HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.environment,sci.med
From: mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman)
Subject: Re: "Small amounts" of radioactivy (was: Light Bulbs)
Organization: Oracle Corporation
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 04:28:45 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.

In article <1992Sep3.142402.641@newshub.ccs.yorku.ca> tony@nexus.yorku.ca (Anthony Wallis) writes:
>Cameron Randale Bass corrects Someone:
>> Someone > .. a radioactive element OUTSIDE the body is usually
>>   ""    > harmless in small amounts.  Once inside, the damage begins
>>   ""    > (so don't munch on your fluorescent tubes)
>> Inside it is harmless in small amounts as well.  Your existence
>> is proof.

>This correction is fundamentally true with respect to natural
>background sources in naturally eon-diluted form, but needs more
>precise quantification with regard to natural sources concentrated by
>technology and the assortment of artifical nucleotides bouncing around
>the environment in microscopic particulate form.

>I don't ever want to be anywhere
>near a low intensity gamma source, 

Well, Tony, in that case I suggest that you give up the net and take
up transcendental meditation with a particular concentration on
projection.  You see, Tony, you yourself are a low intensity gamma
source and the only way for you to get away is to do some kind of out
of body experience.

The point that those of us ridiculing the anti-nukers are trying to
make is that any dicussion of radiation hazards that doesn't include
dosage is nonsense.  Plutonium is dangerous?  You bet.  If you have
enough.  So is table salt.  I will happily ingest a picogram of
plutonium if you eat a kilogram of salt.  And I bet that I'll survive
and you won't.  Dosage dosage dosage!!!!

>I _am_ concerned about the possibility
>of a sub-microgram bit of Chernobyl (or French, Chinese, .. atmospheric
>nuclear test) alpha/beta emitter taking up permanent residence in my
>lungs.

How sub?  Pico?  Atto?  What about a single atom?

>(Failing to be quantitative about radioactivity seems to me to be on
> par with those "anti-nuclear" activists unclear on the difference
> between a vessel being nuclear-powered and being nuclear-arm

Yup.
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am not an official Oracle spokesman.  I speak for myself and no one else.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination,alt.activism
From: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu (Ken Arromdee)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: Johns Hopkins University CS Dept.
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 00:27:18 GMT

In article <5SEP199223305034@acad3.alaska.edu> jsdph@acad3.alaska.edu (Dennis P. Harris) writes:
>I have already informed WB that I intend to boycott them until they stop
>selling the book ...

I am curious: did you also boycott bookstores selling Satanic Verses?
--
"the bogosity in a field equals the bogosity imported from related areas, plus
the bogosity generated internally, minus the bogosity expelled or otherwise
disposed of."  -- K. Eric Drexler

Ken Arromdee (UUCP: ....!jhunix!arromdee; BITNET: arromdee@jhuvm;
     INTERNET: arromdee@jyusenkyou.cs.jhu.edu)
From: parshall@ncr-mpd.FtCollins.NCR.COM (John Parshall)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: NordicTrack
Keywords: NordicTrack--reviews wanted
Date: 14 Sep 92 15:01:18 GMT
Reply-To: parshall@ncr-mpd.FtCollins.NCR.COM (John Parshall)
Organization: NCR Microelectronic Products Division

In article <Bu9Jto.CCI@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> pictures@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Bill
Wiegand) writes:
>I'm about to take the plunge and buy a NordicTrack.  But before I do I'd
>like to get several unbiased opinions from net NordicTrackers.  I'd
>appreciate both negative and positive responses.
>
>Thanks for your help
>
But as a satisfied owner, my reply is biased 8-).  But seriously,  my wife
and I treated ourselves to a NordicTrack Pro for Christmas last year.  We
have been happy with the purchase.  The unit is well built and quiet in use.
We set it up in front of the TV in the basement.  This is an important 
decision, because any length of time can be boring if you don't have a 
diversion.  We also got the computer that attaches to it.  That is really
useful for timing yourself in either minutes or distance, counting down from
a preset or just accumulating from zero.  

Good luck.

