HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: phaedrus@halcyon.com (Mark Phaedrus)
Subject: Re: Stuck Stamps
Keywords: stamps
Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 18:41:27 GMT

In article <1992Nov19.134032.3401@cbfsb.cb.att.com> hbb@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (harlan.b.braude) writes:
>In article <1992Nov18.143528.19544@ms.uky.edu> diaz@ms.uky.edu (Christopher S. Diaz) writes:
>>Earlier I bought a book of stamps, from which I used only one,
>>...
>>of them were _stuck_ together.
>>...
>>	- Does the post office let one exchange stamps like these
>>	  for usable ones?
>The same thing happened to me and I the fellow at the post office 
>exchanged the book after examining it to make sure none of them
>were missing. He also gave me a nasty look, but I felt it was a
>pretty good "price" considering that he could have said no.

     No, he couldn't have said no, at least not legally.  The Domestic Mail
Manual (the set of rules under which the USPS operates) says that post offices
must exchange damaged stamps with stamps of the same value, with certain
limited exceptions (you can't trade in too many dollars' worth of stamps at
once, etc.).  Many post office employees don't know this, so you often have to
tell them to look it up in the DMM before you can get them to do it.  (The
mere mention of the DMM will cause most postal employees to cower in fear and
do whatever the heck it is you want... trust me, I used to work in a contract
postal station. :) )
     If there's interest, I can find the relevant section of the DMM over
Thanksgiving.
-- 
\o\ Internet: phaedrus@halcyon.com  (Seattle, WA Public Access Unix)     \o\
 \o\ "How'd you like to move a few steps down the food chain, pal?"       \o\
  \o\ If you enjoy fantasy/SF stories with transformation themes, email me \o\
   \o\ for a copy of the Transformation Stories List.                       \o\
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: tkevans@eplrx7.es.duPont.com (Tim Evans)
Subject: Re: extended warranty
Reply-To: tkevans@eplrx7.es.dupont.com
Organization: DuPont Engineering Physics Laboratory
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 16:10:04 GMT

hemant@cbnewse.cb.att.com (hemant.b.bhatt) writes:

>I am going to buy Plymouth Voyager Minivan.

>(1) Should I buy 7 year 70000 miles Bumper to Bumper
>    extended warranty?


Extended warranties, by and large, are pure profit for dealers;
otherwise, they wouldn't try so hard to sell them to you.

If you feel you must have one, check with AAA or with Geico
Insurance, both of which sell them for about half the cost a
dealer will charge you (demonstrating how much profit there
is in them).  I don't know about AAA, but you don't have to
be insured by Geico to buy their extended warranty.  I have
no experience with either of these extended warranty
programs.
-- 
Tim Evans                     |    E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
tkevans@eplrx7.es.dupont.com  |    Experimental Station
(302) 695-9353/7395           |    P.O. Box 80357
EVANSTK AT A1 AT ESVAX        |    Wilmington, Delaware 19880-0357
From: stanton@haas.berkeley.edu (Richard Stanton)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Espresso/cappacino machines
Date: 16 Nov 1992 17:21:32 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: haas.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Nov16.044342.4474@informix.com> suffron@informix.com (Nancy Suffron) writes:
>I would like to get my parents a combination espresso/cappacino (sp?)
>machine for Christmas and was all set to get the 4-cup Krups machine
>until I got a negative reaction from a colleague.

My main piece of advice is to get a machine with a pump, rather than
one which uses steam pressure to force the water through the coffee. My
experience with these is that the coffee that emerges is more like a 
strong cup of regular coffee, and not much like a true espresso. Of course,
pump machines are generally a lot more expensive.

Richard Stanton
From: masticol@cadenza.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Universal Remotes
Date: 15 Nov 92 16:02:39 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

I bought an RCA universal remote to control my RCA VCR and Magnavox
TV. Ended up returning it. For what it would do, it worked OK, but it
wouldn't control some of the TV functions.

Just a data point,

- Steve (masticol@cs.rutgers.edu).
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: reb@Ingres.COM (Phydeaux)
Subject: Re: Stereo Receiver Recommendations needed
Reply-To: reb@Ingres.COM (Phydeaux)
Organization: E 4th St Home For The Overeducated Underemployed - Chicago Div.
Date: 17 Nov 92 21:56:47 GMT

In article <6967@dove.nist.gov> glenn@sloth.ncsl.nist.gov writes:
>I'm in the market for a new stereo receiver (our 28 year old tube amp isn't
>up to the task at hand).  The set of requirements I'm looking for is:
>	*  dolby surround sound, 
>	*  drive 12 normal speakers and 2-4 surround sound speakers, 
>	*  normal array of component selection (maybe a digital port too),
>	*  have remote access from 4 different rooms in the house (not all
>	   on the same floor).
>Price is something I'm interested in also but the second and fourth requirements
>are the most important.  I've seen the Pioneer Multi-Room Remote Series, but
>none of three sales persons knew what that was.  I was told that Onkyo sells
>something along these lines.  Any recommendations?


Sony has something for multi-rooms too.  Have you tried looking in rec.audio?

						reb
From: odell@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Bernard O'Dell)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: eyeglasses: quality in general?
Date: 23 Nov 92 11:34:53 GMT
Expires: 3 Dec 92 05:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: odell@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Bernard O'Dell)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

On the eyeglasses, as far as the frames purchase is concerned, there
is more than a considerable mark-up in the frames--

Get a hold of the AT&T 800 catalog-free-and check out some frames
with some of the people--

The lens work is normally not that much; where they get you is in the
frames.

Example:-Logo of Paris brand-a quality brand-I paid $120.00 for the
frame, which was $80.00 cheaper than another lens/frame place.

That same frame was only $89.95 + shipping from a dealer in N.C.-

Suggest looking at frames-If you see one or two you like, get their
prices, write down the numbers on the inside of the frame and then
call the 800 numbers and get comparable prices, and if much cheaper,
get your frames, and have only the lens work done locally.

Check it out--

Bern O'Dell
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: djb@geovision.gvc.com (Darren Burns)
Subject: Opinions on TV/VCR
Organization: Not officially GeoVision Systems Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:08:08 GMT

Hi,

I've recently started looking for both a new TV and a new VCR.  The TV
that I'm looking at is a 29" GoldStar for about $700 Cdn.  Does anyone
have any experience with GoldStar, good or bad?  I haven't really heard
much about them before now, though the TV looked fairly nice.

For the VCR, I've got my eye on a Mitshubishi U56 which sells for around
$450.  In terms of quality, I've heard Mitshubishi placed both near the
top of the scale and near the bottom, so I don't know what to believe.
If you've had a Mitshubishi for a long time, I'd appreciate hearing from
you about durability.

Any recommendations/warnings about other brands in the same sort of price
range would be appreciated, too.

Thanks in advance,
Darren Burns
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.music.makers,rec.music.classical
From: dlhanson@nap.amoco.com (David L. Hanson )
Subject: Yamaha Clavinova as a piano
Organization: Amoco Corporation
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:53:33 GMT

We bought a Yamaha Clavinova, CLP-560 (if my memory is right), last Christmas
for our 11 year old and 9 year old sons to play. The fact that we didn't
have to have it tuned and that it fit in our living room were major 
criteria for the purchase. It is touch sensitive and is supposed to have
the feel of a traditional piano.

Since then the boys, who practice 1-1/2 to 2 hours every day, occasionally
complain that it doesn't feel the "same" as their piano instructor's Kawaii
studio piano.

Since my wife and I know almost nothing about pianos, let me ask a question
here for some expert to hopefully answer.  Is the difference in feel going
to hinder their piano advancement?  (I had an idea that there was probably
as much difference in feel between different types of traditional pianos
as their is between a traditional piano and the Clavinova.)

Thanks

Signature follows:
"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God"  Psalms 14:1

=========================================================================
David L. Hanson       Internet --> dlhanson@nap.amoco.com
Amoco Corporation     X.400    --> A=attmail,P=amoco,S=Hanson,G=David,I=L
Any opinions expressed are my own!
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Digital Answering Machines
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 19:39:27 GMT


I need a digital answering machine to replace my tape-driven one. It
must have call transfer so it can notify my pager of incoming messsages.

The new Panasonic (8000, I think) is very highly thought of, but
does not have call transfer.

I tried and returned the new Sony because incoming messages were recorded
at such a low volume I couldn't understand them when calling in for
messages.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks;

-- 
David Sternlight
(pgp 2.0 and ripem public keys available on request)

Newsgroups: misc.education,sci.astro,sci.bio,sci.chem,sci.math,sci.physics
From: solman@athena.mit.edu (Jason W Solinsky)
Subject: Re: Proof that small classes=better education?
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 18:38:20 GMT

In article <1e3o30INN3m3@mozz.unh.edu>, pas@kepler.unh.edu (Paul A Sand) writes:
|> dh: Don Hosek
|> 
|> dh: Now, I _know_ that smaller classroom size improves the educational
|>     quality of a school (more individual attention to students, etc.)
|>     but I'd like to be able to convince the "show me, don't tell me"
|>     people. [...] If anyone can help me on this, I'd appreciate it.
|> 
|> If there's any such evidence, I've not seen it.  Numerous studies have
|> failed to find any such link. Unfortunately, this isn't a particularly
|> well-publicized fact, causing numerous folks like Mr. Hosek to ``know''
|> things that simply aren't so.

I can't cite it for you (but I'm posting here on the hope that somebody else
can), but this summer the results of such a study were very well publicized.
It concluded that there was a strong relationship between both smaller classes
and more tests and learning. I saw it in atleast three seperate magazines and
newspapers so I figure somebody else has to have read about it.

|> Arranging for smaller class sizes is a popular (and expensive) way to
|> allow educrats to claim they're `improving' the school system. But
|> quite simply, there are much more effective things to do that are a lot
|> cheaper (for example, allowing teachers to spend more time during the
|> school day in instructional activity rather than administrative
|> busywork and discipline).

I agree with the first statement, but disagree with your conclusion. The
problem is that when schools suddenly decrease class size, the teacher rarely
changes his/her routine to utilize the smaller class size to his/her advantage.
Its like spending additional money on schools. You can't just add a resource (in
these two cases time and money). You have to make sure that it is used wisely.
Otherwise it just gets wasted (on the janitors :-).
Newsgroups: misc.education,sci.astro,sci.bio,sci.chem,sci.math,sci.physics
From: brian@quake.sylmar.ca.us (Brian K. Yoder)
Subject: Re: What can we have for an educational system?
Organization: Quake Public Access
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 10:59:15 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.112043.28723@ms.uky.edu> cyeomans@ms.uky.edu (Charles Yeomans) writes:
>In article <BxsELH.65C@quake.sylmar.ca.us> brian@quake.sylmar.ca.us (Brian K. Yoder) writes:

>I wouldn't say that lawyers are necesarily any more competent than teachers
>as a group.  Like anyone else, most lawyers find a niche and settle into
>it, either due to laziness, fee-generating efficiency or because they 
>work in a particularly demanding area - just like professors.

>There are plenty of bad lawyers out there in the world.  Now, one might 
>argue that the marketplace eliminates bad lawyers (unlike bad teachers),
>but that presupposes that the average person can tell the difference
>between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer.

Lawyers can and do get fired, either by clients or by their law firms. 
besides, just knowing that they will be put to a market test keeps many
of the incompetent away.

Anyway, even if there were a lot of incompetent doctors and lawyers, that
would not in any way excuse teachers for being incompetent.

It's like a thief saying in his defense that "Lots of other people steal too.".

>The fact is, lawyers have the potential to make a hell of a lot more
>money than teachers.  And that's why they are "respected".  Of course, 
>most lawyers do not make more money than teachers - I believe the average 
>salary for lawyers is around $30,000.  Perhaps if this were publicized,
>people wouldn't think so much of lawyers.

That's incredible.  Were you never in a classroom?  Do you really think you 
teachers were competent?  Do you really think that relative salaries are the
only reasons only reasons for people disrespecting teachers?

