HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: fritz@hpfcbig.sde.hp.com (Gary Fritz (tmp))
Subject: Re: Personal protection (was Re: PARALYZER CS tear gas)
Reply-To: Gary Fritz <fritz@hpfcbig.sde.hp.com>
Organization: HP SESD, Fort Collins, CO
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1scd1 PL4
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 15:25:34 GMT

FYI:  I saw in the Denver Rocky Mountain News this morning that a company
in Denver is selling a pepper-based "bear repellent".  The article claimed
the stuff is "10 times stronger than police-issue" repellents.  Seems like
if it would stop a bear, it would probably make a human assailant think twice.
Biggest problem was, it's about the size of a can of hairspray.  Not something
you'd keep in your pocket.  Purse, maybe?

Gary
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: How to get UPS to pay up AND what's a good al
From: rlw@issm1.memst.edu (Rodney L. Weaver)
Date: 11 Sep 92 23:40:26 -0600
Organization: Institute for the Study of Security Markets, Memphis State Univ

In article <Bu2Kx4.IKA@news.cso.uiuc.edu> tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan) writes:
>
>In article <Bu2FGo.200@vcd.hp.com> johne@vcd.hp.com (John Eaton) writes:
>>Suppose I was moving across town and asked all my big strong buddies to 
>>show up for a U-Haul party. If one of them dropped my TV and broke it would
>>he be responsible?
>
>That depends: do I have a contract with this person, giving him
>consideration (money) in exchange for transporting my property safely
>and without damage? Unless I am mistaken, this is the contract I have
>with UPS or FedEx. Nobody has yet presented any evidence which would
>contradict this view, but if someone does, I'll be very happy to read
>it.

Well, in the case of FedEx, it clearly states on the front of
the airbill:

[...]
We will not be responsible for any claim in excess of $100 per
package, whether the loss is the result of loss, damage, delay,
non-delivery, misdelivery, or misinformation, unless you declare
a higher value, pay an additional charge, and document your actual
loss in a timely claim.
[...]


So it appears that the contract you have with FedEx limits their
liability to $100 unless you declare a larger value (and pay
more).

I assume UPS does something similar.

--
rlw@issm1.memst.edu
weaverr@memstvx1 (bitnet)

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: minor@rtsg.mot.com (Kevin Minor)
Subject: Re: Endorsing checks for deposit via ink stamp?
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:25:45 GMT

tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan) writes:


|>In article <minor.715466156@coal8> minor@rtsg.mot.com (Kevin Minor) writes:
|>>
|>>Here's another twist:
|>>I once wrote one a check for a telephone bill but unfortunately, I 
|>>mis-read the amount and wrote the check out for an amount slightly less
|>>than what was due. [...] I found out that the bank had
|>>cleared my check for the correct amount of my bill due instead of
|>>the amount that I wrote the check out for.

|>This is truly scary.

Yes, that's what I thought.

|>What I want to know is, how did your bank know the
|>amount on your bill? The only scenario I can come up with is that the
|>phone company filled out a deposit slip for the amount shown on your
|>bill, and when the person who checked in the deposit got to your check,
|>either they didn't look at the check closely and simply typed in the
|>amount shown on the deposit slip, or the clerk DID see the discrepancy
|>and decided to resolve the error in the phone company's favor.

I have yet to figure this out. I first bitched with my bank and got them
to credit my account on the difference. And believe me, that took a lot
of talking. But I pretty much left that conversation with the impression
that many times checks can be cleared for amounts different that the
check amount. This was more than obvious since she actually bothered to
argue with me when I had all evidence: The check carbon copy and the
statement showing the discrepenacy.

|>Another (slightly related) question: what do they do with those slots on
|>the bills that ask you to write in the amount you've paid? What hjappens
|>if you fill in the wrong amount? Let's say I have a VISA card with a
|>$1000 balance, and I write a check for $200 but write $1000 in the
|>"amount paid" slot. What would happen? Would the bank cash my check for
|>$1000, even though it was only written for $200?

