HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kati@glnserv.UUCP (Lady Dragon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Service charge on returned check....
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 08:30:04 CDT
Organization: Vermi-net, Houston, Tx. 77098

schwartz@nynexst.com (S. H. Schwartz) writes:

> Charges for unsuccessful deposits are the standard in NY, NJ and Mass. for
> as long as I can remember.  $4 - 10 is the usual fee range.
> ---
> 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
>
here in Houston, they range from $15-20


* * email address: nuchat!xcluud!glnserv!kati * Houston, Texas, USA, Earth * *




Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15647 sci.energy:4127 sci.environment:10857 sci.med:16401 sci.physics:13543 talk.environment:3387
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: pdx.consumer,misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment,sci.med,sci.physics,talk.environment
Subject: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Date: 26 Aug 92 00:20:21 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The Cat Factory

In article <1992Aug24.221305.7696@ucsu.Colorado.EDU> saastad@spot.Colorado.EDU (SAASTAD OLE) writes:

}You will probably dont eat smoke det. or bulbs. But a small child might
}eat something. A child playing with a smoke det. end smashing it with an
}hammer. Then eat the Am 241 source ! Not a nice scenario. Nobody seems to
}even bother to think of this !

The people who made my smoke detectors did.  They come with an optional
security pin that locks them in place so you need a needle nose pliers to
take them down (for battery replacement, e.g.).

I find the scenario of a child young enough to eat plastic climbing a
ladder with a needle nose pliers in hand unlikely, to say the least.  It
is, of course, an adult responsibility to see that the smoke detectors are
disposed of safely.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405
From: mkrieger@hayes.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Need source for Loft bed
Date: 2 Sep 92 12:46:33 EDT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA

In article <1992Sep1.151808.21709@nntpd2.cxo.dec.com>, marks@ssdevo.enet.dec.com (Randy Marks) writes:
> In article <1992Sep1.004431.22814@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, jwaugh@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Jonathan B Waugh) writes...
>>I am looking for a "junior" loft bed (height is somewhere between a regular
>>twin and a full size loft bed), for my brother in Florida.
>>He will be using it at college so durability is important, not looks.  Does
>>anyone know of a company that will ship individual purchases or a central
>>Florida retailer?  We have had little luck so far.
> Why not just build one out of 2x4 and 2x6 lumber?  Stain the wood to
> suit your taste.  You can then make it whatever height you want.
> 
> 	Randy Marks

I went to school in Florida (I hope your brother has the good sense to go
to UF :^) ), and at the beginning of each semester there were lots of used lofts
for sale.  Look on the bulletin boards on campus, or the school paper.

MLK
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 00:43:00 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa


I understand stomach cancer started to decline dramatically when
filter paper coffee makers (Melitta and Mr. Coffee types) became
common in the U.S. I'm also told some physicians will allow their
ulcer patients paper-filtered coffee (which removes even the fine
sediments) but no other kind.

On that basis the use of the French Plunger Pot, and the cold
extraction pot mentioned earlier are probably both very bad ideas.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: cp77074@csie.nctu.edu.tw (Yeng-Chee Su)
Subject: Looking for 27H256-55
Organization: National Chiao Tung University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:14:12 GMT

   I'm looking for a special EPROM named 27H256-55.  I can't find it in the
local dealer.  I know it's made by AMD or other source.  It's a 55ns high
speed ROM.  Please specify where can I buy the chip?  I need a mail order
house accepting international order because I live in Taiwan.

--
   ______________________________________________________________________
  /             National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan               / \
 |  Name: Yeng-Chee Su              Dept:  Computer Engineering       |__/
 |  Phone: +886-35-716843 (home)    E-mail: cp77074@csie.nctu.edu.tw  |
 |  Address: 5F, 9, 23 Lane, Dong Sun Street, HsinChu, Taiwan 30038   |___ 
  \___________________________________________________________________\__/
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: richg@hatch.socal.com (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: PARALYZER CS tear gas
Organization: Hatch Usenet and E-mail.  Playa del Rey, CA
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 18:36:26 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.134153.7480@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Miller) writes:
>In article <92237.52238.J024330@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM> J024330@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM writes:
>>rom@iris.usc.edu (Hillel Rom) writes:
>>
>>>I have several questions:
>>
>>> Is this specific device reliable?
>>
>>Only if you have a good aim, and your intended has tear ducts (not good on
>>dogs)

>I never really thought about this.  I bought some "tear gas" to carry in
>my bike bag after I was chased by a pit bull.  Does the stuff not work
>on dogs?  Are there any mailcarriers out there with first-hand experience?

