HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jamshed@gradient.cis.upenn.edu (Jamshed Masood)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Secured Credit Cards
Date: 12 Dec 92 06:58:45 GMT



Hi
Could somebody please post me the list of banks/institutions that
offer secured credit cards.

I will appreciate your response

thanx

--
Jamshed
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,soc.culture.japan,sci.electronics,alt.sex,soc.culture.african.american,misc.education,misc.entrepreneurs
From: strange@leland.Stanford.EDU (Mike Strange)
Subject: Re: DOES AMERICA SAY YES TO JAPAN? - Off track!!
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 00:45:20 GMT

In article <BzH7uq.CEu@ncube.com> bob@ncube.com (Bob Kehoe) writes:

>>Honda plants in America are assembly plants which build cars out of parts
>>made and imported from Japan.  Read:  far fewer jobs, and less skilled
>>ones.

(Deleted stuff)
>
>I don't have any Honda data in my hands right now, but
>the press release that accompanied the Camry Wagon I'm
>testing this week claim that Toy's Georgetown, Kentucky
>manufacturing plant produces three-quarters of all Camry
>sedans sold in the U.S. and 100% of all Camry wagons
>exported worldwide, using 75% domestic content.
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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.

For instance, Toyota will specify that a supplier has to buy certain machine 
tools which make the part.  Japanese of course.  Reason: other vendors can't 
provide the quality.  Parts made in America on these machines are counted in 
domestic content.  

As far as the parts themselves, lets look at a component.  It contains 
fasteners and other assorted hardware.  Toyota specifies that they have to 
have these from a Japanese supplier because of quality concerns.  If the 
American supplier refuses to use the Japanese components, Toyota will find one
who will.  Again, that entire component is counted as American content because
is was delivered to the assembly plant from an American vendor even though 
he/she got most of the parts in the component from some other place.  

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.

Just my observation.

-Mike
strange@sunrise.stanford.edu


(More Deleted)

>bob



Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng)
Subject: Re: Legal Tender???
Originator: acheng@shalom.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:49:06 GMT


In article <1992Dec14.162529.12603@fns-nc1.fns.com>, gcm@fns-nc1.fns.com (Grover McCoury) writes:
>My understanding of this situation is that if a business has a conspicuous sign
>or tells you *before* the sale that they do not accept $XX it is OK - otherwise
>they *must* accept "legal tender"(US $$). If they do not make the restriction
>known *before* the sale and you offer them money and they refuse to accept ->
>you just got a freebie! Can anyone confirm or refute this?  

I think this is another urban legend we heard all the time.  I have not
heard anyone tell it as personal experience.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,soc.culture.usa
From: acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng)
Subject: Re: Santa Dollars.......
Originator: acheng@shalom.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 17:03:21 GMT
Keywords: church, state, religion


In article <1992Dec11.220909.26097@asl.dl.nec.com>, alie@csl.dl.nec.com (Andrew Lie) writes:
>In article <1992Dec11.210223.21105@leland.Stanford.EDU>, rsingh@goliath.Stanford.EDU (   raj) writes:
>|> As it is, a LOT of people have trouble with "In God We Trust" being on
>|> US notes, so isn't putting Santa's picture on the note not only
>|> endorsing religion, but also Christianity.  Comments? Flames?
>|> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
>|> --raj
>|> -- 
>|> Rajesh Kumar Singh               E-mail: rsingh@goliath.stanford.edu
>
>Santa has nothing to do with religion, or Christianity.
>It is just a benevolent figure reminding us to care and share.

Santa has a religous related origin.  I think it was about a century
ago, a priest (or a clergy man) called Nicolus (sp?) saw many poor kids
having nothing for the Christmas holiday.  He started to make them
gifts and gave to them anonymously (not sure if he dressed in that red
suit.)  So, there is no religous belief per se, but a religous person's
response to needys.

Today's Santa Claus in the red suit is hardly "care and share".  It
is totally ruined to become a symbol of "I want my gift and that is an
order."

