User talk:Tinab2c

Ernie Els worked harder than ever Sunday to win the CA Championship.

Two years without a victory — the longest drought of his career — and playing with all the pressure against a South African protege whom he helped groom for such a stage, Els played the final 23 holes without a bogey on the Blue Monster and closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory over Charl Schwartzel.

Els looked every bit like his nickname as he sauntered toward the 18th green, raising his cap to the crowd with an easy smile. It was as much relief as it was satisfaction.

He returned to among the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson He returned to among the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson Schwartzel, a houseguest of Els the last two weeks, caught a bad break on the 15th hole when his ball plugged in a front bunker, and he knocked that into a back bunker on his way to a crucial bogey. He missed short putts on the next two holes and closed with a 70.

"All credit to Ernie. He played flawless golf today," said Schwartzel, who earned $850,000 and will be able to take up PGA Tour membership next year. "I thought I played really good, gave a good charge. I was on his heels all the time."

It was a strong effort by Schwartzel, who has considered Els a hero since he first started playing golf. Despite two bogeys on the final four holes, he was the only player to give Els a run. And he was poised to take him down until his tee shot left him little hope in the sand.

Els could not have imagined being in the final group at Doral with Schwartzel, and to see the two South Africans standing on the first tee under warm sunshine, it was easy to see what he meant.

To think that Schwartzel was 2 when his father and Els won a club tournament together, or that he was among the gangly teens who traveled with the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation junior team. More recently, Els invited the Schwartzel to stay in his south Florida home while Schwartzel was passing time between two WGC events.

And they stayed together for so much of the final round, trading birdies and keeping their names atop the leaderboard.

Els made birdie from the bunker on the opening hole. Schwartzel answered with a 25-foot birdie on the second. Els followed with two straight birdies, the most impressive on the 223-yard fourth with a shot into 8 feet despite a vicious right-to-left wind. Schwartzel fell three shots behind with a bogey from the bunker on No. 5, only to birdie his next three holes.

No one else joined the chase.

Els wins at Doral for 2nd world title
Ernie Els worked harder than ever Sunday to win the CA Championship.

Two years without a victory — the longest drought of his career — and playing with all the pressure against a South African protege whom he helped groom for such a stage, Els played the final 23 holes without a bogey on the Blue Monster and closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory over Charl Schwartzel.

Els looked every bit like his nickname as he sauntered toward the 18th green, raising his cap to the crowd with an easy smile. It was as much relief as it was satisfaction.

He returned to among the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson He returned to among the elite in golf at No. 8 in the world and became only the fifth player to win multiple times in the World Golf Championships, joining Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson Schwartzel, a houseguest of Els the last two weeks, caught a bad break on the 15th hole when his ball plugged in a front bunker, and he knocked that into a back bunker on his way to a crucial bogey. He missed short putts on the next two holes and closed with a 70.

"All credit to Ernie. He played flawless golf today," said Schwartzel, who earned $850,000 and will be able to take up PGA Tour membership next year. "I thought I played really good, gave a good charge. I was on his heels all the time."

It was a strong effort by Schwartzel, who has considered Els a hero since he first started playing golf. Despite two bogeys on the final four holes, he was the only player to give Els a run. And he was poised to take him down until his tee shot left him little hope in the sand.

Els could not have imagined being in the final group at Doral with Schwartzel, and to see the two South Africans standing on the first tee under warm sunshine, it was easy to see what he meant.

To think that Schwartzel was 2 when his father and Els won a club tournament together, or that he was among the gangly teens who traveled with the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation junior team. More recently, Els invited the Schwartzel to stay in his south Florida home while Schwartzel was passing time between two WGC events.

And they stayed together for so much of the final round, trading birdies and keeping their names atop the leaderboard.

Els made birdie from the bunker on the opening hole. Schwartzel answered with a 25-foot birdie on the second. Els followed with two straight birdies, the most impressive on the 223-yard fourth with a shot into 8 feet despite a vicious right-to-left wind. Schwartzel fell three shots behind with a bogey from the bunker on No. 5, only to birdie his next three holes.

No one else joined the chase.

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Tomlinson signs 2-year deal with Jets
NEW YORK – LaDainian Tomlinson is bolting for the Big Apple.

The Jets reached the AFC championship game last season, eliminating Tomlinson and the Chargers along the way.

The 2006 NFL MVP, cut last month by San Diego, chose New York over Minnesota after visiting the Vikings on Thursday. Tomlinson spent Friday with the Jets, capping it with dinner with coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and other team officials.

The Jets went after Tomlinson hard even though he turns 31 in June, is coming off his least productive season and there are questions whether he has much left. New York apparently still saw plenty to like from Tomlinson, who ranks eighth on the NFL's career rushing list with 12,490 yards, and gave him a deal worth about $5.2 million.

The Jets were already selling Tomlinson jerseys on their official Web site within minutes of announcing the deal. The $80 green and white replicas are without a jersey number for now; third-year cornerback Dwight Lowery currently wears Tomlinson's familiar No. 21.

Tomlinson ran for 730 yards — his first season under 1,000 — on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows. He scored 12 touchdowns, but his role was reduced in an offense that shifted its focus to quarterback Philip Rivers and the passing game.

He's still regarded as an excellent route runner and superb receiver, two qualities that made him attractive to both New York and Minnesota.

Tomlinson is the latest high-profile player to be signed, drafted or acquired by the Jets in the last few years, joining Cromartie, Brett Favre, Kris Jenkins, Mark Sanchez, Bart Scott and Braylon Edwards.

With the Jets moving into the new Meadowlands Stadium, the 82,500-seat, $1.6 billion home they'll share with the Giants, Tomlinson's star power could potentially help the team sell more personal seat licenses.

He's also familiar with the Jets' style of offense and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who was San Diego's quarterbacks coach from 2002-05. The Jets have Sanchez returning for a second season, along with a solid offensive line that helped pave the way for New York to average a league-leading 172.2 yards on the ground per game.

Those factors might have helped the Jets beat out the Vikings for Tomlinson's services. While Minnesota was also just a game away from the Super Bowl, the uncertainty surrounding Favre's return might have caused Tomlinson to hesitate about signing with the Vikings.

Tomlinson met with Minnesota team officials Thursday, but left for the New York area without a deal. He then spent all of Friday with the Jets — touring the team's facility and the new stadium — before returning home to San Diego to mull his options on Saturday. He's also familiar with the Jets' style of offense and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who was San Diego's quarterbacks coach from 2002-05. The Jets have Sanchez returning for a second season, along with a solid offensive line that helped pave the way for New York to average a league-leading 172.2 yards on the ground per game. where ever he ends up the team will be better for it

Ten things you should know about Census 2010
Census 2010 has only 10 questions, which should take about 10 minutes to fill out. Find out more about the census form headed your way.

It’s available in six languages, and anyone who doesn’t participate may be slapped with a fine, per federal law.

Say hello to Census 2010 It’s in the Constitution. Article I, Section 2, to be exact. It specifies that congressional seats will be distributed proportionately among states on the basis of a census to be conducted every 10 years. Federal law penalizes those who don’t fill out a form ($100 fine) or who provide false information ($500 fine).

• Americans have been counted since 1790. The 2010 Census is the 23rd head count in US history. The first was conducted on Monday, Aug. 2, 1790. Population? 3.9 million. This year’s official Census Day is April 1. Expected population? 309 million.

• Who’s filling it out – and who isn’t. The Census Bureau predicts that two-thirds of US households will fill out and mail back the 2010 Census. Among those least likely to return forms are illegal immigrants, Hispanics, young adults, city dwellers, and residents displaced by foreclosures. Homeless people may not be left out, however: Census takers will canvass city streets in an attempt to include them.

• Which states get the most federal dollars? Rural areas and places with a large poor population tend to benefit most from an accurate census because the largest state program that relies on federal census statistics is Medicaid, the government healthcare program for low-income individuals. According to an analysis by the Brookings Institution, the places that received the most census-based federal dollars per capita were the District of Columbia, Vermont, Alaska, New York, and Massachusetts.

• Which states might get cheated? In 2000, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina each had below-average mail participation rates. Since then, they’ve also seen higher rates of foreclosures and rapid growth of Hispanics and blacks – groups that are less likely to return their forms. If responses are low this year, these states could be cheated of federal dollars and congressional seats. If not, they stand to gain at least one House seat each

Mixed-gender dorm rooms are gaining acceptance
About 50 schools in the U.S., including a few Ivy League campuses and several in California, are allowing men and women to room together. Participation is still relatively low. Eland, a biology major who hopes to become a doctor, said that a roommate's personality and study habits are more important than gender. "This might not be right for everyone," she said of sharing the small, cinder block-walled room with a man. "But I think it's important to have the right to choose where you want to live, how you want to live and who you want to live with."

Pronto, an environmental studies major who works each summer as a forest firefighter, agreed. Apart from remembering to lower the toilet seat, he said, living with a woman friend is not much different from rooming with a man. "As far as I'm concerned, a roommate is a roommate," he said.

Although the number of participants remains small, gender-neutral housing has gained attention as the final step in the integration of student housing.

In the 1970s, many U.S. colleges moved from having only single-sex dormitories to providing coed residence halls, with male and female students typically housed on alternating floors or wings. Then came coed hallways and bathrooms, further shocking traditionalists. Now, some colleges allow undergraduates of opposite sexes to share a room.

Pitzer, which began its program in the fall of 2008, is among about 50 U.S. schools with the housing choice, according to Jeffrey Chang, who co-founded the National Student Genderblind Campaign in 2006 to encourage gender-mixed rooms. Participating schools include UC Riverside, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Cornell, Dartmouth, Sarah Lawrence, Haverford, Wesleyan and the University of Michigan.

College officials say the movement began mainly as a way to accommodate gay, bisexual and transgender students who may feel more comfortable living with a member of the opposite sex. Most schools say they discourage couples from participating, citing emotional and logistical problems of breakups. Officials say most heterosexuals in the programs are platonic friends.

"College students are adults," said Chang, who is gay and is now a law student at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "They have every single right to choose the person they feel most comfortable living with."

He estimates that at schools where the option exists, only 1% to 3% of students living on campus choose a roommate of the opposite sex.

Officials at the Assn. of College & University Housing Officers - International say the trend has accelerated, but they don't expect most schools to adopt it. Experts note that most students prefer a same-sex roommate, and some colleges are reluctant to antagonize parents, legislators and donors who view the option as immoral or even dangerous.

Pepperdine University in Malibu, which is affiliated with the Churches of Christ, maintains separate dorm wings and apartments for men and women. Asked whether it would consider going gender neutral, Sue Gamboa, a housing department office manager, said: "Not in the wildest dream would Pepperdine move in that direction." Their room, which shares a tiny bathroom with two men next door, has the usual collegiate trappings of beer bottles and political posters. The only unusual sight is women's clothes in one closet and men's in another.

The pair seem to have a warm brotherly-sisterly friendship and, while they try to be respectful, they say they are not inhibited about being in underwear or even nude while changing clothes in the room. They insist their living situation does not interfere with romantic relationships with other people. And although they have not been teased on campus, they face curious questions from relatives and friends.

"I definitely think it's generational," said Eland, 20, of Seattle. "For my grandparents, living with someone of the opposite sex, if he is not your serious boyfriend or husband or brother, would be very strange."

Pronto, 21, of Weimar, north of Sacramento, said his mother at first worried that he might be distracted by having a female roommate. And fellow firefighters at his "macho" summer barracks may joke about it, he said.

But at colleges, he said, "I think those old-fashioned ways of thinking are kind of dissipating. . . . Over the years, this division between men and women, which was so big, is slowly closing."

Eland's and Pronto's living arrangement won't last long.

Jerusalem on high alert after Hamas announces 'day of rage'
Hamas announced a "day of rage" in response to the dedication of the restored Hurva synagogue in the Old City's Jewish Quarter, police said. Large forces will continue to be deployed throughout the city, with 3,000 police and border police officers stationed in East Jerusalem and neighboring villages.

Limitations on access to Muslim prayers on Temple Mount will continue for the fifth day. Members of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee are set to hold a procession in the east of the city on Wednesday. Advertisement Jerusalem on Monday was tense but quiet. Around noon, Palestinians began throwing stones near the Mount of Olives cemetery, but no injuries were reported. The quiet does not appear to have been affected by attempts of senior Hamas and Fatah officials to ratchet up the violence. On Sunday, Fatah's Mahmoud Dahlan and Hatem Abdelkader called on residents of East Jerusalem and Israeli Arabs to arrive and defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.

Palestinian Liberation Organization Executive Committee chairman Yasser Abed Rabo called on Israel to refrain from dedicating the Hurva synagogue. Hamas, too, warned of bloodshed if the synagogue is dedicated, and similar warnings have been made by Egyptian and Jordanian diplomats.

At Monday's dedication ceremony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his prerecorded video message to reach out for reconciliation with the Muslim world.

"I know many are moved by this moment, and rightly so. But we're not the only ones moved by our faith. We have enabled adherents of other religions to restore their places of worship as well. We proudly uphold our heritage, we have returned to our cities, and we also give the same freedom of worship to other religions," Netanyahu said. "The people of Israel maintain their heritage and through that maintain the heritage of others."

The dedication ceremony of the synagogue, destroyed by the Arab Legion in the War of Independence and completely restored over the last five years, went on as planned, though near-unprecedented security measures were in play.

Tensions Monday were fanned by rumors in the Palestinian street that Jews intended to march on the Temple Mount after the ceremony.

Mayor Nir Barkat, who spoke at the ceremony, also attempted to ease Palestinian anxiety, saying that "I want to send a message of peace to all religions. I believe that precisely because we have twice experienced the pain of seeing our holy place destroyed, we, the sovereigns, know and will know to preserve and respect the places of worship of other faiths. We will remember to be sensitive to their fears and needs."

Home in the Great Wall
A popular Chinese saying goes: "If one man guards the pass, ten thousand won't be able to get through."

Two generations of a family in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region have been keeping that spirit alive, by staying at a section of the Great Wall and fighting to keep it intact.

Yang Guoxing, 36, and his family live in a cave house in Xiamaguan, a small town in Ningxia. It stands at the foot of a tower of the ancient city wall, part of the Great Wall, since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"We live in the Great Wall," even Yang's younger daughter, 6, announces proudly to visitors.

Yet, "it is a tedious defensive war," says Yang, referring to the nearly 60 years his family has spent trying to preserve the Wall, beginning with his father, now dead, and Yang himself, who is the father of two school-age daughters.

Xiamaguan, which means a fortification where military officers rested in ancient times, once had a city wall built with rammed earth and bricks, like parts of the Great Wall.

The tower, where the Yangs of the Hui ethnic group reside, was once the South Gate of Xiamaguan.

Over the past four centuries, however, most of the town's city walls have been reduced to rubble, as nature has taken its course and locals have used the bricks to build their own houses. In the 1980s, smugglers got in on the action by selling parts of the wall as relics.

To keep people at bay from the tower, Yang's father, Yang Qinglu, built a fence in 1955, three years after he moved into the cave house turned from the gate entrance and provided by his employer.

Yang Guoxing, the youngest of the family's five children, has been living in the cave house since birth. He remembers as a child how he would climb to the top of the city gate and enjoy watching the sun set over the ancient town.

But he also remembers the times when his father would fight with brick snatchers.

"At first, they were mostly neighbors," Yang says. "The bricks are thick and solid. Who wouldn't want construction materials like that for free? Then people started offering high prices to buy the bricks."

He recalls that at the height of the rush for Great Wall memorabilia in the 1980s people would offer 1 yuan ($15 cents) a brick, when the average monthly income for a family in the area was between 30 and 50 yuan.

"My father drove all of them away," Yang says.

Yang senior even turned down the offer of a spacious flat in the town center.

"It is much more comfortable living in a flat than in a traditional cave house without modern conveniences," Yang says. "But my father said he was worried about the bricks being stolen if he left. He couldn't let go of the Wall."

Though Yang's siblings moved on, when his father passed on in 1998, it was his dying request that Yang stay and keep an eye on the Wall.

Yang married Li Yonghong in 2000 and though she wanted to move into a modern apartment, he and his mother, now in her 70s, insisted on staying on.

He also paints big characters on the Wall, bao hu chang cheng, ren ren you ze, which means everybody should protect the Wall.

Since 2005, the junior high school graduate has been gathering information about the section of the Wall and his town and hand-copying it into a manuscript of tens of thousands of characters.

Aside from its ancient history, the Wall also stands as witness to a glorious moment in modern times.

In the 1930s, Xiamaguan was the headquarters of a division of the Red Army, led by Xu Haidong, one of the generals who helped establish New China.

In 1936, American journalist Edgar Snow interviewed Xu in the tower house of the city gate where Yang's family now dwells. Snow recorded the interview in his diary and in his bestseller Red Star Over China (1937).

Yang says this part of history would have meant a lot to his deceased father, as the man had great respect about revolutionaries.

"The city wall has been witness to many historical happenings," Yang says. "Taking down its bricks is like wiping away those histories."

Rooney gives United top spot with win over Fulham
Rooney added his second in the 84th with a first-time shot into the far corner from Dimitar Berbatov's cross and then helped set up his fellow striker for a headed goal with a minute left.

United manager Alex Ferguson said Rooney could top the 42 goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo two years ago.

"I said a while ago it's impossible for a player to get 42 but he is on 32 and there is a challenge there for him," Ferguson said. "He has 13 possible games and you never know. I wouldn't put it beyond him.

"I was just glad he got to the 30 mark, but we are enjoying his goal scoring."

Rooney's 31st and 32nd goals of the season helped take United to 66 points, two clear of Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea beat West Ham 4-1 on Saturday and has played a game fewer than its title rivals, who each have just eight matches left.

"You have to think about goal difference," Ferguson said. "We are only four goals ahead of Chelsea. I wish it was 14 to be honest, but at least it is in our advantage."

Manchester City missed the chance to go level on points with fourth-place Tottenham with a 1-1 draw at Sunderland.

Sunderland led through a ninth-minute goal from Kenwyne Jones, who was left unmarked to head in a cross by Steed Malbranque, but substitute Adam Johnson curled in a late equalizer from the corner of the area.

Although City narrowly avoided defeat, it has won one of its past six matches and is two points outside the Champions League qualifying places.

United had most of the pressure and possession in the opening half at Old Trafford but Fulham had chances from a shot by Clint Dempsey that flew just over the bar and one from Zoltan Gera that went wide.

Dempsey started for the first time since injuring his right knee January 17. He returned as a 61st-minute substitute in Thursday's 3-1 Europa League defeat at Juventus.

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer did not have to make a save until the 30th minute, diving full stretch to keep out a first-time shot from Rooney.

United then went close with a header by Berbatov, a shot by Patrice Evra and a shot by Darren Fletcher that Schwarzer saved one-handed.

Rooney doubled United's advantage by playing a pass out to Berbatov on the right and shooting from near the penalty spot from the return pass.