HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dave@frackit.UUCP (Dave Ratcliffe)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Summary: Errrr, Uhmmmmm Excuse me?
Date: 9 Sep 92 23:05:49 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: usa
Organization: Data Factory Services, Harrisburg, Pa.

In article <5SEP199223305034@acad3.alaska.edu>, jsdph@acad3.alaska.edu (Dennis P. Harris) writes:
> According to a story on today's NPR Morning Edition, Waldenbooks has fired the
> staff of its Georgetown store in Washington, DC for refusing to sell the
> "Joke-A-Date" appointment calendar, which contains racist and demeaning "jokes"
> for each day of 1993.  After hearing some examples in the story of some of the
> "jokes", I agree with the former WB employees that the publication (from St.
> Martins Press, which should know better) would offend a large number of
> bookstore customers.

Pardon me but I don't recall giving up my right to determine what is
"correct" for me to read. Your attitude, and that of many others,
disturbs me greatly. It implies that YOU know what is right for me and
that I am incapable of making such a decision for myself. 

I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself and stop trying to
foist them on the rest of us as actions limiting our choice.

The employees at Waldenbooks were wrong. Plain and simple. THEY are not the
guardians of our sensibilities and neither are you. If YOU don't like a
book or a calendar then look the other way and don't buy it. Just don't
presume to make the same decision for the rest of us. It is NOT your
right, or your place. 

-- 
 ...uunet!wa3wbu!frackit!dave -or-                       |  Dave Ratcliffe  |
 frackit!dave@uunet.UU.NET -or- dave@frackit.uucp -or-   |  Sys. <*> Admin. |
 vogon1!compnect!frackit!dave@psuvax1.psu.edu            | Harrisburg,  Pa. |
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: casey@well.sf.ca.us (Kathleen Creighton)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 16:43:16 GMT


Waldenbooks has taken a very strong stand against censorship.  Works both
ways, I guess.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16315 alt.discrimination:4209
From: halvers@procyon.crd.ge.com (Pete Halverson)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 8 Sep 92 20:35:16 GMT
Reply-To: halverson@crd.ge.com (Pete Halverson)
Distribution: usa
Organization: GE Corp. Research & Development, Schenectady, NY

In article <18ia69INNh9c@bach.crhc.uiuc.edu> guillory@crhc.uiuc.edu (Stanford Guillory) writes:
>jsp@uts.amdahl.com (James Preston) writes:
>>jsdph@acad3.alaska.edu (Dennis P. Harris) writes:
>>}I have already informed WB that I intend to boycott them until they stop
>>}selling the book and reinstate the fired employees . . .
>
>>to get your posting privileges revoked.  Neither do you nor the employees
>>of that bookstore have the right to censor book publishers.  Freedom of the

You neglected to include Mr. Preston's subsequent paragraph, which makes it
clear that he was not seriously proposing having Mr. Harris' account
revoked:

  >>Just trying to make a point.  No one has the right to "censor" you by
  >>trying to get your posting privileges revoked...

>What is wrong with everyone? The guy has decided he wants to
>boycott Waldenbooks. This is America isn't it? He can boycott
>anyone or thing he wants no matter how stupid it is, can't he?
>
>Look at how backward the logic of all these replies has been.
>They all mention freedom of the press, and then attempt to
>stomp all over this guy's freedom to do as he pleases.

I don't believe anyone in this thread, except in jest, has suggested
denying Mr. Harris' ability to boycott Waldenbooks or to persuade others to
join him, regardless of the pompous stupidity of the idea.

Odd that NPR would be taking the side of the overzealous employees, given
their generally liberal slant.  Unfortunately it seems as though "Political
Correctness" takes automatic precedence over freedom of speech or, more
particularly, freedom to sell whatever ideas the public will buy enough of
to justify stocking it on the shelves, in the EmptySpeak that occasionally
shows up in reports like this.




Pete Halverson                                      INET: halverson@crd.ge.com 
GE Corporate R&D Center                       UUCP: uunet!crd.ge.com!halverson
Schenectady, NY
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16249 sci.electronics:15303
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Cordless phones
From: graeme@hart.actrix.gen.nz (Graeme Hart)
Date: 7 Sep 92 6:4:55 GMT

eb@lucid.com (Eric Benson @ Lucid, Inc., Menlo Park, CA) once wrote....
>I'm looking for recommendations on cordless phones.  Basically,
>everyone I know who owns a cordless phone hates it.  The sound quality
>is terrible.  Is this just something one lives with?  I've noticed a
>few recent models in the stores claiming to work in the 900 Mhz band.
>Are these really better than the 49 Mhz models?  They are a lot more
>expensive, like $300-400 instead of $70-150.  Spending that much isn't
>out of the question, but I'm wary of new technology.  They claim to
>have greater range, but I'm not so concerned with range, I'm more
>concerned with the irritating, constant buzz on the line.  Also, I'd
>like to have one that's comfortable to hold, and most cordless phones
>are very bulky.  A few of them have the "flip-out" shirt-pocket
>cellular style.  This is more convenient for transportation, but how
>is it in actual use?  Has anyone tried connecting a hands-free headset
>to a cordless phone?


I have a Panasonic cordless phone and have no problems.  It is called an
"Easa-Phone", and the hand set model no is KX-T3000BAR.

It's also quite handy as it is the "flip-out" type you describe.  It was 
expensive (3-4 times the cost of other 'phones), but there is no problem
with line noise, until you get more than about 300 metres from the base
unit.

The "flip out" type is really easy to use.  When it rings, you push a
release button on the side, it flips open, and automatically takes the
phone "off-hook" so you can talk to the person.  

Reception is so good, I usually don't bother to extend the aerial :)

I think this model has been replaced now, as mine is about 3 years old,
but I'm sure the replacement is equally good.



Graeme
From: joel@upchrch.UUCP (Joel Upchurch  )
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Personal protection (was Re: PARALYZER CS tear gas)
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 92 01:45:08 EDT
Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL

fritz@hpfcbig.sde.hp.com (Gary Fritz (tmp)) writes:

> FYI:  I saw in the Denver Rocky Mountain News this morning that a company
> in Denver is selling a pepper-based "bear repellent".  The article claimed
> the stuff is "10 times stronger than police-issue" repellents.  Seems like
> if it would stop a bear, it would probably make a human assailant think twice
> Biggest problem was, it's about the size of a can of hairspray.  Not somethin
> you'd keep in your pocket.  Purse, maybe?

The bear repellents I've seen use 10% OC (An extract from cayenne peppers).
While most of the civilian sprays only use 1% OC, all the police departments
I've heard about use 5% sprays. While there may be a police department
somewhere using a 1% spray, I'd take the statment as somewhat misleading.
I'm not at all sure that a 10% spray is actually more effective than a 5%
spray and I've heard reports that the 10% sprays tend to clog up, which
would be bad. While OC sprays are supposed to fairly effective is repelling
animals, I wouldn't want to test it against a bear if there was any other
reasonable alternative available.

(If your mail bounces use the address below.)
Joel Upchurch/Upchurch Computer Consulting/718 Galsworthy/Orlando, FL 32809
joel@peora.ccur.com {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd,ucf-cs}!peora!joel (407) 859-0982
From: gordond@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Gordon DeWitte)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: firewood -- what kinds are best?
Date: 11 Sep 92 18:07:44 GMT
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (NMD MTA MWTD)

Based on a note I clipped out of the Boston Globe back in 1974:

	If we consider that coal burns better than the best wood --
	hickory -- by at least 10%, then we can make a chart with
	hickory as 100% for burning efficiency of wood and others
	following in this order:

		Pignut		                Pignut          95
		White Oak	84
		Ash		77
		Apple		70
		Beech		69
		Black Birch	65
		Elm		58
		Cedar		56
		Poplar		51
		Butternut	43
		White Birch	43
		Pine		30

I don't know how true this is but it is the only ranking I have seen.


-------------------- H E W L E T T - P A C K A R D --------------------
 Gordon DeWitte                                AT&T:  (707) 577-3887
 Microwave Technology Div.                   Telnet:  1-577-3887
 1412 Fountain Grove Pkwy.                   E-mail:  gordond@sr.hp.com
 M/S 1US-E                                      FAX:  (707) 577-4787
 Santa Rosa, CA 95403             "The perversity of inanimate objects"
------------------ GaAs IC Marketing and Applications -----------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ted@airplane.sharebase.com (Ted Marshall)
Subject: Re: New Mortgage Scam
Reply-To: ted@airplane.sharebase.com (Ted Marshall)
Organization: NCR/ShareBase Corporation
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 92 00:06:22 GMT

In article <1992Sep14.215845.9761@informix.com> neilw@informix.com (Neil Williams) writes:
>Well, actually I recall reading in a home-buyer's guidebook that
>bi-monthly payments are an easy way to reduce interest paid.  By
>paying in the middle of the month rather than the end, you save
>interest on that portion that you pay early.

But this scam isn't a bimonthly mortgage mayment. You are letting them
take 50% of your monthly payment every two weeks and put put that into
THEIR bank account where THEY earn interest. Then, at the end of the month,
they use the money they took from you to pay the mortgage; they KEEP the
extra interest! The early payoff comes in that they take 1/24 of your
yearly payment 26 times in a year.

>If you're still early in your loan, the $500 fee may be offset
>by the savings you make.  Work out the math yourself, but I wouldn't
>dismiss the offer out of hand.

Here's what you do: open a bank account with $100 or whatever your
bank wants. Every two weeks, transfer 1/2 your monthly mortgage payment
into this account. Every month, pay all of the money in this account
(except the original $100) on your mortgage. Take the other $400 that
you would have paid on the fee and buy yourself a nice present.

Now, you get the interest and, in fact, pay it (and the interest on the $100)
on the mortgage too. Your loan gets paid off a bit earlier yet and you
don't pay the $500 to anyone but yourself. Also, if you get yourself into
a money bind, you can go back to your normal 1/month payment.

Tell you what, send me $50. You can use my idea and still save $450 :-).
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: 6069870@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Subject: fair$ travel agency
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 21:39:01 GMT

I'm looking for a fair pricing travel agency.
Hopefully one that won't rob me for $400.00 extra bucks
before I reach the cruise boat.  Does anybody out there have a
good resource?

~~~~M~~~~














Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination
From: thomasr@cpqhou.compaq.com (Thomas Rush)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Reply-To: thomasr@cpqhou.UUCP (Thomas Rush)
Organization: Compaq Computer Corporation
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 13:36:42 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.195625.10024@tss.com> burke@tss.com (Jim Burke) writes:
>
>Folks, censorship is a perfectly acceptable thing.  Discrimination is a
>perfectly acceptable thing.  We all do these things on a daily basis.
>It is only when the government engages in censorship or when discrimination
>is on the basis of race, religion, etc. that there is a problem.  

Does this mean that my church must consider Bhuddist monks and
Rabbis on the same level as Baptist ministers when we interview
for a new pastor?  That is a problem.

What if I just happen to be attracted to Asians (or Mexicans, or
blacks)?  Is this a problem if have decided I will only marry an
Asian lady?

I suggest you clarify the fourth sentence quoted above, Mr. Burke!


thomas rush				uunet!cpqhou!thomasr
compaq computer corporation		their employee,
deep in the hearth of texas		not their opinions.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: arkusins@esseye.si.com (Andy Arkusinski)
Subject: Re: Mortgage Scam??
Reply-To: arkusinski@benzie.si.com
Organization: Smiths Industries
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 17:05:57 GMT

In <1685713910.MCLHAGEE@UKCC.UKY.EDU> MCLHAGEE@UKCC.UKY.EDU writes:

>out that our FHA loan has a stipulation that if we pay off the loan
>after the 1st of the month we'll be charged the full interest rate for
>the new month (in our case $425).
> 
>Essentially, we're being charged 27 days interest *after* we have paid
>back the loan! For me, that's more than a week's wages.
[deleted]
>What can we do? Does anybody know if these policies are unusual or
>leaning towards illegal?

About three years ago, I refinanced my house, which had originally been
purchased with an FHA mortgage.  I ran into the same situation. The loan
company (incidentally located in Texas) would not fax the payoff
information, although they did give me the amount over the phone.  The
interest was charged for the entire month even though closing was shortly
after the first.  The loan company explained that this is the it is on FHA
mortgages.  Turns out it was in the note I signed for the mortgage, although
no one bothered to point it out at the time [or if they did, it went right
past me -- remember the stacks of paper you sign on closing day :-( ] I got
the impression that all FHA loans have this provision (I don't know why they
do) and I wouldn't be surprised if the payoff procedures are designed by
banks to take advantage by forcing unprepared customers to slide closing
past the first of the month.
-- 
Andy Arkusinski					arkusinski@benzie.si.com
Smiths Industries				
Grand Rapids, MI
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16503 misc.books.technical:1428 alt.discrimination:4365
From: konrad@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Bill Konrad)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 13 Sep 92 19:19:25 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Purdue University

In article <1992Sep14.023518.13473@anomaly.sbs.risc.net> kd1hz@anomaly.sbs.risc.net (Michael P. Deignan) writes:
>
>There is nothing wrong with boycotting. The problem arises when you attempt
>to use the boycott as an economic influence over the business in an attempt
>to get them to change their policies with regards to selling the item you
>find objectionable.
>
Excuse me? Isn't exerting economic influence the whole point of
boycotting something? Think about it. 


-- 
Bill Konrad
konrad@mace.cc.purdue.edu 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination,alt.censorship
From: so@fortran.cs.psu.edu (Nicol C So)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: Penn State Computer Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 14:44:01 GMT

In article <1992Sep10.141459.4931@m.cs.uiuc.edu> kadie@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie) writes:
>guillory@crhc.uiuc.edu (Stanford Guillory) writes:
>>...
>>A boycott is not censorship.
>>...
>True, but the goal of this boycott is to compel bookstores suppress
>material of which you disapprove. Supporters of free expression thus
>oppose this boycott.

The boycotters are exerting their "fair share" of influence on the business
decision of bookstore owners, there is nothing morally wrong with these
people.  The boycotters have no moral obligation to patronize businesses
whose business practices they do not approve.  Nor do they have the moral
obligation to help spread any particular idea.

Don't get me wrong, I am not speaking for the boycott.  Generally I support
tolerance of difference in opinions and believes.  I just think that 
boycotts are morally acceptable, although perhaps undesirable in come cases.
-- 
Do not confuse my name "Nicol" with "Nicole".  The latter is feminine.
From: cchao@cello.hpl.hp.com (Chia Chao)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Britannica $$??
Date: 15 Sep 92 20:25:43 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories

In article <1992Sep11.235539.23022@microsoft.com>, gideony@microsoft.com (Gideon Yuval) writes:
|> What price is the current Encyclopedia Britannica? the Britannica
|> people won't quote me a number -- they insist on sending a
|> salesman (prsumably for the usual song&dance act).

Try the classified section of your local paper. Mine (San Jose Mercury
News) regularly has them for sale, priced usually around $400 - $1000
(or more, see below). For example, The following two were on Monday's
paper:

	BRITANNICA Set lk new 42
	vols $600 801 487-4332

	ENCYCLOPEDIA Brit new
	lthr covers $1200 [408]287-9577

Good luck!

Chia Chao
cchao@hplabs.hp.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination,alt.censorship
From: kadie@dante.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 21:53:53 GMT

burke@tss.com (Jim Burke) writes:

>I don't agree with the editorial policies of the San Jose Mercury News - I
>feel they slant the news with their own editorial bias, so I personally
>boycott the SJMN.

But you don't boycott stores that sell it in hopes that the store will
stop selling it to others. So yours is a type II boycott.

I didn't criticize a proposal to boycott the offensive-to-some
calendar (type II). I personally am very unlikely to buy the calendar.

What I criticized a proposal to boycott a whole bookstore in order to
stop them from selling the calendar to others (type I).

- Carl


--
Carl Kadie -- kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.video,sci.electronics
From: ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder)
Subject: Re: VCR Maintenance Advice Wanted. Head Cleaners Any Good?
Organization: WHY?
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 18:26:20 GMT

In article <2AA6BA13.14151@news.service.uci.edu> gkwan@balboa.eng.uci.edu (Greg Kwan) writes:
>[lot of stuff]
>
>The real question to me, however, is why are your video heads getting
>so dirty (twice in 2 years)? Are you using cheap tapes? Don't do this.
>Do you re-record on the same tapes over and over? You should change
>tapes every so often (they do wear out). Finally, do you have a sep-
>arate rewinder? Rewinding/fast-forwarding takes a lot out of the VCR
>and should be minimized.
>
OK, this leads to another question, Which brands of tapes are best??

Steve
From: laird@stable.ecn.purdue.edu (Kyler Laird)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: What does a loan officer do with my tax return?
Date: 14 Sep 92 16:08:24 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

I'm in the process of applying for a small loan and have run
into a demand for my tax return.  The reason I was given is
