Her author profile indicates that Elizabeth Squires has been devoted to those in the entertainment industry, providing life coaching and management services as well as an ever-ready shoulder to cry on. It's apparent from her new book, Seasons, that she cares about the people she meets and attempts to help. In this fictional novel, based in part on the stories of those she has encountered and counseled, she introduces the reader to a group of four men who coincidentally are each faced with trauma in their lives at the same time. Their shared problems test each one of them individually, and simultaneously challenge their longtime relationship as a "family." Age-old issues between men and women run throughout the current of this contemporary story of young adults-a cheating wife, grieving the loss of a spouse and mother killed in a car accident, and second guessing important life decisions made in the inexperience of youth.

One of the premises on which the story is based is the possibility that four very different people, with seemingly little in common in terms of life goals and career paths, could maintain a close relationship over the years. I found this premise to require a considerable leap of faith which I was never able to fully make, despite the hard work of the author to forge this basis. As a result, I spent much of my time trying to understand why the author was taking a character down a particular path. I also continually wondered why several of the character's seemingly dysfunctional behavior went unnoticed by the other characters.

Readers should note that while neither the front cover nor the back cover comments make any reference to religion, the book is very much steeped in the Christian genre. But, in the author's Acknowledgements, one gets a clear sense that Squires is a person of strong faith. The matter of Christianity is used by the author in a clearly "black and white" manner, with all good things coming to the designated "good" Christians, while those who have strayed experience God's displeasure. In some instances, this device was almost absurd, and overall, God does not disappoint any of those who heeded his word. The result of the author's choice to develop the stories on this basis is the serious undermining of the book's reality, unless you are a person of faith.

For me, perhaps the most significant take-away from reading Seasons is the realization that life has in fact outpaced the old notion of seasons. Today, people develop and mature at different paces, they are subjected to intense and rapid changes that break down the walls of traditional "life periods," and they are often ill-prepared throughout their entire lives to deal with what happens to them. In essence, much as nature's seasons are changing, Squire's book suggests that so are our human seasons of life.

As a writer, Elizabeth Squires comes across as a caring, loving person. Seasons reflects the spirit of a person who loves to write. Squire's profile says that "Uplifting others through life application and storytelling is her passion and purpose." Her challenge now is to connect with readers who share that need and that passion.

View the original article on blogcritics.org

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Book Review: Seasons: A Fictional Novel by Elizabeth Squires

Brett Favre lines up at the 40-yard line and takes off in a dead sprint, juking briefly to his right before heading left.

He turns and lifts his arms just before quarterback Kirk McCarty's wobbly pass hits him in stride, right on the hands.

"Nice," Favre said with a grin before firing a spiral back to McCarty. "A little ugly, but that will work."

The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player made his living as one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history. Now he serves as an assistant coach. Or receiver. Or the film editor. Or anything else he thinks needs to be done to make Oak Grove High School a better football team.

Favre is beginning his coaching career in humble surroundings as the offensive coordinator of a 1,500-student high school near his home in south Mississippi. He receives no money for the job, but that doesn't mean he's taking in lightly.

"The stress is already getting to me," Favre said, laughing. "I'll wake up in the middle of the night saying, 'Hey, maybe we can do this? Maybe that will work?'"

Favre has kept a low profile since retiring from the NFL in 2010. It's been a stark contrast from his final few years in the league, which were filled with nearly constant on- and off-the-field drama. After a couple years to decompress, he's emerged at Oak Grove, working under veteran high school coach Nevil Barr.

During his playing career, Favre would often work out at Oak Grove in the offseason, throwing passes to the receivers or lifting weights. Barr was always impressed with the way Favre interacted with the players, serving as a mentor even when he could have been aloof. So when Favre returned to Mississippi, Barr always kept in touch to see if the quarterback would be willing to join his staff.

This fall, the timing was right. And the 42-year-old was obviously having a good time Monday morning under the steamy July sun.

