QUESTION: What is the first major difference you think Rams fans will see this year when it comes to the influence of new head coach Jeff Fisher on this team?

JIM THOMAS

I think well see a more physical, aggressive team on both sides of the ball because Fisher will demand it. Thats one reason he brought CB Cortland Finnegan in on defense and also why he hired Paul Boudreau as his offensive line coach. In their own ways, they will be tone-setters.

DAN ONEILL

If you had to put it into one word, I would use confidence. Jeff Fisher is a guy who is comfortable in his own skin and certain of his surroundings. He IS a head coach, hes not trying to be a head coach. He knows what he wants to do, knows how to go about it. He has assembled a veteran group of coaches cut from the same cloth.

Collectively, they exude a purpose and confidence that seems palpable with these players. The Rams have a lot of free agents, a lot of new faces in camp. They are extremely young and generally inexperienced. But they have a veteran coaching staff that is excited about whats taking place, passionate about building something.

It reminds me a little of what happened with the Blues. Management was making a lot of determinations about its talent base, strengths, weaknesses, needs, etc. when it decided to relieve young coach Davis Payne. When the Blues hired Ken Hitchcock, it effectively took the coaching situation out of he equation, i.e. eliminated the possibility the players werent getting the proper direction.

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Life with the Rams now that Fisher’s king

The Philadelphia Flyers technically don't have a revolving door of coaches. Yet Flyers fans like myself know not to get too attached to them, as they usually leave after four years at the most. However, the franchise is ready to let Peter Laviolette break that trend, after giving him a multi-year extension on Aug. 2.

If Laviolette finishes his new contract, he will coach until the end of the 2014-15 season, which would be the end of his sixth year with the Flyers. This would be historic in Philadelphia, as no Flyers coach has lasted more than four years since two-time Stanley Cup champion Fred Shero, who made it through seven.

Several coaches like Ken Hitchcock, Pat Quinn, Mike Keenan, Paul Holmgren and John Stevens have made it to a fourth year, but gone no further. If Laviolette can survive longer, it will give him a real chance to be the second greatest Flyers coach of all time. Of course, actually winning a Stanley Cup like Shero did will help even more.

Laviolette has won at least one playoff round for the Flyers every season, and gotten to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals after taking over in December 2009. He already has the resume as one of the top coaches in Philadelphia history, but he needs one more deep playoff run to really rise up the list. With a young core developing under him and with Claude Giroux becoming one of the NHL's top superstars, a few more years with this squad could be all Laviolette needs.

Still, there is no guarantee that one bad stretch or poor start won't put Laviolette's job in jeopardy. He won a Stanley Cup for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, yet got fired just 25 games into his fifth season anyway. If the Flyers underachieve to a great extent, there will be more pressure to make a big change - plus it has been two years since Laviolette actually got Philadelphia past the first round.

In any case, the next NHL season could be delayed, shortened or even canceled due to a lockout, so Laviolette and the Flyers may not even get their chance for a while. As such, he could have only two more full seasons under this new contract, and the Flyers may suffer from not having a full 2012-13 season to further develop their new stars.

This is usually the time when lockouts, setbacks, collapses and pure dumb luck occurs to ruin a Flyers coach. Except for Shero, they all flame out after a few years and leave the Flyers even further away from a Stanley Cup.

Laviolette has gotten closer to a Cup than many of those coaches, however, so Philadelphia has faith that he can go further with enough time. Yet if he has the longest tenure of any coach since Shero and doesn't deliver a Stanley Cup, it will make his failure all the more upsetting.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and a Flyers fan since the age of eight.

Other stories from this contributor

Excerpt from:
Laviolette Poised for Second Longest Coaching Tenure in Flyers History: A Fan's Analysis

Navy Ships diver, joiner, model, barman, factory hand and certified fire sprinkler installer - Karn Waiwai has done them all but now believes he has found his ultimate career path.

After such a diverse and interesting work history, he is now firmly focused on study at UCOL Wairarapa and making his mark on the health and fitness industry.

Well known in Wairarapa rugby coaching circles, 33 year old Karn has always had an interest in physical fitness and exercise. It was by chance that he began teaching 'Crossfit' in Masterton last year to a small group of people.

Crossfit is regarded as garage fitness. "It's the good old fashioned, cardio and strength workout," says Karn.

Word got around and he was approached by Wairarapa Health and Social Services provider Whaiora to offer his fitness programme as a way to promote physical activity among members of the Maori community.

Within a few short months, the popularity of Karn's programme has seen his class sizes swell from six to twenty six regulars.

The cost to take part in the class is kept to a minimum and any profits go towards the purchase of basic equipment.

