HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: brennan@hal.com (Dave Brennan)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: jurys [was: something about speeding]
Date: 29 Jul 92 21:23:22 GMT
Organization: HAL Computer Systems, Austin, TX
Distribution: austin
	<COSC16TT.92Jul22010516@menudo.uh.edu> <2136@devnull.mpd.tandem.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: austin2.hal.com
In-reply-to: joe@mpd.tandem.com's message of 29 Jul 92 15:23:35 GMT

>>>>> On 29 Jul 92 15:23:35 GMT, joe@mpd.tandem.com (Joe Senner) said:

> (Dave Brennan) writes:
>> Unless you don't have a life, sitting on a jury is really lame unless
>> you're very lucky.   I would encourage all jurors to "throw the
>> book" at anyone they can for wasting their time.

> IMO, this is exactly the attitude that has this country really "sucking".
> this is the "me me me" attitude at its best. someone else has wasted
> *your* time; because they just wanted to piss you off? unlikely.

Exactly!!  But seriously, I was KIDDING :-) :-) about the second part!!!

In any case, I stick by the first part.  I thought that it would be
interesting at first, but spending 6-7 hours a day for week listening to
meaningless details in a boring civil trial sucks.  Note however, that I
still did my part and didn't try to weasle out of it, which would have been
trivial.  I also paid attention, boring as it was, and in the end I think a
reasonable verdict was reached.

What really has this country sucking is the "I want something for nothing
attitide" that, among other things, results in people clogging up the court
systems with absolutely ridiculous suits.  But, I'll end this now before I
get started on lawyers.

--
Dave Brennan                                      HAL Computer Systems
brennan@hal.com                                         (512) 794-2855

Visit the Emacs Lisp Archive: archive.cis.ohio-state.edu:pub/gnu/emacs
Xref: sparky austin.general:2609 tx.general:505 comp.org.eff.talk:5063
From: wixer!bladex@cs.utexas.edu (David Smith)
Newsgroups: austin.general,tx.general,comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: EFF-Austin Cyberdawg!
Date: 31 Jul 92 03:30:17 GMT
Reply-To: eff-austin@tic.com
Followup-To: austin.general
Organization: EFF-Austin
To: eff-austin@tic.com
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]

EFF-AUSTIN    "Cyber-dawg"


When:  Saturday, August 22nd,  6:00 - 9:00 pm

Where:  Europa Books
        (2300 block of Guadalupe, next to Tower Records on the Drag)

If you're going What!?  let me clue you in.  A cyberdawg is a bi-monthly
informal networking meeting of the local Austin chapter of the Electronic
Frontier Foundation.  The purpose of this meeting is for the separate
components of the electronic community to mix, mingle, and have fun.

More details will be made available closer to the date, but for now, simply
whip out a Day Timer and start making plans to attend.

Also, if you're from out of Austin and need help finding a place to stay, let
me know directly as soon as possible.


Thans!

david
Newsgroups: austin.general,tx.general,comp.org.eff.talk
From: jsq@tic.com (John Quarterman)
Subject: EFF Austin Cyberdawg
Followup-To: austin.general
Reply-To: eff-austin@tic.com
Organization: EFF-Austin
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 12:50:58 GMT

From: wixer!bladex@cs.utexas.edu (David Smith)
Message-Id: <9207310330.AA18377@wixer>
Subject: EFF-Austin Cyberdawg!
To: eff-austin@tic.com
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 22:30:17 CDT
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]



EFF-AUSTIN    "Cyber-dawg"


When:  Saturday, August 22nd,  6:00 - 9:00 pm

Where:  Europa Books
        (2300 block of Guadalupe, next to Tower Records on the Drag)

If you're going What!?  let me clue you in.  A cyberdawg is a bi-monthly
informal networking meeting of the local Austin chapter of the Electronic
Frontier Foundation.  The purpose of this meeting is for the separate
components of the electronic community to mix, mingle, and have fun.

More details will be made available closer to the date, but for now, simply
whip out a Day Timer and start making plans to attend.

Also, if you're from out of Austin and need help finding a place to stay, let
me know directly as soon as possible.


Thans!

david
From: pam@execu.execu.com (Pamela Nelson)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: recommendation for carpenter
Keywords: deck
Date: 24 Jul 92 21:38:05 GMT
Distribution: austin
Organization: Austin Dev. Center, Comshare Inc.



Can anyone recommend someone really competent and honest to 
build a deck around a hot tub?  I want someone who is very
good at deck building.  This has to be integrated with an  
existing deck and I want it professionally done.
Anybody had any good (or bad) experiences?  If so, email
me.  thanks, pam
-- 
 <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>
 < Pam Nelson         __  __  ____ |      "If you leave me,        >
 < Comshare, Inc.    /_/ /_/ / / / |       can I come too?"        >
 < Austin, Texas    /   / / / / /  |    - Mental as Anything -     >
 < pam@execu.com                   |                               >
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: joe@zx11.cactus.org (Joe Senner)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: need help with speeding ticket
Date: 23 Jul 92 03:28:57 GMT
Reply-To: joe@zx11.cactus.org
Organization: NOT

james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsdalen) writes:
>In <COSC16TT.92Jul22010516@menudo.uh.edu>, DGray@uh.edu wrote:
>> Well you might try to do this jury trial thing, but be aware:  My dad
>> sat on one of these speeding ticket juries, the guy was found guilty
>> and they really threw thebook at him.  He got fines in excess of
>> $800!!!  It's your call though...
>I think there must have been something else involved.
>The maximum fines for speeding aren't that high.  Though the state and
>local governments do need revenue I suppose...

I believe so to, for the typical cruising along the road at a good clip 
case, as a juror I woundn't convict anyone even if they did technically
exceed the posted limit (notice I didn't say break the law). DGray, how
about some more details?

>> If you were speeding, just pay it, and get on with your life and
>> slow down...
>That's not necessarily a good idea.  You'll pay for it through
>insurance rates.

quite true, I will either fight it or take the traffic school. I drive
the fastest production motorcycle in the world, you can bet the insurance
company would LOVE to hear about me getting a conviction (the board members
of the company gotta have those sumer cottages in Yurup you know).

>Contact a laywer, and see how much it will cost to take care of it,
>and the odds of keeping the ticket off of your record.  It's probably
>more cost effective that way, once you factor in insurance.

right now I'm leaning toward taking the school and switching to my
anemic CB350 for 12 months :-) I was among traffic, and on a motorcycle,
but it's still pretty risky to try the court approach.

-- 
Joe Senner -- joe@zx11.Cactus.Org                                   Austin, TX
      "Nuclear weapons can wipe out life on earth, if used properly"
                                   -- Talking Heads
From: wardrb@cs.utexas.edu (Richard Byron Ward)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: need help with speeding ticket
Date: 28 Jul 92 20:32:50 GMT
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

|In <COSC16TT.92Jul22010516@menudo.uh.edu>, DGray@uh.edu wrote:
|
|> Well you might try to do this jury trial thing, but be aware:  My dad
|> sat on one of these speeding ticket juries, the guy was found guilty
|> and they really threw thebook at him.  He got fines in excess of
|> $800!!!  It's your call though...
|

I talked to someone that got called to jury duty and was not very happy
when he had to sit on a speeding ticket case.  He said that they went 
pretty hard on the speeder, at least partly because they were not happy 
about blowing a few hours because of this guy's speeding ticket.  I
would be careful about requesting a jury trial...

Rick
From: dwelch@mpd.tandem.com (Dan Welch)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: interesting things to do in San Antonio
Date: 22 Jul 92 20:44:59 GMT
Organization: Tandem Computers (MPD) Austin, TX

I'm going to be in San Antonio all day Saturday and was wondering if
anyone knew of fun or interesting things going on.  I don't mean the
standard things, i.e., the riverwalk, the marketplace, the zoo, etc.;
I would like to know about things that aren't quite so visible, but
are worth doing.

Thanks in advance,

Daniel Welch
----
One time I asked him if he liked grouper fish, and he didn't know whether I
wanted to hear that he ate them, or just admired them.

                                - Jane Sibbery, "Extra Executives"
Newsgroups: austin.general
From: petonic@hal.com (Michael A. Petonic)
Subject: L.A. Drivers
Reply-To: petonic@hal.com (Michael A. Petonic)
Organization: Henry's Laughing Gas Co., Inc.
	<1992Jul28.215146.5276@cactus.org>
Date: 29 Jul 92 23:17:45 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.215146.5276@cactus.org> rdd@cactus.org (Robert Dorsett) writes:
>What really distinguishes Austin from other cities is how irresponsible a 
>lot of the high-speed traffic is (e.g., "wolf-packs" tail-gating one another
>at 65 or 70 mph).  I mean, I visited LA a couple of years ago and was
>*astonished* by how much leeway drivers gave to each other; it was a 
>very pleasant environment to drive in, comparatively.  

Heh heh.  The only reason why people give others that much leeway in
L.A. is because personal injury law is *very* lucrative in California.
God, if I were the litigious type (with a strong back), I could have
made *millions* in Austin.

>I still don't completely understand the bitching about LA traffic.

I don't bitch.  In fact, I've always maintained that L.A. drivers
are much better than Austin drivers.  Fairly courteous, they don't
tailgate, and they *don't* stop on a freeway and back up on the
shoulder because they missed their exit.  

>Austin's *very* aggressive, and the drivers aren't even very good in those 
>terms (compare with Houston, where aggressive drivers tend to know what 
>they're doing).

Exactemundo.  I'm glad someone else's made the same observation.

-pet-
--
Michael A. Petonic	       petonic@hal.com		       +1-512-794-2855
        HaL Computer Systems International, Ltd. -- A Bermuda Corporation
                Director of Custodial Services and Entertainment
				 Austin, Texas
                          "No balls, no blue chip."
From: dfavor@logan.tivoli.com (David Favor)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: painful experience with AiC (Analysts International Corp.)
Date: 23 Jul 92 12:25:39 GMT
Distribution: austin

In article <76304@ut-emx.uucp>, shoroff@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Bart Simpson) writes:
|> In article <2031@tivoli.UUCP> dfavor@logan.tivoli.com (David Favor) writes:
|> >[    ]
|> > and contract firms I've worked with over the last 10+ years are mostly simple,
|> >non-technical people trying to eek out a living. I wonder if you have ever run
|> >a corporation? did you know that it takes from 3-6 times an employees wage to
|> >keep them employed?
|> 
|> I've heard that it takes a lot more to employ a regular employee than his wage
|> alone, but 3-6 times? What all benefits sum up to make such a large amount?
|> So does a $40,000 employee cost the company between $120,000-240,000 ?
|> 
|> I'm just curious.
|> 
|> Thanks
|> Srihari 
|> -- 
|> |A very creative .sig has been ordered.                                      |
|> |			Will take 4 to 6 weeks for delivery.                 |
|> |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|> |Wanna get in touch?                                                         | 
|> |If you're    -serious: 512 371 7409   -miserly: shoroff@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  |
|> |                 -nuts   : 4413 Speedway #207; Austin, TX 78751          |


unfortunately benefits are a trivial part of this cost. the real cost
lies in the administration of these trivial benefits. consider the
overhead of a human resource staff and any other staff that must assist
employees with various types of insurance claims. then there is the
consideration of staff to keep pension plans running. the costs are
incredible. and if one person claims unemployment benefits then the
unemployment rate for ALL employees increases. very ugly.

I've just set up a corporation that I do business under. now I'm
considering the best ways to branch out and take on other contracts.
it appears to me that a beneficial approach may be to only hire
individuals that are set up to receive income via 1099 (corportions). 
these individuals are usually well informed and are willing to deal
with their own administration costs for an increased billing rate.
From: meo@pencom.com (Jaime Retief, IV)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: Headhunter pay (Was Re: painful experience with AiC)
Date: 28 Jul 92 05:54:29 GMT
Distribution: austin
Organization: Roadkills-R-Us

Out of the mouth of ortega@cactus.org (Paul Ortega):
|>[Someone else said]
|>I've never met a really successful head hunter. even head hunters with
|>large staffs. hum... most of the head hunters I know are concerned with
|>where their next meal is coming from.
|
|That doesn't seem to be the case at Pencom.  Tom Pallister and Ed
|Ateyeh were driving a Porche and BMW the last time I looked.  They've
|also bought property in the area around 2222 where the prices are
|apparently around a quarter-mil.
|
|Either headhunting pays pretty well or someone has no fear of 
|monthly debt being a high percentage of monthly income. 

Most of my jobs, whether contract or fulltime, have been
obtained through headhunters.  I haven't gotten a job yet
through an unsuccessful headhunter.  The ones I've dealt
with aren't rich (by USA standards). but neither are they
poor.  As with most sales jobs, headhunters are primarily
paid on a commission basis.  So you do well, or you don't,
in which case if you're smart, you get better or find
another career.

I interview the headhunter at least as hard as they
interview me.  If they don't have their act together, why
should I trust them to represent me to potential employers/
clients?  They will (probably) either not get me as good a
job as someone else could (maybe even just me 8^), and can
even hurt my image.  Think of them as your sales and
marketing arm, or your PR firm.  If they can't do the job,
why hire them?  (Which is JUST what you are doing - except
you are getting someone else to pay them.)

-Miles (just a software guy at Pencom)
meo@pencom.com

Trust me - no WAY do I speak for Pencom on anything on
the net.  I speak for me; they speak for them. What else?
From: faisal@dvorak.amd.com (Faisal M. Bhamani)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: need help with speeding ticket
Date: 22 Jul 92 21:14:45 GMT
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Austin, Texas

The comedy defensive driving class is offered by
Comedy Speed Relief, ph # COMEDY9 (266-3399). The Laff Stop is
one of the locations that you can take it, but if you call them,
they will not be very nice, as they are not associated with 
the class.  

My opinion of the class is that it is funny at times, and
definitely better than some of the other classes around town.
But, as all such classes are, it is boring. It costs $29.95
which is pretty steep considering others offer it for $12-$15.
For those (such as I) that need to take Level II (12 hour class
for experienced speeders), there is no extra charge while other
places charge more (alot more ususally). So thirty bucks for
level 2 is definitely worth it ($45-$50 elsewhere).

faisal bhamani

-- 
****************************************************
**  Faisal M. Bhamani                             **
**  w: 462-4134                                   **
**  faisal@dvorak.amd.com                         **
Newsgroups: austin.general
From: dcd@cactus.org (Danny C. Deng)
Subject: 6,000 layoffs from General Dynamics
Organization: Capital Area Central Texas UNIX Society, Austin, Tx
Distribution: austin
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:32:35 GMT

KVUE Action News (channel 24 by antena) reported this evening that
General Dynamics will start (or has started) to lay off 6,000 people.  
I didn't catch the whole news, so could someone repeat the news on the 
net? Does anybody know when the layoffs will start (or has started)?
Is it effected Texas only or is a nationwide operation?  If it happens
in Texas only, which city will bear the biggest hit?  Thanks.
Newsgroups: austin.general
From: cosc16tt@menudo.uh.edu (Dennis Gray Jr.)
Subject: Re: need help with speeding ticket
Reply-To: DGray@uh.edu
Organization: /posole/cosc16tt/.organization
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 06:05:26 GMT

In article <2091@devnull.mpd.tandem.com> joe@conan.mpd.tandem.com (Joe Senner) writes:

   the HP got me :-(   if you've been tagged recently I'd like to hear your
   story,
   particularly if you fought it. I keep hearing people say "plead not guilty
   and
   demand a trial by jury and they'll drop it". if I could do that and still be
   able to take driving school if I loose I might consider it. this will be in
   a Round Rock court in case that might matter.

Well you might try to do this jury trial thing, but be aware:  My dad
sat on one of these speeding ticket juries, the guy was found guilty
and they really threw thebook at him.  He got fines in excess of
$800!!!  It's your call though...

If you really were not speeding then it is usually pretty easy to get
off of it if you just talk to the judge.  If you were speeding, just
pay it, and get on with your life and slow down...

Good luck,
-dennis
--
Dennis Gray, Jr.                 "What the hell were you doing???"

DGray@uh.edu                   "Attempting the hell to communicate."
                                     -from The Voyage Home
From: Joe.Barr@mdf.FidoNet.Org (Joe Barr)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: need help with speeding ticket
Date: 23 Jul 92 11:30:34 GMT


Wednesday July 22 1992, Jerry Dunham writes to All:

 >> In article <1992Jul22.173624.13701@ntmtv>, shea@ntmtv.UUCP (Ray Shea)
 >> writes:

 >>> What a laff-riot you are.  Ever scene a cop lie through his teeth on the
 >> ^^^^^
 >> uh, "seen"

 JD> Let's not make a scene here, Ray,

        Yes, that would be unscemely.

                            Joe

 * Origin: The Red Wheelbarrow *Poetry* (512) 443-5441 (FidoNet 1:382/46)
From: mikeb@pandora.dell.com (Michael Brundridge)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: RIPOFF ALERT! RIPOFF ALERT!
Date: 24 Jul 92 14:58:47 GMT
Organization: Dell Computer Co

moller@netmail.austin.ibm.com (Chris Moller) writes:


>About two weeks ago, I took my Zenith laptop to a place called Austin
>Technology (9514 McNeil Rd., Austin) for a minor repair.  They said it
>would probably cost about $90 to fix, but they'd call if it went over
>$60.  They just called, having already done they work.  Somehow, magically,
>the $60 - $90 repair has become a $175 repair.

>For the sake of thy wallet, avoid these people.

Sounds like they are related to AAPCO here in Austin
From: ransley@parnasus.dell.com (Robert Ansley)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: speeding ticket responses
Date: 30 Jul 92 16:34:45 GMT
Organization: Dell Computer Co

rdd@cactus.org (Robert Dorsett) writes:

>In article <1992Jul29.215853.8498@raid.dell.com> ransley@parnasus.dell.com (Robert Ansley) writes:
>>     Federal laws supercede state laws and the maximum speed limit
>>     by Federal law is 65 nation wide (unless states don't want' their 
>>     highway funds)  So this is a moot argument.

>Only on Federally-funded highways, and only if the Feds want it to happen
>on federally-funded highways (e.g., only the Interstate system, but not
>near/in cities, and not necessarily in local highways only partially 
>financed with Federal dough).

  The original legislation from the Nixon era setting the national
  speed limit at 55 was in response to the OPEC embargo and its intent was
  to conserve fuel.  Since cars can exceed 55 on many roads not federally
  funded, the law included all roads - "or risk your federal funds."
  The subsequent ammendment addressed safety concerns, not so much fuel
  concerns and it was raised to 65.  Texas' Vernon's Civil Statutes
  sets basically a rural speed limit and a highway limit.  Only on the
  highways is the maximum safe prima facie speed set at 70.  Section 167
  states that only the Texas Highway Commission or Texas Turnpike
  Authority may set speed limits on highways, and that the state will
  recognize the national speed limit on all highways, not just federally
  funded highways if (3)That a reduction of speed limits will serve to
  foster conservation purposes and safety;or (4) The failure to alter
  state (not just federal highways, but state) speed limits will prevent
  the state from receiving revenue for highway purposes from the federal
  government.  
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  "I don't like to clutter up my investigations with a bunch of facts..."
                Robert Ansley   ransley@parnasus.dell.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: loydb@fnordbox.UUCP (Loyd Blankenship)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: Accounting Software info
Date: 29 Jul 92 19:29:55 GMT
Organization: Texas Net Illuminati
X-NewsSoftware: GRn 1.16e (7/4/92) by Mike Schwartz & Michael B. Smith

jaime@unicorn.austin.ibm.com writes:
>
> I have heard good things about two other packages:
>	Quicken
>	DAC Easy
>

We use DACEasy at the moment. For the price, it isn't bad. It has several
annoying features, mainly inflexibility problems (you have to modify some
business office procedures to fit the way DAC does it . . .). If you need
a *detailed* critique, I'll put you in touch with our CFO. All in all, we're
happier with it than what we had before (BPS).

Loyd

***************************************************************************
* loydb@fnordbox.UUCP	     Once you pull the pin,  *	Loyd Blankenship  *
* GEnie: SJGAMES	    Mr. Grenade is no longer *	PO Box 18957	  *
* Compu$erve: [73407,515]	 your friend!	     *	Austin, TX 78760  *
* cs.utexas.edu!dogface!fnordbox!loydb		     *	512/447-7866	  *
***************************************************************************
From: james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsdalen)
Newsgroups: austin.general
Subject: Re: need help with speeding ticket
Date: 22 Jul 92 20:26:25 GMT
Reply-To: james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsdalen)
Organization: Institute of Applied Cosmology, Austin TX

In <COSC16TT.92Jul22010516@menudo.uh.edu>, DGray@uh.edu wrote:

> Well you might try to do this jury trial thing, but be aware:  My dad
> sat on one of these speeding ticket juries, the guy was found guilty
> and they really threw thebook at him.  He got fines in excess of
> $800!!!  It's your call though...

I think there must have been something else involved.
The maximum fines for speeding aren't that high.  Though the state and
local governments do need revenue I suppose...

> If you were speeding, just pay it, and get on with your life and
> slow down...

That's not necessarily a good idea.  You'll pay for it through
insurance rates.

Contact a laywer, and see how much it will cost to take care of it,
and the odds of keeping the ticket off of your record.  It's probably
more cost effective that way, once you factor in insurance.
-- 
James R. Van Artsdalen          james@bigtex.cactus.org   "Live Free or Die"
Dell Computer Co    9505 Arboretum Blvd Austin TX 78759         512-338-8789
From: dienstbier@turtle.fisher.com
Newsgroups: austin.test
Subject: Test post
Date: 23 Jul 92 13:00:32 GMT
Organization: Fisher Controls International, Austin, TX


This is a test.

--
Steve Dienstbier                      "You are like the fish in the market.
Fisher Controls                        Your eyes are open, but you do not see."
dienstbier@fisher.com                          -- G. Machado
From: bodie@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (mark beaudry)
Newsgroups: austin.test
Subject: test post
Date: 24 Jul 92 19:18:56 GMT
Originator: bodie@dopey.cc.utexas.edu

Summary: 
Reply-To: bodie@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (mark beaudry)
Followup-To: 
Distribution: ut
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
Keywords: Test Post: 


This is a test post.


Does this work 
Newsgroups: austin.test