-- 
John R. Parshall
NCR Microelectronic Products Division
2001 Danfield Court
Fort Collins, CO  80525
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination,alt.censorship
From: kadie@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 18:54:31 GMT

jsdph@acad3.alaska.edu (Dennis P. Harris) writes:

[...]
>I have already informed WB that I intend to boycott them until they stop
>selling the book and reinstate the fired employees by posting a message to
>their user services folks in their Walden Computerbooks on-line store in the
>Compu$erve Mall (GO WB), and I urge others to join me.
[...]

No thanks. I don't want WB to suppress the material I don't like
because I don't want WB to suppress material that I do like. I'm
enclosing a pointer to the Association of American Publisher's Freedom
to Read Statement. And the American Library Association's Statement on
Diversity which says "Librarians have an obligation to protect library
collections from removal of materials based on personal bias or
prejudice, ..."  (I think the same applies to book store employees.)

- Carl

ANNOTATED REFERENCES

(All these documents are available on-line. Access information follows.)

=================
library/freedom-to-read.ala
=================
The "Freedom to Read Statement" of the American Library Association
and Association of American Publishers.

It says in part: "We trust Americans to recognize propaganda, and to
reject it.  We do not believe they need the help of censors to assist
them in this task.  We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice
their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what
others think may be bad for them.  We believe they still favor free
enterprise in ideas and expression."

=================
library/diversity.ala
=================
"Diversity in Collection Development"

An interpretation by the American Library Association of the "Library
Bill of Rights"

It says that collections should be inclusive, not exclusive. And that
materials should cover the needs and interest of all patrons. "This
includes materials that reflect political, economic, religious,
social, minority, and sexual issues."

=================
=================

These document(s) are available by anonymous ftp (the preferred
method) and by email. To get the file(s) via ftp, do an anonymous ftp
to ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4), and get file(s):

  pub/academic/library/freedom-to-read.ala
  pub/academic/library/diversity.ala

To get the file(s) by email, send email to archive-server@eff.org.
Include the line(s) (be sure to include the space before the file
name):

send acad-freedom/library freedom-to-read.ala
send acad-freedom/library diversity.ala
--
Carl Kadie -- kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination
From: dowdy@tochtli.biochem.nwu.edu (Dowdy Jackson)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 00:21:29 GMT

In article <1992Sep12.025825.9372@anomaly.sbs.risc.net> kd1hz@anomaly.sbs.risc.net (Michael P. Deignan) writes:
>chrz@tellabs.com (Peter Chrzanowski) writes:
>
>>I don't understand your criteria for when it's OK to fire a bookstore
>>employee.
>
>Its simple. If I tell my stores that we're going to carry X, and some of
>my employees refuse to sell X, then they can find other jobs.
>
>MD
>-- 
>--  Michael P. Deignan                      / Sex is hereditary. If your 
>--  Domain: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com            /  parents never had it, chances 
>--    UUCP: ...!uunet!rayssd!anomaly!mpd  /   are you won't either...
>-- Telebit: +1 401 455 0347              /


This isn't directed at the author but I've read alot of postings which seem
to say that its OK to sell racist/offensive material. While I see why these
arguments have been made I still don't see why so many people take offense to
the idea of a boycott. If a business does something that you find objectionable
isn't it OK to voice your objections ? One way is via a boycott. When blacks
weren't treated with the respect they deserved, they boycotted the busses.
Why is this OK and boycotting WB isn't ?

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.med
From: moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com
Subject: Re: water purification/is drinking pure water bad for you?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 22:04:07 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.142249.8153@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>, jil@uts.uucp (Jamie Lubin) writes...

|From "Nutrition Almanac" Nutrition Search, Inc., John Kirschmann, Director:

|Water should not be relied upon as a healthy source of minerals because it may
|contain inorganic minerals, including calcium, copper, magnesium, mercury,
|iron, & silicon, some of which cannot be assimilated by the body.  Instead
|they are deposited in the joints, arteries, & internal organs in the forms of
|arthritis. calcium-hardened arteries, & stones.  However, organic minerals...
|are more readily utilized by the body than inorganic minerals...Distilled water

*Organic* minerals?!?!?!?!
Was this dated April 1 by any chance?

