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Creative Arts & Entertainment

5 Journalism - Is It Dead? - A warm welcome from our fearless leader. Editor-In-Chief Joshua A. Lloyd. 9 How To Survive 2019 LIVE- With our illustrious column writer Christina Lloyd Covin. 17 Musings From the Great Blue Yonder 19 SCOUT- Welcome to our premiere location finder. 35 GRIP- Welcome to our premiere location finder.

EDUCATION REFORM

43 EXPOSING THE NCEL -This is a proposal for funding an exciting an documentary project that discovers the North Carolina Education Lottery and how that money is really being allocated to programs within the state. 47 The Art of Time - With Creative Director and Concept Writer Savannah Willingham.

SELF IMPROVEMENT

57 Fence Kickers - With column writer Kendra Intihar. 60 The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living - With the Reverend Doctor Cynthia Greene. 67 DERBY FUEL- With food photographer and health food advocate Lauren Feeney. 71 Rise from Mediocrity to Masterful with business coach Hilary Johnson. And learn more about her online community. 74 Complaisance: Work Ethic & Awareness - It is in this action or (lack of action) that our culture is inevitably defined.

#nofilter

79 Flags for the Symbol-Minded - With content producer and column writer A.D. Weighs. 85 MY UNSPOKEN TRUTH - Learning to talk about addiction. This is a platform for the under represented. 88 A Letter From the Editor I have found some perspective on addiction that I wish to share with the world. I discovered this perspective watching members of my own family struggle to cope with these issues for many years.

ADDICTION AWARENESS

94 Why the DARE program failed. 101 Overdose victim Phillip Chaffin The following letters are excerpts from his journal. 107 The Faulty Logic Of The War On Drugs: Written by Sam Snodgrass PhD. 111 MUT - Welcome to our premiere guide to find resources for addiction, depression, anxiety and much more. RIDGE JOURNAL

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Co-Founders Joshua Adam Lloyd Chad Shane Stutesman

EDITORIAL STAFF Joshua A. Lloyd Editor-in-Chief Savannah Willingham Creative Director Rita K. Moore Research & Development A.D. Weighs Key Producer Dominic Coccaro Concept Development

GRAPHIC DESIGN Graphic Design Provided by JoshLloydMedia, LLC

Column Writers A.D. Weighs Kendra Intihar Phillip Chaffin Dominic Coccaro Christina Lloyd Covin Lauren Feeney Hilary Johnson Erica Muse Sam Snodgrass PhD. Savannah Willingham

Lauren Feeney Photographer

Special Thanks to

Deborah M. Lloyd Education Advisor

Barbara Chaffin Heather Hayes Andrea Leone Lloyd Deborah Mattox Lloyd Lucy Paxton Thrasher Takele Woldu

Andrea Leone Lloyd Pharmaceutical Advisor Jerry Mattox Website Development

SALES OFFICE

RIDGE JOURNAL P.O. Box 823, Black Mountain, NC 28711 828.234.6347

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Journalism - is it Dead? A forward from our Editor-in-Chief, Joshua A. Lloyd

The answer is YES, journalism is dead. And I mean this in the same way that Superman died. We are predestined to come back to life and thrive. Only this time, we’ll be coming back evil. Not in the form of fake news either, that’s not journalism, it’s propaganda. In order for true journalism to make a comeback, good people have to turn on the corrupt systems we live in. And we must push through the mountains (plural) of bullshit to say.. “Fuck that noise.” Do you want the truth? We’re here tell it to you. That is, if you’ll listen, but most of you can’t handle the truth. We often turn a blind eye to it every single day. The truth will set you free but before it can, it has to piss you off. Authentic journalism is going to take everything “you think” you know, and like an Ice-Bucket Challenge #fail, it’s going to take a fat dump on you forehead. The bucket will hit you before the water does. Your teeth will clack, and just like that.. TKO.. You’ve been #humbled. You’re welcome. In this modern age, authentic journalism is lost on nearly everyone. Unless it’s brought forth to us through a mobile advertisment or broadcast during the Super Bowl, it has no voice in our society. This is because the general public has become complaisent. We have accepted the spoon-fed versions of media served up to us by our mobile devices, and we have swallowed them whole. In order for authentic journalism to be reborn, a great awakening must first be realized. We must organize ourselves in new ways. We must learn to interact with each other in person again, too. RIDGE JOURNAL

If you look around, it’s already happening. Unbeknown to the media outlets, cable companies and lobbyists in Washington who expect the gravy train to keep coming. This sleeping beast is beginning to rise. The general public is beginning to ask that age old question “Why!?” Why are we still paying for cable? Why is my internet so expensive, and not fast or even reliable? Why does it cost so much to own a smart phone? Who’s really in charge? We the people? Or these corporate lobbyists? What is net neutrality and WHY is it important??? - I refrain. Ridge Journal is a new form of networking tool. We are an interest network. I invite you, and everyone else to join us. As a free people, with different interests and at times, conflicting ideas. This is a place for both conflict and resolution, for both bias & reconsiliation. We respect your differences in opinion and we thrive on them. In this age of appeasance, we must not fear confrontation, but embrace it. When our friends and family members are being bullied by an invisible antagonist, much more is at stake than many of us have ever realized. Our culture is however dying a very slow death. At the hand of addiction, depression, isolation & neglect. Our downtrodden feel they have no voice and the suppression 5

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is very real. It’s real in our voting booths, our doctors offices, pharmacies, and on social media. There are even algorithms in place to suppress your page feed unless you pay them to promote it “for you”.. Big money players like Facebook, Google and Twitter are not backing the truth. They are backing their own selfish interests. Acknowledge this and move forward.

Take time to understand your social network’s ambivalence and how it feeds you content. Remain cognizant of the risk of disinformation and seek out the truth before you reshare media that sooths your personal interests. An algorithm can know much more about you than you think. The mass media will always find new ways to influence your decision making over time. It’s their job.

“Truth always carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation nevertheless. If our reflex action is always accomodation regardless of the centraility of the truth involved, there is something wrong. - Francis Schaeffer

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How To Survive America 2019 Live!

The Return of Escapist TV in Today’s Political Climate...

Column Writer: Christina Lloyd Covin As we hurtle head first into the steaming shit-show of the state of our union, and our world gets even more FUBAR’d, let’s be honest, incompetent man-babies and the women that love them (errrrrr….enable? Take their money? Look the other way while they cruise the mall for teenage girls?) got us here. America’s pervy drunk uncle has proclaimed “hold my beer” to THE ENTIRE WORLD, and is on a collision course with North Korea, The Queen, CNN...Who even knows at this point? BUT! There’s a shining light at the end of this tunnel that I’m 90% sure it isn’t a train! MUST SEE TV IS BACK! If there is one thing I can say about 2018 that made the days a bit less (OMG WHAT HAPPENED NOW?), it’s that we’ve got more sci-fi and fantasy entertainment on TV than in the last decade combined (probably). You may be asking yourself, “what white nonsense is this?”. And you’d be a little bit right. Indulge me... When the world is generally calm, and things are going great, and the economy is on a roll (Thanks, Obama!), bullshit reality TV is served up on every network because watching people make total fools of themselves is apparently considered entertainment. That’s how we got our incompetent man-baby-in-chief, after all. But when the world seems to be in a new death spiral on the daily, we get all kinds of creative escapism on ye olde boob tube. This new media is meant to serve as a blessed relief from the insanity for the masses; and maybe challenge us to imagine what a kinder, gentler world could eventually look like. RIDGE JOURNAL

In 2017, “The Orville” offered up a cheeky take on our future world that transports viewers to a space fleet with all colors and interplanetary races represented where challenges are resolved with humorous insights on the human condition (and hi-jinks!) on a weekly basis. All while Star Trek: Discovery “STD” took Trekkies back to the Bridge where intergalactic diplomacy is ever evolving and learned on the job in the pre-Kirk and Spock days. As a person that longs for world peace in space, The Orville and Star Trek: Discovery were my go to shows to feel a little bit better about our chances in the coming days. Unfortunately for CBS, their “STD” wasn’t well received. This mostly had to do with their blatant disregard for the true Star Trek time-line. More over, it was considered an eye-sore for the fans that expected a canon tribute to the original series. The powers that be are already preparing for an entirely new Star Trek series which has the potential to breath new life back into the franchise. The only person seemingly capable of performing CPR on this puffer fish is none other than our beloved Captain, Patrick Stewart himself. While there is still a veil of mystery 9

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cloaking the Next Gen superstar’s new role in the prime time-line, we are being told from multiple sources that Jean Luc has been rushed into production to meet a hard deadline for the Fall of 2019. #Yikes In other news, Netflix has been forced to release its Kung-Fu grip on the Marvel Universe catalogue in 2019. This is only happening because Disney is staking claim to what they already own. They have acquired most of Hulu and Fox’s entertainment assets and are taking aim at their very own streaming service to compete with Netflix directly. Can you say “Disney and chill??” This is some serious drama y’all! With Disney stepping in as a new contender in the streaming market, the bar has been raised for some seriously new content. This also opens the door for even more exposure to kick-ass superheroes, fight scenes, and sarcastic repartee. The only thing missing is more pyrotechnics. Be honest, who doesn’t want superhuman strength and Captain Marvel’s hair for the resistance group photo? Just me? No? That’s cool. My pure, escapist joy for the 2018 TV season though was Ghosted, a 30 minute comedy that centers on two average Joe’s suddenly tasked with handling alien infiltration on Earth. It’s like Mulder and Scully got high with Harold and Kumar and they chased aliens together on the way to White Castle. This half hour pairs witty writing with physical comedy AND it’s actually funny. If you haven’t binge-watch Ghosted yet, it’s time. The series was canceled just before the summer for a slew of douchey reasons. More-over the series was being aired on FOX. So pretty much, it had a snowballs chance in hell in succeeding. In 2018, FOX canceled all of its existing live-action comedies. In conclusion, Don’t forget to vote! TV might suck again but hopefully we’ll be here to see it. RIDGE JOURNAL

