HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: louis@aupair.cs.athabascau.ca (Louis Schmittroth)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: America doesn't have a clue: (was DOES AMERICA SAY YES TO JAPAN? - Off track!!)
Date: 23 Dec 92 00:22:39 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers

thomasd@tps.COM (Thomas W. Day) writes:


|Which they [the Japanese]
| do a lot of to their advantage.  The investment in propaganda and 
|government bribery is a lot lower than making real changes.  As our 
|government system stands, we don't have a chance of changing anything 
|significant.  I've read that Japan invests $400,000,000 per year in 
|Washington.  Buying government is much cheaper than any other investment 
|they could make.  

Has anyone participating in this thread read "Agents of Influence?"
Or some such title.  Is it worth the read?  Was that the book that Ross
Perot kept referring to during the campaign?

--
Louis Schmittroth louis@cs.athabascau.ca
NW 1/4 18 67 21 W4 Alberta.  
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: alasnik@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Adam Lasnik)
Subject: Prodigy offer -- no longer valid :-(
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 07:30:47 GMT


Hi folks.

A week or so ago, I offered to sign people up for free Prodigy kits.  Many
people have already taken me up on the offer, and now unfortunately, I am
unable to procure kits for any more people -- each Prodigy member may order a
maximum of six kits per season :-(

However, as soon as I am eligible to order more, I'll be happy to post another
note on the board here :-)

Hope everyone had a nice holiday.  And best wishes for the New Year :-)

--ADAM "KEYS" LASNIK from Northwestern University
From: ru+@CMU.EDU (Rudolph R. Zung)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Interplak vs. Braun
Date: 24 Dec 92 13:07:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.gfCY_xy00WB9AE8hJT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I have a Braun, and have heard over the months various comments about the
Interplak. 

I am very happy with my Braun; it gets the work done and I can use any
toothpaste with it. The whole hand unit appears sealed, so no water may
drip inside it. The on/off switch appears to be a magnetic switch, again so
that there are no holes that water may drip in. The switch is removable,
and can be installed upside down disabling the whole unit for those times
when you pack it into your luggage and you don't want it turning on by
accident and buzzing away happily in the cargo compartment on its way
across the Atlantic. The charging connector looks like it uses induction,
so that is no direct metal to metal contact that might rust.

From what I hear about the Interplak: there are holes in the casing which
may allow water to drip inside and rust the insides. Use of regular
toothpaste, many of which contain abrasives will damange the gearing
mechanism in the tooth brush head. While the efficacy of the Interplak is
not in doubt in as far as plaque removal is concerned, it was mentioned
previously on this bboard that if you use it more than once a day, the
Interplak is so efficient that you may be removal your enamel as well; I
have no idea if the Braun does this as well or not.

In the end, someone posted a review on the Braun that ended with this
statement which made up my mind for me: the Braun is built like a tank.


--
...Ru     Names and places have been identified to protect the anonymous.
   mcmxcII
   Make the world a better place.
   Give the gift of kindness.


InterNet: ru+@cmu.edu          BITnet  : rz02+@andrew 
UUCP    : ...!{ucbvax, harvard}!andrew.cmu.edu!rz02+         
R Zung \ (412) 681-6468 \ CMU Box 231 \ Pittsburgh PA 15213
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: hillelm@comm.mot.com (Hillel Meyers)
Subject: Re: rechargeable batteries
Organization: Motorola Land Mobile Products Sector
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 10:24:08 GMT

Is there a problem with keeping my Sony Camcorder batteries always in the recharger once they have been discharged completely?  Can I place them in the recharger after a single use even though they are not fully discharged?  It seems they are always running down while I am not using them.

Hillel

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: geier@xylogics.com (Marcia Geier)
Subject: Interplak vs. Braun
Organization: Xylogics, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 13:48:44 GMT

I have been using an Interplak for a year or so and was wondering
how the Braun compares....I am thinking of changing over since you
can use any toothpaste with the Braun...I don't use any toothpaste
at all with the Interplak, and sometimes I miss its additional 
freshness. Instead, I use mouthwash. Anyway, is the Braun as
effective at reducing plack (plak?)? I'd appreciate feedback.
Also, which is the more reliable unit over time? Many thanks
in advance for any information from the net-masses...


Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.invest.real-estate
From: fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com (Fred Christiansen)
Subject: Re: Manufactured Housing (not a mobile home)
Organization: Motorola Computer Group, RT Software
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 20:05:28 GMT

In article <1992Dec30.164738.24680@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> ktong@shannon.jpl.nasa.gov (Kevin Tong) writes:
>Does anyone out there know anything about manufactured housing or
>has any experience with a house built using manufactured housing.  

Builder magazine regularly has ads for pre-fab/modular/manufactured
houses.  You could start there for leads.  I imagine there's a trade
association and a trade rag (magazine) for this line of business.

By the way, this question is better posed in the misc.consumers.house group.
-- 
Fred Christiansen, Motorola, 2900 S Diablo Way, Tempe, AZ 85282  "Canajun, eh?"
fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com  ||  uunet!phx.mcd.mot.com!fredch  ||  +1 602-438-3464
  ".. I have set before you Life and Death, blessing and cursing;  therefore
      choose Life, that both you and your children may live"  Deut 30:19
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: niebuhr@bnlux1.bnl.gov (david niebuhr)
Subject: Re: Dedicated ATM card?
Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 21:54:28 GMT

In article <1992Dec30.192254.3457@chpc.org> rboudrie@chpc.org (Rob Boudrie) writes:
>
>>FYI, Plus also has one:  1-800-THE-PLUS
>
>This service is automated - you are prompted to touch tone in the area 
>code and the first three digits of "the number you are calling from".
>
>This makes a marvelous way to easily determine what town a phone number
>is in (unless it is one of those rare towns without a plus ATM 
>nearby).

Actually, the system is easily fooled.  I just tried the number from
my job which is on a toally different exchange and CO and got a list
for my hometown.  In addition since my work number is on a Direct
Inward Dial system, the outgoing call bears absolutely no relationship
to the one I'm called on even though they are in the same CO.

Anyway, even if I did call PLUS from my home phone, there is no way
to determine exactly where it is located since my exchange serves three
communities.  Multiple communities per exchange are not uncommon on Long
Island and vice-versa.

Dave


-- 
Dave Niebuhr      Internet: niebuhr@bnl.gov / Bitnet: niebuhr@bnl
Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973  (516)-282-3093
From: drears@PICA.ARMY.MIL (Dennis G Rears (FSS) <drears>)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Fines for not registering a vehicle?
Date: 31 Dec 92 14:06:58 GMT
Organization: U.S. Army  Armament Research Development & Engineering Center, Dover NJ

In article <1992Dec30.183613.3403@nctams1.uucp> n36c@pnet16.cts.com (Rm1 Straight) writes:
>On this subject, I have a question. I lived in Ca for four years, registering
>my vehicle/s there. As military non-resident I found it much cheaper than my
>home state. I transferred to Hawaii in 91 and registered my car here, hey for
>.50 a year (yes, .50 cents) I couldn't beat it. After I got here, Ca DMV sent
>my MIL some kind of notice (my FIL "took care of it"). Now **IF** I get
>xferred back to Cali, will they slap me with some huge fine for not
>registering my car there, even though I'd have evidence that I was in HI for
>the last three years? I'm not hoping to go back to CA, but the Navy doesn't
>particulary care what I want. Thanks for info.
>                                                   Str8

   1) Where is the car titled?  If it is titled in California, you might
have a problem.

   2) If the car is titled elsewhere Ca has no jurisdiction.

   3) what is MIL and FIL?

dennis
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: alasnik@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Adam Lasnik)
Subject: Prodigy - regarding offer
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 22:12:12 GMT


Hi folks.

Since I've gotten a number of responses, I figure I might as well make the
information public.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, current Prodigy members (including myself)
have the option of ordering free one-month trial kits for other people.

If you would like to order such a kit through me, I will need the following
information:

--Your full name
--Your mailing address
--Your day and evening phone (no, I don't call you... Prodigy asks for it)
--Your computer type (PC or MAC) and disk drive type (3.5 or 5.25)

I'll place the orders tonight, and you will get the full kit within a few
weeks.

Again, for the sake of honesty and netiquette, I will admit upfront that I get
a $5 credit towards my Prodigy account for any members I recruit that stay for
3 months, I believe.  However, this is not the major reason why I'm doing
this.  I'm spending about $5 just making toll charges to internet <sigh>
I figured people would want to try Prodigy risk-free for themselves, to see
why I and millions of others are so attached to it.

Drop me a private note if you are interested in the kit, or if you have
questions about the offer or Prodigy in general.

Take care, and Happy holidays :-)

--ADAM "KEYS" LASNIK from Northwestern University
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.electronics,soc.culture.japan,misc.education,misc.entrepreneurs
From: rrw@sunset.cse.nau.edu (Bob Wier)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Dedicated ATM card?
Date: 1 Jan 93 18:29:43 GMT
Distribution: na
Originator: rrw@sunset.cse.nau.edu

From article <R1Eds*810@stile.stonemarche.org>, by me@stile.stonemarche.org (Mark Eklof):
> 
> 	But that, as I understand it, wasn't the question.  I believe
> the original poster was talking about a $1 fee charged by the bank
> that runs the ATM you use, which would be in addition to any fee your
> bank charged for using a 'foreign' ATM.  So, you use one of these ATMs
> to withdraw, say, $50.  On your statement, you see a withdrawal of
> $51, plus a foreign ATM fee of $1.  The bank that owns the ATM you
> used keeps the extra $1.  Pretty slimey, and I've only heard of it
> once before, supposedly by a small bank in remote Maine.  I do hope
> it's a trend which doesn't develop.
  
   Yipes! I think you are right! I read the question as regarding foreign
  ATM fees.  I actually ran into the original situation once.  I belong
  to the Educational Employees Credit Union (the guilty shall be named)
  in Fort Worth, Texas and they put an atm in their building, but were
  charging a buck per transaction to use it.  Needless to say, I've 
  never used it since I also have a checking account elsewhere where "free"
  atm usage is included (but not free "foreign atm" usage).  I guess
  they felt like they needed to make back the cost of the atm at the
  credit union, but I was suprised how anti-consumer that was when the
  rest of their policies are really great (which is the reason I'm
  still a member).

- Bob Wier

  ---------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ----------
                   College of Engineering
      Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Arizona
  Internet: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu | WB5KXH | fax:602 523 2300
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: wdp@gagme.chi.il.us (Bill Pfeiffer)
Subject: Re: Channel 13 on Mt Wilson (was: Help !! == cable TV on second floor)
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 12:03:33 GMT


Re: the channel 13 problem.

1) It may be that your channel 13 is a LPTV (low power television) station.
   In that case, it would operate with only 10 watts (as opposed to over
   300,000 watts for a full powered station on ch 13)  Do they have
   regular call letters or do they have calls like  W13VX ?

2) Assuming the above is not the case, How do your neighbors receive 13?
 
3) Multipath caused by too many antennas in one place.  If 13's antenna
   is located poorly with respect to the others.

4) If all else fails, call the station and ask.  If it is NOT your 
   installation, they are sure to be aware of the problem.    

5) Remember that high gain antennas are EXTREAMLY directional, and if
   Ch 13 has a site on a tower that is on the far side of the hill then
   it might be slightly off center of the receive antenna's pattern.  It
   can be very critical, especially if Ch 13 is using an antenna that is lower
   on a tower than other stations.

 

Good Luck

Bill
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: wjh@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (william.j.hery)
Subject: Re: Sony Equipment (was Re: CD walkmans)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 17:52:50 GMT

>At the time, some Circuit City drone told
>me that really old players may have trouble with the newer 75-80 minute
>discs because the laser beam is just too wide (in other words, old
>technology...wouldn't you love to see some *new* players while you're
>here?).

My Sony D5 (circa 1985) is still going strong (average 2 hours/day for
around 7 years; no repairs). It plays my longest CDs (79+ minutes)
without a problem. It is (and always was), however, more sensitive to dust and
imperfections on the CDs than newer models, which I assume is due to
older, less sophisticated data reread & error correction algorithms.

Bill Hery
From: paul.westley@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul Westley) 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: RE: CALLING CONSUMER 800
Date: 21 Dec 92 23:33:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: paul.westley@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul Westley) 

-> >I called Burger King's number...
-> >
-> >I've
-> >been moving about every 6 to 9 months on average, but always
-> informed >_Bon Appetit_ well in advance of the move.
->
-> You subscribe to _Bon Appetit_ but you eat at Burger King?!?

How else can she afford the subscription.
                                                                                                      
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.kids
From: nelsonc@colossus.cs.rpi.edu (Chris Nelson)
Subject: Re: TYCO Stupid Pooper Double Blooper; returning things from Santa
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 16:41:17 GMT

In article <1992Dec29.143746.5888@cbnewsh.cb.att.com> jch@cbnewsh.cb.att.com (jeffrey.c.halle) writes:
>
>Getting back to the first comment.  Andrew still believes in Santa.  How do
>I tell him I'm taking it back to a store (as opposed to exchanging it)?
>
>Jeff

Well, if Aunt Agnus brought a gift which was the wrong (size, etc.),
you wouldn't have to return it to the store Aunt Agnus got it from;
you could return it to a store which carried the same item.  Just
because it came from Santa, doesn't mean it can't go back to Toys R Us
or whereever.  Andrew might be disenchanted that Santa got it wrong
but he needed know that Santa didn't bring the gift.  (If you want to
get really elaborate, you could tell Andrew that Toys R Us contracts
with Santa to handle his returns. ;-) )

                                  Chris


                             

-- 
------------------------------+------------------------------------------
Chris Nelson                  |  Rens-se-LEER is a county.
Internet: nelsonc@cs.rpi.edu  |  RENS-se-ler is a city. 
CompuServe: 70441,3321        |  R-P-I is a school in Troy!
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:21038 soc.culture.japan:12698 sci.electronics:21303 alt.sex:40078 soc.culture.african.american:13169 misc.education:5478 misc.entrepreneurs:3699
From: thomasd@tps.COM (Thomas W. Day)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,soc.culture.japan,sci.electronics,alt.sex,soc.culture.african.american,misc.education,misc.entrepreneurs
Subject: Re: America Doesn't have a Chance (was:DOES AMERICA SAY YES TO JAPAN?)
Date: 21 Dec 92 17:24:55 GMT
Organization: Telectronics Pacing Systems

In article <1992Dec19.004520.29380@leland.Stanford.EDU> strange@leland.Stanford.EDU (Mike Strange) writes:

>Let's just get one thing straight about all these domestic content arguments.
>If you have ever been to Toyota Georgetown, Honda Marysville, NUMMI Fremont or
>some of their suppliers, which I have, you will see that all the items that
>are counted as part of domestic content are marginally domestic.

>The people in these plants I have talked to have led me to believe that the
>true domestic content is closer to 15-20%.  Disturbingly, they all say that
>true domestic content is shrinking.  So, when you see that 51% of a Toyota
>or Honda is domestic content, look at what is being counted, I think you will
>be surprised.

What most of the posters on this track don't seem to want to address is that 
manufacturing power and control of the world economy are the same *and* are 
the "moral equivalent" to war.  Yep, war.  We are fighting for survival 
against an "enemy" who knows us better than we know ourselves.  Japan is 
going to kick our butts because we are almost totally unarmed in this 
battle.  We have pitiful management skills, a treasonous government (
Remember Reagan's $2 mil fee for a speach in Japan almost immediately after 
leaving office?), no will to do the hard job of designing and manufacturing 
consumer products, and a national tendancy toward decadance.  

It isn't a matter of America saying "yes" to Japan.  We've already handed 
them the keys to the fort, they're just figuring out what parts of the 
spoils are desireable.
From: timlee@netcom.com (Timothy J. Lee)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Foreign ATM Fees Re: Dedicated ATM card?
Date: 31 Dec 92 03:04:17 GMT
Reply-To: timlee@netcom.com (Timothy J. Lee)
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: usa

lchoqu%asylum.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Lee Choquette) writes:
|Same here.  However, at least in Utah, the latest trend seems to be *against*
|free interchangeability.  Last June, a Utah bank with a lot of ATMs started
|charging $1 to use the ATM if the user does not have an account with that bank,
|and another bank with a lot of ATMs will start doing the same January 1.  This
|IMO unfair practice means I can no longer head down to the store without any
|money, planning to take out $ in the store, unless I want to pay an extra
|dollar for the privilege.
|
|Is this same unfortunate trend happening elsewhere?

It happened in California a few years ago.  Now almost every bank, S&L,
and credit union charges a fee to use someone else's ATM.  This does
seem to be slightly different from what you are finding in Utah, since
that charge is based on which bank your account is at, not whose ATM
you use.  The largest banks tend to charge the highest fees (one of
them charges 2%, I think).

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee                                        timlee@netcom.com
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.
From: rcarvin@x102a.ess.harris.com (carvin robert 60184)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Auto Leases?
Date: 21 Dec 92 21:06:35 GMT
Organization: Harris ESS, Melbourne, Fla.
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

I am sure that the pros and cons of auto leasing has been a hot topic in
the past.  However, I missed the discussions.  If someone could point me
towards a FAQ or provide a summary, it would be appreciated.
--
================================================================================Bob Carvin (rcarvin@x102a.ess.harris.com)|  The usual disclaimer of the non-
GASD Harris Corp. (407) 727-5574         |  responsibility of ones employer    
P.O. Box 94000 Melbourne, FL 32902       |  and cohorts applies.
================================================================================
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jess@engx25.trt.com (Jess Alvarado)
Subject: Re: electric razor experience
Organization: TRT COMMUNICATIONS
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 17:52:54 GMT

My wife bought me an Remington MicroScreen Shaver last Christmas and it
is still going strong.  I replace the blades and foil about 2 months ago
it still shaves like new.  Its pretty loud but the vibration is not bad
at all.  It works both plugged and unplugged and still holds a charge for
about 4 or 5 shaves before I need to recharge it.  The shaver I have is 
thinner then my old Remington because the trimmer is not perminantly 
mounted next to the foil as it used to be but is hidden in the body of 
the shaver and pops out when the on/off switch is pushed upwards passed 
the on position.  I'm very happy with it and would recommend it to 
anyone that asked.




-- 
| Jess Alvarado                  |         E-mail:  jess@trt.com      |
| TRT COMMUNICATIONS, INC.       |         UUCP:    uunet!engx25!jess |
| 1352 NW. 40th Ave.             |         Voice:   (305) 797-3167    |
| Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33313       |         Fax:     (305) 797-3323    |
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: kurt@tc.fluke.COM (Kurt Guntheroth)
Subject: Re: Cover Charge for Restaurant?
Reply-To: kurt@tc.fluke.COM (Kurt Guntheroth)
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 18:49:38 GMT

Interestingly, a cover charge or "table charge" is common in some european
countries, e.g. in Italy.  It worked like this.  You can buy pizza at the
counter and walk out the door.  To sit down and eat, (1) the price of the
food was higher, (2) there was a table charge, (3) you were expected to tip.
I considered it to be about the ultimate excess of market segmentation,
searching for every buck (lira) in the pocket of wealthier patrons.
From: rrg@rtp.fibercom.com (Rhonda Gaines)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Legal Tender?? A different Twist
Date: 21 Dec 92 19:59:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: FiberCom, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia


How much of a dollar bill ($20 bill to be exact) do you have to have
before it's spendable?  My husband found 3/4 of a $20 bill and
figured that it's probably unspendable but I thought I'd pose the
question anyway.  Replies to rrg@fibercom.com

 -thanks
  rhonda

-- 
Rhonda Gaines              INTERNET: gaines@fibercom.com
FiberCom, Inc.             UUCP: ...!uunet!fibercom!gaines   
P.O. Box 11966             PHONE: 703-342-6700 or 800-423-1183 x291
Roanoke, VA  24022-1966    FAX:   703-342-5961
From: roder@cco.caltech.edu (Brenda J. Roder)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Legal Tender?? A different Twist
Date: 22 Dec 1992 17:46:39 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandman.caltech.edu

rrg@rtp.fibercom.com (Rhonda Gaines) writes:


>How much of a dollar bill ($20 bill to be exact) do you have to have
>before it's spendable?  My husband found 3/4 of a $20 bill and
>figured that it's probably unspendable but I thought I'd pose the
>question anyway.  Replies to rrg@fibercom.com

What I have heard is that anything over 1/2 can be turned in (at a bank,
I presume) for a new bill.

This leads to thoughts of scams by exactly tearing bills in half (on a 
diagonal to make it harder to figure out if it is 1/2 or not) and then
turning each half in for a new bill (at different places of course).

-- 
-- Brenda (roder@cobalt.caltech.edu)
Thought before action, if there's time.
    _The Edge_  Dick Francis
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.legal,soc.misc,alt.conspiracy