-Mike
From: kanner@Apple.COM (Herbert Kanner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.med,sci.med.physics
Subject: Re: Q&A on blood pressure monitoring (long).
Keywords: Gauge blood pressure monitor medical consumer report summary
Date: 9 Sep 92 23:30:34 GMT
Organization: Development Systems Group, Apple Computer

I bought a unit that has an mercury manometer (sphygmomanometer) and
is portable. Price around $70. It is in a self-contained metal case
that includes everything but the stethoscope, i.e. cuff and bulb. The
way they handle portability is that you tilt the instrument so that
the manometer is at a 45 degree angle to the vertical and then close a
valve. This traps all the mercury in a chamber. The case is then
closed.

If anyone wants the brand name and model number, send me email.


-- 
Herb Kanner
Apple Computer, Inc.
{idi,nsc}!apple!kanner
kanner@apple.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: pictures@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Bill Wiegand)
Subject: NordicTrack
Summary: NordicTrack--reviews wanted
Keywords: NordicTrack--reviews wanted
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 14:19:58 GMT

I'm about to take the plunge and buy a NordicTrack.  But before I do I'd
like to get several unbiased opinions from net NordicTrackers.  I'd
appreciate both negative and positive responses.

Thanks for your help

Bill
pictures@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
From: gadfly@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: SEAR'S WARNING!
Summary: Say what?
Date: 15 Sep 92 14:38:15 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Sep15.132344.10835@cbnewsk.cb.att.com>,
monwel@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (douglas.w.monroe) writes:
> >I'm afraid all I can do now is chalk the VCR up to experience, and to
> >warn others to stay away from Sear's.
 
> First off, let me say that I think this vented outrage in such a
> public forum is irresponsible on your part...

Why?  He seems to have gotten a bum product, and the store is not being
responsive to his needs.

> We ALWAYS refunded, sometimes with a small amount of "haggling"...

Now there's a quality problem.  Either you have a process for accepting
returns or you don't.  All "haggling" does is piss off the customer.

>     ...take them to the front of the store where it says "Satisfaction
> Guaranteed" and make your point in front of some customers. Hope it
> doesn't go that far, but stop playing games with the "peons" at the
> counter, go to somebody who CAN do something, as opposed to somebody
> who doesn't WANT to do anything!

Well, there's the bigger quality problem--a totally disempowered
customer interface.  The stores which are now eating Sears for lunch
have salepeople who are not only allowed, but *encouraged* to do
something--accept returns, approve out-of-town checks, whatever it takes
to make the customer happy.  So they not only want to "do anything",
they *can*.

Sears used to have some elements of this philosophy, but by all
reports they've really hit the skids.  When quarterly earnings become
an obsession, especially when there's been a few rocky years, you
start to see what some quality professionals call "the death spiral":
The organization focuses more and more on counting fewer and fewer
beans while the original mission is ignored and customers one after
another simply give up, because all the attention is being paid to
the beans, not to them.

It's touching that you come to the support of your former employer,
dude--they could really use a few thousand more with your dedication.
I can't help noticing, however, that you're not working there any more.

               *** ***
Ken Perlow   ***** *****
15 Sep 92   ****** ******   29 Fructidor An CC
            *****   *****   gadfly@ihlpa.ATT.COM
             ** ** ** **
...L'AUDACE!   *** ***   TOUJOURS DE L'AUDACE!  ENCORE DE L'AUDACE!
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: pleroy@us.oracle.com
Subject: Re: Credit cards
Organization: Oracle Corporation, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 20:23:51 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.

In article <vemuri.716508091@godzilla>, vemuri@informix.com (Sudhakar Vemuri) writes:
> Hi netters,
> 
> I applied for  VISA card thro' Wells Fargo Bank, CA. First time it was 
> rejected in June this year. The reason given - no savings account ref.
> I supplied them the reference and again my  application  was  rejected 
> this time because my Social Security card is invalid.
> 
> Some info about me : I came to USA 4 months back on B1 (Business) visa 
> from India. My salary is paid in India by my Indian employer and  some
> $$$ here as my living  expenses by  the american company which brought 
> me here.  So,  I  am not employed by an American company and my Social 
> security card says " Not Valid for Employment".
> 
> When I called Wells Fargo, they say that since I am not employed by an
> American Company I will not be considered for card even though the Am-
> erican company pays me good amount of $$$ as living expenses.   I will
> be treated as self-employed and need to in that status for 3 years  to 
> be considered for card.
> 
> 
> 1. Is there any way I can get credit card from Wells Fargo ?
> 
> 2. Can you  suggest me some good banks that can help me in getting the 
>    card. ?
> 
> 3. Any other solution ? 
> 
> 
> Thanks a lot !!!
> 
Sorry, I think my previous attempt to answer fails, I try again

