HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ans0@aber.ac.uk (Austin Newton Shackles)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.locksmithing
Subject: Re: Rekeying locks
Date: 20 Aug 92 12:33:59 GMT
Organization: University of Wales, Aberystwyth

In article <1992Aug19.213147.36653@watson.ibm.com> margoli@watson.ibm.com writes:
>In  <Bt90Lw.EwD@news.cso.uiuc.edu>  tmkk@uiuc.edu (Khan) writes:
>>
>> In article <1992Aug18.162602.3058@csi.jpl.nasa.gov> eldred@rrunner.jpl.nasa.gov
>> >
[stuff gone]

>One way is to key them to a key you already have.  Another is to cut a key
>by hand.  A third is to have a key machine and a depth key set, or a key
>machine that lets you cut a key "by the numbers", and create a new original.
>
>Larry Margolis, MARGOLI@YKTVMV (Bitnet), margoli@watson.IBM.com (Internet)


only time i ever did this was to rekey a lock to suit  the keys of my parents 
house. we were putting an extra door on the back porch, and wanted the new 
door to work from the same key as the other 3. That was very easy, just remove
the cylinder, place it in a vice, (miami vice? :-)) put the key in the 
cylinder and then drop pins in that were too tall and file 'em off. (spare 
pins that is). to make a new key for a re-combinationed lock i'd put a blank 
in to the cylinder and measure how much the pins stood up above the surface of
the cylinder, then measure the pin positions along the key and cut it 
accordingly. might take 1 or 2 attempts...

of course none of that works for a lever-type lock, they're more fun...but the
same applies in respect of starting with a blank key, try it in the lock (with
one side removed so you can see what goes on) and then file bits off 'till it 
works...nicest locks i came across (never got to pull 'em apart tho :-() were 
ingersoll 10-lever padlocks, no-reversible key with a different profile on 
each side...bet they'd be fun to pick...on the subject of high-security locks,
anyone tried picking those where the key is a flatpiece of metal and the 
cutting is in the form of little drillings in the surface...the pins seem to 
come in at about 60deg. to the FLAT face of the key, from each side...


-- 
   Austin Newton Shackles   |   Why do I get this feeling these days that
   ans0@uk.ac.aberystwyth   |   life is like going up the down escalator?
   DoD#0467 1981 Z440 Ltd   |           My opinions are just that   
+++ Signature Virus [.sig] removed from /mntda/base/aa_az/ans0/.signature
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15443 misc.consumers.house:11161
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: vacuum cleaners - which one?
Date: 22 Aug 92 03:12:45 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

I recommend you find a small, family-run, vacuum repair shop that
sells new, used, and reconditioned vacuum cleaners. I would trust
the advice of a repairman before I would listen to a salesman who
is not also a repairman.

You're not going to find these businesses in shopping malls, but you will
find them about town and listed in the Yellow Pages.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger)
Subject: Re: Terrible Experience With Alamo
Organization: Summit NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 04:01:01 GMT

I can't complain about Alamo too much.   I reserved a Geo Metro
for $63 for a week, and I got it (only two of us).

The only problem I had once, about 4 years ago, was the extra driver
charge was higher than quoted, and of course "But I can't do anything
about it; it's in the computer" was the answer.  But it was taken
care of.

For both of my previous rentals at Alamo (Las Vegas in 1990 and
San Francisco a month ago), there was no extra charge for my
wife as a driver.

Finally, based on their literature, explanations of insurance options,
and the right to cancel an insurance option within 24 hours, it sounds
like some sort of consent decree settlement.
-- 
Stan Krieger                     All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
AT&T UNIX System Laboratories    if related to my employment, are my own.
Summit, NJ
smk@usl.com
From: jfb200@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (joseph.f.baugher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Junk mail warning - "Exposures" catalog
Summary: junk mail alert
Date: 17 Aug 92 01:07:42 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories -  Naperville, Illinois

In article <1992Aug14.230736.6364@sco.com>, evanh@sco.COM (Evan Hunt) writes:
> 
> 
> This is a warning to anyone interested in ordering from the "Exposures"
> catalog (they sell photo albums, frames, and expensive decorating stuff.)
> Since ordering from them we've received just about every expensive, snooty,
> home decor catalog on the face of the earth. They're coming at the rate of
> around five a day now. I strongly urge you to request them not to sell your
> name - unless of course, you want 25 new catalogs a week. We're on a fair
> number of mailing lists, but I've never seen anything like this deluge before.
> 

My, this raises a sore point with me!  My wife has ordered items by mail
from such places as Comfortably Yours, Sturbridge Yankee Workshop, Yield
House, etc.  It seems that as soon  as you order  anything from  a mail-
order  house,  your  name gets  on  just  about every  junk-mail list in
existence.  We now get catalogs from  just about  every outfit  around--
ranging from Frederick's of Hollywood and Victoria's Secret all  the way
to Brookstone's Hard-to-Find tools and even to some  outfit  which sells
military paraphrenalia.   Sometimes, our  mailbox  is stuffed so full of 
these catalogs that we can hardly open it.


Joe Baugher			**************************************
AT&T Bell Laboratories		*  "Round up the usual suspects."    *
2000 North Naperville Road	**************************************
P. O. Box 3033
Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033		
(708) 713 4548				
ihlpl!jfb                     Who, me?  Speak for AT&T?  Surely you jest!	
jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Junk mail warning - "Exposures" catalog
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:46:33 GMT
Organization: I.E.C.C.

>It seems that as soon  as you order  anything from  a mail-
>order  house,  your  name gets  on  just  about every  junk-mail list in
>existence.

No kidding.  About a year ago I got so sick and tired of the mountains of
junk catalogs, as many as a dozen a day, that I got a rubber stamp saying
PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST, and started sending back all the
order forms suitably endorsed.  After several hundred such letters, the
junk is down to a trickle, but it took a long time.  Many of the places
sent me back a form postcard saying they were taking me off their list but
the labels are printed up so far in advance that I'd probably get another
catalog or two.  The fact that they have form postcards suggests that I'm
not the only one who is tired of getting so much mail.  And a few continue
to send catalogs despite two or three requests to stop.

Now and then I get junk mail with distinctive misspellings of my name or
address so I can tell whose list they got it from.  In that case I write a
note telling them that the people who sold them my name did so despite my
request to be removed from their list, so there are probably lots of other
names on the list who don't want to be there, and why don't they not rent
that junky list any more.

The oft repeated suggestion to put your name on the Direct Marketing
Association's "no exchange" list is of modest use, though you only stay on
the list for six months and you have to write them again.  Also, the Wall
Street Journal reported that there are slimy outfits that actually use the
DMA's list as a mailing list on the theory that the people on it will get
less junk mail than usual and so less clutter.  Great.

You can ask most places not to sell or exchange your name when you order
something.  About two thirds of the time they honor the request.

-- 
Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl
From: gah2468@bcsaic.boeing.com (Geoffrey Hazel)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: First/Last experience with Alamo...
Date: 18 Aug 92 20:30:51 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle


RE: National Car Rental
We rented a car in Orlando Dec. of 1990, and although we had no
problems with the actual rental, the car itself should not have gone out.
The vinl trim on the dash was all warped and peeling back, and the dash
looked like someone had opened a can of pop and sprayed it on the dash.
The car obviously had not been looked over since it's last return.
When we complained (once we got to the motel), they offered to give us
another one if we returned it.  Right.  At $200.00/day for a vacation,
I was not about to drive all the way back to the airport.  They
should have swapped us a car at our motel.
Another case of marketing hype vs. reality.
-- 
Geoff Hazel                  | Haven't you got some real work to get 
gah2468@bcsaic.boeing.com    | done now?
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15140 rec.radio.shortwave:6251 rec.photo:14136
From: rcw@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Robert White)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.radio.shortwave,rec.photo
Subject: Re: WARNING KODAK batteries leaked!
Date: 13 Aug 92 05:22:15 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: na
Organization: The WhiteStar Corporation

Well, after reading the leaky battery thread, I pulled the Duracells out of
my Magnovox AE-3805 shortwave travel radio, and sure enough they were starting
to leak.  What's odd is that the clock still was working, so I didn't think
the batteries had run down.

I guess it's a bad policy to leave batteries in consumer equipment for any
extended period of time. (more than a month)




-- 
  [   Robert Carleton White, Jr.                      rcw@scicom.alphacdc.com]
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: davet@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Dave Tutelman)
Subject: Re: Basement Waterproofing Paints - Consumer Reports Results
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs - Lincroft, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 11:29:40 GMT
Summary: Shovel works better

In article <1992Aug19.135541.10278@zeus.ieee.org> jparadis@ieeefin.ieee.org (Jim Paradise) writes:
>
>CR says using any of the paints tested will, at the most alleviate dampness
>or mild seepage, not outright leakage, and suggests seeking the advice of
>a house inspector or contractor before buying some.
>
>If you are considering waterproofing your basement, I would suggest you
>check out this issue of CR.  This article is preceeded by one on how to 
>fix a wet basement, and touches on how to determine how water or dampness
>is coming in, the more expensive exterior excavation cures, and the cure to
>avoid (clay injection).

I don't know if it covers this (haven't looked at the article), but in my
experience the most effective way to keep a dry basement is "local grading".
A couple of assumptions:
 - The problem is NOT a high water table.  I don't know any kind of water
   proofing that's a real help here.
 - The plot was reasonably well graded to begin with, so water isn't generally
   draining to the house from all over the plot.

That said, when I get water in my basement, I follow the "trail" to the wall,
and check it to see where the wall is damp.  I note that spot carefully, and
find its corresponding spot outside.  The next time I can (usually the next
sunny day), I take out a shovel and wheelbarrow, and build up the earth at
that spot to encourage drainage away from the house.  Seldom takes more than
one barrow of soil.

The reason this works is clear when you think about how houses are built.
They dig a hole, build the foundation, then backfill soil into the hole
around the foundation.  The backfill tends to settle after some years
(typically seems to start at about 5 years), and needs to be built up to
keep puddles from forming against the house and seeping into the basement.
Basically, you're just maintaining the original (assumed good) grading
that the house had when it was built.

In the 4-day soaking we got this week in NJ, I did experience seepage on the
second day.  Since there was no end in sight (to the rain), I didn't wait
for a dry day.  I just went out in the rain with a shovel and a bucket. It
only took 4 shovels of soil (strategically placed) and my basement started
to dry out again.

Pluses and minuses (vs. painting w/ waterproofing):
 + MUCH cheaper and easier than painting (IMHO).
 - Gotta keep doing it, on the house's schedule and not yours.
 + Attacks the problem, not the symptom.
 + There's a good chance you'll have to do it anyway, even if you paint.

>Happiness is a dry basement,
>Jim

One person's experience....

Dave
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: tattersall_derek@macmail1.rtsg.mot.com
Subject: Re: DAK's short-wave radio ??
Organization: CSG Group
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 21:27:42 GMT

In article <Bt8MH2.HAG@acsu.buffalo.edu> C058SJLX@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu writes:
>
>  I have seen a portable short wave radio advertised in the
> DAK catalogue.  The few technical specifications the ad gives
> seem to be good, however the price is well below the prices of
> similar products from other sources.  I am talking about
> $40  vs  $100+.  I want to buy a radio like this, but the
> price looks suspicious.
>  On the other hand,  the Miracle piano teaching
> system ($350-$399 from other sources) sells for $199 in
> the same catalog, the lowest price I have ever seen for this
> product.
>  Please post or e-mail any comments/recommendations.
>                      Thank you
>          Eleazar Puente
>
I bought one of those recently. They do not pull in the shortwave stations very
well unless you put up an external antenna. A long wire plugged into the
antenna jack and draped over the highest point in the room worked well for me
as an apartment dweller. They sell a pre-amplifier for it now. I would
recommend buying that also.

I found it to be somewhat flimsily designed, the case was lightly built. But if
you don't expect top quality and if you don't drop it too many times it is
perfectly servicable.
From: bkottmann@falcon.aamrl.wpafb.af.mil (Brett Kottmann)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Homeowners insurance scam (State Farm)...
Date: 19 Aug 92 14:46:44 EST
Organization: Logicon Technical Services, Inc.

In article <1992Aug07.201923.6850@sco.COM>, rogerv@sco.COM (Roger Vortman) writes:
> 
> I just got my renewal form for my homeowner's insurance (with State
> Farm), and feel that I am being scammed by them.  This is the first
> renewal on my current house, and they inflated the coverage considerably.

	State Farm got zapped in Ohio for overcharging.  They made a big deal
about "giving customers a rebate".  The funny thing is that some long time
State Farm people actually thought it was neat!  The idea that they had been
ripped off for years didn't seem to sink in.

	State Farm probably overcharges until they get caught.  Interest free
money until they have to return it.

> The policy is a guaranteed replacement style policy and it was originally
> written at $85/square foot replacement cost.  I thought that this was on
> the high end from my own experiences with building costs.
> 
> Well, this year they want to insure me for over $100/square foot replacement
> cost.  This makes a lot of sense to me; inflation is at an all time low
> (or close to it) of 3 or 4%, and the building industry is in a slump in
> our area.  So inflate the cost of replacement by over 15%, and they can
> raise what they charge me correspondingly.  And it will help to recoop
> losses from the earthquake of '89 and the Oakland fire as well.

	Our Agent (Allstate) terms the replacement value as total cost.  We're
insured for the approximate purchase price, plus $90k for furnishings.  The
amount will only go up if our house gets a higher appraised value.  We can use
the property tax numbers for this.

	Now, it's always been my position that you can buy insurance for
whatever amount you want.  So what if State Farm is saying $100/sf?  Tell them
you want $85 or $90 or whatever and they can accept that or lose your business.

> So I called them up about this, to see if there was some mistake.  And,
> what to my wondering ears do I hear but that I am marginally underinsured...
> that $100/square foot is actually on the low side of where I should be.
> 
> Well, I told them that I am going to be shopping around, and in fact have
> done so in the interim.  I found that I could reduce my insurance costs by
> quite a bit by changing insurers, so that is indeed what I am considering
> doing.  Of course, I am also giving State Farm an opportunity to compete,
> so we will see what the final result of this is.

	From the experience of friends and neighbors, my advice is to stay away
from State Farm homeowners insurance.

Brett--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	"Why the courts don't tell a husband who has been living off his wife
to go out and get a job is beyond my comprehension."--Joan Lunden
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: kasvand@ccrs.emr.ca (Tony Kasvand)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: AVIS screws us big time
Date: 14 Aug 92 15:29:18 GMT
Organization: Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa

In article <1992Aug12.212629.4595@sco.COM> rogerv@sco.COM (Roger Vortman) writes:
>We had a similar experience happen when we had to make an emergency trip
>to Detroit over Christmas...we reserved a car at an unnamed car rental
>agency.  Called again the night before we left to confirm our reservation.
>Since we had a "confirmed reservation", we didn't know that we needed to
>call when the plane arrived.  Anyway, due to a hangup in getting the
>baggage off the plane, we (me, my wife, and my two young daughters,
>1 and 4 years old, and too much luggage which included a stroller) arrived
>at the car rental place about 1 hour and 15 minutes after the plane came
>in.  We were told that we were considered "no-shows" since we got there
>more than one hour after the plane arrived, and that our car had been
>rented to someone else.
>
>That's the car rental business, I guess.  They can't care about individual
>people as much as their bottom line.  Pretty short-sighted, it seems.

     Not at all.  Any business which worked like that (on a holiday
especially ) would be bankrupt.

  After all, a grace period of an hour of your scheduled "pickup" is more
than enough.

    Next time, take into consideration that the plane might be late. Thus,
make your reservation later.  I'm not trying to flame you (and please don't
flame me), but the rental acency lived up to their end of the deal.

   My Loonies worth (0.70 cents american).

-- 
Tonis Kasvand      | "..and then I realized , without a shadow of a doubt,   
Ottawa, Canada     |     I was doubtful."  
kasvand@ccrs.emr.ca|            - Tonis Kasvand  
                             
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.locksmithing
From: acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng)
Subject: Re: Credit Union Deposit (Share) Interest (Dividend) Calculations
Originator: acheng@shalom.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 15:05:09 GMT


>Every other depository institution that I've asked (bank,
>savings & loan, industrial loan company) pays interest based on
>daily balance or average balance of the month or quarter.
>The only real trick that I've seen is that accounts being
>closed do not earn interest for the last month (this appears
>fairly common at banks, less so at other depository institutions).
>I've heard of banks paying 88% of the advertised rate, but that
>doesn't happen in this area.

Another unknown-and-won't-tell-you surprise in my credit union:
I have a saving account that gets interest posted every quarter.  Not
only I can not use those earned interest until it is posted, I will
lost them ALL if I close 1 day before it is posted!!  E.g., if I have
$2000 in it since Jan 1st and if I close the account on March 31, I
don't get a single penny of interest for those 3 months!  I got in an
dispute with them and chanllenged them to show me a written copy of the
policy.  The branch manage could not.  He claimed it was the directive
from the Board of Directors.  He even claimed Credit Union is different
from banks, and that is not earned interest but dividends from shares
which the Union can even decide not to give at the end of the period.
I could not believe hearing that.  Anyway, I withdrew all but $5.00 to
keep the account live.

>Since credit unions are supposed to be run only in the interest
>of their members, why is it that tricky or sleazy interest
>calculations seem to be more common with credit unions?
>Shouldn't members of such credit unions use their voting
>power to change the credit unions' interest policies?

But those policies are mostly unknown to members.
From: mitch@lsil.com (Mitch Sako)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Seiko Language Calculators
Date: 13 Aug 92 21:38:50 GMT
Reply-To: mitch@lsil.com
Organization: LSI Logic Corporation

I'm looking for a cheap mailorder source for a Seiko TR-1700 Japanese/English
English/Japanese language translator/calculator.  J&R Music World only sells
Spanish, French, and German models.  The street price here is $65.

Any suggestions?

---

====================================================================
Mitch Sako	LSI Logic Corp.		Phone	408-433-4187
internet:	msako@lsil.com		FAX	408-433-8796
uucp:		lsil!msako
RIME:		->REDBARON, conference=POLITICS
Disclaimer:	Opinions expressed are mine and only mine and do
		not reflect the opinions of my organization, my
		management, or my mother
From: JW#0@lafibm.lafayette.edu (JW#0)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Terrible Experience With Alamo
Date: 17 Aug 92 15:58:18 GMT
Organization: Lafayette College
Originator: news@lafcol

In article <l8lumcINN3ul@aludra.usc.edu> lilychen@aludra.usc.edu (Lily Cheng) writes:
>I have bad experience with Alamo LA, and Hertz, San Jose too!
>.
>.
During the holiday season in December 1989 we rented a car from
Alamo (from whom else in Texas?) at Hobby Airport in Houston in
order to visit with two of our children and to spend some time in
Galveston.  No problems, no pressure, car was fine.

The unusual circumstance was that several months earlier I had
injured my knee in a bicycling accident.  It seemed to be improving,
but far too slowly.  However, during the vacation it was giving me
considerable pain, particularly climbing stairs, and I had promised
my wife that I would, in fact, see a doctor when we got home.

On the final day of the vacation we returned the car to the office
near Hobby and rode the van back to the airport.  It was a rainy
day, and as I was leaving the van, I slipped on the step and landed
hard on my foot, really jarring the injured knee.  On the flight
home, I noticed than there was no pain in the knee any longer, and
there hasn't been any since.  Consequently, I broke my promise to
my wife and didn't go to the doctor.

I know there are a lot of amateur (and maybe even professional)
lawyers on the net.  My question is:  how can I file a negative
lawsuit against Alamo for the medical expenses I didn't incur?

                              Bill Jeffers
                              Cyclist and Physics Prof
                              Lafayette College
                              Easton, PA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers