Complete course descriptions Multiboarder secrets to shredding Important racer and board statistics Secrets to combining the coolest moves Hints to surviving the Freestyle, Downhill, and Halfpipe courses
I wish to pay homage to our people who have suffered through hardship and strife in a land of plenty, I have fortunately been exposed to our history and recent historic events that need to be put down on paper or they will be lost. I will qualify this statement, by writing this book as a first hand observer and participant as a niitsitapiikowan. The many hours of quality time spent in the natural environment and travelling down the roads with our senior experts of niitsitapyapii (the Real ways) has given me a rare privilege to be schooled and ultimately corrected on thinking I believed I knew something about. Through our relatives; history has tied us to significant events that have shaped our present political and social way of life as a people. I come from a unique history and background in an era of time that experienced the most significant changes in the America’s, by sitting down and capturing my thoughts, it will lead the reader into a connection with my ancestors and help to explain how events and circumstances have changed our way of life as a people.
In the mountains of western North Carolina, a widowed mother lives with her only child, a son whom she bore as the result of being raped. She simply refers to him as 'The Writer' because of what he seems to do best in life. He has just graduated from high school and is finally redeemed from years of abuse and ridicule from his fellow peers who simply refused to understand his unusual, silent behavior as well as his deep devotion to serving God and following the footsteps of a man called Jesus. In spite of all that, he has managed to surround himself with a band of few but loyal true friends who build him up when he is weak and on the brink of losing faith. Not knowing what God wants him to do with his life after high school, The Writer is unaware that he is headed for disaster thanks to his unstable friendship with a rebellious youth named Rusty, a crazed pervert who is only out to deceive and hurt anyone he can, including The Writer, as well as ravaging any girl he can get his hands on. The Writer firmly believes that he can encourage Rusty to change his ways, despite the desperate pleas of protest from his mother, his friends, and Annie, his favorite girl who once dated Rusty and knows what a devious monster he is. Along with this, The Writer is struggling with the talent he is known for, having been unable to write due to the sudden changes in his life involving Rusty, graduation, and his uncertain future. Everything changes one night when The Writer brings in an injured stranger from off the streets. It is a simple and innocent act of charity that will forever change his life. The stranger takes The Writer on a memorable journey through life as he's never lived it before, ajourney that will come to a cruel and damaging end when Rusty unleashes his ultimate hatred and fury upon The Writer.
An intimate profile of the legendary mixed martial arts (MMA) referee, this first full-length autobiography of pop culture icon “Big” John McCarthy details every aspect of his life—from his strong-handed Los Angeles upbringing to his involvement in the naming of the sport, his role in its regulation, and MMA’s rise in stature. The narrative follows “Big” John through his 22-year career as a Los Angeles police officer, where he taught recruits arrest and control procedures as well as survival tactics, then his 15-year career as MMA’s premier official in the chain-linked cage. A fixture of the sport, “Big” John started refereeing at UFC 2 in 1994 when MMA was in its infancy and went on to officiate at every major UFC event but two until 2007. Following a one-year hiatus as a color commentator and on-camera analyst for MMA and boxing events, he returned to MMA refereeing in 2008. In his own words, "Big" John relates his insider’s perspective from the midst of many of the sport’s greatest moments—from Tito Ortiz–Ken Shamrock I at UFC 40 in 2002 to Randy Couture–Tim Sylvia at UFC 68 in March of 2007—along with his account of the birth of the sport in America, its evolution, and MMA’s ongoing struggles for acceptance.
Combining elements of mystery, history, and romance, this compelling narrative explores the river frontier of West Virginia to the Midwest in the 1900s. Unconventional for her time, Sarah Perkins is driven to excel and be successful in a man’s world despite her traumatic childhood under an abusive father who strictly enforced traditional gender roles. Dreaming of one day being a riverboat pilot, Sara embarks on an adventure aboard the Spirit of the River, a premier paddleboat on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. She’s spent hours behind the wheel under the supervision of the captain, Jeremy Smith—her friendly rival and romantic interest—and longs to prove her worth. When a traveling troupe of entertainers, Le Théatre d’Illusion, discovers that a cast member has suspiciously disappeared while a mysterious and deadly illness afflicts the rest of the passengers, Sarah will find herself tested in unimaginable ways. Suspenseful and thrilling, this dynamic novel of hidden secrets offers an unflinching look at serious issues such as alcoholism, suicide, and gender, while maintaining a lively storyline full of adventure, independence, and life on the river wild.
If you’ve ever heard it, you know that Loons have a very distinctive call like no other bird. Their calls echo over many hundreds of Canada’s lakes in spring, summer and fall. But, if you’ve ever seen a loon, you’ll know that they also have very special markings like no other bird. The Secret of the Loon’s Necklace is the traditional Indigenous legend of how the loons got their special neck and back markings. It is the story of old Kelora, a self-proclaimed medicine man who is almost blind. Mocked by almost his whole tribe, he proves that there is still magic in the land of humans and animals. He also proves that being old doesn’t mean you can’t use that magic to help your family and community. The old and those with disabilities, too, have value in our communities. His story shows how much more we can achieve when we work together and respect each other.
Augustus T. Dowd could scarcely believe his eyes when he stumbled upon one of natures majestic wonders in 1852. Hunting down a wounded bear in the hills above the mining camp of Murphys, Dowd instead found a tree of mammoth proportions. After initial skepticism about the size of these trees, news of Dowds discovery quickly spread. Local businessmen soon acquired the grove of 100 mammoth trees, or giant sequoia, and built accommodations for travelers. Thus began one of Californias earliest tourist attractions in 1853. Dedicated as a California State Park in 1931, Calaveras Big Trees State Park hosts 250,000 annual visitors who come from around the world to marvel at these wondrous giants in their magnificent natural surroundings.
From the eponymous star of one of the most popular reality shows in Fuse’s history, this no-holds-barred memoir and “snappily dictated story of inverted cultural norms in the wards of New Orleans” (East Bay Express) reveals the fascinating truth about a gay, self-proclaimed mama’s boy who exploded onto the formerly underground Bounce music scene and found acceptance, healing, self-expression, and stardom. As the “undisputed ambassador” of the energetic, New Orleans-based Bounce movement, Big Freedia isn’t afraid to twerk, wiggle, and shake her way to self-confidence, and is encouraging her fans to do the same. In her engrossing memoir, Big Freedia tells the inside story of her path to fame, the peaks and valleys of her personal life, and the liberation that Bounce music brings to herself and every one of her fans who is searching for freedom. Big Freedia immediately pulls us into the relationship between her personal life and her career as an artist; being a “twerking sissy” is not just a job, she says, but a salvation. A place to find solace and escape from the battles she faced growing up in the worst neighborhood in New Orleans. To deal with losing loved ones to the violence on the streets, drug overdoses, and jail. To survive hurricane Katrina by living on her roof for two days with three adults and a child. To grapple with the difficulties and celebrate the joys of living. In this eye-opening memoir that bursts with energy, you’ll learn the history of the Bounce movement and meet all the colorful characters that pepper its music scene. “Whether detailing the highs or the lows, Freedia’s tales pop as much as the booty that made her famous” (Out Magazine).
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