--Brian

Newsgroups: misc.education
From: Crawford_Kilian@mindlink.bc.ca (Crawford Kilian)
Subject: Re: Free Middle/High School Broadcasts
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:58:20 GMT

Brian Yoder has his abrasive moments, but when he observes:

I really despise this sort of racist attitude.  Why single these people out?
The implication is that race and sex make some kind of difference in these
areas (and others...special treatment for women and minorities is expressed
everywhere in the educational world).

--he's bang on. We're dealing (or failing to deal) with this problem in
Canada as you Americans are--hiring "equity officers" to check on the
percentage of visible minorities on campus payrolls, and so on.

The problem is that many people in such "targetted groups" (as we sweetly
call them here) acquire a sense of identity that precludes achievement in
certain disciplines...in fact, doing well in such a field seems to threaten
their racial or ethnic or gender identity. No group is immune (e.g. white
males may dominate in computer studies, but the vast majority of white males
consider computer types as pathetic propellorheads who are socially
challenged and otherwise contemptible). But it certainly means we're wasting
good people who are wearing Blake's "mind-forged manacles." Lots of women
would surely make superb scientists and engineers; lots of racial minorities
would also. But if the collective culture of such groups tends to reject
success in those fields, it doesn't matter how many black female judges you
portray in LA Law--black women will still seek other careers. (Anita Hill,
however, would be a very different kind of role model.)

Shelby Steele's book The Content of Our Character illuminates this
educational dilemma very well indeed. I commend it to any educator concerned
about the problem--which ought to be every educator.

--
Crawford Kilian   Communications Department   Capilano College
North Vancouver BC Canada V7J 3H5
Usenet: Crawford_Kilian@mindlink.bc.ca
Internet: ckilian@first.etc.bc.ca

Newsgroups: misc.education
From: lcardina@norfolk.vak12ed.edu (Loretta Cardinale)
Subject: Re: Research Project  --->> HELP! <<---
Organization: Virginia's Public Education Network (Norfolk)
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 13:40:38 GMT

John:

My research is in the area of human-computer interactions (HCI)
and I can't recall seeing much work done with your population.
Most of the research is with office workers, data entry by
clerks and fast-food workers, and teachers.  There's a journal
called Human Computer Interactions that might be helpful.  Also
the American Society for Training and Development gets into
employee training and may have some info.  As an HCI
researcher, I never thought about your population as computer
users.  I'd be interested in hearing about your progress.

Loretta Cardinale
lcardina@norfolk.vak12ed.edu
-- 
Newsgroups: misc.education,misc.kids
From: joec@fid.morgan.com (Joe Collins)
Subject: Survey
Organization: None
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 17:21:13 GMT

My local public high school is doing a survey so that they can
plan their education program over the next few years. They have passed
out the below survey to various people in the community. They have 
given me permission to post it here and encourage any and all to
fill it out. 

Please help out- please fill the survey out and email back to me.....

Thanks in advance,

Joe
joec@morgan.com


=========================SURVEY STARTS HERE===============================
Keeping in mind our districts commitment to maximizing the learning
experiences for all students, as well as your own beliefs about what would
benefit all Lakeland Regional High School District students, please 
complete as many of the following statements as possible.

1-The most important change in our society in the year 2000 will be:
  *your answer*

2-The greatest impact on society in the next ten years will come from:
  *your answer*

3-To be an effective worker by the year 2000 our students should:
  *your answer*

4-By the year 2000, a Lakeland Regional High School District education 
  should include experiences in:
  *your answer*

5-By the year 2000, a Lakeland Regional High School District education 
  should no longer include experiences in: 
  *your answer*

6-The best way to make education more responsive to society is to:
  *your answer*

7-For our students to be nationally and internationally competitive, the
  Lakeland Regional High School District will need to:
  *your answer*

8-Students should graduate from the Lakeland Regional High School 
  District knowing:
  *your answer*

9-To fulfill the responsibility of citizenship in the year 2000 our 
  students should: 
  *your answer*

10-The most dramatic change in the Lakeland Regional High School 
  District in the next ten years should be:
  *your answer*

===================SURVEY ENDS HERE================================

Newsgroups: misc.education
From: gerke@acs.ucalgary.ca (Ken Gerke)
Subject: Home Schooling
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 04:37:40 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta


Are there any home schoolers in this news group?  We have been
home schooling since being introduced to the idea while teaching
in China for a year and I'd be interested in sharing thoughts.
Or is there another news group where this topic is discussed and
bantered about?
-- 

Ken Gerke
Academic Computing Services
(403)220-5079 | gerke@acs.ucalgary.ca
Newsgroups: misc.education
From: csnyder@mwc.vak12ed.edu (Christopher D. Snyder)
Subject: $ for Foriegn Exchange Students?
Organization: Virginia's Public Education Network (Fredericksburg)
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 19:37:14 GMT

I am looking for some innovative ideas to help our less
fortunate students experience a semester abroad.  Any feedback
will be appreciated.  Thanks.
Newsgroups: misc.education,sci.edu
From: Terry.Parks@launchpad.unc.edu (Terry Parks)
Subject: Re: Racist/Sexist Role Models
Organization: UNC Office of Information Technology
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 04:35:34 GMT

>Using your logic, there is no possible solution to the problems minorities face
>in this country. If someone says that they want to increase the number of black
>engineers

then they are racist.

s, then they are going to do something for blacks that they are not doing
>for whites. Bias is commonly used to solve  some of the country's problems.

And when it involves race it is racism and when it involves gender it is sexism.

 Seniority
>systems to help older workers, veteran preference to help former members of the 
>armed forces get adjusted, and on and on. I think that sometimes, bias is an acceptable
>approach to solving a problem.

And when it involves race it is racism and when it involves gender it is sexism.

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: misc.education
From: hunter@master.lds-az.loral.com (Bill Hunter)
Subject: School Year Round
Followup-To: misc.education
Organization: Loral Defense Systems - Arizona
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 16:14:35 GMT

I am a School Board Member in Arizona.  We are currently reviewing a
schedule change from traditional to year Round classes.

Does anyone on the net have experience in this area.  I am lookng for some
strong arguments for and against this issue.  My gut tells me its a good
move, but many parents will be hard to convince.

Bill Hunter
Scoutmaster, The Vertical Edge
Loral Defense Systems - Arizona
1300 S. Litchfield Rd.
Goodyear, AZ  85338
PH 602 925 7929  Fax 602 925 6988
Xref: sparky misc.education:4395 alt.discrimination:4673 soc.culture.african.american:11304 soc.women:19946
From: guillory@crhc.uiuc.edu (Stanford Guillory)
Newsgroups: misc.education,alt.discrimination,soc.culture.african.american,soc.women
Subject: Re: Racist/Sexist Role Models
Date: 19 Nov 1992 13:53:47 -0600
Organization: Center for Reliable and High-Performance Computing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
NNTP-Posting-Host: debussy.crhc.uiuc.edu

brian@quake.sylmar.ca.us (Brian K. Yoder) writes:

>There is another perfect example of racism.  You chose those people not on
>the basis of their intelligence or aptitude, but on the basis of their
>sex and race.  That IS racism/sexism every bit as much as if you had
>special scholarships for white males only.  

Using your logic, there is no possible solution to the problems minorities face
in this country. If someone says that they want to increase the number of black
engineers, then they are going to do something for blacks that they are not doing
for whites. Bias is commonly used to solve  some of the country's problems. Seniority
systems to help older workers, veteran preference to help former members of the 
armed forces get adjusted, and on and on. I think that sometimes, bias is an acceptable
approach to solving a problem. And the problem of underachievement by minorities is a
serious one that will have repercussions throughout the next century. You seem to think
that the problem will just go away and if it doesn't, then that is too bad, because
we can't do anything "special" to help.

>The racist/sexist premise that
>people ought to be treated differntly based on their sex/race rather than
>as an individual with unique abilities and interests is wrong no matter 
>who the beneficiary happens to be.

True. But then so much of idealism is.

>--Brian

Stanford S. Guillory
guillory@crhc.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: misc.education