Oh, yea, about the Santa bill, I would not take it because I have not
seen any government announcement that it is geniue.  I wouldn't want
to be a sucker, would you?
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: sasse@netcom.com (Ellen Sasse)
Subject: Help - ANTS
Organization: Netcom
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 04:00:00 GMT

I have heard something about getting rid of ants by placing small
cups of sugar and boric acid near their trails. Does this work and
what proportions should be used? Is it intended to kill them outright
or have them take it back to the nest? Should it be dissolved in water
or left as powder?

Info: I live in the Bay area, and I've heard the rains we've been having
have been driving ants into homes, but I am pretty sure my ant problems
started before the rains. I also believe the people in the apartment below me
may be doing some building - I could swear I saw some wood planks on their
living room floor a few weeks ago, and have been hearing noises that
might be drilling (?). Don't know whether this may be related or not.
After reading someone's article mentioning carpenter ants, I am worried
(our ants fit the other person's description).

History: The Tuesday before Thanksgiving I found one or two ants in the
kitchen and bathroom (the ants are small and black and harmless-looking),
and basically since then I have been finding a few more every couple of days 
until the last couple of days I found substantially more: on a phone wire on
the wall (?!!) and on the (clean) hall carpet and in the kitchen. Up til now
I had been killing them and then cleaning the affected area with Lysol to
try to get rid of the trail. I think I am getting the trails since they don't
go to the same areas, but they have gotten to the seal on my refrigerator
(which is busted) and I don't dare spray that! I looked at some "ant-traps"
but they look very dangerous and I was hoping the boric acid might be less so.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jfm@unislc.uucp (Joseph Marlowe)
Subject: Intercom systems?
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 23:24:22 GMT

Anyone have any ideas/suggestions for a simple intercom system?  I need
something for an elderly parent who cannot always get to the front
door fast enough when someone rings the bell.  Don't need anything fancy
just something to put by the front door and then connect to one or two
rooms.

Thanks in advance!

BTW: I've already thought of two cans and a string ... didn't work :-(
-- 
Joe  Marlowe
Unisys Open Systems Group     | jfm@unislc.slc.unisys.com
320 North 2200 West B2D01     | (801) 594-3743
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116    | (801) 594-6086 Fax
From: paul.westley@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul Westley) 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: SPRAY-ON HAIR
Date: 16 Dec 92 23:21:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: The Transfer Station BBS, Danville, CA - 510-837-4610/837-5591
Reply-To: paul.westley@uttsbbs.uucp (Paul Westley) 

-> Due to one of my periodic bouts of insomnia I was up real late last
-> night. After David Letterman there was an absolutely hilarious
-> infomercial.  It starred two blonde women who looked vaguely familiar
-> and Ron Popeil from RONCO. The product being hawked was a
-> revolutionary new baldness treatment -- spray-on hair!
->
If you think that was funny, did you see "America's Funniest Videos"
last week.  The guy who (i think) won, did a spoof of infomercials by
placing a carboard ring around his bald head, then SPRAYING his head
black.  He looked as good as the ones in the real infomercial.  I am
sure he sent the tape in long before the real one was on the air.
                                                                                             
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.misc,comp.sys.mac.comm,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
From: clarke@acheron.uucp (Ed Clarke/10240000)
Subject: Dumb finance question?
Organization: Ciliophora Associates
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 01:39:19 GMT

Here's a (maybe) dumb question for you ... given a fixed-rate no
prepayment penalty mortgage of 10% (for example),  is paying down
the mortgage the same as getting a 10% return on your money?  I
THINK that it is, but something about it makes me nervous.
-- 
               |
Ed Clarke      |  I prefer not to kill animals.  I'm a humanist; I'd
acheron!clarke |  rather kill a MAN than a snake.
               |                 - Edward Abbey (Desert Solitaire)
From: teds@symbiosis.ahp.com (Ted Slack)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Tell me about electric blankets
Date: 13 Dec 1992 08:47:22 -0500
Organization: Symbiosis Corporation, Miami, Florida  (305) 597-4000
Distribution: na
Reply-To: teds@symbiosis.ahp.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: symbi1.symbiosis.ahp.com

kenk@sdc.com (Ken Konecki) writes:

>What's the latest report on EM fields and your health, especially with
>respect to electric blankets?

I too, have wondered about this.  I suppose that an enterprising person
could make a box that would operate an electric blanket from Direct Current.
No AC EM field would be generated, just DC.  The blankets I've seen
would work fine on DC, but perhaps not all of them. 
Perhaps using DC only for some parts of a home would be beneficial.
Whether there would be any health benefits or not, I don't know.

-- 
ted slack                 MIS Director               symbiosis corporation
(305) 597-4111            fax (305) 597-4002         miami, florida 33166-6202
teds@symbiosis.ahp.com    uunet!symbi1!teds
From: rp@llex.ll.mit.edu ( Richard Pavelle)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Using 500W halogen instead of 300W in a fixture
Date: 18 Dec 92 12:59:44 GMT
Organization: MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Originator: rp@llex


I purchased a ceiling fixture that uses a 300W halogen. 
I would like to use a 500W halogen instead. The fixture
is glass and brass and is about a foot from the ceiling
with lots of air flow. Is there any reason for not testing
the 500W and monitoring the resulting heat or am I foolish
to not follow the manufacturers guidlines?

In general what advice do you give about installing higher
power illumination than the manufacturer suggests?
From: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: aaa or us auto club
Date: 20 Dec 92 02:52:54 EST
Reply-To: "tom betz" <tom.betz@execnet.com>
Distribution: misc
Organization: Executive Networks Information

Quoth Mart Molle regarding AAA OR US AUTO CLUB on 12-19-92:

MM>wb8foz@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (David Lesher) writes:
MM>
MM>>Before shelling out for AAA, check both your rules and alternatives.
MM>[..."free towing" not as good as optional towing on his car insurance.
MM>[...maps not as good as they used to be...]
MM>>Yous paz your money - yous make ur churce...
MM>
MM>All this makes sense, but don't forget to factor in the value of their
MM>other services.  Around here CAA (== Canadian arm of AAA) sells Americ
MM>Express traveller's cheques without the customary 1-2% service charge.

This is the same here in NY.

MM>They also sell auto insurance to members, which in our case is signifi
MM>less expensive than other companies.

This is not the same.  Here, the insurer contracted by AAA (Travelers) 
refuses to sell me a policy equivalent to that which GEICO is very happy 
to provide, meeting only the legally-required liability limits, $20,000.  
They insisted upon selling me no less than 50,000 liability, which would 
have ended up costing me >double< what I pay GEICO.

Needless to say, I'm staying with GEICO.

Your mileage may vary...


---
  WinQwk 2.0 a#299  I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe...
--
Executive Network Information System  (914) 667-4567
International ILink Host
From: stan@astro.ocis.temple.edu (Stan Horwitz)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Prodigy
Date: 21 Dec 92 00:37:24 GMT
Organization: Temple University
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

I think some loss of sanity is going on here. Even if Prodigy were peaking at
your local PC files, what would be the point and who would read them? There
a probably thousands of Prodigy users. Do you think anyone would have the time
to sift through all the garbage that's on the typical PC? I think not. I am
not a fan of Prodigy, but I honestly think they have better ways of getting
marketing information than peeking at your hard disk's files. They can gei
info more easily by collecting stuff from information services who collect
data on your every activity. The data that's sold in this manner is a heck of
a lot easier to analyse and use in marketing schemes than data looked at on  
an ad hoc basis.

The reason why I dislike prodigy is because every screen is an advertisement.
I fail to see why I would want to waste time and money looking at on-line ads
for junk and services I do not need. Services such as America On-Line provide
the same or better set of network and computer features as Prodigy for a low
monthly fee, yet there's no blatant advertising being slammed at me. I will
even give Prodigy the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the issue of their
censoring email to Prodigy's forums. I have chatted with many people who have
personally experienced this form of "moderation" on their own, but I never have
since I do not use Prodigy. 

Further, I have free network access anyway and so does just about anyone at
a college or university. We had a prodigy salesperson come here to pitch
it to us, but I missed her whole point. There's no way Prodigy can compete
with free services no matter how clean it looks. Only a few suckers would pay
for it or Compuserv when they can get most information free. Prodigy is only
useful to those who do not have free network access, but in that case, what
does Prodigy do that other services such as Compuserve and America-Online do
not do? If I were to subscribe to a service such as this, it would not be
Prodigy simply because its advertising policy makes it seem sleazy to me.

Stan Horwitz
Special Projects Coordinator
Computer Services
Temple University
stan@vm.temple.edu
stan@astro.temple.edu
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:20871 misc.misc:4118 comp.sys.mac.comm:12202 comp.sys.mac.misc:20819 comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:15962
From: cab@col.hp.com (Chris Best)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Tell me about electric blankets
Date: 18 Dec 92 19:08:16 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: your service
NNTP-Posting-Host: hpctdke.col.hp.com

> BART runs on direct current, as do virtually all electric train
> systems. So much for science.

----------

Lionel and Tyco, maybe.

Better check your facts.  Read rec.railroad for a little while, and you'll
find out differently.  Those are the people who actually drive the trains.
I think it was mentioned that NYC subways run on 25 Hz.

So much for superior knowledge.
From: tzs@carson.u.washington.edu (Tim Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Legal Tender???
Date: 14 Dec 92 04:13:48 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Washington School of Law, Class of '95

In article <adams.724105936@spssig> adams@spss.com (Steve Adams) writes:
>If the sign is visible, then their offer is contingent on you paying for
>the gas with a $20 or smaller.  If you pump the gas after seeing this sign,
>you've accepted the offer and agreed to the terms (ie gas for $1.10/gallon,
>no bills larger than $20).  Trying to pay with a larger bill in this case
>could well get you in trouble...

Well, I'm not going to try this, but if you really want to pay with a
large bill, maybe you could try this:

	1. Pump the gas, thereby accepting their offer to sell you
	gas at the stated price.

	2. Try to pay with a large bill.

	3. When they refuse and point to the sign, give them your
	name and address, and tell them you are breaching the contract.

	4. When they call the police, explain to the officer that you
	are not stealing gas, you are simply breaching a contract.  This
	is a civil matter, not a criminal matter -- if the gas station
	wants you to pay, they will have to sue you for breach of
	contract.

	5. When (if!) the cop leaves, point out to the gas station
	person that the expected remedy for a breach of contract in
	a case like this would be monetary damages equal to the value
	of the gas.  There are no attorney fees or punitive damages, so
	the best that they can hope for is to force you to write them
	a check for the exact amount of the sale.  This is probably
	less than their attorney fees.  Perhaps they will reconsider
	and let you pay with that large bill.

The above is not legal advice.  Try at your own risk!

Also, you might have to watch out for step six:

	6. Gas station person takes the large bill, and then tells you
	that the price went up, and there is no change due!  If you
	want your change back, *you* can sue for breach of contract!

--Tim Smith
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:20886 rec.music.cd:8475
From: gt4585a@prism.gatech.EDU (gt4585a gt4585a MOORE,JAMES FREDERICK)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.music.cd
Subject: Re: CD walkmans
Date: 18 Dec 92 03:45:51 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Dec16.180012.3031@doug.cae.wisc.edu> kolstad@cae.wisc.edu (Joel Kolstad) writes:
>-- Yes, it looks good and is slim.
>-- I thought it is slightly _more_ shock resistant that other models I had
>   considered.  Not by much, though... all CD's players seem really touchy
>   to me.
    A friend of mine purchased a Sony "CAR" Discman (can't remember the 
number) which seemed _very_ shock resistant (1 skip in a 400 mile drive over
three days with the player velcro-ed to his gearshift base).  The sound
quality was very good, too.  
   As far as long-term quality is concerned, I haven't heard anything about
the player for a while...  Has anyone had any experience with this brand of
Discman?

-- 
+=============================================================================+
|  James Frederick Moore   |"Men with handbags are usually making a political |
| gt4585a@prism.gatech.edu | statement. Women with hairy armpits always are." |
+=============================================================================+
From: wb8foz@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (David Lesher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Cover Charge for Restaurant?
Date: 20 Dec 1992 00:11:01 GMT
Organization: NRK Clinic for habitual NetNews abusers - Beltway Annex
Reply-To: wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (David Lesher)
NNTP-Posting-Host: skybridge.scl.cwru.edu

Without taking sides, the way it works for some groups is that
the group keeps the cover, and the establishment pays nothing,
but makes a profit on the food/booze.


--
A host is a host from coast to coast..wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu
& no one will talk to a host that's close..........................
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mpb@troy.cc.bellcore.com (bunz,marcus p)
Subject: Re: Using 500W halogen instead of 300W in a fixture
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 14:44:27 GMT

In article <1992Dec18.125944.2867@ll.mit.edu>, rp@llex.ll.mit.edu ( Richard Pavelle) writes:
> 
> I purchased a ceiling fixture that uses a 300W halogen. 
> I would like to use a 500W halogen instead. The fixture
> is glass and brass and is about a foot from the ceiling
> with lots of air flow. Is there any reason for not testing
> the 500W and monitoring the resulting heat or am I foolish
> to not follow the manufacturers guidlines?
> 
> In general what advice do you give about installing higher
> power illumination than the manufacturer suggests?
> 
>  
If there is a little sticker thing that states 300W is the MAXIMUM
lamp size, then you might as well cancel your fire insurance policy
at the same time you put that 500W lamp in.

In all likely hood, there is sufficient margin for saftey, and you
won't have a problem, but the insurance company won't see it that
way.  Also keep in mind you probably won't see any thing the
first couple times you use the higher wattage lamp.  The problem
is that it will cause the insulation on the wires to deteriorate
just that much faster.  Chances are you'll be lulled into a false
sence of security since nothing happened the first time you
flipped the switch.  

Marc


Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.misc,comp.sys.mac.comm,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
From: imran@panix.com (Imran Anwar)
Subject: PRODIGY New and improved STILL SUCKS, HORRIBLE as before
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 06:07:55 GMT
Organization: IMRAN: Information & Media Resources, Affiliations, Networks


If you are considering joining Prodigy as a new member, or left and are
considering rejoining with their "come back" mailing efforts, or are
just thinking Prodigy is the service you should use - just several
pairs of two words:  STAY AWAY!  IT SUCKS!  BAD MOVE!

I was stupid enough to try it with NEW Mac s/ware they sent - guess what,
it is the same old s%^%^y s/ware that does not do more than exasperate a
user, and connect every tenth time after hanging up saying "noisy line"
[on the same lines that I spend HOURS with internet, Compuserve and occasional
GEnie logins]

It cannot print, it cannot co-exist with other prtograms, if a screen saver
kicks in the Prodigy application quits, etc etc

It will not connect unless I use a CHEAP 2400 baud modem I happen not to
have thrown away. any of the better modems that have high speed capabilities
and connect with no trouble to OTHER 2400 lines or services do not work.

Even with the 2400 that works Prodicy does not connect unless I choose a
PULSE dial option, and even with that it connects one time in ten, even
though it actually hangs up before the other modem can respond, yet
gives its stupid "noisy line" excuse.

The service, once you log in, is still the same, ugly and kludgy.

There are many more "options" each making less sense than before.  If you\
always wanted a service that is a pain in the butt, expensive, can only
be accessed by THEIR klutzy s/ware, makes your friendly computer look like
a stone ages device, has horrible mail interface and mail options, plus
even more charges for more than 30 messages (and each message is to be
typed with a REALLY UGLY front end, with limited length, usability etc)
I would suggest staying away.

The ONLY reason I can suggest getting on the service, temporarily, is the
reason I am using.  They have a special $199 offer for Prodigy members
for v.32bis fax modems made by some CA firm but sold for that price only
online with Prodigy.  It is a much better price than the $270 I have
seen inother places so I have ordered several.  

Oh, did I forget to tell you that I had problems with placing and then trying
to correct the order - but that is going to be another posting!

Prodigy is AMPLE proof that the two parents of it should have stuck to
their core businesses.

Imran Anwar

PS I love internet and Compuserve if you wanted to know :-)