that they need it because I am self-employeed (farmer).

It seems odd to me that my application would be "approved"
pending a sheet of paper that I filled out.  It doesn't seem
like a tax return is proof of much of anything.

Do they verify this somehow?  If so, why don't they just get
this info from that source originally?  Will my tax return
info become part of my financial data as maintained by TRW
and friends?  Is there any reason that I shouldn't go to the
library, get a set of forms, fill them out however I want,
and turn them in as authentic?

Gee, I bet if I FAX them, they'll believe just about anything...

Thanks for the insight.

--kyler
Organization: Doctoral student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 12:01:45 -0400 
From: Simon Szykman <ss8c+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Cable TV Consumer Protection Act of 1992


On 11-Sep-92 in Cable TV Consumer Protectio..
user Eric Varsanyi@craycos.co writes:
>	Sounds to me like the greedy SOB's at the various cable companies
>	will do anything to make people think this is a bad idea. All we can

No kidding!  My last cable bill had a big red notice that said 
(paraphrasing) that there were a bunch of politicians who didn't care
about the public, who are trying to get legislature passed which could
lead to higher rates, etc, not mentioning of course that it could also
lead to lower rates, as well as all the other stuff mentioned in the
previous posting.  They urged writing and calling to complain about it.

                    - Simon

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.books.technical,alt.discrimination
From: oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu (Sharon O'Neil)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 04:02:14 GMT

jsdph@acad3.alaska.edu (Dennis P. Harris) writes:

>According to a story on today's NPR Morning Edition, Waldenbooks has fired the
>staff of its Georgetown store in Washington, DC for refusing to sell the
>"Joke-A-Date" appointment calendar, which contains racist and demeaning "jokes"
>for each day of 1993.  After hearing some examples in the story of some of the
>"jokes", I agree with the former WB employees that the publication (from St.
>Martins Press, which should know better) would offend a large number of
>bookstore customers.

First of all, let me say that I don't like the idea of this "Joke-A-Date'
calendar, but I think that to refuse to sell it is censorship.  Just because
I don't like something doesn't mean that I can refuse to sell it.  If they
don't buy it from me, they'll buy it from someone else.  And I'm sure that
there's plenty of stuff in a bookstore that might offend me, other than that.
I don't like Pat Robertson or Dinesh D'Souza or the National Enquirer but
if I don't sell those books, I'm censoring them, if they are available.

>I have already informed WB that I intend to boycott them until they stop
>selling the book and reinstate the fired employees by posting a message to
>their user services folks in their Walden Computerbooks on-line store in the
>Compu$erve Mall (GO WB), and I urge others to join me.  I also intend to write
>St. Martins Press and tell them I'm boycotting them, too.  The book's author is
>apparently afraid to use his/her real name, since it's listed as "Blanche
>Knott" (ooh, bad pun!).

Oh please!  Get a life.  I could see you being upset if these people 
were fired for being black or gay or whatever else, but that apparently
isn't the case.  They were fired because they refused to sell a book/
calendar.  That equals censorship.  And since Waldenbooks is a seller of
books, and hence ideas, I think that you're really overreacting.

>There is no Waldenbooks store in my area, or I would have dropped in and told
>the local staff that I'm boycotting them, but you can drop by your local mall
>and let the local manager know how you feel.

I would be happy that the local manager isn't attempting to control my
access to whatever materials I want to read that are sold in her store.

I would be happy that the local manager isn't bowing into the conservatives
who would have Ms. Magazine and Utne reader banned fromthe store.

sharon o'neil
oneil@cwis.unomaha.edu

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ohumukin@spectra.com (Kawika Ohumukini)
Subject: Business Checking and Credit Checks
Organization: Spectragraphics Corporation
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 23:17:47 GMT

Hi,

I applied to Wells Fargo Bank for a business checking account and
they told they would run a credit check.

Q:  Why would a bank run a credit check to open up a checking account?

An information please email:

	ohumukin@spectra

Thanks and have a great day!

Kawika 
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16252 rec.video:10993 sci.electronics:15309