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Environmental information
Micron Consumer Products Group is committed to addressing growing environment concerns regarding electronic products. We are working diligently to design, develop, and market products that reduce environmental impact and ensure materials used in our processes do not pose a potential hazard to our employees, customers, or the environment. We strive for this through the entire life cycle of our products.
In addition to testing our products for regulatory compliance, we also meet the requirements of prominent globally recognized standards such as RoHS and WEEE. Here, we minimize the use of hazardous materials as well as offer our customers ways to properly dispose of and recycle products.
The legislative environment is continuing to change, expand, and evolve. Rather than ignore it or see it as an added burden, we embrace it as part of our responsibility of being good corporate citizens. We have offered lead-free products and RoHS compliant products for several years and in 2008, we began to offer halogen-free products as well.
As more states and countries pass recycling and hazardous material legislation, we will work to ensure our products meet the ongoing requirements.
RoHS/WEEE Compliance Statement
RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU)
The Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment 2002/95/EC (also known as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive or RoHS) was adopted by the European Union in February 2003, and took effect in July 2006. This was superseded by 2011/65/EU which took effect in January 2013. The RoHS directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment. It affects manufacturers, sellers, distributors and recyclers of electrical and electronic equipment containing lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chrome, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). After July 1, 2006, the use of these materials was banned in new products sold in Europe. Additionally, the use of decaBDE (decabromodiphenil ether), was banned on July 1, 2008.
All Micron Consumer Products Group products and their packaging materials sold and/or imported into the European Union are fully compliant.*
* We recognize that certain industries have received exemptions from the RoHS directives. These products have always been 5/6 RoHS compliant, meaning they contain Pb solder, but otherwise comply with RoHS regulations (they meet five of six stipulations). If you are a EU customer and have a RoHS exemption and prefer leaded (as opposed to lead free) product please contact your Sales Representative.
Please note that our module level products do contain electronic ceramic passive parts that may use lead or lead-oxides which are exempt from Directive 2011/65/EU (see Article 4, Annex III, Items 7(c)-I of the Annex thereto).
The RoHS legislation, and some applicable FAQs can be found here:
WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC)
The RoHS directive is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC, which defines collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical goods and is part of a legislative initiative to address the problem of electronic waste. The WEEE Directive / Regulations apply to companies that manufacture, sell, distribute, recycle, or treat electrical and electronic equipment, as well as to consumers in the European Community.
According to the WEEE Directive, there are ten categories of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) including:
- Large Household Appliances (e.g. washing machines, cookers)
- Small Household Appliances (e.g. toasters, irons, hairdryers)
- IT and Telecommunications Equipment (e.g. PCs, copiers, phones, mobiles)
- Consumer Equipment (e.g. TVs, videos, hi-fis)
- Lighting Equipment (e.g. fluorescent lamps, but excludes filament lightbulbs)
- Electrical and Electronic Tools (e.g. lawnmowers, sewing machines, drills)
- Toys, Leisure and Sports Equipment (e.g. video games, bike computers, slot machines)
- Medical devices, except implanted and infected products (e.g. ventilators, analysers)
- Monitoring and control instruments (e.g. smoke detectors, thermostats)
- Automatic dispensers (e.g. drinks dispensers, chocolate dispensers, ATMs)
While there are many different materials that go into creating EEE, many products contain valuable metals and resources that need to be recycled and some products contain materials, components and substances which can be dangerous to the environment and harmful to human health if proper treatment does not take place at the product's end of life. Products labeled with the symbol of a crossed-out wheeled bin as shown below are EEE (see below). The crossed-out wheeled bin denotes that WEEE must not be disposed of with the remainder of unseparated household waste, but should instead be collected separately and managed in an environmentally sound manner.
Depending on your location, WEEE can be returned free of charge by any person to recycling stations, from retailers who sell EEE when a 'like for like' product (i.e. the same type of product) is purchased, other collection sites, or it may be collected directly from the households. For more detailed product take-back information, please refer to our country specific contacts listed below.
As a European consumer, you are not allowed to dispose of WEEE together with your household waste. While it is primarily the distance seller's obligation to collect WEEE free of charge, on delivery of a new 'like for like 'product, it is the consumer's responsibility to ensure that their WEEE is not disposed of in regular household waste.
You should instead use the designated collection points, equipment collection schemes or you can simply return your product directly to the producer or retailer where you originally purchased your equipment if you are buying a new 'like for like' model. In this way, the environmental impact associated with disposal of WEEE is reduced and there will be more opportunity for reusing, recycling and recovering WEEE.
Micron Consumer Products Group is dedicated to minimizing the impact our products have on the environment, and Micron Consumer Products Group customers can return products free of charge to us for recycling or can bring their equipment back to where they purchased it when they buy a replacement or upgrade. The European WEEE Directive and some applicable FAQs can be found here:
Although European Member State implementation of the WEEE Directive is similar in nature, the actual requirements and collection schemes vary from country to country. As more states and countries both within and outside of the EU pass recycling legislation, Micron Consumer Products Group will continue offer take-back schemes in these countries.
Here are all the schemes we are currently registered with. Included is the identification of the scheme, their address and contact information, and website information where consumers can learn how to return their WEEE for recycling free of charge.
Country | Scheme | Contact info | Website | To recycle your product |
Austria | ERP | European Recycling Platform (ERP) Österreich GmbH Döblinger Hauptstrasse 50 1190 Wien, Österreich Tel.: +43/1/2024925 |
Website | Click here for a list of recycling locations for you to take your product |
Denmark | Elretur | Elretur Christiansborggade 1, 1558 København Telefon 33 36 91 98 |
Website | Contact Elretur for information on how best to recycle your product free of charge or return your product to a local collection point. |
Estonia | Eesti Elektroonikaromu | MTÜ Eesti Elektroonikaromu Vana-Narva mnt 26 Maardu 74114 Tel: 633 9244 |
Website | Click here for a list of recycling locations for you to take your product |
Finland | Elker Oy | Elker Oy Särkiniementie 3 FI-00210 Helsinki Finland Tel: +358 (0) 10 249 1700 |
Website | Please recycle your product by going to a local collection point. You may search for a location close to you by visiting the following website: https://www.jly.fi/kerays/ or https://www.elker.fi/fi/SER-kierratys. |
France | ERP | ERP France SAS 80, rue Camille Desmoulins 92130 Issy-Les-Moulineaux Téléphone: 01 55 18 77 43 |
Website | Contact ERP for information on how best to recycle your product free of charge or return your product to a local collection point. |
Germany | ERP | ERP Deutschland GmbH Kirchweg 66 50858 Köln Tel: +49 (0)7031 7632-378 |
Website | Refer to your local collection point for WEEE. You'll find the direction in the "waste calendar" which is distributed by your community to all households. (In German: Erkundigen Sie sich bei Ihrem Recycling- oder Wertstoffhof. Die Adresse finden Sie im Abfallkalender Ihrer Gemeinde.) |
Greece | Appliance Recycling | Appliances Recycling S.A. 196 Sygrou Av. & 2 Charokopou Street GR 17671, Kallithea Tel: +30 210 5319780 |
Website | Please call Appliances Recycling for your product return at: 210 5319780 or 210 5319762-5 |
Ireland | ERP | ERP Ireland Block C Harcourt Centre, Harcourt Road, Dublin 2 +353 1 4953889 |
Website | E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com for free post envelopes to recycle your product at: WEEE Recycle Cappincur I.E. Tullamore, Co Offaly, Ireland |
Israel | Ecommunity | Ecommunity – a Social Corporation for Recycling Electronic Waste Ltd 46 Rothschild St. Tel Aviv |
Website | Please recycle your product by going to a local collection point. You may search for a location close to you by visiting our website |
Italy | ERP | ERP Italia S.r.l. Via Fratelli di Dio 2/C 20063 Cernusco sul Naviglio (MI) Italia Tel: +39 02 9214 7479 |
Website | Contact ERP for information on how best to recycle your product free of charge or return your product to a local collection point. |
Luxembourg | Ecotrel | Ecotrel asbl 26, rue Léon Laval L-3372 Leudelange Luxembourg (00352) 26098-732 |
Website | Contact Ecotrel for recycling opportunities, or recycle your product at your local authority collection point. |
Poland | ERP Poland | Europejska Platforma Recyklingu Polska Organizacja Odzysku Sprzetu Elektrycznego i Elektronicznego SA 01-217 Warszawa ul. Kolejowa 5/7 Tel: +48 22 434 73 64 |
Website | Contact ERP for information on how best to recycle your product free of charge or return your product to a local collection point. |
Portugal | ERP | ERP Portugal Beloura Office Park, Edifício 6, Sala 6 Quinta da Beloura 2710-693 SINTRA Portugal +(351) 210029211 |
Website | Contact ERP for information on how best to recycle your product free of charge or return your product to a local collection point. |
Slovakia | Natur-Pack | Natur-Pack Ruzova dolina 6, 821 08 Bratislava Tel: +421-2-502 21 222 |
Website | Contact Natur-Pack to recycle your product, or alternatively go to your local authority collection point. |
Spain | ERP | ERP Espana C/ Del Viento, 10E 28760 Tres Cantos - Madrid Tel: +34 91 806 30 42 |
Website | Contact ERP for information on how best to recycle your product free of charge or return your product to a local collection point. |
UK | Valpak | Valpak Ltd Stratford Business Park Banbury Road Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire CV37 7GW Tel: 08450 682 572 |
Website | To return your products free of charge directly to Crucial Technology in the UK please e-mail email@example.com for a free post envelope: Crucial Technology Europe 12 Redwood Crescent Peel Park Campus East Kilbride G74 5PA Scotland Tel:+44 (0)1355 586100 |
While Micron Consumer Products Group believes in the objectives and aims of waste electronic legislation, there are some practicalities that prevent our company from fulfilling the same obligations in every country. For instance, in some countries we are unable to register and join a producer responsibility scheme due to the way in which a particular country has enacted their own WEEE legislation. In these situations Micron Consumer Products Group is continuing to monitor and work with the regulatory authorities in these countries to ensure that our products are properly recycled and disposed. If your country is listed below, please note that you can, and should, still recycle your products by going to your local container park or collection point. You may also return your product free of charge to any retailer that sells memory products when you purchase your new equipment.
Country | Additional info |
Belgium | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Croatia | Please call 0800 444 110 or visit the web site www.eeotpad.com for recycling locations |
Cyprus | Contact the Ministry of Agriculture for further information on how to recycle your product in Cyprus at: https://www.moa.gov.cy/ |
Latvia | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Lithuania | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Malta | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Netherlands | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Norway | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Slovenia | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Sweden | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Switzerland | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Micron Consumer Products Group products are not available via website sales in the following countries. Please go to your local electronics shop in order to purchase our products.
Country | How to recycle |
Czech Republic | To recycle your product in the Czech Republic please contact the following collection agent: Asekol s.r.o. Dobrušská 1 147 00 Praha 4 email@example.com |
Hungary | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
Romania | To recycle your product please go to your local authority collection point. |
China RoHS Directive
In February 2006, China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) outlined the long-awaited "Management Methods for Controlling Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products Regulation" (China RoHS) This directive provides a broad regulatory framework for substance restrictions, pre-market certifications, labeling and information disclosure requirements affecting the comprehensive range of products and parts defined as "electronic information products". The extremely broad scope of products captured under that definition highlights the potential that the entire IT industry will be directly affected by "China RoHS" compliance obligations. China RoHS, began on March 1, 2007.
All Micron Consumer Products Group products are currently China RoHS compliant. On products that are to be marketed in China, the EPUP symbol (shown below) will be present on the product or its packaging.
A China RoHS Certificate can be found here:
An English translation of the China RoHS legislation, can be found here:
Green Dot
The Green Dot (Der Grüne Punkt) is an international trademark held by PRO-Europe s.p.r.l. (Brussels) and Duales System Deutschland AG (Cologne). The trademark is used in many European countries to indicate that the marked packaging has had its recovery and recycling costs paid for by the producer. The symbol does not indicate the recyclability of the packaging component it is placed on.
For more information on the Green Dot please visit the PRO-Europe website: https://www.pro-e.org
Australian Packaging Covenant
Micron Consumer Products Group is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant. The Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) represents a commitment by governments and industry to the sustainable design, use and recovery of packaging.
It is the voluntary component of a co-regulatory model designed to reduce the environmental impacts of consumer packaging by encouraging improvements in packaging design, higher recycling rates and better stewardship of packaging
REACh Certification
Micron Consumer Products Group is fully aware of the REACh regulation and has a team in place to monitor all aspects of the regulation. We are also working directly with our suppliers to ensure all of our facilities meet all of the REACh requirements. From the product compliance standpoint, Micron Consumer Products Group monitors and tracks all material content information and shares this information with our customers as requested. Our die, component, and module level products do not contain any of the materials published in candidate list on the ECHA website:
BSMI RoHS
Part-specific certification as required by Taiwan's Management Methods for Controlling Pollution by Electronic Information Products can be found for our Crucial branded Solid State Drives at the following links:


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I joined because of the article in Games in 1989 or so and have never been able to convince anyone else to join. They are always stalled by the concept of flats.
[The article was eventually identified as appearing in the "Pencilwise" section of the Oct/Nov issue of Games.]
First Issue: Sep 1989
In the eighth or ninth grade we were given the assignment to memorize a poem and recite it in front of the class. Other students chose inspirational or heavy-duty stuff, but not me–I memorized "Jabberwocky." Which I recited to the class with great expressionism and theatrics.
<quote> And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came! You can imagine. </quote>
When I finished there was an absolute silence. Oh, well, I thought, I tried. Then came this thunderous applause! So the poem has always signified a kind of success to me. And when I told Sibyl about my choice, she thought it had a certain air–"Who wrote that flat?" "'Twas Brillig." I've heard that other subscribing members have asked for Brillig as a nom and were disappointed it was already chosen.
This is running on at the mouth (or keyboard), but I remember at my first convention I was astonished that people actually addressed me by this word and expected me to answer. I had to learn to come when called, like a puppy.
No data.
No data.
No data.

subset: commoncrawl


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For press requests, please contact our press representatives
TALA Communications | Beth Milton
Sidel will be participating at the AWA Sleeving Technology Seminar Asia which will take place on Dec 1, 2015 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Pudong Century Park Shanghai. Chris Yao, Business Development Manager for Labelling will be introducing Sidel's rollsleeve labelling technologies at the seminar.
Sleeve labels are renowned for the exceptional range and combinations of graphics and container shapes that stimulate consumer interest in brands and grow brand equity. The AWA Sleeving Technology Seminar Asia provides a platform to address this unique method of product labelling and decoration. The conference will provide delegates with an overview of the global and regional markets by materials and end uses and update delegates on material and equipment developments, as well as discuss how sleeve labels continue to address the needs of brand owners to promote brands and gain shelf appeal.
Why to choose shrink sleeve label?
The potential for the shrink sleeve label to be more customised and eye catching is key to influencing the consumer purchasing decision and ensuring a significant impact on your product's success. The shrink sleeve labels adapt to any surface with no restrictions on container shape. At the same time, it is especially suitable for lightweight containers. The label sleeve can function as an effective seal and can also serve as a light barrier to protect the liquid. With heat shrinking, no traces of glue are left on the bottle, simplifying the recycling process.
In developing the Rollsleeve labeller, Sidel focused on the branding opportunities shrink-sleeve labels present. In addition to its potential for delivering reduced operating costs, the Rollsleeve labeller combines the simplicity of Sidel consolidated roll-fed technology with an innovative, high-speed shrink sleeve process in one single machine.
Contact us and book an appointment.
Click here to get more information on this event.
You can find us here.


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This block from Beyond the Cherry Trees quilt was done as a quick fix for some applique which I've been missing lately.
I'm not loving blogger at the moment, they've changed how the photos are uploaded and it took me ages to figure it out. I think it's a plot for Google to rule the internet.
Until next time, Janet


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Are you an iOS developer interested in adding a map to your application? The instructional experts at Code School set out to create a course introducing the Google Maps SDK for iOS to developers like you — and they delivered!
Exploring Google Maps for iOS is a free course covering everything from adding a simple map, to using geocoding and directions, to incorporating Street View in iOS. You'll end up with a working sample application and gain the knowledge you need to build your own amazing Google Maps-based apps. Learn from videos, sample code, and Xcode-based coding challenges.
Check out the introduction video below, and then head over to Code School to get started with their interactive course!
You can also read our official developer documentation and reference docs at https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/ios/.
Posted by Louis Gray, Googler


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Fig. 1: Second Generation of Roomware components (as of 1999)
Roomware® was defined and realized by Streitz and his Ambiente-Team at IPSI and described in various publications (Streitz et al., 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, Prante et al. 2004) as the integration of
information and communication technology in room elements, such as doors, walls, and furniture. They are part of their approach that the 'world around us' is the interface to information and for the
cooperation of people. Thus, the Roomware approach moves beyond the limits of standard desktop environments on several dimensions and extends usage into the architectural environment as well as
outside of buildings into public spaces, etc. They are the constituents of Cooperative Buildings that represent the more comprehensive scenario.
The Roomware components address also the potential of different interaction opportunities with (smart) artefacts. Examples for interacting with large vertical displays as, e.g., interactive
walls are provided by the DynaWall; interacting with horizontal displays as, e.g., via the InteracTable or the ConnecTables. Examples of interaction and collaboration of several people using multiple
artefacts are provided, e.g., by the combination of CommChairs with the DynaWall. The setting is complemented by the Passage mechanism (Konomi et al., 1999) which provides an intuitive way for the
physical transportation of virtual information structures using arbitrary physical objects, so called 'Passengers'. An overview of the different Roomware components is shown in the picture above. The
roomware components were developed in close cooperation with industry (Wilkhahn) in the Future Office Dynamics Consortium (FOD) and won several design prizes and research awards. Some of
them, e.g., the InteracTable, are available as commercial products via a spin-off created by Wilkhahn.
For an overview of the 2. generation of roomware components see the video at the CHI 2002 conference, available for free at the ACM Digital Library.
N. Streitz, J. Geißler, T. Holmer (1998). Roomware for Cooperative Buildings: Integrated Design of Architectural Spaces and Information Spaces. In: Streitz, N., Konomi, S., Burkhardt, H. (Eds.),
Cooperative Buildings - Integrating Information, Organization, and Architecture. (Proceedings of CoBuild '98, Darmstadt, Germany), LNCS Vol. 1370, Springer, 1998. pp. 4-21.
N. Streitz, J. Geißler, T. Holmer, S. Konomi, C. Müller-Tomfelde, W. Reischl,
P. Rexroth, P. Seitz, R. Steinmetz (1999). i-LAND: An interactive Landscape for Creativity and Innovation. In: Proceedings of ACM CHI'99 Conference
(Pittsburgh, USA, May 15-20, 1999). pp. 120-127.
N. Streitz, C. Müller-Tomfelde, P. Seitz (1999). Kooperative Gebäude und Roomware für die Arbeitswelten der Zukunft. In: N. Streitz, B. Remmers, M. Pietzcker, R.
Grundmann (Eds.), Arbeitswelten der Zukunft - fit für die Zukunft? Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt (DVA), Stuttgart. pp. 21-35.
N. Streitz, P. Tandler, C. Müller-Tomfelde, S. Konomi (2001). Roomware: Towards the Next Generation of Human-Computer Interaction based on an Integrated Design of Real and Virtual Worlds. In: J.
Carroll (Ed.), Human-Computer Interaction in the New Millenium, Addison-Wesley, 2001. pp. 553-578.
P. Tandler, N. Streitz, Th. Prante (2002). Roomware: Moving Toward Ubiquitous Computers. IEEE Micro, November/December, 2002. pp. 36-47.
S. Konomi, C. Müller-Tomfelde, N. Streitz (1999). Passage: Physical Transportation of Digital Information in Cooperative Buildings.
In: Streitz, N., Siegel, J., Hartkopf, V., Konomi, S. (Eds.), Cooperative Buildings - Integrating Information, Organizations, and Architecture. (Proceedings of CoBuild'99, Pittsburgh, USA).
LNCS Vol. 1670, Springer, 1999. pp. 45-54.
Th. Prante, N. Streitz, P. Tandler (2004). Roomware: Computers Disappear and Interaction Evolves. IEEE Computer, December 2004. pp. 47-54.


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The business always endeavours to provide the best service. However, on rare occasions there may be times where a customer may not be completely satisfied.
To ensure the business can put things right for you, as soon as possible after the completion of the works, please inspect the work to ensure everything has been carried out based on the contract terms and to the high standards the business aims to achieve.
Please contact the business straight away with any concerns either by phone, email or write to us. If writing, get proof of posting.
Business Complaint Procedure
On receipt of your complaint the business aims to respond within 5 days.
The business will arrange a convenient date to come and view and/or remedy the situation within 28 days.
In the unlikely event the business is unable to resolve your complaint having exhausted the business complaints procedure, it may be necessary to use another complaint service. Where the business cannot resolve the complaint to your satisfaction and/or agree to the final resolution requests confirmed to us; and both parties agree a 'deadlock' has been reached, you can then escalate your complaint.
The business has access to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service for our domestic installation, service, repair and maintenance contracts as part of the Which? Trusted Traders Endorsement.
If you choose to you can refer your complaint to Which? Trusted Traders' Alternative Dispute Resolution. You will need to contact Which? Trusted Traders on 029 2267 0040 who can explain if you are eligible to use their Alternative Dispute Resolution.


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SOSEONG-RI, South Korea — A short hike in Seongju county, some 135 miles southeast of Seoul, brings you to the top of a small mountain. To the north, you can see the high-rises of Gumi city. Just in front of you lies a former golf course, with an old clubhouse, some shipping containers on the grass and six mobile missile launchers with their tubes pointing north, toward North Korea.
The launchers are part of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense or THAAD system that the United States installedin 2017.
The base is a symptom of a growing arms race in Asia. The system is to defend against potential North Korean missiles, which have only in recent years been able to reach any part of the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea claims to have successfully test-launched its second hypersonic missile on Wednesday, intended to defeat missile defense systems including THAAD.
But opponents of the defense system argue it was installed without due democratic process and in disregard of their opinion on the matter.
"We activists and residents think that the THAAD deployment here is illegal," says activist Kim Young-jae. "So we try to stay alert and notice any changes happening inside the base."
In particular, they're looking for signs that the missile battery and living quarters for U.S. and South Korean troops are being upgraded.
After five years of operation, the place still looks a lot more like a golf course than a military base.
During a visit in March, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed with South Korean defense officials how the countries' soldiers were living in a golf clubhouse, with others in shipping containers, according to South Korean news reports.
Activists have blockaded the base to try to keep construction materials from getting in. The activist Kim says U.S. and South Korean authorities have not been straightforward about the base.
"Publicly, they say this is a temporary deployment, in order to deflect residents' opposition," he says. "But in fact, they've been taking every possible step to make it a permanent deployment."
THAAD is a symbol of South Korea's strategic predicament
On a geopolitical level, THAAD has become synonymous in South Korea with the country's delicate balancing act between its chief ally, the U.S., and its main trading partner and biggest neighbor, China. Beijing vehemently opposes the defense system, fearing that it could be used to defeat Chinese missiles or that its radar could spy on China.
For many South Koreans, THAAD brings to mind a cautionary tale of the economic punishment that China meted out on their country, when Seoul allowed the U.S. to deploy THAAD over Beijing's objections.
For the mostly elderly residents of Soseong-ri, a remote village of some 70 households close to the base, the prospect of upgrades to THAAD has been worrisome.
"This quiet village is now being ravaged," says resident Park Soo Gyu. "Some call it a jail without bars."
He notes that a dozen or so activists have faced prosecution, after clashing with police.
The residents also fear being caught in the crossfire between the U.S. and its potential foes.
"In case of a conflict between the U.S. and North Korea, or between the U.S. and China, this place will be the one of the first targets of attack," he says. "This village could become the front line overnight."
Protesters often gather near the base to chant slogans and call for the missile battery to be removed. A poster hanging near the entrance criticizes the administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, proclaiming: "We condemn the Moon Jae-in government for serving the U.S.' containment of China."
Is Seoul bound by its THAAD pledges to Beijing?
After the launchers were deployed to the golf course in 2017, Beijing used undeclared economic sanctions to punish South Korea, until Seoul made several promises. One was that it would not install any more THAAD batteries. Another was that the existing batteries in South Korea would not be integrated into the larger U.S. missile defense system.
But that's exactly what the Pentagon has in mind. Its Missile Defense Agency began testing in 2020 to link THAAD to its Patriot, or PAC-3, missile systems.
"I think the upgrades will involve, first and foremost, integrating the [THAAD] systems with other existing U.S. assets, obviously the PAC-3s," says Clint Work, a fellow with the Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington, D.C.
South Korea's Defense Ministry says personnel at the THAAD base should have adequate living quarters. As for the possible THAAD upgrade, the ministry has deferred to the U.S. on the issue.
"[The U.S.] has publicized a long-term plan [for upgrading THAAD], but it will take time to implement it," a ministry spokesman told reporters in 2020. "We are aware that the system in Seongju is scheduled to be updated, but we can't know in detail what's next."
Work believes that the idea is to give the U.S. and its bases multiple layers of defenses. "North Korea's own missile advancements clearly are intended to exploit gaps in the current coverage," he says.
Work says that the THAAD system here could also be integrated with other THAAD batteries in Japan and Guam, and a central missile defense control center in Alaska.
Could the system be redirected at China?
In future, the analyst says, it's possible that THAAD could be repurposed to counter a threat from China.
"At least as the U.S. currently states it, the way that the radar are oriented really doesn't allow too much peering into Chinese territory," Work notes. But, "they could easily be shifted to do so. And I wouldn't be surprised if they were."
Yoon Sukjoon, a retired Korean navy captain, argues that since THAAD is being integrated into U.S. missile defenses, Seoul is no longer constrained by its previous pledges to Beijing, and Washington doesn't need to beat around the bush about what THAAD is here for.
"Under the framework of competition with China, the U.S. no longer needs to make the excuse that that the system needs to be deployed on the peninsula solely for defense against North Korea," Yoon tells NPR.
He also argues that THAAD could mean the end of Seoul's strategic ambiguity about its relations with Beijing and Washington.
"THAAD is a part of the U.S.' global anti-China united front," Yoon says. "It's become a strategic tool for containing China from one of the closest countries and one of the most trustworthy allies of the U.S."
That's not the language of the outgoing President Moon's administration, which has avoided using any rhetoric about confronting Beijing.
The future of South Korea's approach to the THAAD issue could depend on the outcome of its presidential elections in March, with conservative and liberal candidates staking out opposing views on the topic.
NPR's Se Eun Gong contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Subscribe to Cases that cite 115 U. S. 122U.S. Supreme Court
Buncombe County Commissioners v. Tommey, 115 U.S. 122 (1885)
Buncombe County Commissioners v. Tommey
Argued December 17, 1885
Decided March 2, 1885, May 4, 1885
The statutes of North Carolina of March 28, 1870, and March 1, 1873, the first, giving a lien to mechanics and laborers in certain cases and the other regulating sales under mortgages given by corporations, do not give to those performing labor and furnishing materials in the construction of railroads a lien upon the property and franchises of the corporation owning and operating such roads.
Ordinary lien laws giving to mechanics and laborers a lien on buildings including the lot upon which they stand, or a lien upon a lot or farm or other property for work done thereon, or for materials furnished in the construction or repair of buildings, should not be interpreted as giving a lien upon the roadway, bridges, or other property of a railroad company that may be essential in the operation and maintenance of its road for the public purposes for which it was established.
The proviso of the third section of the said Act of 1873, Battle's Revisal, c. 2G, § 48, has reference to the debts and contracts of private corporations formed under the Act of February 12, 1812, Pub.Laws N.C. 1871-1872, c. 199, and not those of railroad corporations organized for public use under the Act of February 8, 1872.
The authority of State v. Rives, 5 Ired. 297, is questioned by the Supreme Court of North Carolina in Gooch v. McGee, 83 N.C. 59.
The Spartanburg and Asheville Railroad Company -- a corporation created by the consolidation, in the year 1874, of a railroad company of the same name, organized under the laws of South Carolina, and of the Greenville and French Broad Railroad Company, of North Carolina -- executed, under the date of October 1, 1876, a deed of trust whereby, for the purpose of securing the payment of its bonds, with interest coupons attached, it conveyed its franchises, railroad, rights, lands, and property, real and personal, in trust for those who should become holders or owners of such bonds. The deed contained a provision by which the principal of all the bonds should become due after continuous default for six months in the payment chanrobles.com-red
of semiannual interest upon them, or upon any of them. Such a default having occurred in respect of the installments of interest due January 1, 1878, the present suit was brought for the purpose of enforcing, in satisfaction of the entire amount of said bonds and coupons, the lien given by the before-mentioned deed. Certain parties -- Garrison, Fry & Deal, Clayton, and Rice & Coleman -- were made defendants because, as creditors of the railroad company, they claimed, respectively, a lien upon property covered by the mortgage superior to that asserted in behalf of the bondholders. Garrison alleged that, being a mechanic, he contracted, December 1, 1876, and June 2, 1877, with, and afterwards built for the railroad company two trestles in Polk County, North Carolina, his work being completed February 18, 1878; Fry & Deal (the first named being a mechanic), that they furnished materials and work upon trestles in the same county, under a contract made with the company on June 2, 1877, and fully executed June 17, 1878; Clayton, that he performed work (grading, etc.) upon the company's road in the same county, under a contract made with it prior to the mortgage, but not executed until after its date, and Rice & Coleman, that they did work and labor, and furnished materials, on the company's road in Henderson County, North Carolina, such work beginning June 1, 1876, and ending May 1, 1878.
The decree below, ordering a sale of the mortgaged property, must have proceeded upon the ground that under the laws of North Carolina, these defendants acquired no lien whatever upon the property of the railroad company. The contention here is that some of the defendants acquired a lien as well under a statute passed in 1873, regulating sales under mortgages given by companies upon all their works and property, as under the act called the workmen's lien law of 1870, and that one of the defendants has a lien under the former, while others have liens under the latter statute. The main inquiry now is whether the court below correctly interpreted those statutes. It is necessary, to a clear understanding of the case, that their provisions be examined in detail.
By the Constitution of North Carolina of 1868, the general chanrobles.com-red
assembly of that state was required to "provide by proper legislation for giving to mechanics and laborers an adequate lien on the subject matter of their labor." Art. 14, § 4.
Subsequently, by an Act approved March 28, 1870, entitled "An act for the protection of mechanics and other laborers, materials," etc., it was provided
"That every building built, rebuilt, repaired, or improved, together with the necessary lots on which said building may be situated, and every lot, farm, or vessel, or any kind of property not herein enumerated, shall be subject to a lien for the payment of all debts contracted for work done on the same or material furnished,"
§ 1; that
"Any mechanic or citizen who shall make, alter, or repair any article of personal property at the request of the owner or legal possessor of such property shall have a lien upon such property so made, altered, or repaired for his just and reasonable charge for his work done and material furnished, and may hold and retain possession of the same until such just and reasonable charges shall be paid,"
&c., § 3; that
"All claims under $200 may be filed in the office of the nearest magistrate, if over $200, in the office of the superior court clerk in any county where the labor has been performed or the material furnished,"
§ 4; that proceedings to enforce the lien created must be commenced in the courts of justice of the peace, and in the superior courts, according to their jurisdiction, and, upon judgment's being rendered in favor of the claimant, an execution for the collection and enforcement thereof may issue in the same manner as upon other judgments in actions arising upon contracts for the recovery of money. § 11. Pub.Laws N.C. c. 206, p. 253; Battle's Revisal, N.C. c. 65, pp. 563-564.
By a general statute, approved February 8, 1872, entitled "An act to authorize the formation of railroad companies and to regulate the same," provision was made for the formation, by any number of persons, not less than 25, of corporations for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, and operating railroads. This statute contains 66 sections, and prescribes the mode in which a company may be organized under it; what its articles of association shall contain; what shall be the amount of its capital stock, and in what way chanrobles.com-red
subscribed; when it shall become a corporation, with the powers and privileges therein granted; to what extent its stockholders shall be liable for the debts of the company; when it shall be liable to laborers for the amount due them from contractors for the construction of any part of the road; the mode in which it may by condemnation acquire real estate needed for the purposes of its incorporation; an annual report to the governor showing its operations and conditions in every respect; when and under what circumstances the legislature may alter or reduce its rates of freight, fare, or other profits, and many other duties respecting the operation and management of its railroad and other property. Pub.Laws N.C. 1871-1872, c. 138; Battle's Revisal, c. 99, p. 727.
Corporations formed under that statute are given power to do various things involving the raising and expenditure of money, and also
"from time to time to borrow such sums of money as may be necessary for completing and finishing or operating their railroad and to issue and dispose of their bonds for any amount so borrowed and to mortgage their corporate property and franchises to secure the payment or [of] any debt contracted for the purposes aforesaid,"
&c. The statute further declares that "all existing railroad corporations within this state shall respectively have and possess all the powers and privileges" therein specified.
On the 12th of February, 1872, the General Assembly of North Carolina passed another statute providing for the formation of "private corporations for any purpose not unlawful" by three or more persons. Pub.Laws N.C. 1871-1872, c. 199.
At its subsequent session, an act was approved, March 1, 1873, entitled "An act to regulate mortgages by corporations, and to regulate sales under them." As the present case depends largely upon the construction to be given to the provisions of that statute, its first and third sections, the second and other sections being immaterial in the determination of any question here involved are given entire, as follows:
"SEC 1. If a sale be made under a deed of trust or mortgage executed by any company on all its works and property, and there be a conveyance pursuant thereto, such sale and conveyance
shall pass to the purchaser at the sale not only the works and property of the company as they were at the time of making the deed of trust or mortgage, but any works which the company may, after that time and before the sale, have constructed and all other property of which it may be possessed at the time of the sale other than debts due to it. Upon such conveyance to the purchaser, the said company shall ipso facto be dissolved, and the said purchaser shall forthwith be a corporation by any name which may be set forth in the said conveyance or in any writing signed by him and recorded in the same manner in which the conveyance shall be recorded."
"SEC. 3. When such corporation shall expire or be dissolved or its corporate rights and privileges shall have ceased, all its works and property and debts due to it shall be subject to the payment of debts due by it, and then to distribution among the members according to their respective interests, and such corporation may sue and be sued as before for the purpose of collecting debts due to it, prosecuting rights under previous contracts with it, and enforcing its liabilities and distributing the proceeds of its works, property, and debts among those entitled thereto, provided that all debts and contracts of any corporation prior to or at the time of the execution of any mortgage or deed of trust by such corporation shall have a first lien upon the property, rights, and franchises of said corporation and shall be paid off or secured before such mortgage or deed of trust shall be registered."
Pub.Laws N.C. 1872-1873, c. 131; Battle's Revisal, c. 26, §§ 46, 48, pp. 269-270.
MR. JUSTICE HARLAN, delivered the opinion of the Court. He recited the facts as above stated, and continued:
The first question to be considered is whether the act of 1870 gives a lien to mechanics or contractors upon the property of a railroad corporation, for work performed or materials furnished chanrobles.com-red
in and about the construction of its road or of its bridges constituting a part of its line. We are of opinion that no such statutory lien exists in North Carolina or was intended to be given by the act of 1870. In reaching this conclusion, we are not aided by any direct decision of the question by the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Reference was made by counsel to Whitaker v. Smith, 81 N.C. 340, where it was held that an overseer is not entitled under that act to a lien for his wages upon the employee's crop or land over which he has superintendence. After alluding to the constitutional requirement that laws be enacted to give to mechanics and laborers an adequate lien on the subject matter of their labor, the court said:
"A very large proportion of the laboring population of the state had just recently been released from thraldom and thrown upon their own resources, perfectly ignorant of the common business transactions of social life, and this provision of the constitution and the acts passed to carry it into effect were intended to give protection to that class of persons who were totally dependent upon their manual labor for subsistence. The law was designed exclusively for mechanics and laborers."
If such be the effect of the act of 1870, there is strong reason to hold that a mere contractor for the construction of a railroad, or of railroad bridges, is not entitled to the lien given by it. But without accepting as conclusive an opinion delivered after the rights of the parties had become fixed, Burgess v. Seligman, 107 U. S. 33, we rest our interpretation of the statute upon the ground that it has no reference to work done or materials furnished in the construction of railroads. The words of the act are scarcely adequate to express a purpose to give a lien upon a public improvement of that character. The words "building," "lot," "farm," and "any kind of property not herein enumerated" are too limited in their scope to justify the conclusion that the legislature had any intention by that act to give a lien upon railroad property. This view is strengthened by the circumstance that by the subsequent act providing for the organization of railroad companies and regulating their affairs, no saving is made of liens in behalf of mechanics and laborers, and express power is given to such corporations to chanrobles.com-red
borrow, from time to time, any sums necessary for completing and furnishing or operating their railroads upon bonds secured by mortgage upon their corporate property and franchises. Indeed, the idea of a lien in favor of laborers actually performing work in the construction of a railroad seems to have been intentionally excluded, for when the railroad contractor fails to pay such laborers, the company, upon notice, may become bound to do so; but no lien is given therefor upon the property of the corporation.
Apart, however, from these considerations, we are of opinion that a law giving to mechanics and laborers a lien on buildings, including the lot or ground upon which they stand, or a lien upon a lot or farm, or other property for work done thereon or for materials furnished in the construction or repair of buildings should not be interpreted as giving a lien upon the roadway, bridges, or other property of a railroad company that may be essential in the operation and maintenance of its road. In North Carolina, as in most if not in all the states, railroads, although constructed for the private emolument of those engaged in such enterprises, are highways which have been established, under the authority of law primarily for the convenience and benefit of the public. The general statute of February 8, 1872, authorized the formation of corporations to construct, maintain, and operate railroads
"for public use in the conveyance of persons and property or for the purpose of maintaining and operating any unincorporated railroad already constructed for the like public use."
Battle's Revisal, c. 99, § 1. The pecuniary profit derived by those who project and operate them is the reward which they receive for maintaining a public highway. Municipal taxation to aid in their construction has been maintained only upon the ground that they are in a large sense instrumentalities or agencies for the purpose of accomplishing public ends. Upon that ground rests the authority of the state to invest them with the right of eminent domain in the condemnation of private property, and to prescribe, from time to time, in the interest of the public, reasonable regulations for their control and management. Taylor v. Ypsilanti, 105 U. S. 68, 105 U. S. 69. Such being the relations existing chanrobles.com-red
in North Carolina between these corporations and the public, it should not be presumed that the legislature intended to subject them to the operation of ordinary lien laws, enacted for the benefit of those performing labor and furnishing materials in the construction, repair, or improvement of what the statute of 1870 designates as buildings, or who perform labor upon lots, farms, and other property belonging to private persons, and having no connection with public objects. A different construction of the statute would enable parties having liens for amounts within the jurisdiction of justices of the peace to destroy a public highway and defeat the important objects which the state intended to subserve by its construction. No such intention should be imputed to the legislature unless the words of the statute clearly require it to be done.
There is nothing, it may be observed in this connection, in Brooks v. Railway Co., 101 U. S. 443, in conflict with the views here expressed. The decision in that case rests upon the construction given to the mechanics' lien law of Iowa by the Supreme Court of that state. Besides, the Iowa statute in terms included, among those entitled to the lien it gave,
"contractors, subcontractors, material furnishers, mechanics, and laborers engaged in the construction of any railroad or other work of internal improvement."
Iowa Rev.Stat. 1860 § 1846. The legislative will was there expressed so clearly as to leave no room for interpretation of the statute.
It is, however, contended that the proviso of the third section of the Act of March 1, 1873, is sufficient to sustain the lien asserted by such of the appellants as were contractors and mechanics. That act, as we have seen, regulates sales under deeds of trust or mortgages "executed by any company on all its works and property," and provides for the purchaser becoming a corporation, with all the franchises, rights, and conveyances of, and subject to the duties imposed upon, the original corporation. In connection with a general provision for the disposition of the assets of corporations which shall expire or be dissolved, or whose corporate rights and privileges shall cease, it is declared
"That all debts and contracts of any corporation, prior to or at the time of the execution of any mortgage
or deed of trust by such corporation, shall have a first lien upon the property, rights, and franchises of said corporation, and shall be paid off or secured before such mortgage or deed of trust shall be registered."
It must be admitted that the broad language of this act gives some support to the proposition that it was intended to apply to all corporations, including those formed for the construction and operation of railroads. But there are reasons of great weight that have brought us to the conclusion that such is not its proper interpretation. The language of the proviso in question is fully satisfied by restricting its operation to merely private corporations, which may be formed by three or more persons. And to this may be added the important consideration that any other interpretation might defeat the express power given to railroad corporations to raise money for completing and finishing or operating their roads upon bonds to be secured by mortgage upon their property and franchises, for such bonds, in the very nature of things, could not be readily, if at all, disposed of if the lien given by the railroad mortgage is subordinate to a lien for "all debts and contracts," of whatever nature, "existing prior to and at the time of the execution" of such mortgage. Did the legislature intend that the power of a railroad corporation to mortgage all of its property and franchises for money with which to complete or operate a road for public use should be exercised subject to the condition that every creditor it had at the time of the mortgage, no matter how his debt originated nor whether there was an agreement for a lien, should have a first lien upon the corporate property and franchises? If this construction should be adopted, it would follow that mechanics and laborers would acquire, as between them and the holders of mortgage bonds, a first lien for work done or materials furnished to the railroad company without filing a claim therefor, as required by the act of 1870, and this although the legislature had in that act refrained from using language that necessarily gives them a lien upon railroad property and franchises. We are of opinion that the proviso of the third section of the act of 1873 has no application to deeds of trust or mortgage given by railroad corporations. chanrobles.com-red
This view is strengthened by the history of the compilation of the statutes of North Carolina known as "Battle's Revisal." At the same session of the legislature at which the railroad act of 1872 and the private corporation act of the same year were passed, another statute was enacted providing for the publication of the public statutes under the supervision of William H. Battle, who was directed "to collate, digest, and compile all the public statute laws of the state," distributing them under such titles, divisions, and sections as he deemed most convenient and proper to render them "more plain and easy to be understood." Acts N.C. 1871-1872, p. 373. His revision was reported to the legislature in 1873, and was formally approved, to take effect January 1, 1874. Upon looking into that revision, we find that the act of 1872, relating to private corporations, and that of 1873, in reference to sales of property under deeds of trust or mortgages executed by "any company on all its works and property," are consolidated in one chapter under the title of "Corporations" simply; the former constituting §§ 1 to 44, inclusive, of that title, and the latter act constituting §§ 45 to 49, inclusive, while the act of 1872, in reference to railroad corporations organized for public use, is placed under the separate title of "Railroad Companies." We have thus what may not unreasonably be regarded as a legislative indication of the original purpose of the act of 1873, viz., to make provisions for sales of property covered by deeds of trust or mortgages executed by merely private corporations, formed by three or more persons, leaving the rights of parties, in respect of like instruments executed by railroad companies organized for public purposes, subject to the terms of those instruments and the general principles of law. While Mr. Battle had no powers, by any mode of revision, to change the words, or to modify the meaning of the statutes themselves, Sikes v. Bladen Co., 72 N.C. 34; State v. Cunningham, 72 N.C. 469; State v. Taylor, 76 N.C. 64, he had no authority to arrange them under their appropriate titles, and when the legislature approved his placing the act of 1873 in direct connection with that of 1872, relating exclusively to private corporations, that fact is not without weight in determining chanrobles.com-red
the scope and effect of the original act of 1873. This circumstance would be entitled to very little weight if the language of the last-named act necessarily embraced all corporations, public and private, and was not, as we have said, fully satisfied by restricting its operation to private corporations, as indicated by the revision in question.
In view of what has been said, the issue made by the County of Buncombe, as a stockholder of the company, in reference to Inman's conduct as trustee, need not be examined. Upon the facts disclosed, the county does not seem to be in any position to question the decree in favor of the appellees. There is no error in the record, and the decree is
Affirmed. chanrobles.com-red
[Opinion on Petition for Rehearing]
MR. JUSTICE HARLAN delivered the opinion of the Court.
In the opinion in this case, it was stated that in North Carolina, as in most if not in all the states, railroads, although constructed by private persons or corporations for their own emolument are highways, established under the authority of law primarily for the benefit of the public. For that reason, in the absence of an express statutory declaration to the contrary, we were not willing to presume that the legislature of that state intended to subject railroads within her limits, and established by her authority, to the operation of ordinary lien laws, for such a construction of her statutes would enable creditors to enforce their liens upon distinct portions of a railroad, and thereby easily destroy a highway and defeat the important public objects intended to be subserved by its construction. The petition for rehearing suggests that the Court is in error as to the policy of the state with reference to the chanrobles.com-red
seizure of railroad property by execution or other process, and we are referred upon this point to State v. Rives, 5 Ired. 297, and Gooch v. McGee, 83 N.C. 59, authorities not heretofore cited by counsel.
In the first of these cases, it was decided that under the law of North Carolina as it then was, the writ of fieri facias lay against the land on which a railroad is laid out. In support of that view, reference was made to an act passed in 1820. But from the decision in Gooch v. McGee, determined in 1880, it is apparent that the court was not satisfied with the correctness of that decision, for it said that,
"So far as the opinion, except by force of the statute, extends the liability to the estates of corporations for public purposes indispensable to the exercise of the conferred franchise and to the performance of correlative duties, it is not in harmony with adjudications elsewhere of the highest authority, and we are not disposed to enlarge the sphere of its authority."
After citing several adjudged cases, including Gue v. Tidewater Canal Co., 24 How. 257, the court proceeds:
"In our researches we have met with a single case, Arthur v. Bank, 9 S. & M. 394, recognizing the authority and approving the decision in State v. Rives and in opposition to the current of judicial opinion. The general words of the statute, which to some extent influenced that decision, may, without violence to their meaning, admit of a narrower scope and be restricted to the property of private corporations, and to that of public corporations which may be replaced and is not indispensable to the exercise of their necessary functions and the discharge of public duties upon the distinction taken in the cases cited."
It is difficult to resist the conclusion that the Supreme Court of North Carolina intended by their opinion in Gooch v. McGee to intimate that State v. Rives was wrongly decided even with reference to the statutes in force when (1844) the latter case was determined.
It is suggested that § 9, c. 26, of the Revised Code of North Carolina, adopted in 1855, indicated a public policy in that state in harmony with the decision in State v. Rives, for it is claimed by that section the franchises and property of railroad corporations having the right to receive fare or tolls may be chanrobles.com-red
taken on execution. Upon this point it is sufficient to say that we are not satisfied that the statutory provision referred to, as being a part of the Code of 1855, was in force after Battle's Revisal was adopted. By express enactment, "all acts and parts of acts passed before" the session of the legislature which directed the publication of Battle's Revisal, "the subjects whereof are digested and compiled" in that revisal or which were "repugnant to the provisions thereof" were declared to be repealed and of no force or effect from and after the first of January next thereafter, with certain exceptions and limitations not embracing the present case. Battle's Revisal, p. 861. Independent, however, of this question, and even if § 9, c. 26, of the Code of 1855, be in force, we adhere to the opinion that there was no purpose, by the act of 1870, to give a lien upon the property of a railroad corporation for work performed or materials furnished in and about the construction of its road or of its bridges constituting a part of its line.
In the original opinion, we were in error in supposing that the act of 1873 was passed at a session previous to that at which the act was passed approving Battle's Revisal and directing its publication under the supervision of the compiler. Both acts, it seems, were passed at the same session. The incorporation of the act of 1873 into that part of the Revisal which related to private corporations was therefore the work of Mr. Battle, and not in pursuance of any previous express direction by the legislature. Making this correction in the statement of a fact to which we attached but little weight in our interpretation of the act of 1873, we perceive no sufficient ground for extending its provisions to the property of corporations operating a public highway.
The rehearing is denied.


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To be fair to President Barack Obama, one cannot deny that he inherited a bad economy from his predecessor Mr.George Bush. It became worse partly due to lack of energetic handling by his economic team and partly due to the global economic melt-down during his first term.
2. The cumulative effect was a seemingly bad economic record which was sought to be exploited skilfully by his challenger Mr.Mitt Romney. During the first Presidential debate, Mr.Romney managed to keep the spotlight focussed on Mr.Obama for the declining state of the economy.
3. After the first debate, the economy started showing glacial signs of improvement. The unemployment rate stopped increasing. More jobs were being created. More people started getting jobs. The deficit position remained as bad as ever, but the job market was not as gloomy as it was before the first Presidential debate.
4. Not many analysts noticed these glacial changes for the better in the job market. The BBC's economic analyst was one of the very few to have done so.
5. When the American voters went to the polls on November 6, they had before their eyes a job market which had stopped deteriorating. Should they give credit for this to Mr.Obama's economic policies and give time to those policies to reduce the negativity in the economy by giving Mr.Obama a second term, or should they turn to Mr.Romney and his proposed policy package without any guarantee of its success should Mr.Romney become the President? They chose the first option and decided to let Mr.Obama continue for a second term in view of what seemed a turn-around in the job market.
6. That is how I would explain the remarkable success of Mr.Obama despite his lack-lustre handling of the economy during the first term. Other factors contributed to his success too such as his demonstrated leadership in handling the hurricane disaster which stood in sharp contrast to the lack of leadership of Mr.Bush in dealing with natural disasters. But these factors alone would not have led to the win of Mr.Obama if the clouds of economic gloom had not started showing signs of dissipation in respect of the job market before voting day.
7. Mr.Obama is going to face three major mine-fields during his second term. The first will relate to the economy. Despite incipient signs of an improvement in the job market, an economic upswing is not round the corner. Whether there is an economic upswing would depend on how he and his advisers handle the deficit. Controlling the deficit will take time.
8. During the campaign, Mr.Romney managed to plant in the minds of sections of US voter's seeds of suspicion that China was partly responsible for the USA's economic woes. He said during the third debate devoted to foreign policy that if he became the President he would declare China a foreign exchange manipulator.
9. The references to China by both the candidates during the Presidential debates in the context of the economic situation would augment the attention given to China during Mr.Obama's second term. There will be more attention to China from the point of view of the economy as well as the tensions in the Asia Pacific region.
10. The lack of references to India during the debates showed how inconsequential India is from the point of view of the economy as well as the Asia-Pacific tensions. India would not be a beneficiary of the increased attention to the China-centric concerns during Mr.Obama's second term. We should not nurse any illusions of a greater importance to India in view of the China factor.
11. The second minefield will be with regard to Afghanistan. Mr.Obama has taken an irreversible decision to thin down the US troop presence in Afghanistan. There is going to be continuing instability in Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai is going to complete his second term. He will not be eligible for a third term. A new Afghan President will add to ground uncertainties at a time when the US and other NATO troops thin out.
12. Pakistani co-operation for ensuring stability on the ground in Afghanistan during the second term of Mr.Obama will become more important than it was during his first term. He may not be able to adopt the same tough line towards Pakistan as he did during his first term. He may find himself increasingly compelled to pay more attention to Pakistani sensitivities. That would mean less attention to Indian interests. The convergence of Indian and US interests and policies in Afghanistan would not be sharp.
13. The third minefield would be relating to Syria and Iran. Mr.Obama is pledged to bring about a regime change in Syria, if need be, by strengthening the capabilities of the anti-Assad forces in Syria. He is also pledged to increase pressure on Iran on the nuclear issue. The Jewish voters are believed to have largely voted for Mr.Romney due to their belief that he would take a tougher line towards the Assad regime in Syria and Iran than Mr.Obama.
14. Mr.Obama has to placate the Jewish sensitivities. He cannot afford to be indifferent to them. Dealing with Syria will not be as easy as dealing with Libya was because of Iran's close interests in Syria and the Lebanese factor. Any fresh instability in the Lebanon as a result of the US policies in Syria will complicate the ground situation increasing the possibility of fresh Israeli intervention in the Lebanon. Dealing with the new complexities in the region without opening a fresh Pandora's Box is going to be a tricky matter.
15. Mr.Obama's preoccupation is going to be with these three minefields. The options available for India for further strengthening our strategic partnership with the US will remain limited. We must focus on reviving and strengthening our economy and stabilising and increasing our regional influence without exaggerated hopes of a surge in our links with the US. ( 8-11-12)
(The writer is B.Raman,Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter @SORBONNE75)


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My friend John Allen, the fair-minded nearly ubiquitous columnist of the otherwise ultra-lefty fishwrap National Catholic Reporter, has an interesting piece about His Excellency Most Rev. Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura.
When Archbp. Burke was brought to Rome to head up the Church's highest "court", I was delighted. I knew that he would therefore be contributing his voice in the meetings of other important dicasteries from that point onward, and would eventually be made cardinal.
My emphases and comments in this piece, which also talks a little about the process of making bishops.
Burke's influence is set to grow
Vatican names pugnacious prelate to congregation
Nov. 06, 2009
By John L Allen JrAnalysis
Archbishop Raymond Burke's Oct. 17 appointment to the powerful Congregation for Bishops offers an illustration of how in the Vatican, even the ordinary can be extraordinary.
The appointment means that the 61-year-old Burke, a frequently polarizing figure during his 12-year run as a bishop in the United States, is now in a position to put his stamp on the next generation of Catholic bishops all over the world.
At one level, Pope Benedict XVI's decision to tap Burke for the role was the dictionary definition of pro forma. Of the 33 members of the Congregation for Bishops at the beginning of 2009, 25 were current or former Vatican officials, including Burke's predecessor as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the church's highest court. (Burke was actually appointed on Oct. 17 along with another recently installed curial official, Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, who heads the Vatican's liturgical office.)
That preponderance of Vatican prelates is partly because the Congregation for Bishops has to vet nominees from around the world, and Vatican officials control the archives where possible skeletons may lurk. In addition, the Congregation for Bishops meets for an entire morning every two weeks, and it's simply more practical to expect prelates based in Rome to show up.
Yet seen through American eyes, Burke — who's widely expected to become a cardinal in the next consistory, the event in which new cardinals are installed — is hardly just another Vatican official.
As the bishop of La Crosse, Wis., from 1995 to 2003, and then as archbishop of St. Louis from 2004 to 2008, Burke earned a reputation as a strong conservative voice on matters of both faith and politics. During the 2004 election, Burke publicly said he would not administer Communion to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, a [pro-abortion] Catholic and at the time the Democratic nominee for president. He also once blasted a benefit concert by pop singer Sheryl Crow for a Catholic children's hospital in St. Louis because she's pro-choice. [pro-abortion… let's call it what it is.]
Since being called to Rome in 2008, Burke has hardly gone quiet. In a September 2008 interview with an Italian newspaper, Burke said that the U.S. Democratic Party risks becoming the "party of death" because of its positions on bioethical questions. He's also insisted that nothing can justify voting for a candidate who's "anti-life" and "anti-family."
As a member of the Congregation for Bishops, Burke now has a seat at the table when possible new bishops are evaluated and proposed to the pope. (The Congregation for Bishops handles most appointments in the Catholic church, except for those in mission territories, which are prepared by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and those in the 22 Eastern rites in communion with Rome, which are handled by the Congregation for Oriental Churches.)
Burke becomes one of five Americans who sit on the congregation, the second largest national bloc after the Italians, who have 12 — nine cardinals, including Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the congregation's prefect, and three bishops. The other four Americans are Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia; Cardinal Francis Stafford, former head of the Apostolic Penitentiary; and Cardinal Bernard Law, archpriest of Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Like other important Vatican offices, the Congregation for Bishops has a staff that handles its day-to-day operations, but policy is set by the formal members of the congregation who are appointed by the pope. While many offices have full meetings of members only once a month or less frequently, the Congregation for Bishops meets more often because of the high volume of nominations to be reviewed.
When a diocese becomes vacant, it's the job of the papal nuncio, or ambassador, in that country to solicit input on the needs of that diocese and to work with the local bishops and bishops' conference to identify potential nominees. The nuncio prepares a terna, or list of three names, which is submitted to the Congregation for Bishops, along with extensive documentation on the candidates.
Members of the congregation are expected to carefully review all the documentation before meetings, and each is expected to offer an opinion about the candidates and the order in which they should be presented to the pope. Ultimately, it's up to the pope to decide who's named to any given diocese, but in most cases popes simply sign off on the recommendations made by the congregation.
To be sure, Burke's nomination doesn't mean he can single-handedly control who becomes a bishop, whether in the United States or anywhere else. For one thing, he's simply one of five Americans on the congregation, and the least senior. At least initially, his input on American appointments is unlikely to be decisive. [Exactly.]
Most observers say that aside from the pope himself, the two most powerful players in determining who becomes a bishop in the United States today are the current nuncio, Italian Archbishop Pietro Sambi, and Rigali of Philadelphia. (Rigali is a longtime veteran of Rome himself, and a close friend of Re.) [That may be the case.]
By itself, Burke's appointment doesn't alter that calculus. Sambi in particular is believed to have reservations about the pugnacious, and occasionally partisan, episcopal style that Burke came to symbolize.
On the other hand, Burke's influence may grow with time.
He's by far the youngest of the current crop of Americans on the congregation (the next youngest, Levada, is 73, and Rigali is 74). Since appointments are for five-year terms and may be renewed until a prelate reaches the age of 80, Burke could be involved in bishops' appointments for the next two decades. At some point he may well become the senior American in the process, with a correspondingly greater impact.
Whatever happens, one thing seems clear. If anyone suspected that the decision to bring Burke to Rome last year was a way of muzzling him, [I didn't] or limiting his influence in the United States, [HA!] it certainly doesn't seem to be playing out that way.
John L. Allen Jr. is NCR senior correspondent. His e-mail address is email@example.com


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The pages appear to have been written around 1994-95, and mystery author writes that "his dear friend" Manny Weltman said to him "We are probably the last people doing any serious research on Houdini."
The writer also states that he has in his "private collection" photos of Houdini with a "life like dummy" that he used during the filming of The Man From Beyond and Haldane of the Secret Service. The dummy was used during the frozen in ice, paddle wheel, and Niagara Falls sequences (along with another dummy of Jane Connelly). The use of a stunt dummy was, of course, never revealed publicly.
So we have three mysteries here. Who wrote these pages? Who has these Houdini-dummy photos? And does the Houdini stunt dummy still exist today?
The Houdini dummy in action? |
UPDATE: What happened to the dummy is revealed HERE.


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some kind of panini with roasted red peppers.
Truffled Egg Toast. Man this is good. The recipe is here.
I substituted assorted olives for the asparagus and used
whole eggs rather than load up on yolks...and yup its
just 'fancy' toad in a hole.
These orchiette, I might have mentioned, are made
from wild chicken mushrooms, olive oil and
The pup - banana - a cousin and an aunt.
things got out of control at 89 mercer
kid and all


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The basic goal of the Cascading Stylesheet (CSS) language is to allow a browser engine to paint elements of the page with specific features, like colors, positioning, or decorations. The CSS syntax reflects this goal and its basic building blocks are:
- The property which is an identifier, that is a human-readable name, that defines which feature is considered.
- The value which describe how the feature must be handled by the engine. Each property has a set of valid values, defined by a formal grammar, as well as a semantic meaning, implemented by the browser engine.
CSS declarations
Setting CSS properties to specific values is the core function of the CSS language. A property and value pair is called a declaration, and any CSS engine calculates which declarations apply to every single element of a page in order to appropriately lay it out, and to style it.
Both properties and values are case-insensitive by default in CSS. The pair is separated by a colon, ':
), and white spaces before, between, and after properties and values, but not necessarily inside, are ignored.
There are hundreds of different properties in CSS and a practically endless number of different values. Not all pairs of properties and values are allowed and each property defines what are the valid values. When a value is not valid for a given property, the declaration is deemed invalid and is wholly ignored by the CSS engine.
CSS declaration blocks
Declarations are grouped in blocks, that is in a structure delimited by an opening brace, '{
), and a closing one, '}
). Blocks sometimes can be nested, so opening and closing braces must be matched.
Such blocks are naturally called declaration blocks and declarations inside them are separated by a semicolon, ';
). A declaration block may be empty, that is containing null declaration. White spaces around declarations are ignored. The last declaration of a block doesn't need to be terminated by a semicolon, though it is often considered good style to do it as it prevents forgetting to add it when extending the block with another declaration.
A CSS declaration block is visualized in the diagram below.
Note: The content of a CSS declaration block, that is a list of semicolon-separated declarations, without the initial and closing braces, can be put inside an HTML style
CSS rulesets
If style sheets could only apply a declaration to each element of a Web page, they would be pretty useless. The real goal is to apply different declarations to different parts of the document.
CSS allows this by associating conditions with declarations blocks. Each (valid) declaration block is preceded by one or more comma-separated selectors, which are conditions selecting some elements of the page. A selector list and an associated declarations block, together, are called a ruleset, or often a rule.
A CSS ruleset (or rule) is visualized in the diagram below.
As an element of the page may be matched by several selectors, and therefore by several rules potentially containing a given property several times, with different values, the CSS standard defines which one has precedence over the other and must be applied: this is called the cascade algorithm.
Note: It is important to note that even if a ruleset characterized by a group of selectors is a kind of shorthand replacing rulesets with a single selector each, this doesn't apply to the validity of the ruleset itself.
This leads to an important consequence: if one single basic selector is invalid, like when using an unknown pseudo-element or pseudo-class, the whole selector is invalid and therefore the entire rule is ignored (as invalid too).
CSS statements
Rulesets are the main building blocks of a style sheet, which often consists of only a big list of them. But there is other information that a Web author wants to convey in the style sheet, like the character set, other external style sheets to import, font face or list counter descriptions and many more. It will use other and specific kinds of statements to do that.
A statement is a building block that begins with any non-space characters and ends at the first closing brace or semicolon (outside a string, non-escaped and not included into another {}, () or [] pair).
There are two kinds of statements:
- Rulesets (or rules) that, as seen, associate a collection of CSS declarations to a condition described by a selector.
- At-rules that start with an at sign, '
), followed by an identifier and then continuing up to the end of the statement, that is up to the next semicolon (;) outside of a block, or the end of the next block. Each type of at-rules, defined by the identifier, may have its own internal syntax, and semantics of course. They are used to convey meta-data information (like@layer
), conditional information (like@media
), or descriptive information (like@font-face
Any statement which isn't a ruleset or an at-rule is invalid and ignored.
Nested statements
There is another group of statements – the nested statements. These are statements that can be used in a specific subset of at-rules – the conditional group rules. These statements only apply if a specific condition is matched: the @media
at-rule content is applied only if the device on which the browser runs matches the expressed condition; the @document
at-rule content is applied only if the current page matches some conditions, and so on. In CSS1 and CSS2.1, only rulesets could be used inside conditional group rules. That was very restrictive and this restriction was lifted in CSS Conditionals Level 3. Now, though still experimental and not supported by every browser, conditional group rules can contain a wider range of content: rulesets but also some, but not all, at-rules.


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Demi Lovato Announces Social Media Break Following Scooter Braun Support
Demi Lovato is taking a break from social media.
The "Sober" singer took her Instagram Stories on Wednesday (July 3) to announce her decision to leave the platform. Though it's unclear what prompted this social media break, her hiatus comes shortly after she defended Scooter Braun amid his feud with Taylor Swift.
"Taking a break for a while," she wrote. "Be Kind."
In case you missed it, the pop star publicly supported the talent manager on Instagram following his multi-million dollar deal to acquire the rights to Swift's entire music catalog after buying her former record label, Big Machine Records.
After singer Todrick Hall called Braun "evil" and "homophobic" on Instagram Lovato stepped, commenting, "Hey boo, [I don't know] you or anything and this isn't hate, but making claims that someone is homophobic is really serious."
"Please don't spread information that isn't true because I can guarantee you Scooter isn't. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself, he wouldn't have signed me if he was. No hate just trying to clear that up," she added.
Lovato then took to her own Instagram Story to defend Braun's character, writing, "I have dealt with bad people in this industry and Scooter is not one of them. He's a good man. Personally, I'm grateful he came into my life when he did. Please stop 'dragging' people or bullying them. There's enough hate in this world as it is."
"Y'all can come after me all you want but I'm always gonna stay loyal to my team," continued. "I value loyalty more than most people in this world and if my name is gonna be brought into conversations I'm gonna stand up for myself and the ones on my team."
As previously reported, Lovato recently hired Braun as her new manager.


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This function will sleep for up to timeoutms milliseconds, or until a message arrives in the queue. If a message or messages arrives before the timeout, they will be dispatched, and the function will return TRUE. If the timeout occurs and no messages were processed, the return value will be FALSE. If you do not specify a value for timeoutms, then 0 will be assumed. A 0 value means that no waiting will be performed; if there are messages pending they will be dispatched as before; if there are no messages pending, the function will return FALSE immediately without sleeping.
The purpose of this function is to route COM calls between apartments and handle various synchronization issues. This allows your script to wait efficiently for events to be triggered, while still handling other events or running other code in the background. You should use it in a loop, as demonstrated by the example in the com_event_sink() function, until you are finished using event bound COM objects.


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Found 14111 matches
1 of 2 weekly practices for Duke Quiz Bowl
Small groups are our mini families that work to grow in community and do life together while talking about the intersection of faith, life, and ethnicity.
Drop-in advising is for quick questions. If you don't need a full 30-minute appointment, please consider stopping by a drop-in session hosted by our peer advisors. Drop-in advising can be used to double-check a policy or procedure or to confirm you're on track with your application or pre-departure steps.
An info session where we will be providing interested members of the student body information about our organization's operations and values. We will also be elaborating on our application process.
Bring your own dinner and join us at Sarah P. Duke Gardens to chat about all things BOW and anything else on your mind!
Come learn more about Juris: Duke's Undergraduate Law Magazine!
Tips on navigating finance recruiting in the fall semester: info sessions, interviews, resumes etc.
Social Hosts are members of the Duke community that are required to be present at all on-campus events where alcohol is present. Social Hosts are sober, active bystanders that assist in promoting safe, social behaviors to ensure that the event ends well for all those attending. What will this workshop cover? Your role as a Social Host. How you can promote safe, social behaviors. How your…
September 7th Topic: Welcome Back to Duke and Get to Know the CMA! A casual community chat space where community members and partners can explore relevant multicultural topics, cultivate cross-cultural relationships, & engage in intentional coalition building.
Come Learn More!
The Alexander Hamilton Society is excited to host Randall Schriver, Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, to campus to discuss the One China issue in the context of Ukraine.
Weekly meeting conducted for the entire general body of the Duke Investment Club, featuring stock pitches, guest speakers, student panels, and a training program for underclassmen interested in learning more about finance.


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I have an air conditioner that is probably 15 years old now. The problem is when I turn it on after it has been off for a long period of time (several hours) it takes a long time for the outdoor unit (compressor?) to start running.
The outdoor unit has a large fan in the middle with cooling coils around the perimeter and cooling fins. It had been running just fine up until three summers ago. Two winters ago, my heater went out and I had it replaced. The following summer (last summer) I went to turn on the air conditioner for the first time and it took so long (30 minutes) to come on that I thought it was broken or not wired up or a fuse blew. I checked all the obvious things like the set temp was below the room temp. (72 < 90). The wall unit has a red light that glows when either the heater or air conditioner unit is operating. I figured the heating & cooling guys forgot to hook something up. Having a bit of electrical know-how, I went and checked the outside fuses and other things and could see the outdoor unit had voltage going to the outdoor unit.
Just today, first time turning on the air conditioner for the year and same behavior. Here is the interesting thing though. Once the unit kicks on, it cycles normally. I can hear a small click (relay closing) on the inside thermostat unit each time the termostat cycles on/off. I can then hear the outside unit kick on within a few seconds of hearing that click (normal).
On mild days, I turn the air conditioner off and it may be off for a day or two but then turning it on for the first time, I can hear the thermostat click but the outdoor unit takes 30 minutes on average to come on for the first time.
I don't have a schematic for the unit but I can't imagine an outdoor relay taking that long to engage if it's a relay problem. Also the outdoor unit has this blanket around the motor. I tried removing it when this problem first began but the unit seems sealed up.
The guys that put in my new furnace insist they did nothing that would have caused this but want $85 to come look at it.
Anyone recognize this behavior?


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JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it . . .
Greg from Palatka, FL:
What's your gut? Does Gabbert play Sunday or not?
John: I believe Blaine Gabbert will play. He has progressed daily, and as of Saturday morning, he has 24 more hours to heal before Sunday's regular-season opener. He appeared to be throwing the ball well in practice Friday. It wouldn't shock me if he doesn't play, but if you're asking me to guess, I'd guess he starts Sunday.
Bill from Jacksonville:
How does a team with six Pro Bowl players lose 14 games?
John: Bill! 'Sup!? You're referring to the Chiefs last season, of course, and as I've said often: winning in the NFL sometimes is about more than raw talent. A lot goes into it: correct preparation, limiting mistakes, winning close games, getting some belief in what you're doing, etc. Sometimes, it can be as simple as one position group not performing – say, the offensive line. If that happens, the offense doesn't function and no matter how well the defense plays, it doesn't matter. In the case of the Chiefs last season, they had a 37-13 giveaway-takeaway ratio and that certainly didn't help. The Chiefs acquired quarterback Alex Smith in the offseason. He's known for not making costly turnovers, so they obviously feel if they reduce that ratio or turn it around they can improve pretty dramatically. And maybe they're right.
Amar from New Orleans, LA:
Do you see Luke being the nastiest player on offense? I hope he is going to maul defenders in the run game.
John: I don't know about "nastiest." There are some nasty types on the offense, but I think Joeckel will prove to be far nastier on the field than he appears when talking to him off the field. We shall see. It's difficult to tell just how nasty a lineman is in preseason. This will play out over time, and I suspect Jaguars fans will like the rookie's nastiness level.
Manuel from Jacksonville and Section 215:
I am surprised with your early-than-usual O-Zones. Is this as result of a bonus or promotion you got to motivate you? Or is it as result of an ultimatum from Lamping?
John: What's a "bonus?"
James from Jacksonville:
Watching the first quarter Thursday night, Peyton Manning looked a little off and I was having small wonderings that he might be slipping at least a bit. Things got better in the second quarter though, and then came the second half. No. He hasn't slipped a bit.
John: No, he hasn't. Having covered him 10 years, I will say his arm doesn't look as strong as perhaps it once did. But his ability to see the field, throw to the right receiver and get the team into the right play makes up for it – and then some. If he keeps working at it, he has a chance to be pretty good.
Jeremy from Andover, KS:
What's the deal with hits on receivers over the middle with the Ravens/Broncos? There were several in the game (on Dallas Clark, for example) that it just seems like last year would have easily been defenseless-receiver penalties. Did the rule or guidance on the rule change? It just seems inconsistent with last year. After last year, it seemed that the rule had basically eliminated those types of hits from the game. Are they actually letting them play football again?
John: Players adapt to rules changes, and that will happen as time goes on, but I don't know that that accounts for the feeling you got from Baltimore/Denver. I watched the hit on Clark, and it looked like a legal, hard hit. That has nothing to do with officials calling it differently and everything to do with the player making a proper hit.
Mike from Atlanta, GA:
Stole my wallet and spent 30 minutes helping me look for it. #ShadrickSightings
John: Yes. Yes. Absolutely.
Mark from Jacksonville:
Hindsight is 20/20. Was releasing Daryl Smith a mistake?
John: The answer remains, "Time will tell." I've weighed in on this often, and the explanation about this situation really hasn't changed. Jaguars defensive players will tell you Smith was the best player on the defense in 2011. But he missed 14 games last season with a groin injury and was entering his 10th season. That combination of age and a recent injury is a difficult combination for a team trying to determine whether to re-sign a player with whom they are unfamiliar.
Dennis from Salt Water Beach:
My friend and I were texting back and forth talking fantasy football smack prior to the Denver-Ravens game. Rooster, as we call him, is a die-hard Jags fan and season-ticket holder. By now, I thought for sure he would know all-about #Moodachay. After all, it has been over two months since the inception. Not so much. His responding text stated "Yeah, I see it all the time but have no clue. Is it a Tomahawk Indian who's tee-pee caught on fire and he is now in a bad mood." I couldn't help but share...
John: Tell him to read here.
Grant from Jacksonville:
After the rain delay Thursday, I noticed while the Ravens were exiting their locker room that most players walked right out while a few walked up to an official and got what looked like a pat down, as if trying to search for weapons, by touching their shoulder pads and going down the sides of their waist. Any idea what that was about?
John: They likely were checking players for illegal substances. Players can't put substances on their jerseys to make them slicker or harder to grasp. Usually, offensive and defensive linemen are checked for this. I didn't see what you're talking about, but that's the best guess.
Wallace from Jacksonville:
Will Ta''u or whatever his name is is the best blocking fullback in the NFL? I don't think so. Did you happen to watch Vontae Leach of the Ravens last night? There's the best fullback in the NFL. He's a crushing blocker and can catch passes out of the backfield. Blaine hit hands of stone Will right in the hands with a pass in the preseason that turned into an interception. Please don't patronize us with statements such as "Will is the best blocking fullback in the NFL". We're not that stupid.
John: Wallace, you're usually a very astute reader with good questions, but in this case, I'd ask you to read what was written. I wrote on Thursday that Pro Football Focus graded Ta'ufo'ou as the best blocking fullback during the 2013 preseason. I did not write that he's the best blocking fullback in the NFL. When I write things using analytics and statistics web sites I do so in the same vein as the team uses analytics – as a tool to help people better understand what's going on. People don't know much about Ta'ufo'ou, so I offered the statistic to indicate that he might actually be pretty good despite his lack of name recognition. So, no, you're not stupid and I never said you were. In this case, though, you weren't as smart as usual.
Tom from Ponte Vedra Beach and Section 106:
I'm waiting for the second half Sunday to see how well this staff makes adjustments. All too often last year we'd play respectably in the first half and fall by the wayside in the second.
John: You're right. That appeared to be a major problem last year. It was remarkable and mindboggling last season at times to watch games snowball out of control. I'll be watching it, too. A lot of people will.
Dakota from Dupree, SD:
What does the depth chart at tight end look like? Who will start and who will play the second tight end spot if Lewis is out?
John: Marcedes Lewis indeed is out with a calf injury. Allen Reisner will start, with Clay Harbor and D.J. Williams also likely active. Reisner showed during training camp he can be effective as a pass receiver, though it's doubtful the Jaguars can duplicate Lewis as a blocker. It angers people sometimes to hear people talk about Lewis' importance as a run blocker, but it's real and that may be where he is missed the most Sunday.
Andy from St. John's, FL:
I thought I read the O-Zone every day and watch every View from the O-Zone video and follow you on Twitter, but what is up with this #shadricksightings? I must have missed something here. Obviously, it is taking real-life examples and implying JP is cheap, but what did I miss? How did this all start?
John: #Shadricksightings are a running joke that started about a week ago, playing on the character/persona of our own J.P. Shadrick as a Southern gentleman who loves life and all it offers, savoring every moment of life and getting by with as much as he can. Remember, it's a persona and not real life. In real life, he's a kind, giving soul who thinks only of others, donates much of his salary to charity, eats a gluten-free diet and volunteers at local churches and outreach programs five nights a week and every other weekend. He's as fine a man as I've ever met and if he liked me in the least, I'd be proud to call him my friend.
Jaguars News | Jacksonville Jaguars - jaguars.com
Sep 07, 2013 at 02:38 AM
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