HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sns@bondi.jpl.nasa.gov (Sam Southard)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Burglars and dogs and snakes, oh my!
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:04:19 GMT
Organization: SAR Systems Development & Processing, JPL

In article <MACRAKIS.92Jul30172324@next4.osf.org> macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis) writes:
>I'm horrified.
>
>You apparently value your precious property rights more than human
>life.  No civilized state or country imposes capital punishment for
>burglary, yet you arrogate the right to yourself.

No, he values the long portions of his life that he spent acquiring those items
more than he values the life of the person who's trying to take them (for
whatever reason).  If my wife's wedding ring were something I got from a
crackerjack box I would shoot a mugger dead (if I had a gun) before I would let
him take it.  I would not do so if someone was trying to take my car (assuming
I did not feel I was in personal danger).

I do not value my possessions more than someone's life.  I do value portions of
my life more than the entire life of someone who would try to take those things
which represent those portions of my life (whatever monetary value those things
have).

If this is a home burglary he also might consider his life to be endangered by
anyone who is willing to burglarize his house while he was home (a very
reasonable assumption).  I personally assume that anyone who enters my property
with the intent of burglarizing it is going to be armed and if I shoot them
(and I would shoot to kill if I had a gun - I don't, but I have had them in the
past and am able to put a bullet within a resonable distance of my target) it is
purely self defense: if they do have a gun I may not get the chance to shoot
them if they see me first.

>And of course you ignore the high rate of accidents around guns: there
>are more accidental deaths from home guns than deaths in self-defense.
>Not to mention that a criminal is more likely to attack you if you
>threaten him than if you run away.

You don't threaten him.  You kill him, no warning.

Maybe the first shot, which hopefully hits him, is a warning.  If you're not
able to be sure you killed him with the first shot (and you never should be
unless you're an expert marksman), you shoot him again immediately.  You repeat
this until you're sure he's dead or your cartridge is empty.

You take the responsibility for the risk of killing a neighbor/relative/pet
that it might really be.  You get charged with murder/manslaughter if you're
wrong and it's not a burglar.

If you are stupid/careless enough to have an accident with a gun in your house,
whether yourself, your kids, or someone else, you deserve the consequences.  If
it's a kid it is truly unfortunate, and I feel that you should be charged the
same as if you had pulled the trigger.  I personally don't have a gun in my
house because I don't enjoy hunting and do not want to assure that any burglar
who makes it into my home will be armed, not because I am worried that this
kind of accident would happen.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.invest,misc.taxes
From: ghica@fig.citib.com (Renato Ghica)
Subject: Re: Question on reinvesting money from sale of a home
Originator: ghica@duck
Keywords: house sale
Organization: Citibank IBISM
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:56:12 GMT




In a similar vein, do gains realized from the sale of securities also
have to be taxed right away (in the same quarter) or can the proceeds
be reinvested within a year?

Anyone know for sure?

-rg
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"These views are my own. / Mail me or Flame me"

>@)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: bcrowley@hamp.hampshire.edu
Subject: hot water boilers
Organization: Hampshire College
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:28:13 GMT

I am considering replacing an old steam boiler with a new forced hot water
system using radiators in place of baseboard radiation ( the house is an old
victorian).
         The question is the contractor is recommending a boiler called
energy kinetics system 2000,  its a steel boiler not a cast iron type.
Does anyone out there have any experience with this system.  It sounds
atractive but I not sure of the life span of stell vs cast iron.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advanve.

 
Bob C  
Millers Falls, Mass.
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Another meter question
Date: 22 Jul 92 15:16:13 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

Is there a limit (according to NEC) to the distance between the electic
meter and the main breaker?

I'm upgrading my service, and the elec. co. sited my meter at a spot that
is a bit further away from the breaker box than ideal.  I'm rather constrained
as to the location of the box.  Bringing the main line through the wall
directly below the meter site puts it about 20 feet away from the box.  Is
it allowed to run the line (either outside or inside, in counduit) that far
before connecting to the main breaker?  Or would I be better off putting
a main breaker box right at the entrance point, then running to the "real"
box from there?  This is a 200amp service, by the way.

Thanks for any advice.

Dave
--
Disclaimer: These opinions are not those of Informix Software, Inc.
**************************************************************************
The heart and the mind on a parallel course, never the two shall meet.
						-E. Saliers
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: paul@xcluud.sccsi.com (Paul Hutmacher)
Subject: Re: Painting PVC
Organization: Greater Montrose UFO Appreciation Society & Data Haven
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 11:44:50 GMT

In article <13237@pogo.wv.tek.com> stevez@pogo.wv.tek.com (Stephen A Zimmerman) writes:
>Hello all,
>
>I'm considering different types of railing for the deck I'm building... one
>of which involves using 1" PVC pipe for the balusters (sp?).  What sort of
>paint, if any, will stick to PVC and survive Oregon rainfalls?

I seem to recall Latex based paint as being the one recommended by my pipe
manufacturer.  Most of the time my customers leave the pipe in its natural
color though.


-- 
"There is nothing to history.  No progress,          | Paul Hutmacher 
 no justice. There is nothing but random horror."    | Houston, Texas
"Jupiter" in _The Difference Engine_ Gibson/Sterling | paul@xcluud.sccsi.com
From: soberg@think.com (Stephanie Oberg)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Making the first offer for a new house
Date: 27 Jul 1992 17:00:16 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: gandalf.think.com

>Secondly, is it possible that the sale price of the house when it is being 
>registered be shown to be higher than what actually the buyer paid for the
>house? 

     Yes, this was the case when we bought our house.  The sale price was
     recorded as $X,000, but the real estate slime^H^H^H^H^H agents gave
     us back $1500 of their commission, and the sellers gave us $500 toward
     repairs, so our net cash price was $(X-2),000.  Anyone looking at the
     town records thinks we paid $X,000.  We didn't care about the exact
     details of how the lower price was achieved.


-- 

sojourner
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: kj@cis.ohio-state.edu (Kathy A. Johnson)
Subject: fence post question
Originator: kj@iguana.cis.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University, Department of Computer and Information Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 16:18:35 GMT


I have a question about setting fence posts and I checked the faq, but
didn't find anything about fences.  When setting PT fence posts in
concrete, what is the best method?  I have heard to put gravel in,
then the post and put concrete around it.  Some say to mound the
concrete up at the surface of the ground, but others say to stop
before ground level and put a couple of inches of gravel at the top.
I also heard a rumor that I could put the quickcrete in dry and let
ground water set it.  The fence will be a 6 foot board on board fence
and our soil is clay.  Thanks for any information.  I would be glad to
make a summary of the responses to be included in the faq.

--Kathy

-- 
Kathy Johnson                             email: kj@cis.ohio-state.edu
The Ohio State University, Laboratory for Knowledge-Based Medical Systems
376 W. 10th Ave. Room 571, Columbus, Ohio, USA   43210
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder)
Subject: Removing stains from Formica
Organization: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston VA
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 13:48:01 GMT

Does anyone know how to remove stains (grape juice, I think) from
Formica? I've gotten it almost all out, but you can still see a stain
though.

thanks

Steve Snyder
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Subject: Re: cleaning (not stripping) hardwood floors
Organization: OSF Research Institute
Distribution: na
Date: 30 Jul 92 17:32:05

In article <l7gc5rINN702@boogie.cs.utexas.edu> swisher@cs.utexas.edu (Janet M. Swisher) writes:

   ...The house has hardwood floors in several rooms, and while I
   don't want to go to the effort of stripping and rewaxing them..., I
   would like to get them good and clean....  What are recommended
   techniques and materials for cleaning hardwood floors? A mop and
   bucket, I assume, and Mop&Glo? Spic&Span?  What?

I assume these are waxed hardwood floors, not polyurethaned.

1) For a light cleaning, use a slightly damp mop with a VERY weak
   solution of Spic and Span (say, one teaspoon per 3 gallons).  If
   the mop is too wet, or the solution too strong, you will leave
   marks on the floor.  Then rewax.

2) For a good deep cleaning, strip the wax and rewax.  You should be
   able to hire a cleaning person to do this at a reasonable rate.  It
   is probably worth it if the floors were badly maintained.  In fact,
   if they were _really_ badly maintained, stripping won't take much
   off, since there won't be much wax left.  You may have to wax twice
   before they are well waxed.  To maintain a waxed floor properly,
   you'll want a buffer anyway, and there are special pads for
   stripping (something like Scotch Brite, and you use them with some
   sort of solvent -- check with hardware store).

3) Screen and re-varnish (presumably with polyurethane).  Screening is
   a kind of light sanding.  Rather than taking off a large amount of
   wood, it just takes off a thin layer, including accumulated crud.
   It leaves the floor with a nice patina, unlike deep (drum) sanding.
   Best to have this done professionally (they'll do a better job, in
   much less time, with much less mess).  Around here, this costs
   about $1 per ft^2.

	-s
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: sasjaa@morticia.unx.sas.com (James Adams)
Subject: Re: Painting Baseboards
Originator: sasjaa@morticia.unx.sas.com
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 17:51:29 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.


In article <1992Jul24.140157.20823@ncrcae.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>, cooper@endeavor.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Bob Cooper x7429) writes:
|> Well I'm getting ready to do my first painting this weekend and I'm not sure 
|> how to attack the baseboard's.  
|> 
|> Problem:  How do you paint the baseboards without getting paint on the carpet? 
|>           Assume here that you have fairly plush (3/4") carpet that pushes against
|> 	  the baseboards.  
|> 
|> Do you pull the carpet back 1 foot or so away from the wall and then hire
|> someone to re-install it once the painting is done?
|> 
There is a product available at your friendly paint store that allows you to shield
your carpet. Basicly it is a strip of plastic that goes between the baseboard and
the carpet. It is angle such that you can get in there with a brush. We had another
thing which was a hand-held aluminium gismo that looked much like a 9 in strip of
venetian blind. It allowed you to get hte brush on the baseboard without getting it
on the carpet. This did nothing to keep the carpet from getting on the wet
baseboard, but I liked it better. Easier to use. Faster too.

|> 
|> Next question - Do you normally paint the baseboard's first and then the wall?
Which came first, chicken or the egg. I would say it depends on the kinds of paints
involved. Best advice, of course, is don't mess up. If one paint can't be painted on
the other, I might be tempted to put that one down first and clean up mistakes. Then
the other paint becomes easier to clean up mistakes.
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> -- 
|> 
|>         -Bob Cooper 
|> 	 Systems Architecture
|> 	 Bob.Cooper@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
|> 	 (803) 796-9250
-- 
+---------------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
|James Adams                            |  I am going as a Homicidal Maniac.  |
|  sasjaa@unx.sas.com                   |  They look like anybody else.       |
|                                       |        Wednesday Addams             |
+---------------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: parnass@cbnewse.cb.att.com (Bob Parnass, AJ9S)
Subject: Re: 1/2" drill reccommendations
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Naperville, IL
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 20:07:28 GMT
Summary: Milwaukee makes great drills

In article <27JUL199214471497@eldyn.gsfc.nasa.gov>,
goldberg@eldyn.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patti Twigg) writes:

> Hi all! My husband finally killed our 3/8" drill (a fiery death, at
> that!), and he is using our neighbor's 1/2" drill right now. He
> wants to buy a new 1/2" drill, so I was wondering if anyone has
> any opinions about which brand is better - or are they all pretty
> much the same? Thanks for any help or ideas!

Many would argue that Milwaukee makes the best electric drills.
They are made in USA, expensive, but ultra rugged,
and you'll find them popular with contractors and industry.

I've owned one Milwaukee 3/8" (0228-1) and two Milwaukee 1/2"
electric drills.

I sold my 1/2" Milwaukee (0234-1) Magnum recently to replace it with a
Milwaukee (5371-1) Magnum hammer drill.  The hammer drill can act
as a normal drill or combine the rotary action with a slight
hammering (percussion) action so drilling through stone or
cement is much faster.

The hammer drill is fairly heavy, so I use the 3/8" drill
for most drilling chores.

Milwaukee now makes several drills with keyless chucks, too.
(The 1/2" Magnum 0235-1 would be the same as an 0234-1 but
with a keyless chuck.)

My old 3/8" Sears Craftsman is used mainly
as a power screwdriver now.

PS - Porter Cable makes good tools, too.
-- 
==============================================================================
Bob Parnass, AJ9S  -  AT&T Bell Labs  -  parnass@ihlpm.att.com - (708)979-5414
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: RPT378@MAINE.MAINE.EDU
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Sulphurous Smell from Sink
Date: 24 Jul 92 13:00:54 GMT
Organization: University of Maine System

Bill:  Seems like if the water was the problem, you would have the smell in
all your sinks.  Anyway, if the water contains sulfur gases, these dissipate
when the water is flowing, giving the strongest odor then.  The smell may also
originate from sewer gases.  This could be caused by a faulty (or missing)
goose-neck trap under the sink.  Check to make sure that the master bath sink
has one installed.  I have seen some home "quick fix" artists install new bath
fixtures without bothering to install a trap.  Against the codes everywhere, bu
t not everyone gets a permit to do this kind of renovation.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Crack resistant patio design
Reply-To: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 00:26:19 GMT
Keywords: cement

In article <l6p7uhINN5u0@appserv.Eng.Sun.COM> gchin@ssf.Eng.Sun.COM writes:

>What are some guidelines for cement patios?  Both of my previous houses have
>cement patios and both have several jagged cracks.
>
>Should the squares of cement be limited to 5 feet by 5 feet?

Yep, that's about the right spacing for contraction joints. Depends on
the range of temperature you get. Oh - Contraction joints are grooves in
the concrete. Don't go much over ten feet apart.

Now, if you build a real big patio (say over 30'), you'll also need
expansion joints. You will also want one between the slab and the house.
These are simply layers of 3/8" insulation board between pours.

>Should the cement have steel reinforcement?

It's not a bad idea. Use cheap welded wire fencing with about 4" square
holes. When you pour, don't let the concrete just lay on top of the steel.
Support it with small rocks or bricks, or pull it up into the concrete
while the pour is underway, or pour a couple inch layer, lay the steel,
then finish the pour. Don't extend the steel through an expansion joint.
DO extend it through contraction joints.

>Do you need sand or gravel under the cement?

No, but don't pour concrete on bare ground. Level the ground and lay
down a layer or two of heavy duty plastic. The thickness of concrete
you'll need depends mainly on the coldest temperature. Three or four
inches is usually good enough.

>What is your experience?

A few years work in the commercial construction trades. Not much on
patios, I'm afraid.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | "Better" is the enemy of "Good enough".
                    |                     Russian proverb.
                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: CARPET CLEANERS IN COLUMBUS--REQUEST FOR INFO
From: sbt@cbnews.cb.att.com (sb.tobias)
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 13:03:20 GMT
Distribution: cmh
Organization: AT&T


i'd like to have all the carpeting in my house professionally cleaned, and 
am looking for information about carpet cleaning companies in the columbus 
area.  i've priced sears, carpet color systems, and nu-look, and they're all 
pretty much comparable.  if you've ever had your carpets professionally 
clearned, i'd appreciate hearing your recommendations or warnings.  please
reply by e-mail and i'll post a summary if warranted.

	thanks!
	  --sb tobias
	    sbt@cbvox.att.com


Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: kubley@kubley.opt.indiana.edu
Subject: (none)
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 19:05:09 GMT

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: eliot@chutney.rtp.dg.com (Topher Eliot)
Subject: Re: GOOD service from Price Pfister
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 04:45:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Data General Corporation, RTP, NC.

I had a similar experience with American Standard; I described my problem,
and they sent replacement parts for free.

Now if only I had refrained from buying this piece-of-junk Sterling Accent
faucet with its lifetime guarantee and handle that is so stiff you have to
hit it to make it move...
Topher Eliot             Data General DG/UX Systems Administration Development
(919) 248-6371      eliot@dg-rtp.dg.com       {backbone}!mcnc!rti!dg-rtp!eliot
Obviously, I speak for myself, not for DG.
misc.consumers.house archivist.  Send mail to house-archive@dg-rtp.dg.com
From: gchin@ssf.Eng.Sun.COM (Gary Chin)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Crack resistant patio design
Date: 21 Jul 1992 23:37:53 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: gchin@ssf.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: ssf
Keywords: cement


What are some guidelines for cement patios?  Both of my previous houses have
cement patios and both have several jagged cracks.

Should the squares of cement be limited to 5 feet by 5 feet?

Should the cement have steel reinforcement?

Do you need sand or gravel under the cement?

What is your experience?

Gary

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pcotton@vax.clarku.edu
Subject: Info needed on licensing of home improv/repair contractors in Mass.
Organization: Clark University
Date: 30 JUL 92 03:19:44 GMT

I understand that as of July 1st, 1992 contractors who do home improvements
and/or repairs need to be licensed.  In addition there seems to be some
new laws to protect homeowners from unscrupulous contractors.

If you know what the new laws are or where I could find out please let
me know.

Page Cotton
pcotton@vax.clarku.edu
From: drand@spinner.osf.org (Douglas Rand)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: ADVICE WANTED:  Changing house outlets from 2 to 3 prongs
Date: 27 Jul 92 21:27:55 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Open Software Foundation

In article <1992Jul27.185459.3955@vlsi.ll.mit.edu> ac@vlsi.ll.mit.edu (Andrew V. Curtis) writes:

	   I just bought a 45 year old house that is in outstanding condition
   with one exception: it is equipped with only two-prong outlets throughout
   the house.  So if possible I would like so ideas/advice about what I would 
   need to do to convert the house to three-prong outlets.  I don't know if 
   the third wire is already running through the house or not.  If you have 
   any idea as to procedure/materials/cost/advice for the above I would greatly
   appreciate it.

To start, turn off the power and open one of the outlet boxes and
look.  Or, even better, look in the service panel (fuse box) itself.
You may very well have ground wires running with the power, in which
case you just need to retrofit new outlets, not expensive and pretty
DIY easy.  If you don't see the ground right away,  don't despair,  
check under the strain relief clamps as well.

If you don't have ground wires then it's a major hassle.  You need
to run a ground wire back to at least a cold water pipe with no
unbonded unions or non-conductive sections, that is no 
non-conductive sections without a wire around them.  

You could rewire the house in sections, but that may put you in a
position where the entire house has to be brought up to modern code
(not a problem for repair, but major rewiring can change this).

But,  by all means,  first check.  It might be easy!








--
Douglas S. Rand <drand@osf.org>		OSF/Motif Dev.
Snail:         11 Cambridge Center,  Cambridge,  MA  02142
Disclaimer:    I don't know if OSF agrees with me... let's vote on it.
Amateur Radio: KC1KJ
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Subject: Re: 1/2" drill reccommendations
Organization: OSF Research Institute
	<1992Jul27.200728.29263@cbnewse.cb.att.com>
Distribution: na
Date: 28 Jul 92 12:09:20

In article <1992Jul27.200728.29263@cbnewse.cb.att.com>
parnass@cbnewse.cb.att.com (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) writes:

   Many would argue that Milwaukee makes the best electric drills.
   They are made in USA, expensive, but ultra rugged,
   and you'll find them popular with contractors and industry.

In article <1992Jul28.024435.15540@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>
patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie) adds:

   I've had a Milwaukee "Hole Shooter" since 1973 and you can't kill it. If
   they still build them that way, they're well worth the prices I've seen
   on them.  Just one thing, though. Check the data plate. The Milwaukee palm
   sander I saw in Home Depot a few weeks ago had "Made in Taiwan" on it.
   If their drills are still US made, go for it. 

This chauvinism about US-made tools is invidious and unjustified.
There are many excellent brands of non-US tools.  In fact, many (US)
tradesmen I've talked to prefer some non-US tools.

Brands that come to mind are: Bosch (Germany), famous for its jigsaws
and drills; Freud (Italy), famous for biscuit joiners (which I believe
they invented) and saw blades; Hitachi (Japan), known especially for
its chop saw and sliding miter saw....  Of course, Milwaukee (US) also
has an excellent reputation; but that is no reason to disparage other
manufacturers, regardless of their home base.

	-s

PS I do not know any famous brands of tool from Taiwan, but that is no
   reason to issue a blanket condemnation of tools made in Taiwan.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house