HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: royg@netcom.com (Roy H. Gordon)
Subject: VCR repair recommendation wanted
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 92 00:02:18 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: ba

Looking for a place I can trust in the Berkeley/Oakland area.  The place
I'v used in the past, Azimuth Technical, seems disinclined to answer
the phone these days.

My 7 year old NEC VCR is acting rudely.  Specifically, black horizontal
lines (they are actually at a small diagonal) go across the picture
(they are thin and don't obliterate it).  In addition, a ghost-like
vertical column slides across the screen from left to right.  There is
also distortion on the top of the image.

These problems occur when viewing the cable through the VCR or playing
a tape.  There are no problems if I connect the cable directly to the
TV.

Any suggestions as to the nature of the problem or trustworthy places
to go would be greatly appreciated.

				-- Roy
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16290 alt.discrimination:4188
From: guillory@crhc.uiuc.edu (Stanford Guillory)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 8 Sep 1992 08:35:05 -0500
Organization: Center for Reliable and High-Performance Computing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: bach.crhc.uiuc.edu

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

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.

>--James Preston

Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16612 talk.environment:3718 sci.energy:4315 sci.environment:11364
From: russ@pmafire.inel.gov (Russ Brown)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,talk.environment,sci.energy,sci.environment
Subject: Re: Radioactivity and Superstition (and the *Real* Problems)
Date: 15 Sep 92 22:35:36 GMT
Organization: WINCO

In article <JYM.92Sep14175018@remarque.berkeley.edu> jym@mica.berkeley.edu (Jym Dyer) writes:
>> I believe that the nuclear issue and many others have been
>> exploited in order to gain notoriety, public attention,
>> some measure of political power/leverage, and to raise funds.
>
>=o= I guess it all depends on what one means by "exploited."
>Certainly some have sold books, gone on lecture tours, etc.,
>but I know of no instances in which such gains weren't
>well-earned.  And I know of no instances in which such gains
>were very substantial.

To be specific, many mainstream and a host of second-line environmental
organizations have used the nuclear bugaboos, i.e., implied risks or
threats to human health, as a tool in membership and fund-raising
drives.  Both the electronic and print media have a field day with
almost any type of claim involving health effects, no matter how tenuous.
Bad news sells!  The truth, especially if it interferes with the
selling, is of little interest.  

I believe that too many organizations, including those that I support,
have drifted into the ethical morass of "that which brings in bucks
can't be all bad."  People tend to give credence to bad news.  This
phenomena has degraded our capability to make intelligent decisions. 
Once dogma replaces rational thought, some major-league bad decisions
and consequences are just around the corner. 

>
>=o= This is in pretty stark contrast to those who made their
>fortunes *in* the heavily-subsidized, tax loophole-ridden,
>monopolistic nuclear industry.
>

I'm not so sure about the subsidies and special loopholes for the
nuclear industry; what are they?  I thought the word of the day was that
nuclear power was not economical.  Maybe I should buy some stock and
make my fortune.  :-)

russ
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.video,sci.electronics,sci.misc
From: chrisp@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (Chris Pelkie)
Subject: Re: VCR Maintenance Advice Wanted. Head Cleaners Any Good?
Keywords: VCR
Organization: Cornell Theory Center
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 12:00:45 GMT

In article <laf5n3INNd57@spim.mips.com>, ccheng@mips.com writes:
|> In article <1992Sep4.163429.11781@tc.cornell.edu>, chrisp@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (Chris Pelkie) writes:
|> |> In article <1992Sep3.135437.13013@nntp.uoregon.edu>, davecole@cie.uoregon.edu (Dave Cole) writes:
|> |> |> Re: VCR HEad cleaning
|> |> |>  
|> |> |>   If you do get the urge to clean your VCR heads, be sure to get the following
|> |> |> items in addition to those listed by others...
|> |> |>  
|> |> |> SHAMMY Q-TIPS
|> |> |>  
|> |> 
|> |> This is not a spelling flame, but if you are looking for this critter, you'll find it under
|> |> "C" for "chamois" (those darn French and their funny spellings...). (;-)
|> |> The phonetic spelling "shammy" is correct pronunciation. Nevertheless, it's
|> |> all still goat hide. And it is very good for cleaning heads.
|> |> -- 
|> |
|> Just another piece of info. My electronic dictionary gives an alternate spelling "chammy".
|> BTW, is it available in common stores?
|> 
|> Cheers,
|> 
|> Leslie.
|> 
|> 

