HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: colette@bnr.ca (Colette George)
Subject: Re: Differences in disposable contacts??
Keywords: contacts,disposable
Organization: Bell-Northern Research 
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 20:57:09 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.160258.18423@news2.cis.umn.edu>, konstan@saturn.cs.umn.edu (Joe Konstan) writes:
|> 
|> The real key for getting reasonable prices is to make sure your optometrist
|> will write you a prescription (in most states, they are not required to, and
                                                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> many prefer to sell you the lenses).  Of course, the first time you see
|> one, they have a legitimate reason to insist on checking the fit, and perhaps
|> selling you the first set, but after that you should be free to buy on your
|> own.
|> 
This is shocking.  Here in Canada, an optometrist/opthamologist is required by
law to write you a prescription and you are free to shop around for a good price
at any optical.  Furthermore, when it comes to disposable contact lenses, most
eye doctors will write "one free trial pair" on the prescription to ensure that
the optical gives you a free trial pair of disposable lenses so you can try
before you buy.  Of course, we probably pay a lot higher prices for them
(like everything else :-) ), but I still think getting a prescription should
be a basic requirement in every state.

-- 
===================================================================
Colette George 			
Bell-Northern Research Ltd. 	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Internet:  colette@bnr.ca 
===================================================================
From: kuplinsk@math.rutgers.edu (Julio Kuplinsky)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Diamond Advice Wanted
Summary: used diamonds
Keywords: diamond
Date: 30 Sep 92 19:36:58 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <1992Sep24.200341.26594@tss.com>, burke@tss.com (Jim Burke) writes:
................................
> 
> You will pay different prices for the kind of stone you are talkin about,
> depending on where you buy it.  Pawn shops are a good bet - there really
> isn't such a thing as a "used" diamond.  Then you can have it set in what


............

That's funny. My wife received a diamond ring that has been in the
family for at least 50 years. When we had it appraised, we were told
that the cut was old and the stone was 'chipped'. To the unlearned eye
the ring didn't show any signs of abuse. If this is right, then there
*is* such a thing as a used diamond. 

Julio Kuplinsky
From: rem@btr.btr.com (Robert E. Maas  rem@btr.com)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: 600% faster PC, fraud?
Date: 5 Oct 92 01:52:00 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: BTR Public Access UNIX, MtnView CA. For info contact: info@BTR.COM

Yesterday/Today in the mail I received an advertisement from "Tiger
Software", 800 Douglas Entrance, Executive Tower, 7th Floor, Coral
Gables, Florida 33134. Among the various items for sale was "FAST" for
$29.90, which claims "HOW TO INSTANTLY MAKE YOUR PC RUN UP TO 600%
FASTER! WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL HARDWARE! JUST SLIP IN THE DISKETTE!" I
don't believe that claim can possibly be true. Is it a fraud?
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,aus.general,alt.activism
From: yar@cs.su.oz.au (Ray Loyzaga)
Subject: Re: Why you shouldn't buy Nestle
Reply-To: yar@cluster.cs.su.oz (Ray Loyzaga)
Organization: Basser Dept of Computer Science, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 05:33:36 GMT

Having just recently raised a child in this country, I can assure you that
most children are given powdered milk as supplement to their mothers milk
by the hospital in the first few days. This is mostly due to the mothers
being unablt to lactate properly in the first day and a half, and the child's
requirement for food. I don't recall any horror "child hooked on powdered
milk" scenarios on Hinch, so I guess this milk addiction must be something
that only happens in underdeveloped countries. I do know however, that
the fact that a certain brand of milk has been given to children at birth
has almost 0 correlation to the brand that they will like in future.
Many mothers I know who decide to wean early have to go through a couple
of different brands before the child accepts it as a substitute for their
mother. I also seem to recall that the big bad multi-nationals used to
go around teaching the mothers that boiling the water first was very
important, they stressed it quite a lot, you really can't put the blame on
the manufacturer in this case. What do you do when the mother is malnourished?
You can attack a powdered milk vendor for unethical sales technique but
to attack baby milk formula as an evil is just plain bullshit.
It all depends on the circumstances and on proper use, it doesn't sound like
the WHO ban on education by milk company agents is necessarily a good idea
if they do not have the resources to educate the people properly.
If a child cannot be fed powdered milk due to it's cost, I can assure
you that after a day or so of crying, it will start drinking from the
mother again, assuming that she is lactating properly. The problem with
poor sterilsation is the only problem that cannot be controlled by
any authority, WHO, the milk vendors or the various aid agencies,
the only question is whether it is more benevolent to ban the
sale of infant formula to poorly educated/low hygiene countries,
and therefore permit the starvation of children whose mothers
cannot properly feed them for a whole host of reasons
or to allow it, and face the prospect of children dying through
misuse of the product.
As always, the problem is a lot harder to deal when faced with reality.
The solution for some seems to be to blame the evil large multi-national,
and if that make you feel good, then go ahead, but don't delude yourself
that this goes on inch closer to solving the problem.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: msoques@mozart.amd.com (Martin Soques)
Subject: Advice sought on Grolier's _The New Book of Knowledge_ Encyclopedia
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Austin, Texas
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 92 23:11:02 GMT

I'm thinking of getting Grolier's _The New Book of Knowledge_ Encyclopedia
for my sons.  I was quoted $495 by somebody who sells Discovery Toys.  
Can I get a better price somewhere else?  Suggestions, comments and
recommendations are welcome.  Thanks in advance!

Marty
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  snail: Martin P. Soques      |  Opinions are my own ...
         P. O. Box 17341       |  E-mail: msoques@mozart.AMD.COM
         Austin, TX 78760      |  phone: (512) 440-1694
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: kenny@osf.org (Kenneth Crudup)
Subject: Re: Mattel & Girls & Mat
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 21:51:11 GMT


>...Mattel is selling a product called "Teen Talk Barbie" which says 4
>phrases.  One of the phrases is "Math class is hard". 
>I can't imagine a product better designed to program math avoidance into
>little girls.

>If you have views on this subject that you would like to share with the
>Mattel company, you can call 1-800-421-2887 or write to Mattel....

Or, you can get a life, take an active role in your childrens' education,
not buy the doll, and pity the parents who do.

	-Kenny
-- 
Kenneth R. Crudup, Contractor, OSF DCE QA
OSF, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142	+1 617 621 7306
kenny@osf.osf.org			OSF has nothing to do with this post.
	    "Motor oil?!?! <splut> YOU GAVE ME MOTOR OIL?!?!"
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: frazier@Armstrong.EDU (Doug Frazier)
Subject: Re: Advice sought on Grolier's _The New Book of Knowledge_ Encyclopedia
Organization: Armstrong State College, Savannah, GA
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 01:22:28 GMT

In article <1992Sep29.231102.16688@dvorak.amd.com> msoques@mozart.amd.com (Martin Soques) writes:
>I'm thinking of getting Grolier's _The New Book of Knowledge_ Encyclopedia
>for my sons.  I was quoted $495 by somebody who sells Discovery Toys.  
>Can I get a better price somewhere else?  Suggestions, comments and
>recommendations are welcome.  Thanks in advance!

My advice would be to save the $495.00, or better yet, use it to buy other kindsof books (fiction, science books, etc.) for your sons.  When they need to use 
an encyclopedia, take them to the public library.  There are many different 
kinds of encyclopedias, and most libraries carry several sets appropriate for
different age levels and needs.

As a college librarian, I think one of the best skills for kids to learn is 
how to use a library, and how to ask librarians for help.

None of this should be construed as a criticism of Grolier or the NBK.  Rather,
I am suggesting that teaching your kids to use a library has more educational
value than keeping an encyclopedia set at home.

Doug Frazier
frazier@pirates.armstrong.edu


Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: adrian@ntmtv.UUCP (Adrian Brandt)
Subject: Electonic address/phone/appointment books
Organization: Northern Telecom Inc, Mountain View, CA
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 00:10:50 GMT

I've decided I'd like to get one of those pocket-sized electronic
address/phone/appointment "books".  Any recommendations?

I've noticed they range in price from around $40 all the way up
to about $250.  Some feature PC interfaces, have pseudo-real QWERTY
keyboards with wide multi-line displays and lots of memory, while
others feature membrane keys, small displays and limited memory.
The naturally the former tend to be larger and more expensive while
the latter are small and cheap.

My main criteria:

* storage capacity for 200 names with phone numbers and addresses
* search capability (vs. manual search via simple sequential scrolling)
* appointment book capability to (audibly?) remind me of meetings, etc.
* ability to change battery w/o memory loss
* good battery life
* good keyboard
* good display (readable, multi-line, reasonable width)
* reasonably durable/rugged
* reasonably small--should fit into shirt-pocket, ideally


Any thoughts?  Brands & model numbers with approximate prices appreciated.
Personal experiences?  If you have such a thing, do you find it useful?
What do/don't you like about it?

-- 

Adrian Brandt (415) 940-2379
UUCP: ...!ames!ntmtv!adrian
ARPA: ntmtv!adrian@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ram@watson.bms.com (Gena Ram)
Subject: Cleaning a humidifier
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 13:31:00 GMT

Can anyone give me advice on cleaning an ultrasonic humidifier?  I tried using 
alchol to clean the parts that seemed to be cleanable (can you tell I don't 
know what I am doing?).  But there is a rank smell that is still present
in the mist that comes out.  

Hope I didn't make you sick, and Thanks for any help!

Gena
From: rdc00a@nmrdc1.nmrdc.nnmc.navy.mil (Kelly Pedersen)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Amway Corporation
Keywords: Network Marketing
Date: 28 Sep 92 16:04:57 GMT
Organization: Naval Medical R&D Command

In article <1112@tdat.teradata.COM> syy@ElSegundoCA.ncr.com (Sang Y. Yum) writes:
>Path: nocusuhs!mimsy!ra!darwin.sura.net!haven.umd.edu!uunet!tdat!educ11!syy
>From: syy@ElSegundoCA.ncr.com (Sang Y. Yum)
>Newsgroups: misc.consumers
>Subject: Amway Corporation
>Keywords: Network Marketing
>Message-ID: <1112@tdat.teradata.COM>
>Date: 24 Sep 92 15:26:58 GMT
>Sender: news@tdat.teradata.COM
>Reply-To: syy@ElSegundoCA.ncr.com
>Organization: Teradata/NCR
>Lines: 33
>
>A friend of mine just became a distributor for Amway Corporation.
>He also invited me to take a look at the financial security it can
>bring to my life.  So, I turn again to net wisdom before I make
>any kind of commitment.
>
>It awfully sounds like Pyramid Marketing scheme, except they call it 
>"Network Marketing".  

!!!If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck ---- guess what?


If it sounds like it's too good to be true -- it is.  Many years
ago, when I was in college (and very naive), I got involved with
Amway hoping to make some money.  As I recall I spent a lot more
money than I made.  I did however learn quite a bit about the
company.  One of the things that I learned was that most of the
people involved were fanatical and not the kind of people I care
to be associated with.

Just about two months ago an old (and previously respected)
friend called me and said I should come talk to him about a prime
business opportunity.  I did.  After about 30 minutes of BS he
started talking about Network Marketing.  It started to sound a
lot like Amway.  He finally showed me some literature and guess
what -- It is a duck.

I personally would stay as far away as possible from Amway and
anyone who has anything to do with it.
From: malladi@shanti1.Eng.Sun.COM (Deviprasad Malladi)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Damn those airlines!
Date: 29 Sep 1992 17:48:00 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: malladi@shanti1.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: shanti1

In article IKH@hpuerca.atl.hp.com, der@hpuerca.atl.hp.com (Dave Ritchie) writes:
>Evidently the Israeli airline handles it this way:
>
>1. All bags are lined up on the tarmac.
>
>2. The passenger retrieves his bags and gives them to the baggage 
>handlers. The passenger then boards the plane.
>
>3. Unclaimed baggage is left.
>
>This is third hand info, of course..... I have not flow overseas.
>
>-- Dave Ritchie
>der@hpuerca.atl.hp.com
>
 This how it has been done in India -both domestic and inernational
From: kjb@calmasd.prime.com (Ken Brucker)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Differences in disposable contacts??close
Date: 2 Oct 92 17:16:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: calmasd.1992Oct2.091626.827
Organization: Computervision, San Diego

