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Thank you,
Ken and Marilyn

VISIT OUR HOME PAGE AT www.runnerduck.com

     Some of you wrote asking about the vent opener and that the picture was hard to see. I always try to keep the pictures small so that it doesn't take too long for the web page to download. I took a much better picture or it and you can check it out at www.runnerduck.com/images/vent_opener.jpg

COMPUTER TALK

     Update from last week. I spoke with Dave, the author of the solitary program I sent you last week and he is taking his site down. That's the bad news but the good news is that the program is still FREE and available from www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,000XTA,.html.

     It seems that every other week I'm bringing you more bad news about computers. I don't mean to do that but it just seems to be the way the world is these days. This week I have to tell you about our government in action and the Gramm-Leech-Bliley Act.
     This act mandates that most companies that deal with personal information provided on the Internet send notices to all their customers to inform them about the types of information being collected, how it is being used and to whom it will be sold. On the surface this sounds like a pretty good deal. The rub comes in the form of this notification.
     You might want to keep a pretty good eye on your Junk mail for a while. It has been reported that these notices will potentially be buried in what might normally look like junk mail. It may be in very small print and hard to decipher. The key thing to look for "opt out" or "choose not to participate". You must follow these instructions to the letter or all the information they have collected can and probably will be sold to the highest or any bidder.
     It's too bad our legislators couldn't have made more specific language about the notification but due to lobbying pressures that's the way it is. Once again the consumer takes a back seat to big business.

SITE OF THE WEEK

     Every once in a while I try to do something to help out the world a little bit. One of the things I've had a lot of interest in is cancer research. My dad died of cancer and it always seemed like a terrible waste.
     Here is a site that is doing something about it and you can help. It does not cost you anything and it's really neat. A landmark research project has begun that allows people to make a real difference in the fight against cancer. This is no regular donation request: a participant is never asked to open a checkbook or volunteer time.
     The Intel-United Devices Cancer Research Project is asking you to volunteer your PC to help process molecular research being conducted by the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford in England and the National Foundation for Cancer Research. To participate, you simply download a very small, no cost, non-invasive software program that works like a screen saver. It runs when your computer isn't being used, and processes research until you need your machine. Your computer never leaves your desk, and the project never interrupts your usual PC use.
     I encourage you to check it out and read all the information on their site. The idle time on your computer will become a valuable tool in the world of cancer research. You also stand to win some neat prizes. Please join the RunnerDuck Team for Cancer by going to www.ud.com/home.htm, download the program and join the team.

Do you have a favorite site, besides RunnerDuck.com? Let me know and I'll share it with everyone. There are a billion sites out there and growing every day. I can't check them all out by myself so please share with us your findings.

   THIS WEEKS FREE RECIPE

Lemon Bars

Cake Mix:

• 1 Cup Margarine
• 2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
• Dash of Salt

Syrup:

• 4 Eggs
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 6 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Cake Mix:
Mix ingredients and press into a 9" X 13" pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Let cool slightly.

Syrup:
Mix ingredients and pour over the cake.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

This is just right for that after dinner sweet tooth.

     Let me know if you've tried our recipes and what you think. If you have any suggestions to improve them just drop me a line. All of them are from friends and family and some are very old.
     We also have a free recipe at the RunnerDuck Kitchen Store. We offer a new recipe every month so check it out.

     If you have a recipe that you would like to share, please send it to The DuckMaster and I will post it on our web site or in the next RunnerDuck Review.

If you are looking for something in the kitchen just type it here and let Cooking.com find it for you.

We want to start this off with a fun little project. With spring comes lots of birds and it's always fun to feed the birds. This is a really simple bird feeder that you can make really fast.

Here is a list of the things you will need.

• A small plastic jar like a peanut butter jar.
• 3 inches of 1/8 inch dowel (round wood).
• 8 inches of wire or string.
• Waterproof glue or hot melt glue.

Be sure to have your parents help you with the cutting so you don't cut yourself!

Wash out a small empty plastic peanut butter container or something similar.
Remove the label using hot soapy water. If you let is soak a while it will come off a lot easier.
Cut a 1 inch hole so the bottom of the hole is about 1 to 1 1/2 inches up from the bottom of the container.
Make a small hole just below the 1 inch hole, big enough for the piece of wood dowel.
Poke the 1/8 inch dowel into the small hole and glue it in place.
Poke another small hole in the middle of the lid for the wire or string to go through.
Run the string or wire through the hole in a loop and tie it off in a big not so it won't pull out.
Put the lid on the jar and there you have it, a bird feeder.

Since some parents don't like bird seeds sprouting in their flower gardens here's a little tip you can share with them. Spread the bird seed out on a cookie sheet and bake in a 250 degree oven for 1/2 hour.

Be sure to visit the RunnerDuck Toy Store at www.runnerduck.com/rdtoys.htm.

     Step 2 - The Frame

     Last week we put down a foundation and I recommended 6" X 6" landscape timbers. It's important that they are in the ground good a solid and level.
     This week we will start building the frame. The frame is nothing more than a simple 2" X 4" stud frame. I used treated wood on the bottom and cedar for the rest. Cedar is a little spendy but I like the way it ages without a finish and I like the smell. Do your framing on a flat surface and be sure to square it up before nailing.

     The shape of your frame will depend on your design. Since I don't have a good picture of my greenhouse when it was framed, here is a doctored picture to give you an idea.

     Here is another doctored picture from the front to give you a little better idea of the framing. I've whited out the inset panels to just show the frame.

     When sizing your frame remember that the panels come in 4' X 8' sheets so design it for the least amount of waste. Also be sure and follow any building codes you may have in your area.
     Until next week, get to nailing.

---

JOKE OF THE WEEK

As many of you know I play drums for The Tempos. I don't know why it is that drummers are picked on a lot but here is one from my dear brother. Happy 60th birthday Bro! (April 10th)

A drummer got bored with his instrument and decided to take up the accordion instead. Walking into a music shop, he spotted one he liked and asked the shopkeeper, "how much is that accordion by the wall?"

The shopkeeper looked at him and said, "You're a drummer, aren't you?"

"Yes, how did you know?" he said.

"That's the radiator."

The DuckMaster

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     Be sure to visit our Goodies Store. We are changing some of our designs so keep checking to see what we have in store. If you haven't made it to our store yet, check it out. We have lots of neat gifts.

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