Followup to the followup: I just watched "The Heiress" in which Ralph Richardson pronounced it
(correctly for the well-bred French speaker) "sham-wa", listed as an alternate pron.  by American
Heritage Dictionary, as is the alternate spelling "chammy". The alternate spelling was news
to me, so my apologies to Dave (the original poster): close, but still not sigar.
As I said though, my intent was not to flame his good advice, but to help the novice find this in a catalog.

Radio Shack lists a cleaning kit with several chamois sticks, but they've been out of stock
at my local store on the last two trips. I bought foam-tipped swabs for home, but we have
chamois sticks at the studio, bought from a professional video supplier in town.

As everyone else points out, don't use anything with fibers in it, like cotton Q-tips or rags.
In fact, watch the edges of your chamois for any small fibers (we just had that happen!).
-- 
Chris Pelkie
Scientific Visualization Producer
Cornell Theory Center
Ithaca, NY 14853-3801
chrisp@tc.cornell.edu
From: yuanj@ucbeh.san.uc.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Not Sony (was Re: Best 27 - 30" Big Screen T.V.)
Date: 9 Sep 92 00:09:07 EST
Distribution: usa,world
Organization: Univ. of Cincinnati

In article <holly.208@mailhub.scf.lmsc.lockheed.com>, holly@mailhub.scf.lmsc.lockheed.com (Holly Wise) writes:
> I'm looking to buy a big screen (not gigantic) T.V.  Any idea on which kind 
> is the best buy?

Avoid Sony!  They are more expensive but not more relaible.  My friend bought
a 27" set 6 months ago with 3 month warrenty on labor & parts, 1 year parts 
only.  It went wrong in the 4th month.  The color seems to concentrate on all 
four corners.  The center and most part of the screen is B&W.  My other friends
bought Toshiba's for cheaper prices and did not have any problems with their
sets.  Sony cost $650, Toshiba $490, both 27", in Cincinnati, OH.

BTW, anyone know how to diagnosis and cure the color problem like I just
mentioned?  I thank you in advance!

JY
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: asj4j@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (JONAX)
Subject: Re: NSA Air Purifiers
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 03:37:32 GMT


In misc.consumers, cosc176t@menudo.uh.edu (Jason Asbahr) writes:
>My grandmother is considering the purchase of a "NSA Environmental
>Air System", a small air purifier.
>I've seen the thing, and it seems to work nicely.  It's a small
>plastic box, fairly light, obviously consisting of a fan and various
>air filters.  It's about 3/4 the size of my NeXT cube.  :)
>The problem?  The NSA purifier costs ** $175 ** !  Grandmother

>>Jason,

>>Try looking at Sears or Wards, the one's I've seen there are 1/3
>>of the cost.

 Yes, they are 1/3 of the cost but also AT LEAST 1/3 of the quality...

>>Also, I don't know if you have any Price or Pace clubs in Texas,
>>but I have a large unit (floor model) environcare that cost
>>less than $176, I believe the sale price was $135.
>>(I'm not sure since it was a Christmas present).  However, my
>>mother is currently in the market for a larger one (she has one as you
>>described and she only paid $60 for it, it uses charcoal filters and
>>is more on the line of an ionizer than a purifier.
    The NSA purifier utilize 3 or 4 different filters, depending on the
model you purchase, included in that is a carbon filter, a 3M brand
Filtrete Electrostatic material, a Tri-Media filter and a HEPA (High
Efficiency Particulate Filter).  The NSA air purifiers filter removes
95% of particulate matter from the air at 0.3 microns.  (This of course
is an upper end estimate...the figures go as low as 0.1 microns...this
removes just about everything).  The HEPA filter was orignially designed
to remove radioactive dust from the air, and is used today in hospital
operating rooms, etc.  I know this sounds like a lot of technical mumbo-
jumbo but to make things short this is the BEST affordable air filter
system you're going to find....in addition to that the NSA service is
outstanding and over 3 years (since you can get replacement filters
from them at wholesale price etc.) their air filter adds up to be less
expensive in the long run that those less than adequate filters for 
'originally' 1/3 the price...
    I hope this helps....before I bought an air filter I did my research...
I ended up with the NSA 7100A air-filtration system....
                                                      JonaX 
>>Good luck

>>Mona


Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16346 misc.consumers.house:12052
From: marvit@cattell.psych.upenn.edu (Peter Marvit)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: DISHWASHER recommendations?
Date: 9 Sep 92 17:16:25 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: Psychology Dept, U. Pennsylvania
In-reply-to: strnlght@netcom.com's message of 9 Sep 92 16:31:32 GMT

[[ dishwasher recommendations requested ]]

I, too, looked at the KitchenAid models and was very satisified with what
I saw.  However, at the time, I would have had to build all the plumbing
and electrical connections plus the counter under which to put the
dishwasher (plus a fair bit of other constuction, undoubtably).  

I ended up buying a "portable" model, made by InSinkErator.  Comparing
models of the under-counter, InSinkErator seemed to be a bit less
expensive that the exact same model of KitchenAid, even though they are
made by the exact same company.  The explanation by the sales person was
that InSinkErator tends to be sold through contractors (hence harder to
find by mortals) while KitchenAid is retail (available at local Circuit
City).

Moral: If you want KitchenAid, also check out InSinkErator. Same guts,
different packaging.

	-Peter "quite content" Marvit
--
: Peter Marvit <marvit@cattell.psych.upenn.edu>
: Psychology Dept.,  University of Pennsylvania
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination,alt.censorship
From: lew@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (lewis.h.mammel..jr)
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 03:27:53 GMT
Followup-To: alt.discrimination
Summary: scouting report

In article <1992Sep8.221558.27101@m.cs.uiuc.edu>, kadie@herodotus.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie) writes:
> gabriele@aero.org (Mark Gabriele) writes:
> 
> [...]
> >I despise censorship, but it appears to me that the fired employees
> >were merely trying to do a good deed by removing offensive material
> >from a location where people who are likely to be affected by it are
> >sure to stumble across it.
> 
> .... and where people who would not be offended by it are less likely
> to find it. Or where pople who would not be offended by it might
> be embarrassed to look for it.

In the Humor section ?  That's where these "Truly Tasteless" ( they
make many concessions to taste, actually ) books have resided for the
last ten years, without incident that I've heard of. I went to a
Walden's to see what was up and found that these "Joke-a-Date" things
were on a rack with a bunch of "straight" appointment calendars.
You know - stationery items.  They were the only off-beat item there,
and they did seem out of place.

I checked Crown Books, and they had a whole slew of them stuffed
alongside the joke books proper in the Humor section. 

It seems to me that the employees just felt like it was being
rubbed in their faces.

Lew Mammel, Jr.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16556 sci.environment:11336 sci.med:17412
From: constant@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Tino)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.environment,sci.med
Subject: Re: "Small amounts" of radioactivy (was: Light Bulbs)
Date: 15 Sep 92 02:15:01 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <JYM.92Sep14182134@remarque.berkeley.edu> jym@mica.berkeley.edu (Jym Dyer) writes:
>> I don't ever want to be anywhere near a low intensity gamma
>> source, but am not too concerned about a thousand specks of
>> alpha-emitter taking up daily temporary residence on the
>> *outside* of my epidermis.
>=o= Suppose you breathe them in, though, and have a thousand
>specks of alpha-emitter taking up daily temporary residence
>in your lungs?
>    <_Jym_>

Happens every time you light up a Marlboro. We must remember that the largest
industry causing radiation damage to people's bodies is the tobacco industry.

Tino
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The nuclear scientist will prepare the bed on which mankind must lie; and
 if mankind doesn't fit - well, that will be just too bad for mankind."
                                      - Aldous Huxley
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: kdenning@portal.hq.videocart.com (Karl Denninger)
Subject: Re: Credit cards
Summary: I had this problem
Organization: VideOcart Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 20:48:34 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.122351.1@us.oracle.com> pleroy@us.oracle.com writes:

>when I opened my checking/savings account they said it would be almost
>automatic. I finally got it when I threatened to close my accounts and
>bring my business elsewhere. I spoke directly with the representative
>at my branch office who called the credit card department for me.

I hear that.

A few years ago I ran a small business and had a merchant account with the
local bank.  Used to run totally on cash myself (never did like plastic).

One day I found myself on the short end of a travel situation, and ended up
wiring money around to get out of it.  I decided to do something about that;
went down to the bank and applied for the plastic.

They turned me down -- no credit history.  I visited the bank to make my
next daily deposit, and spoke to the President.  In a very nice and polite
tone of voice I informed him that they had 7 days to get a credit card into
my hands or the money I had on deposit there was going to move to one of 
his competitors banks on day #8, along with all of my other personal and
professional business.

Four days later the card arrived in the mail.  Never had a problem with
getting credit cards since (then again I'm good about paying them off ;-).

It probably helped that I was the President of the corporation and the bank
officer KNEW I was both serious and able to do what I threatened.  :-)

--
Karl Denninger 		Inet:  kdenning@hq.videocart.com
VideOcart Inc.		Voice: (312) 987-5022
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16308 alt.discrimination:4203
From: gabriele@aero.org (Mark Gabriele)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 8 Sep 92 12:02:56
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: solecism.aero.org
In-reply-to: dhe@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM's message of 8 Sep 92 13:31:42 GMT

The ex-manager of the Waldenbooks store who was interviewed by NPR
said explicitly that they had no interest in censoring the offensive
calendar/date book.  What he wanted to do was remove it from the
display, since the display contained many other calendars, including
some that were intended for children (e.g. Peanuts).  His logic was
that displaying the calendar elsewhere would not be censorship, and it
would be tucked out of the way of children and casual browsers unless they
looked on a shelf for it.

I despise censorship, but it appears to me that the fired employees
were merely trying to do a good deed by removing offensive material
from a location where people who are likely to be affected by it are
sure to stumble across it.  What they did was insubordinate.  It was
also a thing that a decent, first-amendment-loving human being might
do (akin to placing a pressboard cover over the cover photo on a copy
of Playboy magazine so as not to offend passersby). 

=Mark Gabriele
(gabriele@aero.org)
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16417 alt.discrimination:4307
From: tavares@danville (Jack Tavares)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 10 Sep 92 18:07:28 GMT
Reply-To: tavares@ctron.com
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: usa

Steve Adams (adams@spss.com) wrote:
: konstan@cs.berkeley.edu (Joe Konstan) writes:
: 
: >Maybe if the right and left wings refuse to patronize Waldenbooks we'll 
: >have more good local bookstores around.
: 
: This sounds like a good plan to me!  Although I object personally to the
: content of some materials published, I want to be able to purchase whatever
: I like, and thus, to be consistant, must allow others to do the same...
: 
: Just say NO to censorship...
: 
:  -Steve
: --
:  The opinions expressed above are those of the author and not SPSS, Inc.
:                         -------------------
:      adams@spss.com                           Phone: (312) 329-3522
:      Steve Adams                              Fax:   (312) 329-3558

If they were really offended that WB sold this book, they should
have quit! But they thought that they could strong arm the company
into censoring it! Instead of putting their own principles first,
they tried to get someone else to change.

I wish them luck finding new employ, and an ataboy to WB.


Jack Tavares	(603) 332-9400 x 1463 (603) 332-1019 (FAX)
Cabletron 	PO Box 5005 Rochester, NH 03867-0505
Disclaimer: Cabletron could care less!
From: mkrieger@hayes.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 9 Sep 92 19:35:33 EDT
Followup-To: alt.politics.correct
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA

In article <Sep.6.11.33.42.1992.1730@cadenza.rutgers.edu>, masticol@cadenza.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola) writes:
[stuff deleted]
> 
> NPR seemed to assume that the listeners would automatically support
> the fired employees in their behavior as self-appointed censors.  They
> did the same thing in a story about two waiters who were fired from a
> restaurant (also in California :-) for refusing to sell a glass of
> wine to a pregnant woman.  Their news is _not_ unbiased; it's just
> slanted differently than the for-profit networks.  They do quite a lot
> of bashing of groups they don't like.
> 
[stuff deleted]
> 
> - Steve (masticol@cs.rutgers.edu).

I'm not defending anyone, and I don't know the whole story about these two
waiters, but with the way people are litigation-crazy nowadays, it is 
feasible that they were trying to avoid a possible lawsuit.  Picture this:

The baby is born, and is deformed.  The doctor says "This was caused by
alcohol consumption."  Mother (and father) proceed to sue everyone who
served her alcohol during her pregnancy (similar to bars being held
responsible for patrons being served and then said patron proceeds to go
out and take out a small child in a very messy alcohol-related accident...
yes it happens quite often.)
From: jsp@uts.amdahl.com (James Preston)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Waldenbooks fires staff for refusing to sell racist book!
Date: 15 Sep 92 17:11:24 GMT
Reply-To: jsp@pls.amdahl.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

gadfly@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (Gadfly) writes:

}While we apportion blame and plot our appropriate responses in this
}Waldenbooks firing incident, let's take time to appreciate the
}integrity of the employees who were fired.  Such exuberant acts of
}personal responsibility are becoming all too rare in today's frenzy
}of litigation.  We may question the ethical system of people who
}won't sell a bad book of jokes while, presumably, stocking worse ones
}like "Mein Kampf", but they drew a line and they stuck to it.  If
}you did every little thing your employer asked just because he had the
}legal right to, why, next thing you know you'd be peeing in a cup.

I am frankly flabbergasted that you can applaud those employees for
taking personal responsibility when their action sought to remove
personal freedom.  If I break into your house and steal your stereo,
but then when the cops come knocking on my door I say, "Yes I did it",
do you applaud me for taking personal responsibility?  Does my free
admission of my act make the act ok? Or do you still want your stereo back?  

Hey, I'm all for taking personal responsibility and standing up for what
one believes in.  I would loudly applaud and strongly support someone
who refused to submit to an employer's drug test, or who refused to go
along with a business practice that was of questionable legality.  But
I can't seem to just accept the nice philosophical ideal of personal
responsibility out of context.  If your personal ethical system causes
you to take an action that reduces MY freedom, I don't give a rat's ass
that you stuck to your line.  You're still doing something that is wrong.

--James Preston

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: webdw@cbnews.cb.att.com (bruce.d.woods)
Subject: Re: firewood -- what kinds are best?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 13:06:23 GMT

In article <14190005@hpmwmkt3.sr.hp.com> gordond@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Gordon DeWitte) writes:
>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

Pignut is a variety of Hickory

>		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

Pines have several ratings.  Yellow pine is better than several
of the lower rated hardwoods, whereas white pine is none too good.


Also, Red Oak and most all the Maples are excellent.


Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16418 misc.books.technical:1409 alt.discrimination:4308