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August 2009

Fence Fort Worth

Ownership of the fence varies. In some parts of the country all boundaries are shared; in other parts of the country you may own the boundary on the left-hand or right-hand side, however, only the title deeds can be depended on to tell you which side is yours. (A 'T' symbol indicates who is the owner). It used to be normal for the cladding to be on the non-owners side (enabling access to the posts for the owner when repairs need doing), but increasingly this cannot be depended on.

Distinctly different land ownership and fencing patterns arose in the eastern and western United States. Original fence laws on the east coast were based on the British common law system, and rapidly increasing population quickly resulted in laws requiring livestock to be fenced in. In the west, land ownership patterns and policies reflected a strong influence of Spanish law and tradition, plus the vast land area involved made extensive fencing impractical until mandated by a growing population and conflicts between landowners.

Fence Fort Worth

Photo Puzzles

There are organizations and events catering puzzle enthusiasts such as the International Puzzle Party, the World Puzzle Championship and the National Puzzlers' League. There are also Puzzlehunts like Maze of Games.

Games are often based on a puzzle. For example there are thousands of computer puzzle games and many letter games, word games and mathematical games which require solutions to puzzles as part of the gameplay. One of the most popular puzzle games is Tetris. In video games, jumping puzzles are common.

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Animal advocates want focus on dogs, not Vick (AP)

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia Eagles tailgaters will be out in force long before Michael Vick takes the field on Thursday. So will animal advocates — on the other side of town.
Dog lovers are throwing a competing tailgate party for the 2nd Chance Dogs campaign — a pointed reference to Vick's second chance in the NFL — to increase awareness of dogfighting and encourage adoption of rescued pit bulls.
The initiative, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was launched after the Eagles signed Vick, who served 18 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring.
"As a lot of people have pointed out, (Vick's) animals never got a second chance," SPCA chief executive Sue Cosby said. "We need to speak for them."
For Cosby, Vick's arrival in Philadelphia has put a needed spotlight on the types of cruelty cases her agency deals with every day — and that's where she wants it: On the dogs, not the dogfighter.
"For us, this whole thing has just reinforced how hard we have to work at the work we're doing every day," she said.
The signing of Vick two weeks ago sparked protests from fans and animal lovers appalled that the Eagles would bring in a player involved in fighting, hanging and drowning dogs.
Some threatened to boycott the team; protesters waved signs outside Eagles practices; newspapers and radio talk shows spewed endless commentary. Supporters countered that the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback has paid his debt to society and deserves a second chance.
It remains to be seen what the crowd response will be when Vick takes the field for his first game in more than two years on Thursday against Jacksonville; so far, no formal protests have been announced.
Two civil rights groups announced a pregame march around the stadium in support of Vick and later said they might not rally after learning animal rights groups were not planning protests.
J. Whyatt Mondesire, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, told The Associated Press on Wednesday evening that his group and the Black Clergy of Philadelphia had decided to proceed with their march. Mondesire said the groups recognize Vick committed serious crimes but they are supporting his right to a second chance.
Vick is trying to rehabilitate his image by working with the Humane Society of the United States to warn urban youths against dogfighting.
Local animal advocates seem to be keeping their distance. Rather than protest Vick or work with him, they prefer to use the public debate about his return to the NFL to raise money and awareness of animal cruelty issues.
"The animal welfare groups really have no interest in working with Michael Vick," said Tom Hickey Sr., founder of the Pennsylvania advocacy group DogPAC.
Dogfighting is still very much a problem in Philadelphia, where authorities broke up another ring on Sunday after finding two dead pit bulls and several others injured during a house raid.
District Attorney Lynne Abraham addressed the issue at a closed meeting the next day between Eagles brass and animal advocates.
"It's strictly a blood sport, if I can call it a sport at all," Abraham said after Monday's summit. "And while you have that, you also have drugs and guns and other violence."
The Eagles appear to have made strides with animal rights groups by hosting that discussion before Vick's first game.

The two-hour gathering at the team's practice facility involved representatives from about 20 regional animal groups, including Hickey. He said some of the meeting focused on Vick, but most of it centered on how the team could support animal welfare.

Hickey, who is also a member of the state dog law advisory board, has more than 5,000 signatures on a petition asking the Eagles spend the equivalent of Vick's salary — $1.6 million — to establish a rehabilitation and training center for dogs.

Nothing was decided at the meeting, but Hickey felt it was constructive.

"I think it was very educational for the Eagles. It was important that they get involved in the community," he said.

Eagles senior vice president Pamela Browner-Crawley told reporters afterward that "financial support is on the table," along with other resources, but gave no details.

Karel Minor, executive director of the Humane Society of Berks County, wrote on the agency's Web site that he was one of many at the meeting who felt it was time to stop chastising the team and start using its resources to help animals.

"We can make use of the power and influence of the Eagles to make a positive difference," Minor wrote. "We can challenge them to make good on their promise to help us end dogfighting and maybe even more."

Communion Dresses

Dresses increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s; then fullness was draped and drawn to the back by any dresses had a "day" bodice with a high neckline and long sleeves, and an "evening" bodice with a low neckline (decollete) and very short sleeves.

Depending on design dresses are classified. Different basic dress shapes are:

Communion Dresses

Back-to-school looks weak for apparel retailers (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) –
If earnings reports released on Thursday are a sign of business to come, U.S. apparel retailers will have to continue cutting costs and discounting as slumping sales persist.

Gap Inc (GPS.N), operator of the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic chains, streamlined operations and reduced inefficiencies to generate a quarterly profit that beat analysts' expectations. But its revenue fell 7 percent in the quarter and same-store sales dropped as much as 15 percent in its stores.

Other retailers that focus on teens rather than adult shoppers similarly struggled with sales while barely beating profit expectations.

The dismal current sales atmosphere caused one analyst to temper his optimism for the rest of the year.

"The second-quarter earnings season is shaping up with all the excitement on the bottom line, as the top line remains stagnant or down at best," said Brean Murray, Carret analyst Eric Beder. "There are faint signs of a turn, but it is way too early for retailers to get excited."

Gap said net income for its fiscal second quarter, ended August 1, fell to $228 million from $229 million a year earlier. Earnings per share were 33 cents, narrowly above the 32 cents per share expected by analysts, according to Reuters Estimates.

Revenue fell 7 percent to $3.25 billion, while same-store sales, a key gauge of retail performance, fell 8 percent.

Pacific Sunwear of California Inc (PSUN.O) topped analysts' estimates by a penny although it swung to a loss in its second quarter.

But wary investors were more concerned about the company's outlook, which was far worse than analysts had expected and its shares fell nearly 10 percent after the bell.

"Clearly we have a lot of work to do to stem our decline in sales and ultimately return to profitability," said new Chief Executive Gary Schoenfeld in a statement.

Rival Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ.O), which sells snowboard- and skate-inspired clothing and gear, reported a loss for the quarter that was narrower than expected and said sales trends had improved.

But a third-quarter forecast from Wet Seal Inc (WTSLA.O) was below Wall Street expectations and shares fell 6.6 percent.

"Back to school is likely to be disappointing for all but a few select value-oriented retailers," wrote Moody's Investors Service in a report published Thursday.

FALL INTO THE GAP

Last week, the Gap chain launched a major denim campaign, offering jeans with better fits and higher-end styling in hopes of bringing back once-loyal customers who gravitated to more fashionable rivals.

Gap has improved profit margins in recent quarters even as slumping sales have pressured results.

"We are finding the right balance between maintaining cost discipline and changing the trajectory of revenue that we've been on for far too many years," said Chief Executive Glenn Murphy, speaking to analysts during a call.

Gap stores saw a 10 percent decline in same-store sales, while Banana Republic, a more upscale chain that sells clothing to young professionals, recorded a 15 percent drop.