In article <1992Sep30.143726.8816@bcars6a8.bnr.ca>, colette@bnr.ca (Colette George) writes:
> Has anyone found any significant differences between the various brands
> of disposable contact lenses?  I am trialing my first pair of AccuVue (sp?)
> and I find my vision less than wonderful.  I am quite myopic (-8.5 in both 
> eyes) with a mild astigmatism.  My opthamologist thinks that the astigmatism 
> should not be a factor in selecting a disposable lens.
> 
> Can anyone recommend a particular brand of disposables that they're happy with? 

I've been using Bauche&Lombe for several years.  When I first started on the
extended wear program I tried both the J&J and the B&L for 3 months each. 
Overall I liked the B&L better.  I found that my vision was better and lenses
were easier to use and more comfortable.  

On a recent visit to my optometrist I tried a B&L in one eye and the J&J in the
other.  The J&J didn't fit as well and wasn't moving on my eye like it should. 
I also found that my vision was a little more blurry out of the eye with the
J&J lens.

I know other people that use the J&J lenses and like them better so it seems to
be a personal choice issue.  I'd say give another brand a try and see if you
like them better.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**  Ken Brucker -- VMS/Ultrix Systems Programmer/Mangler -- Computer Vision
 **  kjb@calmasd.Prime.COM  
  **  Practice Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: dipand@microsoft.com (Dipan Dewan)
Subject: Re:  The GM MasterCard
Date: 29 Sep 92 22:21:05 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

In article <9209251906.AA27243@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Will Martin writes:
>What might be really important about this GM card and it's accumulated
>rebate-on-car-purchase amount is just how this is implemented. Can you
>dicker with the dealer as usual up front, get all the money issues
>settled (trade-in amounts, if any, exactly what you will pay, any
>dealer added-on charges and legal/title fees, etc.) and then, after a 
>bottom-line amount is decided upon, produce this GM rebate credit
>and have that chopped off that bottom line? Or does it have to be
>brought up at the beginning, so it gets meshed in with all the other
>variable amounts a new-car deal involves, and so it becomes essentially
>invisible at the end of the negotiations?

According to a radio show I heard a few days back where a GMAC big-shot
was pushing the card, you do NOT have to declare the "rebate-on-car"
before settling everyting else. He also mentioned that it would be even
better because the auto manufacturers were phasing out promotional
cash-backs -- that I'll believe when I see it!

>Or do you get it paid in cash to you direct from GM after you buy the car
>and send them proof of purchase or something? Do you have to wait to
>get it after you buy the car, or can you use it for down payment?

I did not catch that -- I'd be interested in this info too.

Thanks,
  Dipan.
-- 
  Dipan Dewan           dipand@microsoft.com       ...!uunet!microsoft!dipand
    Views expressed above are mine; they may not be shared by my employer.
Lines: 8
Date: Tue,  6 Oct 92 13:38:48 MDT
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: 600% faster PC, fraud?
Distribution: na
Organization: Brigham Young University, Provo UT USA
From: haymoree@bones.et.byu.edu (Edward Haymore)

I haven't been very impressed with Tiger Software's claims...  I saw
one of their catalogs for the Mac that was advertising a diagnostics program --
it checked the speed of your RAM so that when your RAM started getting slower,
you could replace it (RAMs get slower as they age, you know :-) .

Ed Haymore
ed_haymore@byu.edu

Xref: sparky misc.consumers:17183 uk.misc:100
From: alon@ibmpcug.co.uk (Alon Risdon)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,uk.misc,connect.audit
Subject: SMOKED SALMON WANTED
Summary: SMOKED SALMON TO POST TO TUCSON USA
Date: 27 Sep 92 18:50:48 GMT
Organization: The IBM PC User Group, UK.
X-Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author
	alone and may not represent the views of the IBM PC User Group.

Can anyone tell me please where in the USA I can write to or telephone
to order a smoked salmon to be posted to an address in Tucson, AZ.
Thank you
Alon Risdon
E-mail alon@ibmpcug.co.uk
From: egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: "Roadkill" in the luggage (Re: Damn those
Date: 30 Sep 92 16:52:51 GMT
Reply-To: egreen@east.sun.com
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 10206@opencon.com, giand@opencon.com (Deepak S. Gianchandani) writes:
>
>	Wrong! I'm sorry you loose :-). -- How often do you fly ?? -- I have
>had my luggage get there one flight before me and on the same
>trip to D.C. one shuttle (flight) after me.

So this guy steps up to the check-in counter and says, "OK, I want this
bag to go to Dallas, this bag to go to Chicago, and I want to go to
Miami."

The attendant replies, "Sir, we can't do that!"

"Why not?  You did it last week!"

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...
From: nol2321@dsacg4.dsac.dla.mil (Jim Dunn)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Bar Code == Mark Of The Beast ???
Date: 29 Sep 92 13:34:06 GMT
Organization: Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center, Columbus

> Can someone familiar with UPC encoding confirm this observation
> that 6's are used as guard patterns?
>                The UPC bar-codes are probably the most blatant form of 
>           the "MARK OF THE BEA$T" so far, with the "NUMBER OF THE 
>           BEA$T", 666, ALREADY CODED INTO THEM.  Each of the so-called 

Hmm.  This doesn't make sense with the info I got on the mark.  If you
want a copy of what I have on the real m-o-t-b, just e-mail your postal
address to 71461.353@compuserve.com.  Nobody with visit you; and I'll
keep your address confidential, etc...  It's pretty interesting stuff...

Jim
From: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau) 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: DIFFERENCES IN DISPOSABL
Date: 3 Oct 92 22:08:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Invention Factory's BBS - New York City, NY - 212-274-1243v.32bis
Reply-To: ray.normandeau@factory.com (Ray Normandeau) 

-> Has anyone found any significant differences between the various
-> brands of disposable contact lenses?  I am trialing my first pair of
-> AccuVue (sp?) and I find my vision less than wonderful.  I am quite
-> myopic (-8.5 in both eyes) with a mild astigmatism.  My opthamologist
-> thinks that the astigmatism should not be a factor in selecting a
-> disposable lens.

I have heard that with soft contacts you lose about 10% vision over what
you would get with hard contacts or glasses.

For that reason I never wanted soft contacts.
                                                                                                     
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:17220 aus.general:1723
From: pa56680@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (P. Ialamanna)
Subject: Re: Differences in disposable contacts??
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 06:09:42 GMT
Keywords: contacts,disposable

In article <1992Sep30.143726.8816@bcars6a8.bnr.ca> colette@bnr.ca (Colette George) writes:
>Has anyone found any significant differences between the various brands
>of disposable contact lenses?  I am trialing my first pair of AccuVue (sp?)
>and I find my vision less than wonderful.  I am quite myopic (-8.5 in both 
>eyes) with a mild astigmatism.  My opthamologist thinks that the astigmatism 
>should not be a factor in selecting a disposable lens.
>
>I find that my vision is less sharp with the contacts than it ever was in 
>glasses (or other soft lenses I've used in previous years). Despite the 
>slight fuzziness, I can still see well enough to drive, read, etc, but it's
>sort of annoying to lose vision when I'd expect to gain it by wearing contacts.
>Is it worth my while to try another brand or is this my problem and not the 
>lens I'm using?  I'd ask my eye doctor but he's booked up months in advance
>so I can't just wander into his office to ask questions like this.  
>
>Can anyone recommend a particular brand of disposables that they're happy with? 
>Colette George 			

Also, how much would they cost to wear for a typical year?
Someone told me it was around $600 for a year and it that's correct, it doesn't seem to be really worth it. Comments?

-- 
*********************************************************************************   - P. Ialamanna -    " I think you hear me knocking and I think I'm coming *
			  in, and I'm bringing my big, bad opinions with me"   **
*I represent the Univ. of Illinois. (Along with 50,000 others)===DISCLAIMER==  *
********************************************************************************