I've been in the United States for 18 months and at the beginning I got
also a lot of problems to get a credit card from Wells Fargo altough
when I opened my checking/savings account they said it would be almost
automatic. I finally got it when I threatened to close my accounts and
bring my business elsewhere. I spoke directly with the representative
at my branch office who called the credit card department for me.

I was in a better situation then yours because I have a H1 visa and I'm paid
by my company in the US (which is Bull, the French computer manufacturer
and not Oracle).

If you have no what they called credit history records, it's very difficult
to get a credit card. Some banks (Citibank for example) offer the
possibility of having a credit card with a credit line guaranteed by
a deposit. You put x dollars on a special (interests) account and you
get a card with a credit line of x dollars. After several months you may
switch for a regular credit card. It allows you to build a credit history 
record.

Good luck

Patrick LEROY
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Sudhakar Vemuri		( vemuri@informix.com )
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: alasnik@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Adam Lasnik)
Subject: Re: Internet connectivity coming to Prodigy....
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 07:15:05 GMT


Just want to add my two cents in about Prodigy...

--The censorship has been DRASTICALLY reduced almost to the point of
annoyance.  The lessened censorship, combined with the e-mail fees has
resulted in lots of boring personal messages being sent publicly.
--Prodigy has set forth plans of expanding, actually QUADRUPLING the number of
topics available on the boards.  Dozens of new boards are being created
between now and December.
--Prodigy has been under new (and I think MUCH BETTER) management for about a
year now.  They readily accept criticism on their boards, and have even gone
out of their way to encourage both positive and negative feedback among
members and staff.

Many aspects of Prodigy still bug the heck out of me, but in general, I'm
incredibly impressed with the expanding breadth, depth, AND general
inexpensive pricing of the system.

--ADAM "KEYS" LASNIK
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.electronics
From: rha@ralph.lafayette.la.us (Ruth Alleman)
Subject: Re: Cordless phones
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:00:55 GMT
Organization: Home Sweet Home, Lafayette, LA

In article <EB.92Sep6123229@watergate.lucid.com> eb@lucid.com writes:
>I'm looking for recommendations on cordless phones.  

I have an AT&T 5500, it has the base that you can dial from
(speaker phone), 9 memory numbers, 10 channels, intercom
function, and of course the security codes.  Being an at home mom
of 2, the youngest 7 months, it is really nice to have the phone
close by where ever I am.  I can also use the phone as a monitor
when I step outside.  I can go all over my yard and partially
into the neighbors and still have reasonable quality.  I'd
recommend it heartily, and have!  The only "problem" I've noticed
is that some of our electronics in the house disturb the phone on
some channels in some talking positions.  Big deal, move or
change channels!

Hope this helps.

Ruth Alleman
rha@ralph.lafayette.la.us
From: simnet@ssc-vax.boeing.com (Mark R Poulson)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: ATM interface design
Summary: Parallax error
Date: 4 Sep 92 23:12:25 GMT
Organization: Boeing Defense and Space Group, Seattle WA

In article <JAK.92Sep3081952@bimini.cs.brown.edu>, jak@cs.brown.edu (Jak Kirman) writes:
> My bank recently changed its automatic teller machines from the kind
> that have a single keypad to the kind that have one normal keypad for
> entering numbers etc. and one keypad next to the screen where the
> buttons are pointed to by arrows on the screen.
> 
> Personally, I find this latter type of ATM an abomination -- I don't
> like having to switch from one keypad to another all the time, and I
> don't like the fact that sometimes confirmation of a command is done by
> pressing "enter" on the main keypad and sometimes it is done by pressing
> one of the upper arrows.

