HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan)
Subject: Re: How to deal with less-than-convenient neighbors ?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 13:42:55 GMT


In article <1992Sep1.180207.24523@bcrka451.bnr.ca> janick@bcrkd13.bnr.ca (Janick Bergeron) writes:
>I think I'm a reasonable person. If I do something that annoys my
>neighbors, I sure hope they are going to tell me and I'll be glad
>to stop/decrease their source of annoyance.
>
>
>             | Da | / Db         Mine has just parked a car with
>             |    |/    /        a "4 SALE" sign in the window perpen-
>-------------/         /         cular to the curb. It does not block
>                     CC|         the street since we are on a circle
>                       -------   off the 90 degree turn nor is it blocking
>  Street                 Dc      his driveway but it is sure as hell
>                                 obtructing mine! (The "CC" on the map
>------------|          -------   on the left marks the location of the car.
>            |          |         My driveway is marked "Db"). It's a double
>            |  Street  |         driveway so I have room to maneuver around
>                                 but...
>
>How do I break the news to this jerk (who also blows his snow into the
>street all winter long!) that the car has been obstructing 20% of my
>driveway for a week now (Have I been patient enough?) ?

If the vehicle is on YOUR property, just ask him to move it over. If he
doesn't, have it towed (and prepare for total war ;-) OK, just kidding
about that last part, but he has no right to park his truck on your
property. You've waited a week, and that's a week too long.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: drand@spinner.osf.org (Douglas Rand)
Subject: Re: Possible gas leak?
Organization: Open Software Foundation
	<1992Sep1.201738.23503@news.acns.nwu.edu>
Date: 2 Sep 92 16:54:22

In article <1992Sep1.201738.23503@news.acns.nwu.edu> drmax@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Marianna Max) writes:

   In article <HOLLEN.92Sep1122908@peg.megatek.UUCP> hollen@megatek.UUCP (Dion Hollenbeck) writes:
   >
   >I don't know about where you live, but here, we are told to call the
   >gas company.  If you call them about a gas leak they will be out
   >within the hour and bring a sniffer.  They don't fool around about gas
   >leaks.  If it is found that you do have a leak, they will shut off
   >the gas and you will have to get a plumber to fix it, but they will
   >diagnose for free, and they have the right sniffers to do it.
   >
   Gas company did this for free for me too and they put a temporary seal on
   the offending joint so that my gas didn't have to be shut off at the time. 
   They used a grey looking putty.My landlord fixed it at his convinience 
   (and mine) by calling the gas company and having the gas shut off. 

   My understanding is that natural gas has to be at the "right" mix with air
   (I remember 15%) in order to ignite so a gas leak is not necessarily by itself
   immediately dangerous but its certainly worth checking on.

   Anyone know about the above statement for sure?

I don't know the mix (although it *is* about 15% for gasoline and
air), but without enough ventilation to clear the gas,  the mixture
will slowly build up to the flash point,  at that point something
(like the pilot of the furnace or water heater) will set it off and
remove the house from the neighborhood.


--
Douglas S. Rand <drand@osf.org>		OSF/Motif Dev.
Snail:         11 Cambridge Center,  Cambridge,  MA  02142
Disclaimer:    I don't know if OSF agrees with me... let's vote on it.
Amateur Radio: KC1KJ
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Asphalt Driveway to rough, etc.
From: barbon_m@eis.dofasco.ca
Date: 25 Aug 92 17:05:15 GMT
Organization: Dofasco Inc, Hamilton, Ont. Can.
Nntp-Posting-User: barbon_m

My driveway has a very rough texture (too stoney).  Some people have mentioned
that it was made with 2nd grade asphalt.  Does anyone have any ideas on how to
smooth it all out.

Also, the previous owners car lost a lot of oil.  I tried scrubbing it clean 
with laundry soap and water, but when I repainted the driveway the sealer that
I used came off after 2 months.

Also, what is the best driveway sealer?


-- 
Max Barbon
(dofasco!barbon_m)       			1330 Burlington St East
Fax (416)-548-4100				Hamilton, Ont. L8N 3J5 Canada
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: richt@meaddata.com (Rich Thompson)
Subject: Re: Exterior House Trim Painting
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 20:25:34 GMT
Reply-To: richt@meaddata.com
Distribution: usa

In article <MACRAKIS.92Sep2151453@next4.osf.org>, macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis) writes:
|> In article <24480@oasys.dt.navy.mil> odell@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Bernard O'Dell) writes:

(alot of stuff deleted)

   Could someone please tell how to go about painting the trim on
   my house?   In my  case,  there is  no damage  or wear  to the
   current paint.   My wife and I  just bought the  house  and we
   would like to  change the color.  The  areas that  need to  be
   painted are the gutters, metal porch posts  as  well as wooden
   shutters and  a  wooden garage door.   The garage door is  the
   only area that is showing any wear at all.

Thanks,
Rich
-- 
---
I bet you were expecting a disclaimer here, weren't you?

Richard L. Thompson                                Systems Development
Mead Data Central                                   richt@meaddata.com
9595 Springboro Pike                          ...!uunet!meaddata!richt
Dayton, Ohio  45342                           
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.consumers
From: pradeep@bkd.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Pradeep Deshpande)
Subject: Re: Credit report
Reply-To: pradeep@bkd.b11.ingr.com
Organization: ISGS, Intergraph Corporation. Huntsville, AL-35894.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:52:19 GMT

In article <BtyH27.5I5@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, msingh@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (The Supreme Commander) writes:
|> >You're forgetting one thing:  TRW is doing this out of the goodness of
|> >their hearts.  There is (unfortunately) no law forcing them to give out
|> >free credit reports except after a credit denial so unless you've just
|> >been denied credit they can attach whatever conditions they like to the
|> >free report.

	Recently, I read in WSJ thet TRW agreed to make one free copy of one's
credit available per year without any conditions and this was a kind of agreement 
made by TRW with the Feds after numerous complaints. It's outrageous to accuse
TRW of all things, "goodness of their hearts".

|> cross-linked my report with three other peoples, all because we had
|> the same "name". It took my over a year to force them to straighten it
|> all out. Ever since, I've been against credit reporting agencies...

	My gripe with the credit reporting is you will not know of what you 
were accused of until you get rejected for credit and you get a report. In 
my case, despite proper settlement of rent and repair to my apartment in 
Portland Or, the properties manager were able to get me the worst credit 
reporting that one could achieve. I did not know until 7 months later when, 
I was turned down for AT&T lifetime card. It took me couple of letters and 
followups to get the issue settled.  And the matter settled without delay
as the manager of properties did not contest any of my claims. Things would
have taken time and expenses on the part of all parties otherwise.
Interestingly, the credit agency declined to take any actions against the 
false reports. 

|> 				...Manu

-- 
-Pradeep.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pradeep Deshpande			    |"The only tyrant I accept in 
Intergraph Corporation. Huntsville, Alabama |this world is the 'still small
INTERNET: pradeep@bkd.b11.ingr.com	    |voice' within me."
UUNET   : ...uunet!ingr!b11!bkd!pradeep	    |	-Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Subject: Re: Question of Kitchen appliances, Are there small dishwashers, etc
Organization: OSF Research Institute
Distribution: usa
Date: 31 Aug 92 11:22:38

In article <1992Aug28.025518.14092@news.Hawaii.Edu> bill@gaza.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (William J. King) writes:

   Does any company make smaller dishwashers, and clothes washers for under
   the counter installation?  (Are there front loading clothes washers?)

White-Westinghouse makes an 18"-wide dishwasher.  We have one.  It works
pretty well, is inexpensive ($250 if I recall correctly), but is somewhat
noisy compared to good-quality full-size dishwashers.  It is a good size
for a single person or a couple.

There are 45cm (approx. 18") models made in Europe which are of much better
quality (and much higher price), but as far as I can tell, none of them are
imported into the US.  The nicest ones have no visible controls: the
controls are on the upper side of the door, and you can only get at them
after opening the door.  And of course they are designed to be completely
integrated with the cabinet fronts (why can't US manufacturers get their
act together on this?).

