Jeff Fisher took a year off from coaching, and traveled around the country, and saw the world. He had fun during his break from the daily grind and pressure of the coaching life. His No. 1 highlight was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.

When Fisher returned to coaching, he signed on to make a more imposing and hazardous climb. Fisher took over the Rams, a woebegone franchise that from 2007-2011 lost more games (65) over a five-season stretch than any team in NFL history.

It is a franchise in flux, with owner Stan Kroenke making fans restless and fearful of a move to Los Angeles. You could say there are more attractive situations in the NFL. On the field, the Rams have averaged three wins over the last five seasons. Away from the field, fans are being beaten down by LA rumors.

Welcome to St. Louis, Coach.

The assignment isn't for the faint of heart. Mike Martz reached the Super Bowl, lost in an epic upset, then slowly cracked. The last two full-time head coaches to give it a go were buried under a rock-slide of losses. Scott Linehan and Steve Spagnuolo came to Earth City with smiles and optimism. Their combined record as head coach: 21-63.

When Linehan and Spagnuolo were fired, it seemed like the merciful thing to do. The unrelenting punishment of the job turned two good men into paranoid, uptight wrecks.

This description does not match a rested and ready Fisher.

"I love this game," Fisher said. "I have great respect for our owner, and I made a commitment to him to get him a trophy. And I'm going to start working towards that."

That would be the Vince Lombardi Trophy, handed to the yearly Super Bowl champion. Lombardi? Most fans would be happy with 8-8 for now. But as his first Rams' training camp gets under way, Fisher has no desire to lower expectations. You won't hear him talking about reconstruction zones and five-year plans.

"Every training camp I've started as a head coach or assistant, it felt like my first," Fisher said. "This one feels like it's my first [ever] training camp. You go into it with a willingness to learn, with energy. With willingness to put a team together that has high expectations. That goes out expecting to win every game."

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Bernie: Fisher takes steep climb in stride

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25-07-2012 14:01 Take a look at ALL the amazing equipment, facilities, and atmosphere provided at Trinity Health and Fitness! Listen to what people are saying about how Trinity has changed their lives!

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Trinity Health and Fitness Tour - Video

The Gillard government recently announced that boys will be included in the nations free vaccination program to eliminate cervical cancer. Its the first time any nation has done so and the media made an effort to promote our world-first status.

Whats less well-known is that well be the first country to start protecting future generations of gay men.

The reason this good news story fell by the wayside is that weve fallen victim to the oversimplification of the issues around cervical cancer, the Gardasil vaccine, and one hell of a nasty sexually transmitted infection.

So let me start by taking a few questions:

Q: They gave that stuff to girls to stop them getting the cancer all up their lady bits. Why would they give it to guys too?

Thats right anonymous figure of my own creation, the Gardasil vaccine has been given free to girls and young women for a few years now. Back when it was starting there was a whole bunch of publicity about it being the cervical cancer vaccine. Hell, we even made the guy who invented it Australian of the Year and made him honourary hero of cervixes.

Thats kind of wrong. The vaccine doesnt immunise you against cancer, it immunises you against a virus that causes the cancer. But cervical cancer is only the main billing of what this virus does. It also causes genital warts, followed by cancers on your throat, tonsils, genitals of whatever flavour, and finally, cancer of the ass.

One virus can cause all these shitty-ass cancers. The vaccine stops that virus.

Q: Ohhh, thats nasty. What the hell is this thing?

Probably heard of it: the Humanpapilloma virus, HPV in brief. It is particularly nasty for a few reasons.

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Sex / Health / Fitness: Why Gardasil is good for gay men

Construction on a 74-bed personal care home should begin in a month after developers received the necessary approval from Scranton's planning commission.

At a special meeting Wednesday, the commission unanimously approved the land development plan submitted by Senior Health Care Solution principal partners, Michael P. Kelly and Susan Keefer, and their architect/engineer Mike Probst with Keystone Consulting.

Construction on the $6 million project is slated to be complete in August 2013, according to Mr. Kelly.

The new personal care home will be located at 2471 Boulevard Ave., next to Senior Health Care Solution's skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, and will be focused on providing comfortable living for the independent elderly when it opens, Mr. Kelly said,

"It's for the elderly who don't really need skilled nursing," Mr. Kelly said after the meeting.

He said residents of the home will pay between $1,400 and $2,200 a month. The personal care home will offer meals, maid services and will have nurses on staff to help administer medication, among other duties, he added.

At Wednesday's meeting, Mr. Probst told planning commission members that all zoning, ordinance, land development conditions and recommendations have been met by the group.

Commission member John Kennedy moved to approve the project and member Betsey Moylan seconded.

Contact the writer: eginader@timesshamrock.com

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Scranton Planning Commission approves construction of personal care home

Teachers, parents and other community members can now monitor the progress of statewide education through the Arizona Ready Education Report Card recently launched by Gov. Jan Brewer's office.

By using this new tool, those interested can visit http://www.arizonaready.com/content/index.html and take a look at where the state is below, meeting or exceeding its educational goals.

This online Education Report Card puts right at parents' fingertips some of the most critical information about the quality of our schools and the achievement of our students, said Brewer.

With this novel, user-friendly tool, parents and educators alike will be empowered to measure Arizona's education successes, monitor our shortcomings and, ultimately, help ensure our children are college and career-ready after graduation.

The online charts show the state's progress in pre-kindergarten, elementary, junior high, high school, post-secondary and workforce areas.

A review of the data indicates, while there remains much work to be done, Arizona has made improvements in vital education areas, reported state officials.

For example, data shows that Arizona eighth-grade students showed improvement on the National Assessment of Educational Programs in 2011 compared with previous years. It also shows that the amount of third-grade students meeting the state reading standards has also gradually increased.

Data can be pinpointed by the user to specific counties, years, grade levels and subject areas.

As someone deeply involved in education reform, I am very pleased to have this tool available, said Craig Barrett, chairman of the Arizona Ready Education Council. The ability to drill down into our goals and access detailed information will enable the council to make more thoughtful and deliberate recommendations that can drive meaningful change. This will prove invaluable to education in the state of Arizona.

Arizona Ready is an education reform plan developed by Brewer, the Arizona Department of Education and multiple education stakeholders in 2010 and implemented in 2011. Goals set through the plan required students, teachers and administrators to be held to a higher level of expectation. Upcoming reforms include the implementation of Arizona's Common Core Standards as well as a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

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Online ‘report card’ monitors state education

At Cooper Pool on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, you will see about 24 ladies participating in the senior aqua aerobics program, which is now in its fifth week.

Sue Asher, who teaches the 90-minute aqua aerobics classes, has helped senior citizens keep fit during the summer months for years. Ms. Asher is CPR and first aid certified and during the year is a special needs elementary school teacher.

According to Ms. Asher, she began the senior walking program in Manville and said she wanted to do something to get involved with the seniors in the summer months.

This is my 24th year of doing aqua aerobics with my ladies, she said. We have six new ladies with us, and some of them have been with me for the whole time. We have all ages from 53 to 90 and that is pretty awesome that people can choose to come to water exercise and keep fit. It is a social time, too, for most of them.

Ms. Asher laughed when she said she keeps doing the program for the seniors.

Aqua aerobics is a great way to loosen up the joints and the bones, she said. The water helps with the tension, and the exercises give the ladies the opportunity to socialize a bit as they exercise and work every part of their body.

The ladies start by getting used to the water, bobbing up and down and rocking forward and backward. Then come exercises on the wall with their legs, arms and floating barbells. More exercises include kicking with the knees straight and toes pointed, bicycling, arm circles and shoulder rolls.

We get to all parts of the body, and it is basically to keep them toned, Ms. Asher said. It helps them with their joint and arthritics problems. Exercise is the best program for them. For most, it gives them the energy to make it through the day and builds up their strength a bit.

After the hard work of exercising, the ladies relax with water and apple and orange juices, courtesy of a grant from Walmart.

I enjoy working with them, Ms. Asher said. I teach children 10 months out of the year so it is a great treat to work with the senior citizens. They have always been my favorite group of people.

More here:
MANVILLE: Women take to the water

"The Hot Yoga War," Rebecca Moss, July 19

Not Cool

Very good story on the yoga wars. It persuaded me that I should just stick to a brisk walk around Washington Park.

Julie Randall Denver

This is hysterical.

So much for yoga as a method for the contemplative, meditative seeking of wisdom and inner peace. And why did the word "cult" keep pinging my brain while reading this?

From the moment I heard about Bikram yoga, something felt not quite right about it. And now, a balding greedy guy who can give his wife an $800,000 Rolls-Royce doesn't have enough money that he can afford to let his "favorite disciple" make some serious scratch, too? Good grief.

Ellen Sweets Austin, Texas

It is very sad that Bikram Choudhury, a man trying to maintain a copyright on a style of yoga, has failed utterly to achieve one of the fundamental yogic virtues. He has yet to master Santosha the choice to live in serenity and satisfaction with all that life is.

Mark Lane Denver

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Yoga wars and gang wars are on readers' minds

Yoga teacher, Kerry Radley. PHOTO: ANTONY KELLY

Abigail Saltmarsh Thursday, July 14, 2011 8:00 AM

As yoga teacher Kerry Radley prepares to launch a new after-work de-stressing class in Norwich, Abigail Saltmarsh finds out more.

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It has been 15 years now since Kerry Radley first started practising yoga.

Now, not only is she helping others as she was helped herself, but she is one of the few teachers in the county who is a member of the British Wheel of Yoga, as both an adults and childrens teacher.

Kerry, 38, from Salhouse, is soon to launch a new de-stressing yoga class in Norwich. The aim, she explained, is for people to drop in on their way home and to release the tensions they might have built up during the day.

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Norwich yoga teacher helps you relax after work

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24-07-2012 15:17

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The Fit Kit : Self-improvement Through Health And Fitness - Video

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Vmersion-Health introduces Gluco-Share, a mobile smart device application that connects people living with diabetes with their family and friends through a private and secure social media network. The Gluco-Share app is a free download available at the Apple iTunes store.

Gluco-Share enables persons living with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar (glucose) levels and to communicate that information in real time to their circle of family and friends. In turn, family and friends communicate their support, providing social and psychological encouragement that empowers a person to maintain their medical regimen and live a fuller life.

The daily support and understanding people living with diabetes receive from their social circle can make a significant difference in how effectively they manage the disease, said Joseph Madden, president and CEO of Vmersion-Health. Gluco-Share harnesses technology already available on a smart device data input, chat, text, notifications and badges- to create a private, secure and fun supportive social network.

As an application, Gluco-Share provides three interrelated functions: Check, Share and Reward.

CHECK: Persons with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes receive friendly automated reminders to check blood glucose levels. The Check function provides data fields for glucose values, med units, and personal comments and automatically registers date and time.

SHARE: Gluco-Share communicates data and alerts in real time to persons within the diabetics social circle of parents, family and friends, allowing them to share in the frequency of the diabetics checking of glucose levels. A chat function allows family and friends to offer supportive comments or to just say hello and maintain normal social relationships.

REWARD: Gluco-Share features a Challenge system that rewards frequent checking and provides fun and educational games that encourage interplay among Gluco-Share members.

As a parent of a Type 1 child, I understand the importance and frustration- of ensuring that my child has checked his blood sugar, said Madden. Gluco-Share is the first app that has a reward system based on the frequency of checking ones blood sugar, not just the numeric value. I can say from my own experience that using the app has improved the quality of my communication and my relationship with my child.

Gluco-Share shares data, chat, challenges and games among multiple users in the members network. Unlike other diabetes apps that use email, Gluco-Share allows real-time data sharing and chat. The users network of family and friends instantaneously receive text messages, glucose-checking notifications, and game and challenge status updates.

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Vmersion-Health’s New Mobile App Gluco-Share™ Harnesses the Power of Sharing to Improve Diabetic Health