The World Famous "Fence Wizard": 2006

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Top Ten Reasons To Install A Fence!

Top Ten Reasons to install a Fence.

  • 1. Neighbor just installed a fence, took ownership of your pool
  • 2. Someone has been sneaking in and shearing mohawks on all of your sheep
  • 3. Neighborhood cat gang keeps coming through and roughing up your dog
  • 4. You spotted an endangered species in the backyard, want to trap it / eat it
  • 5. Because your never planning on accessing those 7 cars anyway
  • 6. Local Walrus keeps using the pool univited
  • 7. Someone pitched a tent in your backyard and wont pay you rent
  • 8. Your yard is sloped; tired of rolling all the way down the hill after a night of drinking
  • 9. Your neighbors horse keeps using your wifes feedbag
  • 10. Installing deck sideways is too costly
View the Rest of the World Famous Fence Wizard's Original Content and Fence Industry Links (Click here)

Top Ten Reasons To Install A Fence!

Top Ten Reasons to install a Fence.

  • 1. Neighbor just installed a fence, took ownership of your pool
  • 2. Someone has been sneaking in and shearing mohawks on all of your sheep
  • 3. Neighborhood cat gang keeps coming through and roughing up your dog
  • 4. You spotted an endangered species in the backyard, want to trap it / eat it
  • 5. Because your never planning on accessing those 7 cars anyway
  • 6. Local Walrus keeps using the pool univited
  • 7. Someone pitched a tent in your backyard and wont pay you rent
  • 8. Your yard is sloped; tired of rolling all the way down the hill after a night of drinking
  • 9. Your neighbors horse keeps using your wifes feedbag
  • 10. Installing deck sideways is too costly
View the Rest of the World Famous Fence Wizard's Original Content and Fence Industry Links (Click here)

Golden State Fence hit hard for Hiring Illegals

Southern California border fence builder pays $5 million fine for hiring illegal immigrants

Saturday, December 23, 2006 by: Jerome Douglas
Printable version Key concepts: border fence, illegal immigration and immigrants.





(NewsTarget) A fence-building company in Southern California has agreed to pay nearly $5 million in fines for hiring illegal immigrants.

In addition to the fines, two executives from the company may also end up serving jail time. A company called Golden State was found to have hired and retained illegal immigrants for part of a border fence building project -- and the company, when caught, agreed to cleanup its act.

When the company was investigated again in 2004 and 2005 to ensure compliance with its promise, some of the same illegal workers from an immigration check in 1999 were still working for the company. Indeed, it's now estimated that as many as one-third of the company's 750 workers may have been in the country illegally.

Golden State Fence built millions of dollars' worth of fencing around homes, offices, and military bases, and the U.S. Government is now suggesting jail time for Melvin Kay and Michael McLaughlin, the company's president and a manager, respectively, to the tune of six months.

It's a rare twist to see employers of illegal immigrants actually face jail time or even prosecution. The case against Golden State, therefore, is almost a first of its kind as pressure increases from the public to crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants.

Immigration raids on six meat-packing plants netted almost 1,300 suspected illegal workers recently, but no charges were leveled against Swift, the company that ran the plants. Golden State Fence's attorney does admit that his client broke the law, but he states that the case proves that construction companies need a guest-worker program.

www.newstarget.com/021350.html
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6626823
www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/001974.html

Saturday, December 9, 2006

A book that can boost your profit and reduce stress.




Book Description

Turn a profit on every construction project. An exhaustive, business-boosting reference, Construction Operations Manual of Policies and Procedures, Third Edition, by Andrew Civitello, Jr., is loaded with procedures and step-by-step details for successfully managing construction operations. You get over 300 pages of methods, strategies and tactics, forms and ready-to-copy letters all layed out for you in a concise, easy-to-grasp style. This new edition, now the most timely, complete, and useful guide available for managing construction, packs over 20% more forms and templates. It also covers new developments in construction management software, as well as recent advances in claims and dispute resolution. Significant new material is devoted to the Design-Build process. You'll also explore the distinctions between each of the project delivery formats, and find enhanced coverage of safety and loss control. Included CD-ROM packs project management software tools and plenty of useful advice.

Book Info
Addresses how to ease time pressures, organizational hassles, procedural dilemmas, materials and cost wrangles, and legal and regulatory issues. Includes cost control, budgeting, and planning outlines. CD-ROM includes downloadable forms, ready-to-use letters, checklists, and sample management software.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Guest Columnist Jason Hommel describes the Zinc Price problem.

Zinc Mystery Unveiled?

By Jason Hommel
06 Dec 2006 at 06:22 PM GMT-05:00


GRASS VALLEY, Calif. (Silver Stock Report) -- I have been perplexed as to why LME zinc inventories are continuing to rapidly shrink, with the current high price for zinc having so little impact to discourage zinc depletion. It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Aren't high prices supposed to slow down consumption?

As I have explained previously, zinc inventories of 85,000 tonnes will last about 85 days at current depletion rates, whereas zinc inventories need to last about 700 days, or two years until new zinc projects come on stream.

See: Zinc Prices set to continue to explode
http://silverstockreport.com/email/zinc_explode.html

Why can't the owners of zinc figure this out?

This appears to indicate that we will see an explosion of zinc prices within the next three months, in my opinion, which is needed to slow or halt inventory declines. But why are zinc prices not already higher--high enough to slow down the inventory drawdown to sustainable levels? What explains why zinc inventory drawdowns are seemingly not affected by the existing high zinc prices? How much higher do zinc prices need to go? What is going on in the zinc market?

About 60% of zinc is used is galvanized steel. Zinc is about 3% by weight of galvanized steel, on average. Since zinc is a minor ingredient in steel, the market can sustain and tolerate and absorb substantial price increases. I explained this previously, in my article where I noted that zinc was up by "60% in 60 days!"
http://www.silverstockreport.com/email/60-60.html

So, moderately higher prices will not significantly slow down demand, and are already high enough to stimulate explorers and investors--even though it takes years to set up a large scale mining operation like you see on "Modern Marvels".

But here's something else to consider.

How much zinc is traded on the spot market verses the futures markets? I don't know. Derivatives can be a big problem, and in my opinion, may be thwarting the free market process whereby higher prices are supposed to cause reduced demand.

Perhaps many end users are not paying $2/lb. for zinc at all! Perhaps many end users are still only paying about 50 cents per pound of zinc! And thus, there is still little incentive for many zinc consumers to conserve zinc usage. How is this possible? Stupid miners hedged! Apex Silver and Penoles are two miners that I know of that have hedged zinc. But how widespread was this practice, and how much damage has it caused, and will it yet cause? I don't yet know, but perhaps someone else will find out.

Apex Silver hedged, 358,150 tonnes of zinc x x 2204lbs./tonne = 789 million pounds.
See http://www.silverstockreport.com/email/Apex_swindle.html

Since Apex hedged zinc at around $.48/lb., at $2.04/lb. for zinc, that's a mark-to-market loss of $1.56/lb., or $1.2 billion dollars, since Apex still has not yet started to mine any zinc. That's a larger loss than the market cap of Apex Silver! Apex also has losses on the silver and lead. Apex also sold 1/3 of their hedging liability, and 1/3 of their project to Sumitomo. Apex has not yet covered the majority of their hedges, claiming that their future losses will be realized as they come due, since they hedged 358,150 tonnes of zinc, silver, and lead for up to 7 years.

So, Apex may be providing zinc to the market at well below free market prices, about 51,000 tonnes per year, at $.50/lb., for the next 7 years. Perhaps some fortunate end user who will have a tremendous competitive advantage since they will not only get zinc cheaply, but also hopefully won't have to stand in line to get zinc during a time of crisis! Perhaps this partly explains the upcoming disaster unfolding in the world wide zinc market. I call it a disaster because zinc prices should have risen higher, sooner, to affect all market participants equally, to help to most efficiently and appropriately ration (by price) the remaining zinc that we have left.

Instead, it seems that big companies that made stupid hedging mistakes are continuing to supply many zinc users with sub-economic, low priced zinc, which is not encouraging them to conserve. So, the drawdown of zinc inventories is continuing at an unsustainable pace, and it looks like we'll see either a terrible shortage of zinc, or an explosion of zinc prices.
The key flaw of communism is that when prices for goods are set below free market prices, shortages and misery are always the result. I just don't see how anyone can justify futures contracts as a part of the ideal free market. Futures contracts, by definition, lock you in and force you to perform, and are the exact opposite of freedom.
This analyst says: "I expect zinc to be selling over $2.50 a pound in 2007. After that, sky's the limit. With the right conditions I believe we could be looking at $5 or $6 zinc within a few short years."
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=181534


Metalline Mining (MMG on the AMEX)
http://www.metalin.com/

MMG is my number one stock position, over 10% of my portfolio. I own 400,000 shares of MMG, and 400,000 warrants at $1.25 good for 5 years. I can't sell this until the 1-year hold time expires, perhaps in late January, 2007.
MMG has about 50 million shares fully diluted, at a share price of $4, and is a market cap of nearly $200 million.
MMG has 5.8 billion pounds of zinc resources (More than Apex Silver), and is working on a feasibility study that may take another 1 - 1.5 years to finish. This zinc is all unhedged.