I'm not sure but I imagine they would properly credit your account for
$200. They never do anything to favor the consumer...
-- 
	/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
	|	Kevin Minor	UUCP: ...uunet!mcdchg!motcid!minor	|
	|			Mail: minor@rtsg.mot.com		|
	\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/
From: rabani@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Ely Rabani)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: water purification/is drinking pure water bad for you?
Date: 12 Sep 92 08:20:48 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <Sep.11.17.12.27.1992.29068@andromeda.rutgers.edu> dmr@andromeda.rutgers.edu (Daniel Rosenblum) writes:
>
>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

Actually, an important point is that the naturally occuring F- levels
mentionned exert this effect by providing trace levels for enamel
mineralization, not by poisoning bacterial metabolic enzymes, as does
the F- in toothpaste.                       

According to my frosh chem text, incidentally, water fluoridation was
initially proposed by chemical companies with lots of waste F- that
was costing them to dispose...hey, let's dump it in the water supply!

No, I'm not railing against any communist plot to poison our vital
bodily fluids, Dr. Strangelove, just pointing out a historical irony.

On the other hand, some municipalities use Al(OH)3 in their water
purification protocols.  There was a study in Lancet about three years
ago correlating some putative diagnosis (whose validity in this
application was disputed by detractors of this paper) of Alzheimer's
geographical distribution with Al+3 concentration in the water supply.
A medline search, yeilded abstracts which mostly concurr with this
suspicion. (If anyone is interested, e-mail request for text, or search
F KW ALUMINUM AND KW WATER AND KW ALZHEIMER.)  

Interestingly enough (and I only did that search after starting the last
paragraph) one abstract discussed a negative correlation between F-
concentration in water and Alzheimer's incidence--should be an
interesting read--putatively due to asorbtive competition.

Ely.



Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16431 alt.discrimination:4317 alt.censorship:7439
From: kadie@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination,alt.censorship
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 11 Sep 92 18:31:19 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL

so@fortran.cs.psu.edu (Nicol C So) writes:

[...]
>The boycotters are exerting their "fair share" of influence on the business
>decision of bookstore owners, there is nothing morally wrong with these
>people.
[...]

By your argument all boycotts are moral. Would you feel the same about
this boycott if it's goal was to suppress books by all black authors?
Would you still say: 'The boycotters are exerting their "fair share"
of influence on the business decision of bookstore owners, there is
nothing morally wrong with these people.'?

I oppose this boycott not because I think boycotts are inherently
immoral, but because I oppose its goals, namely, the suppression of
material that some people find offensive.

- Carl
--
Carl Kadie -- kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16350 sci.med:17066
From: phr@soda.berkeley.edu (Paul Rubin)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.med
Subject: water purification/is drinking pure water bad for you?
Date: 9 Sep 92 12:53:07
Organization: CSUA/UCB
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

Hi.  Some friends of mine have recently moved to Santa Cruz, CA,
which is next to the ocean and has bad tasting (salty) tap water.

I have two questions:

1. Can someone recommend a low cost source of good water?  This can
mean either bottled water vendors or home purification devices.  Cost
should be less than 25 cents/gallon, because the local Safeway sells
purified water for that much.  Estimated need is 1 or 2 gallons/day
(it's a medium/big household that cooks at home).  Since filters
cannot remove salt in solution with the water, this eliminates gizmos
like Multipure, but I'm interested in hearing about distillers,
reverse osmosis devices, etc.  I'm especially interested in RO
purifiers that recirculate the unpure water, rather than flushing it,
as Santa Cruz is in a drought area and throwing away 100 gallons of
tap water to get 1 gallon of pure water won't fly there.  Throwing
away 5 gallons to get 1 is probably ok as that is < 10 gal/day wasted.

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?

Thanks

	Paul	
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: msingh@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (The Supreme Commander)
Subject: Re: Which cordless phone to buy
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 22:20:30 GMT


>I have looked at a few and am trying to decide between a Sony and an ATT
>phone. Both are comparably priced, $100.00, have the afore mentioned features.
>I'd appreciate any recommendation/comments, especially from owners of these 
>models. 

I have a Sony SPP120 cordless. The sound is fantastic on it. My only
complaints are:

1) Some times the phone will start to scan for the best channel, lock
on it, but the indicator lights still keep going.

2) It has a great feature that, if while talking your battery dies,
you can just take the battery out and swap in the new one. The phone
stays on hold during this process. HOWEVER, sometimes after replacing
the battery, the phone won't lock in on a channel until the line is
freed.

3) Twice (in a 2 year period mind you...) the phone refused to power
on.

It has been my experience that the phone is better than an AT&T 5550
(I believe) and that Sony products occasionally exhibit some
electronics problems which go away.

I've had the phone for over 2 years and still love it. It's been
dropped a number of times, it's a "standing" model and always gets
bumped. My cat has thrown it off the kitchen counter three times now.
Still, the phone hasn't even cracked! Funnily, after that all my
problems with it cleared up!


				...Manu

-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Supreme Commander wishes you a Supreme day. 
I'm a Magic Man, oooh, I got the magic hands, yeah...
Don't mind me, I'm just attempting to dock.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: bell@cs.tamu.edu (Will Bell)
Subject: Re: News from the "Press 1 now" front
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 02:55:39 GMT

In article <7SEP199211132500@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov> packer@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Charles Packer) writes:
>[Casio's touch-tone-only!! hot-line]
....

Although not much can top the Casio story, I'd like to mention Texaco's
not-so-friendly credit card line.  

There are no humans available through the 1-800 number.  Only the voice
response system.  For most calls this will be satisfactory (e.g. credit
balances, payment info), BUT:  if you want to speak to a human you must
dial the 1-713 number during business hours or write a letter.

I had wanted to get a Texaco card issued with my wife's name on it but
the voice system only issues "duplicate" cards with my name on it. 
The system allows you to report stolen cards, but I don't think I'd be
too soothed by the synthesized voice :)

WBB

--
Will Bell -- bell@cs.tamu.edu -- Live from the heart of Scenic Central Texas
", to be published Tuesday." -- an actual paragraph in our student newspaper
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16424 sci.electronics:15502
From: 6648470@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Anyone know about FUNDAMERICA?
Date: 10 Sep 92 23:55:49 GMT
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.

Have you heard of FUNDAMERICA?
Do you know anything about them?
I've been approached by a sales person and want to avoid wasting my time
listening to their pitch.  So is it worth my while?
       thanks for your bandwidth... Ralph Byrd
  RBYRD@LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
'I make this up everytime... I'm a VM'er...'
No opinions, no disclaimers.
From: ss51@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Sundaram Sridharan)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: water purifier
Date: 8 Sep 92 15:34:35 GMT
Distribution: ny
Organization: Columbia University


Can anyone tell me an appropriate water filter to use in the NY city area?
I would imagine the lead content is high because of old plumbing; is there
anything else I should look for?
thanks

SS
From: jge@ceti.cs.unc.edu (John Eyles)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: firewood -- what kinds are best?
Date: 15 Sep 92 00:29:05 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In article <1992Sep14.150753.9988@engage.pko.dec.com> moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:
>This does not consider burning characteristics, such as pine being a heavy
>creator of creosote etc.

Supposedly the catalytic converter equipped stoves burn the creosote.
But I'll admit I've never tried pine in mine.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination,alt.censorship
From: zbdm0c@curry.trc.amoco.com (Brian D. Moe)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Reply-To: bmoe@trc.amoco.com
Organization: Amoco Production Research
	<1992Sep8.221558.27101@m.cs.uiuc.edu> <BuD153.6yI@NCoast.ORG>
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 20:06:53 GMT


In article <BuD153.6yI@NCoast.ORG> cmort@NCoast.ORG (Christopher Morton) writes:

> As quoted from <1992Sep8.221558.27101@m.cs.uiuc.edu> by kadie@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie):
>> Removing it from display was still censorship (or more correctly,
>> "supression"). I'm enclosing a pointer to the ALA's definition of
>> censorship.

> I wonder how the supporters of this would feel about a Walden's in the Bible
> belt which ONLY removed from display the works of Armisted Maupin, so as not
> to condone homosexuality...?

(I'm not sure what "this" means in "supporters of this", but...)

Speaking as someone who actually "lives" in the Bible Belt, I would
*love* it if my local Waldenbooks only removed Maupin's books from
display to avoid the appearance of condoning homosexuality.

Unfortunatly, they don't stock Maupin's books.  And if you dare to
special order such a thing, they'll sometimes even give you a nice
Baptist Snarl(tm) to really make sure you understand that they go
quite a bit beyond not condoning homosexuality.

--
Brian Moe                                     Amoco Production Company
bmoe@trc.amoco.com                               Tulsa Research Center
(918) 660-3877                         P.O. Box 3385 / Tulsa, OK 74102
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: lpj@col.hp.com (Laura Johnson)
Subject: Re: fireplace wood
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 20:54:10 GMT
Distribution: nj
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

I've burned small amounts of cedar in a woodstove with no trouble.
It smells *great*.
-- 
Laura Johnson
lpj@hpctdls.col.hp.com
Opinions expressed are my own, but may be licensed for a nominal fee.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.wanted
From: gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org (Gary Sanders)
Subject: Re: What does a basic Porsche '89 or '90 model sell for?
Organization: HAM BBS, 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/v.32/pep)
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 92 14:18:54 GMT

In article <65396@cup.portal.com> TomK@cup.portal.com (Tom R Krotchko) writes:
>>Car prices obviously depend on dozens of factors but I was wondering
>
>None. There's no such thing as a 1989/90 "collectable" Porsche, unless you
>mean the 959, but those are probably worth in the neighborhood of $500,000.
>Of course, these aren't even legal to *own* in the US.

Illegal to own... No.. The 959 will not meet US saftey standards
so you cant get a US title.. You can still own it and have it in
the US.. You just cant do anything on the streets with it..
I have seen several 959 on the track....zoooom

-- 
Gary W. Sanders gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org, 72277,1325
N8EMR @ N8JYV (ip addr) 44.70.0.1 [Ohio AMPR address coordinator]
HAM BBS 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/V.32/PEP) Voice: 614-895-2552 (eves/weekends)
From: bruce@supr.scm.liv.ac.uk (Bruce Stephens)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Where to purchase metric triangular rulers?
Date: 7 Sep 92 17:18:44 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: Centre for Mathematical Software Research, Univ. Liverpool, UK

>>>>> On 5 Sep 92 21:10:10 GMT, jhawk@panix.com (John Hawkinson) said:

> Anyway, does anyone know where I can get triangular rulers with metric
> (preferably along with English) demarkations? Thanks.

Other than the obvious `go along to a big graphic design or art
supplies shop', no.  I'm fairly sure I've seen weird things like that,
but I wasn't really looking for a triangular ruler.  If that doesn't
work, then try asking a sales-droid, and at least get addresses for a
couple of the larger manufacturers of such products.

--
Bruce Stephens.  Centre for Mathematical Software Research, Liverpool Univ.
Internet: bruce@uxb.liv.ac.uk     JANET: bruce@uk.ac.liv.uxb
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From:  wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Subject: Re: Undercoating and Paint Protection?
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 18:57:33 GMT


In article <leffler.715208738@vela> on Sun, 30 Aug 1992 21:05:38
GMT, leffler@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Bob Leffler) writes:

  > Considering that GM now offers a 6 year rust warranty, ...

1. Many of these warranties protect against only RUST-THROUGH,
not against surface rust.  Even a totally unprotected car will
take a while to rust through, and will have terrible surface rust
by then.

2. Six years is much less than the median age of a car when
junked.

3. Even rustproofed bottom parts get worn bare if you drive like
me.  So rust-proofing or not, you, or someone, should respray
every year.

That said, I would not get after-market rustproofing today,
though I have in the past.  I'd follow another poster's
suggestion, and spray bare parts myself regularly, just as I
touch up paint damage.

/driver of a 7 year old 100K mile Civic with no rust.

-- 
Wm. Randolph Franklin,  wrf@ecse.rpi.edu, (518) 276-6077;  Fax: -6261
ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180 USA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: css@boa.ccsf.caltech.edu (Chris Shenton)
Subject: Re: Mail Order Window Blinds
Organization: Hughes/STX, Lanham, MD
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:34:12 GMT

In article <19172@titan.cme.nist.gov> fowler@cme.nist.gov (Jim Fowler) writes:

   I'm currently shopping for Hunter-Douglas Silhoutte (tm) blinds.
   I've shopped locally, but discount shops in the area are charging
   an incredible price for these things.

   I've seen advertisements for mail order outlets which sell
   window coverings. Can anyone provide some pointers to
   reputable mail order outlets and perhaps relate
   their experiences (good or bad)?

I recently got four miniblinds from American Blind and Wallpaper
(800-735-5300). The price was less than half what the local discount
places were charging; one psycho (in Bethesda, Jim :-) wanted SIX
times as much.

They had any of the manufacturers I enquired about, were very
efficient, blah, blah, blah. I'll definitely order from them again. 

No, I don't work for AB&W. :-)



(Jim: they're listed in the Maryland C&P Yellow Pages under Venetian Blinds)
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16340 misc.consumers.house:12033
From: kosowsky@zener.harvard.edu (Jeffrey J. Kosowsky)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
Subject: DISHWASHER recommendations?
Date: 9 Sep 92 15:47:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: zener.KOSOWSKY.92Sep9104732
Organization: Harvard Robotics Lab, Harvard University


I am in the process of looking for a new under-the-counter dishwasher
for our kitchen. I would welcome any suggestions, recommendations  or
personal experiences regarding the various brands and models.
I am willing to buy a good quality model, but I am not sure which
features are useful and which are just hype. So please share your
knowledge and experience with me and the rest of the net...

Also, I would like to install the dishwasher myself. Since this is a
replacement for an existing old dishwasher, presumably all the proper
connections are already in place. Do you have any tips and/or
experience with such an installation? Is it difficult?

Finally, are there any good *discount* places for buying kitchen
appliances, such as a dishwasher, in the Boston area?  Is it possible
to get contractor pricing somehow?

Thanks very much for the help!

Jeff Kosowsky
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16231 sci.environment:11129 sci.med:16920
From: dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.environment,sci.med
Subject: Re: "Small amounts" of radioactivy (was: Light Bulbs)
Date: 6 Sep 92 16:13:00 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department University of Rochester


In article <1992Sep4.201425.14514@nmt.edu> houle@nmt.edu (Paul Houle) writes:

>In article <1992Sep3.231610.14654@cs.rochester.edu> dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz) writes:

>>In food irradiation, the gammas are kept below about 4 MeV
>>to make activation completely negligible.

>	I don't think that the argument against food irridation has anything
>to do with activation;  activation can be very easily measured in any case,
>so we can be assured that we aren't eating radioactive food.

In case it wasn't clear, we were discussing activation in the human
body, not in food.  I was claiming that chemical changes in the human
body induced by the primary gamma radiation are much more important
than any induced radioactivity, and cited the fact that the same is
true in irradiated food.  I was making no claim that irradiated
food is or is not healthy.

However, every time I find the strawberries in the bottom of
the carton covered with gray mold, I do wish they'd irradiate
the damn things.

	Paul F. Dietz
	dietz@cs.rochester.edu
From: butler@vax.sonoma.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: SEAR'S WARNING!
Date: 14 Sep 92 20:34:40 GMT
Organization: Sonoma State University

I wanted to warn all potential Sear's customers to avoid purchasing anything
there.  They simply don't stand behind what they sell.

My most recent problem with them is about an LXi (Sear's brand) VCR 
that has a design flaw.  I've spent dozens of hours over the past several
months dealing with complete incompetence.  I've been subjected to the 
imbeciles they have anwsering the phones - all for nothing.  I'm either
given erroneous information, told to call another number, or am told 
that someone will return my call.  No one ever does.  My letters have 
yielded no results either. 

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.

-Bob
Newsgroups: misc.consumers