HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: btwomey@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (william.tw0mey)
Subject: Camera recommendations please
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 18:09:50 GMT


I am looking for a point and shoot camera.  What has been
recommended here?  What are the favorite features and manufacturers?

I did some looking and found differentiating features to include:
- flash features: red eye reduction, flash fill
- zooming: lens goes from normal to wide angle, will do close-ups (macro)
or zooms to varying lengths 38mm to 70, 80, 90 mm.  Zoom from normal
to full extension, or from 38 to 80 or 90 in steps on the more expense models.
- data back: put time and date on negative

Olympus is ubiquitous, with their Infinity Stylus or Infinity
Zoom 70, 80, 90s.  Minolta is around with their Freedom line.
Yashica has a few models.  They have a Zoomtec 60, 70, 90,
and a Zoomtec (no number) with an 38-80mm lens.

The data-back would be useful to me.  The telephoto sounds like
a good feature.  I don't want to go nuts, so 38-70mm sounds sufficient.
I am really just taking snapshots, baby, vacation and holiday photos.
So, if you are doing the same, what have camera have you been happy
with?

Lastly, what's a good camera shop in central NJ.  And who does good mail
order?

This sounds like a FAQ, so if there is a good response, I will summarize.

Bill Twomey
908 615 4162
-- 
bt@violin.att.com
From: haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (Jim Haynes)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Color Match - As Seen on TV
Date: 17 Oct 1992 00:48:40 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: hobbes.ucsc.edu


I would offer as a suggestion that "As Seen on TV" is a code word for
"Not As Seen in Reality"
-- 
haynes@cats.ucsc.edu
haynes@cats.bitnet

"Ya can argue all ya wanna, but it's dif'rent than it was!"
"No it aint!  But ya gotta know the territory!"
        Meredith Willson: "The Music Man"
From: oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Futons-do they last?
Date: 16 Oct 92 03:51:40 GMT
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha

I love my futon!  Get one!  They're great!  And if you're a mobile person
like me (three addresses in the last year due to school) they're easier to
transport than an actual bed.

Sharon
oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: phr@telebit.com (Paul Rubin)
Subject: Re: Futons-do they last?
Organization: Telebit Corporation; Sunnyvale, CA, USA
	<PHR.92Oct14200719@napa.telebit.com> <Bw670y.6BH@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 15 Oct 92 14:15:19

    >2. They get matted after a few months or so.  When this happens to yours,
    >take it outside and beat it up with a stick to fluff it out.

    How heavy is a futon?  Do you need two persons to carry it (full?  queen?)

I forgot to mention, get a real thick one.  These are pretty heavy.
It helps to have two people to carry one but it's not absolutely
necessary.  With most large heavy objects the shape is as awkward
as the weight, but futons flop around so you can get them through
doors etc. easily.
From: everett@hpcvra.cv.hp.com (Everett Kaser)
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 16:02:49 GMT
Subject: Re: Ford Paint recalls?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers

>> A little while back I thought I saw someone mention that Ford
>> will repaint your car if it is between 19xx and 19xx.
>> This individual also stated that this "recall" isn't officially
>> announced as it would cost Ford.
>
>Now that you mention it, I called the local dealer regarding my
>1989 Sable.  He says that he never heard of this recall, nor does
>his computer have any information on a pending recall for my car.
>He -did- perform a recall repair earlier for me (front brake rotors).

Funny you should mention this.  My in-laws were staying with us over the
weekend and they have a Ford Ranger truck.  The truck is over a year old,
and the green paint rubs off on your hand.  When it gets wet, you can see
green streaks down the side onto the white paint below.  They said they
were getting a free paint job done, and that if you complained loudly
enough, you could get Ford to cover this back into the early or mid-80's
sometime (I forget the exact year they mentioned).  Obviously, Ford hasn't
announced this, as it would cost BIG TIME, but if you do HAVE such a problem
with the paint job on your Ford vehicle, it seems that it might pay to
complain loudly and longly.

** Everett Kaser                   Hewlett-Packard Company
** ...hplabs!hp-pcd!everett        work: (503) 750-3569   Corvallis, Oregon
** everett@hpcvra.cv.hp.com        "Today is a good day for change."
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.politics.elections
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Re: Cable Bill Rip-off
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 18:15:42 GMT


Marc J. Byrd suggest that perhaps cable companies should refuse to
carry broadcast stations that want a fee. I'd go further and ask for a
fee from the broadcasters proportionate to the additional cable users.
I might even go so far as to announce that I was doing so publicly, and
that I intended to pass those fees on as rebates to cable subscribers.
That ought to set the cat among the pigeons.

I'd also involve the advertisers, by mounting a campaign to suggest to
them that the broadcast number of households being sold to them is
partly on cable, and that if the cable drops the broadcast station,
perhaps the advertisers should pay the broadcast stations less.

This would clear quite a few minds very quickly.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: chrz@tellabs.com (Peter Chrzanowski)
Subject: Re: CD player's laser went out
Organization: Tellabs, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 17:08:45 GMT

In article <43992@zygot.ati.com>, john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes:
> In article <1992Oct12.185526.8913@sequent.com> jimh@sequent.com (Jim Harrie) writes:
> 
> >and the repairman said that 4 years is the normal life expectancy of
> >the laser unit. From the beginning it slowly gets weaker until it
> >finally goes out and all CD players, cheap and expensive, have the
> >same problem. 
> 
> The life of the laser diode is expressed in hours of "on time". It is
> impossible to predict how much actual use a CD player will get per
> year, so the figure of "4 years normal life expectancy" is completely
> meaningless. 

The useful life also depends on how much degradation in output the player
can tolerate.  In the CD players I've seen, the laser intensity was
adjusted with a pot -- an open loop system which will not self-adjust
to compensate for ageing of the laser diode. 


> And even though your CD player may be switched on, the
> laser diode is only powered up during actual play, pause, when
> searching, or when reading the directory.
> 
> A meaningful figure I heard once was 5-10K hours life expectancy. Of
> course, your mileage may vary.

Sony is quoting 20,000 hours at 25C for their current product; the
life is much longer at lower temperatures. 

The anecdotal evidence I have indicates that few CD players last for
more than 5 years, and many only last for one or two.  That seems like
poor durability for a modern audio component.
From: as@sgi.com (Ashmeet Sidana)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: How do I handle Phone harassment?
Date: 14 Oct 92 00:04:03 GMT
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.

In article <718991225snx@uupms.UUCP> paula@nlbbs writes:
  >In article <1992Oct12.211949.21237@informix.com> neilw@informix.com writes:
  > 
  > > Seen on my last trip on United: "If you are seated in an exit row 
  > > and can not (sic) read this card... please notify a crew member."
  > >
  >        Like the signs on store doors: "No dogs allowed except
  >        seeing-eye dogs."

There's nothing wrong with that! People who aren't blind can read the
sign and obey it. Blind people (with or without seeing-eye dogs) never
see the sign and since it doesn't apply to them it doesn't matter.

Perfect self-selection.

I wish we could design a system where you never had to read signs that
didn't apply to you!

---Ashmeet Sidana
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.politics.elections
From: kd1hz@anomaly.sbs.risc.net (Michael P. Deignan)
Subject: Re: Cable Bill Rip-off
Organization: The Rhode Island Internet Systems Cooperative Network
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1992 22:07:47 GMT

adams@spss.com (Steve Adams) writes:

>2) Cable companies are REQUIRED to pay the networks

This is false. Under this law, network stations will be able to select one
of two status' with cable companies.

The first is a "pay to rebroadcast", where the cable company must pay a fee
to the network station for the rights to rebroadcast the network station's
signal.

The second is a "no charge for receipt" status, where the cable company
cannot charge the consumer extra for the "privlege" of receiving the network
station.

This section of the bill was designed to prevent cable companies from taking
network station contents, rebroadcasting them, and then charging their
customers extra for those stations, while not paying the network station any
fees for the use of their signal.


>In other words, the networks have the cable company and the consumer over a
>barrel.  They can charge whatever they want, and the cable company will
>have to pass on the costs to the public, who will be forking over money for
>something they can otherwise GET FOR FREE.

