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Happy Birthday, Magoo!  In honour of their stepdaughter's birthday, the Pair of Gourmands reflect on family memories. (Photo: Contributed)
Happy Birthday, Magoo! In honour of their stepdaughter's birthday, the Pair of Gourmands reflect on family memories. (Photo: Contributed)

How time flies

by - Story: 40563

She says:

My stepdaughter is having her fifteenth birthday party in Vancouver today. She chose a French theme, complete with wire mannequins stuffed with fresh flowers to give that stylish effect. When I talked to her on the phone she was talking about finding a beret to wear with the dress she had chosen for the day. I had to smile and shake my head as I thought, “Oh my goodness, she is 15 going on 30! Time sure does fly!”

It is a tough thing to get to the age where you start to think often of how much things have changed. As I get older I find that I take great comfort in knowing that some things do stay the same. Sometimes even though they have changed, there is still an interest for how things used to be (take the music of the 60’s for example, which seems to be still strong after all these decades). I suppose that is where my real soft spot lies I like to know that people remember “the good old days”, that the memories of times gone by are not lost or forgotten.

In talking with Chloae I realized that times with friends and family are when we see just how much things change, as we see the same people. The food that binds those occasions is often the glue that keeps all the memories alive, blending the comforts of days gone by with the flair of something new. For example, I remember Christmas dinner as I grew up changed quite a bit (there was goose, there was exotic stuffing with nuts and dried fruit, there were ethnic spices added to sauces…) but there were always a few stand-bys on the table too (like the family version of Waldorf salad, with apples and whipped cream). Everyone had their favourites, but it was the whole groaning table that made the event special, just like it was the people around the table who made the family complete.

I am very proud of Chloae and her ability to survive in today’s age of blended families. She has different traditions with us here than she has in Vancouver, and yet she keeps it all alive. She is making a rich life full of all kinds of memories, ones which I hope will serve her well as she builds her own family someday. (That would be in the far distant future if her father had any say in the matter!) I am confident that as much as she is moving along at warp speed into life, she will remember her roots, and keep memories alive by making old recipes and sharing favourite meals from bygone days. How do I know this, you may ask? Well, I don’t know for sure, but when she told me the cake she chose was not an exotic pastry confection from some French shop downtown but rather an ice cream cake with the Eiffel Tower on it… well, that’s when I realized she hasn’t totally grown up (thank goodness!). It made me think of the first of her birthday cakes I had a piece of – it was a Smiley Face, complete with yellow icing. She had requested it specially from her Papa, for her 5th birthday.

So, Happy Birthday, Magoo! May you always remember a bit of your childhood whimsy, especially on your special day.

He says:

I don’t think that kids should ever grow up! Not for the first 30 or 40 years anyway!

Fifteen years old is the age where you are really starting to see adulthood creeping up on you. Soon you are 18 and moving to college! I am so not ready for it myself!

Chloae arrives next week for five weeks of Kelowna living and I look forward to hearing about what kind of food she did have at that French themed party. I wonder if she had garlic-buttered escargot or even some frog legs with aioli. Maybe she had rack of lamb a la Provencal… I am guessing that she probably had North American fare - more like hot dogs, pizza and hot chicken wings after all, she is only 15. One thing is for sure, while Chloae is staying with us, she will be eating well. She will also work with me - whenever I need someone to do dishes and she will work on the property picking cherries, weeds and doing more grunt work. I am of the belief that children need to be given a serious amount of chores to grow up to be well adjusted working human beings and to avoid getting in too much trouble. My dad believed that if you were at home cutting the grass, you were not somewhere else doing something stupid, and I have learned that he was right.

I am already starting to think about our camping trip in August and what to eat. Last year I cooked a leg of lamb on the spit while the ladies went to the beach and this year I am hoping to persuade Chloae to let me cook a rabbit the same way and have her eat it for one of the dinners. We’ll see!

For more recipe ideas, don’t forget to check out the barbecue link on your right - I am uploading new recipes every week.

This condiment, famous in the south of France, should have a kind of mayonnaise texture once finished. Serve it with lamb chops, pork tenderloin, frog legs or any other meat you wish.

  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 large potato
  • Salt & pepper
  • Lemon juice

  • Cook your potato in salted water, skin on.
  • Peel the potato while it is still warm and mash it with a fork.
  • Add the garlic chopped up in small pieces.
  • Add your egg yolks and stir with a wooden spoon (French cooks wouldn’t be caught dead mixing their aioli with a metal spoon!)
  • Add some lemon juice to taste
  • Season to taste with salt & pepper

  • More Happy Gourmand articles

    About the Author

    Kristin Peturson-Laprise is a customer experience specialist by trade, which means she is someone passionate about people having a good time.

    Her company, Wow Service Mentor, helps businesses enhance their customer experience through hands-on training, service programs, and special event coordination.

    Kristin enjoys her own experiences too, and that is what she writes about in this column. She and her husband Martin Laprise (also known as Chef Martin, of The Chef Instead) love to share their passion for food and entertaining.

    Kristin says:

    "Wikipedia lists a gourmand as a person who takes great pleasure in food. I have taken the concept of gourmandise, or enjoying something to the fullest, in all parts of my life. I love to grow and cook food, and I loved wine enough to become a Sommelier. I call a meal a success when I can convey that 'sense of place' from where the food has come . . . the French call that terroir, but I just call it the full experience. It might mean tasting the flavours of my own garden, or transporting everyone at the table to a faraway place, reminiscent of travels or dreams we have had."

    E-mail Kristin at:  [email protected]

    Check out her website here:  www.wowservicementor.com

    The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

    Previous Stories


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Rain on EPA’s Parade

No, the “waters of the United States” subject to Clean Water Act regulation do not include things like dry land over which water occasionally flows. That’s the conclusion of a federal judge who just put on hold the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest power grab.

The Clean Water Act empowers EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to regulate the use of private property that affects “navigable waters,” which the Act defines as “the waters of the United States.” In late June, EPA and the Corps finalized a rule defining that term. This was, they said, a boon to those potentially subject to CWA regulation, because “the rule will clarify and simplify implementation of the CWA consistent with its purposes through clearer definitions and increased use of bright-line boundaries…and limit the need for case- specific analysis.”

In reality, it was yet another step in what the Supreme Court called “the immense expansion of federal regulation of land use that has occurred under the Clean Water Act.” The rule extends federal regulation—and prohibitions on land use—to “tributaries,” which it defines as anything that directly or indirectly “contributes flow” to an actually navigable body of water or wetland and “is characterized by the presence of the physical indicators of a bed and banks and an ordinary high water mark.” The point of that legalese is to reach things like “perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams”—in other words, areas that aren’t really “waters” at all. The broader the definition, the more land that is subject to CWA permitting requirements and, ultimately, EPA control.

The problem for the federal government is that the Supreme Court rejected basically the same expansive approach in a 2006 case, Rapanos v. United States. In a separate opinion that some believe to be controlling, Justice Kennedy explained that, to be within the reach of the Act, a water must, at the least, “significantly affect the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of other covered waters more readily understood as ‘navigable.’”

Judge Ralph Erickson recognized that the new rule “suffers from the same fatal defect.” It “allows EPA regulation of waters that do not bear any effect on the ‘chemical, physical, and biological integrity’ or any navigable-in-fact water.” That includes “vast numbers of waters that are unlikely to have a nexus to navigable waters within any reasonable understanding of the term.” In other words, EPA is overreaching once again.

This result should not be surprising to the agency; a colleague and I (among many others) helpfully raised the same points in comments on the proposed rule last year.

Judge Erickson also identified other defects. For one, the rule is arbitrary and capricious because it “asserts jurisdiction over waters that are remote and intermittent,” despite there being “no evidence [that] actually points to how these intermittent and remote wetlands” affect the quality of navigable waters. It also “arbitrarily establishes the distances from a navigable water that are subject to regulation,” roping in any damp patch within 4,000 feet—a number that, it appears, was plucked out of thin air.

For the 13 states party to the lawsuit, the rule is now stayed. EPA has said it will apply the rule elsewhere beginning on August 28.

Judge Erickson’s decision will not, of course, be the final word on this matter. In other cases, EPA has argued (with some success) that district courts lack the power to decide this kind of dispute. But Judge Erickson’s decision is notable as an early preview of the way that courts are likely to look at the issues at play in challenges to the rule. And its even-handed application of Justice Kennedy’s “significant nexus” approach from Rapanos suggests that, in the end, the “waters of the United States” rule will be sunk.

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What We Get for Anti-Poverty Spending

April 15, 2015

What does the U.S. get for more than a trillion dollars in annual anti-poverty spending? Michael D. Tanner puts the spending in perspective.

