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[JURIST] Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy websites] on Tuesday sent a joint letter [text; press release] to Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, urging an end to the violent crackdown by Nepalese government security forces against Tibetan protesters and accusing the Nepalese government of preemptively detaining Tibetans to prevent the assembly of protests. Last week, HRW reported that the Nepalese government has been threatening Tibetan protesters with deportation to China [press release].
Noting that Nepal is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) [text], the groups wrote:
China has been cited by the UNs Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment for its abuses of political dissidents in China, and those who have been protesting Chinese rule in Tibet will almost certainly be treated as dissidents. As a party to the ICCPR and the Convention Against Torture, Nepal must uphold Article 3, which prohibits the deportation of individuals to countries where they may face torture. Customary international law also prohibits refoulement to such situations.Last Friday, over 100 protesters rallied near a United Nations facility in Kathmandu, demonstrating against China's recent crackdown on pro-Tibet protests [BBC backgrounder]. At least 400 protesters were arrested [JURIST report] earlier in the week by Nepalese security forces at the UN headquarters. AP has more.
The government of Nepal should immediately restore the rights of freedom of assembly, expression, and movement, by allowing Tibetans to go about their daily lives and carry out peaceful protests without fear of arrests or threat of deportation. Should the Nepal police continue to engage in conduct that was condemned by all of the current governing parties, Nepali human rights defenders, and the international community, during the Peoples Movement of 2005-2006, it will betray its own record of restoring in April 2006 fundamental civil and political rights.


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Ramiro Gomez "Cut-Outs part of Fragments From Home, curated by Chon Noriega is a preview of Home So Different, So Appealing which opens on June 7, 2017 as part of the Getty's Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA. The Cut-Outs installation piece, an 8 x 73 foot acrylic on cardboard mural, deals with scenes from Gomez's West Hollywood neighborhood. Gardeners and pool cleaners tend to the outside, then the mural proceeds inside, depicting housekeepers cleaning the living room, dining room, the bathroom and finally, the bedroom. Playing with negative space and with perspective, Gomez has life-sized cardboard figures emerge from the body of the mural, standing alone in the space, confronting the viewer. The piece functions as a still-life of affluent Los Angeles.
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is award winning hit comedy from England's Charlotte Jones introduces us to Felix Humble, a young Cambridge astrophysicist, in search of a unified field theory. Confrontations with his difficult mother cause Felix to search for the unity within himself. It is also about the joys and rewards of beekeeping. "Rich, original, intelligent, funny and touching" London Daily Telegrap
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RPI researchers develop safe, long-cycling Li-metal rechargeable battery electrode; demonstrate Li-carbon battery
27 April 2014
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a safe, extended cycling lithium-metal electrode for rechargeable Li-ion batteries by entrapping lithium metal within a porous graphene network (Li-PGN). The graphene "cage" prevents dendritic growth, enabling extended cycling of the electrode.
In a paper in the journal Nature Communications, the team reported that the plating of lithium metal within the interior of the porous graphene structure results in very high specific capacities in excess of 850 mAh g-1. Extended testing for over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles indicates excellent reversibility and coulombic efficiencies above 99%. The RPI team also demonstrated the use of the PGN material as a high-capacity anode, and demonstrated a full-cell configuration with a PGN anode and a lithium-metal/PGN cathode, thus creating a Li-carbon rechargeable battery.
Background. Lithium metal has a very high theoretical capacity of 3,842 mAh g-1 in rechargeable lithium batteries; however, the use of metallic lithium leads to extensive dendritic growth that short circuits the battery, leading to serious safety hazards as well as truncated battery life.
The first practical lithium (Li) battery was developed as far back as 1976 by Exxon, using TiS2 as the anode and bare lithium metal as the cathode. However, soon after its inception the viability of such a cell composition was questioned owing primarily to the use of the lithium metal–liquid electrolyte combination. In a non-aqueous electrolyte, dendritic projections tend to develop at the lithium–electrolyte interface. The dendritic growth occurs during the charge/discharge cycling process, expanding in diameter and at the same time, extending from the tip.
The tip-wise extension poses a serious challenge as extended cycling can often cause the dendrite tip to pierce through the separator, resulting in an electrical short between the anode and cathode. Moreover, the tip-wise dendritic formation process is accelerated as the current density is increased (typically ≥0.1 C, where a rate of nC is defined as charge or discharge in 1/n hours), which is attributed to a higher localized charge density at the dendrite tip. This in turn significantly limits the rate capability of such batteries.—Mukherjee et al.
To get around that problem, industry replaced lithium metal with layered lithium metal oxide and phospho-olivine cathodes that offer safer performance over extended cycling, although with significantly reduced capacities.
The RPI work. The RPI team thermally shocked graphene oxide (GO) paper, creating pores—defects—in the material measuring between a few nanometers to a few hundred nanometers. When compared with graphitic anodes (commonly LiC6: capacity ~372 mAh g-1, energy density ~180 Wh kg-1), the resulting PGN delivers capacities of ~900 mAh g-1 with an energy density of ~547 Wh kg-1.
The reason why such a porous graphene anode delivers a capacity and energy density that is almost threefold higher than conventional graphitic anodes and stable over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles remains unclear. Some studies with graphene anodes have reported achieving a capacity higher than the theoretical capacity of graphite and have generally attributed it to the formation of Li2C6, corresponding to the intercalation of lithium ions on both sides of the graphene sheets. However, a detailed understanding of this phenomenon is fundamentally lacking at this point.—Mukherjee et al.
They then looked at the interaction of elemental lithium with such defect sites in the graphene. They found that lithium ions are strongly attracted to defect sites, which creates a very high local concentration of lithium near the defects. This initiates the formation, or "plating," of metallic lithium at the defect sites.
Compared with conventional cathodes, the PGN structure with entrapped lithium metal provides capacities of ~850 mAh g-1, with an energy density of ~637 Wh kg-1. Extended testing for over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles indicates excellent reversibility and coulombic efficiencies above 99%. Even after 1,000 cycles there was no indication of any significant dendritic structures.
So why does this Li plating for PGN not result in the formation of dendrites? … Within the interior of the electrode, Li metal plating occurs within pores that are few tens of nanometres in size … As a consequence, any dendritic structures associated with this plating will tend to remain confined within these pores due to its size constraints. However, it is noteworthy that even the exterior (outer) surface of the PGN electrode did not show any significant dendritic growth even though there is no entrapment mechanism for Li that plates onto the exterior surface of the PGN.
To understand this, we investigated the thickness of the plated Li on the exterior surface of the PGN. Our estimate for the maximum Li film thickness that plates onto the external PGN surface is ~5.8 nm … The reason why this layer is so thin is that the exterior (outer) surface area of the PGN is very small when compared with the total surface area contained within the bulk of the porous PGN electrode.
In other words, the porous PGN serves as a sponge that absorbs the majority of the Li metal into the interior of the electrode structure. The recent study by Harry et al. shows that contrary to conventional wisdom dendrites are formed in the subsurface of Li foils, and not on the exterior surfaces as was previously thought. In fact, they found that the volume of the dendrite within the electrode is of the same order as the volume protruding into the electrolyte. For these reasons, the few-nanometre-thick Li film that plates onto the external surfaces of the PGN electrode will be unable to generate significant volumes of dendrites, which is consistent with our experimental observations.—Mukherjee et al.
To demonstrate the capabilities of PGNs, they assembled a full-cell with PGN anodes and lithiated PGN (Li-PGN) cathodes, stacked to provide an ampere-hour rating of ~20 mAh. Since exclusively carbon based materials are used for the electrode construction, the only active source of lithium in the full-cell is the lithium metal that is entrapped within the pores of the PGN cathode. They used the pouch cell to power an LED device.
It should be noted that the full-cell (with PGN electrodes) … operates on the well-established principle of transfer of Li ions back and forth between the cathode and anode material. In this regard this concept is no different from a conventional Li-ion battery. What is different is that the electrode material that stores the Li is all-carbon for both the anode as well as the cathode. Therefore the electrodes in our Li-ion full-cell configuration are exclusively made from carbon (PGN) materials into which Li ions are reversibly plated and stored.—Mukherjee et al.
Along with Koratkar, co-authors of the paper are: graduate students Rahul Mukherjee, Abhay Thomas, and Eklavya Singh, and visiting scientist Osman Eksik, of the Rensselaer Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering; graduate student Dibakar Datta of Brown University; and postdoctoral scientist Junwen Li and Professor Vivek Shenoy of the University of Pennsylvania.
Koratkar's graduate student and first author of the paper, Mukherjee, was a finalist in the 2014 MIT-Lemelson National Collegiate Student Prize Competition in the graduate student category and presented his research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier this month. With fellow student Eklavya Singh, Mukherjee won the "best of the best" grand prize at the spring 2014 Change the World Challenge competition at Rensselaer.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation, as well as the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professorship at Rensselaer, and a Bob Buhrmaster '69 grant from the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship and Lally School of Management at Rensselaer.
Rahul Mukherjee, Abhay V. Thomas, Dibakar Datta, Eklavya Singh, Junwen Li, Osman Eksik, Vivek B. Shenoy & Nikhil Koratkar (2014) "Defect-induced plating of lithium metal within porous graphene networks," Nature Communications 5, Article number: 3710 doi: 10.1038/ncomms4710
April 27, 2014 in Batteries | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)
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This is one more demonstration that graphene sheet can be used to improve performance of Li-Carbon and other Lithium rechargeable batteries by about 3X and more.
How long will it take for the process to be mass produced?
Is six years or by 2020 or so enough for a few major battery producers to do it? Will patent legal battles be used to stop mass production?
I've been one of the early supporters on here for full BEVs and hoping for a breakthrough to make them reality for most of us. But I've also become one of the most cynical skeptics over the years. Not sure why, but this one feels real to me and makes me think it could be a big player in that next step to useful, next gen batteries.
There are just too many applications which need/want improved batteries and too much R&D flowing to them to keep them from being developed. The cells in the Tesla battery aren't the product of automotive development, but for powering laptops.
The patent trick worked to keep prismatic NiMH cells out of electric cars, but I think that was a one-time trick. With peak oil in the rear-view mirror and the oil companies pulling back upstream investment, there's not much reason to try it again anyway; they'll still be able to sell everything they can pump.
There is no reasons to celebrate, this is full of drawbacks and still problematic. There will never be something like mass adoption of battery electric vehicles whatsoever. Instead I said many time to start nat gas vehicle nationwide for small cars, and also big trucks now. Also for even less pollution and cost start fuelcell vehicles commercialization with the hydrogen been made with water electrolysis at the point of sale. These batteries are a flagrant flop both commercially and technologically, people do not LIKE to plug and with a short range, a fast recharger network is impossible period due to long recharging time with too many different norm like chademo, sae and tesla supercharger. Tesla will go bankrupt one day or another. Stop harassing me with deficient battery breakthrus, there will never be with all the deceiving researchs been done paid by fraudulent tax subsidies.
There is sufficient low polluting natural gas for all the transport vehicles for more than 100 years, this is cheaper and less polluting than liquid gasoline. Wesport innovation engines are ready to be mass produced for all the world. Im following their stock on the stock market and im about to buy as soon as it start. I noticed that the bankrupt government never give subsidies toward nat gas but give ton of subsidies toward limp batteries for researchs and for commercialization, this is a dramatic mistake impeding real progress for cheap efficient low polluting transport.
Gor, aside from the obvious nonsense you are spewing about BEVs:
Why on Earth do you think the natgas is any better as a long-term transportation fuel solution than oil/gas itself?
It burns cleaner but that's about it. It is lower-polluting than gas but it is nowhere compared to batteries charged with renewable generators. Not even in sight.
Here in the EU, you cannot even go into a closed-air garage with a natgas vehicle which in itself is a nonstarter for a lot of people.
Natgas is extremely expensive here in the EU and since it is coming from the Russians it is a big strain on the economies of natgas-dependent countries. Fracking is mostly not possible here, and it already being banned by the most advanced/responsible countries (e.g.: France). Bio-natgas is as expensive as fossil nat-gas and it is not obvious how it will get drastically cheaper as it requires fairly complex machinery and supply chain.
Fossil natgas is a non-starter anyways since it is a greenhouse gas. You have to be some GW-denialist fool to even consider it as anything more than a transitional fuel until batteries, fual-cells and possibly bio-natgas gets cheap enough.
Fossil NG burns about 25% cleaner than coal in large power plants. In ground vehicles it probably does much worse due to other power train and ICE losses.
BEVs and FCEVs are probably the best final solutions for cars and heavy vehicles. Both technologies have pros and cons but are better and cleaner than gas, diesel and NG.
HEVs and PHEVs are good interim solutions but will be obsolete by 2020-2030.
A little late into the forum but quite happy to see our paper being featured in the discussion! Just to clarify a couple of points...
>> How long will it take for the process to be mass produced?
HarveyD (and others who have this question), I am not completely sure of that myself but I can say we have covered at least 60% of the journey. Scaling a nano-material to power an actual device is unimaginably challenging. The electrodes when I first started out had a mass loading of 0.05 mg/cm2 (3 years back), now they are at 3 mg/cm2... The goal here is at least 5 mg/cm2 so yeah, we are getting there slowly but surely. The exact time? Well, some days I wake up and think, "Yeah 2018 it is" and on other days I just go "Well, hopefully by 2020"!
How expensive would it be? We do eliminate cobalt, aluminum, nickel and the whole copper current collector alright but we do use graphite oxide... Today, you don't get graphite oxide in bulk qualities like you get graphite. To make a million batteries with the resources that are there today, I wouldn't be too happy with the pricing of our technology at this stage. But then again, this is true for any new technology and it then depends on economies of scale to bring down the prices.
Gor, I am not sure what makes you think an all-battery EV is not feasible. If you think there are commercial/economic/infrastructure-based challenges to implementation, yes of course there are and no one's denying that. It is still early stage after all (you may want to read about Tesla's coast-to-coast charging stations to get an idea of what the industry is doing to address those gaps). But if you think there is a fundamental flaw in the technology, feel free to ask me and I will try my best to give a non-biased response.
Out of 8 listed scientists/inventors, judging by names, 6 are from India, one from Turkey (Osman Eksik), one from China (Junwen Li).
It has become more rule than exception that foreign graduates form over 60% of listed scientists, at least in articles here at GCC.
Perhaps this battery could be called "Indian battery".
All licencing fees would probably go to US based Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. How fair is that?
HarveyD, graphite oxide is costly because graphite manufacturers/suppliers do not produce graphite oxide in bulk quantities yet (there is not much demand apart from R&D as of now). It's a similar trend that you would see in IC devices for example, starting from 1980s to present day... the price declines as the demand goes up and there are more and more manufacturers moving in to increase through-put. Having said that, to answer your exact question, "could another material be used?", the answer is probably not if we are targeting an all-carbon battery capable of an energy density of 600+ Wh/kg and a power density of 30 kW/kg (by the way, that's the power density we can achieve... didn't find it mentioned in this article... it was actually an earlier study by our group that came out in 2012). Keeping the composition constrained to carbon will possibly be the key to substantially reducing the cost when the tech is finally commercialized.
@Rahul, Thanks so much for taking the time to join in and answer a few questions! It's always good to see someone on the inside get involved with real information vs. our fun speculating LOL
I'm glad you mentioned the power density. 30kW/kg is outstanding, but with the cycle life you're achieving I suspected it would be pretty high...just not that great.
Good luck in your work.
"The first practical lithium (Li) battery was developed as far back as 1976 by Exxon, using TiS2 as the anode and bare lithium metal as the cathode. "
The original research (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/192/4244/1126.full.pdf , http://authors.library.caltech.edu/5456/1/hrst.mit.edu/hrs/materials/public/Whittingham/Whit_publs/Whit_Science_1974.htm) talked about TiS2 cathode and bare Lithium anode.
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"PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR PRODUCTS IS MADE FROM IMPORTED African GHANA TEAK WOOD, DO NOT GET FOOLED BY OTHER COMPANIES WHO PROVIDE SIMILAR DESIGN TEMPLES AT CHEAP PRICE TEMPLES WHICH ARE MADE FROM LOCAL SOLID WOOD OR MANGO WOOD OR SHESHAM, these wood are not for carving purcpose. FOR SUCH HEAVY CARVING ONLY Ghana TEAK WOOD MUST BE USED OTHERWISE there will be cracks on temple when weather changes".