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“The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force of our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.” - Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean Luc Picard

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Musings From the Great Blue Yonder with Erica Muse

@musings365 Since completing the Colorado Trail many people have asked, “How was it?” I reply, “Amazing.” A verbal oversimplification in many ways. How can I express the shifting light and surreal landscapes? A rising full moon as my dinnertime show? Giggling on soft grass, wind on skin, hail storms in passes? Tent talks and dances on peaks? Wildflowers in bloom, dandelions to wish, crystal blue lakes, rocky ledge climbs? Hummingbirds and hawks, coyote howls, tiny pikas with cheeks of weeds? The truth is, I’ve never experienced a trail so diverse and wild. I’ll keep replying “amazing” but there’s so much I can’t express that lives in these miles. The beauty of a trail requires no language, just one step at a time. #colorado #denvertodurango #onestepatatime #carpediem #coloradotrail2018 #womenwhohikecolorado #trails #womenwhobackpack #optoutside #exploremore #chaseyourdreams

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Ridge Journalâ€™s Pr Location Finder

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RELEASEd MARCH 2019

remiere

Unique Film Locations Our premiere location guide features unique scenes that are to be considered for feature films, commercials and/or private events. This location finder has been established to bring attention to and popularize locations in North Carolina and the surrounding areas that may or may not be known to the general public. In providing these locations to our viewership, we have established a sense of awareness for many of the beautiful spaces and resources that are to become available for anyone who is seeking to create opportunity for creative production. Home and land listings are available to the general public as production sites. So are concert venues, restaurants, private gyms and studio spaces. We are featuring landmarks and tourist destinations to be considered as well. To apply to have your location featured in our publication, please contact our sales team directly at 828.234.6347.

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Bridal Veil Falls Highlands, North Carolina

Bridal Veil Falls near Highlands has been famous for generations as the only waterfall in North Carolina you can drive behind. However, the section of road behind the falls is now blocked off from automobiles for safety. This allows you to walk behind and enjoy it more.

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Blue Ridge Parkway Valle Crucis, North Carolina

Valle Crucis in an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. The name of the town is Latin for “Vale of the Cross,” a reference to a valley in the area where three streams converge to form a shape similar to an archbishop’s cross.

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Pilot Mountain Pilot Mountain, North Carolina

Located just a half hour from the Liberal Arts magnet of Winston-Salem, this location offers a plethora of opportunity. It is believed to be the inspiration for the fictional town of Mount Pilot on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry RFD. https://www.ncparks.gov/pilot-mountain-state-park RIDGE JOURNAL

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Diamondback

Little Switzerland, North Carolina Experience 190 steep, climbing curves in just 12 miles, climbing 1,900 feet in elevation. Take N.C. Highway 226A from U.S. 221 north of Marion to Little Switzerland at the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Diamondback is loaded with switchbacks looping almost 360-degrees, making it extra fun for motorcyclists.

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Road to Nowhere Bryson City, North Carolina

Itâ€™s a road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that was never finished, and ends on the other side of a tunnel a few miles west of Bryson City. The trails on the other side will take you very close to the most remote places of North Carolina.

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SideWinder

Black Mountain, North Carolina (This is a closed course event concept). The 18-mile (29 km) stretch of NC 9 from Bat Cave North to Black Mountain has been designated as a North Carolina Scenic Highway. In addition to beautiful scenery, it is hilly, completely twisted and has some steep grades.

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Catawba Falls Catawba Falls is a series of waterfalls on the headwaters of the Catawba River, in McDowell County, near Old Fort, North Carolina. Geology: The Catawba River flows over 2 major waterfalls in a short distance. The first drop, called Upper Catawba Falls, consists of an upper free-fall drop, while the second drop a short distance downstream, often called just Catawba Falls, is a higher series of free-falls and cascades. History: Catawba Falls is vpart of the Pisgah National Forest. For many years, while the falls were located on public land, visitor access to the falls was heavily restricted. The only access points to the falls were a trail that went through private property, and an access point off of Interstate 40. Use of either access point was illegal. In 2005 and 2007, the US Forest Service purchased 88 acres (360,000 m2) of land at the end of Catawba River Road for a trailhead. In 2010, access to the falls was officially opened to the public. In 2012, a new parking area was built by the Forest Service. The Forest Service plans further improvements, including a foot bridge over a tricky crossing of the river along the trail and a new trail to the upper falls, bypassing a section considered steep and dangerous. Coordinates 35.603858Â°N 82.245154Â°W RIDGE JOURNAL

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Photography courtesy of JoshLloydMedia

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The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina

A music venue located in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. It has a capacity of 1,050 people and has hosted many well known acts, including 311, Bob Dylan and Smashing Pumpkins. Opened in 2002 and, in April 2008, was named one of the top five music venues in America by Rolling Stone magazine.

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LT’s Primal Fitness Asheville, North Carolina

To passionately enhance the lives of individuals committed to a life of sustained power and health through restorative training. What is your why? Let’s find out! We are small by design to give you the personal experience needed to motivate you to reach your goals. Located at 95 Thompson Street in Asheville, North Carolina and can be reached at 828.450.1688.

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ECHO MOUNTAIN ASHEVILLE, North Carolina

With full analog and digital capabilities, a variety of microphones and vintage gear. Echo mountain can suit any artist’ need. Echo also offers recording services for audio books and voice over clients .Located at 914 N French Broad Ave, Asheville, NC 2880 and can be reached at 828.232.4314. / https://www.echomountain.net RIDGE JOURNAL

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Appalachian Farm Waynesville, North Carolina

The Rolling Roof Barn is the gem of this Appalachian Farmstead. History surrounds you in and around this majestic barn. Panoramic mountain views surround every venue location. The atmosphere will take you back in time. Conveniently located in the Waynesville Area. It is easy access, only 25 minutes from Asheville.

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Crossfit Mayhem Cooksville, Tennessee

Travel to CrossFit Mayhem and train with Rich Froning. Interact with his team of coaches to discover training programs, nutrition, recovery, and setting goals personal to your unique situation. Crossfit Mayhem is located at 601 Rich Froning Way, Cookeville, TN 38501.

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Jackson Creative Hickory, North Carolina

Produced at Jackson - their podcasting network, The MESH, hosts many different types of podcast series that have listenership across the world. Some educational and some purely entertainment, our shows are just another great way of spreading ideas.v

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Bliss Ridge

Black Mountain, North Carolina A contemporary treehouse, nestled in the woods. 20â€™ cathedral ceiling great room with a wood fireplace. The main floor designed for handicap access and one-level living. Has a bakerâ€™s kitchen with two wall ovens. It has a large master on the main floor. Two bedrooms upstairs with an open view to great to the great outdoors.

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Black Mountain Sanctuary Black Mountain, North Carolina

(This is a closed course event concept). The 18-mile (29 km) stretch of NC 9 from Bat Cave North to Black Mountain has been designated as a North Carolina Scenic Highway. In addition to beautiful scenery, it is hilly, completely twisted and has some steep grades.

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The Red Rocker Inn Black Mountain, North Carolina

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Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia

A 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams.

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Barber Motorsports Park Leeds, Alabama

Opened in 2003, with a length of 2.38 miles, Barber Motorsports Park remains a deceptively complex track. It’s bumpy, it’s technically demanding, and if you’re not prepared to steer your car with your pedals, you’ll never truly be fast here.

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Virgina International Raceway Martinsville, Virginia

Your boss might play golf, but VIR is basically the country club where your boss’s boss goes to play. In its longest configuration, more than two dozen turns are spread out over four miles, including a tight right hander where an oak tree once stood. After 200 years, the tree fell last year, and it was so popular they’re working on cloning it, so you can grow your own. RIDGE JOURNAL

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This is a (ten-image) stitched gigapixel photograph. Shot on the Mamiya 645. Produced by Joshua A. Lloyd with Medium Format film and an 85mm lens.

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Devil’s Courthouse and The Legend of Tsul’Kalu Cherokee lore had been reported to state that Tsul’Kalu or “Judaculla” is a slant eyed giant that dwells in the cave of the Devil’s Courthouse. However James Mooney, a Cherokee ethnographer located Jutaculla 100 years earlier to Tanasee Bald. Also known as Tennessee Bald. 1.5 miles Southwest of the Devil’s Courthouse. Folklore states that the devil holds court in the chambers of the cave.

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Welcome to our Premiere Talent guide

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A.D. Weighs / Asheville, North Carolina Audio Engineer / Director / Editor / Producer Originally from Detroit, Michigan, his skills in the studio have earned him production roles in the gaming industry. His independent films are dedicated to seeking truth in our world. He is currently working with Ridge Journal as a featured content creator.

Email: adweighs@yahoo.com / Phone: (828) 551-8987 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Kelli Jo Claxton / Los Angeles, California Freelance Production Manager Kelli is a freelance producer, production manager and stage manager for worldwide live events and livestreams. Her clients include Audi A3, Delta, Google, Highwire Digital, Netflix and the Auxiliary Channel.

Email: kellijoclaxton@gmail.com / Phone: (347) 610-9845 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Stephen Gibson / Charlotte, North Carolina Set Designer / Screen Writer / Production Supervisor With a sense of leadership in mind, Stephenâ€™s work ethic is second to no one. He understands that a production is built from the ground up. His attention to detail and his eye for production value is of the sharpest in the industry.

Email: gibsonsteve1@gmail.com / Phone: (704) 691-5430 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Katie Damien/ Asheville, North Carolina Filmmaker / Writer / Photographer Emmy award winning director and writer Katie Damien is from Asheville, North Carolina. She holds multiple screen writing credits and is currently working on her first novel, Children of Dust and Fire. Katie has been working as a professional photographer for over a decade.

Email: katiedamien@gmail.com / Phone: (828) 335-9574 RIDGE JOURNAL

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Josh Lloyd / Black Mountain, North Carolina Director / Film Editor / Photographer / Publicist Josh has worked the industry since 1999. His talent and focus is dedicated to the development of grassroots programs that facilitate the betterment of our culture. In collaboration with your agency, he can produce your content from anywhere in the world.

Email: joshlloydmedia@gmail.com / Phone: (828) 234-6347 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Trinity Velez / Charlotte, North Carolina Music Composer / Sound Engineer A composer for film and media, she studied music through the Emmy’s as an intern. And worked as an assistant to Craig Richey and Anton Sanko. Currently, she is working the South East film scene from Charlotte and hopes to connect with local filmmakers. Her wo

Email: cristina@reelscoring.com / Phone: (704) 516-9039 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Nathan Tomaszewski / Los Angeles, California Actor / Film Editor / Production Coordinator Nathan’s glowing personality brings a production to life. He knows the right people to bring a positive and uplifting crew together. You can find his work on Animal Planet as he was the lead video editor on the hit show Treehouse Masters.

Email: natomasz@gmail.com / Phone: (323) 239-8797 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Mary-Margaret Baker / Hickory, North Carolina Creative Director / Producer / Voice Talent Mary-Margaret’s experience has been well rounded in the media field, having worked in Production for PBS – St. Louis, MO (KETC), and local live feed producer for the STL Cardinals. She

currently serves as director for all Jackson Creative and MESH productions.

Email: mmbaker@thejacksoncreative.com / Phone: (828) 328-9238 x700 RIDGE JOURNAL

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Tammy Mattox/ Bryson City, North Carolina Actress / Model / Instructor As a veteran in the modeling game, Tammy has diversified her skill set as a budding actress in the Southeastâ€™s booming film & commercial scene. She is currently building a solid network of filmmakers and photographers who are in need of her many talents.

Email: tmattox@genconsult.com / Phone: (828) 507-7217 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Takele Woldu / Asheville, North Carolina Creative Producer, Documentarian, Poet Takele is a creative producer that has dedicated his life to breaking down social stigma as it relates to the socialized world. His ability to predict communication paradigm can only be recounted after realizing his genius in bringing unfamiliar people together.

Email: tkwoldu@gmail.com / Phone: (828) 280-3052 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Lauren Feeney / Boone, North Carolina Freelance Writer / Photographer Her photography is most prominant in actions sports. However, Lauren is an accomplished writer with an ambition for the cullinary arts. Selling a lifestyle of health and wellness is the key to her success. See more of her work at Ridge Journal this season.

Email: laurenfeeney.lfa@gmail.com / Phone: (366) 266-2772 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Green / Johnson City, Tennessee Cinematographer / Sony FS7 Mark II Operator Jeff is an active Cinematographer with a Sony FS7 Mark2 camera package working on promos, industrials, broadcast, documentary & educational projects. Gregarious by nature, Jeff enjoys meeting and working with new people from all walks of life.

Email: jsgreen21@gmail.com / Phone: (904) 545-9110 RIDGE JOURNAL

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Heather Leigh / Asheville, North Carolina Actress / Model / Production Manager Heather has learned to adapt in an ever changing climate of online marketing spots, and modeling gigs that come and go. Her versatility behind the scenes in production management verges upon her chameleon like nature when modeling for the screen.

Email: habee23@gmail.com / Phone: (828) 974-1048 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Alejandro Jimenez / Asheville, North Carolina Key stylist / Fashion Consultant / Wardrobe Supervisor Alejandro holds a strong presence when building a specific look for film. His keen attention to detail is one of his greatest attributes. His newly formed Ashes & Steel Studio s breathing new life into Asheville’s already booming fashion scene.

Email: hello@ashesandsteelstudio.com / Phone: (919) 924-0972 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Savannah Willingham / Asheville, North Carolina Creative Writer / Co-Director / Silks-Trapeze Instructor “Keeping these impressions in view, I was cautious in what I said before the young lady; for I could not be sure that she was sane; and, in fact, there was a certain restless brilliancy about her eyes which half led me to imagine she was not.” - Edgar Allan Poe

Email: facsimiletransmission85@gmail.com / Phone: (828) 577-7230 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Dom Coccaro / Hickory, North Carolina Producer / Script Writer / Voice Talent With a focus on horror based fiction, Dominic excels when writing for the screen. His visionary presence is only matched by his cunning whit on set. This man is in no way camera shy and if you let him, he will take you to places you would never dare to go.

Email: spookiesgore@gmail.com / Phone: (828) 381-6938 RIDGE JOURNAL

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Exposing the NCEL

Writer: Rita K. Moore / Producer: Joshua A. Lloyd This is a proposal for funding an exciting new documentary project filmed here in North Carolina. Donations raised from this issue will be used towards the production of this project and will be dedicated to the North Carolina Education System due it’s lack of resources. A large discrepancy has been witnessed from the rhetoric and what is actually being done for our educators. This documentary will take a deeper look into the perspectives of the teaching profession on a community and governmental level with interviews of teachers, students, and government officials. We plan to discover: Where is the money from the NCEL actually going and why it is not being allocated towards raising teachers salaries? The NCEL was originally proposed as a way to supplement education funding. Is it actually supplementing the budget? Or has it just replaced the money schools were already supposed to get? Who is actually in control of the lottery funds? Why are the votes from those in legislation not synonymous with the public opinion in the interest of providing more resources to our school systems? What exact projects is this money being used for? In 2009, House Bill 518 and in 2013 House Bill 156 both proposed to strip the word “education” out of the North Carolina Education Lottery name.

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Why would lawmakers push for this amendment twice? Would a name change like this mean a restructuring of the funding allocation away from education?

have the reach necessary to lock in key interviews to expose where North Carolina’s Education Lottery money is actually going.

Why is the educational budget always on the chopping block every single year? Why must we do more with less? And therein, where is the lottery money going?

Who are these people? In being elected officials, one would think they would find it an obligation to provide these answers but there is some resistance to being completely candid about education reform. There are also those in charge of the North Carolina Education Lottery who deal with the budget on a day to day basis and have clear understanding of where the Education Lottery money is being spent.

How might the legislators justify their requirement increases on teachers each year? These requirements put on our educators are fully expected, all while they are paid less money each year.

The people listed below exhibit intelligence on the matter at hand. We will secure interviews with several of them to bring an appropriate level of awareness to this cause.

Why does education always lose out to many other bills up for funding?

June Atkinson, our State Superintendent, is a huge advocate for educators rights. She’s very vocal to the Asheville area and she has not supported these budgetary cuts.

Logistically, teaching wages should be rising in society to make up for inflation alone, but instead of raising said wages, the state legislators have decreased them even though our cost of living is increasing rapidly. Why aren’t wages rising?

Former Governor Pat McCrory came out with the Commercial Ad claiming NC teacher pay is now averaging at 50k. There has been a large dispute to whether this is actually true.

Finally, We plan to discover a straight-forward answer as to “Why it’s okay to cut spending on education.” We seek to find a no fluff justification for it. If one even exists at all.

John Turcotte, from the Program Evaluation Division of the North Carolina General Assembly, led the 2015-17 evaluation of the North Carolina State Lottery funds.

Who might provide us with these answers? Educators can speculate all day on where this money is going, but they feel disgruntled, and each opinion is objective. So our findings thus far have been very skewed. Therefore, we need to speak with the people in power.

Alice Garland, the Former Executive Director of the North Carolina Education Lottery, for her perspective on the NCEL Funds. Mark Michalko, the Current Executive Director of North Carolina Education Lottery, for his perspective and current work with the NCEL.

To start, the Governor should have some idea where the 35% of lottery proceeds to education is being spent . Anyone else? Legislators are honestly the ones who make these decisions therefore the only ones who could possibly begin to answer without adding in any speculation. They’re the ones making the choices to budgetary cuts and are coupling them with increasing the requirements to become or remain an educator. These people are the only ones who can truly answer our questions. With the money raised for this campaign, we will RIDGE JOURNAL

We plan to couple the answers to all of the questions posed to those above with an exploration with education experts on probable solutions for education reform improvements. We want to get to the bottom of what it is our students and teachers really need to thrive. 44

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How can we as a community of North Carolina go about providing them with the necessary resources to educate on the highest level? All donations made through this issue will go towards interviews and production of this documentary. The funding will be allocated as seen in the pie chart. Our goal is to produce the highest quality documentary which will be worthy of various film festivals and screenings across our state and abroad. According to Education Week Quality Counts report, North-

Carolinaâ€™s National ranking continues its downward trend this year. North Carolina received a C-grade due to school funding and student achievement dropping our states ranking to 40th place in our country. Through this documentary, we aim to pinpoint where the extra funding from the North Carolina Education Lottery is going and why school funding isnâ€™t a priority. Our students and teachers deserve the very best resources that our tax and lottery money can & should already provide. Student and teacher success is imperative to the future of our great state.

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The Art of Time

art classes of every kind could be attended by anyone interested in them. Visitors were allowed to sit in on lectures as they pleased, while faculty offered one-of-akind outlets of discovery in music, ceramics, painting, creative expression and theory. Not only was the class structure a unique set up, but the campus itself was built around self-sufficiency and exploration.-- Where dedicated students could apply their free time and holidays to the growth of the campus farm lands, and care of the buildings as they pleased, and as many did.

Concept Writer: Savannah Willingham Anyone who has wandered through the sleepy streets of Black Mountain Historic has eventually strolled past the steadfast buildings and historical markers that pay tribute to Black Mountain College. Yet does anyone still feel the shiver of it’s influence, surrounding us daily, several generations after it’s idealistic creation?

This was a place that allowed the stalwart personality to shine, and the creative mind to explore; the only type of school to ever focus not on prepared studies and exams, but instead on the self-discipline and self-growth of each individual that let themselves be a part of it. This included faculty, artists and musicians from extremely varied backgrounds. Who made their way from all walks of life, even crossing the ocean from other countries to find peace and commitment over the college’s twenty-seven year stint.

Founded in 1933, the College was an innovative step in reshaping traditional education by combining the free-thinking structure of John Dewey, and a passionate belief that Arts were what was needed to truly experience education. Led with fierce pride by John A. Rice and a rallying faculty, the Black Mountain College would become a one of a kind institution with an influence that would forever saturate our little town’s roots. Classes were not held to rigorous degrees, instead, RIDGE JOURNAL

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By today’s standards, this may not be such a grand thing, with our ability to share people’s accomplishments and beautiful moments of humanity with a single click of a mouse but, we must consider the time at which Black Mountain College came to be. America was at the tail end of the Depression’s strangling grip. No sooner did we try to recover but Germany’s invasion of Poland began World War II, and the Great Dust Bowl tripped behind on it’s heels. These were not easy times. Nor was this a time to expect a renaissance of ideas and creativity to flourish. The nation was entering some of it’s most historically shadowing times, yet nestled within the mountains of North Carolina, was this small school of creative genius and a do-or-die mentality to change peoples minds. An easy internet search will spit out the names of famous artists, musicians, and even one scientist of ‘theologically relative’ renowned on the Board of Directors that all had part in Black Mountain College. Yet it is the unknown stories, the ingrained impact, and the continuing growth

of arts and culture that I want to draw your attention to. Deep within the bright streets of Asheville’s downtown district is the Black Mountain College Museum. This is the torch of shared arts and creative exploration that is carried by sharing the unsung stories of the College’s past and future. Warren Wilson College echoes the ideals of BMC with its strong standing as one of the best liberal art colleges in the nation. Galleries and shared artists dot the map of Western North Carolina as colorfully as the tree leaf tourists flock to watch change each Autumn. In this time of educational cuts for the arts, of forgotten stories, and of consistent corporate overcast on the ‘small business ideal’, let us take a moment to stop, and listen to the echo of the past, and watch how much the influence of art still colors the world around us. For more glimpses into the past of BMC, visits Black Mountain College Museum at 56 Broadway Street, Asheville NC.

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Did You KNow... James Franco earned his MFA in poetry at Warren Wilson College. Warren Wilson echos echoesthe theideals idealsofofBMC BMC with its strong standing as one of the best liberal art colleges in the nation. Galleries and shared artists dot the map of Western North Carolina as colorfully as the tree leaf tourists flock to watch change each Autumn. In this time of educational cuts for the arts, of forgotten stories, and of consistent corporate overcast on the â€˜small business idealâ€™, let us take a moment to stop, and listen to the echo of the past, and watch how much the influence of art still colors the world around us. RIDGE JOURNAL

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TAKING SIDES

Concept Writer: Savannah Willingham How do you change the world by taking something away in it? If you’re Buckminster Fuller, it’s just a simple matter of ‘taking sides’. Born in 1895, ‘Bucky’ Fuller spent his life studying art, design, science, geometry, and architecture. He refused to be la belled under any specific moniker to these works, preferring instead to describe himself as a ‘comprehensive anticipatory design scientist’-- one who would ultimately change the way we saw the world (literally, with the invention of his Dymaxion World Map) with his geodesic designs. Through geometrical studies Fuller realized that most architectural designs were based off of the rectangle, and that by simply removing one side to form a triangle, one could design a geodome structure that proved stronger, cheaper, more green, and extremely more efficient than most structures created before it. His first finalized design for the public of the 1940’s was the Dymaxion (Wichita) House. Despite following all of these ideals it came up against several issues with homebuilding techniques at the time that caused its production to be shot down in a standoff between stockholders and union builders.

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“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” - Buckminster Fuller

GLASS HALF FULLER director, with new following faculty and students in tow towards success. It was here that Fuller’s students banded together to help create and bring to life his new geodesic home. It was also here that they failed the first time, only to consider it a success in it’s own for teaching them, and using that newly found knowledge to finalize a working design the second summer. It was here, at Black Mountain College, that Fuller brought to life one of his most trusted and attributed ideas of successful symmetry for art and math, all in the form of a home that could change the world.

At this moment his career became a moment of inspiration, instead of failure, thanks to a suggested substitution position at Black Mountain College. In the summer of 1948, Fuller became part of the faculty of lecturers in one of BMC’s most successful semesters, and gives credit not only to the community and students that helped him create and reshape his famous ‘geodesic’ designed home, but allowed him to explore his own creativity through the designs other art led faculty members and blooming lifelong friendships with students. By the next summer, Fuller had returned to Black Mountain College as a

BUCKMINSTER’S DYMAXION MAP

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This all came to be because he was willing to take away the side of a rectangle, and selflessly take away a side of himself. To be swayed under the influence of Black Mountain Collegeâ€™s unique environment. And even more, the creative people who made this place so special.

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Spaceship Earth is the iconic and symbolic structure of Epcot, the second of four theme parks built at the Walt Disney World Resort. One of the most recognizable structures of any theme park, it is also the name of the attraction that is housed within the 18-story geodesic sphere that takes guests on a time machine themed experience using the Omnimover system. The term â€œSpaceship Earthâ€? was popularised by Buckminster Fuller.

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FENCE KICKERS

With Column Writer Kendra Intihar Discipline and instruction are critical in the life of a child. You have to set up boundaries, and your kids have to know where those boundaries are and why they exist. You cannot “move the fence” because if your rules change, your child will never memorize where they are, and then you’ve set them up to fail. You have to make it clear that the reason rules are in place is to keep them safe and healthy. If you have a compliant child (or as I have recently learned to refer to them, a “freak of nature”), they will live abundantly and freely inside the beautiful safety of a loving fence. I know this, because I am raising my very own freak of nature. Every now and then, they’ll ask you if the fence is still there, and you’ll say... “Yes, precious darling...the fence is still there. I’ll let you know when it moves.”

And then they’ll say.. “Thank you - you’re a wonderful parent...I figured it was still there, but there is value in confirming it every now and then. I’m going to go pick you a bouquet of flowers now because I love you so much.”

And then you’ll laugh and hug, and they’ll go play in complete liberty inside of the fence like the paragon of compliance they have always been. And you’ll realize something: Compliant children are such a gift. If you have an uncompliant child, they will go out every single day of their life and kick the fence posts to make sure they’re still there. And then they’ll climb on them. And then they’ll check to see if you’re looking and start

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digging up a fence post to move it. And then when you re-bury the post, you’ll realize they’re over at the gate trying to get it to unlatch. You’ll run to the gate to replace the lock, and then when you look up, sweating and desperate for them to understand the purpose of the fence, you’ll see that they are somehow, despite your best efforts, on the OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE SMILING AT YOU AND WAVING LIKE A LITTLE IMP. You’ll remember that this is your highest calling, and you’ll scale the fence to bring them back over to the “safe liberty” on the other side of it, and when you catch them (barely) by the hem of their Spider-Man pajamas, you’ll toss them back over and hope they trip over a rock on their way back to the middle of the safety zone. But then they’ll come up to you with the most beautiful bouquet of wildflowers (or a pretty pebble and a leaf shaped like a heart) because they love you so much, and you’ll realize something: Fence-kickers are such a gift. Back when I only had a fence-loving child, I used to think that if your child was a fence kicker, it was because you were an ineffective parent. I’m so sorry. I think that’s why God gave me a fence kicker the second time around...so that I would finally realize that I am only approximately 3% responsible for how my kids turn out. The rest is genetics. Or fate. Or something else completely out of my control. You cannot chastise your way to a compliant child. You cannot spank your way to a compliant child. You cannot time-out your way to a compliant child. You cannot positive-reinforcement your way to a compliant child. You must provide your child with the fence, but I have learned that there are some kids who are naturally prone to be happy inside a fence, and some kids who are naturally prone to want to burst through it. 57

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I went out in public with my kids yesterday. I’m not gonna name any names, but one of them gave me grief. So much grief. I was embarrassed. I cried. I made threats that are probably against the law. Zero percent of the things I tried worked. Two good things came out of it, though: 1) I gave lots of other nearby strangers the opportunity to say, “Ugh! Can you believe this? I would *never* let my child behave that way.” and that is probably something they needed. Most parents who have fence-lovers are convinced that they are solely responsible for that outcome (I know because I used to be one). 2) I learned that I have a mental docket of dozens of yet unpublished creative-but-un-fun chores, the likes of which the world has never seen. Have you ever made your child vacuum their board books? Color-code the toys in their play-kitchen? Line up the beach towels by size on the linen shelf ? I sat on the sofa after my kids went to bed and cried and drank pickle juice directly out of a jar because motherhood is hard and perfection is a lie. And pickle juice is weirdly satisfying. Moms: If you are doing the best you can with the resources you have, you are a great mom. Your fence-loving and fence-kicking kids will be who they are - 3% because of you, and 97% despite you. Do what you can, love the living daylights out of them, and let the onlookers think what they want...no one loves and understands your kids - or your story - like you do. RIDGE JOURNAL

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“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” - Socrates (469-399 BC)

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The Unexamined Life

A therapist can help you uncover what has happened in your past that is affecting your present. There are many good therapistsin this region and abroad. If your past is still creating havoc in your present, a therapist might very well be a great way to invest in you.

Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher (470-399 BC), is given the credit for the above. He was right and for many reasons. And yet so many people are so busy avoiding self-examination and reflection. So much of what we do, say, and feel is directly tied to our unconscious. Our unconscious, by definition - is not easily accessed by our conscious mind. Yet it often dictates our choices. Unless we spend time examining ourselves we find ourselves “victims” of our own unconscious.

Spiritual direction is a another way to explore your inner world. As a person who believes in God, I have found Spiritual direction very helpful. I, myself, am a certified Spiritual Director.

With Cynthia Greene

Have you ever said or done something that surprised yourself ? Or wondered as you spoke or acted what on earth you were doing but kept doing it anyway? Perhaps you have had the feeling that you were trapped repeating behaviors that you really didn’t want to do, but didn’t know how to not do them anymore. These are times when your unconscious is driving you. Until you do the wondrous and, at times, tough work of discovering what is driving you, you will continue to say, feel and do things that are perhaps unhealthy for you and those around you. Examining ourselves is amazing work. We come to know ourselves and in turn unleash an amazing power from within. As one who has lived in the mountains of NC, I have found some of my best “self ” work has been done on a trail or overlooking a meadow. I have sat many an hour along the streams of the western NC mountains and reflected on my place in the world and taken in the beauty around me. There are many other more intense ways to begin or continue this internal work. Therapy is one way. RIDGE JOURNAL

What is Spiritual direction? Spiritual direction focuses on religious experience. It is concerned with a person’s actual experience of a relationship with God. Spiritual direction is about a relationship. The religious experience is not isolated, nor does it consist of extraordinary events. It is what happens in an ongoing relationship between the person and God. Most often this is a relationship that is experienced in prayer. Spiritual direction is a relationship that is going somewhere. God is leading the person to deeper faith and more generous service. The spiritual director asks not just “what is happening?” but “what is moving forward?” The real spiritual director is God. God touches the human heart directly. The human spiritual director does not “direct” in the sense of giving advice and solving problems. Rather, the director helps a person respond to God’s invitation to a deeper relationship. No one knows us better than God, our creator. It is God who “knit us in our mother’s womb.” There is within every human being a connection to the divine. The drive to matter, to have significance and meaning is at its 60

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root attached to the divine within us. It is what makes us different from the animals. Our “divine spark” is what allows us to overcome our past, heal and grow regardless of age. This power lies within each of us. Yet another way to “examine” yourself is through “coaching.” Life coaching is a person who walks beside you and helps to encourage and empower you to grow. They set goals and provide actionable steps towards success. Coaches ask the right questions and give the right resources. There are so many ways a coach can come alongside you and help you to help yourself. So often we “get stuck” in life. Maybe we are not even sure where to start to examine ourselves. A coach can help you “get unstuck.” There are so many ways to avail yourself of a coach. Some meet face to face once a week. Some use teleconferencing or other communication technology to connect. Usually a coach will want to meet weekly and establish two or three goals for you to accomplish. Coaching is a great investment in YOU as well.

ment for your health and well-being. If you’ve heard about active rest at all, it’s probably in the context of physical exercise. For example, you rest your legs while you work your arms, or take up swimming for a month if you’re recovering from an injury caused by running. Active rest can also be applied to other areas of your life. It refers to engaging in a less intense activity or a different kind of activity. It can be anything you do while you’re awake to renew and rejuvenate. If you feel tired much of the time with no physical cause or you just want more joy out of life, take a look at how you spend your days. Try these suggestions for active rest... Scheduling Active Rest: Prepare for mid-afternoon. A slump can hit you anytime, but mid-afternoon is especially common. Block out time for a break sometime between 2 and 4 pm.

Below is a sample of one of the resources a coach might give you to help you care for yourself. This is one I have used through Purposeful Living, LLC with my clients. It is called “Active Rest.” And it is a great way to rejuvenate and refocus. I have found this particularly easy to use on a trail in the mountains.

Pace yourself: Most of us can concentrate for only about 90 minutes to 2 hours at a time. You may even want to take a breather each hour to avoid becoming fatigued.

Active Rest: What it is and why you’ll want to do it.

Increase the frequency: Have you been taking one long vacation each year? It may help to spread your leave time out instead.

Many of us struggle to give our minds and bodies adequate rest. We all know we need it, but we find a million and one excuses why we can’t. The same is true for what I call “active rest.” Active rest is needed throughout the day to rejuvenate or refocus ourselves. While the term might sound like an oxymoron, it’s actually a real requireRIDGE JOURNAL

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Breathe deeply: Reduce stress and enhance your circulation. Breathe through your nostrils, bringing the air up from your diaphragm. Lengthen your exhalations until you feel like all the air has gently drifted out of your body.

Providing Active Rest for Your Mind: Zone out. Indulge in mental wandering. Studies show that we sometimes come up with more creative solutions when we stop thinking directly about one predicament or another.

Move around: Stay active in between your regular workouts. Stand up and stretch each half hour when you’re working at your desk. Perform sit ups during the commercials when you’re watching the evening news.

Meditate on mindfulness: Develop a daily meditation practice or find other activities that encourage you to be present. It could be cooking or gardening. Practice your faith: Connect with the divine. Read inspirational literature. Pray at home or find a spiritual community where you feel like you belong.

Experience yoga: You may want to become a regular at your local yoga studio or just learn some basic poses you can do anywhere. Ease away tension by lying on your back with your legs up a wall or reenergize with various backbends.

Read a book: When was the last time you read a book for pleasure or read anything longer than a social media post? Try losing yourself in a classic novel or expand your knowledge of medieval history or romantic poetry.

Make time each day to slow down and silence the outside world. Remember that active rest makes you more productive. With enough good quality sleep and rest, you’re likely to lead a longer and happier life.

Socialize more: Reach out to family and friends. Watch a movie together instead of streaming solo on your own devices. Gather for family dinners and play group sports. Get outdoors: Take a walk, a bike ride, a horseback ride. Sit in the sun for 15 minutes and breathe. Nature is energizing.

The beautiful surroundings of your immediate area will prove conducive to better self-care. Yet even in the middle of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, we must be proactive and intentional to care for our bodies, minds, emotions and spirits.

Providing Active Rest for Your Body: Close your eyes. Give your brain some time off from visual stimulation. Shut your eyes and bring your focus inward. Enjoy the peace and calm.

The Reverend Doctor Cynthia Greene is a Life Coach and Spiritual Director who specializes in Equine Therapy. You can find her online at purposefullivingllc.org.

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Plantain Pancakes Ingredients: 2 Yellow Plantains 2 Eggs 3 tbsp Coconut Oil 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tbsp Cacao Powder 1 tbsp Flax Seeds 1/4 cup Coconut Flour 1/2 cup Nut Milk (Cashew is my favorite) 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Fun Ingredients to Experiment With: Berries Chopped Nuts Ginger Nutmeg Hemp Seeds

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Derby Fuel with Lauren Feeney

Do you ever wake up and think... “I want pancakes today!” Everything is covered in snow. Schools are closed. Businesses are closed. And, you don’t have to go to work. Its a snow day! Now, I know this is a column about healthy eating, but don’t worry, these aren’t your typical box mix pancakes. In fact, they’re so much tastier, you won’t ever want plain old pancakes again. Breakfast is so good! Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Especially because you can eat breakfast at any time of the day. I spent a few winters living in Vermont, and one of the best things I experienced was the maple syrup. Any place that served breakfast, served fresh maple syrup. I kinda got spoiled. You don’t have to ask for it. You don’t have to pay extra. It’s just a given. “Pancake syrup” doesn’t exist. Did you know that it takes 40 gallons of sap from a maple tree to make one gallon of pure maple syrup? The sap is just cooked down, slowly reducing until the natural sugars are much more concentrated. Did you know that it takes Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Cellulose Gum, Caramel Color, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid (preservative), and Sodium Hexametaphosphate to make Pancake Syrup? (Hmm, my spell check had a rough time with that last ingredient) Anyway, that doesn’t sound very appetizing, or nearly as exciting as real maple syrup. The way i look at things... If you’re gonna treat yourself to a big pancake breakfast, make it worth it. Go for the good stuff! Okay, so now for the pancakes! I’ve been experimenting with a plantain pancake recipe for a few years, and i think now I’ve got it just right. The first time i made these, i was just curious. But, they turned out really good. These are also a great gluten free option, if that’s something you are looking for. All you will need for this recipe is food processor, a spatula, and a frying pan or griddle. I love to use my cast iron for this. RIDGE JOURNAL

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Instructions: Start by peeling the plantains and slicing them into chunks, just as you would a banana. The peel can be a little tough sometimes, so i like to run a knife down the plantain, vertically, just to get it started. Once you’ve sliced the plantains, throw them in the food processor. Add all the other ingredients, and hit the power button. The mix should blend thick. You may have to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times, and then blend again. You don’t want to overwork the mix. Just blend until the plantain is broken down. It will not be pourable. Ive found that a 1/4 cup measuring cup is the perfect size and utensil to scoop the batter. Start your frying pan at medium low heat, and adjust as needed. Don’t forget to add a little butter or coconut oil to the pan they don’t stick. Keep an eye on the first few. Don’t flip them until they’re nicely browned on the bottom. It seems to take one round before the pan is just right. I love to top these pancakes with fresh orange zest, it really brings out all of the flavors... and of course, a little maple syrup. The Health Facts: These are gluten free. Plantains are high in potassium, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. They are a great immune system booster. They also aid in digestion, and can even heal the lining of the stomach. Flax seeds contain Omega 3’s, which we often don’t get enough of. Cacao and plantains both contain magnesium. We metabolize this mineral very quickly, so its foods high in magnesium are always a plus.. RIDGE JOURNAL

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“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” RIDGE JOURNAL

- Yogi Berra

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The Rise from Mediocraty

to Masterful

this freedom comes with great responsibility.

Business Writer: Hilary Johnson

As an entrepreneur coach I spend a lot of time talking with my clients about their hopes, dreams, and goals for the future. We talk about the vision for the business they’re building, the impact they wish to have on their community, the kind of teammates they want to spend their days with, and, of course, the money they want to earn! We talk about life outside of work, how they’ll spend some of that hard-earned money, what they’ll do with that hard-earned freedom & independence, and the type of impact they hope to have during this life on Earth. The business of being an entrepreneur isn’t just business. It’s everything. It’s all encompassing. When you choose to build life on your own terms, the line between you and your business is often inextricable. And frankly it’s this fuzzy little line that makes it so damn rewarding.

You will never build a wildly successful business if you just do what “feels good”. It’s not about blindly following your heart, allowing your emotions to run the day like a toddler, or letting challenges shut you down. It will take grit, determination, and discipline to reach your goals. You will face true obstacles that will challenge you on every level. There will be days you want to burn it all to the ground (trust me, I’ve been there!), and it’s what you do in those moments that will define your character as an entrepreneur. ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. Being the CEO is really not for everyone. Many people simply aren’t cut out for the road ahead, largely because they’re not willing to do the work. They’re hoping for days filled with sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns, and they’re hoping everything will magically fall into place and be easy. Spoiler Alert. That’s just not life. Not now. Not ever.

Here’s what I know for sure. The entrepreneurs who will make it, rising from mediocrity to masterful, are the ones who put in the work. They realize this is Unlike our corporate warrior friends, we get to struc- a long game. They’re not off chasing shiny objects, ture our lives, our days, our businesses, our team, worrying about what other people think, getting and everything else in between as we choose. We can distracted by likes (or lack thereof) on social media, work on things we’re passionate about. We can hire or failing to invest in their business. Instead they’re people we adore spending our time with. We can say focused on the marathon ahead. not to projects or clients that aren’t a good fit. We can launch a new product when inspiration strikes. Take a look at where you stand today & where you We can directly link our work life to our personal life want to go. Are you doing the work, putting in the in a way that’s rewarding beyond measure. time, and truly staying focused on your goals? RIDGE JOURNAL

SMALL BUSINESS

Or are you letting distractions get in the way that keep pulling your further and further away from your ultimate goal? It’s time to stop blindly pursuing your future. Stop letting your emotions run your business. Stop making up excuses for why you don’t do things in your life. YOU’RE CAPABLE OF GREATNESS RIGHT NOW. Let’s go make it happen.

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Complaisance: Work Ethic & Awareness

Column Writer: Joshua A. Lloyd - www.joshlloydmedia.com / joshlloydmedia@gmail.com Or do they simply work slower? The sad truth is that more often than not, they work slower.

When we succeed. We find satisfaction. Yet when we fail, we question ourselves. Some of us give up while others work harder to succeed at not failing. You can find complaisance in the workplace in many different forms; And in today’s age, to simply find a job is to succeed. And to be unemployed or even self-employed is to fail or struggle. A self employed person is told “no” often. As they must go out into the world and sell themselves to collect accounts or clients to get paid. All while, the employee is commonly provided with this pass. Their work is administered to them on a daily basis by upper management and deadlines are common place.

Jobs these days don’t often have a tall ladder to climb. Opportunity for growth is simply not there. Many employees lack motivation because they lack a passion for what they do. Passion can be cultivated by a strong leader who can rally a team to work harder. Although, in certain lines of work, it’s very difficult to rally.

What happens when deadlines are too easy to meet, and the work becomes monotonous? Does the employee go out of their way to do more for the company? RIDGE JOURNAL

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What happens when our leaders become complacent? Poor leadership is the downfall of any economic system. Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy” is not far from the truth on many of these issues, but in the real world we live in, fortunately there is the “theory” of Darwinism. In the film “Idiocracy”, Darwinism takes a negative turn for the worse. However, in a true democracy with appropriate checks and balances, any and all weak links can and will be eradicated with the efforts of just a few ambitious people. We live in an age where we are spoon-fed information. Do we go out of our way to find that which is actually true? Or do we simply believe what we are shown or told is true? It is in this action or (lack of action) that our culture is inevitably defined.

“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”

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The age of disinformation is upon us now. Our complacency will not only affect us on the job, but it can very well affect the decisions we make in our every day lives. To combat these issues is to educate ourselves. And in the process of discovering this education, we can only then free ourselves of this burden.

athleticism. They can only be brought on by effort and a positive attitude. Whether you have a 9 to 5 job or you are pursuing a career, this disease can find you. It is best to push yourself to do more in either situation so that maybe your ego can find failure. It is from this failure that you might find a need to push yourself harder. And from that push, success may actually find you.

Complaisance is a human flaw that drives motivated people crazy. We do not understand the philosophy. You can be incredibly smart and/or athletically talented and still come up short. You can even ruin things for everyone around you. Which at that moment, you are not only complacent, you are also inconsiderate. Work ethic and awareness have nothing to do with intelligence or

Be true to yourself and your convictions. Stand up to complaisance and blow the whistle on those around you pro-actively.

â€œAs our society gets more complex and our people become more complacent, the role of the jester is more vital than ever before. Please stop sitting around. We need you to make a ruckes.â€?

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DONâ€™T GIVE UP. GREAT THINGS TAKE TIME.

- Sponsored by ambition.

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SMALL BUSINESS

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Flags for the Symbol-Minded Column Writer A.D. Weighs

Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary of the death of George Carlin. If you’re familiar with his work, you’ll likely agree that he was more than just a comic. He also shared a lot of thought-provoking social commentary. I came across a Facebook post by The Church of George Carlin of Modern Day Saints – a group whose sole purpose is to pay tribute to the late comedian by posting video clips, memes and quotes highlighting some of the profound insight Carlin had to offer. One video, in particular, “Jammin’ in New York” felt almost prophetic in a way. It was released in 1992, but from the very first bit, it seemed to address some of the issues we are discussing today in regards to the confederate flag. As we are standing in the wake of the recent shooting deaths in Charleston, SC. Carlin boldly states, “I don’t get all choked up about yellow ribbons and American flags. I consider them to be symbols and I leave symbols to the symbol-minded.” EXACTLY! That’s how I feel as well. I always have. I can recall being taught what the American flag means and what it represents in elementary school. I remember a song we used to sing in kindergarten.. “What do you see when you see the flag? What does it mean to you?” RIDGE JOURNAL

Now those are both questions, but the very next few lines of the song gave the answers; “I am free. The flag for me, the 50 shining stars. The red, the white, the blue.” Now I can’t remember the rest of the song, but give me some credit. - I was only five. Looking back, I feel like we were being told what the flag means, so what the hell was the point of asking what it means to us? I also recall being punished in first grade because I didn’t say the pledge of allegiance. I stood up with the rest of the class, put one hand over my heart, but instead of reciting the pledge, I just stood there silently, looking around at all the other first-graders as they stared at the flag, looking almost hypnotized and carefully reciting their pledge. I guess I’ve always had a problem with being told what to think and how I should feel. As a child growing up in the Detroit Public School system in the 80’s, we were aware of the fact that teachers were allowed to paddle us when we misbehaved. I know that for a fact because I’ve spend a good amount of time on the business end of that horrible, ugly wooden paddle. That paddle was a legitimate fear for me at that time. As children, we are told what to do and what not to do. I would be punished for doing or saying the wrong things. I would be punished for not doing things, but who the hell were they to try and tell me how to feel about it or what I should think? 79

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You can paddle me for not saying the pledge of allegiance while facing the American flag, but there is no way you can force me to view that flag as anything more than a symbol and the pledge to me was nothing more than a ritual. Even back then when I probably didn’t even know the word “ritual,” I knew in my mind that if we stopped saying the pledge, nothing would happen. School and life would still go on and my grades would still be the same. I thought it was stupid. Those were my thoughts. Those were my feelings, but I kept going through the motions every morning so as to avoid a series of brutal whacks on my caboose. I read a story on Yahoo news a few years ago about a student who got sent home from school as a punishment for drying his wet hands on the American flag in his classroom. Some of the readers left comments that were rather harsh. One person suggested the boy should be jailed. Another went as far as to say the boy should be executed. I, on the other hand, didn’t see what the big deal was. Don’t misunderstand me, I know what the flag means to some people and I would never go out of my way to disrespect it just to get a reaction, but if this boy is being punished for not recognizing this symbol as something sacred, that’s sending the message that we don’t have any choice in the matter.

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To this point, we must feel the way we have been taught to feel about symbols, and there is no other option. Some would say he’s disrespecting our country. I see it as a symbol of the country and I think there is a difference. The symbol-minded might disagree. Fast-forward to June of 2015. There were some people in Charleston, SC who had been driving past the confederate flag on their way to work for years and it never really bothered them much until a white-supremacist gunned down nine black people in a Charleston church. Now, instead of addressing the real problem, which is racism, hatred and intolerance, people are looking for a quick, easy fix. They want one simple thing to blame and that “thing” has become the confederate flag, which, in my opinion, is just that - another “THING.” You may believe that this flag is a symbol of racism, but what makes you think removing the symbol will remove the racism? Even if the United States of America bans the rebel flag from every aspect of American culture and it became illegal to display it anywhere, white-supremacist would just adopt a new symbol, and probably do so in a matter of hours. Problem solved. So why were these people NOT complaining about the presence of the Confederate flag before the mass shooting? 80

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“I could never understand ethnic or national pride. Because to me, pride should be reserved for something you achieve or attain on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth. Being Irish isn’t a skill, it’s a fucking genetic accident. You wouldn’t say “I’m proud to be 5’11”. I’m proud to have a predisposition for colon cancer.” So why the fuck would you be proud to be Irish, or proud to be Italian, or American or anything?” - George Carlin

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GROUPTHINK!

group·think / groop, THiNGk / noun NORTH AMERICAN 1. The practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility. “There’s always a danger of group-think when two leaders are so alike.” Consider this: Someone, at some time in your life, had to teach you what the flag represents. It was probably someone you trusted and may have even loved. The problem is: they could only tell you their version of the story. They couldn’t tell you what it might mean for other people. They couldn’t illustrate how somebody else might feel when you wear that image on a shirt or display it so prominently on your pickup truck. They just told you it was a part of your heritage and you should be proud, just like they told me about the American flag in elementary school. Our written history is full of lies. Have you ever considered the idea that you may have been lied to or misinformed as a child? Probably not, but guess what….It doesn’t even matter. You know what it means to you and that’s all that should matter. I can respect that. I just ask that you show me the same respect when I don’t stop to salute your symbol. Give me the same respect when I fail to shed a tear when someone goes on TV and burns your symbol. I’m not very good at faking outrage and I don’t RIDGE JOURNAL

think I should have to be. I simply don’t care about symbols and I reject the notion that I should feel any certain way about any symbol. For what it’s worth, I felt the same way a few years back when there were debates all over the country about whether or not some people should be allowed to build a mosque at ground zero. I felt the same way about the debate over the word “nigger” which some see as a word of hatred while others view it as a term of endearment. Want know what I think? I think someone taught you what the word meant and then went as far as to teach you how you should feel about it and how you should react when it is used in your presence. Trying to teach me how and when to be outraged over a meaningless symbol gives me a handicap. Why not just cut off my leg? Why try to convince me that something is wrong with me just because I don’t give power and meaning to symbol gestures and subjective words or phrases? Another brilliant comic, Doug Stanhope once said.. “Tradition and heritage is just dead people’s baggage. Quit carrying it.” I agree. Especially because now there are stories in the news about the cause of the Civil war. People are arguing over whether or not the Civil war was fought over slavery A HUNDRED AND FIFTY FUCKING YEARS AGO!!!! 82

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To show how askew our belief structures really are, here is a black man standing on a street corner in Black Mountain, NC. It was 7:30 a.m. in the morning and he felt the need to exercise his liberty to wave the Confederate flag. - This is America! Last year I was filming a music video for a Country Music singer. She had these promo books that had pictures of her on the cover and images of the confederate flag in the background.

flag, I understand that, in this society, we are sometimes going to feel offended, but nowhere in the Bill of Rights does it state that we have the right to not be offended.

A guy I know, a white Southerner, pointed to the flag and asked me, “Are you offended by that?” “Not at all,” I responded. He said, “Good, because if you were, I was gonna tell you why you shouldn’t be.” Perhaps it had never occurred to him that I am a rational, free-thinking individual who is fully capable of forming my own opinion without the aid of empty rhetoric and slogans designed to manipulate me and alter my perceptions.

I say you can all keep your symbols and whatever meaning you have attached to them. It’s what people do. I won’t be offended if a thousand Confederate flags grace the front of a thousand court houses across the country and the reason is simple..

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The flag can’t put hatred in anyone’s heart. The parents are responsible for that. Our loved ones teach us to hate. It’s in our community, our neighborhood. It’s the people. In any nation that wants to call itself “free,” you should have the right to fly whatever flag you want and I should have the right to laugh and criticize you for being so “symbol-minded.” 83

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Learning to talk about addiction. This is a platform for the under represented.

Created by Chad Stutesman

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I believe we all have the power to help others and change the world one by one. Your life struggles and how youâ€™ve coped, overcome and persevered could truly bless so many individuals far beyond your wildest dreams. Let your past be the greatest asset towards helping others through being a positive influence in countless lives. You are all so wonderfully created and I believe in you all. God believes in you even when you do not believe in yourself. YOU ARE LOVED Chad Shane Stutesman

(April 20th, 1983 - July 12th, 2017)

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A Letter from the Editor Chad and I were good friends for more than 15 years. Together, we ran in a crew that were thick as thieves and he had my back on countless occasions. So now, I must return his favor..

awful things about him in heinous public ways. Chad owned his addiction, his dishonesty, his corrupted behavior. AND in the end - he never blamed anyone but himself for the things he did that were wrong.

While time grew us apart I came to know him again a few years ago. It was clear he was sincerely struggling to keep it together but, he was still the most open minded & charismatic person I have ever known or will know.

I challenge all of you to look deeply into your soul and ask yourself if you are doing everything you can to take responsibility for your own actions in life. And save all judgement on this man’s soul for God, and God alone; As I knew this man and loved him. And I know his true intentions on this Earth were to love everyone & help those most in need.

In the end, I feel that I might have been the only friend he had left. And while I want to tell everyone who judged him to (go fuck yourselves) - I know that he would not want this.

I wish Chad’s family the very best and pray to God we all rebound from his loss more knowledgeable of both ourselves and the pandemic influences that inevitably took Chad’s life. It’s a shame we lost him at such a young age.

Chad Stutesman loved everyone. Even people who said

I’m Josh Lloyd and this is My Unspoken Truth.

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Let’s play a game

Approximately one in every ten Americans are addicted to some drug or another.

Let’s imagine that all 8 billion people on Earth are actually stars in our galaxy. Roughly one out of every thousand stars is massive enough to become a black hole. A lot of the people who suffer from addiction are our greatest minds. We can align their creative talents and ambition to be much like a shining star. Chad was one of these massive stars. He boasted a very bright light and had amazing ideas that could help people on a higher level.

Chad’s message was often for the addict, but my message is for the people who are friends and family members of addicts. This is because, I am a friend and family member of several addicts. I have family members in prison and others in rehab that I can’t talk about for fear of embarrassing them. In total truth they are stuck in these broken systems, and I’m here today writing this article to maybe help them in some way.

Roughly one out of every thousand stars that form is massive enough to become a black hole.

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I have found some perspective on addiction that I wish to share with the world. I discovered this perspective waching members of my own family struggle to cope with these issues for many years. - If not decades.

TO ENABLE

Often times, our mothers are the first responders when dealing with a child suffering from addiciton. It’s because they love unconditionally. A mother will very quickly take action and when she responds, she can very easily fly too close to the addict and enable this person to use more frequently. This can also happen to our sisters, brothers, our fathers. Loving aunts and uncles too. This happens to anyone who is compassionate enough to care and be there for a person suffering from addiction.

When members of our family suffer from addiction, they often act like black holes. These people who we want to trust become capable of horrific acts against us. And at times react negligently with little regard for other people’s needs. As a drug seeker, an addict will find ways to take your money, your pride and if we’re not careful - they could even take your life from you. RIDGE JOURNAL

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neglect

If they are not alone, they have found a way to surround themselves with people who are suffering in similar ways.

On the reverse of that we have the neglect strategy that a lot of people (especially our fathers) have adopted.

Your family member in question will have found comradery in the very same people who will keep them using drugs. As in (we are the company that we keep). These people will continue to find new and unique ways to continue suffering from the black hole of addiction. And they will do so together.

The ideology is in thinking that this is what you’re suppose to do when someone begins using drugs. The overwhelming sad fact of this idea is in understanding that when we push a star too far away, we eventually become cold and removed.

With compassion for what the individual is going through, I have to say thank God they have each other, because if they didn’t have one another they’d have no one.

When we adopt this mindset, our family members suffer for it. They become distant, ashamed, at times very affraid and they are almost always alone.

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We need to find a new ways to bring these people together in a more positive and uplifting environment.

that help our families cope with addiction together. In the river of life, it’s the rocks that rub together who become smooth.

As families, we must seek a Goldilocks Zone approach to the addiction(s) our family members are suffering from. We cannot get too close to them because it’s too hot as an approach. And we must not push them too far away because it’s so cold of an ideal.

We often do this at home within our family unit. Sometimes our very best relationships are with the people who do not always tell us what we want to hear. These “rocks” often rub together in times of death and hardship. When we find ourselves at odds with one another.

We have to find a way to reach some form of an agreement in the middle. And we cannot do this all on our own. Societal structures must be put in place

We can and should have deeply divided debates on topics that need to be addressed within the family. It’s okay to disagree. Disagreement is a key ingre-

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dient for personal growth. This can manifest as a disagreement with one’s self, and often with others that we love and respect. When we are all in a state of appeasement, no true progress can ever be made.

people. All we truly need to be happy is to be close to other people, to create family and to love one another by simply being in the moment. Through this practice, we are making life better, and their studies have proven that we even live longer lives.

There is an 80 year old study put forth by Harvard University that has persisted in taking a very long look at Happiness. From this, we have learned what it takes to not just find happiness, but to maintain it and even cultivate happiness over time.

Even more so, what we can pull from this study is that loneliness is literally a killer. It’s affect on us is as powerful as smoking or alcoholism. To best understand our addicts, we must realize they are not just using drugs. Many are suffering from some form of depression, and have high anxiety when coexisting in society. When we remove our support, we exacerbate the problem just as much, if not more than when we act to enable. It’s imperative we work towards the common good and become mindful of these issues moving foward.

To this day, Doctor Robert Waldinger and his team at Harvard are continuing to seek out the happiest people in our society. What they have come to understand most recently is that it doesn’t matter how much money we make. All that matters for happiness to take hold is that we find common ground and hold communion with RIDGE JOURNAL

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WHY THE PROGRAM FAILED

sight in what our society truly needed to hear. The word resist was fundamentally the wrong direction for our culture and it set forth a stigma that would eventualy lead to the programs demise.

Rumor has it, the D.A.R.E. program is back. If so, they have best brought a brand new edition because their first campaign in the 1990’s failed like a mother fucker.

In the 1990’s, how could we resist drugs when the pharmaceutical companies were advertising so heavily for us to use the drugs they recommended? The administration in place is telling us (to this day) that marijuana, LSD and Psilocybin (to name a few) are in fact very bad for us. All while providing if not shoving semi-synthetic opiates like Oxycodone, and Percocet down our throats. And over prescribing amphetamines such as Ritalin and Adderall to our children because “they do not test well.”

Why did it fail? - It failed because of one word in it’s acronym. D.A.R.E. - Drug Awareness and Resistance Education. To Resist Drugs and Violence. They even doubled down on the word in their slogan. And in doing so, they put forth a huge over

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This chart features many of the drugs in use today. The large majority of the drugs to the left of this graph are considered legal and are over-prescribed to the mass public every day.

ue, and are considered severely unsafe.â€? For example, narcotics such as MDMA, LSD, and Psilocybin are ALL considered SCHEDULE ONE.

The values in RED depict the harm that you can cause to others when under the the drugs influence. And the values in BLUE depict the harm you can do to yourself. You can see clearly that many of the legal drugs are our most dangerous.

Marijuana is included as a Class 1 drug despite it being recreationally legal in some states and proven medicinally valuable for people suffering from muscle spasms caused by Multiple Sclerosis, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, chronic illness such as HIV or nerve pain, seizure disorders and Crohns Disease.

The drugs depicted on the far right are considered SCHEDULE ONE narcotics. These drugs are deemed illegal by the DEA. As they claim these drugs have â€œhigh abuse potential, no medicinal val-

Many of the drugs to the right of this chart are the least harmful to us, yet they are still deemed illegal. As citizens we have to ask a brazen question. WHY? I believe it is greed that motivates this exploitation.

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RESEARCH

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RESEARCH

We are helping Chad to kickstart his platform MY UNSPOKEN TRUTH as an attempt to fix the corrupted systems that we live in today. Chad’s platform is to allow people to write into us anonymously and speak without the fear of being outted and arrested for suffering from a condition they cannot control. This is also a place to speak up and share your story with a warm community of followers who will actually listen to your words and not judge you. This is a safe place for people to say what needs to be said. We must find a way to reach these people and provide them with a voice that is heard. Because in today’s age of content marketing, many of them do not have one. Chad did everything he could to find his own voice. Sometimes he would be high as a kite, screaming into the deep abyss of the internet. And he did not always represent himself as he wished to, but at least he was saying something and he was trying. He ran into a lot of flack from people he trusted for this, too. He did not always get to keep his videos online and his messages alive. We’ve taken Chad’s legacy under our wing and we’re going to continue moving forward with his message. What is your UNSPOKEN TRUTH? 1 Corinthians 15:33 33. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” RIDGE JOURNAL

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“Coppersmith” Stop talking about God And Carrie can’t come with Leaves will have to fill my knapsack Until I call the Coppersmith Mama, it hurts so much What am I supposed to do? Dead end’s comin’ up But not quick enough Granny Smith in the graveyard Wish I could see her ghosts Eidolic guidepost Mama, I know it hurts What are you supposed to do? When I blather on suicide I’m not just advertising Or ventilating Mama, I want to leave But don’t worry, I can’t Even if I could push it through I couldn’t leave you - Dom Coccaro

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This is Phillip Chaffin, and his mother Barbara. The following letters are excerpts from his journal.

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Well I finally did it, and I am in no way proud. It was far less pleasurable than I ever expected, but I guess it did have it’s moments. I really don’t even know why I did it in the first place. I am such a fucking idiot, but I asked for drugs and I’ll be damned if God didn’t hand me the supposed almighty of the almighty. So that’s it. Experimentation is over, there’s nothing left. I just really hate the position I am in about everything. I mean the way that I’m treated around here like I’m a fucking guinea pig or I’m the “bad kid” or something. I’ve decided to work on becoming sober. I need to actually work at it because that’s the only way it’s ever going to happen. There are so many distractions. And it’s so much easier to accomplish them then seeking out the true equation of life. It’s like you don’t even have to work anything out. You just have the answer. Or what you think is the answer. You may think you need drugs, but life will go on without them. I wish to make a list of everything someone might need to break the cycle of using again.

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All these feelings I am having... I can’t tell if they are because I am aggravated over my situation in life, or if things are really happening to me. My guess is that it’s a combination of both. My one and only wish is to stop doing drugs and find a lady, because that’s really the best thing that could ever happen to me. I would be clean and I would have what I’ve been trying to forget about... LOVE. That’s the whole reason I’ve been doing drugs all along. I haven’t found the secret of life.. LOVE. I think that’s what it is, it has to be. And for that you need patience. In time, love can find you. Drugs are fake, they are a false feeling of security and greatness. On the other hand, love is not. Love is the most true, right and natural thing on the planet. It’s why we are here. We are suppose to fall in love, get married and have kids; It’s the equation of life. It’s only when you can’t even start the equation, you start to get side tracked. This distraction is everything else. Mainly drugs, but other things as well. All sins, these are the distractions that seem like a good idea, but they often have no meaning, no purpose, nothing. They are merely petty distractions from the ultimate equation. And that is to Love. Never forget this, as hard as it may seem sometimes, nothing is impossible. Everything is possible with time.

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NEWPORT NEWS - Phillip Douglas Chaffin died unexpectedly on January 20th, 2017. He was born on June 29, 1987 and lived in Newport News. He graduated from Menchville High School and Radford University. Phillip was loved by so many - his smile, his laugh, and his fearless sweet spirit. He loved music and riding BMX. Phillip is survived by his parents, Millard (Phil) Chaffin and Barbara Chaffin, his brother, David Chaffin, his maternal grandmother, Mary Scull, numerous Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. He is also survived by AnneMarie Sewell, she was the love of his life. The family will received friends on Friday, January 27th, at Peninsula Funeral Home in Newport News, Virginia. A memorial service was held at Ivy Memorial Baptist Church in Hampton on Saturday, January 28th. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Youth Challenge. https://youthchallengehope.org info@youthchallengehope.org (757) 244-1234 Published in Daily Press on Jan. 25, 2017.

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The Faulty Logic Of The War On Drugs Written by Sam Snodgrass PhD.

This epidemic of opioid addiction and death that we are living in is not the result of the use of opioids per se, but by society’s response to this use. What the “War on Drugs” has accomplished has been to turn what is a chronic but treatable, manageable, disease into an epidemic of addiction and death. The tactics used to “win” this war are those based on the belief that if the supply can be cut off, if enough drugs are interdicted, if those who sell them are incarcerated, then this will drive the price of these opioids to the point that we will stop using them. This is the basic economics of demand. As the price of a commodity increases, demand for

that commodity decreases. But there is a flaw in this reasoning. There is more than one type of economic demand. The prohibitionist belief is based on what is called elastic demand. With this type of demand relationship, as the price increases there is some proportional decrease in the consumption of the commodity. Just as an example, let’s say the price of peanut butter increases. The amount of peanut butter consumed would fall in some proportional relationship to the increase in price. The demand is elastic. The goal of the supply side demand reduction efforts is to drive the price of opioids so high that we will no longer buy them or at least reduce greatly the amount we buy. Those who attempt to reduce the supply of opioids are not considering that there is a different type of demand. This demand is inelastic demand. With in-

“There are many explanations for drug Addiction”

elastic demand as the price increases the amount of the commodity consumed remains relatively stable. Just as a hypothetical, let’s say that there is a famine and this causes the price of food to increase. No matter how high the price, the proportional decrease in food consumed will be mitigated by the fact that we have to have food to live. We will sacrifice all other commodities to continue to buy food. “Stop incarcerating us, stop stigmatizing us, and give us the power that has been taken from us by these prohibition laws.” The supply side prohibitionists believe that if they can produce a severe increase in price that it will drive demand down because we will “choose” not to buy such a high priced commodity. And they will have won the war on drugs. But the logic of supply side tactics is based on the archaic belief that opioid addiction is a moral failing, that it is caused by a lack of willpower, and that if we really wanted to, if we really needed to, we could stop. And they believe they can force us to do so. But they have used these tactics since this war was declared and what we have is not a decrease in use but an epidemic of opioid addiction and death. The prohibitionists are ignoring the science. And the science is clear. The intake of these opioids over months and years alter the structure of the brain at a cellular, molecular level, and these alterations make these opioids more important for our survival than food. We starve for them. We will sacrifice all other commodities so that we can end that starvation. And this is why we do the things we do in our addiction. RIDGE JOURNAL

We don’t do them because we “choose” to do them. Survival is not a choice. It is inelastic. People say that we are powerless over our addiction. But that is a lie. We are not powerless but we appear to be because the prohibitionist laws of this country rob us of our power. This is evidenced by the fact that if we are allowed access to syringe exchanges we will use them and avoid contracting and spreading HIV and HepC. If given access to naloxone we will save our friends and they will save us. If we had access to Safe-Injection Facilities, we would use them and not die. If we had access to effective treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine on demand, without the monetary and restrictive polices now in place, we would use them and if they didn’t work for us, if we had the option of heroin or hydromorphone treatment we would use those. And stay well and alive. If given the opportunity we will make decisions that improve our health and allow us to function as productive members of this society. But the prohibitionist policies of this country rob us of that power. With any other chronic illness in this country our society works to provide services that mitigate the harms of the illness and, thus, allow the person to function in our society. If someone has diabetes we give them new syringes, insulin, glucometers; if someone has COPD we give them medications, oxygen, pulmonary therapy; if a person suffers with Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis we provide them with medications, physical therapy, motorized wheel chairs, and so on. Now, if we removed these services, would they not be powerless over their dis-

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ease? Give us the chance. Give us the opportunity to make decisions that mitigate the harms of our illness for us and for society and we will make these decisions. But we have to have the opportunity to do so. Stop incarcerating us, stop stigmatizing us, and give us the power that has been taken from us by these prohibition laws; provide us with the services that we accord to others that are living with a chronic disease and the myth of powerlessness will be seen as just that. A myth. The AIDS epidemic was brought under control through science, treatment, and activism. We can do the same with this opioid epidemic. If society will recognize that we are suffering from an illness and instead of trying to eliminate this illness through incarceration and stigmatization and work to miti-

gate the harms that occur not because of the illness, but because of societyâ€™s response to it, then we can stop this epidemic. And by doing so we could save so many lives. We could save so many families from the devastating pain of losing the one they love. But to do so, we have to view opioid addiction not as a crime but, rather, as what it is: a disease of brain structure and function. This is a chronic disease but, as with other chronic diseases, it is a treatable and manageable one. If our society will understand that the major harms come not from the disease itself, but from the laws that criminalize it, then we can begin to make the changes necessary to bring this epidemic under control. The way to win this war is to stop waging it.

Sam Snodgrass, PhD. works as an addiction specialist. Sam has also experienced the effects of opioid addiction in his personal life. For many years he struggled with this disorder. During this time he experienced, first hand, the damage that the stigma and the criminalization of opioid use and addiction produces, not only on those who suffer from this disorder, but on their families and loved ones. Email Sam at: samphd87@gmail.com

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RESEARCH

BROKEN NO MORE Working Together for Change

To provide support and guidance to those who have lost a loved one due to substance use, to advance the treatment of, and eventual cures for addiction / substance use disorder in a meaningful and useful way and to effect positive policy changes in the current failed war on drugs.

http://broken-no-more.org / 714.865.7879 __________________________________________________________________________________________

GRASP

Grief Recovery after substance passing Grief Recovery After Substance Passing (GRASP) was created to offer understanding, compassion, and support for those who have lost someone they love through addiction and overdose.

administrator@grasphelp.org / 302.492.7717 _________________________________________________________________________________________

MAPS / Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies

Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.

www.maps.org / 831.429.MDMA (6362) RIDGE JOURNAL

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ISSUE #1

Chester Bennington 1976 - 2017

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