There is a great blog that covers MMG here:
http://www.greatinvestments.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 10, 2006

Important Xmas shopping notes..........


Get this "Picket Fence" Cardigan for just $17.00. I know every woman in my family is expecting one this year.........
Click HERE to buy it; yes this is a joke - but you really can buy it.

Saturday, October 7, 2006

Can Fencing Stop Copper Wire thiefs????

Extremely high unit prices for copper and other metals have created a massive trend of theft and destruction for various industries and government agencies. Hardest hit are Agriculture and Farming where diesel and electric pumps are often not secured. Even if a chain link fence is around such a pumpstation the chain link can quickly be cut and penetrated.

What fencing options can keep out thiefs from rural sites like this???
1. Omega fence --- Comes much cheaper than Iron fence but more costly than chain link. Boats a heavy 4 or 6 gauge welded wire panels with various designs and heights. Requires a thief to have a sawzall or grinder to penetrate -you cant cut it with pliers. www. omegafence.com

2. Iron Fence
No picture needed here - think of a jail - the most expensive option on this list can be climbable if not designed properly.

3. Chain Link with Razor Ribbon and Barbed Wire. Chain Link itself will do little to keep out copper thiefs - loading up the fence with Razor Ribbon will certainly help. Razor Ribbon or Barbed Tape is dangerous and is likely to make thiefs move on to an easier target.

Sunday, October 1, 2006

New Products and review for residential fencing.

1. Oasis by Simtek Fence, formerly Mity Fence.
Designed and manufactured in Orem, UT. Simtek produces, sells, and markets the "Oasis" line of fence products. The fence quickly spread through the Colorado and Utah markets and now has dealership agreements with installation companies throughout the country. The product offers a bridge between low cost vinyl fencing and high cost block walls and masonry. This is a 100% private fence that appears to have a custom rough granite finish. Six colors are available immediately in 6' and 3' heights. Gates are made in the 6' height for 4' or 6' wide applications; the gates can be doubled to accomplish a 8' , 10' , or 12' opening.

Product features:

Graffiti resistant material

Lifetime warranty

Fast Installation

Unique and Eye Catching Custom Block Design

Galvanized Steel Enforced Panels and Posts

Good up close digital pic of product and color options: HERE

www.simtek.com, recommended dealer for do it yourselfers: www.champifence.com

2. Cali Bamboo
Along the same lines as the Simtek fence, CaliBamboo offers a range of product that will convince the market to slow the need to harvest our forests for short lived wood fencing such as seen at home depot. CaliBamboo offers a truly Green product line of rechargeable material - and yes its real bamboo. One of the best new product websites on the net - www.calibamboo.com
For picture gallery click HERE

3. Child Guard (removable pool fence)
This design has been around for several years now and is the lowest cost option for safely securing your pool from children. Downside: NOT DOG PROOF. This is a hybrid plastic type mesh that is woven through steel poles that quickly installs into sleeves. Can be installed over pool deck or grass. This fence is believed to be compliant with pool codes throughout the country but please check with you local codes to make sure your covered -especially if you are running a daycare. Fence can be removed in short order to open up the yard for parties etc.
www.childguard.com

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Thinking about buying wood posts? Stop, Wizard Time.

Regular Wizard visitors know the routine - if it is not a long term product; DO NOT BUY IT! Such is exactly the case with wood posts, especially 4" x 4"s (which are actually 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"). The Fence Wizard will not go out of his way to poop on a wood post, if the post is already there and its convenient - then maybe.
The point is- wood posts are a short term product. Are they cheap? Yes. But wood posts on any type of privacy fence will last little more than 8-12 years with new records coming in daily on the short side. Today's Cedar and Redwood posts are from younger trees and less dense to be sure.
Here comes the whining - "But Mr. Wizard, I was careful to buy only pressure treated wood posts". The only thing The Wizard hates more than garbage is glorified garbage. If you are building a wood picket fence of any type - The wizard commands the use of a galvanized steel post. If you want quality spend a little extra and use "Postmaster Steel Posts" . You will not need any brackets to attach your rails (Use three rails of Douglas Fir 2" x 4"s). If you just can't afford the $24-25 each for the Postmaster Posts then go with a 2 3/8" (O.D.) 16 Gauge. The round post will require brackets and a cap so you will not save much and will get much thinner steel.
If your vinyl fence kit requires wood inserts or posts - be careful. Remember that when moisture, dirt, and wood combine - the wood will return to the earth as nature intended.
If someone puts a gun to your head and makes you install a wood post - make certain that you build up the concrete base above the surrounding dirt level - then cone it off so moisture falls down away from the base of the post. Then ask the gunman if he/she is happy.

Add to Technorati Favorites