HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: brad@optilink.UUCP (Brad Yearwood)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: 27 Aug 92 04:08:11 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA

In article <1992Aug25.191555.28507@ads.com>, charleen@ADS.COM (Charleen Bunjiovianna) writes:
# In article <8210.25748@stratus.SWDC.Stratus.COM> jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman) writes:
# >
# >For sheer adventure, I love "Heisenberg's Uncertain Blend" at
# >Trader Joe's.  ...
#
# Finally, someone else who likes Heisenberg's!  Everyone else thinks
# I'm crazy.

From my experience: great label, lousy coffee.  The can that I bought a couple
of months ago was vile beyond description.  It tasted moldy.

I've had mixed results with TJ's coffee.  Some years ago, they had genuine
Yemeni Mocha.  One batch was great, and at a great price.  Another batch
had a terrible off-flavor - like burned green beans (not coffee beans - snap
beans).

Brad Yearwood    brad@optilink.com    {uunet, pyramid}!optilink!brad
Petaluma, CA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: rsingh@goliath.Stanford.EDU (   raj)
Subject: Voice-menu-interface design 
Organization: Makalu Mountain Hermitage, Mt Makalu, Nepal
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 21:05:07 GMT


Seeing an article from Jack Kirman about ATM interface design, I
thought about bringing up another topic --- those voice menus we
navigate, when we have to call credit card companies/ banks for
balance enquiry etc?

For eample, the [lady] voice on amex's system is VERY RUDE and and
irritating, and it doesn't let one interrupt the menus.  What I mean
is that one can't start punching numbers on the phone pad UNTIL the
recording is done.  In contrast, with Universal Card's 800 number, I
can enter a whole bunch of numbers without waiting for the recording
to finish, and if I enter EXTRA numbers, it would use them as input
for the next query ...i.e., it doesn't flush away any extra input, but
keeps it around.

Why don't these people test market the convenience before using it
nationwide?  A call to 1-800-292-amex will confirm what I mean by very
rude response..... compare that with 1-800-423-4343.

I am sure some of the designers/implementers read usenet, so folks,
comment on.

--raj "I like BofA's menu system BEST!" singh
-- 
Rajesh Kumar Singh               E-mail: rsingh@goliath.stanford.edu
Gauls!  We have nothing to fear; except perhaps that the sky may fall
on our heads tomorrow.  But as we all know, tomorrow never comes!!
                                         -- Adventures of Asterix.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15750 rec.video.cable-tv:1223
From: Sunil.Hazari@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Sunil Hazari)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.video.cable-tv
Subject: mechanical converter box
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:00:32 GMT
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service

I am looking for a "non-digital" convertor box for an old Samsung 13"
TV. I am a cable subscriber but don't want to rent a box from the
cable company. Are there any mail order places that still sell cable	
boxes which have mechanical sliding switches to change channels.

Thanks,
Sunil Hazari 
--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: mike@execu.execu.com (Mike McCants)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Radioactivity and Superstition; was: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:55:51 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Comshare, Inc. Austin Development Center

In article <l9ns6oINNmol@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> de5@ORNL.GOV (Dave Sill) writes:
>[Followups, again, directed to misc.consumers.]

Darn, I don't read that group.

>In article <1992Aug26.195524.25813@athena.cs.uga.edu>, mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington) writes:
>>
>>Yet somehow people become morbidly fascinated with the radioactive sources
>>in smoke detectors, as if they were somehow A Class Apart, because they
>>work by means of Invisible Mysterious Rays.
>
>They *are* different.  You can't see, smell, taste, hear, or feel
>radioactivity.  This isn't true of most physical phenomena people deal with,
>including chemicals and electricity.  It's hardly surprising that it's treated
>differently.

By the time you feel electricity that's going to really hurt you, it's
too late.

Little kids don't mind the taste of Drano for a little while.

They don't read the warning labels very well.

They hear the car coming and turn to watch it.

They feel the ground hit them only after they fall.

Yes, isn't it strange how some people think that radioactivity is
somehow A Class Apart.  It's just too Mysterious.  :-)
From: bruceh@cray.com (Bruce T. Hill)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: IKEA furniture by mailorder?
Date: 26 Aug 92 17:15:25 GMT
Organization: Cray Research Superservers Inc., San Diego CA, USA

In article <1992Aug26.130236.14891@exu.ericsson.se> ebupaf@ebu.ericsson.se writes:
>There are two IKEA's in the L.A. area. One of them
>is in Burbank, and the other in Irvine.
This last weekend I drove past an IKEA store in Fontana, just south of 
Interstate 10.

-- 
Bruce T. Hill @ Cray Research Superservers, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
Email: bruceh@cray.com  Phone: (619) 625-3746  FAX: (619) 625-0641
Humorous quotation:  Nobody looks good wearing _brown_lipstick_. --Frank Zappa
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: heflin@rtsg.mot.com (Suzanne Stratton Heflin)
Subject: Re: Epilady or Remington Smooth&Silky?
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 16:45:07 GMT

avk@hafnium.cchem.berkeley.edu (Tony Konashenok) writes:

>Hello world:
>I'd greatly appreciate your comparative opinions about Epilady and
>Remington Smooth & Silky epilation machines. Which one would you pick
>(for woman's legs)?
>-- 
>Tony Konashenok   avk@hafnium.cchem.berkeley.edu   (510)527-7524 (home)
>University of California, Berkeley                 (510)642-5831 (office)

>Strauss research group, Latimer Hall, UC Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, U.S.A.


I wouldn't pick either.  I actually did get the Remington, and I would
guess that Epilady would be similar.  It hurt a great deal, cost much more
than razors, and doesn't get the "little" hairs (fine or short)  I guess
it would be OK if you only shave for looks, with stockings on.  If you like
a smooth feel, (or your husband does!) or you wear shorts or short skirts
with no hose, I can't imagine that this system would give you a satisfactory
result.  Definitely borrow one before you decide to buy....I wish I had!
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mikeb@ted.cray.com (Mike J. Buchmann)
Subject: Re: Sears Best?
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:12:45 CDT



In article <Btwxt0.p0@unx.sas.com> Brendan Bailey writes:

...
> "Didn't the salesperson mention you need a dryer venting tube?

When we were looking at Washer/Dryers at Sears they mentioned this to
us briefly but pushed the extended warrenty every step we took.  I
finally told the gal, that if their machines were so good why did I
need the extended warrenty (We bought ours at a different store).

Did you get a cord with your Dryer?  It was extra at our Sears store,
and most other stores if I remember correctly.  Most stores didn't
tell us about the extra costs until we asked.

> We asked for the door handle to be on the right side, but it was on the left.
> They were not permitted (?) to change it and we would have to call out a Sears
> repairdroid to switch it.

When my co-worker purchased his refrigerator (from the same store I purchased
my washer/dryer from) they asked if they wanted the door switched when they
delivered it.  From what I understand, it is not that big of a problem to
switch the door on most models, so I don't know why the delivery people could
not do it (other than they didn't want to).

> It is this lame half-way-done,oops-we-screwed-up-the-order type service
> that really pisses me off.  When will companies learn that top notch customer
> service gets results?!  Sure, Sears made up in the end (actually, it's not 
> over yet), but we were counting on a smooth delivery during the hectic few 
> days of moving.  The frustration and irritation with the door being wrong,
> and the missing pieces, and the washer flooding will no doubt leave us with
> poor feelings in dealing with Sears in the future, regardless of the fact that
> they fixed all the problems in the end.

See my next article on our experience with Sears Carpet.



Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder)
Subject: Re: Recalls
Organization: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston VA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 15:46:04 GMT

In article <5456@naucse.cse.nau.edu> rrw@elden.cse.nau.edu (Bob Wier) writes:
>
> Or alternately
> send a SASE with 45 cents postage to Center for Auto
> Safety, 2001 South Street N.W. Suite 410, Washington DC
> 20009 and provide information on the make, model, and year.
>
The address should be 2001 S St. NW.... Not South St, just the 
letter "S". Phone number is (202)328-7700.

Steve
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment,sci.med,sci.physics,talk.environment
From: ekp@mcnc.org (Edward Pavelchek)
Subject: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Organization: Good place for a disclaimer
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 22:41:38 GMT

Does this mean that fluorescent bulbs no longer use Be compounds?

-- 
Ed Pavelchek   ekp@mcnc.org
But I make a profit of 3 1/4 cents an egg by selling them for 4 1/4
cents an egg to the people in Malta I buy them from for 7 cents an egg.
Of course, *I* don't make the profit.          Joseph Heller, Catcha 22
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987)
Subject: Re: DAK's short-wave radio ??
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 08:32:04 GMT

Todd Inch (toddi@mav.com) wrote:
: In article <BtAFnM.3ww@fc.sde.hp.com> Gary Fritz <fritz@hpfcbig.sde.hp.com> writes:
: >The previous responses verify my General Theory of DAK:  no matter how cheap
: >it is, you get (at best) what you paid for.  DAK tends to carry low-grade goods
: >dressed up with Drew Kaplan's hyped-up ad copy.  
: 
: Although it is hype and I'm sure some stuff is crap, I've been very impressed
: with a Turbo Breadmaker II we got from DAK.
: 
: Ours was a "refurbished return" from a disgruntled customer.  To get these,
: add a "U" in front of their catalog numbers and save a few bucks.
: 

I also bought my TurboBaker II as a refurb unit, I couldn't tell any difference
other than that the serial number label had been peeled off and replaced (to
get at one of the screws which hold the unit together).  I have had no problems
with the unit, and strongly reccomend it.  (BTW, I have some GREAT recipies)

: >(And, I wish someone would
: >throttle the guy until he learns not to start every sentence with "And,"
: >and "But,"!!! :-)
: 
: AGREED! But, that is his "style."  And, it drives me batty.
: 
And, I should mention that I still want to know what is supposed to be wrong
with these units.  But, nobody has replied to a message in a different thread.
And, I decided to post the question here.  And, I hope I don't annoy anybody 
unintentionally.

--

Dave Hinz  -  Opinions expressed are mine, not my employer's.  Obviously.
hinzd@picard.med.ge.com
From: packer@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Charles Packer)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: "Things of Science"
Date: 4 Sep 92 03:16:00 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Independence
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1

In article <1992Sep2.034254.8415@bbxrbk>, russ@bbxrbk (Russ Kepler) writes...
>When I was a kid (many moons ago) my father had delivered to the house
>some science exploration kits from an outfit called "Things of
>Science".  They would explore some topic such as bouyancy or


Brings back memories. Some of those kits had gobs more of some
chemical or other than there were in the little jars in my
Chemcraft set. I remember a bag of sulfur that's still the
largest amount of sulfur I've ever seen in one place...
From: lbr@holos0.uucp (Len Reed)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: A/C for a 92 Honda Civic Lx
Date: 26 Aug 92 21:51:16 GMT
Organization: Holos Software, Inc.

In article <collin.714687532@angelo> collin@angelo.amd.com (Collin K. Ong) writes:
>mac9167@tamsun.tamu.edu (Surfman) writes:
>
=>I am about to purchase a 92 honda Civic Lx.  I have researched the 
=>price that the dealer paid but air is not a standard option for this
=>car.  I have just about looked in every new car buyers guide to find
=>out how much the dealer paid for the AC but none of them would
=>state the price.  The dealer wants $1300.00 for air.  I will not pay
=>anywhere near this price but I don't know what is a fair price 
=>(i.e what it cost the dealer etc...)  If anyone can provide me 
=>with some information I would apreciate it.
=
=I paid about $900 for the a/c in my 92 Civic EX.
=Radios are also non-standard; the original package for my EX included
=A/C and radio/speakers/antenna for about $1400.  Are you sure you're not
=gettting something else with the a/c?

Probably not.

My dealer quoted $1250 for the A/C.  All-in-all this was the most
hassle-free and B.S.-free car purchase I've ever made, but I truly dislike
Honda's attitude about A/C.

The salesman told me, when I said that $1250 was a ridiculous price for
A/C, that it cost the dealership $985.  Well, that's just about the
markup on the Civic: the dealer cost is 85% of the sticker, so there
was some truth to it.  But the *list* price on A/C for most cars in this
class is $800 or so: it's stupid to put the A/C in at the dealership
rather than on the assembly line.  Especially on the LX and EX.
How many Accord (or even Civic) LX's are sold without A/C, even in
Minnesota?  I live in Georgia; no one buys *any* car here without A/C.
I figure you can't win on this, though; it really is going to cost
more that it would have cost to put it in on the assembly line.  Figure
$900-$1000.

Anyway, I don't see the point of arguing about this option or that,
especially on a Civic where there isn't a long list of options.
I just made an offer on the car as I wanted it equipped.  (I bought a
Civic DX yesterday.)  I don't care how they break down the numbers.
I took 85% of the list including the A/C (but elminating entirely the
"protection package", a.k.a. additional cash to dealership) to guess
at their cost.

I love the car.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.travel,bit.listserv.travel-l
From: Herberg_David@tandem.com (David Herberg)
Subject: Re: Camp stoves
Organization: Tandem Computers, Inc.
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 21:37:59 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.211136.25449@nosc.mil> jmichael@nosc.mil (James A. 
Michael) writes:
> It apparently was a little known fact that you didn't have to buy the 
> fuel from Coleman, if you used "white gas".  It turns out that "white
> gas" is just gasoline without the lead,

NOT!

Pour both out on a paper towel; the white gas is much more volatile than 
unleaded gasoline.  The white gas towel will be dry much sooner than the 
gasoline towel will be.  They smell different, too.  When it gets on your 
hands, the gasoline smell will linger for hours, while the white gas smell 
will be gone in a few minutes.  Just another demo for the difference in 
volatility.

This difference affects stove design in that the fuel must be a vapor in 
order to burn.  The generator pipe designed for gasoline has extra 
heat-absorbing fins to pre-heat the fuel more intensely than the generator 
pipe originally designed for white gas.  This is to make up for the lower 
volatility of gasoline.  Apparently they have reached a happy medium in 
the dual-fuel stoves where the gasoline is sufficiently preheated to 
vaporize, and the white gas doesn't blow up!

David Herberg, Herberg_David@tandem.com
From: J024330@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Mortgage Scam??
Date: 4 Sep 92 13:07:33 GMT
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.

I apologize for not requoting you but the newsreader/poster is quite cumbersome
(like DOS's edlin) and I just don't have the time to mess with it.

You stated your finance company wants you to pay a full month's interest even
though you paid the loan off on the 3rd.

1. There is a form you may have signed when you obtained the loan having to do
with the _Truth in Lending Act_.  Another name for it that makes lenders cringe
is _Regulation Z_.  Check your truth in lending statement against the accumula-
ted P&I paid on the mortgage.  If the interest paid on the mortgage is greater
than the TiLS then you may be entitled to have all previous interest paid cre-
dited to principal, and anything paid over and above the original loan amount
refunded (see an attorney, this can be complicated).

2. A lot of mortgage companies charge you after the fact.  Your September pmt
may include interest accrued through the month of August.  Check your original
loan documents to see how it is billed.  A lot of times at close of escrow,
you will make your first payment, then not have to make another one for 2
months.  Did this happen in your case?  Then they are billing you P&I a month
late and are entitled to the interest.

Both of these are very complicated issues and you should seek a professional's
help.  I hope this gives you a brief synopsis of what to look for.

Chris
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: leffler@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Bob Leffler)
Subject: Re: Undercoating and Paint Protection?
Organization: Oakland University, Rochester MI.
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 21:05:38 GMT

lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow) writes:

>In article <1992Aug27.091700.9077@mr.med.ge.com> hinz@picard.med.ge.com (David Hinz Mfg 4-6987) writes:
>>Thuy-An Hartman (thuyan@brahms.udel.edu) wrote:
>>: 
>>Only if you don't want your car to rust out in a year or two.
>>It protects the bottom of your car from getting chipped by rocks, etc. and
>>also helps to deaden road noise.  If you're planning on keeping the car,
>>by all means get it.  I'm amazed that it's an option, rather than a factory-
>>done thing, in fact.

>It probably does have factory undercoating and the sales-sleaze is trying
>to sell dealer undercoating on top of it.  I've been told factory
>undercoating is perfectly reliable these days and it's a waste of money
>to go for aftermarket undercoating.


Considering that GM now offers a 6 year rust warranty, I would assume
that anything that the dealer wants to sell you is not really needed.







bob




Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mikeb@ted.cray.com (Mike J. Buchmann)
Subject: Re: Sears Best?  A carpet story
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:58:22 CDT


In article <Btwxt0.p0@unx.sas.com> Brendan Bailey writes:

> It is this lame half-way-done,oops-we-screwed-up-the-order type service
> that really pisses me off.  When will companies learn that top notch customer
> service gets results?!  Sure, Sears made up in the end (actually, it's not 
> over yet), but we were counting on a smooth delivery during the hectic few 
> days of moving.  The frustration and irritation with the door being wrong,
> and the missing pieces, and the washer flooding will no doubt leave us with
> poor feelings in dealing with Sears in the future, regardless of the fact that
> they fixed all the problems in the end.

The Sears carpet story:

On May 6th of this year we ordered carpet through our local Sears store in
Eau Claire, Wisconsin for three bedrooms of the house we were moving into.
We wanted the carpet installed before June 1st when our lease on our
apartment was up.  Sears agreed to install it on May 27th, a
little later then we wanted but it was still ok.  We ripped out all the old
carpet and were ready when they came that morning.  My wife had taken the
day off of work to let the installer in.  When the installer came (the installer
is not associated with Sears and installs carpet for many stores in Eau
Claire) we told him that the blue carpet went in one room and the other color
in the other rooms.  He brought out the carpet and there wasn't a blue carpet,
the shipper shipped the wrong carpet.

Sears put a rush order on the carpet and agreed to give us a $100 credit (we
had to fight for the credit).  Sears failed to make an appointment with the
installers until after the carpet came in and we were on vacation.  When we
returned from vacation, we called Sears and they still didn't make an
appointment for us with the installers.  They finally got the carpet in on
July 8th (60+ days after we ordered it).

We also requested that our bill be delayed an additional 60 days (120 total
days) because we wanted to make sure it was in correctly.  No problem they
told us, but guess what, the bill came the same day the carpet did.  After
many phone calls to Sears and the Sears Credit, it appears to be corrected.
Also they forgot to give us the $100 credit on the carpet.  So more phone calls.

We are very happy with the installation of the carpet and will request that
the installers do our living room and hallway when they need to be done (they
gave us a list of who they do installing for).  The quality of the carpet
seems to be very well also.

The service at the Sears store was very poor at best.  Many phone messages were
never returned, many times I would be transfered to who knows where and never
got to the person I wanted to talk to.

I don't think I will be dealing with Sears much in the future.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Camp stoves
Date: 2 Sep 92 16:12:31 GMT
Reply-To: egreen@east.sun.com
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 16358@infonode.ingr.com, john@earlj.b11.ingr.COM (John H. Earl) writes:
>
>	Reminds of a time years back
>	when I ran out of gas about midnight in New York city with no
>	spare gas can in my trunk.  Walked to the nearest open gas station
>	and asked to borrow a gas can.  No way - but they would happily
>	sell me one for $10.  "What?" I said, "Why you can buy one for two
>	dollars at Woolworths dime store!"  To which, of course, the gas
>	station attendant replied, "Go ahead."  Guess who bought a $10 gas
>	can?

Why is this any different from selling plywood at $30/sheet in South
Florida?

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15825 rec.food.drink:2795 ba.food:3044
From: dws@dbsoft.menlo.cadre.com (David W. Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: 24 Aug 92 22:04:16 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Cadre Technologies Inc., Menlo Park Operation

In article <sz-n-rk.strnlght@netcom.com> David Sternlight writes:

> ...                      The biggest secret is to buy very good
> beans, recently roasted, and grind them yourself ...

If you want to push the envelope a bit further, buy the beans green and 
roast them yourself in a hot-air popcorn popper.

-- 
Dave Smith, Cadre Technologies Inc. - Database Tools Division
4500 Bohannon Drive, Suite 150, Menlo Park, CA  94025
From: jefftb@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Jeff Brown)
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 21:45:13 GMT
Subject: Re: Camp stoves
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (NMD MTA MWTD)