At Old Navy, the company's largest unit in terms of total sales, same-store sales fell 4 percent as recent merchandise improvements and value-priced goods lured new shoppers.

But analysts believe Gap's cost-cutting efforts will be difficult to sustain in coming quarters.

In the second quarter, operating costs fell by $52 million, but those costs are likely to be flat or rise about $20 million in the third quarter due to more marketing, Gap said.

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE

Aeropostale Inc (ARO.N) was the exception to the tepid sales as its low prices appealed to teens and their budget-conscious parents.

Its second-quarter net income rose 83 percent on a 20 percent rise in sales. The company has been one of the few apparel retailers to consistently post higher monthly sales amid the downturn on lower pricing.

Net profit was $38.6 million, or 57 cents per share, from $21.1 million, or 31 cents per share, a year earlier -- above the 56 cents per share Wall Street had been expecting.

The company said it expects third-quarter earnings of 76 to 78 cents per share. Analysts were expecting 76 cents. Aeropostale shares rose less than 1 percent to $36.08.

Shares of Pacific Sunwear fell 9.8 to $3.60, while shares of Zumiez closed at $12.28 and did not move after hours.

Wet Seal shares fell 6.6 percent to $3.10 and Gap shares fell 1 percent to $18.65 after closing at $18.85.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Wal-Mart recalls 1.5 million Durabrand DVD players (AP)

WASHINGTON – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is voluntarily recalling about 1.5 million Durabrand DVD players after the company said it received five reports of the products overheating, leading to fires and property damage.
No injuries have been reported, the company said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday announced the recall of the Durabrand DVD players, which were sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from January 2006 through July 2009.
The agency said it didn't immediately have the details of the property damage amounts.
The DVD players, made in China and imported by Wal-Mart, can overheat, which poses as a fire and burn hazard to consumers. Wal-Mart said it has received 12 reports of the DVD players overheating, including the five reports that resulted in fires.
The recall involves a single DVD player with a remote control. The silver-colored electronic device has a U-shaped opening at the top to insert the DVD.
The safety commission said consumers should stop using the DVD player and return it to Wal-Mart for a refund. Details: by phone at 800-925-6278; by Web at http://www.walmartstores.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

Court: Religious items OK in Conn. postal facility (AP)

MANCHESTER, Conn. – An appeals court has reversed a federal judge's order that religious displays be removed from a Connecticut store that offers postal services.
In a decision released Thursday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says Sincerely Yours Inc. in Manchester is not a classified post office and doesn't need to be regulated like one.
The business is a contract postal unit operated by the Full Gospel Interdenominational Church.
The court says only the postal counter, boxes and shelving units must be cleared of religious material. The court says "a visual cue" should distinguish the postal facility from the ministry space.
In 2003, a customer sued the U.S. Postal Service and the local postmaster. The customer claimed the religious signs, prayer cards and church-related videos constituted a government endorsement of religion.

Burress pleads guilty to gun charge, faces 2 years (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) –
Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge on Thursday and agreed to a two-year prison sentence in what the Super Bowl hero's lawyer called an agonizing decision.

Burress, 31, caught the winning touchdown in the Giants' Super Bowl victory in February 2008, but his career unraveled the following season when he accidentally shot himself in the leg in a New York City nightclub in November.

He was released by the team and stands to lose millions of dollars in salary. After his guilty plea, the National Football League suspended Burress and told him he was ineligible to sign with any team until he completes his jail term, the NFL said in a statement.

Burress agreed to a deal in which he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, which is less severe than the two counts of criminal possession and one misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment for which he was indicted on August 3.

Under those charges, he faced a minimum of three and a half years in prison and a maximum of 15.

Justice Michael Melkonian of New York state court accepted the plea and is due to formally sentence Burris on September 22.

"After an agonizing period of discussion, Plaxico has decided that he wanted to do this, put this behind him as quickly as possible and hope that when he is released he will be able to resume his stellar professional football career," said lawyer Benjamin Brafman.

Burress did not speak to reporters when he left the courthouse.

Antonio Pierce, a Giants linebacker who was with Burress at the time of the shooting, was not charged. Pierce took the gun back to his home after the shooting, prosecutors said.

(Reporting by Christine Kearney; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Todd Eastham)

Texas Sales Tax Audit

A related type of tax is the value-added tax or VAT. It is a system in which all businesses remit taxes on their sales but they are also refunded the amount of VAT remitted by their suppliers. In addition to avoiding cascading, under VAT there is no need for government to determine which sales are taxable and which are not, since all sales--retail, wholesale and intermediate--are taxed.

Determination of ways to legally reduce the amount of tax due on a transaction. For instance, how a company structures its invoices can affect the taxability of the entire transaction. In many states an item can become taxable if not separately stated on the invoice.

Texas Sales Tax Audit

Newspaper photo helps ID Seattle man with amnesia (AP)

SEATTLE – When he walked out of a Seattle park three weeks ago, the mystery man knew this much about himself: He is fluent in several languages and has traveled to other countries.
But he didn't know his name or how he got to Seattle. He's not sure how he came to spend a few days sleeping under a tree in Discovery Park — the city's largest — or how he emerged a bit dizzy but uninjured July 30.
It didn't take long for the power of the Internet to help solve the mystery Thursday.
A reader contacted The Seattle Times Thursday morning, just hours after the newspaper posted a story and photographs of the mystery Jon Doe on its Web site. David Akast told the newspaper the man is Edward Lighthart, an English teacher he knew in China.
Police have since showed the man his high school yearbook photograph and mentioned the names of people believed to be his parents, but none of that rang a bell, said Seattle detective Tina Drain.
"It appears to be him, but until we know for sure, we can't positively say 'Yes, this is Edward Lighthart,'" she said.
The man still refers to himself as Jon Doe, Drain said. He told the Times the name doesn't sound familiar.
"But the image is definitely me," he said, referring to photographs that friends had e-mailed of Lighthart.
"I guess there's a little bit of relief and at the same time a lot of anxiety," Lighthart told the Times Thursday. "I'm still not sure quite what to make of it all."
Seattle police say the man emerged from the park around 6:15 a.m. on July 30 knowing he didn't live in the Seattle area, but unsure of much else. He flagged down a Metro bus driver, who called police for help.
The man appeared to be well-educated, in reasonable health and in his 50s, according to the police report. He told police he thought he was of German descent.
He was wearing an expensive dress shirt, pressed khakis and $600 hidden in his sock, and appeared to have an extensive knowledge of European cultural history, the Times reported.
Randall Snyder, a friend from Columbus, Ohio, said Thursday he recognized a photograph of the man as Lighthart.
The two attended graduate school together at the Union Institute in Cincinnati. An institute spokeswoman said an Edward Lighthart was enrolled in a doctorate program there from March 1993 to June 1994.
"Ed was particularly very good at the masters of painting," Snyder said. "He's quite a versatile guy. He has many talents. He's been a translator, taught in schools, got a degree in culinary arts."
The man told the newspaper he went to the University of Wisconsin in the early 1980s, studied at the University of Chicago and Columbia University and lived in Paris, Vienna, Sydney, Shanghai and Bratislava, Slovakia.
The man remembers bits of his professional past, trips to other countries and his teaching, but doesn't recall much personal information, Drain said.
"Little by little, things do come to his mind and he shares that with us," she said.

The man has been at Seattle's Swedish Medical Center as Jon Doe since July 30. Three psychiatrists who examined the man believe his amnesia is genuine, Dr. Bruce Larson, a psychiatrist who has been attending to the man, told the Times.

Hospital spokeswoman Melissa Tizon said Thursday that the man was declining further media requests for interviews.

"He said he felt numb. This is an overwhelming experience for him," Drain said. "He's taking all this in. All of a sudden, this new information is coming in."