HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: meir@tfs.com (Meir Zaid)
Subject: Re: mortgages for non-residents
Organization: TRW Financial Systems
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 23:46:41 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.133739.4017@newstand.syr.edu> podgorny@npac.syr.edu (Marek Podgorny) writes:
>I am an H-1 visa holder and looking for a house in US. Before I started, I
>had conversations with agents of two lending institutions to check pre-
>qualification conditions. I told them explicitely up front that I do not
>have green card and they said - no problem. So I have made on offer for a
>house. The seller's broker wanted to check on his own if I can get a
>mortgage, and he came up with entirely different story: the non-residents
>cannot get a mortgage without 25% downpayments. Now, I know people who
>got mortgages not being residents and paying just 3% (1st buyer option).
>Other lending institutions in the area, when asked, seem confused. I am
>not willing to pay $500 for qualification just in order to be told that
>I do not qualify in the first place. Are there any comments about this?
>I will appreciate them.
>
>Marek Podgorny, NPAC, Syracuse University


I believe what the seler's agent told you is generally true.  Non US
residents are required to put 25% down.  I don't know about special cases
like first time home buyer programs.  But the lenders should be able to
tell you if you are qualified, and you don't have to spend a dollar before
you are approved for the loan.  If you can put 25% down than I don't think
you have a problem.
-- 

Meir Zaid			meir@tfs.com
TRW Financial Systems		(510) 704-3362
Berkeley,  California		Fax: (510) 845-7311
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: kenny@osf.org (Kenneth Crudup)
Subject: Re: PARALYZER CS tear gas
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 21:59:32 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.142552.7859@hubcap.clemson.edu>
wstef@hubcap.clemson.edu (W. Gregg Stefancik) writes:
>As an aside, one wonders why the LA PD didn't just Capstun or whatever on
>Rodney King.

Simple- it was a dick thing. Cops *like* beating the hell outta suspects.

-- 
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.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15602 rec.food.drink:2724 ba.food:2900
From: gadfly@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Summary: Pareto analysis.
Date: 25 Aug 92 16:42:39 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Aug25.143634.19604@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com>,
sharen@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com (Sharen A. Rund) writes:
> Over the years I've found that many times its _not_ the coffeemaker
> that makes a _good_ cup of coffee but the 'coffemaker' that brews
> a _good_ cup of coffee - I've been to homes where the person has
> the "best" or "top-of-the-line" of everything and still can't boil 
> a decent pot of water

Hey, a lot of upscale coffee bean snobs (though certainly not anyone
in this newsgroup:-) fail to recognize that the principal ingredient,
by weight and volume, in any cup of coffee is... *Water*.  If you're
going to use those el expensivo beans, you'll want to make sure that
what you dissolve them in doesn't have even a hint of that el sludgo
taste.

               *** ***
Ken Perlow   ***** *****
25 Aug 92   ****** ******   8 Fructidor An CC
            *****   *****   gadfly@ihlpa.ATT.COM
             ** ** ** **
...L'AUDACE!   *** ***   TOUJOURS DE L'AUDACE!  ENCORE DE L'AUDACE!
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: msingh@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (The Supreme Commander)
Subject: Re: Another Scam
Organization: Indiana University
Distribution: misc
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 14:59:05 GMT

[stuff concerning spweepstakes win of 35MM camera and lifetime supply
of file deleted]

>Need we ask to have the use of the word "Sweepstakes" regulated so that
>stuff like this gets stopped?  Should I be bothered by this?  Are people
>less observant being ripped off?


I got one of these lovely notices too. My first instinct was to throw
it out, but my girlfriend thought it wouldn't be a waste, after all a
lifetime supply of file. Upon careful reading, I discovered a
"lifetime" was considered 10 years. One roll of film per YEAR! Even
more reading found that it was 12 exposure 110 film! (Notice that the
camera is a 35MM and thus takes 35MM film, *not* 110 film)

So, you have a "lifetime" supply of 110 film, 12 exposure. In reality
you will get 10 rolls of 12 exposure 110 speed film, which at today's
prices cost about $1.50 a roll. 10 * $1.50 = $10.50. Your "winning"
cost is $12.75.

Personally, I'd love to give this to my postmaster and start mail
fraud proceedings. However, my experience has shown that the PO
doesn't really care about these things unless 100+ people start
complaining.



-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Supreme Commander wishes you a Supreme day. 
I'm a Magic Man, oooh, I got the magic hands, yeah...
Don't mind me, I'm just attempting to dock.
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:15693 sci.environment:10885 sci.med:16456
From: lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich)
Newsgroups: pdx.consumer,misc.consumers,sci.environment,sci.med
Subject: Radioactive Smoke Alarms? (was Re: Avoiding radioactive household products)
Date: 26 Aug 92 21:20:11 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: LLNL


	Many smoke alarms have a small bit of radioactive material in
them to create ionization. When there is smoke, then the conductivity
of the air goes up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's how I think a
smoke alarm works.

	Though radioactive materials arouse an almost phobic reaction
nowadays (about a century ago, they aroused just about the opposite
one, I may add), they _are_ guaranteed reliable. As long as it's not
all gone, radioactive material will continue being radioactive no
matter what goes on its environment.

/Loren
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: tvervaek@col.hp.com (Tom Vervaeke)
Subject: Re: Camp stoves
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 20:54:53 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

I've got one of the regular stoves and I use unleaded fuel from
the car in it. No problem.  Since I normally have my car around
anyway, I just snake a tube down the old tank and pump some into 
the little coleman tank when i need to use the stove.  This 
way I'm not bombarded by fumes in a hot car! I got this
idea from a friend. I have a very small siphon that I used to 
get the fuel from the tank and into coleman's tank. Takes about
30 seconds start to finish to get the job done.  
 
I've not noticed any difference, but then I haven't paid Colemen's
ridiculous price for fuel in a long time. I also don't like the
idea of leaving any kind of propane container in my car in case
it might get too hot and pop off.
 
Regards.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: flongo@seles (Frank Longo)
Subject: Car Alarm - opinions
Organization: US Card Products Group, Citicorp Treasury
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 12:43:04 GMT

Has anyone anything good or bad to say about the Prestige APS-2
auto alarm system by Audiovox? It would cost me $300 installed.

Any comments would be much appreciated.

flongo@bank.citib.com
Frank Longo

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: bell@cs.tamu.edu (Will Bell)
Subject: Re: IKEA furniture by mailorder?
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 03:04:09 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.211456.4998@cs.ubc.ca> yogi@cs.ubc.ca (Yossi Gil) writes:
>I am interested in buying IKEA furniture by mail order.  Any ideas
>on how this can be done?

According to the 1993 IKEA catalog I just got at the (newly opened) Houston 
store, "IKEA is not a mail-order catalog".  This catalog only listed 6 stores,
which I presume are the only ones in the USA.  (As I recall, there are 3 in
Pennsylvania, 1 in N.Y., 1 in the Washington DC area, and now 1 in Texas).

I had heard a rumor (perhaps on this newsgroup) quite a while ago that IKEA
was planning to start up a mail-order business, but it doesn't seem to have
materialized.

I just got an IKEA credit card;  I'll inform the group of any important,
must-know IKEA facts as I get them.  :)

WBB

RandomQuestion:  Is it properly written IKEA or Ikea?  Is IKEA an acronym?
Anyone from Sweden care to translate IKEA if possible?
--
Will Bell -- bell@cs.tamu.edu -- Live from the heart of Scenic Central Texas
"That guy's nose is huge!"
From: kenny@osf.org (Kenneth Crudup)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: DAK's short-wave radio ??
Date: 25 Aug 92 21:29:22 GMT
Organization: Open Software Foundation

In article <Bt8MH2.HAG@acsu.buffalo.edu>,
C058SJLX@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu writes...
>  I have seen a portable short wave radio advertised in the DAK catalogue.

In article <1992Aug23.181217.4268@isus.UUCP>
hoyt@isus.UUCP (Hoyt A. Stearns jr.) writes:
>The radio works quite well, BUT (what they don't tell you) is the battery drain
>is very high, so you must keep it on a battery eliminator at all times that
>you're not carrying it with you, or the batteries will die in a couple of days
>keeping the clock running.

I've got DAK's $50 model, and I don't have this problem. I don't get to use it
too much, so it has been sitting on top of the fridge for about 7 months now,
on the same batteries, and the clock is still reading (GMT) on time. When I
do use it (for music out on the rear deck- well, it's the only battery powered
radio in the house :-), I run it an hour or two at a time, for what has to be
at least 4 total hrs now, all on the same 1/2 year old batteries.

Maybe your unit's defective?

	-Kenny
-- 
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.
From: klf@druwa.ATT.COM (FranklinKL)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: PARALYZER CS tear gas
Keywords: Really appropriate defense weapons
Date: 31 Aug 92 17:29:31 GMT
Distribution: misc


There has been some fair level of discussion with regard to the
appropriateness of various weaponry with regard to self defense.
I completely concur with the statements that small bore firearms
(especially handguns) are NOT appropriate for personal defense.

When I was a reserve Deputy Sherriff (Adams County, CO), about 13 years
ago, officers were allowed to carry only revolvers with the acceptable
caliber the .38 Special.  We could carry .357 Magnums, but had to
have them loaded with .38 loads.  Recognizing that .38s were not
always an adequate stopper, the department issued us copper jacketed,
softnose hollowpoints.  Those suckers would STOP an assailant.
The secret of stopping power has to do with energy transferrance.
The faster you can transfer the energy of the bullet to the target,
the better you'll stop them.  A hollow point mushrooms to 3-4 times
normal diameter on impact and greatly enhances the transfer of energy.
So, the variables are, the energy you can impart to the bullet and
how rapidly you can transfer that energy to the intended target.
A low energy load like a .22 or .25, with a solid bullet is virtually
useless against an angry (or drunk) assailant.  Hollow points help
some but there isn't the energy there to do an effective job.
If we REALLY needed stopping power, each car was equipped with a
riot shotgun.

Handguns pose a further problem for the average person.  That has to
do with training.  Most folks who own handguns are not schooled at all
in their use and the few who are are mostly trained in basic weapons
handling and shooting in a target environment.  In order to effectively
use a hangun for personal defense, one should be trained in the use of
the weapon in a combat environment.  It's one thing to shoot at a target
on a pistol range, but quite another to draw down on an attacking
intruder (possibly armed) in the dark.

As for the various kinds of tear gas, we used to carry aerosol cannisters
of military CN tear gas.  Nasty stuff, stung exposed skin and REALLY
screwed up the eyes and nose.  Yet, I saw the stuff used repeatedly
on a rather large, very drunk, very belligerent individual and for
all the difference it made, you could have doused him with water.
It didn't even slow him down.  About the best use we found for the gas
was to ward off persistant dogs.

--
Ken Franklin 	They say there's a heaven for people who wait
AMA #553197 	And some say it's better but I say it ain't
DoD # 0126      I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
		The sinners are lots more fun, Y'know only the good die young
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: pas@cc.gatech.edu (Paulo Santos)
Subject: How to round off sales tax
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 22:27:46 GMT

Does anyone know the right way to round off sales tax?
I've been wondering about this, and I don't know how this is done.

Yesterday I went shopping in a 6% area (around here).
I bought an item for $1.99, and I was charged 11c tax.
In the next store I bought an item for $1.89, and was charged 12c tax.
How come?

6% of $1.99 is 11.94 cents, and I would have expected them to round up.
6% of $1.89 is 11.34 cents, and they should have rounded down to 11c.

I am not claiming that anyone owes me 1c.  I am just curious...

Paulo Santos
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Coffee roasting
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 92 20:41:40 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 


In past conversations several have remarked that if one cannot find the
Melitta Coffee Roaster, one can roast green coffee beans with a popcorn
popper. One disadvantage is that the chaff blows all over the place.

Yesterday I saw a Black and Decker hot air popper with a vented lid, that
keeps the popped corn in the popping chamber rather than blowing it out. It
was only $20-odd at my local LA Tronics.

Perhaps this would be the ideal coffee bean roaster. It has a very large
popping chamber, and costs a lot less than the Melitta.

One caveat. The Melitta roasting chamber is metal, and the Black and Decker
popping chamber is plastic. If the beans get really hot, this might be
a problem, depending on the plastic.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: dalessio@rtsg.mot.com (Mario D'Alessio)
Subject: Re: auto-start AUDIO cassette recorder ??
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 14:22:32 GMT

amy@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Amy McNulty) writes:


>With all of the recent advances in VCR technology, I'm surprised that  
>I've never seen an AUDIO cassette recorder that can be pre-set to start  
>taping at a specific time. Has anyone ever seen or heard of one of  
>these? Although I haven't tried it, I assume that connecting my stereo  
>system to an automatic timer wouldn't work (even if I could get it to  
>come on at a reasonably close approximation to the correct time)....

Many stereo cassette players (like mine) have a switch that
can put the unit in auto-record or auto-play mode when the
power goes on. Since my player is connected to the
"switched" outlet on the back of my receiver and my
receiver has a timer, I can auto-record. Get a player with
this switch, and then you can hook it up to a regular
automatic timer.


Mario


************************************************************
* ******************************************************** *
* *  __________________           __                     * *
* *  \_________________|)____.---'--`---.____            * *
* *                ||    \----.________.----/            * *
* *  __/\__      __||____/ /_    `--'                    * *
* *  \RUSH/     |___         \   Mario D'Alessio         * *
* *   |/\|          `--------'   dalessio@rtsg.mot.com   * *
* *                                                      * *
* *    Work: (708) 632-2323  9am to 6pm Central Time     * *
* ******************************************************** *
************************************************************
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink,ba.food
From: lgold@callahans.Cadence.COM (Lynn Gold)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Organization: /mnt4/lgold/.organization
	<8210.25748@stratus.SWDC.Stratus.COM> <1992Aug25.191555.28507@ads.com>
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 05:06:08 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.191555.28507@ads.com> charleen@ADS.COM (Charleen Bunjiovianna) writes:

>In article <8210.25748@stratus.SWDC.Stratus.COM> jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman) writes:
>>
>>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.)

>Finally, someone else who likes Heisenberg's!  Everyone else thinks
>I'm crazy.

>I don't care so much about not being able to duplicate the beans
>in the next can; I just like surprises.  Also gives me a chance
>to sample beans I might not ordinarily buy.

Agreed!  I've had some really wonderful cans of the stuff and some
really overcooked ones (TJ's French Roast tastes burnt, IMHO).

My favorite of the Trader Joe's coffees was Tanzanian Peaberry, but I
haven't seen it there in ages; one of the salespeople said they were
no longer getting shipments of the stuff. :-(

I've seen something labelled "Tanzanian Peaberry" at Whole Foods, but
I have yet to try it.

--Lynn
--
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?<&QY97(@=V5R92!T;R!H97)E(&%B;W5T('1H:7,A"F%P
`
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: mkm@cs.washington.edu (Mark Murray)
Subject: wrist rests
Keywords: MediaMate, carpal tunnel syndrome prevention
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 16:43:15 GMT

Recently I received a sample wrist rest, the kind that sits in front
of your keyboard and has a flap extending underneath the keyboard.
Also included: a mouse pad, each made by MediaMate.  Of course I filed
away (read: lost) the accompanying printed information and now would
like to inquire into price/availability.  Numerous local calls and the
800 info operator have already been tried.

Anyone know who sells MediaMate wrist rests?



Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ldahlmey@nrao.edu
Subject: Re: Edmund Scientific ???
Reply-To: ldahlmey@nrao.edu
Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 19:09:22 GMT


Phone Numbers for Edmund Scientific:

Order:		609.573.6250
		609.547.3488

Fax:		609.573.6295

Customer Service:   609.573.6260

This Information is from a 1991 Catalog.


---
            /MMMMMMMMMMM\             | ldahlmey@aoc.nrao.edu 
          {|  /\  ~  /\  |}           | Lothar Dahlmeyer  
______nnnn_|_|_@|   |_@|_|_nnnn_______| National Radio Astronomy Observatory
      UUUU       \_/       UUUU       | Socorro, New Mexico, 87801


Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.food.drink
From: strnlght@netcom.com (David Sternlight)
Subject: Re: Looking for a *great* coffeemaker
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 92 08:12:40 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa


Jeff Carroll may be correct that the cone filters extract a better
brew than the flat-bottomed ones, but the official Starbucks position
is contained in their newsletter issued when they started carrying the
Bunn. It is an extended paean of praise to the Bunn, with invidious
comparisons with the cones. They claim it comes close to the coffee
they make in their shops. This is not surprising since they use a
flat bottomed commercial coffee machine there.

If one of Starbucks' baristas says the cone makes better coffee,
she is likely to be paid a visit from the corporate inquisitor-
general and heretic sniffer, and exiled to the back room to open
the aluminum packages the coffee comes in. Yes, boys and girls,
Starbucks in most cities gets their coffee in packages from the
main plant--it is not freshly roasted on the day.
From: sichase@csa3.lbl.gov (SCOTT I CHASE)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Radioactivity and Superstition; was: Re: Are Your Light Bulbs Radioactive?
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Date: 27 Aug 92 01:25:00 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
Distribution: na
Reply-To: sichase@csa3.lbl.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.254.198
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   

In article <l9ns6oINNmol@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu>, de5@ORNL.GOV (Dave Sill) writes...
> 
>They *are* different.  You can't see, smell, taste, hear, or feel
>radioactivity.  This isn't true of most physical phenomena people deal with,
>including chemicals and electricity.  It's hardly surprising that it's treated
>differently.

Actually, you can see, smell, and/or feel radiation (or its effects on the 
air that you are breathing - lots of ozone).  But if you do, then you have
been massively exposed, and are probably going to be dead very soon.
Reports from some Chernoble employees and emergency workers include 
descriptions of some of the sensory effects of massive exposure.

-Scott
--------------------
Scott I. Chase			"The question seems to be of such a character
SICHASE@CSA2.LBL.GOV		that if I should come to life after my death
				and some mathematician were to tell me that it
				had been definitely settled, I think I would
				immediately drop dead again."      - Vandiver
From: delanzo@sparc22.hri.com (Michael DeLanzo)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: GE Refridgerator: Compressor problems
Date: 3 Sep 92 13:56:58 GMT
Reply-To: delanzo@hri.com
Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.


The compressor om my GE refridgerator died after only 5 1/2 years of
service (just out of warranty). I heard/read somewhere that they had a
recall on this a few years back. Does anyone know about this or has
anyone dealt with GE on a problem like this?

Please email.

Thanks - Michael
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: thuyan@brahms.udel.edu (Thuy-An Hartman)
Subject: CD player for car
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 19:52:05 GMT

First, let me thank all of you who responded to my last posting.  The
MX-3 is on it's way and will be here Friday.

I was wondering if anyone had some advice on Car CD players or changers?
I am confused about the dash/trunk controversy and was wondering which
is best and skips the least.

Thanks, Thuy-An
Newsgroups: pdx.consumer,misc.consumers,sci.energy,sci.environment,sci.med,sci.physics,talk.environment