HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rja@newbirth.Eng.Sun.COM (Robert Allen)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Emergency light and heat
Date: 12 Jan 93 22:19:25 GMT
Organization: Sun
NNTP-Posting-Host: newbirth

In article <C0pLsw.6C9@apollo.hp.com> lubkin@apollo.hp.com () writes:
>I live in Southern New Hampshire in an all-electric rented
>house.  With the last big storm, I realized that if the
>power goes out and stays out, I'm going to be very cold 
>and hungry sitting in the dark.
>
>At the local hardware store, they had a non-electric 
>kerosene heater.  So I'm set for heat, although I don't like
>having to keep kerosene in my basement.  Alternative ideas
>welcome.
>
>Then I went to the local sporting goods stores.  They had
>lots of stoves and lamps, which all said OUTDOOR USE ONLY.
>(Except for rechargable lanterns that won't last long enough.)
>
>So what do I do?

    The first thing you need to do is realize you won't be
    living a life in such a situation which will necessarily
    require extensive light.  You get up at dawn and go to
    sleep at dusk.

    You should already have warm clothes if you live in New
    Hampshire.  In a power outage, you are essentially
    camping out at home, so just buy quality camping supplies.

    For the few things which might require electrical power,
    such as a radio, flashlights, etc., you can use rechargeable
    12 Volt gelcell batteries.  Here in Silicon Valley they
    are easy to find in the electronic surplus stores.  In
    your area you may have to hunt for them.  Buy some, and
    a quality 12 Volt battery charger designed for gel cells,
    and use them for your emergency power.  I've used a single
    7amp hour gelcell for months of intermediate use with my
    shortwave radio and scanner.

    Just some thoughts to get you started.
-- 
Robert Allen, rja@sun.com		DISCLAIMER: I said it, not my company.
		    Samuel Addams: Brewer, Patriot.															        "The right to brew beer is the right to be free!" - me
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: perley@cabot.balltown.cma.COM (Don Perley)
Subject: Re: Washer,Dryer,Fridge & Stove All At Once!
Organization: New York State Institute for Sebastian Cabot Studies
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 15:06:53 GMT


>
>   Sun Frost are a different ballgame: upwards of $2000 for the smallest
>   unit. However, they use 10% of the electricity of a normal unit, and
>   will generally pay back in about 10 years subect to your grid
>   location. 

I have heard that one reason the Sun Frost is so efficient is that it uses
a small compressor.  On the face of it this is ok if your insulation is
good enough.  The downside is that it takes several days to get down to
temperature when you first plug it in.  You could also have problems 
with recovery time if you put something hot in the fridge rather than
leaving it out all night to cool first.

-- 
perley@balltown.cma.com
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:21581 misc.consumers.house:16340
From: guy@ns.network.com (Guy D'Andrea)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Washer,Dryer,Fridge & Stove All At Once!
Date: 6 Jan 93 13:43:41 GMT
Organization: Network Systems Corporation

In article <1993Jan5.210123.26528@informix.com> davek@informix.com (David Kosenko) writes:
>jongsma@benzie.si.com writes:
>>When we were in a similar situation, we found that some manufacturers
>>were offering rebates of $50 per unit, when you bought more than
>>one unit by the same manufacturer.
>>The local independent applicance dealer filled us in on that one.
>
>On a similar note, a local Appliance Chain (Tops, for those in NJ) offers
>a discount (above their already "discounted" prices) when you buy 2 or more
>appliances at the same time. 
>Dave
>
Locally, we have some places that builders, etc. send people to that are 
strictly for purchasing all appliances for a new house.  We had a friend that
gave us the address of the place and we went and picked out what we wanted.  We
then had to give him the $$$ to buy it since they only sell to the people in the
biz, but the price was very good.  Of course this may be exactly what the
builder has access to now but charges you more so he can take an extra cut for
himself...?