A very effective deterrent for dogs is a toy water pistol, filled with
diluted household ammonia.  I am not sure of the best strength.  I have
heard that 40% ammonia is good.  Squirt it in their faces.
No permanent damage, but a strong deterrent.

Another possibility is a pepper based spray which I believe is what
the mail persons use.
-- 
                
Rich Greenberg - N6LRT - 310-649-0238 - richg@hatch.socal.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jimh@pacdata.uucp (Jim Harkins)
Subject: Re: Florida disaster raise auto or home insurance rates?
Organization: Pacific Data Products
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 00:46:05 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.141047.29767@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> markr@mcil.comm.mot.com writes:
-In article <9208312234.AA04488@tyrell.CFSMO.Honeywell.COM> ottoh3@CFSMO.Honeywell.COM (Otto Heuer #3) writes:
->
->The person in the office next to mine was mentioning today how he was
->expecting his car and home insurance rates to rise quite a bit due to 
->the damage done in Florida this past week (several billions of dollars
->in claims filed).
->
->My question:  can they really do this (raise rates (in Minnesota in my
->case) becase they get stuck with a hefty bill in Florida)?
-
-Isn't the purpose of Insurance companies to spread the risk around
-a large number of people ?

My understanding of it is that the insurance companies themselves took out
insurance against this kind of disaster after hurricane Hugo.  Now who an
insurance company would by insurance from I don't know, maybe Lloyd's of
London.  This is all from a CNN report on the subject.

jim

-- 
Lawyers Creed:  What's mine is mine, what's yours is negotiable.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Harkins                         [ucsd|uunet]!pacdata!jim
Pacific Data Products               jim@pacdata.com
--------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Rimshinsky's Blight
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 20:37:50 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

Apologies to those who didn't get the joke and thought I was being
serious, when I mentioned Rimshinsky's Blight, which can, in time,
destroy your pancreas, from drinking coffee made with cheap Robusta
beans. I've gotten several follow-up inquiries by mail.

This is from an old comedy routine of the '40s, satirizing snake
oil salesmen. "Ladies--are you feeling tired, listless, run down.
You may have Rimshinsky's Blight. This disease can, in time,
destroy your pancreas. Dr. Snake's Oil...."

Blights are, of course, a disease of plants, not people, and as far as
I know although there are diseases which can damage one's pancreatic
functioning, there are none which can destroy one's pancreas. (Well
maybe pancreatic cancer--dunno).

Disclaimer: I am not a physician, and nothing in the above should be
considered medically reliable.

Next time I'll go <nudge, nudge, wink wink> or :-).

David
From: malladi@shanti1.Eng.Sun.COM (Deviprasad Malladi)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Any info on FUNAI
Date: 1 Sep 1992 17:05:05 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: malladi@shanti1.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: shanti1
Keywords: Funai

Does any one give me any positive or negative info on Funai VCR's.

I appreciate your help.
From: mkrieger@hayes.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: CD player for car
Date: 29 Aug 92 19:32:36 EDT
Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA

In article <BtLwIu.F1y@news.udel.edu>, thuyan@brahms.udel.edu (Thuy-An Hartman) writes:
> First, let me thank all of you who responded to my last posting.  The
> MX-3 is on it's way and will be here Friday.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone had some advice on Car CD players or changers?
> I am confused about the dash/trunk controversy and was wondering which
> is best and skips the least.
> 
> Thanks, Thuy-An

I purchased my Mitsu Eclipse GS on May 1 and had the dealer install a 10 disk
CD changer in my car.  They first had a Sanyo installed, and within two weeks
it was giving me trouble (which mostly consisted of not starting on occasion
as well as skipping).  This was replaced with another of the same type, (sorry,
I don't have the model number).  It only took 1 week for the problems to start.
The Sanyo was then replaced with a Sony CDX-A55RF.  This player has only skipped
once, and that was when I was transporting a VT220 terminal and it slammed into
they player.  Other than that, I've had no trouble at all, and I use it
constantly.

Hope this helps.
From: gadfly@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (Gadfly)
Subject: Re: How to get UPS to pay up AND what's a good alternative
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 14:03:34 GMT
Summary: Just lucky?

In article <183336@pyramid.pyramid.com>, lstowell@pyrnova.mis.pyramid.com
(Lon Stowell) writes:
>    It USED to be that it would be almost heresy to expect FED-EX
>    to damage any shipment in any way.  For years, they carried some
>    pretty delicate stuff.  Sadly, this no longer appears to be the
>    case.  
> 
>    And, well, er, I guess a recent experience with FED-EX trashing
>    a pretty expensive (but not overly fragile) plasma display on a
>    piece of test equipment could qualify me as a "moron".....but
>    then I was unaware that apparently FED-EX has been hiring "airline
>    quality" package handlers recently. >:-)   

Gee, I shipped two quite fragile musical instruments this year via
FedEx.  Both arrived in perfect shape, and on time too.  UPS, on
the other hand, I entrusted with a box of music for "second day
delivery".  Silly me, I didn't know that the 2 days in question
were the Wednesday I sent it and the Wednesday a week later.  And
they'd managed to do quite a number on the box--but then they had
8 days to kick it around.

               *** ***
Ken Perlow   ***** *****
01 Sep 92   ****** ******   15 Fructidor An CC
            *****   *****   gadfly@ihlpa.ATT.COM
             ** ** ** **
...L'AUDACE!   *** ***   TOUJOURS DE L'AUDACE!  ENCORE DE L'AUDACE!
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15707 rec.food.drink:2758 ba.food:2947
From: nuke@reed.edu (Bill Newcomb)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: 27 Aug 92 00:00:50 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR

In article <9fPJ02Ah1fTS01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com> twl10@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com (Tom Littauer) writes:

>
>The owner of a coffee roasting company I used to frequent in Houston told
>me that they used a hot air popcorn popper for test batches of new beans.
>

This works quite well. Cover the vents in the bottom of the popper with
beans, put the top on, let 'er rip. The hulls will toreckly begin to fly
amusingly out of the top of the apparat, and you can visually inspect to see
how done you want them. Be forewarned, the plastic tops tend to get quite
soft when you leave the machine on for the amount of time needed to roast
the beans, so be ginger when removing it. We used to roast the beans just to
the verge of sweating, and then get them out as quickly as possible. Makes a
nice cup.

nuke@reed.edu

--
~/.oo
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15840 sci.energy:4167 sci.environment:10933
From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment
Subject: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Date: 30 Aug 92 09:16:41 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Green Hills and Cows

In article <1992Aug29.013021.3787@sci.ccny.cuny.edu> le@sci.ccny.cuny.edu (didi) writes:

>Oh, gosh, hope the kid doesnt eat my PC or the bottom of my light bulbs

I learned long ago to lock up all the ladders around the house so that
when friends drop by, their children are prevented from scurrying up
the ladders to rip down the three smoke detectors in my house in order
to eat them.
-- 
        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 264 4115
    john@zygot.ati.com      | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jak@cs.brown.edu (Jak Kirman)
Subject: ATM interface design
Reply-To: jak@cs.brown.edu
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Brown University
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 13:19:52 GMT

I don't know whether this is the right newsgroup to post to, but I
couldn't see any group that was more oriented towards interface design
or ergonomics.

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.

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.

I would also be interested to hear what tellers are like in other
countries.  Most of the ones I have seen in the US are similar; a big
flat keypad about a meter off the ground, and either a small adjustable
slit through which you look at the information that is printed, or a big
screen above the keyboard.  The ones that were just installed (made by
NCR) have another very annoying feature: the backplane, on which all the
slots for inserting the bank card, getting out money, etc. is tilted
away from the user, with the bottom further back than the top.  I am not
very tall (1m75, 5 ft 9), but I have to kneel or crouch to read the
writing on the backplane to see which way the card should be inserted.
Unfortunately, I don't remember which company made the earlier ones.  I
am not impressed with NCR's, though.

Thanks! 
                         Jak Kirman                        jak@cs.brown.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beware of programmers who carry solder irons.
                                                               -- Ron Baalke
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 92 01:11:41 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa


Wayne Citrin mentions the gold filters. I bought one of these, but decided
it was a very bad idea after seeing the sediment it leaves at the bottom
of the coffee cup, and presumably in colloidal suspension in my stomach.

They are useful, however, for tea makers.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ia4@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Imran Anwar)
Subject: Re: Prodigy Scam
Reply-To: ia4@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Imran Anwar)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 06:34:49 GMT


I had Prodigy send me bills for six months when I was travelling AFTER I had
sent SEVERAL cancellation email messages to them.  Thta made an unused
credit card become a used credit card in my absence having payable bills
while I was happily travelling knowing I owed nothing on the credit card.

Upon my return I found that the card had made me a delinquent on all
credit agencies profiles because of the $14 X 6 bills of Prodigy!

I wrote to Ted Papes, President of Prodigy , my account was finally cancelled
and I got the money back a couple months later.  However, the damage
to my credit hsitory remains :-(


I also think this is pretty standard for such companies not to cancel you
to burn you later.  eg EXACTLY the same thing is happening with me and my
friend Ashar.  We both got SprintMail (previously Telenet) accounts and
both made cancellation requests to Sprint.  Both accounts still exist
despite that!

Imran Anwar
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: silver@fraser.sfu.ca (Craig Silver)
Subject: Looking for a Manufacturers Agent
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 07:29:03 GMT

        I am looking for a Manufactorers Agent interested in 
promoting a new wobble-type dado with magnetic fratures.  It cuts 
3/16'' - 13/16'' in one pass up to 5000 R.P.M.  Please call or email 
if you are interested or if you know of where/whom I can contact.  
Thank you.

-- 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig Silver	                	    Simon Fraser University
silver@sfu.ca (Internet)	            Burnaby, B.C., Canada
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15788 rec.food.drink:2780 ba.food:3002
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: 28 Aug 92 05:21:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)


The Melitta Coffee Roaster operates on the same principle as a hot air
popcorn popper, but has an upper chamber to catch the chaff and hold
it out of the hot air stream, and a metal cover with small holes in it
to vent the air but not the chaff. It does not produce any smoke, and
only a pleasant roasting coffee aroma, so either the air temperature
is lower than that of a popcorn popper or the chaff is what makes the
smoke and the upper chamber keeps it from burning.

Assuming the latter, perhaps one can jury-rig a chaff-catcher (with holes in
it) and attach it to the outlet of the popcorn popper. Maybe aluminum foil?

Take care not to create a fire hazard.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mrb@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (m..bruncati)
Subject: what VCR to buy?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 14:55:03 GMT
Keywords: Buying a VCR



Hi consumers,

After 9 years of faithful service my JVC VHS VCR just gave up the
ghost.  I'm now in the market for a new one and was wondering if
anyone had any recommendations or more importantly brands or
stores to avoid.  I'm thinking about a Hi Fi unit but am not married
to the idea - it would be nice to pipe it through my audio system.
My first thought was to get another JVC but to tell you the truth
I doubt I get another unit that was as good as my old one.
Sorry, if this has been discussed recently but I just discovered
this newsgroup.  Thanks for your help.

Oh, I'm willing to go as high as $400.00 - especially if 
I can find one with pulsating disco lights.




Michael


Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16013 sci.energy:4191 sci.environment:10998 talk.environment:3518
From: jym@mica.berkeley.edu (Jym Dyer)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment,talk.environment
Subject: Re: Radioactivity and Superstition; was: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Date: 2 Sep 92 15:25:53
Organization: The Naughty Peahen Party Line
	<1992Aug26.171638.4066@sctc.com>
	<1992Aug26.192043.24001@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
	<1992Aug26.195524.25813@athena.cs.uga.edu>
	<l9ns6oINNmol@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
In-reply-to: de5@ORNL.GOV's message of 26 Aug 92 21:00:08 GMT

> [Followups, again, directed to misc.consumers.]

=o= I'm just correcting one statement, and I doubt there'll be
controversy.  If so, followups, again, to misc.consumers.

> most folks don't have concentrated [radioactive] sources
> laying around their house...unless they have smoke detectors
> or compact flourescents.

=o= I just wanted to point out that this isn't true of all
compact fluorescents.  Those with solid-state ballasts do
not have radioactive elements.  Solid-state ballasts are,
without exception, of better quality.

=o= (There are also smoke detectors without radioactive
elements, but my understanding is that there are qualitative
differences between those that have them and those that
do not.)
    <_Jym_>
From: lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Undercoating and Paint Protection?
Date: 28 Aug 92 17:09:25 GMT
Reply-To: lsnow@ncrclm.ClemsonSC.NCR.COM (Linda Snow)
Organization: NCR E&M CLEMSON Liberty, SC

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:
>: 
>: 2. And what is this undercoating non-sense they are trying to sell me?
>:    How much should that cost, what does it do and do I want it?
>
>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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers