HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mag1@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (michael.a.giden)
Subject: Re: Does the 30 day/90 day rule apply?
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 14:36:14 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Summary: So sorry

In article <1992Oct8.194845.3793@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>, stank@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (Stan Krieger) writes:
> To what kinds of bills, etc., does the law that complaints must be
> acknowledged within 30 days and resolved or answered within 90 days
> apply?  I've had a lot of problems with doctors and hospitals not
> answering billing queries and complaints.
> 
> 
Sorry, but the law is the Federal Truth in Lending Act & applies to
credit cards, not the kind of bills you are talking about.  I wish
there were something similar for other bills, I'm sure all of us have
had this kind of experience.

Good Luck!

Mike Giden







> What I'd like to know is whether a doctor's or hospital's bill is
> subject to the same 30 day/90 day customer query requirement as a
> credit card bill?  If so, then even before we start talking, they've
> already forfeited the first $50 of the amount in dispute if they
> didn't acknowledge my letter within 30 days (and of course, I'm sure
> that in turn would lead to another dispute as they would refuse to
> acknowledge their having to eat $50, even if they were entitled to
> it).
> -- 
> Stan Krieger                 All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
> UNIX System Laboratories     if related to my employment, are my own.
> Summit, NJ
> smk@usl.com
From: dhe@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Duanfeng He)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: DISCOVER card ( MUST READ! )
Date: 7 Oct 92 18:21:31 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCR Engineering and Manufacturing Atlanta -- Atlanta, GA

<1992Sep30.124402.1393@linus.mitre.org> <semVYbz0BwwD91iL8X@transarc.com>
<BvGF8K.522@taligent.com> <1992Oct2.164126.23639@iplmail.orl.mmc.com>

In <1992Oct2.164126.23639@iplmail.orl.mmc.com> artc@iplmail.orl.mmc.com (Art)
writes:

>as ya'll can see -> FORD = AMEX + DISCOVER 
>anymore question???

Yes, how can I apply for one?

Thanx in advance.

-- 
Duanfeng He (Jackson)           Duanfeng.He@AtlantaGa.NCR.com
From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Revenge on a telemarketer!
Date: 16 Oct 92 04:16:50 GMT
Organization: Green Hills and Cows

In article <harris.65@ROTC.orst.edu> harris@ROTC.orst.edu (Captain Harris) writes:

>Last night, I was called by a salesman from MCI (second most obnoxious 
>salespeople in the known universe, behind Time-Life Books).  I had 
>absolutely no interest in switching to MCI, but I let him ramble.  MCI is 
>famous for pitching their logic, and easily deflected my counter arguments.  

Recently I found a counter argument that no MCI salesman can deflect.
An MCI droid called with an opening line that went something like, "We
are calling people in your area to let them know about some of the
great money-saving plans that MCI has."

I replied that I made many, many calls to southern California which
tweaked his interest immensely. But then I added, "Let me tell you what
I am paying now and you tell me if you can beat it." "Fair enough", he
replied. "It is $5.45 per hour", I told him, "can you beat that?"

He paused, hemmed and hawed a bit, and then said, "No, I can't beat
that rate." "Fine. Then we have nothing more to talk about, do we? You
have a nice evening." Click.
-- 
 John Higdon  |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 264 4115     |       FAX:
 john@ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | 10288 0 700 FOR-A-MOO | +1 408 264 4407
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: klee@wsl.dec.com (Ken Lee)
Subject: Re: hummingbird feeder formula
Reply-To: klee@wsl.dec.com
Organization: DEC Western Software Laboratory
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 92 17:40:41 GMT

|> What is the best formula to use in a hummingbird feeder?

I've read 1 part granulated sugar with 4 parts water.  Don't add any
dyes or other chemicals.  Empty and clean the feeder at least once a
week.

-- 
Ken Lee
DEC Western Software Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif.
Internet: klee@wsl.dec.com
uucp: uunet!decwrl!klee
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Cable Bill Rip-off
From: sean@sdg.dra.com
Date: 8 Oct 92 22:01:39 CDT
Organization: Data Research Associates, St. Louis MO

In article <1992Oct8.180337.6562@netcom.com>, strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight) writes:
> Sean Donelan uses a false analogy when he compares a cable company's
> retransmission of broadcasts to Xeroxing time magazine. Broadcasts
> are distributed to anyone, over the public airwaves, without payment
> of fee by the viewer.

The distribution of something without fee doesn't change the fact that it
is copyrighted.  You can go to any public library in the country and read
books for free (the book may have even been donated to the library by the
author), but that doesn't allow you to make your own copy.  Yes, even
advertisements are copyrighted.  If you wanted to rebroadcast fifty years
of broadcast ads, you would still need permission from the copyright owner
of the ads even if they were broadcast on "free" television (as well as
paying residuals to the actors, jingle writers, e jingle writers, etc)

But cable companies were allowed to videotape broadcast television, send the
tapes anywhere in the U.S., and then charge people to watch programs on
their cable systems.

If that developer with the houses behind the hill had obtained a low power
television license to serve the public, he would have had to pay to obtain
programming for that station.  And then anyone in that development could
recieve the broadcasts "free."  On the other hand a developer that installs
a cable system can take the programming from any broadcast station in the
country for almost nothing, in addition he gets to collect cable fees from
the subscribers.  And of course hunts down without mercy any one who dares
to "steal" cable service.

The NAB's reaction is much like many USENET readers' reaction whenever they
hear about someone "selling" usenet for a profit.
-- 
Sean Donelan, Data Research Associates, Inc, St. Louis, MO
Domain: sean@sdg.dra.com, Voice: (Work) +1 314-432-1100
From: packer@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Charles Packer)
Subject: Re: Wind-Up Baby Swings
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Dept. of Independence
Distribution: misc
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 11:24:00 GMT

Had to look into this thread...From the subject line, looked
like it shoulda been posted to soc.singles...
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Subject: Re: KM vitamins
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 16:04:17 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

Look at the ingredient list on the label. It can't be anything more than
an over-priced, multi-vitamin supplement. Just buy a generic brand, if
you are so inclined.

It sounds like your friend is involved in pyramid sales. Has she tried
to recruit you to sell the stuff, too? In any case, she doesn't know
what she's talking about.
From: wtilley@bnr.ca (Wesley Tilley P040)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: DISCOVER card
Date: 8 Oct 92 15:35:50 GMT
Reply-To: wtilley@bnr.ca
Organization: BNR, Inc.

In article <1auvmaINNpc9@sixgun.East.Sun.COM>, egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher) writes:
|> In article semVYbz0BwwD91iL8X@transarc.com, Edward_Engler@transarc.com () writes:
|> >
|> >There are a few places that only accept Discover (besides Sears).  One
|> >that comes to mind is Pace Membership Warehouse.  
|> 
|> Not exactly.  They will not accept Discover for your purchase, but they
|> will issue you a cash advance against the Discover card for the amount
|> of the purchase.  The product is thus not covered under any warranty or
|> pay-back offered by Discover, and they charge you the cash advance fee
|> and there is probably no grace period for interest accrual.
|> 
|> This is true in Cary, NC.  Price Club in Sunnyvale, CA (a similar
|> warehouse chain) DID accept Discover for actual purchase.  Maybe your
|> PMW is different.
|> 

This *used* to be true in the PMW here in Cary, however as of a few
months ago, they changed their policy so that use of Discover was
an actual purchase.  This, in fact, accounted for a large part of my
cashback this year.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mrl@nerus.pfc.mit.edu
Subject: Small size shirts/clothes for men?
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 21:19:39 GMT

I have a very hard time trying to find clothes, particularly shirts, that fit
me.  I am not that short, 5' 5", but I am on the thin side and don't have long
arms.  All the smallest men size shirts (i.e. either "small" or 14 1/2 neck
size) are too large for me.  I used to be able to occassionally find boy size
18 shirts that fit me fine, but during the last few years it has become much
harder to do that.  Sport shirts are the hardest to find, as boy sport shirts
tend to be very much styled for kids.  I wonder what shorter people do?  Are
they forced to have everything tailored for them?  It seems to me there is a
large market that no one is taking advantage of.  Does anyone know of any mail
order catalogs that sell such items, or perhaps a store in the Boston area?
Thanks.