Asko Asea makes a very small dishwasher (I don't know the exact dimensions,
but it's about the size of a medium-sized microwave oven).  It can be used
on a countertop or built into a cabinet wall.  I assume that it is the same
excellent quality as other Asko Asea products.  Like them, it is extremely
expensive (> $600, I think).

GE makes a dishwasher which fits under a sink (but it has a funny shape and
I'm not sure it lets you use a full-size sink -- think also of the
annoyance when you have to work on the plumbing).

There are also the various cheapo countertop dishwashers (the sort of thing
you get at K-Mart or from late-night ads), but even if they work, I
wouldn't trust them to last very long.

As for front-loading washing machines, again White-Westinghouse made one.
Production has apparently been suspended as they redesign it.  Consumer
Reports found that it worked well when it worked, but that it had a very
poor reliability record.  W-W dealers say a new model should be out any day
now.

Most European washing machines are front-loading, and expensive.  AEG and
maybe Bosch sell good ones for $1000.  Asko I think sells one.  Miele sells
one for the usual absurdly high price (yes, they have an excellent
reputation, but...).

	-s

PS All prices above are at the best discount I count find.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Possible gas leak?
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 92 19:32:54 CDT
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott) writes:

> 
> My wife and I have been living in our home for all of three weeks now.  We
> had not previously noticed any natural gas odors in the basement.  This past
> weekend we went away for the weekend.  This is the first time we have left
> our house closed up for a couple of days.  When we got back we thought we
> could faintly smell natural gas (I know it's not acutally natural gas but
> the odor that the gas company put in with the natural gas) in the basement.

> I talked with our gas man/plumber and he said that it might be some of the
> aluminum tubing in the furnace leaking or that the pilot on the furnace may
> have gone out and then come back on or that there might have been a pressure
> bubble in the gas main that caused a little gas to seep into the basement
> via some release vent on our gas main junction box.  He said that if we had
> a gas leak we should smell it all of the time.

If it's a significant leak, that's true. If it's a slow leak, then
it might take a couple of days' accumulation to be noticable.

> I do trust this plumber/gas man but I am still very nervous about natural
> gas.  Any suggestions on things that I can do to detect if there really is
> a leak somewhere?  Should I have the plumber test for a leak?  He said he
> could do this if I wanted him to.  Any thoughts or suggestions would be
> appreciated.

You can check it yourself with sopy water--mix a few tsp of dishwashing
liquid or shampoo with a pint of water, and pour a little over each 
joint; watch for bubbles to form. Some small trapped bubbles would be
normal; if they expand steadily or pop and reform, you've got a leak.

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: cab@col.hp.com (Chris Best)
Subject: Re: Eletric dryer - running but not drying
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 16:12:27 GMT
Organization: your service

diprosp@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Michael DiProspero) writes:
> I recently purchased a home in which the washer/dryer combo was included
> by the previous homeowner.  Everything was fine for about a month -
> but a couple of days ago when I tried to dry a load of clothes the
> dryer kept on running and running, but never got hot.  The dryer is
> a Kenmore and electric (I forget the model number).  Does anyone have
> any ideas what might be causing this?  Thanks.
> 
> Mike

----------

The heating element is either broken, or not getting current.  

The fix for the first case is obvious - get a new one (and they're 
usually pretty easy to install yourself - just copy the old one).  

The fix for the second is one of two things.  If the house is old 
enough that the dryer circuit is protected by cartridge fuses, one 
of them might be burned out, with the other one allowing the motor 
to still work.  Otherwise, if it's a double-pole breaker, one side 
might be tripped (even though it's SUPPOSED to take the other side 
with it).  In this case, turn the breaker fully off, then back on.
And think about replacing the breaker.

It's usually the element. 

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com (Fred Christiansen)
Subject: Re: Insulated Drywall?
Organization: Motorola Computer Group, Technical Systems Operations
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 20:34:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.172029.3018@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie) writes:
>In article <1992Aug27.152542.3139@alw.nih.gov> sullivan@alw.nih.gov (Jim Sullivan) writes:
>>I was wondering whether there exists an insulating material
>>similar to drywall (i.e nice finish and paintable) which I [...]
>
>There is, however, one sold here by Channel and Home Depot that is a foam
>panel sandwiched between two layers of foil. I can't remember the price;

Polyisocyanurate, commonly called R-Max or TherMax.
-- 
Fred Christiansen, Motorola, 2900 S Diablo Way, Tempe, AZ 85282  "Canajun, eh?"
fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com  ||  uunet!phx.mcd.mot.com!fredch  ||  +1 602-438-3464
  On Attitude & the Immune System:  A sound heart is the life of the flesh:
    but envy the rottenness of the bones.  Prov 14:30
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,alt.tasteless
From: tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com (tim clinkenpeel)
Subject: Re: Killing burglars.
Reply-To: tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 15:44:51 GMT

>>Also, under the right circumstances, such as someone being 
>>electrocuted on the front lawn in the kiddie pool, I might run inside
>>your house without knocking in order to disconnect the power.

what a completely ludicrous scenario!  why would a kiddie pool have current
running through it?  what would lead you to believe the current was comming
from the nearby house?  what would you be doing trespassing late at night into
private property and jumping into the property owner's pool?  why would you
run inside into an unfamilar enviroment looking for a power source that you'd
never find before your buddy outside is well-done rather than try to help him
out via grabbing him or tipping over the pool?  if someone purposely hooked up
power to a kiddy pool, wouldn't you logically conclude that it's some
crotchety old man luring tots to their untimely demise and that if you were to
enter the farts sacred abode he'd promptly split your noggin in two with a
heavy marble statuette?  or take you downstairs to the 'meat locker'?

the irony is yesterday we were discussing appropriate responses to a break-in
fiend and we concluded the following:
1. shoot to kill to avoid lawsuits.
2. use a calibre large enough to take out a big hunk of meat, but not too
   large that a missed shot will pentrate walls and kill neighbors.
3. keep club soda handy to clean up spilled blood and circumvent stains.
-- 
\clinkenpeel: aberrant analytical cynical agnostic idealist.  i exclusively /
/represent myself.  i do not offend anyone; however, some morons choose to  \
\offend themselves.  judge only those who you would have judge yourself.  i /
/don't practice what i preach - i'm not the type of person i'm preaching to.\
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: dwb@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (david.boyle)
Subject: Wanescoting 
Keywords: installation
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:57:18 GMT

I am interested in installing cedar wanescoting (sp?) in my currently 
dry-walled kitchen.  It seems to come in kits of either pine or cedar,
6 ft long and I forget exactly how high (42"?).  The kit also includes a
top cap piece.
The question regards nailing up the tongue-in-groove pieces.  In order to put
a nail at the top, middle, and bottom will I have to first remove the sheetrock?
Can you nail 1X2 over the sheetrock for backing?  What is the "standard"
way this stuff is installed?  Thanks in advance.
						Dave
From: berner@b-mrda.ca.boeing.com (Ann Berner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Wasp Nests Yet Again
Date: 28 Aug 92 15:05:43 GMT
Organization: Boeing Commercial Airplanes MR&D


	I'm sheepishly admitting that I didn't save the thread on bee
and wasp nests, and now we've discovered a monster one outside my daughter's
window.  Did anyone save the discussion, and would you be willing to e-mail
it to me?  Or is it now part of the FAQ?  (Maybe it should be, I've seen
other posts similar to mine).
	Any and all help appreciated...


_____________________________________________________________________________
Ann Berner						Opinions expressed are
Boeing Commercial Airplanes				mine alone; I do not
berner@b-mrda.boeing.com				speak for Boeing.
From: msi@ESD.3Com.COM (Mark Isfeld)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Eletric dryer - running but not drying
Date: 4 Sep 92 00:37:29 GMT

jeff@jlk.b11.ingr.com (Jeff Kilpatrick) writes:

>In article <24358@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, diprosp@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Michael DiProspero) writes:
>|> I recently purchased a home in which the washer/dryer combo was included
>|> by the previous homeowner.  Everything was fine for about a month -
>|> but a couple of days ago when I tried to dry a load of clothes the
>|> dryer kept on running and running, but never got hot.  The dryer is
>|> a Kenmore and electric (I forget the model number).  Does anyone have
>|> any ideas what might be causing this?  Thanks.
>|> 

I had a problem with a dryer that was simply a burned out heating element.
Unplug it, take off the back, look for a long metal duct following
the blower, take it appart, and visually inspect the coil for breakage.
Of course if you can test the plug for proper power first that would be
good.  Come to think of it I tested the leads to the heating coil for
proper power before concluding that the coils must be bad.  I got a 
replacement for about $30-40.

Good Luck, 
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mark Isfeld   
| msi@NSD.3Com.com                     
| 408-764-5167                        
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.consumers
From: kherron@ms.uky.edu (Kenneth Herron)
Subject: Re: Credit report
    <BtwMon.6x1@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 18:31:31 GMT
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences

msingh@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (The Supreme Commander) writes:

>>   You can get a copy of your credit report once a year from TRW by
>>    writing to TRW Consumer Assistance, POB 2350, Chatsworth, CA
>>    91313-2350.  Include all of the following: full name including
>>    middle initial and generation such as Jr, Sr, III; current address
>>    and ZIP code; previous addresses and ZIPs for past five years;
>>    Social Security number; year of birth; spouse's first name.
>>    Include a photocopy of a billing statement, utility bill, driver's
>>    license, or other document that links your name with the address
>>    where the report should be mailed.


>I would be very hesitant to provide all of this information. Providing
>all that information will make it just that much easier for them to
>"update" their information on you. IMHO credit agencies have no right
>to keep all this information on me!

>If you want to obtain a report, your full name and social security
>number is all you need. USA today seems to be encouraging one to
>contact TRW and make it easy for TRW to "create" or "update" your
>report at the same time. Only a fool would make a copy of their
>driver's license or some sort of bill. If they want proof of address,
>send them the envelope someone sent you.

You're forgetting one thing:  TRW is doing this out of the goodness of
their hearts.  There is (unfortunately) no law forcing them to give out
free credit reports except after a credit denial so unless you've just
been denied credit they can attach whatever conditions they like to the
free report.

Did you consider the security implications if they accepted "full name,
social security number, and any old envelope" as enough to send out a
report?  ANYONE could obtain your report just by taking time to fake an
envelope first.  Or are they supposed to magically know where you
really live, despite the fact they "have no right" to keep a lot of
information about you and you're not going to help them figure it out?

Last but not least, if they have a credit report on you in the first
place, "only a fool" thinks they don't already have most the
information they're asking for.  The only purposes these requirements
serve are:

	1)	Make your records more accurate, and
	2)	Authenticate a request for a report

both of which are quite reasonable goals, assuming they'll be keeping
a record on you in the first place.

And of course it's unlikely there's anything substantial in TRW's
records which you didn't previously give some company permission to
divulge.

Credit agencies are part and parcel of obtaining credit.  Either get
used to it or stop using credit, but let's please be a little less
knee-jerk, huh?

(Geez, imagine--me sticking up for USA Today... :-)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Person in flux)
Subject: Re: sink disposal problem
Reply-To: kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 14:34:05 GMT

In article <MACRAKIS.92Aug24142100@next4.osf.org>, macrakis@osf.org 
(Stavros Macrakis) writes:
>In article <YENTING.92Aug24115501@minnie.cc.utexas.edu> yenting@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Yen-Ting Shu) writes:
>
>   Our Sears Kenmore sink disposal seems to have clogging problem.
>   The disposal is running but water doesn't get drained....
>
>The drain pipe from the disposal is probably clogged.  

Or could be sharply angled.  I had this situation when I installed my disposal;
the disposal wouldn't totally drain after a few uses, and I found that the
previous owners had not only installed a 45 degree elbow on the pipe under
the sink, but also had another elbow further down the drainpipe that was 90 (!)
degrees.  No wonder the stuff got packed.  I just installed new PVC piping and
routed the drain to eliminate those sharp bends.

Katie
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house