the sport. It's something that's become a part of my life."
When fall came, however, Petro realized that his new hobby was very weather-dependent. The trails were getting muddy; snow was starting to fall.
He couldn't bike - and he needed to find a way to ride in any kind of weather. He came up with the idea for an indoor park.
Petro cashed in his life savings. "I took everything I had and then some and just spent it all on wood for me and my friends to ride," Petro says. "I wasn't afraid of being broke. It was like something just said I had to do it."
"A problem with the sport is if you're going go someplace to ride --- there's always the possibility that you're able to get rained out," Petro says. "So here you can plan a trip for next year, and you know you're going to get to ride, and nobody's going to get lost."
The indoor park is separated into different areas for different riders' needs. "An average mountain biker can ride 90 percent of the stuff that's in here," Petro says. "And then we threw in some stuff that was for an advanced rider."
Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Hans Rey says he came from southern California to the park because the part of the course designed for advanced riders provides a great opportunity to practice.
"We have great weather [in California] but we don't have a skills area like this," Rey says.
Current Mountain Cross World Champion Brian Lopes likes the park because he can get the experience of a large outdoor area in a small space.
"You need big areas," Lopes says. "You need hills and mountains usually. So it's pretty cool that [Petro has] put all of this in such a small little area with so many different, very fun, technically challenging obstacles for all different skill levels and just given everybody a place to ride."
Petro says that along with the sport-level riders, he is starting to get clientele looking for after-work fun.
"It's really turned out to be kind of like bowling was years ago," Petro says. "We've got lots of people who show up after work, and they ride with their friends and then they go out and have a couple of beers and go home to their families."
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