Mark
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Revenge on a telemarketer!
Date: 16 Oct 92 15:55:20 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil) writes:

>The fact of the matter is, yes, the company does burn up money keeping the
>connection open.  But why punish the poor stiff on the other end who is
>merely trying to pay his way through college?  Or trying to moonlight because
>her regular job doesn't pay enough.  (I will point out about half of the folks
>who worked at the company I worked for were employed schoolteachers trying to
>make ends meet.  Two friends were trying to get into the police academy.)

>If you're not interested, hang up.  I mean, yes, it's annoying to get a call,
>but why be mean spirited to people who are just trying to survive?

Sorry, dear, YOU'RE the one who invaded my privacy, interrupted my
sleep, supper, TV show or made me get out from under my car to
answer your telesleeze call.  Even if I were doing nothing more than
contemplating my bellybutton, one second of that time is worth more to me
than your whole life as a teleslime.  You are fair game for whatever trick
I can come up with to make your personal life miserable.  It is YOU
who strapped on the headset and started dialing.  It is YOU who
should be punished.  I'm amazed to read such rationalizations 
as yours for anti-social behavior.  I suppose by your rationalization
that it would be OK to, say, steal in order to "survive?"

The things listed to do to teleslime so far have actually been quite mild.  
I find the freon boat horn, applied directly to the microphone, to be
quite effective.  If the teleslime is local, the Caller-ID'd number
goes in my uucp Systems file for a few days of fun and games.

If you don't like the abuse you receive, then do something else.  Be a hooker
or sell crack to children.  Either would be more respectable than
being a telescum.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
From: psv2b@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Peter S. Vines)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Kindling
Date: 15 Oct 92 14:43:43 GMT
Organization: University of Virginia

In article <ldqtg7INN5bu@news.bbn.com> jdelsign@BBN.COM (John Delsignore) writes:
>
A little bit of newspaper and lots of very dry small pieces of wood, with
a couple of small logs on top.  Construction sites are good sources of 
kindling, all of the cut off pieces of 2X4s etc...
All of the above should be positioned on a grate, allowing air to 
circulate freely underneath.

>I just got a cord of seasoned red oak firewood delivered to my house.
>We moved into the house in July, and we've never had a fireplace
>before.  While I've started fires before (most of them in a fireplace)
>I can't seem to get a good one going.  I think it's the lack of decent
>kindling because the wood seems dry and well seasoned.  So I have a
>couple of questions:
>
>	1. How do you "make" kindling?  I was thinking of buying an
>	axe and splitting some logs into pieces about 1" in diameter.
>
>	2. If this is correct, what's the best kind of axe to make
>	kindling with?  Handle length?  Weight of head?  Shape of
>	head?
>
>	3. The real goal is simply to get a decent fire going.  How do
>	you experienced pyromaniacs start fires?
>
>Thanks, John D.


--
- Peter Vines : vines@virginia.edu : (804) 924-4644 : University of Virginia
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Removing Old Caulk
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 22:30:34 GMT

In article <1952@ncrsmg.DaytonOH.NCR.COM> jcoates@ncrsmg.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Jim D Coates) writes:

>I'm getting ready to recaulk my windows. In all of the instructions for
>preparing the windows, it says "remove the old caulk". That's it - it
>doesn't tell you how.

Heat (either a heat gun or a propane torch) will soften the old stuff up.
Removal really requires something sharp and very stiff. I use an old wood
chisel that I don't care about if the job is small. If you have lots to do,
I would recommend a "hawkbill" knife, such as they sell for use in putting
down flooring. A utility knife with heavy duty blades is another option.

If you use a torch, use it sparingly and try to keep the flame on just the
caulk. Even a heat gun can crack glass if you're careless.