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America’s Stupidest Criminal Laws

Imagine this: two defendants, same age, smoke a joint with some friends one July evening in their respective apartments. Neither has a criminal record. Both get caught; one faces an extra two years in jail.

Why? Because he shared drugs within a certain number of feet from a school that’s been out for a month.

The so-called ‘Drug Free School Zone’ is one of many laws that create extra penalties for already illegal acts with no reasonable tie to the public’s safety or the defendant’s particular circumstances.

It hasn’t always been like this. Historically, U.S. law and custom have provided robust protections for defendants. Four amendments in the Bill of Rights directly address rights during criminal investigations. Until the 1800s, juries not only determined facts of law — that is, whether the law was broken — but whether the law in question was just in the first place.

Unfortunately, these principles have eroded over time, particularly in recent decades. Congress and many states have legislated harsher, blanket punishments for crimes considered public priorities, regardless of what a judge or jury might deem appropriate. Many times, these laws are passed with the best of intentions, often in response to tragedies involving young children. But they handicap judges and juries, making it impossible for them to determine whether or not a legislated punishment is reasonable given the facts of the case. Moreover, harsh automatic punishments give prosecutors more leverage to extract plea bargains from defendants, because a judge, upon conviction, will be obligated to inflict a harsh penalty no matter what sentence he thinks the defendant deserves.

The stupid laws and rules promulgated over decades of ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric will take years to reform and correct.

In a nutshell, these laws instruct our criminal justice system, “For the sake of the children, don’t think!”

Take, for example, Drug Free School Zones. In all 50 states, selling, manufacturing, and sometimes just possessing illicit drugs within a specified distance of a school, park, or daycare center may trigger a higher punishment for the underlying drug offense. Some statutes are written so broadly that huge swaths of major cities — often black or Hispanic neighborhoods with high population densities — are covered by overlapping Drug Free School Zones, negating any deterrent effect and skewing enforcement against minority communities. These penalties are applied whether or not children are involved, and even if the school is out of session.

Sex offender registries are also problematic. Taking a hard line against child predators by limiting their access to children seems perfectly reasonable. But not all sex offenders are child predators. Some individuals on the registry were prosecuted years ago at 17 or 18 for having consensual sex with their 15- or 16-year-old significant other. Even so, the law significantly limits where they can live their lives. The statutes might prevent a father from attending a daughter’s recital at her school because he was convicted of public urination after too many drinks and a long line at a concert in college.

The War on Drugs gave rise to punitive sanctions targeted at cartels and gang leaders. Ramped-up, “mandatory minimum” sentencing for weight-based drug statutes were sold as weapons against kingpins. But most often, these sentences are imposed upon low-level dealers and “mules.”

These broad statutes create a system that can’t distinguish grown men from schoolchildren, serial rapists from amorous teens, or drug mules from kingpins. Such a system is dysfunctional — stupid even.

Thankfully, state and federal policymakers are beginning to recognize this. Because stupid policy can get awfully expensive.

According to the Sentencing Project, several states, including Indiana, New Jersey, Kentucky, South Carolina, Delaware, and Connecticut, have reduced the scope and breadth of their Drug Free School Zones. Some lowered the geographical reach, others eliminated or greatly reduced mandatory minimum sentence enhancements, and still others made the offenses at least tangentially tied to exposing children to the drug trade.

The Senate is considering the Smarter Sentencing Act, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). This bill would reduce some mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders, and allow many already incarcerated under the old guidelines to apply for sentence reductions

In a similar vein, the U.S. Sentencing Commission will decide whether to make recent two-level sentence reductions for all non-violent drug offenses (effective November 1, 2014) retroactively applicable to all relevant federal prisoners. More than 50,000 current federal prisoners may be eligible, potentially saving hundreds of millions of dollars or more.

The stupid laws and rules promulgated over decades of “tough on crime” rhetoric will take years to reform and correct. Throwing the book at offenders with well-meant but misguided lawmaking has wreaked havoc on correctional budgets while breaking up families and damaging local economies in the process. Policymakers who are now reevaluating laws and extending review to thousands of inmates subjected to blind punishment would do even better than the reforms above to let judges decide who is punished and how severely in the first place. Certainly such a system would be imperfect as well, but mistakes made in individual cases would harm far fewer people than those subjected to inflexible categorical judgment of legislators and prosecutors.

Jonathan Blanks is a writer and researcher in Washington, D.C.


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The West and Iran in Central Asia: More Competition or Cooperation?

The Western powers and Iran have been at diplomatic loggerheads for many years over a variety of issues. Two disputes have received the most attention from Western officials, journalists and independent policy experts. The most prominent one is the controversy over Iran’s nuclear program, which despite the recent interim agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 powers, remains far away from a lasting solution. Washington and its allies continue to worry that Iran remains intent on barging into the global nuclear weapons club, while the new Iranian government of Hassan Rouhani is focused on getting those countries to lift the sanctions that have greatly impeded, if not crippled, Iran’s economy.

The other major source of contention consists of Western worries that Iran is expanding its radical influence in the Persian Gulf and throughout the Middle East. That concern has caused Washington and the major European Union capitals to side with the leading Sunni powers in the region, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, against Shiite Iran. The tilt is most evident in the political and logistical support that the United States and some of its allies have given to rebel forces in Syria seeking to overthrow Bashar al-Assad, Tehran’s principal ally in the Middle East. Washington’s noticeable bias in favor of Bahrain’s pro-Saudi, Sunni monarchy, despite that regime’s repressive conduct toward the country’s majority Shiite population, also reflects the goal of curbing Iranian influence.

There is another theater in the feud between the West and Iran that has received less attention but is of considerable importance: the contest for influence in Central Asia.

Policy makers in the United States and its Western allies need to take a fresh look at Central Asia and policies toward that region.

US leaders worried greatly about Tehran’s possible machinations from the moment the Soviet Union imploded and produced an assortment of independent states in the region. Even during the final year of George H. W. Bush’s administration, Washington’s clear goal was to thwart Iran from appealing to religious or ideological solidarity to expand its influence among Central Asia’s Muslim societies. James A. Baker, Bush’s Secretary of State, was quite candid about that motive for US policy in the region. In his memoirs, Baker conceded that the administration was “concerned about Iran, and supportive of Turkey’s efforts to bring Central Asia into its sphere of influence.”

Baker admitted further that US officials were especially worried about the potential for the development of close ties between Iran and Tajikistan. Unlike the populations of the other Central Asian countries, he noted, “the Tajiks are Persian, most of them speak a language similar to Farsi, and thus they have more ties and contacts with Tehran.” Given those factors, Iran became “a primary topic of discussion” with Tajikistan’s president during Baker’s 1992 journey throughout Central Asia.

Washington’s determination to stymie Iranian penetration of Central Asia deepened during the administrations of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. There is no doubt that Tehran was making a concerted effort to expand its diplomatic and economic ties with the Central Asian republics, especially Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, and that campaign has continued to the present day. Stephen J. Blank, Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, aptly describes Tehran’s diplomatic offensive as one of “smiles and energy.” Of the two elements, energy links — pipeline plans and other oil and gas partnerships — have been the more important.

Washington’s desire to thwart Iranian goals in Central Asia made some sense, especially during the years when hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a major player in the Iranian clerical regime. Even at that time, though, US officials may have missed some important opportunities for cooperation. George W. Bush’s administration, for example, spurned Iranian overtures to help combat Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan during the years immediately following the 9-11 attacks. Tehran, for its own reasons, wanted to weaken a radical Sunni movement that once had ties to both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. US and Iranian interests overlapped on that issue, and there was the potential for useful cooperation.

More recently, Washington and Tehran have come to realize that they share some interests in wanting to prevent Russia from strengthening its already dominant position in Central Asia. Iran, for example, wants to prevent the Caspian Basin from effectively becoming a Russian geopolitical lake. Yet the ongoing US-Iranian feud on other issues has prevented any serious contemplation of bilateral cooperation on that front, despite the overlapping interests.

Beyond those considerations, the United States and its Western allies should ponder whether the strategy of trying to isolate Iran and block pipeline projects linking Central Asian republics and that country has outlived whatever usefulness it might once have had. Indeed, Western officials should cautiously explore the possibility that meshing Iran into a network of energy and other regional relationships might have a stabilizing effect and encourage greater cooperation from Tehran. Dealing with those issues in a more flexible and creative way might even open the door to compromise and cooperation on the more intractable issues that have marked the terrible relationship between Iran and the West. Policy makers in the United States and its Western allies need to take a fresh look at Central Asia and policies toward that region.

Ted Galen Carpenter, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, is the author of nine books and more than 500 articles on international affairs.


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Lisa Sunderland

Lisa Sunderland

Lisa assists Rebecca Baker in our Family Law department.

Lisa has over 25 years’ experience in many different areas of law including family, probate, litigation, debt collection and conveyancing.

Always happy to help colleagues and clients Lisa prides herself on being able to deal with clients queries and assists in resolving problems which are raised

An integral member of the Catteralls team, Lisa is based in our Family department where she assists Rebecca Baker dealing with all aspects of family matters including divorce, contact and separation. She also assists the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team dealing with Debt Recovery from inception, through to issuing Court Proceedings, obtaining and executing Judgments.

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Old 25th July 2009   #18
happy toad
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Default Re: Where are the bright green orientalis?

OK, sorry I keep going on about this, I just really like the grass green frogs and I am hoping to be able to keep them like that. Also, I have found a little bit of confusing information while reading and some clarification would be helpful. First I read that deep water sections make for happy, healthy, colorful frogs. Then later I read that upon lowering the water level, the frogs increased activity and frequented the water area more often. Does this prove that it doesn't really matter and any water level will lead to a happy frog, or is it one level is actually better? The same thing was repeated with food items with countered observations about the success of worms or crickets, and then again with need to supplement or not to supplement. Sorry for my ramblings & long string of posts.
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Province of Manitoba Launches Intake for Community Development Funding Applications

You are here

Manitoba Legislative BuildingThe Province of Manitoba, Department of Municipal Relations has announced a new intake for community development funding applications, specifically the Community Places Program, Hometown Manitoba, Neighbourhoods Alive! and Partner 4 Growth.

The following post contains information from the press release, website and conversations with department staff.

A single-window application is being used:

Applications will be accepted until May 28, 2018. All project expenses must be incurred by March 31, 2019. Municipal Relations intends to turn around applications in approximately 6-weeks. There is no limit to the size of project.

Existing multi-year agreements with Municipal Relations will honoured in 2018/19. Municipal Relations will be spending $20 M in 2018/19, including the multi-year agreements. Otherwise, there is no news related to existing multi-year agreements, or the possibility of future long-term funding.

The following information is from the department website, with additional information from converations with departmental staff highlighted in bold:

Successful applications will be on planning, building and sustaining communities that address one of the five following areas:

  1. Projects that support women's empowerment / support women in vulnerable situations
  2. Projects that enable economic development / align with regional development strategies
  3. Key repair of high priority assets
  4. Community Initiatives - community, heritage, tourism and recreation facilities and projects
  5. Social Innovation - examples include support for social enterprises, projects that include a social return on investment (SROI) evaluation and projects that target measurable social outcomes
    • There is no formal definition of social innovation; rather, political staff indicated they are not looking to do business as usual.
    • Examples of support for social enterprise includes start-up costs for new ventures, improvement of existing activities and equipment and capital expenditures. Salary costs may be an option, but not necessarily.
    • An ability and plan to demonstrate outcomes is being heavily emphasized, and groups are encouraged to include costs for outcomes evaluation in their application.
    • Organizations may apply to conduct an SROI or similar impact analysis on existing activities.

While Municpal Relations has a expressed a desire for new programming, existing programming that fits their criteria and priorities is eligible. It is unknown how long these areas will remain priorities for the Department.

As overarching criteria, the application must meet at least four of the following criteria:

  1.  Addresses one or more of the five identified provincial priorities
  2.  Includes a partnership of two or more organizations
  3. Leverages other funds (e.g. private, community, other level of government)
  4.  Identifies clear outcome goals as well as measures to assess success
  5. Clear demonstration of the value for investment (return on investment/social return on investment analysis)
  6. First time applicant

FInd out more information here:

Local economy
Poverty Reduction
Regional Development
Rural CED
Urban Development


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AUGUSTA — The city’s claims that two utility companies improperly used funds and clout to punish the city and gain an unfair edge is unfounded and an attempt to take away the firms’ right to free speech, attorneys for the utilities say.

Central Maine Power and Maine Natural Gas attorneys filed documents with the Maine Public Utilities Commission last week to respond to accusations made by the city.

The accusations are the latest harsh words between the city and the two utilities, both owned by Iberdrola USA, in a battle born in the process used by the city to select a Maine Natural Gas competitor to provide fuel to city and school facilities.

A 10-person complaint filed by the city’s law firm with the state regulators alleges CMP and Maine Natural Gas were improperly co-mingling ratepayer resources to punish the city for its selection of competitor Summit Natural Gas of Maine and to seek to gain an unfair competitive advantage over Summit. The complaint also alleged legislation backed by CMP that would have changed where utilities pay excise taxes on their vehicles, a change that could have cost the city $200,000 a year in lost tax payments from CMP, was nothing more than an attempt to punish the city.

The complaint asks the commission to fine CMP, order Iberdrola to divest itself of either CMP or Maine Natural Gas and investigate the firms’ actions.

“Petitioners are entitled to develop the facts surrounding CMP’s confrontations with officials of the city of Augusta and the sponsorship of legislation designed to punish the city of Augusta and warn others that, if they do not favor CMP, CMP will use retaliatory ‘free speech’ to punish them,” the city complaint, filed by attorney Anthony Buxton, states.

Buxton asserts that CMP’s support of the legislation “is in fact a ‘sham’ designed to use the legislative process to deter other customers from disfavoring CMP in ‘competitive’ circumstances.”

Company attorneys, in their latest response filed late Friday, say the companies have a First Amendment right to petition the Legislature as they did with their request for an excise tax law change. They say they have followed the rules and terms of PUC-approved contracts to properly account for the time of company executives, including CMP President Sara Burns, and others who provide services to both utilities.

They believe city officials have a vendetta against the firms, and the city’s claims aren’t worthy of investigation.

“It would be unproductive, inappropriate and, as to many of the allegations, unconstitutional to launch an investigation into ‘he said, she said’ details as to what was said on day X or day Y, or what motivated either the city, CMP or (Maine Natural Gas) or anyone else in particular action on any specific day in the past,” according to the filing.

Meanwhile, the bill proposed to change where utilities pay excise taxes, which was changed at the recommendation of the Taxation Committee to study the issue and report back to the next Legislature, is dead, according to City Councilor Patrick Paradis, a former state legislator, and current state Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta.

The bill to study the issue was initially passed by both the House and Senate.

However, last week the Legislative Council determined the state did not have enough money to fund all the study requests made this session and decided against funding the excise tax study.

“There’s only so much money available to do studies, and the Legislative leadership didn’t feel this was a very big priority,” said Katz, a member of the legislative council. “I’m certainly pleased with the result. It would have been a huge hit for the city of Augusta of $200,000.”

Harry Lanphear, spokesman for the PUC, said staff will review the filings from both sides and probably make a preliminary recommendation on whether to initiate formal proceedings in early May. He said sometimes staff request further comment from the parties, which could delay the commission decision.

Maine Public Advocate Timothy Schneider, in a filing in the case, said CMP executives’ actions, including Burns’ accompanying Maine Natural Gas officials on sales visits to potential customers, “appear to have been provided pursuant to Commission-approved service agreements between Iberdrola USA network affiliates and her time properly accounted for,” but said they may have been improper attempts to leverage CMP’s reputation and good will to convince customers to take gas service from Maine Natural Gas. He wrote CMP’s good will and reputation is an asset for which CMP ratepayers deserve compensation and recommends whether that was done properly be investigated by the PUC.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647 [email protected] Twitter: @kedwardskj

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Testimonials & Client Successes 2015-11-17T12:47:18+00:00

Testimonials & Client Success stories

“Using Century Business Solutions to process our daily volume of credit card transactions has been a tremendous time-saver. Our data entry errors have been greatly reduced and we are able to process and record customer payments in one step.  It’s fast, convenient, and easy to use.”

Kay B., Hotard Coaches Inc.

“For anyone looking to move from using the expensive credit card machines to a great point of sale product, Century is one you need to be looking at.”

Jerry M., BedzzzExpress

“The integration was very seamless.  It just took a few minutes… It has all the functions that we need. Customer support is great!  You don’t have to call someone in India and sit on hold for 30 min if there is an issue. We are very pleased with it, with the rates, and I have recommended it to other colleagues.”

Richard N., Liver Doctor

“I would recommend eBizCharge for other small businesses.  It is very user friendly.  I can easily credit customers, easily do charges, and find reports.  eBizCharge has really great functionality – like when I need to go back further in the history, and need to find a charge from a year ago.”

Elizabeth A., Natural Choice Corporation

“I gained customers; I got referrals because I am able to take their payment anywhere! It has been a blessing just to have [eBizCharge].  I didn’t realize how much I needed to have a merchant account”

Alanda B., Maximum Consulting, LLC.

“I would definitely recommend it to other people.  It’s fast, easy, and reliable! Most of all, I really love our sales representative.   He answers my questions very quickly!”