The two keyboards doesn't bother me (though I do feel its piss poor
engineering/human factors), what is really an abomination is the little arrows
on the screen like this:

	Checking 				>

	Savings					>

In almost every machine I use, the arrows don't point to a button, they
point between two adjacent buttons. If I were taller or shorter, it might 
match better (but be wrong for one of the two cases). I usually have to count
which entry is my choice and then count down to the appropritate button. YUCK.

> 
> What I would like to know is whether there have been any studies on
> automatic teller interfaces that might give me an idea as to which of
> these two is better for the average user.  Has anyone seen such things?
> I would be interested in personal opinions, but by mail please, and I
> will summarize if there is interest.  The opinions expressed in this
> forum are likely to be heavily biased towards experienced computer
> users, and therefore will not be particularly relevant to ATM users in
> general, in any case.

There are human factors experts in everywhere. Whether ATM designers
use them I don't know.  Half the problems are physical and not computer
software related. Yes, most usenet readers are probably familiar with
following computer menus whereas my mother is not. I haven't seen many
problems like this for ATM's though, its just select your choice or enter
a set of numbers. If they were using a screen with vi commands, that would
be a whole different story!


		Mark

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: SASDWH <SASDWH@mvs.sas.com>
Subject: Re: CD player for car
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 02:30:00 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.

I HAVE A MAZDA RX-7 WITH THE FACTORY SOUND SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES A
CD PLAYER. THE SYSTEM IS MADE BY PIONEER. IT IS A SINGLE DISK IN DASH
SYSTEM. I LOVE IT AND USE IT ALL THE TIME. I NEVER SKIPS. I HAVE HIT A
FEW HARD BUMPS WHICH MAKES THE SYSTEM PAUSE, BUT IT PICKS UP WHERE IT
LEFT OFF IN A COUPLE OF SECONDS. I DON'T BOTHER WITH TAPES AT ALL
ANYMORE. I LIKE THE SINGLE PLAY, BUT I THINK THAT DEPENDS ON YOUR
LISTENING HABITS. IF YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH A SELECTION OF TEN OR SO
DISKS FOR A WHILE, AND YOU HAVE THE TRUNK SPACE FOR THE CHANGER, GO
FOR IT.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: don@helix.nih.gov (donald seto)
Subject: Re: PacTel Phone Answering Machine
Organization: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 17:42:19 GMT


does anybody have a Pac Tel phone answering maching model TA 9250?
if so, would you answer a question for me?
my address is don@helix.nih.gov  thanks.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16443 sci.med:17254
From: dmr@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Daniel Rosenblum)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.med
Subject: Re: water purification/is drinking pure water bad for you?
Date: 11 Sep 92 21:12:27 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: usa
Organization: Rutgers University, Graduate School of Management, Newark, N.J.

In <PHR.92Sep9125307@soda.berkeley.edu>
 phr@soda.berkeley.edu (Paul Rubin) writes:

>I have two questions:  . . . .

>2. I've heard in a couple of places that drinking mineral-free (e.g.
>distilled) water is bad for you.  This has always sounded bogus to me
>but some of the explnations are semi-plausible (that the pure water
>messes up some osmotic balance and actually drains minerals from your
>system).  Does anyone have reliable information about this?

You may be confusing this with the question of soft vs. hard water.
Soft water is more likely to dissolve certain metals in the pipes
(I have a vague recollection that it's more acidic than hard water,
but I wouldn't bet on this), so if your pipes are old and have lead
solder, soft water is more likely to contain dissolved lead.  But
I've never heard anyone claim that the mineral content of hard water
is enough to do you any good or harm.  (Yes, there are a few odd
exceptions here and there: for instance, moderate levels of naturally
occuring fluorides will help prevent tooth decay in kids who drink
the water, and really high levels can cause tooth mottling, but
these aren't all that common.)
-- 
Daniel M. Rosenblum, Assistant Professor, Quantitative Studies Area,
   Graduate School of Management, Rutgers University (Newark Campus)
ROSENBLUM@DRACO.RUTGERS.EDU                      ROSENBLUM@ZODIAC.BITnet
dmr@andromeda.rutgers.edu          ...!rutgers!andromeda.rutgers.edu!dmr
Newsgroups: misc.consumers