HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: crb7q@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (Cameron Randale Bass)
Subject: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 19:20:43 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.171638.4066@sctc.com> beede@sctc.com (Mike Beede) writes:
>>     [....] Normally
>>     they learn early-on that the class of objects to be hammered
>>     does not usually include foods. [....]
>
>Like veal, chicken, Swiss steak, coconuts, cracker crumbs, and cracked
>ice?  I would imagine a more realistic scenario to be 1) big kid
>mashes smoke detector with hammer 2) big kid chucks it somewhere 3)
>little kid finds it, chows it down.

     Your argument applies to small shards of glass and rocks and 
     trees, and car parts and screws and razorblades and pieces off
     of anything that can be hit with a hammer and ...

     I don't, of course, know if you have kids, but have you scoured
     your house for all possible things that they can injest, especially
     if they are hammered apart?  Have you emptied your cabinets
     of all utensils they can possibly shove down their throat?  
     Have you calculated the danger of source exposure
     vs. the probability of hemorrhage from sharp edges?

     I'd have to say that right after Alar, injestion of sources in 
     lightbulbs and smoke detectors is probably the most serious
     health threat facing our children today.

                                 dale bass
-- 
C. R. Bass                                           crb7q@virginia.edu
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia                            (804) 924-7926
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16161 rec.video:10936 sci.electronics:15236 sci.misc:1576
From: C058SJLX@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.video,sci.electronics,sci.misc
Subject: Re: VCR Maintenance Advice Wanted. Head Cleaners Any Good?
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:58:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: acsu.Bu2Cv0.2r6
Organization: University at Buffalo

In article <2AA6BA13.14151@news.service.uci.edu>
gkwan@balboa.eng.uci.edu (Greg Kwan) writes:
 
>
>>>>Anyway, what I'd like to know is the current state-of-the-art of VCR head
>>>>(and capstan, etc.) cleaners, as well as other maintenance systems.  The
>>>>repair person stated that there's no good system to clean the heads,rollers,
>>>>etc., other than getting in there with a soaked q-tip.  However, I really
>>>>don't yet believe him since such advice is self-serving - I'd like to get
>>>>VCR maintenance advice from knowledgeable yet impartial people.
             I have read this discussion on VCR heads cleaning,
          well,  What about camcorders.  My old camcorder has been
       used for more than 3 years now.  I have used those cleaning
       tapes.  Now, I would like to do an in-depth cleaning to it.
       It is a full-size Sharp camcorder,  Is it easy to reach the
       heads and clean them?? I've never tried to open-up the
       camcorder.
                Thanks for any help.
           Eleazar Puente
Newsgroups: pdx.consumer,misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment,sci.med,sci.physics,talk.environment
From: kenny@osf.org (Kenneth Crudup)
Subject: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 21:44:15 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.164324.19218@SSD.intel.com>
anderson@SSD.intel.com (Mike Anderson) writes:
>Abstract: Alert!!! some compact flourescent light bulbs have radioactive
>materials in them.
>"Starter bottle within lamp base contains 0.33 Micro-Ci Pm-147."

Ever check out the Ingredient List of a smoke detector?

Don't sweat it.

-- 
Kenneth R. Crudup, Contractor, OSF DCE QA
OSF, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142	+1 617 621 7306
kenny@osf.osf.org			OSF has nothing to do with this post.
Not one of the "PC" weenies.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mem@mv.mv.com (Mark E. Mallett)
Subject: Re: Sears Best?
Organization: MV Communications, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 05:13:24 GMT

These stories seem compatible with my own experience.  I have always been
disenchanted with Sears sales + delivery, but they always seem to make up
for their mistakes.

-mm-
-- 
Mark E. Mallett  MV Communications, Inc./ PO Box 4963/ Manchester NH/ 03108
Bus. Phone: 603 429 2223    Home: 603 424 8129     BIX: mmallett
Internet: mem@mv.MV.COM  ( uucp: ...{decvax|harvard}!mv!mem )
Looking for news and mail in southern NH / northern MA?  Try MV!
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:16019 sci.chem:3355
From: close@lunch.wpd.sgi.com (Diane Barlow Close)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.chem
Subject: Re-activating charcoal?
Date: 3 Sep 92 00:10:48 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: Self employed, eh.