Yanel, Redlands Animal Hospital

“Century was a life saver… they did everything they said they could do and more.”

Jamie L., Consolidated Design West, Inc.

“The software integration has helped (Auburn Manufacturing) tremendously. We no longer have to store the credit cards, now when an order is taken… the software will automatically bring up the customers information. One of my favorite things about the software is that when a credit card is preauthorized at billing all we have to do is finalize the credit card payment and it automatically gets posted to accounts receivable.”

Joy C., Auburn Manufacturing

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Chandos Records

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Beckett, S.: Molloy (Unabridged)

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XC 7292
Beckett, S.: Molloy (Unabridged)
ISBN: 9789629545826
Download Size: 459 Mb
Running Time: 08:29:12
Release Date: September 2003
Originally recorded in 2003
Samuel Beckett
Sean Barrett
Dermot Crowley
Spoken Word

Available in two high quality 16bit formats selectable from your download page.
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Beckett, S.: Molloy (Unabridged)
Samuel Beckett
Read by Dermot Crowley
Molloy was written by Samuel Beckett initially in French, only later translating it into English. It was published shortly after World War II and marked a new, mature writing style which was to dominate the remainder of his working life. Molloy is divided into two sections. In the first section, Molloy goes in search of his mother. In the second, he is pursued by Moran, an agent. Within this simple outline, spoken in the first person, is a remarkable novel, raising questions of being and aloneness that marks so much of Beckett's work, but richly comic as well. Beautifully written, it is one of the masterpieces of Irish literature. This is the world premiere recording. Written by a master dramatist, it is ideally suited to the audiobook medium.

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Handbook of Psychiatry: Volume 1, General Psychopathology by M. ShepherdHandbook of Psychiatry: Volume 1, General Psychopathology by M. Shepherd

Handbook of Psychiatry: Volume 1, General Psychopathology

EditorM. Shepherd, O. L. Zangwill

Paperback | January 28, 1983

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This 1986 volume was the first of five, which together give a comprehensive account of clinical psychiatry in the 1980's and its scientific foundations. After an introductory section about the historical background and the evolution of some basic concepts, clinical phenomena are described and discussed. The book concludes with a section in which mental disorders are classified and their assessment, diagnosis and treatment detailed. Each chapter is written by a recognised authority in the field and the book includes a comprehensive bibliography and cross-references to the other volumes in the series.
Title:Handbook of Psychiatry: Volume 1, General PsychopathologyFormat:PaperbackDimensions:320 pages, 9.25 × 7.52 × 0.67 inPublished:January 28, 1983Publisher:Cambridge University Press

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10:0521281377

ISBN - 13:9780521281379

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Table of Contents

List of contributors; Foreword; Introduction: the sciences and general psychopathology Michael Shepherd; Part I. The Historical Background: Section 1. Psychiatry in its Historical Context W. F. Bynum; Section 2. The Evolution of Some Basic Clinical Concepts: 1. Psychosis Christian Scharfetter; 2. Neurosis Esther Fischer-Homberger; 3. Mania and depression Jean Starobinski; 4. Schizophrenia Christian Scharfetter; 5. Paranoia Christian Scharfetter; 6. Hypochondriasis Esther Fischer-Homberger; 7. Sexology J. Hoenig; 8. Epilepsy Owsei Temkin; 9. 'Psychsomatic' W. F. Bynum; Part II. The Clinical Phenomena of Mental Disorders: Section 3. Descriptive and Developmental Phenomena F. Kräupl Taylor; Section 4. The Neuropsychology of Mental Disorders: 10. Introduction O. L. Zangwill; 11. Disorders of memory O. L. Zangwill; 12. Intellectual function and its disorders Edgar Miller; 13. The neuropsychology of emotion T. W. Robbins; 14. Disorders of language Maria A. Wyke; Section 5. Socio-Cultural Variations in Symptomatology, Incidence and Course of Illness H. B. M. Murphy; Section 6. Medico-Legal Aspects T. C. N. Gibbens; Part III. Taxonomy, Diagnosis and Treatment: Section 7. The Principles of Classification in Relation to Mental Disease R. E. Kendell; Section 8. Diagnosis and the Diagnostic Process J. E. Cooper; Section 9. The Clinical Assessment of Mental Disorders Felix Post; Section 10. The Principles of Treatment and Therapeutic Evaluation R. H. Cawley; References; Cross-references to other volumes in the series; Indexes.


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Some Protective Designs of the Dakota by Clark 1870-1947 WisslerSome Protective Designs of the Dakota by Clark 1870-1947 Wissler

Some Protective Designs of the Dakota

byClark 1870-1947 Wissler

Hardcover | August 29, 2016

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Title:Some Protective Designs of the DakotaFormat:HardcoverDimensions:50 pages, 9.21 × 6.14 × 0.25 inPublished:August 29, 2016Publisher:Wentworth PressLanguage:English

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ISBN - 10:1373626607

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Stanley by Pam GemsStanley by Pam Gems

byPam Gems

Paperback | September 1, 1996

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A new play about Stanley Spencer, the wayward genius of modern British painting.
Title:StanleyFormat:PaperbackDimensions:96 pages, 7.81 × 5.05 × 0.29 inPublished:September 1, 1996Publisher:Playwrights Canada PressLanguage:English

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ISBN - 10:1854592548

ISBN - 13:9781854592545

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From Our Editors

Stanley Spencer is the wayward genius of modern British painting. Coming from humble origins, he never lost his 'rough edges' despite being taken up by the smart set. His stubborn championing of ordinary people and local places as suitable subjects for religious painting was revolutionary. His appetite for life was hugely attractive, though his attitude to women in general and his long-suffering wife in particular was deeply selfish: 'Why can't I have two wives if that's what I need?'. Premiered at the Royal National Theatre with Antony Sher as Spencer, Stanley is a brilliant and painfully truthful re-creation of the man and his milieu.


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6 Ways to Battle Any Type of Acne

Acne can be a tough problem to crack. Most of us get a pimple or two occasionally. But sometimes, a bigger or more tenacious breakout can leave you scratching your head (and desperately scrubbing your face). Despite your best intentions, you may be making your skin worse by using ineffective skin care or applying the wrong makeup. It might seem easy to run by the corner drugstore to buy a cleanser or a spot treatment that will clear things up. But there are at least a dozen popular blemish-banishing ingredients, which all work best in different formulations and for different skin types.

Ahead, you can learn everything you need to know about the different kinds of acne that might be colonizing your pores. Clear skin isn’t easy to achieve, but identifying what kind of acne you have will make it so much easier to choose a successful treatment. As the American Academy of Dermatology notes, a common myth is that you need to let acne run its course. But in reality, it’s better for your skin — and for your self esteem — to use one of the many effective treatments that are available.

1. Blackheads

Couple laughing in bathroom

Blackheads, which often appear on your nose, are a non-inflammatory type of acne. | iStock.com

As the American Academy of Dermatology explains, there are numerous different kinds of pimples. But all of them start with clogged pores. One of the easiest types to understand is blackheads. Oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria can block your pores. If the pore stays open, the oil and skin cells are exposed to air and oxidize, which turns them black.

So, why do you always get them on your nose? Harpers Bazaar says that’s because your nose has the oiliest skin on your body. But you shouldn’t try to extract them yourself, since it’s easy to mix up large pores and hair follicles with blackheads.

How to treat them

Beautiful woman in a bathrobe applying skin moisturizer

Blackheads are relatively easy to treat as long as you remember to go easy on your skin. | iStock.com/Dejan_Dundjerski

Allure turned to eight top dermatologists for advice on eradicating blackheads. Rachel Nazarian recommends being gentle with your skin, since scrubbing hard will just do more damage to your skin. She also advises using a salicylic acid product to dissolve and loosen blackheads. Rebecca Kleinerman recommends retinoids, which you can find in low strengths to start slow. And Joshua Zeichner recommends seeing a dermatologist for medication if you have moderate to severe acne (not just the occasional blackhead).

2. Whiteheads

girl checking her face for pimple in mirror

Whiteheads are another kind of non-inflammatory acne. | iStock.com

Remember how a blackhead is a pore that’s clogged with oil, skin cells, and bacteria, but stays open at the top? A whitehead is the same kind of clogged pore, but with a closed top. Whiteheads, like blackheads, are classified as non-inflammatory forms of acne. (That means that there’s no redness or swelling involved.) Whiteheads look white because there’s a thin layer of skin covering the clogged pore that keeps the oil and dead skin inside from being exposed to oxygen and turning black.

How to treat them

woman squeezing pimple in front of mirror

Though it’s tempting to pop whiteheads, you need to be extremely gentle with your skin. | iStock.com

Refinery29 spoke to several dermatologists to learn the best ways to get rid of whiteheads. They advise against succumbing to the temptation to pop whiteheads. If you do want them popped, it’s a good idea to head to an esthetician or a dermatologist to have it done properly. Alternately, follow a dermatologist’s instructions on the right way to pop pimples if you just can’t keep your hands off.

It’s important to wash your face with a well-formulated cleanser at least twice a day. And you need to take off all of your makeup every night. If you have a problem with whiteheads, make sure that you avoid makeup with pore-clogging ingredients. Use a gentle exfoliant, and try serums with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. And try a mild vitamin A derivative, like retinol, to slough off dead skin cells.

3. Papules

young woman with clear complexion in the bathroom

Papules are red, inflamed pimples — the kind you probably picture when you think “acne.” | iStock.com

Papules (and another kind of acne, called pustules) occur when the walls of pores break, which causes bigger pimples than simple blackheads or whiteheads. Papules feel hard when you touch them. They’re probably what you think of when you think “acne.” They typically appear as small red bumps, but aren’t filled with fluid.

As you might have guessed, inflammation is a factor in this kind of acne. As Kerry Benjamin reports, inflammatory acne occurs when the walls of a hair follicle collapse. Then, oil gets trapped beneath the surface of your skin, and white blood cells rush to the area to fight infection, making the area and swollen and producing pus.

How to treat them

Man caring for his skin

Papules don’t have whiteheads and aren’t filled with fluid, so it’s better to use a spot treatment than to pick at them. | iStock.com

Bustle spoke to dermatologist Michael Lin to learn the best way to treat papules. Lin’s advice? Apply a 5% benzoyl peroxide spot treatment. It’ll kill acne-causing bacteria, and will quickly shrink the pimple. Papules often don’t have a whitehead. If you try to pop or press them, they’re likely to scar. And because they’re inflamed, they’re also likely to hurt if you try to extract them. Your best bet? Dot on your spot treatment, and then leave them alone.

4. Pustules

Man looking in mirror

Pustules are red, inflamed pimples that are filled with fluid. | iStock.com

Pustules, like papules, occur when the walls of your pores break. The American Academy of Dermatology explains pustules are just like papules, except that they’re filled with a yellowish liquid, somewhat like a blister. Even though they have fluid in them, it’s not a good idea to try to pop them. You’ll likely end up with a painful mess to try to cover up. And, as with most kinds of acne, attempts to pop them are likely to result in scars and lasting hyperpigmentation.

Byrdie spoke to aesthetician Renee Rouleau and learned that pustules, in fact, are the most likely kind of acne to cause post-breakout red marks and dark scars if you don’t treat them properly.

How to treat them

Man moisturizing his face

Pustules can be carefully extracted, and then you can address the infection. | iStock.com

Rouleau tells Byrdie you shouldn’t touch pustules unless you see a whitehead. Then, if you’re extremely careful, you can extract the liquid, and them address the infection with a spot treatment that contains sulfur, zinc oxide, or camphor. Dermatologist Elizabeth Hale tells Glamour’s Lipstick that inflammatory acne responds well to antibiotics, either topical or systemic. So if you can see a dermatologist, those treatments may be a good option. If you can’t make it to the dermatologist, you can apply a hydrocortisone cream to reduce redness and swelling.

5. Cysts

Woman looking in the mirror

Cysts occur under the skin, and stay there until your body reabsorbs the infection. | iStock.com/chachamal

The most painful kinds of acne are cysts and nodules, which occur deep under the skin. Cysts feel somewhat soft, since they’re filled with pus. But they’re so deep under the skin that they can’t be safely drained or extracted. And realistically, they feel hard and painful, both when you press on them and even when you leave them alone. Your body will eventually reabsorb the infection, but cysts can stick around for weeks at a time.

How to treat them

beautiful woman doing makeup

An important part of treating cystic acne is keeping your hands off, and keeping your skin care and makeup routine as gentle as possible. | iStock.com/gpointstudio

The first step in treating cysts is to realize that you should never, ever pick at them. This kind of acne can’t be extracted through the surface of the skin, so you need to keep your hands off. Rouleau tells Byrdie that you should apply ice to a cyst in order to reduce swelling. And you may be able to find a spot treatment that can help without drying out the skin on top. If you’re able to get an appointment with your dermatologist on short notice, you can get a cortisone injection to cut the lifespan of the cyst dramatically.

6. Nodules

Woman washing her face on the sink

Nodules are another kind of acne that occurs deep in the skin. | iStock.com/ferlistockphoto

Nodules are like cysts, in that they’re deep under the skin. But unlike the former, nodules feel hard to the touch. The American Skin Association explains, “As lesions progress to become larger and more tender, they are termed nodules.” Nodules can occur when the hair follicle collapses. Unlike cysts, they don’t have pus in them. With cystic or nodular acne, it’s in your best interest to get to a dermatologist. Both types of acne are pretty difficult to treat on your own. And while one or two bumps might not be so bad, full-on cystic or nodular breakouts are best treated by professionals.

How to treat them

woman applying moisturizer on face

With both cysts and nodules, it’s a good idea to consult a dermatologist. | iStock.com/gpointstudio

Just like cysts, the first step in treating nodular acne is realizing that you should never, ever pick at them. For cystic and nodular acne, Paula Begoun recommends keeping your skin care routine as simple as possible, and using a gentle but effective cleanser twice a day. You should also exfoliate once or twice with a product that contains salicylic acid, and use benzoyl peroxide to kill the bacteria in your pores. But beyond those basic steps, you should consult a professional and consider options like photodynamic therapy, oral antibiotics, hormone therapy, and isotretinoin.


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Cancer Screenings: The Types That Can Save Your Life

cancer patient receiving treatment

Getting screened for cancer can save your life. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Not many people would argue the utter pain and heartache that go along with cancer, and most wouldn’t wish the disease on their worst enemy. From watching a family member suffer to cheering on a friend, the battle against cancer can be grueling. Sadly, some people find themselves with the disease despite no symptoms at all.

With so much research conducted and money spent, it’s hard to believe cancer remains the second most common cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society.

Because cancer is so common, it’s a good idea to consider cancer screenings. These tests can help intercept any preliminary signs of cancer before symptoms have actually appeared. The National Cancer Institute says cancer may be easier to treat when detected early. While the actual screening itself may come with its own risks, it’s important to discuss potential benefits with your doctor. Tests typically include a physical exam, assessing the patient’s health history, blood or urine tests, imaging procedures, and genetic tests, which can search for gene mutations that may be linked to cancer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers. Let’s take a closer look at each.

1. Breast cancer

A nurse performs a mammography

Get a mammogram to catch breast cancer early. | Mychele Daniau/AFP/Getty Images

Mammograms, which takes an X-ray of the breast, are the most common way to detect breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends women between the ages of 40 and 44 get mammograms if they want to while those between 45 and 54 really need to get one every year. Women over the age of 55 can cut it back to once every other year and should continue as long as a woman is in good health and expected to live 10 years or more.

2. Cervical cancer

Female holding her belly due to Stomach Ache

A Pap test can detect cervical cancer. |

A woman’s Pap test can either find cervical cancer or detect any abnormal cells in the cervix, which could potentially lead to cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends women begin cervical cancer testing at age 21 and get their Pap every three years until the age of 29. Women ages 30 to 65 should have a Pap test plus an HPV test every five years. For those over the age of 65, it’s usually no longer necessary to continue unless there’s a family history.

3. Lung cancer

a lung x-ray of a cigarette smoker

Those who have smoked heavily should get this screening. | American Cancer Society via Getty Images

When you think of lung cancer, your mind probably goes right to smoking. While other factors may also play a role, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual lung cancer screenings for people age 55 to 80 who have a history of heavy smoking, even those who’ve quit within the past 15 years. Lung cancer screening is done with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), a type of CT scan.

4. Colorectal (colon) cancer

man sitting on the bed

Everyone should get a colon cancer screening once they reach 50. |

Screening for colon cancer is important as it can find precancerous polyps. Colon cancer almost always develops from these abnormal growths in the colon or rectum. As recommended by the American Cancer Society, both men and women should follow one of these testing plans starting at the age of 50. Individuals can choose from a number of tests, such as a colonoscopy or a type of fecal test. The recommended frequency for each of these tests is a bit different, so you’ll want to consult with a physician to find out what will be best for you.


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9 Jobs Paying at Least $75,000 That Are Disappearing Like Crazy

a chair in empty office represents disappearing jobs

A chair in an empty office | iStock.com/gabyjalbert

Talk of disappearing jobs often conjures up images of shuttered factories and out-of-work blue-collar workers. But manufacturing jobs aren’t the only ones that have taken a hit in recent years. Whole swaths of careers that once provided a middle class living to many Americans are also vanishing, such as travel agents, bank tellers, and mail carriers.