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We've discovered an illustration-filled guide to comic book scriptwriting over at Five Sprockets. If you are writing a comic book script this month, check it out for inspiration and guidance.
Here's more from the site: "unlike screenwriting where generally accepted formatting guidelines are largely agreed upon (some may argue this), scriptwriting for comic books has no such generally accepted standards. Publishing houses like Dark Horse and Marvel have put forth script-submission guidelines, but they are all different. There are, however, some generally accepted elements common throughout, such as pages, panels, captions, balloons, and sound effects."
To help all the aspiring screenwriters, comic book writers, and playwrights participating in the Script Frenzy writing marathon, we will feature a new script writing tool or tip every day this month. Read all the advice at this link.


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You Tube
September 9, 2008
The 11th of September this year is the seventh anniversary of 9/11, and seven years is too long to be silent. Seven years of war, seven years of occupation, seven years of sitting and watching as our civil liberties disappear over the horizon; seven long years. Long enough for the powers that be to grow in confidence and accelerate their agenda, but long enough for the awakening we see all around us and within us to take shape. The time for action is now.
No more apathy, no more inaction, no more "I'll do it tomorrow", no more "what can I do?".
On the 11th of September this year We Are Change UK and Truth Action London will be holding a protest outside the US Embassy in London. We will embody the traits we are striving to create in the world around us: peace, compassion, consideration and love.
Meanwhile, concerned citizens will march on Ottawa to demand 9/11 truth and an end to the War on Terror.
Others throughout the United States and the rest of the world will remember the victims of 9/11 while also exposing the real perpetrators and demanding that justice be done.


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Tell us which room in your home you'd like to transform, and how you'd do it, and you could be in with a chance of winning £2,500 worth of tools, materials and expert tradesman advice…' said Tots100.
Home Improvement fantasist that I am, my immediate reaction was, "Which room? ALL OF THEM!"
But then I thought for a bit. And I thought some more. And I thought of the places in our house where £2500 would be a drop in the ocean (sob), and I thought of places in our house where it could make a really massive difference. So I decided to blog about what I would do to our bedroom, were I to be fortunate enough to do it up.
Here goes….
Here's our room as it is currently. There are too many things wrong with this picture for me to point all of them out (after all, you have eyes of your own). On a macro level, the room needs decorating, and it needs new flooring.
It has beautiful original coving, and a fabulous bay window which is currently obscured by our heated airer (which I do love, by the way, but not quite enough to keep it in our bedroom in pride of place as a design feature) and also by some of the cheapest, most sorry, hideous, thin, tiny excuses for curtains you ever saw. I don't know if they were badly made to measure, or if it's just luck of some terrible kind, but the material o-n-l-y j-u-s-t covers up the window panes, meaning that pulling the curtains is a delicate trick, involving pulling the fabric gently one way and then the other ad infinitum. We have been meaning to get 'nice' curtains for this room since we moved in. But we keep being distracted by things like new babies. And a new roof.
I mentioned in my last post that the radiator needs moving. Here's why. The wardrobes are currently clustered around the window, blocking out loads of light. If the radiator (just seen, on the left here) was moved to beside our bed, it would be warmer at night, the wardrobes could move to the opposite wall, and the whole room would start to make more sense, and would be much lighter to boot. The boxes of stuff, needless to say, are also not a permanent feature. I also have to confess that they're not something which a lack of cash is preventing us from sorting out. In fact, part of the reason for posting them here is to shame myself, or perhaps more realistically at 38 weeks pregnant, to shame Oli, into sorting some of them out…
So there you have it. In my defence, not all of it is awful. For one thing, I aim to sound lucky rather than smug when I say it is a big old room with loads of space and light. And of the things already in it, lots can stay. Our lovely bed, for example. Particularly when it's made up with my our beautiful 1000 thread count white bed linen. I bought the bedding (not pictured here – was in the wash) after finding a link on Mumsnet where it was on sale. Sleeping in it, to pinch India Knight's phrase, is exactly like being 'borne aloft by the hands of the heavenly host'. The only downside is it's so thick and silky that it makes sleeping on anything else feel like being wrapped in hessian….
Of course, being a 'one bit at a time' kind of home improver, there are some other little bits that make me smile rather than groan when I see them. The lovely sun mirror hanging over our bed. The various hooks I have put up to manage my jewellery and scarves. The sun clock that we found in Dunelm Mill. The 'hangy things' (excuse my technical term) that my sister bought me for my birthday, which hang in a beautiful if slightly frivolous way above the light switch. Similarly, our bedside tables, along with our bedside lamps, although certainly cheap, are still lovely. I will allow them all space in my dream room. Along with the wardrobes.
But as for the rest of it, the picture below is rather more what I had in mind:
(See end of post for full image credits.)
Which is to say: wooden floor, soft neutral walls, deep navy / teal feature wall, faux-fur and knitted textured throws and cushions heaped up luxuriously on my beautiful bedding, cosy reading nook with armchair and lamp, family photos and artwork, damask-style rug. *happy sigh*
I have had all these ideas in my head for ages, and this competition prompted me to put them all in one place. I am ludicrously happy that I did so. Even the nagging knowledge of how long it might be before our bedroom actually looks like this (which is to say, FOREVER) can't shift the little moment of pleasure that just looking at the picture gives me. I made this with Olioboard, a website that I pinned a while ago thinking it looked promising. Allow me to confirm that if you are a visual person, and don't mind fiddling about with pictures a bit, and are into designing fantasy rooms (just me?!) then it might just be your technological spiritual home.
I have been long been dreaming of an armchair in the bay window, with an arc lamp over it, where one could sit and read, and enjoy the light. Similarly, I have been hoping for hard floors in our room as a means of helping out poor Oli with his allergies. (Or perhaps, as a means of reducing Oli's snoring, and therefore increasing my own restedness, cheerfulness and happiness. Ahem.) The strip of pattern down the left hand side is the fabric that I would use for curtains. And I solemnly promise that I would BURN the current curtains, and furthermore would laugh whilst I did it. The Ikea light fitting is slightly enormous and funky, and would cast amazing flowery shadows all over the room. The personalised destination blind prints might be getting slightly hackneyed now, but I absolutely adore them, and always have done, and am a firm believer that interior decoration should be about combining things you love, rather than worrying overmuch what's fashionable or current or – heavens – slightly passé. I think it would all go very nicely with the items I highlighted above (sun mirror, hangy things, et al) which would help the room to look more like a much-loved bedroom and not like a page torn from a catalogue.
But this picture at its heart represents not only the end of lots of aesthetic imagining, but also much more than that.
It is in fact the Bedroom of Dreams. 'If you build it, they will come'.
I know it is a ridiculous fantasy to harbour, but these are the things that part of me TRULY BELIEVES will come to pass if our bedroom ends up looking a little more like the one above, and a little less like the first picture in this post:
1. Upon being brought home into such a soothing atmosphere, third baby will immediately become one of Those Babies that Other People Have, napping beautifully in the day, and sleeping peacefully at night. I will become one of Those Annoying Women who says, incredulously, "She just slept through from a few weeks old!" Everyone will hate me, but I won't care because I will be so fabulously well-rested.
2. I will inexplicably but immediately find I have lots of spare time which I can spend lounging on the beautiful grey armchair above. Probably flanked by fresh flowers in a vase, and drinking herbal tea (which, truthfully, I've never been a massive fan of). I will sit peacefully, sipping my fennel tea, leafing languidly through copies of stylish magazines and piles of improving books.
3. Once the wardrobes are moved to their proper place, some magical feat of feng shui will mean that all the clutter from the room is banished, and will never return. I will sort out all of my clothes and end up with the kind of painstakingly edited capsule wardrobe that magazines always recommend: a small number of quality 'pieces' that will last a long time, augmented by a carefully chosen small number of fashion items to bring me up to date. And I will never shamble out of the house on the school run covered in milk / other people's Weetabix / worse again.
4. I will start exercising regularly. I can explain this one even less adequately than I can the others. I just think this looks to me like the bedroom of the kind of together person who exercises regularly. Not the kind of person who means to exercise regularly but keeps
eating Galaxy having babies instead.
I don't think all that is too much to ask of one room makeover, do you?
So there you have it. The neutral / teal Bedroom of Dreams. Pick me, Tots100! Pick me!
Image credits:
Moodboard created on www.olioboard.com and published online here.
Paint colours: Dulux Just Walnut, Farrow and Ball Drawing room blue
Armchair: The Strandmon Wing chair from Ikea
Cushion: tableclothshop
Floor lamp: Large Bow lamp from www.made.com
Curtain fabric: Copacabana, Indigo from John Lewis
'Where there is love, there is no darkness' lasercut: Julene on Etsy
Personalised destination print:by Betsy Benn from notonthehighstreet.com
Selection of black and white photos: image from Tidbits from the Tremaynes
Bedside table: that would be one of mine
Bedding: Faux fur throw, faux fur cushions and knitted cushions from the White Company (image of bedding here).
Clock: Metal Daisy Clock from Dunelm Mill
Rug: Alexa pino damask rug from overstock.com


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Square Handle PU Leather Tote Bag
Unfortunately this product is out of stock!
Style: Fashion
Gender: For Women
Pattern Type: Solid
Handbag Size: Small(20-30cm)
Closure Type: Magnetic Closure
Interior: Interior Zipper Pocket
Occasion: Versatile
Main Material: PU
Weight: 0.6000kg
Size(CM)(L*W*H): 24*12*26
Package Contents: 1 x Tote Bag
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text: February 18, 2014 SHARE NFL Superstar Talks WWE Washington Redskins Quarterback Robert Griffin III opened up about his love for the WWE on Twitter last night. Below are tweets about his opinions on the WWE Network, his favorite wrestler and Ultimate Warrior. Big @WWE fan growing up. Looking forward to checking out @WWENetwork when it launches on Feb 24! #WWENetwork — Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 17, 2014 "@meka_2389: @RGIII who was ur favorite wrestler ??" @ShawnMichaels @Goldberg and @TheRock — Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 17, 2014 "@aidansdaddy619: @RGIII Did you like the Ultimate Warrior?" Oh yes sir He was before my time, dad talked about him a bunch — Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 18, 2014 John Cena was the winner of the Rumble Royalty award last night at the Cartoon Network's Hall of Game Awards. He beat out The Miz, Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton. SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER Exclusive: Vince McMahon & Triple H's Backstage Reaction to Titus O'Neil's Raw Promo, Note on Titus' Future TNA Switching Soundstages in Orlando For Tapings, Most Dangerous Chamber Participant John Cenanflrobert-griffin-iiiWWE Have a news tip? Attended an event and want to send a live report? Submit it now!


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The Son That Former NFL Player Rae Carruth Tried To Kill Turns 18, Still Suffering From Permanent Brain Damage
The former wide receiver, who plotted the murder of his ex, Cherica Adams, is scheduled to be released from prison soon.
Tupac may not be hiding out south of the border, but thanks to a never-ending slate of fresh projects, the hip-hop legend never dies. According to new reports, director Antoine Fuqua is making progress with a planned biopic of the rapper, whose unsolved murder will mark its 15th anniversary this year.
Fuqua, who directed Denzel Washington in his Academy Award winning performance for Training Day, has previously stated that he wants a fresh face for the high profile roll, with a few marquee names to round out the cast.
"I want to discover someone new," Fuqua said. "I want to discover a lot of new people, if I can. Obviously I'm going to have to put some people in it that you know, just because actors have different skills. I want to go to the streets and find him anywhere he might be in the world."
The movie, which takes place on the day of Tupac's murder (when he was only 25) and looks back at his life, is to be scripted by Academy Award-winning screenwriters Steven J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson, who previously penned the biopics Ali and Nixon.
Shooting is expected to begin in April in Los Angeles. Here is a brand new official synopsis, followed by a few key character descriptions:
Seen from the ages of 17 to 25. An extraordinarily talented rapper, poet, musician and actor, he grows up in the Druid Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, where he attends the School of the Arts. He stands out among his classmates as a force to watch. Tupac grows up without a father, and his mother — once a proud member of the Black Panthers — struggles with crack addiction. He escapes to California with virtually nothing to his name but his beloved composition book. Well-read and intense, Tupac initially sees himself as a truth-bringer, and he wants to change the world with his music and message. As his star rises, and he finds fame in music and film, his priorities change. He grows increasingly angry and paranoid. An attempt on his life and a stint in prison alter his personality further until he fully embraces the Death Row label and all it respresents. Still, before his death in 1996, Tupac's on the verge of another resurrection — of his music and his soul. In his rapper persona he's a thug: tough, defiant, confident, tattooed and ripped, "pure energy, frenetic, propulsive, irresistible." But in his personal life, especially around women like actress Jada Pinkett and Kidada Jones (daughter of music legend Quincy Jones), he can be pensive, thoughtful and vulnerable…
In his early 30s, he is an enormous, intimidating, larger-than-life man with a stone countenance— never seen without his jewel-encrusted Death Row medallion or his thuggish bodyguards (all of whom are members of the Bloods). He's the CEO of Death Row Records. At times, Suge's a fearsome figure. At other times, he's a paternal, calming presence. Suge is proud of his authentic history; he grew up in Compton and built his label with his own hands, without any help from anyone. He believes that he and Tupac are kindred spirits, and he tries to lure Tupac away from Interscope. Suge gets his chance when he bails Tupac out of prison. Their legendary contract is signed on a napkin…
Seen from her early 30′s – 40′s, Tupac's mother, a strung-out wraith emaciated by crack, she's struggling to raise three kids on her own in the ghetto. Afeni was once a proud, dignified member of the Black Panthers. Arrested for supposedly participating in a terrorist conspiracy, she stood up to her accusers in court, eloquently refuted their claims, and won. Her legacy is something that young Tupac wishes to emulate, so her fall from grace is tough on him. After her son leaves Baltimore and becomes a star, Afeni manages to clean up her act, and by the time Tupac is facing a prison sentence of his own, Afeni is there to support him as a strong, healthy woman again…
Long before she met and married Will Smith, Jada Pinkett was a classmate of Tupac's at the Baltimore School of the Arts. A regal, stunning young woman (seen from the age of 17 to early 20s), she puts Tupac in his place for altering some of Hamlet's lines in a school production. She encourages and supports his poetry, and tells him he was put on Earth to change things. Their important friendship continues throughout Tupac's rise and fall; she visits him in prison and later urges him to apologize to Quincy Jones and his family for offensive remarks he made. She's concerned that Tupac has changed too much from the boy she used to know…
The former wide receiver, who plotted the murder of his ex, Cherica Adams, is scheduled to be released from prison soon.
Each of the men could be served a life sentence in prison.
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You probably have heard about the "Fire Sather" Rally scheduled for Sunday, March 7th on the steps of MSG. There is now a petition online for disgruntled Rangers fans to sign, to voice their displeasure for the way the Rangers have not only performed this season, but for more than a decade. Here is the contents of the petition:
Dear James Dolan,Sign the "Fire Sather" Petition (takes literally 2 seconds)
For the past 10 years, loyal Rangers fans around the world have watched our beloved team go nowhere due to the leadership of the clubs President and General Manager, Glen Sather. Our franchise has been in a state of disarray for 10+ years, and there is no end in sight. This here petition is being signed by Rangers fans around the globe who are asking you to remove Mr. Sather from his job, and to replace him with someone who will restore our hockey club to the top of the NHL with hopes that we will become Stanley Cup Champions. This petition is being signed by people who want Glen Sather removed whether they are attending the rally March 7th outside Madison Square Garden or not. Remove him please James!
Yours Truly,
Loyal Rangers fans around the globe.


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Rutgers' Kia Vaughn & Duke's Abby Waner Selected In 2009 WNBA Draft
Vaughn, a Bronx, NY native, recently completed her collegiate career as a Scarlet Knight averaging 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. This season she became the schools all-time leader in games played with 135 and led Rutgers to a Sweet 16 bid in the NCAA Tournament. Vaughn will graduate ranked second in all-time rebounds (1,079) and blocked shots (279).
While at Duke, Waner averaged 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game for her career. She will graduate as the schools all-time leader in three-point field goals for a career (222) and for a season (68).
With the selections of Vaughn as our first pick and Waner in the second round, we are adding a combination of size and depth to our roster, which will help the Libertys pursuit of a WNBA championship, said Blazejowski. We look forward to welcoming them to training camp and starting the 2009 season.
New York City will be able to catch the Liberty and its newest additions in action when the pre-season opens on Thursday, May 21 with a matinee matchup at 11:00 a.m. against the Washington Mystics at Madison Square Garden. The Liberty will officially tip-off the regular season at The Garden on Sunday, June 7 at 4:00 p.m. against the Connecticut Sun.
Individual game tickets for the 2009 Liberty regular season are available for purchase beginning today at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, NYLiberty.com, by phone at (877) WNBA-TIX and all Ticketmaster outlets.


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Gosselin: Jason Garrett running offense like it's the 90's -- and it's paying off
DeMarco Murray's emergence has Cowboys leading with the run
ARLINGTON — DeMarco Murray is opening the eyes of the NFL.
Also the eyes of his head coach.
With Murray taking the handoffs from Tony Romo, the running game has become a viable first option for the Cowboys, and they used him in that capacity extensively Sunday. His 135 yards rushing powered the Cowboys to a 44-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills in a game plan swiped from the franchise's Super Bowl era.
Football is a game of tendencies. Teams become predictable offensively based on down and distance. On first down, the Cowboys like to throw the football. Opponents realize that and stack their defenses to account for Romo's arm.
Through the first half of the season, only five NFL teams ran the ball fewer times than the Cowboys on first down. Jason Garrett called only 105 such handoffs through the first eight games. That was a far cry from the league-leading 158 first-down handoffs by the Houston Texans.
Like the Cowboys, the Texans have a Pro Bowl quarterback. But that willingness to call handoffs and foster an offensive balance has allowed the Texans to sprint to the top of the AFC South standings with a 7-3 record.
But Garrett strayed from his play-calling tendencies against the Bills. The Cowboys had 29 first-down snaps in the game and ran the ball on 20 of them.
The Cowboys had the ball for 10 possessions in the game and Garrett called runs on the first play on seven of them. On two other possessions, he opened with screen passes to Murray.
So Garrett was putting the ball in the hands of the player rapidly emerging as his best offensive playmaker.
That's smart football. That's also winning football. That's how the Cowboys won Super Bowls in the 1990s — feeding the ball to Emmitt Smith.
The Cowboys rushed for 114 yards on those 20 first-down carries against the Bills — and that included the game-ending possession when backup quarterback Jon Kitna took a knee on the final first down.
The Cowboys averaged 5.7 yards per carry on first down. That kept them out of third-and-longs all afternoon. Success on first down makes life easier for your quarterback.
"If you can run the football, teams are more likely to play some run defense," Garrett said, "which gives you chances on the outside."
The Bills took the field Sunday with the mentality of stopping the rampaging Murray, who has rushed for 601 yards in four games as the team's feature back.
But when you focus on stopping the run, your safeties become more committed to tackling ball carriers than chasing wide receivers — and Romo promptly took advantage of the opportunities that afforded him on the outside.
The Cowboys jumped to a 21-0 lead on their first three possessions when Romo twice was able to isolate Buffalo cornerbacks in deep one-on-one coverage for long touchdowns — a 34-yarder to Dez Bryant over Leodis McKelvin and a 58-yarder to Laurent Robinson whizzing past Drayton Florence on a post route.
That start was vintage Cowboys — pass to get in front and then run to close out the victory. Smith feasted on second-half defenses on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Cowboys ran the ball on their final 13 offensive snaps on this day.
Philip Tanner also rushed 11 times — so Garrett stuck with his commitment to the run even when Murray was standing next to him on the sideline. The 35 runs were a season high, allowing the Cowboys to control the clock for almost 35 minutes. That kept the defense fresh and productive.
Smith taught this owner and this head coach that good things happen when you can run the ball. Garrett and Jerry Jones are rediscovering that with Murray.
On a roll
After rushing for 135 yards Sunday against the Bills, rookie running back DeMarco Murray has the best four-game stretch in Cowboys history. It is also the fifth best rookie stretch over four games:
Mike Anderson
Adrian Peterson
Mike Anderson
Eric Dickerson
LA Rams
DeMarco Murray