Is is possible to reactivate activated charcoal?  I'd like to re-use
those "activated charcoal" filters you get for air cleaners.  If it's
not possible, does anyone know of a bulk source for these things (just
the plain activated charcoal material sheets would be nice) or a
cheaper source than my local retail store?
-- 
Diane Barlow Close
	close@lunch.wpd.sgi.com 
	I'm at lunch today.  :-)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
From: shafer@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal.
	<k3=nlrd.strnlght@netcom.com>
	<1992Aug25.070603.1886@morrow.stanford.edu>
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 23:42:16 GMT

I'm a tea drinker, but I recommend Community Kitchen for anything to
do with coffee.  Coffee, coffee grinders, coffee makers. coffee cups,
coffee spices, etc.  My next-door neighbor is in their
coffe-of-the-month club; I have a standing order for Darjeeling tea.

US except LA            800-535-9901
LA                      800-523-8555
Customer service        800-321-7539

They also have lots of other good stuff.

--
Mary Shafer  DoD #0362 KotFR NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
shafer@rigel.dfrf.nasa.gov                    Of course I don't speak for NASA
 "There's no kill like a guns kill." LCDR "Hoser" Satrapa, gunnery instructor
                       "A kill is a kill."  Anonymous
From: sbarnhar@mailbox.mail.umn.edu (Dr. Barnhart)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Recommendations for a good/reliable walkman
Date: 4 Sep 92 14:34:06 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: U of Mn Propoganda Ministry

In article <nyarko.715545879@ee.ualberta.ca>, nyarko@ee.ualberta.ca (David
Nyarko) wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> Could anyone recommend a good reliable walkman
> (personal stereo unit) within the $Cdn150.00 range.
> Some desireable features are:
> - Dolby noise reduction.
> - Auto-reverse
> - Equalizer (Optional)
> - Bass Boost
> - Digital Tuning (Optional)
> 

"Good" and "reliable" are often in conflict when buying a Walkman.  The
"good" tape-handling, auto-reverse and other mechanical features are
fragile and tend to fail much easier than "cheap" less mechanical Walkmen. 
It's sometimes a tough job to balance the two.  You have to 

In the past, I've had good experience with Aiwa and OK experience with
Sony.  The last Aiwa I had lasted two years with no componentry failure in
that time, despite being carried with me everywhere and being listened to
EVERY day, being dropped, kicked, hit and fallen upon by me in a bike
accident.  If only I could find that model again..

My current one is a Sony Outback, which cost US$120.  It has autoreverse,
"Mega Bass (tm)", a really good tuner, and Dolby B.  It's supposed to be
Sony's most rugged model, featuring a thick, rubberized plastic housing,
rubber plugs for unused holes and a locking, gasketed tape door.  It still
has the same cheap plastic capstans, though, which break easily when tapes
are put in improperly.

[Sony apparently makes a Walkman that uses ALL metal components that is
supposed to be nearly indestructible, but it's also $400.]

It's easily the best sounding Walkman I've ever owned.  No wow/flutter,
great frequency response (which I'm sure has something to do with the Sony
MDR-501 headphones), great bass, and the tuner is excellent, pulling in
stations I have trouble getting in the car.

I've owned it for about a year and it's mechanically sound, although it
hasn't been bashed about like the Aiwa (bus riding is easier than urban
mountain biking).  I am starting to have problems, though.  The volume
control wheel is starting to give me problems.  It has a tendency to "lose"
the left channel unless you wiggle the wheel.  I'm guessing this is due to
either dirt or a deteriorating solder joint.  I'd spray it with some
(appropriate) cleaner if it wasn't so well sealed ;-), or I'd take it apart
if I could figure out how.  I'm also getting that charteristic crackling in
the headphone jack, but it hasn't caused a channel dropout yet.

I've been really satisified with it thusfar.  If I can't fix the
volume-wheel problem, I may be less satisfied though.  Performance-wise it
has been spectacular.

-Shawn

Shawn Barnhart ! sbarnhar@mailbox.mail.umn.edu
I'm not selling out, I'm buying in.
From: gt8963a@prism.gatech.EDU (MCCARTNEY,JEFFREY ELWOOD)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Need contact info on 4x8 foot "shingles"
Date: 3 Sep 92 18:28:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

My hardware store owner told me he'd heard of 4x8 foot "shingles"
that could go on a home.  Does anyone know where I might find such
and who makes them?  And, even better, has anyone worked with
them?

Thank you

-- 

uucp:	  ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt8963a
Internet: gt8963a@prism.gatech.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.video,sci.electronics,sci.misc
From: noring@netcom.com (Jon Noring)
Subject: VCR Maintenance Advice Wanted.  Head Cleaners Any Good?
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 92 22:08:05 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

Hello,

We have our VCR in the repair shop for the second time in two years, and
again it is a very dirty head.

Anyway, what I'd like to know is the current state-of-the-art of VCR head
(and capstan, etc.) cleaners, as well as other maintenance systems.  The
repair person stated that there is no good system to clean the heads, rollers,
etc., other than getting in there with a soaked q-tip.  However, I really
don't yet believe him since such advice is self-serving - I'd like to get
VCR maintenance advice from knowledgeable yet impartial people.

Much thanks.

Jon Noring

-- 
=============================================================================
| Jon Noring          | noring@netcom.netcom.com | "The dogs bark, but the  |
| JKN International   | IP    : 192.100.81.100   |  caravan moves on."      |
| 1312 Carlton Place  | Phone : (510) 294-8153   | "Pack your lunch, sit in |
| Livermore, CA 94550 | V-Mail: (510) 862-1101   |  the bushes, and watch." |
=============================================================================
"If your annual income today is $50,000, you have the same buying power as
the average coal miner did in 1949, adjusted for taxes and inflation," John
Sestina, nationally recognized Certified Financial Planner;  quoted in 1987.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: nyarko@ee.ualberta.ca (David Nyarko)
Subject: Recommendations for a good/reliable walkman
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:44:39 GMT

Hi,
Could anyone recommend a good reliable walkman
(personal stereo unit) within the $Cdn150.00 range.
Some desireable features are:
- Dolby noise reduction.
- Auto-reverse
- Equalizer (Optional)
- Bass Boost
- Digital Tuning (Optional)

			David

email address: nyarko@bode.ee.ualberta.ca
From: tommy@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (Tom Peterson)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Personal protection (was Re: PARALYZER CS tear gas)
Date: 2 Sep 92 13:23:21 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard - Boise, ID

/ hpdmd48:misc.consumers / mike%jim.uucp@wupost.wustl.edu (Mike Suter) / 11:01 am  Sep  1, 1992 /
Since tear/pepper/etc gas seems to be less effective than advertising
claims, what are other alternatives?

Stun guns are large enough to be a nuisance to carry for some, but do
they work--do they cause temporary paralysis to the attacker?

Mike
-- 
mike%jim.uucp@wupost.wustl.edu
---------
This is a VERY timely question,             

My wife was attacked last night in front of our home. She does night time
deliveries for a bakery and stopped by to take a break (about 3:15am).  As
she was leaving and the house and locking up, a young man ran up to her and 
threw her to the ground.  He tried to cover her mouth with his hand, but she
was able to scream and yell enough that it scared him off.  Her yelling woke
up both myself and our very loving pitbull, but by then the guy was gone. 

At the same time, the police police were investigating an accident a couple
of blocks away (my wife had noticed them when she was coming home).  We ran
down and explained the situation, they searched the area for awhile and
couldn't find the suspect.  Which lead them to believe he lived close by and 
was hiding in his home :-(

Anyway back to the question, I had a long talk with a very friendly cop
(friendly cops are VERY RARE around here).  He suggested that she and I 
carry "pepper gas", he said that it is much more effective than mace. Mace
sometimes has no affect At All on some people, but pepper gas is always
effective.  He told us that he is going to buy some pepper gas to carry on
his "tool belt" but that it is not standard issue (they are allowed to use it,
but they have to tell their captain at what point in the protocol they would
resort to it.  They are "supposed to use the batton first", which even seemed
backwards to him (and me)).

The officers best suggestion was simply to vary her schedule through the
night, so that people wouldn't know exactly when she'd be in any particular
place.  He also told her not to be paranoid, Boise, Idaho is a safe place
to live compared to most places.  But, its getting bad fast with our current
population explosion.

So, tonight we learned:
 1.  FIX PORCH LIGHT! (boy, am I in trouble for that little honeydew)
 2.  Arlo the killer pitbull sleeps through anything.
 3.  Buy pepper gas ASAP, and carry it on keychain ALWAYS.
 4.  Vary your schedule, we are all creatures of habit.
 5.  There is at least one nice cop out there (maybe our parents were right).

LIVE AND LEARN  (it could have been ALOT worse)
 Tom Peterson

"
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15609 rec.food.drink:2727 ba.food:2904
From: jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: 25 Aug 92 18:13:30 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., San Jose, CA

While we're debating the merits of coffees, does anyone know
what goes into the "Scandanavian blend" coffees I favor?

For sheer adventure, I love "Heisenberg's Uncertain Blend" at
Trader Joe's.  The major problem, unfortunately, is if you
find something so utterly wonderful you rave and gibber about
it, you can never get it again.  :-(  (I've had two cans like
that.)

 

--
  Jilara   [jane@swdc.stratus.com]

I've worn high-heeled pointed-toed fashionable shoes for the past 
twenty years, and you ask me about if *getting tattooed* hurt?!
From: rrw@elden.cse.nau.edu (Bob Wier)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: NADA information&Prowler T.T.
Date: 1 Sep 92 06:37:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ
Originator: rrw@elden.cse.nau.edu

I just thought I'd mention the following:

I'm searching for a used RV (travel trailer) to buy. There are
used vechicle price guides, but the guides on anything but used
cars seem very hard to come by (I searched all of Phoenix and
couldn't find a NADA guide on RVs).  I did a bit of research
and found they have an 800 number where you can order a guide:

800 966 6232

They have guides on RVs; Motorcycle/Snowmobile/ATV/Personal Watercraft;
Small Boats; Large Boats; Mobile/Manufactured Housing; and Aircraft.

They are somewhat expensive - the RV guide currently runs about $45 for
1 copy - on the other hand if you are going to spend $9K - $10K on
a vehicle it's probably worth it.  

One note, when you call they will try to sell you a year's subscription.
But if you are persistant, they will sell you a single copy.  

Oh yes, if you happen to own a Prowler Travel Trailer, I'd be interested
in your opinions...

THANKS

--BW

 - Bob Wier

  ---------- insert favorite standard disclaimers here ----------
                   College of Engineering
      Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff Arizona
  Internet: rrw@naucse.cse.nau.edu | BITNET: WIER@NAUVAX | WB5KXH
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 20:16:47 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa


Ken Perlow points out that if you want great coffee, attention to the
water you use is important. Too true.

I use a Sears Distiller on all the water I drink or cook with. It's
a counter-top device that can be had for about $100. After seeing
the horrible brown residue left after each distillation, I quickly
became convinced that I was doing my kidneys, as well as my taste
buds a favor. I live in Pasadena, CA, where we get Colorado
river water from time to time, as well as water from the Sierras.

David
From: georgec@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: CD player for car
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:35:59 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

Better than having a CD player for the car, and more convenient, is
to instead record your favorite songs on CD to a metal cassette tape.
This is what I do. I have an Alpine tape deck in my car, and cassettes
recorded in this manner sound great.
From: jis@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: patio furniture recommendation needed
Date: 27 Aug 92 11:59:21 -0500



I wonder if someone could recommand any good place (or mail order place) 
to buy some nice indoor or outdoor patio furnitures such as wicker or rattan.

Thanks in advance,
jennifer
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15822 sci.energy:4165 sci.environment:10925 sci.med:16585 sci.physics:13791 talk.environment:3438
From: jac@ds8.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Newsgroups: pdx.consumer,misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment,sci.med,sci.physics,talk.environment
Subject: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Date: 29 Aug 92 18:23:52 GMT
Reply-To: jac@ds8.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr)
Followup-To: pdx.consumer
Distribution: na
Organization: SCRI, Florida State University

In article <STEINMAN.92Aug24173740@hawk.is.morgan.com> steinman@is.morgan.com (Jan Steinman) writes:
>
>There is some controversy over the so-called "threshold effect" -- a
>level of radiation, below which, no damage to biological systems take
>place. An emerging consensus refutes the threshold effect, and
>believes that no amount of ionizing radiation can be considered
>harmless. (See "Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation" (BEIR V) and
>works by Goffman.)

However, a low energy beta will have great difficulty leaving the bulb, 
let alone passing through the lampshade, the air, or your clothes.  CF 
Bulbs are in the realm of zero exposure unless you eat them, as someone 
commented, and even then Pm is not biologically active.  There is no 
need to worry about thresholds when you are talking about zero.

>   These small amounts are "exempt" quantities as 
>   defined by the NRC.
>
>Gives me little comfort! "The government says it's okay" always raises
>a red flag in my mind!

Yep, I feel the same way when I am driving my licensed vehicle at or 
below the governmentally sanctioned speed limit.   ;-)

>Teach your children how to use a geiger counter!

Good idea.  But do not stop there.  Suggest that they put a bottle of 
GatorAde (sorry you folks at UF, any of the "replacement" sport drinks) 
next to it.  <quite a nice effect, BTW>  Compare to CF bulb.  Look for 
any warning label on the respective packages.  A learning experience!
Also might compare to a banana and your own body.  

Naturally ocurring radioactive materials do not have to be on labels 
if they are a natural part of the product -- even if concentrated 
during the processing of the natural food product.  This is because 
the body will have a certain amount of potassium regardless of its 
source in your diet, and all potassium is radioactive.  If there is 
no threshold effect, being too close to someone else would have to be 
considered a cause of cancer, and sex and subways would be banned.

--
J. A. Carr                                    |  "The New Frontier of which I  
jac@gw.scri.fsu.edu                           |  speak is not a set of promises
Florida State University  B-186               |  -- it is a set of challenges."
Supercomputer Computations Research Institute |   John F. Kennedy (15 July 60)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink
From: jcarroll@ferris.cray.com (Jeff Carroll)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Originator: jcarroll@ferris
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: 31 Aug 92 23:26:20 CDT


David Sternlight:
>On the subject of Krups vs. Bunn, Starbucks, which sells both, claims
>that the Bunn makes better coffee because of its flat-bottomed filter
>paper. I have both and if there's any difference, it's marginal.

I got exactly the opposite opinion from the last Starbucks barista I
talked to about this. Starbucks is highly unlikely to have a corporate
doctrine on which Mr. Coffee clone is better - they're more likely to
try to sell you a French press.

I prefer cone filters (a la Krups) to basket (a la Bunn); gravity moves
the water through the coffee for you. It's Mother Nature's little assist
to keep your coffee from overextracting into the water that accumulates
in the bottom of your filter basket (if you have both, look at the grounds.
Which are wetter?)

The problem with the Krups gold filter is that the holes are big
enough to let through coffee particles which accumulate as sludge
at the bottom of your pot. (Essentially the same thing occurs with
the "French press", but worse.) Consequently my favorite method
of preparing drip coffee is to heat the water in a teapot (or coffee
urn with no coffee), and pour it through a two-cup Melitta filter
cone with a paper cone filter.

Received wisdom about brewing coffee is that the water should be about
190 degrees. I find that waiting for the water to boil in the tea kettle
and taking it off the burner briefly before pouring it through the coffee
works quite well.

The trick to getting non-bitter coffee lies in extracting the good-tasting
components of the coffee (which come first) and not extracting the bitterness,
acid, and caffeine (which come with prolonged exposure of the grind to
the water. The principle of the espresso machine is to get the water
through the coffee quickly enough that the bitterness, acidity, and
a lot of the caffeine stay in the grind.

Jeff Carroll
barista-in-training
carroll@reston.cray.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,sci.environment,sci.med