Wrong.


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              /
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:17616 uk.misc:148
From: rubin@watson.ibm.com (Bill Rubin)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,uk.misc,connect.audit
Subject: Re: SMOKED SALMON WANTED
Date: 8 Oct 92 21:38:52 GMT
Reply-To: rubin@watson.ibm.com (Bill Rubin)
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM

In  article <BvtDo4.3K7@ibmpcug.co.uk> gertrude@ibmpcug.co.uk (Freddy Fireman) writes:
>In article <Bv930o.96G@ibmpcug.co.uk> alon@ibmpcug.co.uk (Alon Risdon) writes:
>>Can anyone tell me please where in the USA I can write to or telephone
>>to order a smoked salmon to be posted to an address in Tucson, AZ.
>>Thank you
>>Alon Risdon
>
>Do they know what Smoked Salmon is in the US :-)  I think they have that 
>rather unpleasent thing called lox.  I'm sure there must be a way of getting 
>it from the UK -- try phoning Harrods or Fortnums or some other upmarket emposium.

Excuse me?  I find it rather amusing (and ironic) to find someone from the UK talking 
about bad food, especially in comparison to food outside of the UK.  I can assure you that 
we certainly do know smoked salmon over here (although some of us do prefer the salty 
variety known as lox, from time to time).  I would recommend calling Zabars, their number 
is 212/787-2000.

-- Bill rubin@watson.ibm.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: sheffner@encore.com (Steve Heffner)
Subject: Re: Color Match - As Seen on TV
Organization: Encore Computer Corporation
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 16:37:05 GMT

redmond+@cs.cmu.edu (Redmond English) writes:


>  I'd like to improve the appearance.  The color match thing
>on TV looks ideal, but does it work really?  Is there anything
>else comparable that doesn't look so sleazy, and that I can get
>non-mailorder?

I purchased the Color Match stuff mail order for a 1990 Gold Acura.
What they sent was YELLOW!  It wasn't even close.  I tried it
anyway.  I have used much better wax which was also much cheaper.
The only scratch coverage was limited to those that I was able to
buff out with a cheaper polish later.  The deep scratches were in
fact covered by the yellow wax but only for a very short peroid of
time.

In my opinion this stuff is a waste of money.  

Steve Heffner
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jreiser@scott.skidmore.edu (jason reiser)
Subject: Re: Color Match - As Seen on TV
Organization: Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs NY
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 03:53:11 GMT

redmond+@cs.cmu.edu (Redmond English) writes:
> Hello,
> 
>   I've recently bought a new (to me) used car.  It has some
> minor cosmetic damage, such as stone chips on the front, and
> key scratches around the door locks.
> 
>   I'd like to improve the appearance.  The color match thing
> on TV looks ideal, but does it work really?  Is there anything
> else comparable that doesn't look so sleazy, and that I can get
> non-mailorder?
> 
>   Any advice would be appreciated.
> 
>                      Thanks in advance,
> 
>                           Red/.
> 

	I was curious myself as to whether these color wax products
were for real.  I was at the supermarket and they had it there.  The
product is Colorcoad 2000 by Auri.  One 16 oz. bottle was $6.99.  I
don't know how this compares to the deal offered on TV, but the risk
is decreased as you only buy the one bottle... not a whole car care
kit.  
	Anyway, I have a black '90 Mitsubishi Eclipse which has
several nicks on the hood from gravel and such.  The finish is also
pitted from salt air making waxing the car difficult... even if old
wax is removed with a bug and tar remover.  So, tried the color wax
and it really was easy to apply.  It was easier than any other liquid
wax I have used.  The car looks great and most of all, it actually did
cover up several scratches and nicks... including one on the driver
door that's been there since the car was new.  I can't say that the
car's surface will survive fire torture and such, but it does give the
finish a nice look.  
	BTW, the finish isn't quite as good as a paste wax, but
considering the ease of the job, I think that I would use the color
wax and follow up with a paste.  It does restore the finish and at
$6.99 was well worth the price.  I just bought a bottle in red for my
girlfriend today.