While much of the country is wondering where all the good jobs have gone, higher-income workers may be patting themselves on the back, believing they’ve chosen a career that insulates them from job-killing forces. But robots may be coming for their jobs, too. Nearly half of all jobs in the U.S. could be automated in the next two decades, a study out of the University of Oxford found.

In some fields, jobs are already starting to vanish, and new technology that increases individual worker productivity or automates certain tasks is often the culprit. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has compiled a list of jobs paying $75,000 a year or more that are expected to decline between now and 2024. These nine high-paying careers top the disappearing jobs list.

9. Chief executives

Projected decline: -1%

Median wage: $175,110

CEOs aren’t going to disappear completely in the coming years, but there will be fewer of them. Those sitting at the top of the corporate food chain will face stiff competition for jobs, according to the BLS. Though the number of jobs for all executives is projected to increase by 6% (about the same rate of growth for all occupations), the number of chief executives is likely to decline, from 343,400 in 2014 to 339,400 in 2024, a loss of 4,100 jobs.

8. Aerospace engineers

Boeing logo

Boeing logo | TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images

Projected decline: -2%

Median wage: $107,830

Majoring in engineering seems like the first step on a path to a lifetime of steady employment. But there’s a huge variety of engineering jobs out there, and the prospects in some fields are much better than in others. The number of jobs in biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, and civil engineering are projected to grow anywhere from 8% to 23% by 2024. Aerospace engineering jobs, on the other hand, are on the downswing. The number of positions in this field will fall by 1,600, in part because many aerospace engineers are working in declining or stagnant manufacturing industries.

7. Administrative law judges

Judge’s gavel | Foter.com

Projected decline: -4%

Median wage: $90,600

Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers are responsible for making decisions for a range of government agencies. For example, administrative law judges working for the Social Security Administration might make decisions about disability benefits, while a hearing officer working for a school district might rule on student expulsions and suspensions.

“[B]udgetary concerns may limit the employment growth of hearing officers and administrative law judges working for local, state, and federal government agencies, despite the continued need for these workers to settle disputes,” the BLS noted. There are currently 15,000 administrative law judges in the U.S., but that number will fall to 14,500 by 2024.

6. Nuclear engineers and technicians

the simpsons

Homer Simpson at work at the nuclear power plant | The Simpsons via Facebook

Projected decline: -4% to -5%

Median wage: $80,260 (nuclear technicians); $102,950 (nuclear engineers)

Employment in the nuclear energy industry is likely to decline in the coming years due to automation of existing nuclear plants and a shift to alternative energy sources, according to the BLS. However, there will still be demand for nuclear engineers and technicians in medicine, waste management, and nuclear security.

5. Industrial production managers

manager holding a clipboard

A manager holding a clipboard | iStock.com

Projected decline: -4%

Median salary: $93,940

Industrial production managers oversee operations at manufacturing plants. Given the long decline of America’s manufacturing economy, it’s hardly surprising that jobs managing plants are disappearing, with the total number of industrial production managers is expected to shrink by 6,300 by 2024, going from 173,400 to 167,000. However, “reshoring” could reverse some of the downward trend, especially if President Trump succeeds in fulfilling his campaign promise of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

4. Power plant operators

power plant

The Hunter Power plant outside Castle Dale, Utah | George Frey/Getty Images

Projected decline: -6%

Median pay: $75,660

The number of people working as power plant operators and distributors is expected to decline by 6% between 2014 and 2024. It’s not that we’ll be using less energy, but rather that new plants will be increasingly automated, reducing the number of available jobs for plant operators. Smart grid projects and other technological advances will also reduce opportunities for power plant dispatchers. Overall, the number of power plant jobs is expected to fall from 60,000 to 56,700 by 2024.

3. Computer programmers

man using laptop

A man working on a laptop | iStock.com

Projected decline: -8%

Median wage: $79,530

Employees with tech skills may be in high demand, but jobs for computer programmers are expected to decline by about 26,500 between 2014 and 2024. You can blame outsourcing for the fall, according to the BLS, since “computer programming can be done from anywhere in the world, so companies sometimes hire programmers in countries where wages are lower.”

A fall in computer programming jobs doesn’t mean there’s no demand for people who know how to code, though. Jobs for software developers will increase by 17% over the same period. Though some people use terms like programmer, software developer, and software engineer interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same. “A programmer knows how to code and may have the technical skills needed to build meaningful products. A software engineer follows a systematic process of understanding requirements, working with stakeholders and developing a solution that fulfills their needs,” explained Siya Raj Purohit in a blog post for Udacity.

2. Air traffic controllers

air traffic control tower

An air traffic control tower at O’Hare airport | Scott Olson/Getty Images

Projected decline: -9%

Median salary: $122,950

Air traffic controller is one of the rare six-figure jobs you can land without a four-year college degree. But even though the volume of air traffic is increasing, advances in technology means fewer controllers will be needed. As a result, the total number of air traffic controllers is expected to fall by 2,100 by 2024, to 22,400. However, a mandatory retirement age of 56 means there will still be opportunities for people in this field.

1. Insurance underwriters

risk assessment

Risk assessment | iStock.com

Projected decline: -11%

Median wage: $65,040

The median wage for insurance underwriters is a bit under $75,000 a year, though the top quarter of people working in this field earn more than $87,000 annually. Again, technological advancements are to blame for the shrinking number of jobs, as software makes it easier and faster to process insurance applications and more underwriting decisions can be made without human input. As a result, roughly 11,700 underwriting jobs will disappear by 2024.


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Released on 22/02/10. Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a newly remastered edition of Ken Hensley’s first solo album.

Recorded in 1973 and originally released on the Bronze label, Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf featured Uriah Heep bassist Gary Thain and drummer Lee Kerslake. The resulting album was equal to anything recorded by Uriah Heep at their peak and features wonderful material such as Cold Autumn Sunday, Black Hearted Lady and Go Down, along with a version of Rain (also recorded by Uriah Heep).

When Evening Comes / From Time To Time / King Without A Throne / Rain / Around Words / Fortune / Black Hearted Lady / Go Down / Cold Autumn Sunday / The Last Time
Weight 200 kg

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Helping to raise millions for the RNLI – student is part of team nominated for prestigious marketing award.

Posted on 15th February 2016

A Digital Marketing student from the University of Chester is among a team, nominated for a prestigious marketing award for producing a campaign that resulted in the largest ever donation to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

The Colton Collection Ferraris, which raised over £8million for the RNLI.
The Colton Collection Ferraris, which raised over £8million for the RNLI.

Michael Frost, a Digital Marketing Executive for specialist classic car auction company H&H Classics in Warrington, used skills gained on the MSc Digital Marketing course to work on ‘The Colton Collection’ campaign, which has been shortlisted in the Marketing Campaign of The Year SME category of the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards 2016.

The campaign centred around two multi-million pound Ferraris to be sold at auction, which were left in a generous legacy to the RNLI by the late Richard Colton – a Northamptonshire businessman and pre-eminent V12 Ferrari collector, who had a distinguished career in footwear distribution for 40 years.

The 1960 Ferrari 250GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta, and the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 had a combined estimated value of around £8 million when they went under the hammer in October 2015. Mr Colton requested that the money raised from the sale of the two Ferraris should be donated to the RNLI, to continue its lifesaving work around the coast of the UK and Ireland. He also asked for some of the money to be used to build a new state-of-the-art lifeboat for the RNLI, and for it to be named Richard and Caroline Colton, after himself and his late wife.

Ferraris Michael (pictured left), 28, from Wigan, and the team at H&H Classics worked relentlessly to promote the auction of the cars all over the world, to ensure that the legacy of Richard Colton was honoured. The cars were taken on a tour of the UK around some of the most prestigious classic car events of the year such as the Ferrari Owners Club Track-Day, Goodwood Revival and the Chateau Impney Hill Climb.

Sold without reserve at the Imperial War Museum, the sale of the two cars exceeded expectations, with the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT making £6.6 million and the 1967 model fetching £1,930,000, all of which was donated to the RNLI - its largest ever donation.

Through knowledge gained while studying for his part-time Master’s degree at the University’s Warrington Campus, Michael worked on the online promotion of the cars, creating social media campaigns and video documentation of their UK Tour, which ended at the Houses of Parliament. There, MPs were given a champagne reception and invited to be photographed with the cars, courtesy of the Right Hon Sir Greg Knight MP and the Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group.

Michael said: “The lives the new boats will save and the difference the new boats will have are what makes this marketing campaign all the more special, but it was overwhelming to receive this recognition on top of it all for our efforts – and especially by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

“We entered into the competition believing that our marketing campaign was of national significance, having raised £8.53million for charity. If any campaign is worth entering into the competition it had to be this one and we were honoured to receive the nomination for the ‘Marketing Campaign Of The Year SME’. To be a part of something that’s been recognised by the CIM in this way within my first six months of employment, and the first six months of my MSc in Digital Marketing, is incredible. I am very proud to have been a part of a legacy that will help save lives in the future.”

The award winners will be announced on April 14, at a celebratory event in London.


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Students learn about retail management at the UK’s largest designer outlet

Posted on 20th December 2016

Retail Management students at the University of Chester Business School were inspired by a visit to the UK’s largest designer outlet at Cheshire Oaks recently – but unlike other visitors, they weren’t Christmas shopping!

The students with James Pope.
The students with James Pope.

James Pope, Retail Manager at McArthurGlen gave the students a unique insight into the running of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Cheshire Oaks which offers a quarter of a million square feet of retail space with more than 145 boutiques, restaurants and cafés. They enjoyed a talk, before setting off to see the outlet’s Christmas Corner and discussing what it brings to the site.

The students have chosen the Retail Management module as part of their degree course at the University’s Business School, which delivers programmes in Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, Events Management and Tourism.

Senior Lecturer Lisa Conway said: “Our visit was of enormous value for our final year Business School students, giving them a first-hand insight into the designer outlet model as part of their assignment, comparing key aspects of retail management in a range of locations and formats. What better time of year than this to highlight the importance of the customer experience in a retail location”.


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In response to Dave Webster’s recent letter to the Cincinnati Enquirer, he is very much misinformed.

As one of the in-house union members at Fernald (1992 – 2006) and President of the Local Chemical Operators Union for the last six of those years, it was the in-house workforce that did the majority of the cleanup work at the Fernald site. While the Building Trades did play a part in the remediation of the Fernald site, it was working alongside the in-house workforce.

I take offense at Webster’s statement that the United Steel Workers “are not qualified to do this work.” As a current member of the United Steel Workers I see the same experience and commitment as I saw from the in-house workforce at Fernald.

I will agree with Webster on the need for the Department of Energy to give a committed budget to this site so that we can have the same success story that we had at Fernald.

William E. Lutz

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Restaurants & Bars

Drake's Deli (St. Augustine, FL)

BostonBestEats | Feb 10, 201805:28 PM

LET'S GET A KILLER CHEESESTEAK: In Florida!!! At Drake's Deli in Saint Augustine FL...

Despite having lived in Philly for 5 years, I've never really been a fan of cheesesteak sandwiches. Crappy meat + crappy cheese + crappy bread = a crappy sandwich. [Actually, the REAL Philly sandwich is the classic roast pork with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone, preferably from Di Nic's in Reading Terminal Market.]

But, in my experience, if you HAVE to have a cheesesteak, you pretty much MUST get it in Philly, since what passes for a cheesesteak in most other places is even worse.

But for every rule, these is an exception, and the excellent Drake's Deli in "The Ancient City" (St. Augustine is America's oldest city) is a great example of this.

After a chat with the charming family who owns Drake's (who originally being from Michigan recognized my MSU Spartan's cap...amusingly, I was actually directed to Drake's by a retired MSU football coach who I met at nearby Hazel's Hot Dogs the day before), I ordered:

~DATIL CHEESESTEAK (12" for $11.50): Ribeye sautéed in Datil pepper sauce, home-made-cheese sauce, onions, peppers, mushrooms

Non-traditional (my Facebook friend Chris D is gagging over the green peppers lol), this was an ooey-gooey masterpiece, and the very spicy Datil sauce really put it over the top. Menorcan Datil peppers are a local specialty, being almost exclusively grown around St. Augustine, and have great flavor with Habanero-level heat (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datil_p...).

Located on the main drag in St. Aug, parking is fairly easy on the street out front. 5 counter seats inside and ~18 more table seats in their pleasant patio outside (where you can't watch those annoying red choo-choo tour trains drive by every 10 minutes!).

Living in Boston now, I thought the Cape Cod kettle chips were a nice touch. ;-)

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A KNIFEMAN is on the loose after a security guard was stabbed in the stomach in the grounds of a plush North hotel.

The security guard was patrolling the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead building shortly before 8pm last Friday night when he spotted two hooded strangers in the grounds outside the four-star hotel, perched on the banks of Gateshead Quayside.

When he approached them to find out what they were doing, one of them stabbed him in the stomach.

The security worker was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, also in Gateshead, for treatment, but a spokeswoman for Northumbria Police stressed his injuries were not life life-threatening.

Last night, as a police investigation was under way to trace the two men, the 56-year-old guard, who has not been named, was released from hospital following the violent attack and was recovering at home.

Officers investigating the stabbing are now appealing for witnesses to the incident to come forward.

Chief Insp David Charlton, of Gateshead Area Command, said: “I’d like to reassure the community that incidents like this are rare in the area and we’re doing everything we can do find those responsible. I’d urge anyone with any information to contact the police.”

The first man is described as black, wearing either a black hooded-top or a black tracksuit top with a hood and white scarf.

The second man is white, around 5ft 10ins tall and wearing jeans, a shirt and jumper.

Police do not know which man stabbed the guard, but they confirmed that it was a sharp object which caused the injuries.

Last night, a spokeswoman for Hilton said: “We cannot comment any further apart from to say this is something that concerns us.”

Anyone who was in the area at the time, or may have any information is asked to contact Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043.


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Suffering from Success: Delayed Expansion at Mid-Hudson Libraries | Community Notebook | Hudson Valley | Hudson Valley; Chronogram
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Suffering from Success: Delayed Expansion at Mid-Hudson Libraries

Outside the Hudson Area Library, two white lions seem to hang their heavy rusting heads and sigh. The building they guard, built in 1816 as a poorhouse, now serves as the public library for some 12,000 citizens in central Columbia County, and is in need of more than a few repairs. The whole structure slouches in a state of dignified neglect, somewhat self-conscious of its rotting moldings and crumbling mortar. Perhaps more important, the books inside, save a few recent New York Times bestsellers, give off the smell and aura of the Eisenhower Administration. Three of the library's four computers are crammed into the director's office, and like the director, Frank Rees, they seem overworked and in need of an upgrade. Rees knows all about these problems, and when asked about the future of his library, he seems despondent and hopeful at the same time. "The only proper way to support a library is through taxpayer dollars and we're not getting nearly enough," he says.

Libraries are just one of many public institutions in New York fighting to secure a shrinking pool of state money. In January, Governor Pataki's office proposed a five percent cut in statewide library funding. Many small public libraries (specifically those with a Chapter 414 qualification enabling them to ask for funding through public referenda) grow tired of waiting for funding increases from state and federal sources, and are now beginning to ask for direct local support. Of the 20 or so such referenda held in the last five years in our area, nearly all have passed successfully. "When people see just how few dollars libraries get these days," says Josh Cohen, executive director of the Mid-Hudson Library System, "they almost always realize what a bargain they're getting and therefore dig a little deeper to help out."

The Hudson Area Library's voters, however, are among the very few in the Hudson Valley who voted down budget increases last November, killing a proposal to roughly double general funding there. Despite an October 2003 Marist Poll in which 63 percent of households nationwide claimed that they would vote for an increase in taxes to support the library in their local community, voters from Hudson's suburb, Greenport, claimed that they were already overburdened by taxes. Greenport is more affluent and homogenous than Hudson, and some of its residents did not attempt to hide their disapproval for what they saw as a proposal that delivered nothing more than extra books for Hudson's minorities. "It's unfortunate," says Rees. "But we're making the most of the money we do have."

Reading aside, Hudson's library, just blocks away from Columbia County's largest low-income housing developments, is probably the only opportunity that many of the small city's residents have to access the Internet. Libraries have been in the business of books for millennia, but increasingly the public library is becoming the single place that affords all classes a chance to participate in the so-called electronic age. According to PBS's "Newshour with Jim Lehrer," only 39 percent of households earning less than $25,000 a year are wired. Many students from low-income families with no computers get access from either libraries or schools, which are also facing major cuts in budgets and staffing.

The library has changed a lot since the turn of the last century when Andrew Carnegie and other robber barons erected reading temples throughout small-town America to seduce coal miner's kids to read the Classics. The idea of the library was simple: get the lower classes to read and they'll behave themselves, work longer and harder, and contribute to a more stable social order. While the rhetoric has changed over the years, the basic concept of the library as a center for social mobility has not. In 2000, the New York State's Regent's Commission on Library Services completed a study of new trends, from which they determined that the modern library must serve as a center for "information literacy," hinting that as American manufacturing jobs continue to vanish, new job seekers must learn how to access and manipulate many forms of data if they hope to earn a living. While the commission determined that the needs of today's readers and researchers are complex, they came up with a core of basic solutions to make the modern library more useful: expand libraries' weekend and evening hours, include more electronic databases, get the collections online, and of course, buy more computers.

In order to implement the reforms they outlined, The New York Board of Regents introduced New Century Libraries to the state legislature in 2003, a bill that asks for $108 million to fund a host of ambitious programs, including digitization grants, new construction, talking book and Braille libraries, and urban literacy initiatives. Many question the chances of the bill's passage at a time when the state is struggling to pay for basics, such as state medical insurance, pensions, and education. "Many of us realize that state money is very scarce these days," says Carol Desch, Coordinator of Statewide Services at the New York State Library, "but we're confident that the full reforms will eventually materialize if we can convince lawmakers that we have an urgent need."

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Time Travelers: Hudson Valley Artists 2018 @ Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art

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Health & Wellness

FAN (Faith Activity Nutrition)

FAN (Faith Activity Nutrition) is a faith-based program that helps churches create healthier communities. St. Andrews Parish UMC joined this movement in 2017 by establishing a FAN committee. Our FAN committee works in conjunction with other church ministries to promote physical activity and healthy eating habits. Health and wellness information is made available to church members on the FAN bulletin board. FAN updates and recipes are also published on the SAPUMC blog.

Flu Vaccination Clinics

Flu vaccines are offered periodically. Announcements regarding vaccination clinics will be made in bulletins, newsletters and during Sunday morning worship services.

CPR Classes

Many of our staff members (paid and volunteer) are CPR certified. The church periodically hosts CPR classes to ensure interested parties are up-to-date on proper techniques. Announcements regarding these classes will be made in bulletins, newsletters and Sunday morning worship services.

Thumbs Up Exercise Group

The Thumbs Up Exercise Group meets every Thursday at 1:30pm. You do not need to be a member of St. Andrews Parish UMC, or even know a member, to attend. Everyone is welcome! The class meets every Thursday except the last Thursday, when our ACTS 2 Ministry gathers.


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The BHK’s have a unique blend to the 40th anniversary Behikes (aged 5 years) as well as an extra Medio tiempo filler leaf which gives the cigar a very distinct flavour.

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We’ve got to hand it to Sylvester Stallone. Forty years after creating the legendary Rocky Balboa, he still managed to bring his A-game and take home the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor with Creed. The action icon is riding high right now in a truly unexpected fashion; even Stallone himself appeared shocked by the award announcement. With all of this momentum, it seems incredibly feasible that we will soon see Stallone walking on stage to collect his Oscar as well. Allow us to explain.

Anyone who has seen Creed can already attest that Stallone earned the award; he brought an aura of somber regret to Rocky Balboa that we had truly never seen before. He's a more talented actor than he has ever gotten credit for, and it's time for him to come full circle. He received an Oscar nomination in 1977 for his first outing as Rocky, but ultimately lost out to Peter Finch. If the audience’s response at the Golden Globes is anything to go by, it seems that an overwhelming number of people think he is overdue for some recognition. Don’t believe me? Even Stallone’s fellow action great Arnold Schwarzenegger took to social media not only to congratulate his long time friend, but also to chime in that he thinks Sly has a real shot at Oscar gold this year. Check it out below.

Of course, we have to acknowledge that Sylvester Stallone owes a great deal of his win (and potential Oscar nom) to the rest of the cast and crew involved in the making of Creed. Aside from the portrayal of a sad, aging Rocky Balboa, the film featured numerous other strong performances – particularly from Michael B. Jordan, who has proven himself time and time again that he is the next Will Smith – as well as utterly insane direction from Ryan Coogler. Seriously, we thought we had seen everything boxing movies had to offer until Coogler crafted that insane single-take boxing match towards the middle of the film. All of these elements have come together in such an effective way that it has added an element of legitimacy to Creed that will only serve to help Stallone on his journey to the Oscars.

All that being said, the Oscars are still a long way off. Even if Stallone gets an Oscar nod for his return as Rocky Balboa, that doesn’t inherently mean he will even win (although the Globes historically have been a strong indicator). It’s undoubtedly a competitive year for actors in all categories, but we here at CinemaBlend are more than willing to bet that this old boxer still has enough fight left in him. In the immortal words of Mr. Balboa himself: "It ain’t over until it’s over."

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Kill Henry Kill

Hardcore Henry
(Russia/USA, 95 min.)
Dir. Ilya Naishuller; Writ. Ilya Naishuller, Will Stewart
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Tim Roth, Haley Bennett, Danila Kozlovsky
Photo courtesy of VVS Films

Lock and load, geeks and gamers! Duck Hunt meets Run Lola Run in a unique and exhilarating action film from the audience’s point of view.Hardcore Henry offers 95-minutes of ridiculous nonstop violence, mayhem, and R-rated intensity for fans of any POV shooter game from Doom to GoldenEye to the original lark of hunting quackers. Hardcore Henry aims straight at the wild experience of action gaming and it hits right on target.

Hardcore Henry, which opens in theatres after winning the People’s Choice Award in the Midnight Madness programme at TIFF last fall, gives an immersive first person action experience that lets the viewer play the role of a sharpshooting cyborg named Henry. Henry is a soldier on the run from an Albino baddie named Akan (Danila Kozlovsky) only minutes after his wife, Estelle (Haley Bennett), brings him back from the dead in a top-secret operation. Obstacle after obstacle, bullet after bullet, and body upon body, Henry shoots his way to freedom.

Your ally in this mission, or Henry’s helper, is Jimmy (Sharlto Copley), an eccentric personality who doesn’t seem to have nearly as much luck dodging bullets as Henry does. Through car chases, strip joints, and runs through the woods, Jimmy is the Luigi to Henry’s Mario as Copley provides some fun and brash comic relief during the adrenaline-pumping action scenes. Copley gets top billing for his zany performance, but every member in the audience is essentially the star in Hardcore Henry. Hardcore Henry never shows Henry’s face and instead lets the viewer be a part of the action through Henry’s eyes as he shoots, splays, and splatters oodles of baddies while trying to stay alive. The film mirrors the style of first-person shooter games by having Henry’s hands creep into the corners of the frame as he fires away with pistols and machine guns, or his legs fly into view as he leaps from deadly heights or kicks baddies in the nuts.

The POV style of the film makes every kill especially intense as it forces the audience to look people in the eye as they cut their throats or put bullets in their brains. Hardcore Henry definitely isn’t for the squeamish, and while the film invites criticism by inviting viewers to feel their pulses race with the exhilarating feel of each kill, the film doesn’t have any pretense to realism within its escapist action. It’s no more dangerous than a mature video game is, maybe even less so since it invites viewers to experience action, but not make the choice to pull the trigger.

The visual and technical work is the real star here, though as the dizzying film largely plays out from the vantage point of Go Pro cameras affixed to a trio of cinematographers. Action sequences display some incredible stunt choreography as Henry jumps head first into crashes, car chases, and swarms of foes. The shrewd direction lets the rough and tumble nature of the production work to the film’s advantage, and the approach benefits a film with such a modest production. While this year’s Israeli horror flick JeruZalem adopts a first-person perspective using Google Glass as a conceit for found footage, Hardcore Henry uses the style more logically and consistently to bring the viewer right into the thick of the action. It’s as if bullets whiz by in real life.

The logic of Hardcore Henry also follows the style of the video game world as the film essentially offers a series of complications akin to levels of a game. The film uses repetition—like one character who appears, sets up the action, and then dies—to help guide the viewer through each new phase. Similarly, gamers will enjoy familiar do’s and don’ts of the POV shooter rules, like waves of innocent bystanders creating obstacles and tests of good judgement, as prostitutes assume the roles of scientists in a James Bond game. (“You shoot innocents, you fail.”) Video games generally don’t excel in the areas of plot and story, though, so Hardcore Henry frequently lags between episodes as some sequences or complications draw themselves out or become monotonous with barrages of dialogue-free disaster.

On the other hand, what Hardcore Henry lacks in story, it finds in the intensity of its nonstop action. If the POV style and zany action appeal to gamers on the film’s first run, Hardcore Henry has the goods to become a cult hit on home video as the arthouse crowd discovers the furiously paced action sequences and the innovative design that evoke Tom Tykwer’s 1998 hit Run Lola Run. Hardcore Henry is like Run Lola Run, but with a lot more killing (like, a lot more) as Henry races the clock to find a device that will keep his cyborg heart a-beating. Just like Lola, Henry needs to run and overcome fate while learning from mistakes as obstacles mirror previous episodes along his journey. The kinetic visual style of Hardcore Henry also positions it as an international arthouse flick just as much as it does as a mindless actioner, for the film breaks new ground with its POV carnage and energetic, blood-spattered escapism. Kill, Henry! Kill!

Hardcore Henry opens in theatres April 8 from VVS Films.