text:
February 1987. At the 4:25 alarm my routine is this: From the bed, reach for the two damp swimsuits drying on the bedroom doorknob, take off my pajamas, and pull the suits on halfway. Under the covers, pull on track pants, three T-shirts, a sweatshirt, two pairs of socks, which have been piled at the foot of my bed the night before. Once dressed, switch on my bedside lamp.
The hour between 4 and 5 AM is dreadful, especially in the dead of Canadian winter. Knowing I have to get into a chilly, overchlorinated pool and endure two hours of unrelenting muscle pain makes it worse. The hour is redeemed by the quiet, the bluish-blackness out the window, less menacing than midnight dark. I ride, next to my mother, through our suburban streets, bundled into a team parka, listening to the tires squeak over the packed snow.
Sometimes on those mornings, waiting for my mother to come downstairs, I make something I call a "muffin-in-a-mug": Quaker instant bran muffin mix, half a cup of milk, stirred, nuked for two minutes, and then eaten with a spoon. It will be half bready, half raw, but sweet and warm. I bring it along in the car if we are running late, spooning the stuff into my mouth with mittens on, as I watch the icy streetscapes swoosh past.
This was my ritual: I put the batter-filled mug in the microwave and set the time to 1:11:00, the time I want to swim the SC 100m breaststroke in 1987. Then I cover my eyes with one hand, finger on the start panel, imagining my starting block and the pool: a vast table of water, still and clear. I see the dirty grout between the small white tiles. The lane ropes pulled taut along the surface. I can hear teammates in the stand and families in the gallery. A long, sharp whistle calls us onto the blocks. The quiet is sudden. My hands reach to touch the front of the sandpapery block, between my toes.
I push Start on the microwave. Breathe, dive. In the kitchen, in my track pants, there are eight or nine strokes the first length, a two-handed touch, and silence again at the turn. I hear a faucet upstairs turn on, then off. In my mind I am ahead, no one in my periphery. My legs start to tire. I lay a hand on the countertop at 50 meters, knees and chest hurting. When I breathe I see the officials dressed in white at the end of the lanes, legs apart and hands behind their backs, looking grimly down to the pool. Halfway down the pool on my final length I hear sharp beeping and open my eyes—the microwave is flashing 00:00:00. Too slow by about five seconds.
Other times I prepare my mug, set the microwave to 1:11:00, and sit at the kitchen table with a glass of milk. I don't look at the timer. I look outside at the dark wooden deck and icy trees. I look at my knees in my gray track pants, I pick some lint off, I think about how I like my track pants to be either gray or, gun-to-head, navy blue. My mind wanders but maintains a loose grip on the seconds. When I sense the time is close I shut my eyes and imagine the last five or six strokes to the wall. I finish—imagine slamming my arms dramatically into the yellow touchpads—and look up at the microwave. Sometimes this works, but most of the time I'm too early. I watch the last numbers count down to 00:00:00, the light inside the oven clicks off, and the long beep indicates the time is up.
February 1991. I take my mountain bike out into the snow for a ride and, halfway down a steep hill, resolve to bicycle to my best friend Chris's house 25 kilometers away. The winter afternoon quickly blackens, and I am about three kilometers south when it starts to blizzard. I'm afraid of strangers who might stop to help me, so when I hear a car approach I hide behind a bank of plowed snow on the shoulder. I've been gone two hours. One car slows as I am ducking behind a frozen drift. I poke my head over the top. It is my father. I roll my bike out and over the bank, and he puts it in the back of his Suzuki Sidekick. I get in. We drive back silently. A few weeks later he asks if I think I might like to see a psychiatrist.
I haven't been swimming for two years, and am due at McGill University in the fall. During these years, I ping-pong between my age and my swimming age—the number that coaches, teammates, competitors, and I unconsciously and automatically consider in relation to Olympic years, to puberty, to age-group rankings, to height, weight, strength, and development. After quitting in 1989, I voraciously try to catch up on the rituals of being suburban 16, 17, filling my head with steep French literature and new music, notebooks with bad poetry, gut with crushes, sketchbooks with agonies of dragons, raccoons, and smudgy Gothic calligraphy. Chris and I write out an urgent vow—something about making the best comics and stories in the world—that we place in a peanut butter jar and bury on a slope beneath a boulder.
But after the long bus rides home from high school, I retreat to the basement in my shorts, loop a pair of surgical tubes around an iron pillar, set my stopwatch, and do an hour of resistance-band training. I listen to the thrum and squeak of the rubber and iron in the windowless room, sweating into the mustard-swirl carpet. I continue dry-land workouts like an automaton, simulating swimming in a basement on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment. I yank on the tubes hoping they might give me a clue—tell me what I'm doing—willing my swimming age to remember what it is capable of.
When I graduate from high school in May, my step-aunt Pamela, a glamorous, single career woman with no children, invites me and my friend Jane to stay with her for the summer, in a town outside Leeds, England.
From Pam's house, Jane and I take trains to the beach at Southampton; the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford; the Brontë house in Haworth. We punt in Cambridge, stay in youth hostels. I start to long for larger experiences I have no idea how to acquire. At one hostel, in Brighton, I hear a young woman's voice beneath my window singing "Off to Dublin in the Green," heartbreakingly, drunkenly, and I have a feeling that things will be—as the song sounds—complicated, mostly sad, and mostly beautiful.
When the singing stops, I keep listening at the window from my bunk bed:
"Oy, Tracy, get me top off, it's all I got to wear tomorrow!"
"Surely you're joking."
"Nuh, I mean it, git it off! Do us a favor."
We stay with Jane's cousins in Birmingham, and she transforms: her Brummie accent emerges, her neckline scoops, her posture becomes defiant. She borrows their tight jeans, jerseys, and hair spray. I watch her, wearing a wool fisherman's sweater and vintage pajama bottoms, then go back to underlining my rancid paperbacks. At a campground in Ayr we part ways, planning to meet at Pam's in a week. I go to Edinburgh and Glasgow, eat spoonfuls of peanut butter on park benches. Jane returns to Birmingham, goes to clubs, and does a lot of drugs. Later, back on Pam's high, flowery-sheeted bed, Jane whispers that she slept with her cousin's friend. We shriek for a while; then I lie beside her in the dark as she snores softly.
Jane flies back to Canada the next day, and I stay on another few weeks with Pam. While she works, I sketch in her garden or take the bus into Leeds to walk around. It's different without Jane. We rifled through the charity shops, drank barley water in pubs, giddily went to see a band called the Pooh Sticks. I walk to the university pool and watch the City of Leeds swim team practice. The coach, Terry Denison, coached breaststrokers Adrian Moorehouse and Suki Brownsdon—names I know from the international rankings. I lean over the railing from the stands and listen to Denison give his swimmers sets.
From the window of the bus back to Pam's, I see a dark-haired man exit a door and turn a corner. He is wearing Adidas track pants, clean white sneakers, and a battered leather motorcycle jacket zipped snugly up to his chin. I decide I want to swim again, and I want to know where to get clothes like that.
Over fish fingers, Pam and I talk about my taking up swimming again. I decide to defer McGill, train for next year, and live with my brother in downtown Toronto.


text:
This preview has intentionally blurred sections. Sign up to view the full version.View Full Document
This note was uploaded on 11/28/2010 for the course BUS 101 taught by Professor Hunter during the Spring '08 term at Bryant.
- Spring '08
- Hunter
- Business
Click to edit the document details

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Save Austin's Cemeteries gathers information from descendants of the five city cemeteries in part because the cemeteries are targets for theft and vandalism. When these incidents occur, the city and the cemetery maintenance contractor have no means for contacting the next of kin to inform them. Please fill out the .pdf form with your contact information and email it to us.
Save Austin's Cemeteries also likes to receive biographies and photographs of ancestors, which bring life to the thousands of residents at the cemeteries. Each one of our residents has a story -- please help us tell their stories. Please contact us or send your information to firstname.lastname@example.com or to PO Box 16411, Austin, Texas 78761.


text:
Kotelnik: First Khan, then USA!
WBA super lightweight world champion Andreas Kotelnik says he will beat Amir Khan at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, England on July 18 and dedicate the victory to his hero the late Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance, whose family also came from the city of Lviv in the Ukraine. In the early 1940s, Palance, who was born Volodymyr Palahniuk, he was a heavyweight prospect, winning his first 15 fights before WWII cut short his career. "When I told him I was a boxer like him, he patted me on the head and told me America was where I had to conquer if I wanted to make it big," said Kotelnik. I've not quite got that far yet, but I am a world champion and after I have knocked out Amir Khan I will go to America and prove that I am the best light-welterweight in the world. We have had some very famous Ukrainians over the years, but I will become the most famous of them all when I smash Khan on July 18."