One moment he'd be firing passes to receivers. The next, poring over play charts with other assistants.

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Favre Coaching at Mississippi High School

JAMES R. BURNETT/THE WORLD-HERALD

Gary Bargen, who has been Nebraska's director of compliance, is retiring. He also coached NU basketball with Danny Nee from 1986 to 1995.

ATHLETICS

NU's Bargen found his life after coaching

Gary Bargen had reached a turning point in his professional career in the mid-'90s after nine seasons on Danny Nee's staff with the Nebraska basketball program.

He thought hard about returning to head coaching, something he had done well with a 339-124 record in 17 seasons at the junior college level.

But in his heart, he knew that his youngest son, Mike, was heading to Marquette, and Bargen's chances to see him play would be limited at best if he stayed in coaching.

So Bargen, then 53, chose to leave the bench, took up former NU Athletic Director Bill Byrne on an offer and joined Al Papik in the Huskers' compliance office in 1995.

Al said to me, You know, now that you're over here, you can go see him play,' Bargen recalled. I said, Well, I assumed that a little bit,' but he said, No, you go when you want to go.'

And I took him for his word, and we saw (Mike) play 72 times in four years.

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NU's Bargen found his life after coaching

Submitted July 30, 2012 3:00PM

One tip to consider incorporating into your fitness goals is to work with a personal trainer. | Submitted

storyidforme: 34378718 tmspicid: 12579237 fileheaderid: 5742609

Updated: July 30, 2012 11:58PM

Why do you exercise? Losing weight, building strong muscles and keeping a strong heart are common reasons to work out. But, the next time youre experiencing the blues, a visit to the fitness center might be the best medicine.

Exercise even a small amount of physical activity each day can positively impact your mood and overall mental health.

People who work out report they experience less stress, sleep better and find everyday tasks easier. Several studies show that individuals with depression feel better when exercise is incorporated into their treatment.

One reason is that exercise triggers the release of endorphins small protein molecules produced by cells in your nervous system and other parts of your body. Endorphins work to relieve pain and release chemicals that actually energize a person. In fact, endorphins give athletes a second wind. Instead of feeling worn out during a long race, a runner will feel energized toward the end, thanks to endorphins.

Exercise clears your mind and offers a diversion from negative thoughts. It also can be quite fulfilling, especially when you complete a workout or achieve a fitness goal, points out Dr. Lekshmit Venugopal, a psychiatrist with Linden Oaks Medical Group.

Theres even more good news: 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise is all it takes to reap the benefits of exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Thats just 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and the 150 minutes can be met in multiple sessions such as 10 minutes, three times a day.

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Health Aware: Exercise can make you feel good — mind and body

Fun is a big part of the zumba workout. Pix by Chuah Bee Kim

Peggy Kua (right) leading her students in the zumba dance at the Peace Studio in Taman Sutera Utama.

Nicole Low (foreground) says the zumba makes her more energetic.

JOHOR BARU: DITCH the workout, join the party. That is the tagline of the latest fitness programme to hit Johor Baru, and its called the zumba dance.

Currently, there are five licensed zumba instructors in the city.

One of them is 29-year-old Peggy Kua.

In her zumba class, which lasts for an hour, participants dance to mostly Latin music such as for the salsa dance.

People also dance to international hits from various countries.

Its a 70:30 ratio, to be precise, and anything that does not follow this rule is not zumba.

This is because we are worried that unlicensed instructors may adopt the basic steps of zumba, but change the music and call it something else, she clarified.

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Zumba your way to health and fitness

LONDON -- The last five years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered and annuity rates have plunged. There's no sign things will improve anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the U.K. economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.

A great way of protecting yourself from the downturn, however, is by building your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth.

In this series, I'm tracking down the U.K. large caps that have the potential to beat the FTSE 100 (INDEX: ^FTSE) over the long term and support a lower-risk, income-generating retirement fund (you can see the companies I've covered so far on this page).

Today I'll take a look at Unilever (LSE: ULVR.L) , one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, whose brands -- which include Cif, Dove, Hellmann's, Bertolli, and Domestos -- we all use.

A share to hold forever?Unilever has a strong presence in emerging markets such as India. This has helped to fuel growth over the last decade. Let's take a look at how Unilever has performed against the FTSE 100 over the last 10 years:

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

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Is Unilever the Ultimate Retirement Share?

When it comes to retirement savings, many Americans seem to be "winging it" -- or heading for retirement without a realistic plan of how to fund it.

Or so suggests a recent survey by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. The survey indicates that "retirement planning" is a very loose concept among Americans. In many cases, the approach could be better described as wishful thinking.

The following are some points of concern raised by the study:

The median contribution level for workers in 401(k) or similar plans is 7 percent. This is up from 6 percent in 2011, but still too low a savings rate to fund a comfortable retirement. Think about it: Retirement is likely to last roughly half as many years as a career. How can you expect to replace most or all of your income if you are only setting money aside 7 percent of that income each year? With diminished expectations for the stock market, and bond yields and savings account interest rates approaching zero, most people are not going to be able to grow their way to adequate funding. Saving more is the only way to make it work.

The reason savings rates are so low is probably that people are underestimating how much they will need in retirement. According to the Transamerica study, the median savings goal of American workers is $500,000 -- but how many younger workers understand that inflation is likely to cut the value of that amount by at least half by the time they retire?

It's no surprise that savings rates and retirement targets seem off-base, because people simply guess at them. The Transamerica Center found that nearly half (47 percent) of respondents chose a retirement target by guessing.

While the median retirement target is $500,000, the survey found that 39 percent of workers in their 60s had saved less than $250,000. That leaves them with too much ground to make up in too few years.

The survey found that most Americans plan to retire after age 65, or not at all. Also, most plan to work after retirement. Working longer may be an inevitability for many people, but it is hardly an ideal retirement planning solution. After all, it means staying healthy enough to work productively, and that is no sure thing for people over 65.

It's only natural that older workers are more focused on retirement planning than younger ones, but that is also unfortunate. The younger you are, the more powerfully you can impact your retirement savings, because you have that many more years to contribute money and benefit from investment returns. The survey found that people in their 60s are more likely to have a retirement plan and work with a financial planner than people in their 20s. The problem is that by the time you are in your 60s, your options for significantly improving your retirement funding are very limited.

Retirement planning is a very important individual responsibility. The Transamerica Center survey should be a wake-up call for Americans to take more positive action to plan for their retirements.

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Are Americans 'Winging' Their Retirement Plans?

COMMERCE, Ca., July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- General Manager Art Aguilar announced his retirement from the Central Basin Municipal Water District effective October 31, 2012. Aguilar has served as the General Manager for the Central Basin Municipal Water District since 2006, and before that as Co-General Manager for both Central Basin and West Basin Municipal Water Districts.

"I am very proud of what we have accomplished at Central Basin," said Aguilar. "From the re-organization of the District following the split West Basin initiated, to the completion of a vital phase of our recycled water system, which had been on the books since 1991, to the many state and federal grants we secured to keep costs and rates low, we have done quite a bit in a very short amount of time."

As the General Manager for Central Basin, Aguilar successfully guided the District through an unprecedented transition and restructuring following its separation from its former sister agency and oversaw the District's subsequent move to a new headquarters in the City of Commerce. Under his leadership, these transitions brought opportunities for growth and financial stability. District operations went uninterrupted, the District's unfunded liability and pension debt were paid off and programs were re-centered around Central Basin's mission of public service.

"For me, the hardest part of retiring will be saying good-bye to our incredible staff," Aguilar continued. "We have a strong and dedicated team that works hard for our constituents and ratepayers. I am extremely proud of them."

Aguilar first joined the Districts in 1999, serving as the Manager of the Public and Governmental Affairs Department. Under his management, areas such as public education, conservation and public/media relations were refined and enhanced to become foundation stones of the department.

"It makes me very sad to see Art go," said Central Basin Board President Ed Vasquez. "He has done an outstanding job managing this district over the years and he will be missed. This place just won't be the same without him. I wish him all the best."

Prior to his work in the water industry, Aguilar served for more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and publisher of community newspapers throughout Southern California. Over the course of his tenure, he has been honored for his significant and lasting contributions to journalism and for his extensive community service.

For Art Aguilar's full bio, please email valerieh@centralbasin.org.

Central Basin is a public agency that wholesales imported water to cities, mutual water companies, investor-owned utilities and private companies in southeast Los Angeles County, serving a population of more than 2 million. In addition, Central Basin provides the region with recycled water for municipal, commercial and industrial uses. Formed in 1952, Central Basin is committed to ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for the region.

Contact: Valerie Howard Phone: (310) 801-4073

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General Manager Art Aguilar Announces Retirement From Central Basin

MONSEY, NY--(Marketwire -07/30/12)- The standard retirement investment usually consists of market products like mutual funds or similar Wall Street assets. However, with the rise of market volatility, investors have begun to actively look for alternative investment platforms. One of the platforms gaining a boost in popularity from this trend is the self-directed IRA. As a result of this move, the investments themselves have taken on a more alternative flavor.

Mark Friedman, a retirement specialist at Broad Financial, has tracked the move away from standard assets. "Initially everybody just wanted to get in on a piece of real estate or gold coins. However, as the freedom of the plan has clarified itself in the consumer consciousness, we have seen self-directed IRAs move into ice cream stores, fitness centers, and book publishing. One Broad client actually used his retirement funds to start a goat farm."

One of the common arguments in the financial community against these platforms is the far reaching nature of the investments. Many financial planners feel that investors would be better suited with products that show a record of stability. Daniel Gleich, the COO of Broad, feels that the new diversity of investments is actually a point in the clients' favor. "Investors are just gravitating towards those assets that they know and understand. It makes sense that a woman who has worked in fitness for the past twenty years has a solid grasp of the industry and would know how to turn that knowledge to profit. What would not make sense is for her to put her money into assets that she doesn't understand, even if those assets are currently riding a wave of popularity."

Mr. Gleich feels that rather than going against the financial norm, these investments are more faithfully adhering to the mantra of diversity that financial professionals often espouse. "Investors understand that diversification is essential, but they are also coming to understand that holding different stocks is not true diversification. That can only be accomplished with alternative assets. This truth is brought home every day as investors see their IRAs being hammered in the current stock market."

With Mitt Romney's retirement fund making news, and a national move back towards American ingenuity, it looks like self-directed IRAs might be reaching the tipping point. It might just be a matter of time until alternative is the new norm.

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Investors Find Room to Express Themselves in Retirement

31 July 2012 Last updated at 02:34 ET

China's 16-year-old swimming star Ye Shiwen has denied taking performance-enhancing drugs after smashing a world record at the London Olympics.

She spoke out after a leading US coach described her performance in the 400m individual medley as "disturbing".

Ms Ye swam the 400m individual medley seconds faster than she ever had before and - on the last 50m - faster than the winner of the men's event.

There is no evidence against her and all medal winners are drug-tested.

On Monday, Ye Shiwen took at least five seconds off her personal best to break the world record by more than a second and win the gold medal in the individual medley.

In the last 50m she swam faster than US star Ryan Lochte in the men's event.

Commentators were stunned, including the BBC's Clare Balding who said questions would be asked about the swimmer's performance.

American coach John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association, said her performance was "unbelievable" and "disturbing".

"History in our sport will tell you that every time we see something, and I will put quotation marks around this, unbelievable, history shows us that it turns out later on there was doping involved," he told the UK's Guardian newspaper.

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China swimming star denies doping