				- Jason
jreiser@scott.skidmore.edu
From: mallidi@a.cs.okstate.edu (MALLIDI SATYANARAY)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Can a clinic ask for direct cash payment for bills?
Date: 8 Oct 92 20:53:20 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Oklahoma State University


	Recently, a friend of mine had to go to a clinic for Immigration
related health checkup. It was in San Francisco. He told that any of the
approved clinics (there is a list of approved clinics for Immigration
related health checkup) would not accept Health Insurance or checks. One 
has to pay cash only. His insurance would have paid most of the money, if
the clinic had accepted that. I was a little bit suspicious about this.

	Can any clinic say that they will accept only cash? Does this kind
of cash payment go accounted (for tax purposes)? Can this clinic say that
they don't accept checks even if you show proper id like CA driver licence?

	Can some knowledgeable netters give info on this?
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: hrlaser@netcom.com (H.R. Laser)
Subject: Benson & Hedges $20 refund on $5 purchase
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 00:21:00 GMT

A number of months ago I got an offer in the mail from Benson &
Hedges to purchase some kind of pasta set (plates, tongs, whatever)
for $5 and the UPCs from a number of cartons of their cigarettes.
I had been saving the cartons for no particular reason, never
thinking in advance that the UPC codes would be worth anything, and
so there they were. The $5 was to cover "shipping and handling"
of the set. So I sent 'em a $5 check and the UPC codes from the
cartons. 

About 3 or 4 months later I got a letter from them apologizing
for the delay in sending the pasta sets and offering me a refund
if I wanted it. I threw the letter away and decided to wait to
see what my $5 had bought me.

In today's mail I received a letter from B&H informing me that 
they had received the initial shipment of pasta sets from the
mfr, that the quality was not as they had been promised, that they
considered the quality sub-par, and were not going to ship any of
them to anyone who had gone for the $5 offer.  With this letter
they included a check payable to me for $20, along with a coupon
for the UPC codes from the cartons I had sent in originally which
I could use as a substitute for the original codes in case I
ever wanted to order something else from their premium mailing
catalogs. 

The form letter was filled with profuse apologies. As an aside
while checking my checking account balance over the phone with
my bank's computer voice account checking thingie yesterday
it told me that a check I wrote for $5 had been just been paid.
For the life of me I couldn't remember having written a
check for $5 recently. So this makes this letter today even
a more pleasant surprise. B&H kept my check for nearly six
months without cashing it, sent me back my $5 plus a $15
bonus for my "inconvenience" and credited me for the UPC codes.

We now return you to your daily adult minimum requirement of
mail order horror stories.


Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.travel
From: ttest@nyx.cs.du.edu (Jane and John Doe)
Subject: Renting a small truck ....
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: Makalu Mountain Hermitage, Mt Makalu, Nepal
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 05:48:17 GMT


I need to help a friend move from St Louis to the San Francisco Bay
area, and am looking for all kinds of helpful hints/sugegstions
regarding renting a small truck.  Especially about "what exactly does
a booking mean?"

A number of people have posted to misc.conusmers recently that even
after having booked in advance, they were told that no truck was
available etc. Which are the companies to avoid?


Prices seem to vary like anything... after calling a few companies, I
have the following quotes... are these reasonable?  U-haul quote seems
especially out of normal range.


Name       Basic    Insurance           Additionl          Days/milage
           Rate   ($2500 deductible)    Insurance
                                      $100 deductible

U-haul     $871      50/no deductible                     10 days/2328 mi
          +80 refundable deposit
          (YES, 871!  I called 'em twice)

Ryder      $639      90/no deductible                      8 days/2539 mi
          +80 refundable deposit

Hertz      $479      included             $72              9 days/unlimited

Budget     $427      $80+$50 for passengers                9 days/2254 mi
                     Zero deductible
      

Thanks for all the help.

--r.k. (ttest@nyx.cs.du.edu)

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: schwartz@nynexst.com (Steven Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Ford Paint recalls?
Originator: schwartz@baba
Reply-To: schwartz@nynexst.com
Organization: Expert Systems Lab., NYNEX Sci. and Tech., White Plains NY
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 16:52:44 GMT


In article <1992Oct7.211248.16953@mprgate.mpr.ca>, harrison@mprgate.mpr.ca (Jeff Harrison) writes:
> A little while back I thought I saw someone mention that Ford
> will repaint your car if it is between 19xx and 19xx.
> This individual also stated that this "recall" isn't officially
> announced as it would cost Ford.

Now that you mention it, I called the local dealer regarding my
1989 Sable.  He says that he never heard of this recall, nor does
his computer have any information on a pending recall for my car.
He -did- perform a recall repair earlier for me (front brake rotors).
-- 
Steven H. Schwartz		Expert Systems Laboratory
schwartz@nynexst.com		NYNEX Science and Technology Center
PROFS: SCHWARTZ@UNIX		500 Westchester Avenue
914-644-2960			White Plains NY 10604
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: niebuhr@bnlux1.bnl.gov (david niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Twins!!
Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 12:32:32 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.134432.12766@exu.ericsson.se> exustp@exu.ericsson.se writes:
>Hello all,
>   My wife and I just found out yesterday that we are going to have twins. This will
>be our first and second child. If any of you have any recommendations on books,
>products,do's and don'ts, etc. please let us know. Any comments will be appreciated.
> 

First of all, Congratulations!

As for advice, check with the local hospitals; they might know of
organizations that are specifically geared toward twins, triplets and
more.

We have such a hospital nearby (University Hospital at Stony Brook, NY)
that has one of these organizations.

BTW: I hope you like a lot of junk mail which is what you're going to
get.  Add phone calls too.

Dave

Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093


-- 

Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: colorado Prime (beef)
From: <LWH@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 15:46:47 EDT
 <1992Oct13.230942.13911@informix.com><1992Oct14.172053.12719@netcom.com>
Organization: Penn State University

has anyone had any experience with a company called Colorado Prime or Beef
that sell home delivery meats and groceries.


Rick
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:17608 uk.misc:147
From: seg3e@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (Susan E. Gants)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,uk.misc
Subject: Re: SMOKED SALMON WANTED
Date: 8 Oct 92 21:14:20 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

In article <BvtDo4.3K7@ibmpcug.co.uk> gertrude@ibmpcug.co.uk (Freddy Fireman) writes:
>In article <Bv930o.96G@ibmpcug.co.uk> alon@ibmpcug.co.uk (Alon Risdon) writes:
>>Can anyone tell me please where in the USA I can write to or telephone
>>to order a smoked salmon to be posted to an address in Tucson, AZ.
>>Thank you
>>Alon Risdon
>>E-mail alon@ibmpcug.co.uk
>
>
>Do they know what Smoked Salmon is in the US :-)  I think they have that 
>rather unpleasent thing called lox.  I'm sure there must be a way of getting 
>it from the UK -- try phoning Harrods or Fortnums or some other upmarket emposium.
>
>Regards
>
There is a company in Seattle that has several varieties available, and
is happy to ship.  Their name is Port Chatham.  I'm afraid I don't
have a street address, but you might be able to get a phone number.
Even one of the upscale speciality foods stores here in C'ville, VA
carries their salmon.	

Good fishing!

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------
Susan E. Gants   Academic Computing   Univ. of Virginia
(804) 924-0620   internet  seg3e@virginia.edu
                   bitnet  seg3e@virginia
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: R1156C@waccvm.corp.mot.com (Michael Dow)
Subject: ZEOS, GATEWAY, or Brand X ?  Your suggestions needed ASAP.
Organization: Motorola
Date: 8 Oct 1992 06:45:40 MST

I'm going to buy a computer... Well, actually my company is buying it.  I'm
the user.  Anyway, I tell them what I want and they write te check (within
reason).

The system:  486/33 CPU
             200+ meg HD
             SVGA (1 meg, non interlaced)
             128k Cache
             8 megs memory

Zeos offers for ~ $2800.
Gateway offers for about $2600.
Brand X (someone will build the machine for me) comes in at about $2400.

My budget is about $2800.

Any comments about quality, etc?

Michael R. Dow
R1156C@waccvm.corp.mot.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers