HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pngai@adobe.com (Phil Ngai)
Subject: Re: Burglars and dogs and snakes, oh my!
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 08:22:10 GMT

In article <Bt14o9.M84@news.cso.uiuc.edu> khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) writes:
>keith@clodii.Columbia.NCR.COM (Keith Boyd) writes:
>
>>In article <1992Aug7.164531.2686@adobe.com> pngai@adobe.com (Phil Ngai) writes:
>
>>No. First you let him die, then you call the cops and the ambulance.
>>When someone breaks in your home, they give up certain rights.

Hey Scott, I didn't write this.

-- 
My opinions are my own.
A right delayed is a right denied.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: loverso@coltsfoot.osf.org (John Robert LoVerso)
Subject: Re: How to get rid of lawn grubs?
Summary: Go Organic!
Keywords: nematodes, milky spore
Organization: OSF Research Institute, Cambridge MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 20:29:42 GMT

In article <1992Aug12.160750.2996@cbnewsm.cb.att.com>, mks@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (manishkumar.sharma) writes:
|> What is an effective way to get rid of [lawn grubs] them? Pesticide spray?

A best bet is to go organic.  You could try milky spore; as a disease it
should not affect anything in your lawn (or above it) EXCEPT that it will
prevent grubs from living.  Even better, a single application can last up
to 10 years.  However, there has been some problem with the manufactor
of milky spore this year, so I've been told to avoid it until next spring.
The next best thing is to apply a treatment of nematodes.  This, too, will
kill the grubs.  Unfortunately, this only lasts one year.

These are available in most organic gardening outfits; Gardens Alive! is
the one that comes to mind (although I don't have their number on hand).
You can also get treatment via an "organic" lawn service, if you don't want
to do it yourself.

Killing grubs is not only good for your lawn, but your neighbors with plants
that the Japanese beatle finds yummy will also thank you.

John
From: becker@edwards-vax.af.mil
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: burglers
Date: 21 Aug 92 13:33:02 -0800
Organization: IFAST - EDWARDS Air Force Base

One more comment on killing burglers.  Is it not true that if you are in
a guarded department store and you are caught steeling that the armed
guard will go after you, to the point where he'll say "HEY" or "HEY YOU"
or "HALT" and if you proceed to run he will shoot you!  Now, why is it
ok for him and not for the average man/woman protecting his/her home?
He is PAID to protect the store.  Well, we protect our homes as well, we
are just not hired or paid to do it.

If you are in an area after closing and the guard catches you its the same
thing.  He'll yell at you and if you continue on your merry way you are
probably going to get shot!  I don't think the guard is going to think
twice about it.  Why should we?  He's doing his job in protecting the
store or whatever and we do ours in protecting our homes.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: ADVICE NEEDED: Shake roof maintenance
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 92 23:30:44 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.190515.619@ultra.com> wayne@ultra.com (Wayne Hathaway) writes:
>I have recently acquired a three-story house with a shake roof
>underneath pine trees.  A very nice place, but the roof is COVERED
>with pine needles (not to mention the gutters).

That's wood shingles, right? Not the best design under the circumstances.
Get the needles off, though. They'll rot the roof.

>Is it feasible to consider sweeping it and cleaning the gutters
>myself?  If so, can anybody offer advice on what to do for a safety
>harness?  What kind of broom/brush to use?  What's the best way to
>walk on shingles without busting them loose?  Anything else (other
>than to buy more life insurance)?

Feasible, yes; sensible, no. Three stories is a bit much. The only times
I've been on wood shingled roofs was just before laying a new roof. My
experience at this is that I can't walk on them without damaging the
roof, and I weigh less than 150 pounds.

>By the way, there's no way to reach even a fraction of the gutters
>with any kind of ladder; it'll all have to be done from the roof.

No way. It'll have to be done from a ladder or scaffolding. Either buy a
ladder long enough, rent scaffolding for the job, or hire someone who
will. Try to walk on the roof is asking for trouble.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |            - The 90/90 Rule -
George Patterson -  | The first 90% of the work takes 10% of the time.
                    | The last 10% of the work takes the remaining 90%
                    |   of the time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott)
Subject: Which garage door opener to use?
Organization: Prime Computer R&D
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 17:22:51 GMT


I am getting ready to purchase two garage door openers.  So far the
"Genie" garage door openers seem to be the best/most popular.  I would
be interested in hearing about other people's experiences with garage
door openers and which brands of openers they would recommend.

Thanks, Marc
----
Two of the worst things we teach our children are that a knowledge of science
is nice but not necessary, and a knowledge of sex is necessary but not nice.

Marc Guyott              Constellation Software, Inc.          (508) 620-2800
                         Framingham, Mass. 01701 USA                Ext. 3135
mguyott@primerd.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!primerd.prime.com!mguyott
mguyott@eriador.prime.com       ...!{uunet, decwrl}!eriador.prime.com!mguyott
From: davek@informix.com (David Kosenko)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Killing burglars.
Date: 14 Aug 92 18:16:11 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1992Aug13.132030.28884@edwards-vax.af.mil> 
	becker@edwards-vax.af.mil writes:
>All this about killing burglers and the justice system......I have some
>comments.
>
>Number two is  it is true our system of justice sucks.  If you are
>guility of a crime against society you should loose all rights.  Why
>should you keep them when you violated someone elses.  A person that
>commits a crime, like burglery, should not be able to sue or do 
>anything but serve his time in jail.  


Sorry, but this doesn't wash.  First of all, we have the concept of
guilty until proven innocent, generally by a jury of your peers.  Thus
if someone breaks a law, it is up to the system to find them guilty.
Someone breaking into your house *still* has the right to due
process under the law.  Sure, if they threaten your life, you can
shoot/whatever them in self defence.  The onus is on *you*, though, to
be able to prove your life was threatened.  This does not always lead
to pleasant situations (and most of the posters have expressed their
dislike of this idea).  What you must remember is that once a 
precedent has been set for the removal of basic rights, it becomes
difficult to stop.  Thus, when you get pulled over for drunk driving
and the police officer proceeds to beat the shit out of you (not that
any such event could happen in this great country of ours) because
"you are guilty of a crime against society" [drunk driving] and
should therefore "loose [sic] all rights," you might find that idea a
little less appealing.


Followups should probably go to talk.law or somesuch.

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
From: hh2@prism.gatech.EDU (Hap Haas)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Mail-order home specialty (lighting, etc.) items ??
Date: 18 Aug 92 19:45:13 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

I am looking for mail-order companies that handle lighing equipement
and supplies, and possibly other home improvement specialty items.

Both local huge lighting companies in Atlanta carry very low stock on
"nice" globes and the such, and require full payment/no return on orders.

For that kind of service, I'd gladly mail-order what I need. Especially
when you consider they also are quoting a 4 to 6 week delivery time.

Thanks in advance.

hh
---
Harry Haas  GTRI/RIDL/SB    |    Georgia Tech Research Institute
Research Engineer II        |    225 North Ave.
hh2@prism.gatech.edu        |    Atlanta Georgia, 30332
"I know engineers . . . . they *love* to change things"  - Bones
From: mcs@fps.com (Mike Sanfratello)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Killing burglars.
Date: 17 Aug 92 20:15:43 GMT
Organization: CRAY Research

In article <AJG.92Aug17075948@sp1.ccd.harris.com> ajg@controls.ccd.harris.com (Arnold Goldberg) writes:
>
>I think it's pretty easy to tell anyone who has posted re. this thread
>who has had his/her house broken into.
>
>Those of us who have had burglers enter our house probably feel a little
>more emphatic about our right to protect ourself to any extreme we feel.
>
>I know I do, almost overnight, since my house was broken into this weekend.
>If I would have been there, the way I feel right now, I would have liked to
>have killed the @#$#@$.  But who knows how I would have reacted in a real
>situation :)
>
>arnold

See, you shouldn't have advocated burglar's rights heretofore - it is
obvious that the burglar reads USENET and picked your house on purpose...


(BTW, :~)  :~))
From: mcnamara@vixvax.mgi.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Asbestos tiles?
Date: 21 Aug 92 14:20:44 CDT
Organization: Management Graphics, Inc.

	My house has older (50s) nylon tiles in the basement.  I have
heard that some tiles from this time period had asbestos in them.
If this is true, how would I check on these particular tiles?  Secondly,
I assume that if true the best idea would be to cover them with something.
What would be a good material?  I don't really want to cover them, because 
it will give me a new space for condensation, leading to possible mold
and mildew problems.

						Curt

****************************************************************************
Curt McNamara	(mcnamara@mgi.com)	|"Mistakes are part of the dues
Mgmt. Graphics, Inc.			|one pays for a full life."
1401 E. 79th St.			|	Sophia Loren
Mpls., MN    55425			|
****************************************************************************
From: gah2468@bcsaic.boeing.com (Geoffrey Hazel)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Installing Carpet in a Basement
Date: 19 Aug 92 21:36:20 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Boeing Computer Services AI Center, Seattle

In article <1992Aug17.140123.14642@cnmss.tredydev.unisys.com> rlm@cnmss.tredydev.unisys.com (Randall L. Martin) writes:
>I'm thinking about installing carpet in a basement Rec room. It
>currently has old 9" tile on the floor. I don't want to glue 
>down the carpet because a pad will give playing kids more cushion.
>Instead of paying for installation, I can rent a kicker and an
>electric stapler for $25. I have a few questions including is it
>worth the aggravation :).
>
>Questions:
>
>1. Do you use tackless strips on stairs?
>
>2. How do you wrap outside edge of the stairs?
>
>4. How many (and where) staples on the steps? 
>
>5. How far away from the wall does the tackless get installed? 
>   (I will install a baseboard after the carpet is installed.)
>
>6. How do I install the tackless to the tiled cement floor?
>
>7. Does the pad get fastened to the tiled cement floor?
>
>8. How do I install around a post?
>___
>Randy Martin             rlm@cnmss.tredydev.Unisys.COM
>(215)648-3733            tredysvr!cnmss!rlm@gvls1.GVL.Unisys.COM


If you have never installed carpet before (which it sounds like)
I do NOT recommend you tackle this project yourself.  Of all the
things in a home, carpet is (IMO) one of the nastiest to do yourself.
Professional installers are fast, and should get it looking good
without wrinkles, turned pieces, etc.  
Your second best bet is find someone you know who has installed some
carpet themselves (at least once).  You'll need some help dragging
it around and kicking it in place.
GOOD LUCK!
-- 
Geoff Hazel                  | Haven't you got some real work to get 
gah2468@bcsaic.boeing.com    | done now?
From: dougb@novell.com (Doug Barlow)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Home owner insurance policy-  Who do you have?
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:41:37 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Novell Inc., Provo, UT

I am currently with State Farm with my home and 2 cars.  They have helped
me quite a bit with claims and have not problems with their service.  But,
their rates are very high.  I would like to change to another  company but 
I have been worried that, generally, "you get what you pay for".  Have you
found this to be true or false? 

Who are you insured through?  Ever made a claim?  How did it go? Do they have
local offices or an 800 number?  

To Gecco insured people, what are your opinions of them?  

State Farm doesn't offer any discount for also having a car insured through
them.  Does yours?

Please e-mail me your insurance advice and I will repost a summary.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Barlow                   Email: DOUGB@NOVELL.COM
Novell, Inc.  Provo, UT
            The opinions expressed above are solely my own and
	    do not in any way represent the opinions of Novell, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: moody@e4.ius.cs.cmu.edu (James Moody)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Replacing siding? Ceilings for porches?  Dedicated heating?
Date: 21 Aug 92 12:53:03 GMT
Reply-To: moody@cs.cmu.edu
Organization: CMU Vision and Autonomous Systems Center

An addition was put on the house we now own back in '68, just a 3/4 bath 
and a family room.  The addition is only on the first floor, and because 
our yard's elevation drops roughly 1 story from the front to back of our
house the floor of the addition forms the ceiling of a back porch.  The 
addition can be roughly described as a box attached to the back of the 
house, held up with two brick columns.  The area under the addition 
(14'x17') forms a back porch.

The porch ceiling is a rather unattractive painted plywood cladding, 
and the addition itself has aluminum siding.  In spite of this the porch
is a pleasant place to spend time.  I'd like to make it much nicer.

1)  I'd like to remove the ceiling and do some wiring work.  Right now we
have one bare bulb illuminating the porch.  Yuck.  Anyhow, I plan to put 
in better lighting and an outlet or two.  Maybe do some insulation work,
too, since this addition uses pre-70's technology.

What are good options for a new outdoor ceiling?  I was thinking of 
tounge-and-groove cedar planking, but I'm wondering if I should put in a 
"tighter" super-ceiling first, and just use the cedar for its visual 
appeal.

2) I already mentioned the aluminum siding, and I am considering replacing
it.  It's full of holes where basketball hoops and backboards and other
things were mounted in the past.  Lots of rust stains.  On the other side
there's a small furnace (dedicated to the addition) that we will probably
replace, which will leave a nasty hole to be repaired.  Plus, the original
installation wasn't very good.

I'd like to hear from anyone who's had experience in installing siding as
to how hard it is.  There are three sides to do, two are 14' wide, and one 
is 17' wide.  They are all roughly 1 story high, and each side has a window.
Is this something that two guys (not pros, but competent) can do in a day
or weekend?

3) The addition is exposed on 5 sides and has pre-70's grade insulation,
thus it needs it's own heating source with it's own thermostat  We currently
have a small gas forced-air furnace that's noisy as all heck, and we want to 
replace it with something reliable and quiet (and efficient!).  Any 
suggestions?

Thanks alot!

-- 
James E. Moody Jr.	The Robotics Institute		(412) 268-2847
			Carnegie Mellon (University)	      CMU-BUGS
			Schenley Park
moody@cs.cmu.edu	Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Garage Door Opener Regulations
Reply-To: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 23:49:03 GMT

In article <1992Aug12.193249.24930@col.hp.com> cab@col.hp.com (Chris Best) writes:

>I do.  As the door nears the fully-closed position, the force is incredible, due
>to the geometry of the bracket and drive chain.  Sure, it'll bounce off your
>car hood with no damage, since that's mid-travel, but something smaller (like a 
>kid's skull) could easily be crushed.  It would take LOTS of resistance at this 
>point to make the motor/clutches/whatever "see" that few pounds of resistance.
>
>I say this after looking at MY openers - it may very well be that others are 
>installed differently.  

Mine is. I have a Sears unit that came with the house. It stops if it hits
too much resistance. I once caught a cat in it. The door stopped moving far
enough up to allow the cat to squirm out from under before I could hit the
button again. The cat *did* announce his displeasure; however, I don't
think my door would break much.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    | There are very few personal problems which
George Patterson -  | cannot be solved by a suitable application
                    | of high explosive.
                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:10892 misc.forsale:23839
From: wyl@mahoosuc.NSD.3Com.COM
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.forsale
Subject: For Rent: Westgate Fourplex 2BR 1BA
Date: 17 Aug 92 18:02:07 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house


        Posted for a friend, contact the phone listed directly
        ======================================================

        Westgate Fourplex (Prospect and Saratoga Avenue)
        Large 2BR 1BA
        AEK
        Balcony and Private Garage
        No Pet
        $696/month

        Please call 408-867-3522
From: gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org (Gary Sanders)
Subject: Re: Telephone Outlets
Organization: HAM BBS, 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/v.32/pep)
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 10:47:13 GMT

In article <1992Aug23.013031.9219@icd.teradyne.com> ardai@zax.eda.teradyne.com (Michael Ardai) writes:
>In article <5942@grus.cs.nps.navy.mil> erickson@cs.nps.navy.mil (David Erickson) writes:
>-Are all cordless phones easy to monitor?  I thought they had built in
>-scrambling circuitry, which is set according to a small bank of
>-dip switches.
>
>While there are a few cordless phones that actually *scramble* the voice (one
>in the new Radio Shack catalog comes to mind), most of the 'digital security'

scramble is such a harsh word and misleading if your ask me.. What the RS
cordless phone does is use spread spectrum technology to transmit the
voice to and from the handset. No scrambling takes place of your voice 
behond what is inherent in the SS. 
-- 
Gary W. Sanders gws@n8emr.cmhnet.org, 72277,1325
N8EMR @ N8JYV (ip addr) 44.70.0.1 [Ohio AMPR address coordinator]
HAM BBS 614-895-2553 (1200/2400/V.32/PEP) Voice: 614-895-2552 (eves/weekends)
From: wwang@osf.org (Weidong Wang)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: How to get rid of bee nest
Date: 12 Aug 92 19:34:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Open Software Foundation


I noticed the other day that there is a bee nest under my roof (that explained
why I once found dozens of bee bodies in a phone plug box after I moved into the house last Nov.). Yesterday I looked again, The bees were gone, leaving some 
yellowish white stuff hanging there.

I'd like to get some advice on how to get rid of the nest. I don't want get stung while doing it. Thanks.

Weidong
From: mallick@crd.ge.com (John Mallick)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Stinky Sink
Date: 18 Aug 92 21:15:23 GMT
Reply-To: mallick@crd.ge.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Corp. Research And Development

I had heard that loading the disposer with ice cubes and grinding them up will help. 
Certainly is cheaper than lemons.  Give it a try.
-- 

John A. Mallick WA1HNL
GE Corporate Research and Development
Schenectady, NY 12301
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: philip@simserver1com (Philip Peake)
Subject: Re: DIY Lawn Sprinklers using a lake as water source
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:56:15 GMT
Organization: mentor
Keywords: 
Followup-To: 

In article <1992Aug07.162952.4875@icxn.com>, kjd@icxn.com (Kevin J. Dunlap) writes:
|> I am intrested in installing an automatic lawn sprinkler system.
|> I have a lake in my back yard and would like to use it as the source
|> of water.  Does anyone have any tips or pointers about installing such 
|> a system.  
|> 
|> Do I need to pump the water into a tank to create enough water pressure?
|> or can I get a large enough pump to create enough pressure?
 
Getting the required pressure from a pump is no problem.
The biggest problem may be the length of the pipe between
the lake and your lawn.

In any case, use big diameter tubing to avoid too many losses.

Philip
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: rim@csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au (Bob McKay)
Subject: Re: Metal roofs
Organization: Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, Australia
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 06:41:39 GMT

Morgan@icarus.curtin.edu.au (Bruce Morgan) writes:

>In article  (David 
>Silberberg) writes:> davids@stsci.EDU (David Silberberg)
>>Subject: Metal roofs
>>Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 19:48:28 GMT
>>I'm new to this group mainly because I'm new to my house.  
>>
>>1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of metal roofs?

A caveat: my comments apply to the way metal roofs are done in Australia - 
they may be done differently in the States.

>Having lived under both flat and pitched metal roofs, I can
>only offer disadvantages:
>a. Very noisy with heavy rain.

Depends what's between the roof and you - it's not so much that they're noisy,
as that they don't absorb sound much, so if there isn't anything else to 
absorb the sound, you get a lot of noise - compared with, say, tile, where
the tile itself has sufficient mass to absorb a lot of noise. We have a metal
roof straight onto 3" thick strawboard (we're talking temporary houses here),
and it's no noisier than most houses; our shed has 8" insulation batts in the
ceiling, and the only noise you hear there is the spatter of drops on the
window.

>b. Difficult to get into roof to add/change wiring.

Again, depends on the design of the house - there's no reason a metal roof
has to come with an inaccessible roof space.

>c. Older types rust eventually, fast if you live near the ocean.
>d. Leaks are hard to find.

Both true.

>e. High winds rip off metal roofs long before damage to heavy
>tile roofs.

If a metal roof is properly fixed (ie bolted rather than screwed down) it
is far safer in extreme winds than a tile roof - building codes in cyclone
prone cities favour them. On the other hand, a lightly nailed metal
roof is both vulnerable and extremely dangerous (a loose sheet of steel in a 
cylone is not something you want anywhere near you - we're talking decapitation
here)
-- 
Bob McKay		   	Phone:	+61 6 268 8169	    fax: +61 6 268 8581
Dept. Computer Science		Internet:	rim@csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au
ADFA, Northcott Dve 		UUCP:...!uunet!munnari!csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au!rim
Campbell ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA	ARPA:	rim%csadfa.cs.adfa.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house