"I decided I wanted to learn more about the body and what it does," says Karn. "So I enrolled for the Certificate in Exercise and Sport Performance at UCOL earlier this year."

It wasn't until Karn started studying at UCOL that he realised how relevant the course was to his work at Whaiora and Crossfit sessions. "Everything we were doing in class I was able to apply to my work straight away."

Karn recently ran a unique school holiday programme based on traditional Maori games and cultural experiences. "The kids were getting active without realising it and gaining cultural understanding at the same time."

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Karn is a good sport

WINNIPEG , Aug. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Consumer Choice Award is thrilled to announce the 2012 Top Service Providers in the Health & Fitness Sector for the greater Winnipeg area. We would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to all this year's winners; your dedication to superior service has resonated with the people of the city of Winnipeg .

Each year across Canada , Consumer Choice Award gathers opinions, perceptions and expectations through the responses of thousands of consumers and businesses. All winners have gone through a rigorous selection process conducted by a third party research firm to ensure only the most outstanding service providers are the winners within their respective industry. Find the list of Award-Winners below:

About Consumer Choice Award

Consumer Choice Award (CCA) was established in 1987 and is considered the most distinguished award for business excellence in Canada . This is the only organization in North America to recognize business excellence by conducting third party market research of both the consumer & business community with statistical accuracy. The research method determines all the service providers, ultimately selects the top ranked companies, and establishes the winner within each industry.

Consumer Choice Award conducts its market research strictly with Leger Marketing, the leading Canadian-owned market research firm and memberof the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) of Market Researchers.

Consumer Choice Award lives in Calgary , Edmonton , Halifax , Hamilton, Montreal , Ottawa , Quebec City, Saskatoon, St. John's , Toronto , Vancouver and Winnipeg.

SOURCE: Consumer Choice Award

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2012 Winnipeg Consumer Choice Award Winners: Health & Fitness Sector

Before cable machines and Bose balls, even before kettle bells and dumbbells, people trained using their own bodyweight. Although this type of training developed out of necessity it has stood the test of time.

Bodyweight training goes back thousands of years and was the chosen training method for the Greeks, Romans and Navy SEALS, and has been a consistent component of nearly every military organization from past to present. Outside of being used in the training of the world's greatest warriors, bodyweight exercises continue to be used in the athletic training world and is a key component of many of the best fat loss and muscle gain workouts available.

Bodyweight training is any exercise that involves using the body as a means of resistance against gravity. Common types of body weight training include calisthenics exercises like sit-ups and push-ups plyometrics to improve explosive power and yoga emphasizing a mind-body connection.

Bodyweight training became popular because of its inexpensive nature, the inherent convenience of not needing any equipment and being able to perform these exercises anywhere. While there are plenty of different methods and fitness equipment to choose from, bodyweight training still has advantages over traditional training options.

Because of individual differences in size and strength, it is difficult to construct strength-training machines to accommodate everyone's needs and shape, while bodyweight training is unique to that individual.

Another advantage of bodyweight training is that most exercises are closed chain exercise. Closed chain exercises are performed where the hand or foot is fixed and does not move relative to the body. Pull-ups and push-ups are examples of closed chain exercises, while the lat pull down and bench press are open chain exercises. Closed chain exercises often involve multiple muscles and joints and in turn use more energy to burn fat or increase lean muscle mass. For the most part, if you are moving your body toward or away from an object, it is a closed chain exercise; if you're moving something either toward or away from your body, it is an open chain exercise.

The biggest disadvantage to bodyweight training is that it is perceived as too easy for the experienced trainee and too hard for the beginner. However, with proper exercise execution and knowledge, it is possible to develop a bodyweight only training program to fit anyone's needs.

Bodyweight training is not only effective on its own, but when added to a program involving weights, increases efficacy as well. External loads can also be added to exercises like dips, push-ups and pull-ups to challenge the strongest of athletes. Many people feel they need specialized exercise equipment to reach their goals, but the most effective and most underutilized piece of equipment you already own.

Kyler Crouse, BS, CSCS is a personal fitness coach that works out of Sierra Athletic Club and in the homes of clients in the greater Lake Tahoe area.

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Health and Fitness: Back to body weight

It's all things Zumba this week at Orlando's Zumba Convention, with a sold-out event devoted to the dance fitness craze.

Zumba Convention August 9-12 Orlando, Florida, US

Zumba organizers are holding their biggest members-only party to help fitness professionals share new spinoff Zumba techniques, fashion, foods, and music. The four-day festival is described as a "Zumba playground" with some 7,000 Zumba network professionals in attendance. Now expanded, Zumba will hold a convention in Los Angeles on February 15-17, as well as a European convention in the spring 2013. Exact dates and location yet to be announced. http://convention.zumba.com Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77TsW8NAOA8

Devon Yoga Festival August 10-12 Devon, England

Set in an idyllic location in the heart of the Devon countryside, this festival features more than 40 yoga workshops, live music and kirtan, healthy food and cozy accommodations. http://www.devonyogafestival.co.uk

Canfitpro International Trade Show August 15-19 Toronto, Canada

Some 10,000 fitness enthusiasts are expected to attend Toronto's fitness blowout trade event, Canfitpro, one of the largest fitness events of its kind and now in its 20th year. Similar to Los Angeles's IDEA World Fitness Convention, the event offers up-and-coming techniques a chance to gain wider appeal in the Canadian market. http://www.canfitpro.com/en/toronto

World Humanitarian Day August 19 Worldwide

World Humanitarian Day has been celebrated since 2009 and is a day to honor aid workers, shed light on populations that need humanitarian aid and find ways to give back to your community or international humanitarian aid organizations. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_humanitarian_day/en/index.html

Natural Products Expo Asia August 23-25 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

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Health and fitness agenda: Zumba Convention

If youre like most people, you probably own a few IRAs, a 401(k), and a Roth IRA. And, if youre like most people you might have a wee bit of trouble keeping track of all the key dates associated with those and other retirement accounts.

Yes, Uncle Sam didnt make it easy on those of you saving for and living in retirement. IRAs have numerous deadlines that people need to be aware of, said Jeffrey Levine, an IRA technical consultant with Ed Slott and Co. Most of the time, missing a key deadline is an irrevocable and irreparable mistake. Even in the rare cases when a deadline mistake can be fixed, the solution tends to be costly and time consuming.

Thankfully, however, there are plenty of folks, including Levine, who know the key dates for you to put on the calendar nowbefore the rest of the year gets away from you. (In other words, enjoy August.)

Sept. 30

Anyone who is inheriting an IRA from someone who died in 2011 should pay close attention to the Sept. 30, 2012 cash out date, said Levine. This is the last day to pay offcash outa beneficiary of an account so that they will not be considered when calculating required minimum distributions or RMDs from an inherited IRA.

Yes, Sept. 30 is the deadline by which certain beneficiaries must be removed from inherited IRAs, according to Denise Appleby, editor of IRA News, Views, and Tips.

Generally, if you are one of multiple beneficiaries, you are required to use the life-expectancy of the oldest beneficiary in the group to calculate your RMD amounts, Appleby said. If you are one of the younger beneficiaries, using the life-expectancy of the oldest beneficiary can reduce the amount of time over which you have to distribute your inherited IRA, and can negatively impact income tax and tax planning opportunities.

This issue is compounded if one of the many beneficiaries is whats called a nonperson such as a charity or an estate. That might require the amount to be distributed over an even shorter period, said Appleby.

So, if the IRA owner died in 2011, you can avoid this problem by removing older and nonperson beneficiaries by Sept. 30 of this year, said Appleby. Of note, she said, this removal process requires older and nonperson beneficiaries to take full distributions of their amounts by Sept. 30, 2012, or the older beneficiaries to properly disclaim their portion by Sept. 30, 2012.

Levine offered this example: Lets say a 65-year old died in 2011 and leaves their IRA 50/50 to their only child and the Red Cross, a charity. Since the Red Cross is not a designated beneficiary, if they were not cashed out by Sept. 30, 2012, the entire inherited IRA might have to be withdrawn within five years. On the other hand, if the Red Cross received their entire share of the inherited IRA and were cashed out, the child would be able to use his/her remaining life expectancy (as determined by IRS tables) to calculate their inherited IRA RMDs, allowing for increased tax-deferral and minimizing Uncle Sams bite.

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Don’t Miss These Critical Retirement Deadlines

Many people strive to retire early. But retiring early could reduce your Social Security benefits, which means you have to save even more on your own. Heres how early retirement impacts your Social Security payments, even if you delay receiving benefits until the full retirement age of 67.

Eligibility. You need 40 credits of work in order to receive Social Security benefits. For 2012, you can earn one credit for every $1,130 you earn, up to a maximum of four credits each year. If you worked for at least 10 years and paid Social Security taxes, then you probably will be eligible for Social Security.

Average earnings. Social Security payouts are typically calculated using your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME). This calculation involves adjusting (or indexing) your entire earnings history to reflect changes in wage levels and the standard of living throughout your career. Then your 35 highest earning years will be totaled and averaged out to a monthly earning.

Payouts. Your AIME is then used to calculate your primary insurance amount (PIA), which is the amount you will get if you claim Social Security at your full retirement age. For 2012, your PIA is the sum of:

(a) 90 percent of the first $767 of your AIME, plus

(b) 32 percent of your AIME over $767 and through $4,624, plus

(c) 15 percent of your AIME over $4,624.

However, these amounts may change in future years. And benefit payouts are decreased if you claim before your full retirement age, and can be increased if you delay claiming up until age 70.

Early retirement can impact this formula in a couple of important ways. If you retire significantly early, you will most likely stop working during your peak earning years. This will reduce your average earnings and, consequently, your Social Security benefit. And if you retire with less than 35 earning years, Social Security will average in zeros for those years.

For example, if you retire at age 52 after working for 30 years, your average earnings will be computed with 30 years of earnings plus 5 years of not earning. This will bring down your average earnings and reduce your Social Security benefit. This Social Security online calculator will allow you to see exactly how early retirement will affect your benefit.

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Early Retirement Will Impact Your Social Security Benefit

Retirement planning rules tend to be very specific to individuals financial situation, lifestyle, retirement plans and location. But there is one rule experts tend to agree on: Pay off your mortgage before entering your golden years.

When you look at where Americans spend their money, 30% to 40% is on housing, says Joseph Montanaro, a certified financial planner at USAA. When you look at retirement, you can create a much smoother income plan when you dont have that requirement. For retirees, reducing fixed expenses like housing provides more financial flexibility and less stress on an investment portfolio.

Most people in retirement are on a fixed income made up of savings, investments like a 401(k) or IRA, Social Security benefits and pensions. Not having to worry about making monthly mortgage payments can provide peace of mind, says Michael Eisenberg, a certified public accountant in Los Angeles.

Not having a mortgage payment will also free up cash flow. When you retire, the outflow of dollars changes as you may have other expenses, such as elevated health- care costs and discretionary goals. If you sell the house, all that cash will be available for other purposes, says Eisenberg.

If you dont sell your house, there still are other things you can do with that asset if necessary. In retirement, you cant get unsecured debt because you dont have any income, says chartered financial analyst Robert Stammers, director of Investor Education for the CFA Institute. You can get secured debt, and youll have your house.

How to Pay Off Your Mortgage

Before working to pay off your mortgage beyond the monthly payments, Stammers suggests eliminating other consumer debt like outstanding credit card bills and creating an emergency fund that covers six months of expenses.

When determining the best way to pay your mortgage early, experts recommend keeping your available cash in portfolio accounts. If youre going to liquidate your accounts to pay off your mortgage, ask whether it makes sense to use that money and leave yourself with no cushion, says Eisenberg. Youre leaving yourself cash poor.

Experts also recommend diverting extra cash to pay off your mortgage while youre working by changing the amount and when you pay, here are a couple options:

Accelerated Mortgage Payments. Split your mortgage payment in half and make payments every two weeks, says Stammers. Youre matching your payments with your cash flow, and youll make an extra two payments [or one monthly mortgage payment] each year. If you have a $225,000 mortgage at 5% for 25 years, for example, by paying your mortgage biweekly, you can shorten your mortgage by about three to four years and save about $28,000 in interest payments.

Continued here:
How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Before Retirement

Kaifu Lee revealed personal information of American coach John Leonard on blogging site Weibo Details were retweeted 14,000 times and led to at least one death threat Mr Lee has removed post but said Leonard should apologize for remarks made about two-time gold medalist Ye Shiwen

By Louise Boyle

PUBLISHED: 18:08 EST, 2 August 2012 | UPDATED: 18:08 EST, 2 August 2012

The Olympic row between the U.S. and China rolled on today as the personal details of the American swimming coach who questioned the gold-medal success of Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen were shared with 15 million bloggers.

The home and work addresses, phone numbers and email of John Leonard were posted to Sina Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like site.

The information was posted by Kaifu Lee who once ran Google in China. He has since deleted Tuesday's post but not before it was retweeted 14,000 times.

Going public: Kaifu Lee posted the details of American swimming coach John Leonard on to Chinese site Sina Weibo - where they were seen by his 15 million followers

Mr Lee wrote that he had read numerous articles on 16-year-old swimmer Ye Shiwen and that all were 'relentless attacks from John Leonard'.

According to the BBC, he then wrote: 'John Leonard should apologize. Below are his background and contact details. If you want to contact him, I suggest using civilised and factual approach.'

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Ye Shiwen: Ex Google boss Kaifu Lee posts personal info of coach John Leonard on Weibo