-Guy

guy@nsco.network.com, Guy Dandrea, Network Systems Corp., Mpls. MN 55428, USA
                       1-800-328-9108  Fax:(612)424-1736
From: lakia@ipact.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Dances With Wolves Promotion
Date: 5 Jan 93 08:00:47 CDT
Organization: IPACT, Valparaiso IN

In article <4JAN199310093268@eldyn.gsfc.nasa.gov>, goldberg@eldyn.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patti Twigg) writes:
> Well, as is my luck, we seem to have gotten a bad copy of Dances
> With Wolves in the McDonald's promotion. I got one for my
> husband, and gave it to him for Christmas, but in all the holiday
> craziness, we just got around to opening it and *trying* to
> watch it this weekend. Yesterday I called the McDonalds where I
> got it, and he said 'it doesn't work? Bring it in and I will
> refund your money'. Well, this says to me that we did not get the
> only bad copy. And, darn it, I don't want my money back, I want
> the movie. I know McDonalds can't do anything about it, but what
> about the movie company? Would writing to them do any good, since
> it was a special promotion? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
> Thanks!


	The quality on my copy is at best marginal.  Has anyone
else found this to be true?

		-Earl Lakia
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: eddie@acpy01.att.com (Eddie Adamko (CXNIXPT1))
Subject: Re: 10 CDs for the price of 1: kosher?
Organization: AT&T IMS - Piscataway, NJ (USA)
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 19:49:41 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.053053.17534@news.acns.nwu.edu> alasnik@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Adam Lasnik) writes:
>In <1iagejINN1s9@athena.sdsu.edu> dunster@sdsu.edu (mark dunster) writes:
>
>I've never heard of the 10-for-1 deal, but I've taken advantage of club
>8-for-1 deals... MANY times :-)  Here is how I figure they make their money
>off this arrangement:
>
>Just don't forget to return your selection cards on time!
	^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


How long do you have to be a member of this club? Can you cancel at
anytime? I just got a CD player for christmas, what's the phone #?


Thanks Eddie-
From: ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu (David Ash)
Subject: Re: Need list of *secured* VISA/Mastercard Issuers? 
Originator: dash@Xenon.Stanford.EDU
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 05:59:55 GMT

In article <726504480snx@tixel.mv.com> jarnold@tixel.mv.com writes:

>my local bank).  I'm preparing to do some consulting work (hopefully),
>and after airfare, hotel, etc for an extended number of weeks, that
>$1500 can be eaten up real quick.

Couldn't you accomplish the same thing by depositing $1500 for the
security account, and then making a payment of $2500 to give the
credit card account a $2500 credit balance?
-- 
David W. Ash               | "What profits a man if he keeps his eternal soul
ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu |  when he could have lived life to the full and
HOME: (415) 497-1629       |  been forgiven at the end of it all anyway?"
WORK: (415) 725-3859       |         --David Merritt, a.k.a. THE RED SHARK
From: jws@hpcuhe.cup.hp.com (John Stafford)
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 17:39:55 GMT
Subject: Re: DISPUTE OVER A BILL WITH SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER!
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Newsgroups: misc.consumers

Also beware of their "free" trial subscriptions; they use the same logic
with them.  You are expected to call them at or very near the end of the
"free" period and tell them that you don't want it automatically
converted to a paid subscription, otherwise it continues and you get the
bill (despite the fact that they will often say "we'll call you back and
see if you like the paper and want to continue receiving it", they have
never called back).

I am a Sunday only subscriber and frequently get solicited by them to
take some multi-week daily edition "at no extra charge", but again I am
expected to "cancel" it to keep it from becoming a "paid" subscription.
The usual excuse is that it helps their delivery person get more
commission or something (pay them more anyway - don't expect me to take
something I don't want so you can be more generous to them) or it helps
their delivery person have a more "consistent" route (hire more
competant delivery people).  Their solicitors seem totally flabbergasted
when I tell them I don't want this "free" offer and I have had to get
fairly insistent to get them to understand that NO means NO (as in - if
you deliver those "free" papers I'll cancel my subscription completely).
After several rounds of this they haven't called now for quite a number
of months (although I am not naive enough to believe my account is
actually tagged with "don't bother").  Hey, if they offer a product I
(currently) wish to purchase, the "Sunday only delivery" product, and if
they can't deliver that product correctly without delivering unwanted
product, then they shouldn't claim to offer a "Sunday only delivery"
product.
From: cooper@seismo.CSS.GOV (Dale Cooper)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: DISPUTE OVER A BILL WITH SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER!
Date: 7 Jan 93 21:53:11 GMT
Organization: Center for Seismic Studies, Arlington, VA

In article <1993Jan7.164301.18217@netcom.com> jono@netcom.com (Jonathan Levine) writes:
>In article <C0Ew01.Gx5@well.sf.ca.us> casey@well.sf.ca.us (Kathleen Creighton) writes:
->
->Let me give you some advice re SF Chronicle/Examiner and their billing
->(from someone who would always rather fight than give in):  You can't
->fight them.  Do what they say.  Cancel the paper.  Pay the bill.
->Absolutely nothing else will work.  This is my experience and the experience
->of everyone I know.  Give up.

>Just to be contrary, I tried getting the ChronEx for a few months a few
>years ago.  The delivery was, to say the least, spotty (I think I maybe
>recieved 30% of my papers).  I wrote them a letter telling them I wouldn't
>pay.  They wrote back telling me I had to pay.  I wrote them another letter
>telling them if they didn't stop asking me to pay, I'd sue, contact the
>Attorney General, blah, blah, blah.  I then proceeded to throw out anything
>with a ChronEx return address on it.

>No ill effects (yet).  Your mileage may vary.

Geez, I do the same type of thing when my car's transmission starts making 
strange sounds.  I just turn up the radio and it goes away!  It's saved me
big time $$$  ;)

>Jon

>P.s. The service really is HORRIBLE, isn't it.  Not to mention that the
>papers aren't very good.  Bleah.

>Jonathan Levine


Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: dw@unislc.uucp (Dan Wright)
Subject: Re: Handheld Shower Massages
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 02:51:21 GMT

Shekar Benakatti (shekar@bnr.ca) wrote:
: I would like to know which handheld shower massages is the
: best in terms of functionality/reliability/water
: consumption.

The Sears hand-held massage showerhead was top-rated in Consumer Reports a
year or so ago, and I bought it.   I've been pleased with it.   The only
drawback is that it is "low-flow", like most (all?) new showerheads are,
which means that not much water comes out (a horse could pee harder).  But,
there is a little washer you can remove to open the pathway and increase
the flow.  I took that washer out.  I also took a drill and reamed out the
couplings at either end of the hose, since they were more than thick enough
for strength: I assumed correctly that they were thick in order to restrict
the flow.  Now the thing delivers a decent jet of water.

The massage setting provides acceptable vibrations, and the general shower
setting presents a nice group of little jets.  It's well-designed.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one ...

  -- Dan Wright
From: egreen@east.sun.com (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Just a Question
Date: 5 Jan 1993 21:28:09 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
Distribution: world
Reply-To: egreen@east.sun.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 1348@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com, haluk@merlin.dev.cdx.mot.com (Haluk Gumrukcu) writes:
>
>No. I'm talking about the latest MA tax increase on cigarettes. Voters decided
>on that question. Result is 30 cent/pack tax increase. I don't see any 
>justification to the fact that they ask voters to set the price. I think there aren't any 
>other consumable's price set that way.

Alcoholic beverages
Gasolene
All tobacco products
Personal possessions (boats, farm equipment, etc.)
Motor vehicles
"Intangable" possessions (stocks, bonds, etc.)
Income

Some or all of these are taxed by various states at varying amounts.
These amounts (as well as the sales tax on all purchases) are set by
the legislature, thus indirectly by the general population, or in some
cases (such as MA and CA), directly by the general population.

Not every member of the legislature smokes, drinks, or owns a tractor
or stocks.  Many of them have no taxable income.  They still all vote
on the tax rates, and are elected by a constituency that similarly may
or may not consume the item being taxed.

As a practical matter, asking consumers of any product to set the tax
rate on it is ludicrous, there would be no taxes collected!  For
example, I would vote to eliminate taxes and registration fees on
motorcycles, and exempt computer engineers from income taxes!


Don't tax you
Don't tax me
Tax the guy behind the tree
	- Unknown

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...
From: lederman@taney.uscghq.uscg.mil
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: When is a dill pickle Kosher?
Date: 7 Jan 93 11:03:35 EST
Organization: United States Coast Guard


> I still want to know what the small yellow spheroids are.  They appear
> in the jar of kosher dills but not in the jar of non-kosher dills,
> despite identical ingredient lists.

    Probably whole pieces / cloves of garlic.  "Kosher Style"
 pickles usually have garlic.  It can probably be listed under
 "natural flavorings", and could be powedered in the non-kosher
 pickles.  Or the non-kosher pickles could be made with garlic,
 but they don't leave the pieces in when they pack them in the
 jars.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: edg@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (edwin.g.green)
Subject: Re: Bread makers: recommendations?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 12:43:48 GMT

In article <C0CzIn.AKq@tct.com> jtt@tct.com (John Tombs) writes:
>Would any bread maker owners out there care to let me know their views?
>
>Surprisingly, Consumer Reports doesn't seem to have tested them.

