FEDERAL WAY, Wash., Aug. 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To help deck builders, advanced do-it-yourselfers and building material dealers design strong, stable and safe decks, Weyerhaeuser introduces the free "Parallam+ Deck Beam Sizer" app for iPhones(R) and iPads(R). In the field or in the office, the app provides an easy way to figure out the correct size required for Trus Joist(R) Parallam(R) Plus PSL beams. http://www.woodbywy.com

The new app enables users to specify the size and loading of decks with only three simple inputs to find the correct beam size. It also provides users a fast and simple way to send supporting documentation to the local building department, which can help facilitate approvals. For complex decks that require additional design assistance, the app connects users with Weyerhaeuser technical support with just a few clicks. The "Parallam+ Deck Beam Sizer" is available on the App StoreSM.

"When you're outside getting ready to work on your deck, you don't want to have to run inside to figure out the project details," said Ross Theilen, Director of Customer Software & Technology for Weyerhaeuser. "We've developed many software tools to help specify structural framing, and are working to bring those to the field. The new mobile app takes the guesswork out of beam sizing, and helps save time so projects can stay on schedule."

Parallam Plus parallel strand lumber (PSL) with Wolmanized(R) preservative protection is an ideal structural member for decks and other unprotected exterior applications, including those with high moisture conditions or exposure to saltwater splash. The product offers long-term strength and durability, providing homeowners with peace of mind for solid and safe structural members for their decks. Parallam PSL's unique composition allows the preservative treatment to penetrate to the product's core to help protect against termites, fungal decay and moisture. Parallam Plus PSL can be painted or stained with an oil-based finish to match other deck components.

Follow Weyerhaeuser Wood Products on Facebook and Twitter.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc.

Tweet this

Need to size deck beams? Check out the new free Weyerhaeuser app for sizing Parallam(R) Plus PSL at the App StoreSM.

About Weyerhaeuser

Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest forest products companies, began operations in 1900. Our wood products business offers leading structural frame materials, software and technical support for residential, multi-family, and light commercial under the Weyerhaeuser and Trus Joist(R) brand names, and is one of the largest building products distributors in the U.S., offering products from more than 300 suppliers. We manage our timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards, and all of the structural wood products we make are SFI(R) certified. At the end of 2011, the entire company employed approximately 12,800 employees in 11 countries and generated $6.2 billion in sales. http://www.woodbywy.com

Visit link:
Weyerhaeuser Free Mobile Phone App Simplifies Sizing of Deck Beams

Posted: Aug. 25, 2012 | 2:06 a.m.

Today from 1-4 p.m., Ryland Homes celebrates the grand opening of its newest community. Indigo at Hillside is in northwest Las Vegas near the Las Vegas Beltway and Cheyenne Avenue. It features the builder's signature rooftop decks.

The free event will include food, refreshments, entertainment and two fully decorated model homes available for tours.

"It will be the perfect day to bring your family and enjoy the day at our beautiful new community," said Bethann Frusco, sales counselor at Indigo at Hillside.

"These contemporary, innovative floor plans all include Ryland Homes' signature rooftop decks, and the community is packed with amenities."

During today's event, guests will be treated to lunch from the popular Slidin' Thru gourmet food truck, Hawaiian Shave Ice from Snow Ono and music from My 93.1-FM radio station.

Guests of the Indigo at Hillside celebration also will have a chance to win a free design consultation and $1,000 gift card from Furniture Market. The locally owned company designed and furnished Indigo at Hillside's two model homes.

The contemporary-designed single-family homes at Indigo at Hillside range from 1,863 to 2,031 square feet. The three plans have as many as three bedrooms, 2 baths and a two-car garage.

The Twilight and Dawn plans, at 2,006 and 2,031 square feet, respectively, are shown as model homes and highlight Ryland's modern designs and flexible options.

Liz Werner, co-owner of Furniture Market, designed the interiors of Indigo's model homes.

More:
Ryland To Open New Community

The time is now 10:11am

Youlastvisited August23,2012, 10:11am

JavaScript is currently disabled in your web browser. Lottery Post will not function correctly without JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript before continuing.

Blames unshuffled decks of cards

A New Jersey casino has sued a group of gamblers who won $1.5million after they allegedly realized the eight decks of cards used in a game of mini baccarat were not preshuffled.

The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, N.J., filed suit against the gamblers and playing card company Gemaco after 14 players collectively won $1,536,700 in 41 winning hands.

As the same sequence of cards kept appearing April30, the players increased their bets from $10 to $5,000, the casino alleged.

"The gamblers unlawfully took advantage of the Golden Nugget when they caught onto the pattern and ... by passing money to fellow gamblers in order to place bets in excess of posted betting limits," the casino said in a statement.

In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey Superior Court, the casino cited gambling regulations that state gaming odds must be fair for both sides.

Continued here:
New Jersey casino suing gamblers who won $1.5 million

A New Jersey casino has sued a group of gamblers who won $1.5 million after they allegedly realized the eight decks of cards used in a game of mini baccarat were not preshuffled.

The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, N.J., filed suit against the gamblers and playing card company Gemaco after 14 players collectively won $1,536,700 in 41 winning hands.

As the same sequence of cards kept appearing April 30, the players increased their bets from $10 to $5,000, the casino alleged.

"The gamblers unlawfully took advantage of the Golden Nugget when they caught onto the pattern and ... by passing money to fellow gamblers in order to place bets in excess of posted betting limits," the casino said in a statement.

In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey Superior Court, the casino cited gambling regulations that state gaming odds must be fair for both sides.

The Golden Nugget is seeking a return of the $558,900 it paid out to several of the players and the nearly $1 million worth of chips.

Anthony Smedile/The Press of Atlantic City/AP Photo

Benjamin Dash, attorney for the gamblers, said his clients, who did not know each other, were "playing the game lawfully."

After paying out a portion of the winnings, the casino managers became suspicious. Convinced they were watching a "sophisticated swindling and cheating scheme," they refused to cash in the remaining $1 million in chips.

No evidence of a scheme was found. On May 1, the Golden Nugget said it learned by "direct admission" from Gemaco's CEO that the decks used in the baccarat game were unshuffled, despite being touted as preshuffled, certified decks.

See the rest here:
Casino Sues Gamblers After $1.5M Loss

Bridie Willmette, Brodie Lucciannio, Maddi Abbott and Jess Maiden have customised skateboard decks for an exhibition.

Claudia Baxter

SKATEBOARD decks feature as improvised canvases in an exhibition by Rosewood State High School senior art students.

The talented group of students designed and painted 20 artworks on decks, which now hang in the Ipswich Art Gallery.

Titled Deck the Walls, the exhibition will remain on show until next Wednesday.

Councillor David Pahlke said students had dedicated the past two months to designing their artworks.

Arts, Community and Cultural Services chairman Charlie Pisasale said the show sampled youth and pop cultures.

"You don't have to look too far to see how popular skateboards are with young people; it's wonderful to see students using them to creatively engage with the arts," Cr Pisasale said.

Rosewood State High principal Lyn Culverhouse said she was proud the students were representing the school in the wider arts community.

The gallery opens daily from 10am to 5pm in d'Arcy Doyle Pl.

Continue reading here:
Clever senior skateboard art

An Atlantic City casino is suing 14 gamblers who raked in more than $1.5 million in winnings after realizing that eight decks of cards had not been preshuffled and kept producing the same sequence of cards, over and over.

The gamblers kept raising their bets -- from $10 a hand to $5,000 -- and scored 41 consecutive winning hands of baccarat in April, the Associated Press reports.

As the payouts mounted, Golden Nugget Atlantic City flooded the area with security teams, convinced that someone was cheating, but were unable to figure out how.

In the end, the casino let nine of the gamblers cash out $558,900. The rest still have $977,800 in chips.

In its lawsuit, the casino cites state gambling regulations requiring all casino games to offer fair odds to both sides.

The casino's lawsuit argues that the gamblers and the casino both began the game believing it was legal and proper until the players kept winning repeatedly.

Benjamin Dash, a lawyer for the gamblers, counters that his clients did nothing wrong and deserve to be paid.

"The Golden Nugget appealed to gamblers to come in and play games licensed and sanctioned by the state of New Jersey," he says. "My clients did exactly that, and then were denied their winnings. There is absolutely no law in New Jersey that would permit the Golden Nugget to declare the game illegal because it failed to provide shuffled cards."

The casino also asserts in its lawsuit that Gemaco Inc., a Missouri playing card manufacturer, acknowledged it had provided a defective shipment of cards that were not preshuffled.

A message left at the company's administrative offices was not immediately returned Monday, the AP says.

More:
Unshuffled decks are big loser for N.J. casino

A below-decks engine fire is believed to be under control after a Sanford fishing boat caught fire while docked in Auckland's Viaduct Basin. 21 August 2012

Firefighters are battling a below-decks engine fire on a fishing boat docked at Auckland's Viaduct Basin.

The fire broke out in the bow of the 80m-long, 1800-tonne San Nikunau, about 10.45am on Tuesday, the Fire Service said.

The San Nikunau is the Sanford-owned vessel that has been at the centre of a US federal court case for dumping oily bilge waste into waters off American Samoa.

There were 40 crew on board at the time who were evacuated and there were no reports of injuries, northern communications spokesman Jaron Philips told NZ Newswire.

The fire was under control, he said.

Forty firefighters were at the scene and using thermal cameras and breathing apparatus to fight the blaze.

It was believed the fire started in the engine area, Mr Philips said.

Sanford was found guilty of six charges last week relating to the waste dumping and former chief engineer James Pogue was found guilty of failing to keep accurate records of how the vessel was managing bilge waste and falsely stating that pollution prevention equipment had been used when it hadn't.

Sentencing is set down for November 16.

Read more here:
Fire aboard fishing boat in US court case

ATTLEBORO - A rash of deck collapses locally and nationally has prompted Building Inspector Doug Semple to warn homeowners that older decks should be checked for safety - now.

"After looking at these things, I'm scared," he said of local decks and national news reports. "There are potentially a lot of deck collapses out there."

Semple said older decks, those at least 15 years old, were usually attached to homes with nails alone and are especially at risk.

"Our concern is that we know we have a lot of these open decks out there that are 15 or 20 years old," he said. "We really want people to take a close look underneath these decks and see if they are held to the house with nails or bolts."

The use of nails to attach decks was a standard practice years ago and met the code of the time. However, nails have proven unreliable, especially on decks without roofs.

Ordinary wear and tear and exposure to the elements weakens the wood and can rust the nails, leading to collapses, Semple said.

In addition, nails are smooth and pull out easily, he said.

Semple said he and other local inspectors are encountering more and more wobbly and dangerous decks.

"It's probably one of the most common things we're seeing out there right now," he said.

Semple pointed to a deck collapse in South Attleboro about two weeks ago in which an elderly woman was injured.

More here:
Warning on decks in Attleboro

He started off practising on the decks at his parents two-storey semi-detached home, but now DJ Fricktion aka Naveen Pabbi is brushing shoulders with A-list celebrities and playing at exclusive venues across the globe.

The former student at Britannia High School in Blackheath has already played at private parties for the likes of Rihanna and Amir Khan and supported top acts like Timbaland and Ludacris.

He has played at every major venue in the UK plus venues in New York, Dubai, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, where he goes at least twice a year.

And earlier this year he trumped competition from across the UK to be named Best Mixtape DJ at the Official Mixtape Awards in London.

The best thing about being a DJ is I get to make people happy and make them dance through my choice of music and mixing, said Naveen, who is currently resident DJ at Rococo in Broad Street, Birmingham, and also plays at other venues in the city including Gatecrasher and Bambu.

I get to affect people in a positive way.

Its amazing when people come up to me and ask me for my mixes.

Sometimes I forget Im being paid at the end of the night.

Naveeni, of Dudley Road, Rowley Regis, who is also a music producer, has being DJing for the past 15 years.

He plays a range of styles from hip hop to garage, R&B and bashment.

Visit link:
DJ clears the decks to play for top stars

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings has revised its price decks for both U.S. oil and natural gas, reflecting various market factors and underlying conditions.

Fitch has lowered its long-term (mid-cycle) Henry Hub natural gas price to $4.50/thousand cubic feet (mcf) from $5.00/mcf. This drop reflects limited catalysts for higher U.S. natural gas usage and the ongoing strength of shale-based liquids projects in North America, which has resulted in the treatment of associated gas as a by-product in a number of plays, allowing producers to tolerate lower all-in natural gas prices.

Fitch lowered 2012 HH base case prices to $2.75/mcf to reflect weak pricing seen YTD. While recent heat wave conditions have pushed electric generation usage up sharply this summer, this has been balanced against a very mild winter, which has led to average pricing of just $2.43/mcf as of the end of July.

Fitch has raised its 2012 base case West Texas Intermediate (WTI) to $92.50/barrel to reflect near-term market factors, and maintained its long-term base case price at $65/barrel.

Fitch's price deck intends to reflect a more conservative view of future price levels for modeling and rating purposes and for evaluating future commodity price expectations from a bondholder perspective. Fitch's price deck will often remain below current spot and future markets as a result. The price deck also reflects just supply/demand fundamentals, particularly the long-term price deck, with the recognition that near-term events can result in significant deviations from fundamental levels.

The full report 'Updating Fitch's Oil & Gas Price Deck' is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'.

Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'.

Applicable Criteria and Related Research: Updating Fitch's Oil and Gas Price Deck

http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=686362

View post:
Fitch Updates Oil and Gas Price Decks