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Annual Memorial Day trap shoot at BCSC Monday
If you're a shooter the place for you this weekend is the Becker County Sportsmen's Club trap range east of town on Highway 10. Trap shooters from many towns are here for the 31st. Annual trap shoot. An exciting, colorful affair, there's money and trophies to be won here. Free hors'd oeuvres on Saturday evening, lunch counter and refreshments available. You should come out!
In today's sophisticated way of doing things, the clay birds are flung at high speed by an automated electric machine called the PAT trap. The club has five of these. Your target is instantly and reliably released by a microphone placed near your shooting station. You call "pull" or some other command and a claybird appears. Take 'em! Its great fun to watch, even more fun to join in.
You'll receive a gold dollar (Franklin Pierce) if you shoot 25 straight, and there'll be lots of them this weekend. You can also have a peek at shotguns costing $12,000 or more. The gun racks will be full of them.
Are handguns your thing?
The shotgun and trap shooting has long been the principal shooting activity of Becker County Sportsman. But a group in the club likes pistols and revolvers.
The men do not have regular meeting nights, but there are evenings in the beginning of the week when they'll gather together their paraphernalia and punch some holes in paper targets. If you like handguns, they invite you to join them.
Among them are persons you know, including Howard Fredine, William Bondy, Dave Friedl, Arnold Larson, Joel Wambach and Brian Mrnak. Rimfire and center fire guns are in use.
No increase in fishing license
A proposal that was a part of the DNR Game & Fish Bill called for a $4 increase in the cost of a resident fishing license. This was removed at the last minute before the bill came up for vote. So, there'll be no increase next year, but the idea is very much alive. It is likely that the increase will again be written into future legislation.
Winchester's new line of firearms
Any of you readers would have been thrilled to the experience a morning that I enjoyed recently. I was browsing at a large gun store at St. Paul, when a representative of Winchester Repeating Arms opened up a semi cargo van and displayed all of the current line of Winchesters. One could handle the guns. This was at an outdoor parking lot. I saw all of the Model 70 rifles, a pair of very fancy Model 94 carbines fancy like never before. A pair of old Model 1895 and 1886 long lever guns in calibers such as 405 Winchester, 45/70, and, get this, 30-40 Krag the Danish army caliber.
The Super X shotguns are now the S3 puns. There were nine different styles of finish among these, from dull black polymer, to standard varnish and camo.
All of them were in the best grades, and of course, they were costly. A Model 70 rifle lists at $1,279, as the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
A number of Belgian made Model 101 over-under shotguns were available. All styles of finish were available here too, at about $2,200 per copy. Winchester certainly has reversed itself and is now marketing excellent guns that any of us would be proud to have in our gun racks. If cost is of no concern, you can find what you want in the new Winchesters.
Nature's time for replenishment
May and June are busy times for nature, as it takes on reproduction of all species. The brown hen incubates a clutch of eggs in the safety and concealment of a farmer's alfalfa field, or in a weedy ditch of a rural highway. The mourning dove nests in the thick branches of an evergreen tree in town or in a remote area. Tree squirrels and cottontail rabbits multiply in the gardens or the trees in towns and villages.
In the case of most birds the male stands guard while the hen scrapes out a shallow trench in a clump of vegetation. Chicks are soon born and are incubated in a short time. Mortality rates are high. Predators including the red fox find the nest and destroy it, or inclement weather chills the young chicks before they are hardy.
A host of carnivores, and poisoning by pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides kills many. About 80 percent of the eggs hatched but the chicks die for these or other reasons, including birds of prey like hawks or owls.
The surviving birds mature quickly, and by September or October represent about a quarter of those in the original nest. Now the birds are large and quick enough to take flight if some predator, farm dog or cat sees them. Yet, somehow, tens of thousands of ruffed grouse, pheasants and sharptails reach adulthood.
Waterfowl invade the deepest part of a marsh and bring off broods. Teal, mallards, gadwalls and mallards multiply. Predatory animals here are raccoon, skunk, badger and again the hawks and owls. Wood ducks multiply quite easily nowadays due to the nesting boxes that sportsmen have generously provided.
The tiny woodies fly down from very high heights, in some cases. They leave the nest at the mother's urging. Once on the ground, she will gather them together in a compact brood and lead them to water.
The larger animals, too, like the deer reproduce in early spring and mature in the summer months. A sad fact remains in that deer are killed by collisions with cars. These animals have different predators from our birds and we can do little about them.


text: If u guys want a full screen effect that way the status bar if gone simple do this: - First if u haven't already, download launcher pro - Next go to any of your dock icons and long press it - When it asks, click on the swipe gesture action - Go ahead and choose hide status bar Thats it. Gives u your full 4 inch display. Enjoy!!!! Update: this is only good until you open up an app.


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Here at Review Centre we work hard to make sure we are the best place on the internet for honest, unbiased consumer reviews - we are grateful for your help in keeping us that way!
Written on: 04/07/2013
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A couple of weeks ago I called the tablet computer the gift that keeps on giving, and some Black Friday numbers out from I.B.M. confirm just how important the tablet is becoming for retailers.
Highlights of an I.B.M. Digital Analytics Benchmark include some familiar figures about the growth in online shopping: Black Friday sales online were up 20.7 percent over last year. Sales on mobile devices, I.B.M. says, accounted for 16.3 percent of online sales even though they've only been part of the shopping equation for a relatively short time. Tablets have only been a factor for a few years, but according to I.B.M., on Black Friday they were behind 41.4 percent of sales made on mobile devices.
Predictably, Apple's iPad dominates with 88.3 percent of tablet sales. Nook came in with 3.1 percent, Kindle, 2.4 and the Galaxy tablet 1.8. Others had 4.4 percent. In a report titled "The iPad Factor," I.B.M. said, "The [Apple] iPad generated more traffic than any other tablet or smartphone, reaching nearly 10 percent of online shopping. This was followed by iPhone at 8.7 percent and [Google] Android 5.5 percent."
That's from an All Things D story that said, "And, over at eBay and its PayPal unit — which spewed out all kinds of data on mobile transactions that showed volume was between two and three times greater, mostly on Apple devices — the company noted that one of its bestselling items on Black Friday was the iPad 2, selling 250 per hour from 12 am to 8 am PT."
Again, the tablet really is the gift that keeps on giving. More tablets in more hands opens up a potentially vital channel for retailers. Notre Dame business professor Tonya Bradford offered this for an InformationWeek report: "To remain relevant, retailers must find opportunities to participate in holiday rituals in ways that aid consumers' attainment of the holidays they imagine — enjoying time with family and shopping when convenient. Technology provides more opportunities for retailers to create these experiences for consumers through their mobile computing devices."
In that story Jay Henderson, strategy Director for IBM Smarter Commerce, summed up the holiday weekend this way: "This year's holiday shopper was hungry for great deals and retailers didn't disappoint, rolling out compelling offers which consumers gobbled up on Thanksgiving straight through Black Friday. The big winners were chief marketing officers who used technology to deliver customer experiences that not only connected shoppers with personalized deals but did so at the right touchpoint and at precisely the right time and place, whether on their couch or the store floor."
I would agree with all that, though I would argue that the big winners have been and will continue to be consumers.
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Five years ago, Mary Zimmerman's Metropolitan Opera production of La Sonnambula was booed; now it seems harmless, though still thought-provoking, with the superb Diana Damrau and breakout star tenor Javier Camarena spearheading a detailed, energetic and convincing performance (seen Mar. 14), in spite of Marco Armiliato's unsteady leadership. In place of the tight-knit Swiss village of the original, there's an opera company rehearsing Bellini's semi-serious opera, and the two lead singers (Amina and Elvino) get engaged in front of a cast and crew who are just as nosy as the cowherd down the Alpine slope.
Daniel Ostling's set faithfully recreates a downtown rehearsal space, where theater and reality, performance and subconscious merge in Zimmerman's intriguing concept. It's fun to see individual characterizations from the excellent Met chorus in backstage mode as the simple story gets a fresh boost (with a huge wall clock and T. J. Gerckens's masterful lighting tracing the workday), but many of the real-life parallels don't work, and the manic paper-tearing fit that ends Act I remains exasperating.
In Zimmerman's production, the "Count" of the village is a veteran actor working with a B-level troupe and has to sleep in the rehearsal room, where the chorus, on a 7 A.M. rehearsal call (clearly a non-union gig), discovers Amina in his bed, provoking the jealous Elvino to call off the wedding. When Amina later sleepwalks in front of the entire cast and is seen through the loft windows out on a ledge, all is forgiven, and Zimmerman's adorably kitschy finale gives off a fake showbiz smile that reflects Bellini's sudden happy ending. After all the squabbling, misunderstandings and psychological probing of the rehearsal period, the chorus, in dirndls and lederhosen, stands in straight lines while Damrau tosses off coloratura and cartwheels. It's almost as if Zimmerman were saying, "Did you want an entire evening of that?"
Complementing her nimble physicality, Damrau's singing is both sturdy and graceful, and she invests the sensitive Amina with a feisty charm, donning a rehearsal skirt, testing her new shoes with dance moves, and rejecting a shepherdess wig with a toss of her own blond ponytail. Her first sleepwalking entrance is down one of the Met's central aisles, a stunning effect in its vocal and theatrical vulnerability. But the real coup is Damrau's shimmering, fluid, achingly beautiful sound as she paints Amina's despair in the wistful "Ah! non credea mirarti" from a plank hovering over the orchestra pit.
After his impressive 2011 house debut in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Camarena is finally back, and one can only hope the Met has already snatched up his datebook. Here's a bold and fiery singer, with high notes to burn and a huge dynamic range he's not afraid to employ. "Tutto è sciolto," which earned the night's largest ovation, showed the Mexican tenor's winning and earnest delivery, with well-employed pianissimos and a genuine Italianate way of using words to sculpt the vocal line. And the pairing with Damrau was delicious, as they matched cadenzas, flexibility, expression and breath control, especially in the reconciliation duet "Son geloso del zefiro errante."
Michele Pertusi's dark timbre and suave phrasing highlighted the tender and protective side of the powerful Count Rodolfo, with an intriguing quiet presence.
Soprano Rachelle Durkin brought a high-strung gawkiness to the role of the hostess Lisa (here the company's stage manager), but it took her much of Act I to overcome shrill and unsteady singing. Jordan Bisch was suitably forlorn as her suitor Alessio, and Elizabeth Bishop's dramatically sure Teresa sounded richly resonant.
Send feedback to OPERA NEWS.


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Hogan's Heroes
Full Show Summary
Colonel Hogan leads a ragtag band of POW's caught behind German lines in this popular television comedy. The bumbling Germans give Hogan and his crew plenty of opportunities to sabotage their war efforts. Colonel Klink is more concerned with having everything run smoothly and avoiding any trouble with his superiors (especially anything that might result in his being reassigned and sent to the front) than with being tough on Hogan and his fellow prisoners.
Last Episode, 04 April 1971: Season 6, Episode 24: Rockets or Romance
- Episode Guide
- Cast
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With apologies to St. Andrews, which just might have better public relations, a pretty good case could be made for the hump of land on the the southern side of the Firth of Forth known as East Lothian being the true home of golf.
It, too, has its share of world-class links courses and roots to the beginnings of the game. Golf was played at Leith — now a city park in nearby Edinburgh — as far back as 1496.
Leith was the original home to The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, founded in 1744 and responsible for the first Rules of Golf, which numbered 13 then, and can argue was the first "golf club."
When Leith got too busy, the Honourable Company kept moving east, first to Musselburgh, which incorporated a horse-racing track and a golf course, and then to The Howes, another track, where they commissioned Old Tom Morris to design a golf course in 1891 which became Muirfield, the site of this year's British Open, according to the course's website.
So it is the year's third major that comes to an area anchored in the game's very beginnings and amid continuing debate over the rules of the game and the way it should be played.
Adam Scott, the winner of this year's Masters after a heartbreaking loss at last year's Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes where he bogeyed the last four holes and lost to Ernie Els, uses a long putter and the anchored putting technique which will now be banned as of 2016.
Els used a belly putter, anchored in his mid-section.
There's a touch of irony that one of the poster boys for the banning of the anchoring technique by the powers that be is Scott — and Els, for that matter — and they will be a couple of the favourites at this year's Open, so close to where the first Rules were conceived.
While Muirfield has been the stage for some of the greats of the game grabbing their share of Open glory — Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo (twice) and Els have all won here — the odds are, the way things have been going, we're going to see a first-time major winner come Sunday.
Tiger Woods, a three-time Open champion, has been installed as an 8-1 favourite ahead of Scott, struggling Rory McIlroy and U.S. Open champ Justin Rose, who are all at 20-1. Woods hasn't won a major since the U.S. Open in a playoff over Rocco Mediate on that broken leg and a knee that would require surgery (then he ran into that fire hydrant which unleashed a flood that swept away his former life).
There have been 20 majors since then with 18 different winners. Only Padraig Harrington (2008 British and PGA) and McIlroy (2011 U.S. Open and 2012 PGA) have been capable of winning multiple times in that span.
For 14 of those 18 winners, their victory represents their only win in a major — Harrington, McIlroy, Els and Phil Mickelson (2010 Masters) — are the only players in that span to have won more than one major in their careers.
We've had two more first-time major-winners this year in Scott at The Masters and Rose at the U.S. Open.
Woods is the favourite, but there are questions about the state of his elbow which he injured at the Players Championship and tweaked at the U.S. Open, causing him to miss his AT&T National tournament a couple of weeks ago.
"In a perfect world, I'm dancing right now and doing 360 dunks," Woods said at that time. "But that's not going to happen, so I would like to be 100%, but I don't know. It depends how the body heals and we'll see how it goes."
The winner will be tested on one of the top-10 courses in the world, a course Nicklaus called "the best in Britain," and backed up his opinion by naming his own signature creation after it, Muirfield Village in Ohio.
There's no question Muirfield has earned the respect and love of the best players in the world.
"I love the course," Els told pgatour.com. He won a four-man playoff the last time the tournament was played here in 2002 when a wicked storm rolled in and lashed part of the field out of competition on the Saturday. Woods was making a run, but was caught at the height of the storm and shot 81, his worst score as a pro.
"I think it's set up very similar to 1992 and 2002. The rough is good, the fairways are good, some of the holes have been lengthened," said Els.
McIlroy had quoted Els, whom he had run into a Wimbledon, as saying the rough was "waist high," but Els said it won't be that bad. "There is rough, don't get me wrong. But I don't think it's unfair. I think everyone will find a tough, fair layout.
"Your lines off the tee, you have be to very selective. The longer hitters can take holes on, or you can play it safe.
"There's a lot of doglegs. It has four of the best par-3s you'll see on linksland. It's a shot-maker's golf course. It's a thinking man's golf course."
In what might be the biggest compliment a golfer can pay to a course, Faldo, who will tee it up this week, has said of Muirfield: "I could play that golf course every day."
In the hunt for the Grand Slam after winning the Masters and the U.S. Open in 2002, Woods' chances were blown away in the third round of the British Open at Muirfield when a storm hit.
Woods was in the top 10 when the rain came in sideways and the temperature dropped. The conditions became what some players called the worst in which they have ever competed.
Woods wound up shooting an 81, his worst score as a pro.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Woods told CBSsports.com about returning to Muirfield. "I had a chance there. I had won the first two majors of that year, in '02. I was there in the hunt come Saturday and we had the storm of all storms, blowing. I have never played in conditions like that in my life.
"It was brutal, it was cold, it was windy. The rain was coming down sideways. We were all freezing. We were all caught off guard because it wasn't supposed to be like that. It was my only round that I had ever shot as a professional in the 80s was that day. It was a tough day for me. I just happened to catch the squall. It came through at the wrong time. It cost me the chance of winning three majors in a row."
Woods bounced back with a final round 65, but finished six shots back.
It was 27C here Friday and partly sunny. The long-range forecast for next week is for temperatures in the 20s with the chance of precipitation hovering around 50% for the week.


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JEFFERSON - Adam Reed didn't have his best day, but it was good enough to be the best in the Class AAA pole vault.
The Oconee County senior pole vaulted 14 feet, down 6 inches from last year when he finished second to former teammate Jordan Scott.
"It was probably one of my worst days," Reed said, "but I'll take a bad day and win over a good day and losing."
Oconee County coach Josh Mize said Reed persevered through inconsistencies in the past month.
"I know he wanted to have better jumps, but we're extremely excited about what he was able to accomplish," Mize said. "You know after your first jump what kind of day it's going to be, but he was able to clear enough."
Several Athens-area schools earned podium finishes in the pole vault.
Jefferson's John Sharpton won the Class A title by clearing 13 feet, and beating Athens Christian's Ben Moon by 6 inches.
Franklin County's Chez Maxwell took third in Class AAA, and Clarke Central's Dustin Collier was fourth and Robert Packer finished eighth in Class AAAA.
"A lot of coaches are realizing that's an area where you can score valuable points and are learning more about it," said Mize, whose Warriors have won five of the past six pole vaulting titles. "We got 18 points last year and wouldn't have finished second without them."
Sharpton, who moved to Jefferson from Dacula in eighth grade, said a friend at church predicted his title on Sunday.
"Joe Massey told me, 'If you win, it's going to be at 13 feet,' " Sharpton said. "It was great to do it here at Jefferson."
Another benefit was knowing of a swimming pool at a nearby residence.
"I'm going to try to find a pool and go swimming," Sharpton said. "It's too hot out here."
Martin due for a longer flight
Winder-Barrow senior and Troy University signee Mike Martin won the Class AAAA discus title with a heave of 160-8.
"Four years of hard work on weekends, spring break and in the summer finally paid off," Martin said. "I wanted to hit 170 feet, and thought it would take 165, but I'm happy to get the win."
He plans to relax on a school trip to France and Spain and work at a Christian camp this summer.
Wylie claims pair of titles
Dan Wylie knew his discus throw had the distance, he just didn't know if the discus would stay in bounds.
The Washington-Wilkes junior started talking to the disc.
"Get back in, get back in," he said.
It listened and landed less than a foot from out of bounds, and Wylie won the Class AA discus title with a mark of 164-11. He later won the shot put (53-9.50) title.
"The shot's easy to me," Wylie said. But sometimes I have trouble spinning on the discus).
Breakfast of champions?
Hart County's Jordan Jackson grabbed the Class AAA state title in the high jump (6-10) after grabbing three Krispy Kreme doughnuts to start the day.
Jackson, who won the event in West Virginia last year, claimed the school's first state track title and finished second in the long jump.
"I was kind of holding my breath, and my heart was thumping," Jackson said. "It's great to represent the school and myself. Hopefully it will give others something to strive for."
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So good to see you again. It looks like you have a list of places or activities you were interested in checking out. Want to have a look?View temporary itinerary
The 18th annual World Human Powered Speed Challenge will again be held in Battle Mountain, Sept 11-16, 2017, where the world's fastest bicycles will attempt to break the human powered land speed record.
Spectators are welcome to this event free of charge, with racing each morning from 7:00-10:00am and each evening from 6:00-7:00pm. A free spectator shuttle bus leaves the Battle Mountain Civic Center at 4:45pm and returns at 7:30pm. Bleachers are located at the timing traps for maximum speed thrills or, those curious about the riders and vehicles can watch the racers assisted from their fully enclosed speedbikes in the "catch" area. On-site parking is limited so if you don't get on the shuttle at the Civic Center or in the catch area you will have a short hike to get to the bleachers. Mornings and evenings can be cold, proper clothing and footwear for the desert is recommended.
The Civic Center will also host a "Show and Shine" on Tues Sept 12th from 12:00 – 2:00 for those who would like to see the bikes and meet the riders. Event T-shirts, hats and posters will be on sale. Drag races will be held in town Friday at 12:00 near the Battle Mountain High School. All comers are welcome to test their mettle against the world's fastest. The challenge is set against the forces of nature and the viscosity of the air itself.
The record to beat is an amazing 89.59 mph set by Todd Reichert in 2016 when 10 countries from around the globe came to compete.
Highway SR 305 just south of Battle Mountain possesses the unique traits necessary for these highly engineered bicycles to achieve top speeds. The high altitude and arrow straight section of pavement has drawn athletes worldwide to test their speedbike designs and sprinting abilities since 2000.
The thin air at 4,619 feet altitude reduces aerodynamic drag; coupled with the five-mile long acceleration zone, bikes can reach their maximum velocity before being timed over a 200-meter distance.
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I have only been on this site a few times . I am new to quilting .I am learning to quilt by way of our Church's Prayer Quilt ministry. My very first solo quilt was dedicated to a husband and wife missionary team this last Sunday. They will be taking ''My'' quilt with them when they go back to China .
I am thrilled that the Quilt team chose my quilt to give to these wonderfull people. I heard that the quilt matched their living room colors wonderfully . ... I had been thinking that the ''team'' maybe should have picked a ''better'' quilt that someone else made to give to them . .... I guess I was wrong..lol.....As my hunny said... God knew which Quilt to send..! ! !
I make ''man '' quilts ,most others like to work with the flowery material.
I want to make sure that the ministry is prepared in case we get a request for a quilt for a man.


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A motorist driving the wrong-way on a California desert interstate is dead after slamming head-on into a big-rig.
The trucker wasn't hurt, but his tractor-trailer rig carrying paper and electronic equipment caught fire.
The California Highway Patrol says the crash was reported just before 4 a.m. Tuesday in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 in the Coachella Valley community of Rancho Mirage.
Investigators say it's unclear how long the vehicle was traveling west in the eastbound lanes before the crash near Washington Street.
KNX radio in Los Angeles says the crash closed I-10 in both directions for hours, but travel was moving in both directions by 8 a.m.
Information from: KNX-AM, http://www.knx1070.com/


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The war on cancer is a tragedy. Billions upon billions of dollars are being spent to develop and apply treatments that are invasive, expensive, painful, often mutilating, and in many cases of little benefit.
"Meanwhile, most of us are unknowingly increasing the probability of cancer with our every meal. The more I've learned about diet and cancer, the more stunned I've been at our ignorance of their close relationship. We do not have to quake helplessly in the face of cancer, 'hoping' to escape its clutches.
"We do not have to sit by passively, watching our loved ones succumb to this disease. We do not have to spend our life savings, undergoing painful and devastating treatments that do little or no good. We are blessed now with the knowledge, which enables us to make clear, life-giving choices. We need only make them in time."


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With their expressive faces and soft, furry bodies, sea otters exude charisma. But when it comes to survival, cute and cuddly doesn't always cut it.
As few as 2,800 sea otters call California's waters home. The population descends from a single remaining colony of about 50 hidden amid the crags of Big Sur, out of sight from fur hunters who nearly wiped out the world's entire population by the early 1900s. Today they are at risk from pollution-caused disease, oil spills and fishing gear.
But even in such small numbers, these marine mustelids—related to weasels, ferrets and minks—have a profound influence on the marine ecosystem, keeping crucial kelp forests healthy by eating urchins that can overgraze. The otters' diverse diet includes clams, crabs and mussels, which they cleverly crack open with a rock—every otter keeps one tucked away in a chest pouch.
Unlike most of their blubbery brethren, sea otters have fur—the densest of any mammal at up to 1 million hairs per square inch—to keep the chilly waters at bay. Because they can't afford a bad hair day, much time is spent grooming their "do." If their fur becomes soiled, it's no longer waterproof and they can freeze to death. That's one reason oil spills are so lethal.
Despite these amazing adaptations, California sea otters still need our help to keep their heads above water—so they can frolic and we can be charmed throughout this century and into the next.


text: With Arrest, Blagojevich Joins Other Ill. Governors News & Features NPR · Dec 9, 2008 Listen Story audio Copyright 2017 NPR. Stay Informed The news on your schedule from MPR News Update Email Address* Zip Code MPR News Update AM MPR News Update PM See our Privacy Policy. Must be age 13.


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Quarterbacks: A
Not even an interception can lower this grade by Philip Rivers, as he found the right guy (Dante Rosario) at the right time. He did so despite getting sacked four times and being rushed on many other occasions. Three touchdown passes trump all that.
Running backs: B
Norv Turner went with the bruisers, and they left their share of marks on the Titans. Jackie Battle scored twice and averaged nearly 5 yards per rush. Le'Ron McClain ran for 19 yards on only two carries. Ronnie Brown was passed over, although he caught four passes for 26 yards.
Receivers: A
Didn't see any drops here; the officials spotted one on what appeared to be a Malcom Floyd touchdown reception. But on a day when Robert Meachem was blanked and Eddie Royal had just two catches, Rosario had three scoring grabs. Bet no one had him in their fantasy league.
Offensive line: B-
There was too much pressure on Rivers too often to ignore. But running holes were opened, and the big guys were able to rumble through them. While 148 rushing yards doesn't sound like much, it's light years from the 32 the Chargers gained in the season opener on Monday.
Defensive line: A
Turner awarded the game ball to this unit, and it was well deserved. Titans QB Jake Locker was the team's leading rusher with 21 yards, and much of that came from him scrambling for his health. The linemen's work didn't produce gaudy statistics, but helped the eight players behind them get theirs.
Linebackers: A
Shaun Phillips had pressure on Locker that resulted in an interception, and Donald Butler was more active in the Titans' backfield than RB Chris Johnson. Jarret Johnson and Takeo Spikes set the line in the sand against the run and Melvin Ingram, though quiet, did have a pass defended.
Secondary: A
Eric Weddle had an interception and pass defended; Antoine Cason had a team-high four tackles and broke up a pass, too. Quentin Jammer had an injured hand but contributed to the tight coverage that seldom gave Locker windows of opportunity.
Special teams : B
Richard Goodman had a nifty kickoff return for 37 yards. The coverage units showed a few shortcomings in allowing a 71-yard kick return and a punt to be brought back 16 yards. The kicking game was solid again with Nate Kaeding adding a field goal and Mike Scifres contributing a 62-yard punt.
Coaching: A
It's not easy during a short week to get ready for a team that's struggling to be competitive. But Turner's charges were plugged in, and his game plan didn't waver despite not having Antonio Gates. It looks like he found a running back in Battle, and wasn't shy about leaning on him in the second half. Defensively, the Titans never found a rhythm before beating it out of town.


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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It's anybody's Kentucky Derby, where there's no super horse, and superstar trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito are all absent for the first time since 1980.
The sad saga of last year's winner, Barbaro, looms large over the field of 20 3-year-olds, many of whom are defying tradition by running off long layoffs or after training on artificial surfaces.
Curlin is the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the $2 million race, having won all three career starts by a combined 28 1/2 lengths.
"There are expectations, but it comes from you," said Steve Asmussen, who also trains longshot Zanjero. "Pressure, I would think, is running one who isn't fast enough."
Street Sense, the 4-1 second choice, faces a double jinx at his hometown track. No Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner has returned to Churchill Downs in the spring to wear the blanket of roses in 23 tries; and no 2-year-old champion has won since Spectacular Bid did 28 years ago.
And trainer Todd Pletcher is counting on one of his five horses to improve his 0-for-14 Derby record.
Threatened thunderstorms could turn the dirt racing strip into a quagmire. Highs in the upper 70s are forecast, along with a 60 percent chance of rain, possibly as much as a quarter of an inch. At least the race's royal guest will feel at home.
Queen Elizabeth II, who owns racehorses, will stop off to watch her first Derby after a trip to Jamestown, Va., to celebrate the 400th anniversary of America's first permanent English settlement and just before a visit to the White House.
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Outside forces major factor for aquifer
Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District board of directors and staff far outnumbered the "crowd" at the district's annual stakeholder meeting Monday at the Milano Civic Center.
The board, its consultant and attorney, reviewed the district's efforts in relation to still-forming water law.
Last year's stakeholder meeting got plenty of attention when it was stated that the Simsboro aquifer would be drawn down 266 feet by the year 2060. Newer models now show that number at an average 300-foot drawdown 51 years from now.
Steve Young, hydrologist for URS who has worked with the district since 2004, said drawdown scenarios over the next 60 years are affected by entities outside our own water district.
"Some of the attention-getting numbers are affected by what is done in neighboring districts," Young said. "Also, historically, there was not nearly the pumping that is predicted for our aquifer."
POSGCD Manager Gary Westbrook said pumping could cease entirely in the POSGCD and we would still see over 200 feet of drawdown by 2060 because of what neighbors in the Brazos Valley and the Lost Pines GCD (Lee and Bastrop counties) are doing.
Districts have yet to come up with trigger points that could potentially curtail pumping once certain levels are reached. And state law has much left to work out as landowners, entrepreneurs and thirsty metropolitan areas jockey for future supplies.
"Groundwater law is very new," said POSGCD attorney Barney Knight. "The bottom line is that San Antonio, based on their current circumstances, will be out here wanting some more water."
Landowners such as Bill Graham of Milano, who did not attend but opined recently in The Reporter that the "deck was stacked for water profiteers."
Westbrook went over basics, such as the duties and powers of the district, aquifer formations, impact levels and production and drawdown criteria. He also touched on zones, production triggers, acreage and spacing considerations — all part of a maze of geology and still forming water law.
"Our district well database now has over 7,500 wells," Westbrook told visitors. "We adopted our 'desired future conditions' (DFCs) in 2005 and those are reviewed every five years.
"We realize our modeling needs improvements in regards to faults, more data, surface water-groundwater interaction and also recharge," Westbrook said.
Landowner Colleen Waring asked for clarification on desired future conditions and asked about predictions of aquifer drawdown a larger scale.
Board meeting
In the board's regular meeting, which followed the stakeholder's meeting, directors discussed the case of Stanley Budnik, who violated several state water laws and district regulations when selling land recently in cases in Burleson County and near Cameron.
Complaints stemmed from a landowner, who said Budnik sold subdivided land with unregistered, shallow wells, representing them as working wells. The board decided to let the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation take the lead in the case.


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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
TOMS / Yu HanThe holidays are about more than fancy presents. Any Christmas movie can tell you that random acts of kindness and spending time with loved ones are what matter most this season.
So is giving back. Dropping loose change into the Salvation Army's red kettles or donating an old coat is a great way to brighten up someone's season, and it feels good too.
This year, there are tons of awesome gifts that give a portion of their proceeds to charity, so you can kill two birds with one very philanthropic stone. Below, 16 presents the people on your list will love and you'll feel good about buying.
Having trouble figuring out what to get people for the holidays? You can check out all of Insider Picks' 2016 gift guides here.


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Steve Chiotakis: Well, this week, lawmakers are expected to introduce legislation that
would place federal scrutiny over a controversial drilling practice. The technique has up to now been exempt from U.S. government oversight, thanks to a law passed during the Bush administration. The oil industry says reversing it would add big fees and could very well affect exploration. From the Marketplace Sustainability Desk, here's Sam Eaton.
Sam Eaton: Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" as it's called in the industry, refers to the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into rock formations at extremely high pressures. The process creates thousands of cracks in the rock so hard-to-reach oil and gas reserves can flow to the surface.
But there's also the risk that the chemicals used, things like benzene and hydrochloric acid, could contaminate the ground water of nearby communities. Places like suburban Cleveland and Fort Worth, Texas. That's why lawmakers and environmentalists want fracking to be regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Bruce Baizel is with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project:
Bruce Baizel: If you have a water well, they don't really know where all these fractures or cracks are. They put these chemicals down there, and the next thing you know you may be seeing them in your water well.
But the oil industry says those fears are unfounded. It says states already regulate the process. And any federal oversight would be redundant, except for the additional costs it would impose on the industry.
I'm Sam Eaton for Marketplace.


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Brewers step up to plate with pink bats
Brewers step up to plate with pink bats
Swinging a specially designed pink bat as part of Major League Baseball's program to raise funds for breast cancer treatment and research, Rickie Weeks led off the bottom of the first inning on Sunday with a home run, and Jason Kendall smacked an RBI triple in the second with a bat of a similar hue. Three other members of the starting lineup -- Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy and past Mother's Day hero Bill Hall -- also went pink on Sunday.
But the Brewers' bats, pink and otherwise, went quiet after Kendall's hit. Hall, who doubled ahead of Kendall's triple, singled in the third inning for the Brewers' only other hit with a pink bat. Now, those bats are headed for MLB.com's auction house to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
"We're programmed to come here to the ballpark, put your glove on, put your spikes on and go play," Weeks said. "I think that, after the fact, when you sit down with your family, that's when you tend to go ahead and think about the cause."
Pink bats have become annual Mother's Day symbols as part of the "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" initiative by Major League Baseball that raises awareness about breast cancer and directs proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Fans play the next big role in this process, because attention will move now to the MLB.com Auction and the gradual arrival of game-used pink bats, home plates, logo bases and lineup cards. Fans also can purchase their own personalized "Mother's Day 2009" pink bats right now for $79.99 apiece at the MLB.com Shop, with $10 from the sale of each one going to the Komen foundation.
Brewers hitters have provided some dramatic moments with pink bats in previous seasons. Hall beat the Mets with a pink-bat home run in 2006 that later fetched $25,000 from Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio. He purchased the bat at auction so Hall could present it to his mom, Vergie, who was on hand again on Sunday. In 2008, Ryan Braun hit two home runs with a pink bat.
Weeks went 1-for-3 and walked twice with his pink bat on Sunday against the Cubs. Hall said he wished he could use it again this week when the Florida Marlins come to town.
"It felt good, obviously," Hall said. "I may try to use it on Tuesday."
The Brewers also featured Milwaukee's Jill Newman as an honorary bat girl on Sunday as part of another league-wide promotion to recognize fans who are going to bat against breast cancer in their lives. More than 1,000 fans submitted testimonials at MLB.com about how they are supporting the fight against breast cancer, and one winner was selected in each city.
Newman took part in pregame activities and received two tickets to the game and pink MLB merchandise.
"We are proud to honor these brave and inspiring people who are supporting the fight against breast cancer," Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said. "As a social institution, Major League Baseball is making every attempt to raise awareness about the disease while recognizing the men and women living with its effects. We salute the Honorary Bat Girls as they help us celebrate Mother's Day in this very special way."
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Two candidates are competing to represent Elyria's 4th Ward.
What are the biggest issues facing the city?
Rutherford: Job creation, safety and increasing the sense of community are the biggest issues facing our city today. Times are hard here in Elyria. We need new ideas and a new set of eyes on the issues that are facing us today.
Craig: Insufficient communications with the residents — the elected officials are out of touch with their constituents. Lack of economic development.
How do you plan to address them?
Rutherford: As for the issue of job creation, when the 2015 project came about, an idea came out of it called the small business incubator. The idea has so far continued to sit on that same piece of paper for the past two years. I want to start the small business incubator within the first six months of my first term. A small business incubator is a collection of resources to help aspiring entrepreneurs get on their way of starting a small business right here in Elyria. We have all the resources necessary to start this process, between the economic development director in City Hall, Main Street Elyria and the Entrepreneurial building at LCCC. Elyria should and will be at the forefront of green jobs, the latest technology front, which is currently being debated in other cities in Lorain County. We need to bring technology like this to Elyria. Increasing the income tax base brought by businesses will lessen the tax burden on our citizens.
The issue of community will be handled with a new look. I will organize, pay and encourage other city leaders to contribute to both a Small Business Appreciation Day and a Residential Appreciation Day. These events will be in a festival-like setting, where city leaders can show both the residents and small businesses that Elyria cares about them and wants businesses to move here and stay here. Increasing the sense of community, through active block watches, could also help reduce crime within the city.
On the matter of safety, as the small business incubator and other economic development improves, funds will be available to invest into our safety forces by means of training programs and new equipment for our forces. We are the county seat here in Lorain County, and we need to set the standard for other cities around by means of equipment and training. As for now, I will demand accountability and fiscal responsibility from all departments to ensure that all police and fire can be where they are needed most, which is on the front lines ready to help the residents.
Craig: I plan to continue the 4th Ward Information Web Site, maintain availability through e-mail, telephone and regular mail, host the 4th Ward Town Hall meetings on a semi-annual basis and followup on my referral to televise Council meetings.
It's time to continue to press the administration to establish goals for the economic development director and the city in general; continue to work with LCCA, Team Lorain County and the Lorain County Economic Development teams to find ways to improve the marketing of our city and to attract new business; to support changes in the Design Review process so that businesses will be more likely to come to Elyria with fewer subjective obstacles to overcome; to interface with businesses in my ward to improve delivery of their products and services to other city residents.
What makes you best suited for the job?
Rutherford: I have a great respect and admiration for our city. I moved to Elyria years ago because I loved coming here when I was growing up. Now as an adult, my wife Sandra and I are making Elyria our home and plan to soon raise a family here, and I want nothing but the best for my friends and neighbors here. I am a block watch captain for the Stoney Brook Block Watch and I run and operate a food drive that benefits the Salvation Army called the City Wide Food Drive. I have also in the past organized community awareness events like Take Back Elyria, which is a health and safety event where many different groups came together to train and educate residents on the best ways to protect themselves. Through these efforts in the past and my continued efforts in the future, I am sure that residents will vote for a fresh face and fresh ideas.
Craig: I solve problems for a living and have the professional training to do so. I talk with my residents constantly and I understand their problems and concerns because I have them, too. I am raising a family in Elyria and I understand what it means to sacrifice to make things better for other people. I bring experienced leadership to my position on City Council as a veteran, attorney, incumbent councilman, leader at my church and as a father.
Mark F. Craig
Age: 40
Party: Independent
Education: Juris doctorate, University of Akron School of Law; bachelor's of arts in English, Charleston Southern University
Family: Wife, Kristen, and five children, Sara, 18, Matt, 17, Kathryn, 15, Hope, 6, and Brendan, 3
Job history: U.S. Navy, ET1/SS nuclear reactor operator on fast-attack submarine USS San Juan from 1990 to 1998; regional customer service manager at AGA Gas from 1998 to 2002; attorney from 2002 to present; current 4th Ward councilman
Web site: www.markfcraig.com
Brandon Rutherford
Age: 28
Party: Democrat
Education: Attending Lorain County Community College; pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work
Family: Wife, Sandra, couple has two dogs
Job history: Works in retail management and sales
Web site: www.brandonrutherford.com