Yeah, they tested them a while back.  We are interested in pros and
cons of these beasts also.  CR wasn't very informative (sorry I don't
remember the issue).  I will be interested in what you find out.

Ed

-- 
Edwin G. Green
AT&T Bell Laboratories          Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
INH 1E-506                      317-845-3659
egg@inuxy.att.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.legal,soc.misc,alt.conspiracy
From: dao@TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com (Deborah Wagner 3621)
Subject: Re: How does a PI locate somebody?
Organization: NCR (Torrey Pines Development Center)
Disclaimer: This posting does not necessarily reflect the opinions of NCR.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 01:23:08 GMT


I was once located through Voter's Registration, which is apparently
accessible in some form or other to you and me, or at least
Investigators, private.

Also, DMV, but I think that took a license plate number, or some
other known current number, and has recently been disallowed.
-- 
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
THE CUSTOMER IS OUR FINAL INSPECTOR
 _____________________________________________________________________________
   _    .  |   _____  |   ____   | DEBORAH WAGNER (dao)x3621 STV-9472
  | \   |  |  |       |  |    |  | NCR-Torrey Pines Development Center 
  |  \  |  |  |       |  |----   | @TorreyPinesCA.ncr.com        
  |   \_|  |  |_____  |  |    \  | (619) 597-3621           
 =============================================================================
From: isler@gradient.cis.upenn.edu (Sylvia Isler)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: I'm about to do a C.O.D. transaction. Any caveats?
Date: 5 Jan 93 03:11:50 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania


Hello,
I'm about to sell a computer to a stranger via COD. That is, I send
the computer and he gives UPS a money order for the amount that I 
specified.

I've never done this sort of thing before. It seems like a pretty
straight forward transaction. But if anyone has any
warnings or advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.


Thank you,
Sylvia Isler
isler@gradient.cis.upenn.edu
From: andrew@frip.WV.TEK.COM (Andrew Klossner)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: When is a dill pickle Kosher?
Date: 6 Jan 93 18:40:32 GMT
Reply-To: andrew@frip.wv.tek.com
Organization: Tektronix Color Printers, Wilsonville, Oregon

Steven_Cohn summarizes a discussion which pins the difference on
processing.

I still want to know what the small yellow spheroids are.  They appear
in the jar of kosher dills but not in the jar of non-kosher dills,
despite identical ingredient lists.

  -=- Andrew Klossner  (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com)
                       (uunet!tektronix!frip.WV.TEK!andrew)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house,misc.misc
From: matth@progress.COM (Matthew J. Harper)
Subject: Re: science trivia question - glasses steamed up
Organization: Progress Software Corp.
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 22:34:39 GMT

rchao@well.sf.ca.us (Robert Chao) writes:


>Why do the insides of my glasses sometimes get steamed up when
>I am wearing them? It seems to happen during cold weather, and
>only one eye at a time.
>My guess is that my skin and eye are hotter than the other side
>of the glasses. But why does it happen inconsistently?
>I know it's a stupid question....Don't write just to say so....
>-- 
>Robert Chao
>Oakland, California

  Contrary to what most people might think, the human body does not perspire
at the same rate exactly between the two sides of the body.  Couple that with
cold weather and the wind (however slight it may be) being blocked more on
one side than the other and your glasses can get really steamed.  Happens to
me sometimes.  More so with glass lenses than plastic.

-Matth
--
          Matthew J. Harper ! Progress Software Corp. ! {disclaimer.i}         
   God created heaven and earth to grow barley and hops. Now he homebrews !-)  

     Starve a lawyer!  Boycott Sam Adams and Jim Koch's BS legal tactics!
From: carlp@frigg.isc-br.com (Carl Paukstis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Just a Question
Date: 6 Jan 93 20:10:24 GMT
Organization: ISC-Bunker Ramo, An Olivetti Company

schwartz@nynexst.com (Steven Schwartz) writes:

>On the news this morning:  Second-hand cigarette smoke has been
>"officially" classified as hazardous, in the same category as
>asbestos.