>Do I
>to remove the old? Can I just put a wide enough bead of new caulk over it
>to cover it completely?

Yes, you need to remove the old. The new caulk will not bond well to the
old stuff and will probably come out within a couple of years if you don't.

patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | If train stations are where trains stop, 
                    | what are work stations?
                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: croman@pbs.org
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: This Old House
Date: 6 Oct 92 17:21:15 EDT
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA

> Locally, the new season starts one week from tonight (october 9).  TV
> Guide says the first project is working on a house built in 1958 (not
> 1858, but 1958).  I wonder if they'll ever show the final results of the 
> flat in London from the end of last season.
> 

Hey, just so happens that I work for PBS and that listing is incorrect...it is
a 1858 hours NOT 1958!!! And the new season does begin in October.

As far as the final results from last season, seems the local station was doing
it's own thing...I'd call them directly.

That's all from PBS.
From: tubis@cs.purdue.EDU (Charlotte I. Tubis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: birds
Keywords: wood siding woodpecker
Date: 12 Oct 92 15:50:42 GMT
Followup-To: tubis
Distribution: usa
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University


Woodpeckers have attacked the ceder siding of my house.
Do you know of any chemical I can put on the siding to deter
these birds.  Someone told me to hang aluminum foil streamers
and to play the radio when I am not at home.  Any other ideas?
Thanks,
Charlotte
From: joxley@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (jody.oxley)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: WANTED: Interior Latex Paint Recommendation
Summary: Benjamin Moore
Date: 14 Oct 92 12:40:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnewsk.1992Oct14.124033.7027
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Oct12.183638.2395@njitgw.njit.edu>, tjs4525@hertz.njit.edu (Theodore Stites) writes:
> Hello,
> 
> I am about to undertake a major repainting of most 
> of the rooms in my house and would like some net style
> advice on what is the best interior latex paint.
> 
> Anyone have any good or bad experiences? 
> 
I used to use Sears paint--until I tried Benjamin Moore. It is thick
like pudding, covers in *one* coat (even applied over a darker color).
It doesn't spatter, even when using a roller on the ceiling. I use the
flat for the ceiling, the eggshell finish on the walls, and the AquaPearl
on the trim (it's more of a satin, but not quite a semi-gloss). The 
paint holds up very well to cleaning after it cures. I have no connection
with this company in any way--I'm just *very* pleased with their paint.

Jody Oxley
From: jdelsign@BBN.COM (John Delsignore)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Kindling
Date: 15 Oct 1992 13:45:43 GMT
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
Distribution: world
Reply-To: jdelsign@BBN.COM (John Delsignore)
NNTP-Posting-Host: archive.bbn.com


I just got a cord of seasoned red oak firewood delivered to my house.
We moved into the house in July, and we've never had a fireplace
before.  While I've started fires before (most of them in a fireplace)
I can't seem to get a good one going.  I think it's the lack of decent
kindling because the wood seems dry and well seasoned.  So I have a
couple of questions:

	1. How do you "make" kindling?  I was thinking of buying an
	axe and splitting some logs into pieces about 1" in diameter.

	2. If this is correct, what's the best kind of axe to make
	kindling with?  Handle length?  Weight of head?  Shape of
	head?

	3. The real goal is simply to get a decent fire going.  How do
	you experienced pyromaniacs start fires?

Thanks, John D.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: sbrenner@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (scott.d.brenner)
Subject: Uh-Oh! My Formica is De-laminating! What Can I Do?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 14:24:58 GMT

Last week, I inadvertently left something on my kitchen counter
that caused a puddle of water to form and sit all day long.  When
I got home, I saw the spill and wiped it up.  Several days later,
I discovered that about 10 inches of the Formica started to delaminate 
at the edge.  It didn't separate completely, but the top surface 
looks like it pulled away from the base just enough (maybe a few
millimeters) for me to see the glue that's holding everything together.

Is there anything I can do to get the Formica back to the way it was
short of ripping of the whole top piece and redoing the surface?
I don't know if there's perhaps a solvent I could squirt under the top
surface to dissolve it, and then squirt some new glue in.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

a T d H v A a N n K c S e

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scott D. Brenner
AT&T Consumer Communications Services
Basking Ridge, NJ
scott@cimu03.att.com  -or-  sbrenner@attmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: shoaf@helix.nih.gov (Susan E. Shoaf)
Subject: Re: Giving a house back to the bank!
Organization: (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD)
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 21:07:15 GMT

In article <BvuvIz.5HF@encore.com> mpalmer@encore.com (Mike Palmer) writes:
>A friend of mine in Oklahoma has been trying to sell his house for a couple
>of years with no luck.  The value is not much more than what he owes the bank 
>on it.  What happens if he just stops paying the mortgage?  How does this
>affect his credit rating etc.

Do not stop paying the mortgage!!!!!!
It will DESTROY any credit rating.
Arrange, through a lawyer, to have the title formally transfered to the bank.
I do not remember the name of this type of transfer but it is talked about
enough on misc.invest.real-estate that it is well known (to the lawyers anyway).

Do NOT allow the bank to forclose!! You can come out of this poorer but with
your credit intact.

Susan
--
shoaf@clinpharm.niaaa.nih.gov    

National Institute on Alcohol   | Finally, a part of NIH. What, you      
   Abuse and Alcoholism         | mean you never heard of ADAMHA? 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: heflin@rtsg.mot.com (Suzanne Stratton Heflin)
Subject: Re: WANTED: Interior Latex Paint Recommendation
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 16:06:52 GMT

tjs4525@hertz.njit.edu (Theodore Stites) writes:

>Hello,

>I am about to undertake a major repainting of most 
>of the rooms in my house and would like some net style
>advice on what is the best interior latex paint.

>Anyone have any good or bad experiences? 

>			Thanks in advance,

We've used Benjamin Moore, and think it's the best.

>				Ted Stites
>				tstites@attmail.com
>                                tjs4525@hertz.njit.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jbm@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Jeffrey Mulligan)
Subject: Problem with existing wiring?
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 21:46:54 GMT

A couple of days ago I put in 5 amps worth of track lighting in my living
room.  The power is coming from an existing switched outlet, through
16 guage lamp cord.

Last night when I turned them on, there were periods when the
brightness fluctuated.  The porch light is on the same circuit,
the switch for it is in the same box as the switch for the outlet,
and when I turned the porch light on it also fluctuated, so I
assumed that the problem was not in the new wiring I had done
for the lights (althought I suppose the porch light could have
been flickering in antiphase with the track lights).

My main concern is that this may be indicative of a high resistance
connection in one of the splices in the wall, which might
pose a fire hazard.  Any and all comments will be appreciated.

Jeff


-- 

	Jeff Mulligan (jbm@vision.arc.nasa.gov)
	NASA/Ames Research Ctr., MS 262-2, Moffett Field CA, 94035-1000
	(415) 604-3745
From: emolinar@stake.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Elizabeth Molinaro)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Our house has a polterpuddle
Date: 15 Oct 92 15:41:25 GMT
Organization: Stakeholder Relations, NCR Corp in Dayton,OH

<Bw2Cvr.Et8@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
Reply-To: emolinar@stake.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Elizabeth Molinaro)
Followup-To: 
Distribution: 
Organization: Stakeholder Relations, NCR Corp in Dayton,OH
Keywords: 

In article <Bw2Cvr.Et8@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> prange@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
(Henry Prange) writes:
>Check the composition of the the puddle. Maybe you have an inaccurate
>sleep walker in the household?


        Ah geez.  I really liked the theory of the polterpuddle
        and was desperately trying to come up with suggestions
        on who to call (Ghostbusters is so obvious.)  ; >

        MY question is: do you have a neutered male cat, who
        was neutered before his urine changed and who is, perhaps,
        distrested at the move?  I have a cat, who, when he misses
        the box, produces water.  Sure it's urine, but doesn't
        smell like it or look like it; we thought we had a leak, too!
       
        Just a thought.

        Elizabeth
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,rec.autos.tech