text:
By clicking on the button above, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Already a member? Log in
Using eHarmony
Dating Tips
About You
Q. I go on lots of first dates and the women seem to be having fun, but when I call for a second date, they disappear…
Already a member?
Copyright © 2000-2017 eHarmony, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions of Service
eHarmony® Compatibility Matching System® Protected by U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,568


text:
www.symantec.com – Virtualization is transforming the data center and solution providers are migrating their customers to a virtual environment to create a more flexible IT infrastructure, reduce costs and maximize storage resources. At the same time, however, virtualization introduces some new concerns. By understanding the possibilities and challenges associated with virtualization, resellers can maximize their profit by becoming a trusted resource for businesses who want to take advantage of this technology. In turn customers will begin to realize the potential of their virtualized deployments and resellers will be able to add to their bottom line.
What do solution providers need to know before migrating their customers to a virtualization environment?
Before implementing virtualization in a customer environment, partners must look beyond physical servers to consider the impact virtualization will have on the entire IT infrastructure.
At the most fundamental level, customers want their applications to be available regardless of whether the application is running on a physical or a virtual platform. They also want the same level of protection for data that lives on virtual machines and to ensure that their virtual environment can be recovered quickly in the face of disaster. It is also imperative that there is visibility and control into their virtual environment to ensure optimal utilization.
What impact does virtualization have on the IT infrastructure?
Virtualization introduces more complexity into the IT infrastructure since virtual machines, as well as physical ones, must now be managed, including a growing range of virtualization platforms from vendors such as VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, Sun, Oracle, and others.
For example, let's take a look just at data protection and storage. Standard backup technologies that have been used successfully in physical environments create significant overhead when applied to a virtual world. Installing a traditional backup client inside a virtual machine is a valid way of protecting it but demands additional system resources needed by other virtual machines hosted on the same physical server. And the disaster recovery advantages that are inherent in the architecture of many virtualization solutions cannot be exploited with this backup methodology as restores at the virtual machine file level are not possible.
Storage management can also be difficult in a virtual environment. While many server virtualization solutions include built-in storage management functionality, these tools can be problematic in a heterogeneous environment. In addition, because virtualization adds a layer of abstraction, is also makes storage more challenging by obfuscating visibility into the IT environment while also increasing the amount of storage to be managed.
How can partners use virtualization to improve a customer's storage utilization?
With virtualization, solution providers can help improve their customers' hardware utilization by enabling them to pool all storage into logical groups that can be reallocated quickly or in real time based on demand. The most useful virtualization tools can do this across any storage array from a variety of vendors, running a variety of operating systems, and from a single management interface.
When storage resources are virtualized, they appear as a single resource. Data can be moved transparently across vendors and operating systems to utilize available capacity. Storage management tools can offer customers additional benefits by enabling them to classify data by age or type so that less valuable or less current data can be moved automatically to higher capacity, less costly storage.
What are the customer benefits of using management toolsets that work across both virtual and physical environments?
Customers that use one set of tools for managing their physical environment and another for managing their virtual environment find that maintaining a complex set of processes and tools is inefficient, ineffective, and error-prone. In contrast, a toolset that works across the same physical, virtual, and multi-vendor environment provides several benefits.
With a single, centralized view of the entire infrastructure, customers can discover and visualize how their applications map to the resources they consume across all elements in the data center. They gain better visibility into resource usage that, in turn, leads to improved resource utilization and service levels. In addition, the customer's ability to automatically map consumed and unconsumed resources to the business and underlying application enables more prudent capacity planning practices.
What power consumption and green computing benefits does virtualization offer end users?
Arguably the greatest savings a customer will realize is through physically reducing server count, freeing up space, and reducing the load on HVAC systems. Virtualization can help customers consolidate many applications onto fewer physical servers, which requires less energy to power the boxes and cool them. Virtualization improves server utilization, reduces server count, and reduces the need for additional purchases.
How does virtualization impact a customer's bottom line?
The impact of virtualization on the bottom line can be significant. With fewer servers required, fewer people are required to manage those computers, less space is required to house them, and fewer kilowatt hours of power are required to run them—all of which translates into hard dollar savings.
However, to enjoy the rewards of lower capital and operational costs, customers must be able to manage their virtualized environment much as they do the physical one. Indeed, in the world of virtualization, manageability is the ultimate bottom line. Virtualization solutions can help resellers meet their business needs while opening the doors to new customer opportunities. As a trusted resource, solution providers can create new business opportunities by including virtualization in their quiver of solutions to help their customers manage the IT needs with fewer servers and staff managing them. Thus, helping their customer grow the business and be profitable.
What options can VARs provide their customers who require a complete, unified server and storage virtualization platform?
One of the most promising frameworks to emerge recently integrates storage virtualization technology directly in an open source hypervisor. The resulting unified server and storage virtualization platform represents an efficient and effective solution to offer customers who want to realize the same benefits in a virtual environment as they do in their physical environment.
From a single console, customers have visibility and control of physical, virtual, and multi-vendor server and storage assets. This makes it easier to set up virtual machines, configure snapshots, understand where storage is located, and much more. Also, because these capabilities are provided in a single package, deployment and support are significantly streamlined.
How do you select a good vendor for a heterogeneous (virtual, physical, and multi-vendor) environment?
Moving virtualization from a test to a production environment can be challenging, so it is recommended that organizations work with a partner that has experience and expertise not only in a variety of virtualization technologies but also in data center implementations in complex, heterogeneous physical environments. The toolset they use is also a critical consideration, with preference placed on tools and solutions that have proven effective in truly heterogeneous environments.


text:
HPI Racing Ball 6.8x7.3x3mm (Black) (4)
HPI Racing
$1.99 Flat Rate Shipping!
|Low Price:
This item is eligible for $1.99 flat rate shipping Learn More
This item earns up to 7 VIP Reward Points Learn More
This is a pack of four replacement steering linkage balls for the HPI Hellfire Monster Truck. These balls are used in combination with the steering ball ends and turnbuckles for your steering linkage.
This product was added to our catalog on May 8, 2006.


text:
Joan and Barry Alsos
Bellingham Real Estate Brokers
The Muljat Group
Joan Alsos, CRS, ABR, 360-961-3255 :: Email:
:::: Barry Alsos, Broker 360-961-9053 :: Email:
Home Page
Search for Homes
Homes & Properties
Join Our Website
Daily Real Estate News
Buyer/Seller Tips
Bellingham Real Estate & Homeowner Blog
Area Links
Schools / Communities
About Us
Contact Us
Create an Account
Creating an Account allows you greater access to additional home search features. Click Login below to begin.
Click Here to Log In
Your best Source for Bellingham Homes & Properties
Welcome to our Bellingham & Whatcom County Real Estate website.
real estate industry is becoming more sophisticated and challenging every day. You need professional brokers that understand the Bellingham real estate market and are positioned to stay ahead of the game. Joan and Barry will go the extra mile to help you achieve your dreams and goals. If you're interested in real estate in Bellingham and
Whatcom County
, you have landed on the best source of local real estate information.
When you find what you're looking for in our state-of-the-art Whatcom County
property search
, y
ou will have the opportunity to find out more
neighborhood and school you're reviewing. Please
Contact us
for a free market analysis today.
If you're new to the Bellingham area, be sure to check out our local
community links
for helpful resources and services...just consider us your inside resource for all your relocation questions.
What Is Your Home Worth?
Discover what homes have sold for in your neighborhood. NOTE: In using this tool, the estimated value of your home is solely based on closed sales in the past 6 months within 1 mile radius of the property address of your search.
This Home Estimator is not a formal appraisal of your home's value. If you would like a Comparative Market Analysis, please
contact us
. We're happy to provide a more detailed report for you.
Email Address*
Year Built*
* Fields Required
Joan and Barry Alsos
Your source for Bellingham real estate. If you`re buying or selling, we`ll treat you like family!
Everything you need to know about buying or selling a home can be found here on our Bellingham real estate website! As real estate professionals in the Bellingham community with over 20 years combined experience, we`re dedicated to providing the finest service available.
Because the Bellingham real estate industry is becoming more sophisticated and challenging every day, you need professionals that understand the Bellingham market and are positioned to stay ahead of the game. We`ll go the extra mile to help you achieve your goals. That`s why we constantly research the market and property values so your home is priced effectively from day one. We`ll also make sure the public knows your home is for sale by using innovative advertising and marketing techniques to attract potential buyers.
Not enough information to complete the desired search.
Click Here to Go Back.
Joan & Barry Alsos welcome you to www.jalsos.com
By using this website you will enjoy searching for Real Estate on one of the most current and complete websites. View millions of photos of homes and thousands of properties for sale. This is your one stop shopping site for real estate in the Greater Bellingham Area and beyond.
Join Our Website
Joining our website allows you access to more information such as
Driving Directions
Complete Address Information
and More.
Joining our website also unlocks additional features for you to use in your real estate searches like
Saving Favorite Listings
Saving Searches
so you can quickly pick up where you left off. Saving Searches also allows you to have new listings that come on the market each day which meet your search criteria, sent to you via
Automatic Email Notifications
Click Here to Join Our Website!
Quick Start Guide
Search for Real Estate
Find a Home Near a School
School Information
Community Information
Contact Us
The Muljat Group :: 510 Lakeway Dr., Bellingham, WA 98225 :: Office: 360-714-9440 :: Fax: 360-715-9298
©2017 GraphicalData, Inc.
Site Map


text:
I got new specs last week.
I've been far sighted for years but in the past year, my distance sight has been getting fuzzy. Thankfully, I don't need bifocals (yet).
Here's the thing that peeves me:
It came time to choose the frames. The vast majority of frames right now are rectangular, which look great on some people, but I have a fine featured, small heart shaped face. The staff at the office kept plunking overpowering, huge plastic rectangles on my face and when I explained that I didn't like the rectangles, they told me that glasses are a "fashion statement†and you don't just choose them to suit your face. Eventually I settled on a not too rectangular, metal/plastic combination.
I spent over $300 my fashion statement.
I got sunglasses that clip on, too. Actually, I am pretty happy with them. I just wish there was more of a range of styles to choose from.
We went into town to pick up a few things last Saturday, and I wore my brand new glasses. I know it was because I had glasses on my mind, but it seemed that all around me people were wearing glasses. Most of the glasses I saw were rectangle. All kinds of people, grandmothers, kids, middle aged men, all of them making fashion statements…
All these rectangles on multitudes of different faces; it reminded me of the bold geometric wallpapers that are everywhere right now. Who was it that decided we all have to wear rectangles on our faces? Is there a small conglomerate of powerful design gods who decide these things? Is there a connection between glasses and wall covering patterns?


text:
This email came into our customer service queue. I figured I would post the answer here for all to see:
It means you can bind "Toggle Voice Command" to a function to any other input you want. Its bound to the space bar by default. You have to activate voice input for it to work. See this post for more details: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/stre...-commands.html
What specific information are you looking for regarding the development tools?
What does the bullet point: Voice recognition (requires microphone) mean? What is actually voice enabled?
Also, can you provide any details or documents on the development tools?


text:
$~39 & 40 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI DECIDED ON: 10.09.2012 + W.P.(C) 2921/2006 M/S DELHI PETROL DEALERS ASSOC ..... Petitioner versus THE COMMISSIONER NEW DELHI & ORS ..... Respondent
W.P.(C) 4669-70/2006 BPCL PETROL DEALERS ASSOCIATION ..... Petitioner versus COMMISSIONER DELHI VALUE ADDED ..... Respondent .........Petitioner Through: Sh. Rakesh Tiku, Sr. Advocate with Sh.
Aman Walesha, Advocate.
Sh. Randhir Chawla and Ms. Renu Sahgal, Advocates.
......Respondent Through: Sh. Vineet Bhatia, Advocate.
MR. JUSTICE S. RAVINDRA BHAT MR. JUSTICE R.V. EASWAR MR. JUSTICE S.RAVINDRA BHAT (OPEN COURT) % 1. The writ petitioners claim directions for quashing of Circular No. 47/2005-06 dated 23.01.2006. The writ petitioners in the first writ petition, i.e. W.P. (C) 2921/2006 claim to be an association of petroleum dealers in Delhi. Similarly, the second petitioner - BPCL Petrol Dealers Association, another Association, is an individual petrol dealer - and a partnership firm; it is represented by one of its partners.
2. Briefly the facts urged in both the proceedings are that the petitioners are petroleum dealers, who receive petroleum and other such supplies, and are engaged in WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 1 retail dealership of such products sale. In terms of the Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004 (DVAT), Value Added Tax (VAT) is levied at the applicable rate on the entire sale on the turn-over in question at the point of sale. Apparently the product undergoes evaporation loss of around 0.6% for petroleum products. However, the tax at the point of purchase is paid on the value of entire goods as if the whole quantity of petrol is actually received. At the time of sale, when credit is claimed, the dealer adds the cost of purchase,
- the commission (by the petroleum company or corporation, as the case may be) and administrative costs. It is argued that even the evaporation loss component is added as credit claim. In these circumstances, the impugned circular was issued in January 2006. It reads as follows:
"CIRCULAR NO. 47 OF 2005-06 It has been brought to the notice of the Commissioner that some Petrol Pump dealers in Delhi are claiming input tax credit on their purchases in respect of the total purchased quantities. As regards sales, the dealer are showing sales of quantity lower than that purchased the difference being on account of loss due to evaporation etc. In this connection, attention is drawn to sub-rule (3) of rule 7 of Delhi Value Added Tax Rules, 2005, reproduced as under:-
"Where any goods or goods manufactured out of such goods are lost or destroyed, the dealer shall not be eligible to claim tax credit on such goods and the credit taken in any earlier tax period shall be reversed in the tax period in which goods are claimed to have been lost or destroyed."
The revenue implications, calculated on the basis of a standard evaporation of 0.5% allowed by the companies as reported, are approximately to the tune of 35% of net tax payable by a petrol pump, which the department is supposed to have been losing by this prevalent practice in this trade.
This is illustrated by a calculation on following assumptions:
1000 litres of, say, petrol is purchased. Purchase cost, i.e. Rs.42480/- @ Rs.42.48 per litre (inclusive of 20% VAT), which makes out an input tax of Rs.7080/-. Considering standard allowance of 0.6% on account of evaporation made full use of by the dealer, 994 litres of the petrol is sold for Rs.43229/- @ Rs.43.49 per litre (inclusive of 20% VAT).
The output tax involved is Rs.7205/-. Thus, the effective tax paid to the WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 2 department is Rs.125/- only (Rs.7205-Rs.7080/-).
However, in light of the rule position mentioned above, input tax credit of Rs.43/- for a litres of petrol (@ Rs.42.48) can not be claimed by the dealer and needs to be reduced i.e. the net input tax credit would be Rs.7037/- (Rs.7080-Rs.43). In case the excess input tax credit has already been availed, it will have to be reversed by the excess amount availed. This suggest that next retailer in the chain needs to pay an additional 16.8 paise per litre on account of value addition ignoring the loss on account of evaporation.
The Zonal Joint/Deputy Commissioners must arrange meetings with petrol pump dealers and clarify the legal position to them and advise them to reverse the input credit claimed by them on such evaporated quantities accordingly.
The ward/operational unit officers shall also take suo motu notice of such instances and do the needful in the interest of Government revenue in terms of provisions of Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004 and rules framed thereunder.
This issues with the prior approval of the Commissioner, VAT."
3. The petitioners argue that the direction issued by the Commissioner is without authority of law since it encroaches on the power and functioning of quasi-judicial bodies who are enjoined to take into account all relevant circumstances and facts which include the claim for credit for the evaporation loss said to have been loaded on to the cost at the time of sale to customers. It was submitted that having once claimed tax credit for tax payable on the component despite evaporation loss, at the time of supply, the Commissioner could not have, consistent with logic and consistent with the right of the dealers, at one stroke, directed the assessing authorities to disallow such credit and make reversals.
4. Learned counsel for the Revenue relied upon the powers vested in the Commissioner - more particularly, Section 7. It was urged that the circular cannot be read as a direction to take a particular position with regard to assessment proceedings but has to be construed more as a guidance. Learned counsel emphasized that if the Court were to accept the petitioner's contentions, the Commissioner would be denuded of its WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 3 powers under Section 67(2) of the Act.
5. Section 67 of the VAT reads as follows:
"67 Powers and responsibilities of the Commissioner (1) The Commissioner shall have responsibility for the due and proper administration of this Act and shall have jurisdiction over the whole of Delhi.
(2) Subject to sub-section (3) of this section, the Commissioner may, from time to time, issue such orders, instructions and directions to any Value Added Tax authorities as he thinks fit for the due and proper administration of this Act and all such persons engaged in the administration of this Act shall observe and follow such orders, instructions and directions of the Commissioner. (3) No order, instruction or direction may be issued by the Commissioner to a person exercising the power to determine -
(a) a particular objection made or to be made under section 74 of this Act; or
(b) a particular question under section 84 of this Act; so as to require the person to determine the objection or answer the question of a particular person in a particular manner.
(4) Nothing in sub-section (3) shall prevent the Commissioner from issuing general orders, instructions and directions to any person who determines objections under section 74 or answers questions under section 84 of this Act about the manner of determining classes of objections or answering classes of questions."
6. Section 74 enables a person dissatisfied with an assessment order under the Act to object against it before the Commissioner, who after considering them (i.e. the objections), can make any orders. These objections can be preferred within a period of 60 days from the issuance of the original assessment order. Section 84 which has also been referred to in Section 67 reads as follows:
"84 Determination of specific questions (1) If any determinable question arises, otherwise than in proceedings before a court, a person may apply in the prescribed manner to the Commissioner for the determination of that question.
(2) Subject to sub-section (3) of this section, an application for the determination of a WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 4
determinable question may be made in respect of a proposed transaction, a transaction that is being undertaken, or a transaction has been concluded.
(3) An application for the determination of a determinable question may not be made after -
(a) the Commissioner has commenced the audit of the person pursuant to section 58 of this Act; or
(b) the Commissioner has issued an assessment for the tax period in which the transaction that is the subject of the determinable question occurred.
Explanation.- For the purposes of this sub-section, the Commissioner shall be deemed to have commenced the audit of a person under section 58 of this Act when the Commissionerserves a notice to this effect.
(4) For the purposes of this section, the following shall be determinable questions:-
(a) whether any person, society, club or association or any firm or any branch or department of any firm is or would be a dealer;
(b) whether any dealer is or would be required to be registered under this Act;
(c) the amount of the taxable quantum of a dealer for a period;
(d) whether a transaction is or would be a sale, or requires an adjustment to be made undersection 8 of this Act arising out of a sale;
(e) whether a transaction is or would be in the nature of works contract, or transfer of right to use any goods;
(f) whether a sale is not liable to tax under section 7 of this Act;
(g) whether a sale is exempt from tax under section 6 of this Act;
(h) the sale price of a transaction;
(i) the proportion of the turnover or turnover of purchases of a dealer which arises in a taxperiod, and the time at which an adjustment to tax or tax credit arises;
(j) whether any transaction is or would be the import of goods;
(k) the value of any goods imported into Delhi;
(l) the rate of tax that is payable on a sale or import of goods and the classification of the goods under the Schedules;
(m) whether a transaction is the purchase of goods, or requires an adjustment to be made under section 10 of this Act arising out of a purchase;
(n) the amount of any tax credit to which the dealer is entitled in respect of a purchase or import of goods;
(o) the amount of any tax credit in respect of any used goods purchased by a dealer;
(p) the location of any sale or purchase;
WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 5
(q) the application of a composition scheme in the circumstances of the dealer; or
(r) the tax period of a dealer.
(5) The Commissioner shall make the determination within such period as may be prescribed.
(6) Where -
(a) the Commissioner fails to make a determination under this section within the time Sec. 85 Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004 prescribed under sub-section (5) of this section;
(b) the person thereafter implements the transaction which is the subject of the application and in the manner described in the application; and
(c) the person has, in the application for the determination of the determinable question,indicated the answer to the determinable question which the person believes to be correct (in this section called the "proposed determination"); the Commissioner shall be deemed for the purposes of this Act to have made and issued to the person on the day after the expiry of the prescribed period, a determination of the determinable question in the terms of the proposed determination.
(7) The Commissioner may -
(a) direct that the determination shall not affect the liability of any person under this Act with respect to any transaction effected prior to the determination;
(b) limit the period for which the determination will apply;
(c) limit the transactions to which the determination will apply; and
(d) impose such other limitations or restrictions on the determination as seem appropriate.
(8) If any such question arises from any order already passed under this Act or under the Delhi Sales Tax Act, 1975 (43 of 1975) or the Delhi Sales Tax on Works Contract Act, 1999 (Delhi Act 9 of 1999) or the Delhi Tax on Entry of Motor Vehicles into Local areas Act, 1994 (Delhi Act 4 of 1995), as then in force in Delhi, no such question shall be entertained for determination under this section but such question may be raised in an objection or appeal against such order.(9) Where -
(a) the Commissioner has issued to a person a determination in respect of a particular transaction; and WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 6
(b) the person implements the transaction based on the determination issued to him under this section and in the manner described in the application; no assessment may be raised by the Commissioner against that person which is inconsistent with the determination and no penalty may be imposed on the person if the determination is later held incorrect.
(10) The Commissioner may, by notice served on the person, withdraw or qualify a determination issued under this section but such withdrawal or qualification shall not affect the entitlement of any person to rely on the determination with respect to any transaction or action which he has commenced or which he has completed prior to the withdrawal or qualification."
7. Section 67 empowers the Commissioner to decide or determine specific questions. It places in position an elaborate procedure for determination of such questions; it is not as if all questions can be taken on board and decided as specific questions by the Commissioner. It would be apparent from Section 84 that determinable questions which might call for decisions in a particular assessment proceeding [as long as it is not pending before the Court of law and is not covered by situations spelt-out in Section 84(3)], can be answered by the Commissioner. Such decisions of Commissioner have binding effect on the party in terms of Section 84(9). These proceedings are akin to advance ruling proceedings enacted in various fiscal statutes such as Income Tax Act, Central Excise Act etc.
8. This Court had earlier occasion to deal with a similar question as to the interpretation of a circular which made a policy declaration binding upon assessing authorities, enjoining them to follow a particular interpretation. In Sita Juneja & Associates and Ors. v. The Commissioner of Sales Tax (CWP 1932/1998, decided on 22.09.1998), the Division Bench had noticed previous rulings of the Supreme Court in Orient Payer Mills v. Union of India 1978 (2) ELT (J345); State of Madhya Pradesh v. G.S. Dall and Flour Mills 1991 (187) ITR 478 etc. The Division Bench specially relied on the Supreme Court judgment in Orient Paper Mills (supra) that quasi-judicial bodies cannot be controlled by directions issued by a Board or such authority and that no authority howsoever highly placed can exercise powers of judicial or quasi-judicial authority. The Division Bench then went to hold as follows:
WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 7 "15. The officials of the Sales Tax Department are administrative authorities. However, such of the officials as are vested with jurisdiction to assess the business transactions of the dealers to tax, discharge function which is judicial in nature. The function though administrative is obliged to be performed with judicial approach and hence becomes quasi-judicial. The basis requirements of justice have to be complied with. Rules of natural justice have to be followed. Objectivity has to be maintained. The conclusions arrived at by the assessing authorities have to be based on the material available on record and supported by reasons.
16. Whenever judicial or quasi-judicial power is vested in a person, the decision must be his. Even though he may obtain the assistance of other persons, he cannot be influenced by anyone in coming to the decision. In short, the jurisdiction so conferred can be either be tempered nor tinkered."
9. It is brought to the notice of this Court that recently, in a decision of the Supreme Court (Commissioner of Central Excise, Bhopal v. Minwool Rock Fibres Ltd. 2012 (278) ELT 581), somewhat similar questions had arisen. The Central Excise authorities had relied upon a circular to urge that the Central Board of Excise and Customs had taken a particular view as regards relevant head within which the goods had to be assessed which the adjudicating authorities had to respect. The Court held as follows:
"In our view, the departmental circulars are not binding on assessee or quasi judicial authorities or courts and therefore, in that view of the matter, the circular/instructions issued by the Board, would not assist them."
10. The Revenue had urged in the course of the proceedings before this Court that Section 67 made a departure from the pre-existing Delhi Sales Tax Act. Learned counsel particularly had emphasized that while deciding Sita Juneja, (supra) the Division Bench had noticed that no power existed with the Revenue or its authorities to issue such directions. In this Court's opinion, the existence of Section 67(3) is of no assistance. Facially Section 67(3) supports the submission of the petitioner that no direction of the kind made by the impugned circular could have been issued by the Commissioner. If understood in its proper perspective, the impugned circular dated 23.01.2006 (No. 47/2005-06) in this case cannot be said to fall within the power of the Commissioner at all. In other words, if the circular purports to direct the assessing or quasi-judicial authorities to take a particular view and not grant credit in respect of evaporation loss, WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 8 that is not to be interpreted as binding; the assessing authorities, of course, are entitled to take into consideration Revenue's concerns, as are permitted by law, while examining the claims for credit at the point of sale to their customers.
11. In view of the above, it is hereby directed that the impugned circular dated 23.01.2006 (Circular 47 of 2005-06) shall not bind the authorities into taking a particular view to disallow the claims for the evaporation losses claimed as credit by the petitioners at the point of sale to their customers. Such claims shall be examined and taken into account by the assessing authorities on a factual basis. The Revenue's arguments too shall be taken into account. All the assessing officers and other authorities under the Delhi VAT Act shall frame assessments in accordance with law. It is also clarified that during the pendency of the present proceedings, if any assessment has been completed, and assessees are aggrieved on account of the reliance placed on the circular, it shall be open to them to avail of their remedies by way of objections. However, the objection hearing authorities/appellate authorities or the Tribunal shall hear objections or grounds that are filed within six weeks from today. The concerned authorities shall take into account the fact that the present proceedings were pending, and wherever required, may not insist on the strict application of the provisions of limitation, provided the objections/arguments/claims in this regard pursuant to present judgment are preferred within six weeks from today. In view of the above order, the Court does not deem it appropriate to consider larger questions sought to be urged. It is also clarified that these directions shall not be construed as reflection on merits of individual claims of petitioners/before the concerned authority under the enactment. The writ petitions are disposed of in the above terms.
S. RAVINDRA BHAT (JUDGE) R.V. EASWAR (JUDGE) SEPTEMBER 10, 2012 'ajk' WP (C) 2921/2006, 4669-70/2006 Page 9


text:
The advantages to weights made of Tungsten include the size and hardness of the weights. When comparing a lead weight and Tungsten weight of the same weight the Tungsten weight is significantly smaller. The smaller size makes the weight less visible to the fish and gives it the ability to get through rocks and other cover without hang-ups easier. Another advantage of a Tungsten weight is Tungsten is harder and allows for more feel by the angler. Since its introduction to the fishing market, anglers everywhere have found Tungsten weights to be a far superior product to their lead-based predecessors.
Unfortunately, along with the advantages provided by Tungsten weights comes one disadvantage: The denser and harder Tungsten is also much harder on fishing line, especially fluorocarbon line. I believe that more fish are lost on Tungsten because of the hardness of the material than were ever lost on lead based weights. Even the weights that claim to be insert-free and fray-free will cause breakoffs. There is a simple solution no matter which Tungsten weights you choose to use. By adding a shrink tube sleeve insert to the weight you can provide a soft buffer between the Tungsten and the line. This is very important for all lines, but especially fluorocarbon.
In the video below, I describe how to add a shrink tube insert into any Tungsten weight. This is fast and easy, and will last for hundreds of fish. Add inserts to your Tungsten weights and get more fish in the boat.
Items needed: Tungsten weight, 1/8 inch or smaller shrink tubing, scissors, lighter or torch.


text:
Thanks for helping us sort this video!
Thanks for helping us associate the correct Pornstars to this video!
Help Us: Do these Pornstars appear in this video?
Pornstar Name:
I just want to say this is my go-to video.. I am a female and I cum every single time I watch this
If only my boyfriend would agree to something like this!
I think you are a man
Just come to my place and you can bring all the friends you want
It is worth it to keep things spiced up and it is also great exercise ;)
hahaha this is so true for me too. Love the post name
This should not be a real problem. You like to have a second girl in your game and not a second cock. I would love having two wet pussies to play with. Just show up with one of your girlfriends and start talking about hot topics - I'm sure he will get horny enough to join in your game... Have fun and thanks for your feedback
I woulld
Any guy would
I feel that if I could meet her I would ram my penis so hard into her that it would create the real big bang
love asa akira best pornstar in the world by far!!!!!
OMG. I want this so bad! How do I become a porn star? I'm a young female ? I wanna get paid to get fucked!!
now that is how you do a video
madison Ivy+ Asa akira
who wants to have sex with me
It is always good when a girlfriend brings home a sexy female friend
yes I DO!
My gf brought over one of her gf's to help celebrate my 18th birthday. Turned out to be a fairly regular event after that
Good video wouldnt classify as submissive though. Not a whole lot of direction.
Muy muy sexy..
best porn i ever seen !
very exciting
Perfect bodies and tits. Nice one Brazzers!
Was good.
love him fucking right out of hisn suitpants....
Omg Asa Akira is seriously the sexiest woman I have ever seen. I wanna be her and fuck her, although shed definitely be the one schooling me ;)
Asa Akira is so hot
so hot
No Eufrat in this video
Just way too much tits!
Image too dark. Lighting was too poor.
Geile Weiber mit grossen Titten und scharfen Fotzen. Viel Ficksahne am Schluss
This is not Eufrat, the other girl is Asa
I like this very nice
real hot, would love to get fucked and have my clit licked at the same time.
That's so funken awesome
Asa...I could come just watching her tits fall out of her dress. That beautiful cunt getting fucked and sucked. The other brunette is as hot.
asa akira is a wild animal
not leaving on their high heels ruined everything for me
What is the asian chicks name ??
asa akira
Some errors occurred, please try again later


text:
Pikeur Tube knee length logo riding socks. They have a padded foot with a darker leg made from a thin stretch fabric which is perfect for under riding boots.
No reviews, be the first to review this product
Delivery options;
· Standard UK – FREE for orders over £75
. Standard UK - £4.95 for orders under £75
- We aim to deliver Standard parcels within 3 - 5 working days from date of despatch.
· Next Working Day – £8.95. Order Monday-Friday by 5pm for delivery the next day* (Monday to Saturday)
*Terms & conditions apply. Click here for detailshttps://www.rideaway.co.uk/delivery/


text:
A lifetime of change can happen in a day, or a week. I've been processing a lot of change the past few days and weeks, and any time I've had a moment to sit down and share something here on the blog, another change happens… so I go back to "processing" mode. Here's a recap on what … Continue reading
Tagged with Emotion …
My World Is Crying For A Christmas
Today is hospital Day 30 for daughter-A. She made some great progress a week ago, but then suffered some devastating set-backs. This frustrating illness just doesn't want to play fair, or let go! After 30 days and nights laying in a hospital bed… Continue reading


text:
Pen had passed a few days with his uncle at the major's lodgings, in Bury-street, before they set out for Oxbridge.
And also she was asking herself with futile reiteration why she had got into debt at Oxbridge?
And, without removing his hobnails, or his corduroys, he sprang lightly into the Oxbridge racing-boat.
Then the world and Oxbridge joined again in a chorus of praise.
He says Pen was one of the best speakers at Oxbridge, and had as great a character for talent as any of the young gentlemen there.
Oxbridge friend declines my invitation to "dine in Hall," and disappears.
In those days I little thought of settling down in Oxbridge.
When he became a member of 'The Disciples,' p. 57a mystic Oxbridge society, the fissure between us widened to a gulf.
The times of the various trials, too, have in every instance given a distinct advantage to Oxbridge.
Moreover, the steering of the Oxbridge coxwain is infinitely preferable to the steering of his rival.


text:
MMA Forum - UFC Forums - UFC Results - MMA Videos (http://www.mmaforum.com/forumindex.php)
- General MMA Discussion (http://www.mmaforum.com/general-mma-discussion/)
- - First training tonight (http://www.mmaforum.com/general-mma-discussion/107284-first-training-tonight.html)
First training tonight
Hi, a bunch of eastern european guys just opened an MMA gym at the local wrestling gym (actually, I live in a small remote area but we have a very good wrestling gym with a few actual olympians coming from it, I think they had one ranked 6th at Athens Olympic games, anyway, that's not the point here)
a friend of mine, who originally comes from boxing and whom I brought into liking MMA, already started a couple months ago, and I decided to join him.
I'm 34, not really athletic or anything, so you won't ever see me on the UFC :D (or probably in a fight at all) But I decided I wanted to get back in shape and also learn to deal with difficult situations better than I do now.
And obviously, I can't wait to start rolling and practicing some BJJ too.
I'll probably feel like dying tonight (that's how bad my shape is) but I've decided I needed to do it, for myself, my health, my family, because I don't want to be the guy who dies for not having properly taken care of my body.
So I'm not doing it because I want to be a fighter, I probably don't. But I like the philosophy behind it, I like the mentality of going all out and not giving up, which is something I want to learn, to better myself as a person and a family man.
I want to thank you guys from MMAF for keeping the flame alive (no pun intended), this is the only MMA forum I go to, and I don't need any other because of how great this one is.
much love to you, wish me luck, I see you on the other side!
I've trained MMA and other martial arts randomly and sporadicly over the past few years but have only recently found a decent MMA club in which I believe I could recieve adequate training. They have a full size cage, 24ft right?, and 4 cameras watching every training session so the coaches can go through the videos with you to see where you can improve. This is a tiny little club in the backward town of Lincoln, England so I'm surprised that such a place even exists!
Good luck on your journey man! It seems that we are starting our adventures at the same time! Also, the fact that you mentioned you're 34 kinda helps my self-esteem a little bit, being 26 and thinking its too late to get into. :thumb02:
As for your body feeling wrecked after the training session. Yeah man. I feel ya there. Nearly vomited twice on my first session. Only just quit a bunch of vices aswell. Quit smoking, drinking alcohol and quit drinking energy drinks while severely limiting my cannabis use.
I had my first class on Tuesday, a bit of grappling, and yesterday we were doing striking and takedowns. I'm loving it. Hope you do too man and keep us all updated with your progress.
Your first day will be the most grueling, but also the most rewarding. Take muay thai and bjj back to back. Just do it all. That's what I did. From there on it gets easier.
You'll feel great afterwards! I like stories like this because it does inspire others to train or to get back into it.
I got back, I couldn't train today so the coach invited me tomorrow as today they planned a specific thingy and I wouldn't get anything out of it, and tomorrow the coach will have more time to work with me, so tomorrow it is.
MMA is still illegal here, so I'm not sure there are any decent, official MMA gyms, but I know some wrestling clubs are starting to do it.
I'm looking forward to get started, I want it to be hard and I need it to be hard too, I've been too soft on myself for too long, and I'd rather battle to find heart within me than, later down the road, battle against sickness because I wasn't in shape for my whole life.
well, it's France, so 10-15years behind the US, progress wise
just got back, they took it easy for my 1st time, a little boxing, some ground basics, basic work out and see you next thursday.
I really ain't in shape at all, so I take it they wanted me to have a little fun so I'm not discouraged too early, but I did my own little "push" for myself and felt great about it. We'll see tomorrow how my body responds but for now, a good shower and I'll be good to go. (actually just got back a minute ago)
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:14 AM.
Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 , Copyright ©2000 - 2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
vBulletin Security provided by vBSecurity v2.2.2 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2017 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2017 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.


text:
Covered California Website Down
The Covered California website has been offline since Wednesday, and will remain offline through at least through this weekend as engineers work round the clock to restore service.
A software malfunction during a planned maintenance update on February 16th may be to blame for the outage. No consumer data has been compromised and you can still use the "Shop and Compare " tool and access information pages while repairs are completed.


text:
Sponsor Animal Update: Rockstar
« Back to Rockstar's page
4th Quarter 2010
We are happy to report that Rockstar is feeling well! His foster mother has absolutely no problems with him. She says he is a wonderful and affectionate dog and she couldn't be happier that she is taking care of him and his special needs. Even her grandchildren adore Rockstar. Rockstar has become a fun-loving playmate for them whenever they come to visit. The best part of all is that Grandma is getting a lot more visits from her grandchildren thanks to Rockstar being a member of the family!
More Updates on Rockstar
Animal League: Sponsor profile for 4th Quarter 2010 | The world's largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption shelter


text:
5AA Australia: Across The Ditch – Same Sex Bill Passes In NZ + Education Ministry Seeks High COurt Redress Over Leaky Buildings
Across The Ditch was Recorded Live on 18/04/13.
The Issues: Selwyn Manning and Peter Godfrey discuss how New Zealand's Parliament passed last night a marriage equality bill making it legal for people of the same sex to marry in New Zealand.
Also, the Ministry of Education will be taking major construction and manufacturer companies to the High Court seeking redress for over $1.5 billion worth of repairs to leaky buildings and classrooms.


text:
London, Dec 3 (ANI): A new Australian research has revealed that people with Huntington's disease show symptoms more than a decade before they are likely to get a clinical diagnosis.
These early effects of the disease don't affect day-to-day functioning, but will help drug developers evaluate treatments that target the early stages of the disease, reports New Scientist.
Huntington's is a fatal and incurable brain condition whereby a faulty gene makes brain cells commit suicide en masse. It causes problems in communication, mental processes and movement.
Within the faulty gene, a specific sequence called CAG is repeated too many times. Although "environmental" factors such as exercise may slow Huntington's progression, the number of CAG repeats accurately predicts the age of illness onset. For example, someone with around 40 repetitions is likely to get their first symptoms in late middle age.
Previous studies have found that several years before the disease manifests itself, the brains of people with the mutation undergo subtle changes, with a thinning of the regions involved in motor function.
To find out whether how these changes affected people with the Huntington's gene before clinical symptoms begin, Julie Stout of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and her colleagues selected 119 people who had the gene but no symptoms.
The volunteers were predicted to get clinical symptoms around 10 years later, on average, based on their age and number of CAG repeats.
Subjects were asked to draw circles within a ring as quickly and accurately as possible for 45 seconds. They then repeated the task, but with their hands obscured and an image of what they were drawing on a screen in front of them - a task that involves more advanced visual-motor coordination.
The team compared this group with 112 people who did not have the gene and 120 people who already had Huntington's symptoms.
In the first task, the 'pre-manifest' group drew an average of 25 circles in 24 seconds, while those without the Huntington's gene drew around 40.
In the second task, the pre-manifest group strayed past the boundaries of the ring more often and took longer to correct errors, said Stout.
"Normally, if you see your squiggle is going out of the circle, you correct it.
But pre-manifest patients were out of the circle for longer," she said.
On average, for every circle drawn, the pre-manifest group made around three errors, while those without the gene made one. As expected, those with Huntington's were the slowest and least accurate of all the groups in both tests.
Danny Hatters, a molecular biologist at the University of Melbourne, said the study was a convincing demonstration that the Huntington's mutation begins disrupting normal cellular events 'very early in age and long before clinical diagnosis'.
"The more we understand about the early stages of the disease, the better able we will be to develop new drugs," he added. (ANI)


text:
Footing/Foundation for Addition
2 Attachment(s)
I have a fair amount of home renovation experience, but not so much with masonry/foundation work. I've decided to take on the task of building a small three story addition on my DC rowhouse. I'm including pictures of the site for reference.
Basically, the addition will enclose the dog ear or set back (according to the DC zoning office it is officially a "court") on all three levels. On the right hand side and the back side, the addition will simply tie into the existing structure using ledger boards on the left, the majority of the addition will be built on top of the existing party wall (no worries, have cleared this with zoning, building inspector and neighbor), although as you can see, the left side extends only 7.5' from the back wall while the right side extends 10' (and the addition will come out to that point). The basement floor of the addition will be concrete slab, although we'd like to raise it up from where it is currently about 3" to match the existing interior floor level.
With all that as background, I am trying to figure out the best option for a footer/foundation in this application. Per zoning regulation, the footer must be at least 36" below grade and at least 18" wide. Also, the foundation must extend at least 6" above grade. I'd like to come up with a solution that would allow me to pour the footer, foundation and slab in one monolithic pour. Is that even remotely possible, a slab on grade with turned down footer?
I'd like to come up with the simplest yet most effective solution. Given how small it is (the footer/foundation will extend out from the left wall about 2.5' and then over 5', the slab is just about 4.5'x10') I'd like to minimize the number of concrete pours I have to have. I'd also like to do as much of it myself as possible.
Any thoughts?
Nothing requires the footing and the foundation to be two different elements. Monolithic grade beam type footings are common. Yours would be 18" wide by however high you need it to be (4' more or less). They take a considerable amount of concrete.
Have you had your plans reviewed by the city yet? They'll likely require an engineer to design the footings for you. I'll also be very curious to hear what they have to say about the fire separation issues that will inevitably be encountered (as we mentioned in a previous thread of yours).
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:11 AM.
vBulletin Security provided by vBSecurity v2.2.2 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2017 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2017 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.


text:
Job growth slows, losses seen this year
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian job growth dropped off in March after two blockbuster months, but the figures -- and the fact that the new jobs were part-time ones -- pointed to a softening jobs market and a slowing economy.
The number of jobs rose by 14,600 in March, due entirely to the creation of part-time positions, Statistics Canada said on Friday. A surge in entrants to the labor market pushed the jobless rate up to 6.0 percent from 5.8 percent in February.
Most analysts predict the Bank of Canada will cut its key interest rate by 50 basis points on April 22 as economic weakness in the United States spills over to Canada, and the figures did nothing to change that expectation.
"Canada's employment growth is expected to falter and the unemployment rate to rise further in the months ahead. We continue to expect Bank of Canada to cut the policy rate by 50 basis points," said Ted Carmichael of JP Morgan Securities.
Few analysts had expected a repeat of the strong growth at the start of the year -- the economy added 43,300 jobs in February and 46,400 in January.
"After some incredibly strong employment growth figures over the last year or two, we think that employment growth in Canada is due to slow, and today's report may have been the beginning of a softer trend," said Jacqui Douglas, an economics strategist at TD Securities.
Statscan said the increase in the jobless rate was caused by a surge in entrants to the labor market but also noted the participation rate had risen to a record 68.0 percent. Traders had predicted a jobless rate of 5.9 percent.
The Canadian dollar sank to a session low of C$1.0083 to the U.S. dollar, or 99.18 U.S. cents, from C$1.0052, or 99.48 U.S. cents, before the data were released. It recovered to C$1.0020 to the U.S. dollar, or 99.80 U.S. cents, after the release of weaken than expected U.S. jobs figures. Continued...


text:
Antony Stokes
British Ambassador to Cuba
We work with the Cuban government on a wide range of areas that include increasing bilateral trade and reducing the threat of organised crime.
We support improvements on human rights, recognising positive developments and raising concerns when we have them. We also provide consular support to British nationals.
We also encourage low-carbon economic growth and progress towards a global deal on climate change by 2015.
We have a network of offices throughout the region. Find out what services are available in Barbados, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago.
If you're in our area of coverage and you urgently need help (eg if you've been attacked, arrested or lost your passport), call +537 214 2200. If you're in the UK and concerned about a British national in our area of coverage, call 020 7008 1500.
The British Embassy can't help with passport enquiries. Contact Her Majesty's Passport Office if you need help.
If you can't get a new or replacement passport in time to travel, you may be able to get an emergency travel document.
You can apply for an emergency travel document if you're abroad and your passport has been lost or stolen, damaged or expired, and you can't get a new or replacement passport in time to travel.
If you are due to travel in the next 24 hours, contact us as soon as possible.
Apply online for an emergency travel document if you:
Contact us to apply for an emergency travel document if you are:
Once you have contacted us, you will be advised to book an appointment for an emergency travel document at British Embassy Havana
Travel advice: for information and advice on travelling to Cuba, see travel advice for Cuba.
The British Embassy can't help with visa enquiries.
If you're not a British national, you may need a visa to travel to the UK. Check if you need a UK visa.
If you're a British national travelling abroad and need to apply for a visa to visit a particular country or check if you need a visa, see the entry requirements on our foreign travel advice for the country you want to visit.
For more information on visas, see UK visas and immigration.
We don't issue certificates of no impediment, affirmations or affidavits of marital status. We also don't perform marriages or civil partnerships for British nationals. For further information on getting married in Cuba, see getting married abroad.
Find out how to register a birth or register a death in Cuba. You can't register a birth or death at the embassy or our consulates-general.
If the death occurred in Cuba and you're still in the country, contact us. If you're in the UK and hear of the death of a relative from a third party, you should contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 020 7008 1500.
Read our guidance on coping with death abroad.
We'll do all we can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you've been detained or arrested, and will give you a prisoner pack with information for British prisoners in Cuba. We cannot get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings.
See the full list of notarial and documentary services we provide.
The British Embassy in Havana does not provide legalisation services. Read our notarial and documentary services page for more information on legalisation.
Ask the UK government to get a UK document legalised (certified as genuine).
We provide lists of:
Please note that inclusion in these lists does not constitute official endorsement by the British Embassy or the UK government.
In addition to the services listed above we can also:
For more information on the services we can provide, see Support for British nationals abroad: A guide.
General information on living in Cuba.
Although we try to help British nationals in a wide range of situations, we cannot:
We charge fees for some of our services. See the full list of consular fees in Cuba.
For information on staying safe and avoiding problems when living or travelling abroad, including details of entry requirements and local laws and customs, see our travel advice for Cuba and other countries in the region.
Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy Havana
Calle 34 no. 702 esq 7ma
La Habana
Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Telephone: +53 7214 2200
Telephone: +53 7204 1771
Telephone: +53 7204 1772
Fax: +53 7214-2218 "Not to be used for visa documents"
British Embassy Press Office
Calle 34 no. 702 esq 7ma
La Habana
Email email@example.com
Telephone: +53 7214 2200
Our press team answers media enquiries about the work of the UK government and the British Embassy in Havana.


text:
S6SB0022 Savane Gabardine Expandable Waist Big & Tall Dress Pant - Flat Front
This may be the most comfortable dress pant you've ever worn! Constructed with a 70% polyester / 30% rayon blend, these pants are machine washable and wrinkle free. Hidden on each side of the waistband are the Tailored2U™ comfort waist elastic strips giving you extra comfort and motion (without anyone else every knowing!). The Gabardine Pant is relaxed through the seat and thigh, sits at the natural waist and features a full leg with a tapered bottom.


text:
[IMG CUP] Alliance Academy of Grand Rapids, Mich. scored two goals in the second half to blank the U.S. under-17 national team, 2-0, at the IMG Cup in Bradenton, Fla.
Raul Gonzalez broke the deadlock in the 55th minute after a Bradley Dunwell corner, and Jake Love followed with a header in the 70th minute to add a second goal.
Coach Mark Christensen praised the work
of defender Josh Robison in front of goalkeeper Kyle Taalman. He also cautioned that Alliance needed to better on its
finishing and be more focused on set plays.
The U.S. U-17s, winners of last week's Nike International Friendlies, next face a pair of English clubs, Stevenage (Thursday at 7:30 pm ET) and
Tottenham (Friday at 5:30 pm ET), at the tournament that continues through Sunday.
(Click here to watch the U-17 matches.)
Super Group, Wednesday
IMG Academy U18s 3 Baltimore Celtic 0
Alliance Academy 2 U.S. U17 National Team 0
Tottenham 3 Queretaro 0
Cruzeiro 3 Stevenage 1


text:
After having avoided talking about his life in the church for much of the campaign, Mitt Romney's nominating convention began on Thursday with an invocation from Kenneth Hutchins, his former counselor in the Mormon church who succeeded the candidate as the chief spiritual authority in Boston in the 1990s.
Hutchins, a retired policeman and former lay cleric in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told a reporter recently that Romney used the Keys of the Priesthood in his church to "set apart" men for special service. "He laid his hands on my head," Hutchins said.
Hutchins was followed on stage by Thursday by House Speaker John Boehner, who set Romney apart by formally naming him the GOP's presidential nominee.
Next came Grant Bennett, another close associate of Romney in the church who offered remarks.
Bennett, a counselor to the candidate when Romney served as a Mormon bishop in Belmont in the 1980s, said he was "blessed to spend thousand of hours over many years" with Romney, time he referred to as "wonderful" and "glorious." That met with scattered applause. Bennett talked about how they embraced Christ's teachings and about their actions as lay clergy. He also told the story, familiar in the Belmont church, of Romney calling at 6 a.m. to discuss church business. ("Mitt Romney was my alarm clock.") For Romney, Bennett said, church business consisted of helping members of his church who physically injured, or single mothers in need of assistance.
"He didn't discuss questions of theology," Bennett said, adding that Romney followed the belief that "pure religion is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their moments of affliction."
He said that Romney didn't discuss those cases publicly because he believed in honoring the privacy of the people involved. For years, he has also been concerned that a discussion of his faith would promote a backlash among those suspicious of Mormonism, or a focus on some less flattering examples of his exercising of authority as a bishop.
Bennett talked, for example, about how "Mitt provided food and housing," to people in need in his congregation. Later, as a stake president, Romney used his office to provide church resources to illegal immigrants so that they could afford lawyers.
"He led by example," said Bennett.
He then introduced, Ted Oparowski, a retired firefighter, who spoke movingly about how Romney helped him and his wife when they lost their son, David.
"David's story is a part of Mitt's story," Oparowski said, describing the time Romney visited their dying son and helped the terminally ill 14-year-old write a will. When David died, Romney delivered his eulogy.
Pam Finlayson, another former member of Romney's church in Boston, also attested to how caring and compassionate the candidate was when she lost her daughter. "I know him to be a loving father a man of faith and a caring and compassionate friend," she said.
During a recent visit to the Belmont chapel, in a building that prominently featured a depiction of Jesus instructing a rich young man to give his treasure to the poor, Bennett, a former Bain colleague of Romney who is articulate and affable, described how hard Romney worked to help the people in his flock. He talked about how hard Romney tried to connect with his congregation and how strong his faith was, once asking holders of the priesthood to lay healing hands on him when a serious leg infection climbed up his calf's veins.
After Romney's service as stake president, or chief spiritual authority, in Boston came to an end, he ran for office against Ted Kennedy. But even as a candidate, Romney sought a formal connection to his church. After a Sunday sacrament meeting, Romney loitered behind in the Belmont chapel outside his old office, where Bennett had become the new bishop.
"Bishop," Romney said, "I want you to know that I don't have a calling and am very willing to do whatever you ask me to do."


text:
Mc Donnell Douglas' Flight Plan
Outside the windows of the seventh-floor executive suite at McDonnell Douglas Corp., beneath echoing skies where fighter planes and carrier jets prove their mettle, looms a billboard that reveals just one of the hurdles facing CEO Harry C. Stonecipher. The St. Louis-based aerospace giant traditionally has rented the billboard to plug new aircraft and inspire pride and loyalty among workers. But in recent months, the space has often been hijacked by the company's union to trumpet some choice messages of its own. "Don't Be A Dirty Harry, Keep Our Jobs In St. Louis," one screamed. Demanded another: "Harry Stonecipher, Stop Outsourcing Our Jobs."
Since the 60-year-old Stonecipher took the helm nearly two years ago, he has had his share of successes--most notably, rescuing the troubled C-superscript17 transport program. But he has also faced plenty of headaches. Two months after his arrival, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) bailed out of a gentleman's agreement to order the commercial airline division's proposed MD-superscript95 and chose Boeing's 737 jetliner. A year later, Stonecipher bounced back with a commitment from ValuJet Airlines Inc. to buy 50 of the $20 million, 100-seat planes. Late last year, secret talks with Boeing Co. about a possible merger of defense operations broke down. In early June, the union took its case beyond the billboard; 6,700 workers walked out. Then, on June 17, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded ValuJet, leaving the only signed order for the MD-superscript95 in limbo.
So far, though, Stonecipher hasn't buckled. The first nonfamily member to run the company, he has moved swiftly out of the shadow of his predecessor, John F. McDonnell. While McDonnell is still chairman, Stonecipher, who declined to be interviewed for this article, is putting his imprint on the $14.3 billion company--and stepping on some toes in the process. He has bruised egos by bringing in new managers, miffed workers by outsourcing jobs in the U.S. and abroad, and shaken up marketing by firing the old ad agency and hiring new salespeople. But his reforms have calmed a board that wanted more aggressive management. Since he took over, the stock price has moved from 18 1/2 to about 50, adjusted for two splits. In the first quarter of 1996, strong military performance pushed net earnings up 25% over a year earlier, to $198 million. Says a board member: "Harry has even exceeded our high expectations. While he doesn't quite walk on water, he does know where all the rocks are."
Indeed, those rocks tripped up his predecessors. After founder James S. McDonnell retired in 1972, McDonnell Douglas suffered costly setbacks under his nephew, Sanford, and then his son, John F., who took charge in 1988. Performance floundered in part because of an ill-fated $1.5 billion investment in data processing, in part because the company ran so late and over budget on its contract to build the Air Force's C-superscript17 that by 1990, insolvency loomed. Before hiring Stonecipher, John McDonnell set the company back on course with a drastic restructuring that slashed operating costs and eliminated nearly half the workforce. But the C-superscript17 program was still in trouble, and the commercial airline division, Douglas Aircraft Co., had been neglected. Today, Douglas' share of the world's jetliner market, which stood at 22% in 1990, has fallen to 10%, vs. 60% for Boeing and 30% for Airbus Industrie.
Stonecipher is pushing hard to complete the turnaround. Decisive and hands-on, the son of a Tennessee coalminer started out as a lab technician at General Motors Corp.'s Allison Div. after earning a BS in physics from Tennessee Technological University. In 1960, he joined General Electric Co.'s jet-engine division, where he spent 27 years in engineering and management posts. In 1987, he moved to Sundstrand Corp. and within two years was named CEO, with a mandate to clean up the scandal-plagued aerospace and industrial parts maker. He negotiated a $200 million settlement of charges that the company had overbilled the Pentagon. He also cut 4,100 of 13,600 jobs, yet Mel Paris, president of Sundstrand's Local 592, remembers him for reducing management-labor friction. Stonecipher didn't mince words or tolerate excuses, says Paris, but "he stopped on the plant floor to talk to people, and that impressed us."
At McDonnell Douglas, Stonecipher quickly scored victories on the defense side. He worked closely with the Pentagon to restore the C-superscript17 program and in May, 1995, McDonnell won a $14.2 billion contract to build 80 more of the cargo planes. In October, it won a $1.5 billion Pentagon contract to build satellite-guided "smart bombs." And in June, the Air Force awarded McDonnell and Lockheed Martin Corp. a $3 billion contract to develop a new missile system.
DESPERATE. Early on, Stonecipher decided the 29-year-old merger between McDonnell and Douglas had never been consummated. Some executives at Long Beach (Calif.)-based Douglas, for example, had never visited headquarters. So he set up task forces to foster the exchange of design, manufacturing, and management techniques. Among the early fruits: the discovery of technologies that can be used by both sides of the company.
The biggest challenges now lie in commercial aviation. One problem: Douglas, which accounts for about 27% of McDonnell's revenues, has relied on its 163-seat MD-superscript90 and 300-passenger MD-superscript11, rather than widen its array of planes as Boeing and Airbus have. Desperate to launch the smaller MD-superscript95, Stonecipher is out hustling for Douglas. Early on, he began making overseas sales calls with the late Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown and leading his sales team in meetings to shore up relationships with customers in the U.S. and abroad. He dismissed J. Walter Thompson Co., McDonnell's agency for nearly 50 years, and hired McCann-Erickson Worldwide in a quest for ads that "make the hair on my arms stand up," according to Dan O'Brien, who handled the account at Thompson. "He's shaking things up, so we had to go," says O'Brien, now with Ameritech. "And from the look of the new campaign, I think he has delivered."
"BRUTE FORCE." The executive suite bears Stonecipher's stamp, too. In May, 1995, he lured Edward C. Bavaria, once a GE Engine marketing chief, out of retirement to help rebuild Douglas' customer base. And to wring out production inefficiencies, he recently made Michael M. Sears, who had managed some of McDonnell's most successful military programs, head of Douglas. Since Stonecipher arrived, Douglas' three-year product cycle time for new customers has been cut to 20 months. He's counting on Sears to drive it down further. "We haven't spent a lot of money on equipment and technology," notes Michael Marino, a manufacturing general manager. "A lot of the cycle time we cut with brute force."
Stonecipher has been less successful in the market. Douglas snared just 11 aircraft orders in the first quarter, while Boeing won 180. Since ValuJet's grounding, Stonecipher has been pursuing officials of Northwest and Continental, which own fleets of aging DC-superscript9s the MD-superscript95 would replace. "If ValuJet doesn't stay viable, there are plenty of other possibilities," says one McDonnell executive, who says company research indicates airlines will purchase between 1,700 and 2,000 planes in the 100-seat niche over the next 20 years.
It seems unlikely Stonecipher will pry himself off the hot seat soon. He's playing hardball with the union by hiring temporary replacement workers, and the strike could drag on, observers say, as the company exploits it to implement sweeping changes in its St. Louis plants. He's also standing firm on outsourcing.
Stonecipher never planned on a long honeymoon, anyway. Shortly after taking over, he told one executive: "For the first 100 days, I'm going to get along with everyone. After that, everybody's going to have to get along with me." And for those who don't, there's always the billboard.


text:
Video: How to Create an Edible Centerpiece
According to entertaining expert and style editor, Eddie Ross, creating a mouthwatering crudité platter is all in the presentation. "People eat with their eyes," he says. "It's about the wow factor of how it's served." So we challenged Eddie to make us a centerpiece-worthy vegetable tray using our Giant Clam Shell.