Paul B.

I'm curious to find out what stripper you are using. Must be very strong concentrate if you can dilute it 1:10.

I had to enlarge it a bit to get a better view. Is that Elvis running from the paparatzi?

I would be greatly troubled if you were serious. ;) He didn't want to carry money with his pictures on it as it would make it too easy to identify him. It would be like carrying a wanted poster. I bet he had Fruit of The Loom T-shirts and a cap with Nike logo! It just tells you how well some companies marketing strategy works. I took a photo of the moon with a 300mm lens the other night -lets see if we can see the flag.

Mike, 10:1 Ron is a Democrat and also believes: - Elvis is still alive, - A second gunman was in the grassy knoll. By the way Ron: We had more than 1 man walk on the moon. On a clear night, you can see the American flag and the lunar land vehicle on the moon. ...And stop sniffing HF - It's BAD for your brain!

Rob, Why not run 110V Shur-flo and skip the battery, since you are all skid mounted anyway? Also, what kind of and how is your reel set-up for the shur-flo hose? Do you have a bypass to flush your Shur-flo pump with claen water? Consider that strippers and brighteners are corrosives. Stainless is OK with strippers, however acids will corrode it.

Welcome to the board Aaron!

Someone had asked what causes pitting in aluminum. In simple terms, pitting is caused by deterioration / corrosion. Here is a more detailed explaination of corrosion & pitting: Corrosion Chemical deterioration in metals is called corrosion. Physical damage to metal objects can leave them vulnerable to corrosion. For example, a scratch in tin plate leads to corrosion of the base metal. Gold, silver and copper are the only metals that are stable enough to be found in their natural metallic state. All other metals are more stable when combined with other elements, to form oxides, sulphides, chlorides, carbonates or mixtures of these. There is a natural tendency for most pure metals to return to their more stable, corroded states. Because of this, metal objects need to be protected from environmental conditions and pollutants which encourage corrosion. In some cases—as the metal corrodes—the oxide film that forms acts as an insulating barrier, which slows the rate of corrosion to an acceptable level. Copper and aluminium (or aluminum if you prefer) are two metals in which oxide coatings form protective layers—called passivating layers. Causes of corrosion Moisture and oxygen are required for metals to corrode. Chloride ions, which are found in common salt—sodium chloride—can speed up the corrosion rate, and are also capable of penetrating protective oxide layers. Fats, oils and sweat can also enhance corrosion. Acids formed when air pollutants combine with moisture will attack metals. Outdoor monuments and sculptures are particularly vulnerable to this type of attack. Relatively un-reactive metals, such as copper and silver, can suffer significant corrosion if sulphide-containing materials are in the same environment as the metal. These sulphide pollutants are usually associated with the breakdown of plant matter, and the decomposition of sulphur-containing proteins such as wool. A common pollutant is carbonyl sulphide. Dust absorbs moisture readily. So areas with a build-up of dust can have quite high local humidity—higher than the surrounding environment. Dust will absorb pollutants and other reactive materials as well. Corrosion also occurs if dissimilar alloys and metals come into contact with each other. This type of corrosion is called galvanic corrosion. Under these circumstances, the more reactive metal or alloy corrodes while the less reactive metal is protected. For example, if iron and copper were in direct physical contact in the presence of moisture and oxygen, then the iron would selectively corrode while simultaneously protecting the copper. The oxide film which forms on particular metals acts as an insulating barrier, slowing the rate of corrosion to an acceptable level. This type of passivation occurs with copper and aluminium. Chloride ions and aluminium (aluminum) and its alloys The presence of chlorides in aluminium alloys containing copper is a problem because chloride ions: • penetrate the protective oxide coating; • cause aluminium pitting corrosion; and • promote localized copper corrosion from within the alloy. As the copper corrosion products move to the surface, they interact with the aluminium corrosion products and form a blue-green, copper-stained aluminium hydroxide corrosion matrix. The problem occurs when - as a result of electrochemical reduction by the parent metal - copper is re-deposited in metallic form on the surface of the alloy. The re-deposited copper acts as a cathode in a pitting corrosion cell. The problem is to remove a relatively un-reactive metal deposit from the surface of a very reactive metal, while at the same time trying to remove the chloride ions. One simple solution to the problem is to use a solution of ammonia and ammonium sulphate to wash away the chlorides and the metallic copper from the surface. This produces complex reactions, but is effective. When a corroded sea plane float was treated this way, it took 12 months of steady soaking, scrubbing and cleaning to stabilize the corroded metal.