A political rather than scientific decision, as with ALL other effects
of the War on (Some) Drugs.  Remember the test strategy for Saccharin?
Feed rats the equuivalent of a human drinking mumble-hundred diet
colas a day for 30 years, and 10% of them get cancer.  Similar with
secondhand smoke.  While it certainly is annoying, even to me (a
smoker), the only likely sufferers of health effects are children of
smoking parents or other folks with similar intense, prolonged (years)
exposure.

Go ahead, flame away - health Nazis give me the retching vomits.

Folks, this is a _social_ problem - and the effect of federal or state
government trying to "solve" social problems (let alone economic ones)
is nearly always expensive, ineffective, and detrimental to the civil
rights of ALL citizens.

A little courtesy on both sides could have stopped this smoking war
years ago; now we see all kinds of Gummint regulation getting into the
action, certain to make things worse.

>I'd like to see these cig. taxes going towards health programs,
>seeing as how the govt finally recognized 2H smoke for what it is.

Please disabuse yourself of the notion that any particular tax goes
toward any particular program.  Maybe one day there was accounting
like this.  Now, everything goes into one big pot, and everything's
paid out of it.  Sometimes they check to see whether there's enough
funding in the budget to cover the taxes allegedly collected for
specific purpose (e.g. fuels tax for raod programs), but more often
it's just whisked away and we never know what hit us.

At the State level, this is even worse.  Assorted states have raided
the fund collected from motorcycle endorsement fees and "dedicated" to
rider education programs - IL, for example, cut back and may close
down rider education, despite the fact that this "fund" MORE than
covered the necessary expenditures.

Or look into the ammunition tax, purported to pay for wildlife
conservation for sport hunting.  Almost all blown on the defecit.

--
Carl Paukstis, RRR&RSG             |"The good news is that Clinton will have to
 Olivetti North America/Spokane,WA | work hard to do worse than Bush in terms
 Phone: +1 509 927-5439            | of economic policy.  The bad news is that
 Mail: carlp@mail.spk.olivetti.com | he will probably manage to do so"-Ed Ipser
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: gjsnews@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (george.j.shevchuk)
Subject: Re: Bread makers: recommendations?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:33:20 GMT

From article <1993Jan6.220040.21206@mprgate.mpr.ca>, by lyson@mpr.ca (Angela Lyson):
> By the way, I agree with the assessment posted earlier that while
> there are many people who are happy with Welbuilt and DAK machines,
> many other people have had problems with those brands.  I have not 
> heard one complaint about National/Panasonic, Sanyo, and Hitachi.
> -- 
> -----
> Angela Lyson	   lyson@mprgate.mpr.ca          ...uunet!ubc-cs!mprgate!lyson

Well, you'll hear one now.  A good friend of mine got a Hitachi several months
ago, and it has now developed a serious problem.  I don't remember what it
was, but he can't use it now until it's repaired.  So far, after about a dozen
loaves on my new DAK Turbo, it's still doing great.  Doesn't say anything
about tommorrow, but, yes, Hitachis do also fail.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.house
From: forman@ide.com (Bonnie Forman)
Subject: Wood vs. Presto-type logs
Originator: forman@owl
Organization: Interactive Development Environments, SF
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 22:31:59 GMT

  Sorry if this topic has already been discussed; maybe 
  someone can send me a summary.

  This is my first year using a fireplace, and I have some
  questions about what to burn.

  *  I tried using those presto-logs.  They started up
     easily; required no messing around with once lit;
     Relatively inexpensive ($1.88 for a 6-lb log that
     burned over 3 hours).  However, you can supposedly
     burn only one at a time, and the fire is kind of 
     small.

     - Is it true they burn "cleaner" than real wood, i.e.
       not as bad for the environment?

     - Is it true they are not good for the chimney, i.e.  
       potentially dangerous buildup of wax 

     - Can you really only burn one at a time?


  *  I tried using Oak.  I bought a box (not cheap) because
     I don't have anywhere to store a large quantity.
     Took quite some time to get going, but once it
     did, I had a nice sized blaze going with two logs.
     However, it required tending every 15 minutes or so.

     - Is there an advantage to using real wood?

	
   Any input or suggestions would be appreciated.

	Thanks,

		Bonnie 

     
     

-- 
********************************************************************
 forman@ide.com   * ``Things that are Real are given and received  *
 !sun!ide!forman  *            in Silence''      M.B.              *
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