INKLIN

Taco Del Mar believes that great franchise partnerships create great successes. We have built our organization in order to develop positive and profitable relationships with our franchisees.

http://tacodelmar.com/franchising/

Have you done any service work lately, and noticed a spark as you connect or reconnect the grounding electrode conductor to the ground rod of what appeared to be a perfectly normal electric service? Have you ever disconnected the grounding electrode conductor at a water pipe and received a shock? Have you ever noticed any arcing or sparking at a loose grounding electrode conductor at an outbuilding that has a connection to its own separate ground rod? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the culprit is more than likely currents in the grounding electrode conductor.

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(CNN) — Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, sporting a foam clown nose, landed back on Earth after a $35 million working vacation at the international space station.

The Canadian billionaire arrived in Kazakhstan on Sunday aboard a Russian spacecraft, along with Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and American astronaut Michael Barratt, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

The trio blasted off September 30.

Laliberte is the first Canadian private space explorer, and his journey was described by Cirque du Soleil, a popular show that merges acrobatics and music, as “the first social/artistic mission in space.”

He used the trip to raise awareness about the need for safe drinking water worldwide. On Friday, Laliberte participated in an event sponsored by his One Drop foundation that took place in space and 14 cities worldwide. The event featured famous political and entertainment figures spreading a message of “water for all, all for water.”

Laliberte turned his talents of stilt-walking and fire-breathing into the world- famous Cirque du Soleil.

He founded One Drop in 2007 to fight poverty around the world by providing widespread access to safe water.

He was dubbed the first clown in space, because of the spongy nose he donned during the trip.

The group, which returned aboard a Soyuz capsule, were members of the 19th expedition to the

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/10/11/space.clown.lands/

Do you love Lenovo laptops, but at a distance? We thought so. That’s why we’re happy to report that a variation of the company’s SL400 and SL500 laptops have been announced for non-US markets. The devices, creatively dubbed the SL410 and SL510, will be offered with a choice of a Core 2 Duo T5870, T6670, P7570 or Celeron 900, T3000, or T3100 CPUs, a 16:9, 14- or 15.6-inch LED display, GMA 4500MH, 4500MHD or AMD M92-S2 XT GPUs, a range of hard drives up to 500GB, 1GB to 4GB of RAM, and both contain multitouch trackpads. The laptops are said to be retailing starting at 5600 Yuan (or around $820) for the SL410 — we haven’t heard a price on the SL510 yet. No word on when these models will be headed stateside, but we’re certainly going to do our best to find out.

Read: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/11/lenovo-intros-sl410-and-sl510-thinkpads-overseas/

http://woot.com/

Once you have determined the basic design of your deck, the next step is to choose your materials. The most common choices are pressure-treated (P/T) lumber (usually Southern pine), redwood, or cedar. As a rule, pressure-treated lumber is the best choice for the substructure; the species you use for the visible parts of the deck will depend on your budget and the look you want.

The span tables in this document will help you determine how much material you need, based on the species you choose. Although there is no such thing as an “average” deck, these instructions assume that your deck is attached to the house, is no more than 6″ off the ground, and that there are no special load requirements. All design recommendations below are suggestions only, for estimating purposes. Always check local building codes before determining the final design. All illustrations in this document have been taken, with permission, from the Sunset book, Decks, © Sunset Publishing Corporation.

Inside this document you will find information about:

• Choosing Materials
• Preparation and Layout
• Building the Substructure
• Decking and Railings

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CHOOSING MATERIALS Decking–If you choose pressure-treated lumber, you’ll have a choice between 5/4 x 6 decking (1×5-1/2 actual size) or 2″ material (typically 2×4 through 2×8, all 1-1/2″ thick). The size and species of the decking you choose will determine the spacing between your joists. Recommended spacing for common decking boards is as follows: Decking Joist Spacing 5/4×6 P/T Southern pine 16″ maximum 2 inch thick redwood, western red cedar, S-P-F, Hem-fir, Northern white cedar 24″ maximum, 16″ preferred 2-inch Southern pine 24″ maximum Determining Joist Size–2×6s through 2×10s are the most common sizes used for joists. The beams that carry them are typically 4×6 through 4×10, often “built up” from doubled 2-inch lumber. Pressure-treated lumber is generally less expensive than redwood or cedar, and can be used for the substructure even when the decking and railing will be other species. In most cases, you’ll want to determine the spacing between beams first, then use a joist size appropriate to that spacing. If the deck will be no more than 6′ off the ground, a common recommendation is to space the support beams no more than 12′ apart. As a rule, you’ll only need one beam along the outer edge of the deck (a ledger bolted to the house supports the other end of the deck). Beam Spacing Joist Size (joists 16″ o.c.) Up to 8 feet 2×6 (Southern pine, Douglas fir, Western red cedar, S-P-F, or Hem-Fir) 2×8 (redwood, Northern white cedar) 8 to 10 feet 2×8 (all species listed above) 10 to 12 feet 2×8 (Southern pine, Douglas fir, Western red cedar, S-P-F, or Hem-fir) 2 x 10 (redwood, Northern white cedar) Beam Spacing Joist Size (joists 24″ o.c.) Up to 8 feet 2×6 (Southern pine, or Douglas fir) 2×8 (Western red cedar, S-P-F, Hem-Fir, redwood, or Northern white cedar) 8 to 10 feet 2×8 (all species listed above) 10 to 12 feet 2×8 (Southern pine, or Douglas fir) 2×10 (Western red cedar, S-P-F, or Hem-Fir, redwood, or Northern white cedar) Determining Beam Size–Since support posts are often run through the decking to serve as railing posts, the specifications below are given for posts that will be spaced no more than 6′ apart, with beams that are no more than 12′ apart. With these spacing specifications, 4×4 posts are adequate for any deck less than 6′ off the ground. Beam Spacing (round down to nearest foot) Miniumum Beam Size (doubled 2″ material may be used in place of 4″ thickness) Up to 6 feet 4×6 (Southern pine or Douglas fir) 4×8 (Western red cedar, S-P-F, Hem-Fir, redwood, or Northern white cedar) Up to 7 feet 4×8 (all species listed above) Up to 9 feet 4×8 (Southern pine, Douglas fir, Western red cedar, S-P-F, or Hem-Fir) 4×10 (redwood, Northern white cedar) Up to 11 feet 4×8 (Southern pine or Douglas fir) 4×10 (Western red cedar, S-P-F, Hem-Fir, redwood or Northern white cedar) Up to 12 feet 4×10 (all species listed above)

PREPARATION AND LAYOUT Preparation–First, prepare the ground under the deck by removing the sod. Slope the ground away from the house a minimum of 1″ every 15′ to provide drainage. Once the deck is finished, the ground should be covered with 6 mil. black polyethylene to keep weeds from growing. Measure and mark the position of the ledger along the wall. The height of the ledger should be 1″ below the bottom of the door plus the thickness of the decking, plus the depth of the joists if you plan to set the joists on the ledger and beams rather than using joist hangers. It makes no difference which way you set the joists, as long as your layout is consistent. Mount a 2×6 ledger to the wall with 1/2″ lag screws. The ledger must be level, and the lag screws should be long enough to penetrate the studs at least 3″. Use two lag screws at each end, and one at each wall stud (typically 16″ on center) in between. Install a “Z”-shaped flashing above the ledger to shed water, or space the ledger away from the wall with washers. Layout–To establish the outside perimeter of the deck, measure out from each end of the ledger about 18″ beyond the outside edge of the deck. Set up batter-boards as shown, then run taut strings from each end of the ledger to the batter-boards to establish the sides of the deck. Run a third string between the batter-boards to establish the outside edge of the deck. Square the layout by measuring the opposite diagonals, then adjusting the ledger-to-batter-board strings until both measurements are equal. Take care to maintain the correct distance between the strings.

BUILDING THE SUBSTRUCTURE Footing and Piers–Use a plumb bob from the string to establish the location of the footings. The holes for the footings must be deeper than the maximum frost penetration in your area, and deep enough to rest on undisturbed soil. It’s a good idea to dig 6″ deeper and fill the bottom of the hole with gravel, to allow drainage. Mix concrete and pour the footings. To find the number of 90# bags of ready-mixed concrete you’ll need for each 12×12 footing, measure the depth of the footing in inches and divide by 8. As you finish each pour, set a pre-cast pier on the footing so it extends about 6″ above the ground level. Use a thin cement mix to bond the piers to the footings. Posts–After the concrete has set, stand the posts on the piers. Use temporary braces and a level to plumb the posts. Once the posts are set, run a mason’s line from the top of the ledger to each post and use a line level to mark it for cutting. The height of the post should be equal to the height of the ledger minus the depth of the beam that will be set on it. Beams–Fasten post-to-beam connectors on top of the posts with nails and 1/2″x5-1/2″ hex bolts, then set the beams into the connector. Plumb and square the assembly, then secure the beams as you did the posts. If local building codes require it, install 2×6 diagonal cross braces and secure them with 1/2″x4-1/2″ lag screws. Joists–Mark the joist locations on both the beams and ledger, either 16″ or 24″ o.c., as per your design. Set the joists in place with the crowns up. If the deck is wide enough that you need two sets of joists (and if you set the joists over the beams rather than hanging them from joist hangers), splice the connections by overlapping each pair of joists at least 1′ and nailing them together with 8d galvanized nails. Install blocking between the joists wherever required. Blocking requirements are determined by your local building codes. Finally, nail the rim joist across the ends of the joists. Stairs–Build any stairs you will need. Instructions for building outdoor stairs are covered in an accompanying brochure.

DECKING AND RAILINGS Decking–Deck boards should be laid with the bark side up, and with both ends centered over a joist. Stagger the joints of side-by-side deck boards so they don’t line up. Notch the boards around posts or other obstructions, leaving 1/8″ space for drainage. 2″-thick deck boards should be spaced approximately 1/8″; most builders set a 16d nail between the boards as they fasten them. 5/4″‘x6″ pressure-treated decking may be placed with each board flush against the next; natural shrinkage will provide the proper spacing. Fasten the deck boards at each joist. Use two fasteners per support point for decking up to 6″ wide, or three fasteners for wider boards. Deck screws or clips are generally better than nails, but all fasteners must be hot-dipped galvanized, aluminum, or stainless steel. If you use nails, blunt the points by tapping them with your hammer, to avoid splitting the decking. Let the decking run over the edge of the structure, then saw the ends off after all boards are laid. Railings–Secure the railing posts at each corner of the deck, and on each side of the stairs. Then secure the field posts, spaced equally between the corners but no farther apart than allowed by local building codes (typically 6′). Nail the sub-railings and cap rail in place, then add the balusters.

TOOL AND MATERIAL CHECKLIST

• Level and Line Level
• Mason’s Line
• Ready-mixed Concrete, Gravel
• Shovel
• Structural Connectors
• Adjustable Wrench
• Chalk Line
• 8d and 16d Galvanized Common/Box Nails
• Lumber for Posts, Ledger, Beams and Joists
• Railing Material
• Stain
• 6 mil. Black Polyethylene
• Plumb Bob
• 2×2s and 1×4s for Batter Boards
• Wheelbarrow
• Concrete Piers
• Lag Screws, Hex Bolts w/ Nuts and Washers
• Hammer
• Measuring Tape
• Screws
• Deck Boards
• Framing Square
• Brushes and Thinner

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the National Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Source: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/h2buildadeck

These are from the same site as the Hot Sauce Reviews.

http://marty.anstey.ca/programming/php/scripts/

1. UPC and EAN-13 Check Digit Validator
   Validates the check digit in UPC and EAN-13 bar codes.
2. Binary Search Functions
   Binary search is perhaps the fastest technique for locating information in an array. Here I present both the iterative and recursive versions which I have ported to PHP from popular C code widely available on the web.
3. Compound Interest Calculator
   This is a simple example demonstrating how to calculate compound interest using PHP.
4. WS-FTP Password Decoder
   This code is a port of some JavaScript I saw somewhere on the net some time ago. I thought it might be a fun excercise to port it to PHP. Enjoy!
5. Little or Big Endian?
   A simple function which tells you if your code is executing on a little or big-endian system.
6. Random Password Generator
   This is an old function I wrote back in the days of PHP3. I have used it quite a bit in the past and so here it is for your downloading pleasure.
7. MP3 ID3 Tag Extraction Function
   This handy snippet will let your script read all of that juicy information from a local MP3 file’s ID3 tag. Very useful for webpages or scripts which must process a large number of MP3 files.
8. ISO 3166 country codes
   ISO3166 Country codes, in CSV and PHP (array) formats. Useful for creating a pull-down list of countries in forms.
9. Format seconds
   Simple function to format an interval of seconds to a human-readable representation of days, hours, minutes and seconds.
10. PHP Tic-Tac-Toe
    This is a reference implentation of a Tic-Tac-Toe game implented in pure PHP. It is intended as a platform for developers and students; and although the reference implentation does not include any AI, it is an excellent starting point for learning about game trees. This version supports arbitrarily large grids and any number of players, both of which are restricted only by common sense.
11. Wheel of Fortune
    This script is intended as a supporting application for the Wheel of Fortune board game. It is intended to be used on a computer connected to a television, and greatly simplifies portions of the game play. Unique answer files can be loaded depending on the audience to provide for a unique or customized playing experience.

Look at all of these! 79 hot sauces reviewed! I’m fine with Tobasco.
http://marty.anstey.ca/hobbies/hotsauce/

This is an excellent piece of software to stop annoying access violation errors when you try to delete or move a file.