I'm not sure what you have down there but check your local hardware stores like 84 Lumber, Hader Hardware, etc. For brighteners: Sherwin Williams carries Cuprinol Revive (which contains oxalic acid). If anyone carries SuperDeck products, they have a liquid brightener DB-1450 that contains oxalic acid. Cabot brightener also contains oxalic acid. SuperDeck also has a wood cleaner DB-1440 which contains Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide and Sodium Metasilicate. Cabot & Cuprinol cleaners contain Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach). Like Reed said, you could try (10-12% pool shock) bleach mixed at 1:3 or 1:4 and this should clean & brighten but I would still use an oxalic brightener to get the alkaline pH to neutral or somewhat acid levels. It shouldn't be a problem to mix the Wolman and Oxy-Clean however, I think you would get better results if you added a 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of TSP to 1 gallon of the Wolman mix.

Jon, Almost 40% of my work up to the point of actually starting the service is done in the blind. A lot of my customers work 6 days a week and long hours so a meeting is not always possible without inconvenience to them. I talk to them on the phone and a contract is always signed before the work materials are ordered or the work starts. I would say that 25% of the time the customer never actually sees the work in progress - just the results. However, if there is ever a complaint, it is important to establish a face to face meeting and have the problem pointed out by the customer. It's hard to work with vague statements like "Everything is messed up" or "I don't like the way it looks". Dealing with vague statements is like giving estimates over the phone without first seeing the task at hand. As a matter of fact, I'm leaving for that type of an estimate in a few minutes. The man called Tuesday and wants an estimate on brick cleaning. He works 60 miles from where he lives and it's dark when he leaves and dark when he gets home. I will go to his house and will have an estimate for him by the time he gets home tonight and we'll talk on the phone. The contract will spell out what is included and what are exceptions. If he likes my price and all else, he'll sign the contract and fax it / mail it back to me before the work is started. If the contract needs to be adjusted, then another is faxed or mailed out. Knock on oak, I've only had 1 bad debt and that was almost 3 years ago - he skipped town and I wasn't about to chase him to Louisiana for $500.

John, There is a difference between ranking by popularity and position. Not including content, position (in majority of cases) is what helps to reach popularity. For example, when you do a search under "pressure washers", if you come up on top of the list, you have a tendency to have more people visit your site than if you were at the bottom of the page or on the second. If you are listed on the 10th page there is a small chance that anyone will open your site from there. Different search engines have different methods of determining where you are positioned. Knowing their methods / rules can be very helpful. Some search engines position by submission while others use automated "spiders" that scan the site and "Meta Tags" to evaluate position. As new sites are submitted, based on where they end up being positioned will determine if your site stays in the same position or moves down. You can improve your position by refining and improve your "Meta Tag" data.

This ranking is by Alexa and they cycle thru it every 2 months? Position ranking is very dynamic - folks spend mega-bucks to maintain at least top 5 ranking in their category. If you're in on-line retailing, losing a few positions could cost you $,$$$,$$$'s.

I've got it - the numbers show traffic ranking. Thanks!

Just curious: Can someone provide information on the ranking and the process? Who, What, When Where, How.....

By the way, Who's been copying our Hudson Valve drawing?

Even similarities can be considered copyright infringements if someone is interested enough to take it to court. It's also the some of the whole (not necessarily the pieces only) that can make logos unique. For example, spelling someones business name differently is still considered infringement if you are selling burgers: McDonalds or MacDonalds or MackDonalds - unless your name is MacDonald or MackDonald. In most cases things don't become a big issue until you start taking credit for someone else's work or take profits from someone else pocket.

Woman Knocked Unconscious While Shopping. (an AP top story) ORANGE CITY, Fla. - A mob of shoppers rushing for a sale on DVD players trampled the first woman in line and knocked her unconscious as they scrambled for the shelves at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. Friday announcing the start to the post-Thanksgiving sale, the 41-year-old was knocked to the ground by the frenzy of shoppers behind her. Paramedics called to the store found VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player, surrounded by shoppers seemingly oblivious to her, said Mark O'Keefe, a spokesman for EVAC Ambulance. She was flown to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where doctors told the family VanLester had a seizure after she was knocked down and would likely remain hospitalized through the weekend, Ellzey said. Hospital officials said Saturday they did not have any information on her condition. ..."She's all black and blue," (her sister) Ellzey said. "Patty doesn't remember anything. She still can't believe it all happened." Ellzey said Wal-Mart officials called later Friday to ask about her sister, and the store apologized and offered to put a DVD player on hold for her. Heck of a sales person ...Trying to make a sale while the woman is in the hospital. Should send her a FREEBIE with a card and flowers! No more "Festival Shopping" at Wal-Mart stores.

Multiply your age by your household income. Divide by 10. What does the resulting number mean? The correct answer is: What your net worth should be today. The authors of The Millionaire Next Door argue that this rough rule of thumb can be used to describe how well people are doing at building toward financial independence. They noticed that over half of the 3.5 million U.S. millionaires in 1996 had household incomes less than 131,000 USD a year--even though over 7 million households reported income in excess of 100,000 USD. So, they argue that the distinguishing traits of people who become financially independent are those relating to frugality--the ability to control expenses, stick to a budget, and generally not worry about keeping up with the Joneses. Millionaires tend to save at least 15% of their income, and focus very seriously on planning on how to build their wealth--rather than on how to maintain a fancy lifestyle. The result? A high ratio of net worth--the value of all assets, after subtracting liabilities--to income.

'Twas the night of Thanksgiving, But I just couldn't sleep I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep. The leftovers beckoned - The dark meat and white But I fought the temptation With all of my might. Tossing and turning With anticipation The thought of a snack Became infatuation. So, I raced to the kitchen, Flung open the door And gazed at the fridge, Full of goodies galore. I gobbled up turkey And buttered potatoes, Pickles and carrots, Beans and tomatoes. I felt myself swelling So plump and so round, 'Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground. I crashed through the ceiling, Floating into the sky With a mouthful of pudding And a handful of pie. But, I managed to yell As I soared past the trees.... Happy eating to all - Pass the cranberries, please. May your stuffing be tasty, May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes 'n gravy Have nary a lump, May your yams be delicious May your pies take the prize, May your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off of your thighs. May your Thanksgiving be blessed!! Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. HAVE A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Rob, In a 2-step such as a Citric or another tpye of acid wahs followed by an alkanine, your chlorine would be added to your alkaline detergent (never add chlorine to an acid as this may give off a poisonous gas - chlorine gas). Remember, anything with pH above 8 would be considered an alkaline (8 a weaker and 14 stronger alkaline), anything below a pH of 6 would be considered an acid (the lwoer the number, the stronget the acid).

Mike C. Acids generally do not attack plastic or vinyl, and acrylic paints. Most acids are stored and shipped in plastic containers. Stronger concentrations of acids will etch glass even though glass beakers are used by scientists when handling. However, they are VERY corrosive to metals (including stainless), will eat holes thru clothing, paper.

Last Night we went to dinner and made a discovery. Stop searching for Nemo ...we found him!

Somewhat similar to John Maddens "Tur-Duc-Ken", we had a "Tur-Duck" a few years ago that was out of this world. The sensational tastes came from the injection and the stuffing. The secret recipe was from a Louisiana native. We fry from time to time, depending on how many people are at hand and how large the turkey is. This year "Chef Mama" wants to bake the turkey. Will most likely fry some for new years eve.

Scott, You are absolutely correct. Anyone and everyone can be sued. "Limited Personal Liability" is provided to separate Corporate and Individual actions: Corporate structures, including S corps, allow you as an owner to limit some of your personal liability. For example, creditors of an "S" corporation generally can go after only the assets of the corporation, not the owners, if debts are unpaid. Lawyers will tell you that the legal protections of corporations are not ironclad. For example, owners of small "S" corporation have to be careful to keep their own financial affairs and those of the corporation strictly separate if they want to maintain limited liability. The corporate structure also does not protect you against liability for your own actions, if you purposefully misrepresent your company, fail to protect your employees or willfully ignore the laws, etc. etc.. Some examples are: Cases of Sexual Harassment, willful neglect of OSHA or other safety standards, or other unlawful activities. As always, your best bet is to consult privately with an attorney about legal questions.

Does anyone use Cabot Pro VT or OVT solids for 2-tone decks (on surfaces other than deck floor)? Normally we use Cabot Problem Solver Oil Primer with 2 top coats of Cabot Deck Stain Solid. I'm looking for some alternatives to reduce material costs if it doesn't compromise life of finish.

Everett, I don’t believe when you and I talk about offering different options for customers, that we talk about providing a POOR QUALITY product or service, but rather a choice of quality, ranging between GOOD - BETTER - BEST. The quality is always there whether the customer chooses a product that lasts 3 year, 5 years or 12 years. Different products have different preparation needs along with material quality and costs that may impact pricing. We also know that for every successful one level product/service provider, there are 5 successful multi-level product/service providers out there. Here are a couple (3) examples: #1 Earl Scheib – a successful national car paint and body service: Offers 4 tiers of car painting (Pro-1, Pro-2, Pro-3 along with the Pearl Package). #2 Owens Corning – offers 15 and 30 year asphalt roof shingles at 2 price levels. #3 Pressure washers are priced at different levels for their components. A – has a Comet pump B – has a General pump C – has a CAT pump 3 price levels and 3 quality levels Good judgment has to be made in offering lower cost product/service without totally sacrificing quality. Which contractor provides a better service to their customers? Contractor #1 has 3 products available (for the same job and application) priced exactly the same from his/her supplier. Product “A” provides a 1 year life; “B” provides a 2 year life; “C” provides a 3 year life. Contractor #1 provides his/her customer with product A at one price, product B at a higher price and product C at an even higher price. Contractor #2 has the same supplier(s) and chose to provide product “C” as a 3 year life product at one price level and offers a 6 year, more expensive product at a higher price to the customer. When I offer options, it’s along the line of Contractor #2, NOT contractor #1. Good STUFF, Indeed!