http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en
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Today's topics:
* Best Skype handset? - 5 messages, 3 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/b86d632e2a6b959c?hl=en
* walking boots-- which are good? - 9 messages, 6 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/52b4735386145e8e?hl=en
* What's 1 way you enjoy being wasteful? - 4 messages, 3 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/d28075f4c0b4eb2f?hl=en
* Cutting down the cost of washing machine powder - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/3b767149103b33f0?hl=en
* Recalled products - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/7a385f82bdfbd4c8?hl=en
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TOPIC: Best Skype handset?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/b86d632e2a6b959c?hl=en
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== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 12:11 pm
From: "Rod Speed"
me@privacy.net wrote:
> I want to start using Skype for calls from home and
> hotspots and use prepaid cell only when out of hotspots.
I use voip instead.
> Anyone recommend a good handset for Skype use?
Some cellphones have built in voip support, like the Nokia N95 and N97 and E65
Very convenient to use, you can make a voip call when the
hotspot is available and just select a normal call when its not.
At home I use an ATA which allows you to use a normal cordless phone for voip calls.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_telephony_adapter
== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 3:00 pm
From: me@privacy.net
"Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:
>Some cellphones have built in voip support, like the Nokia N95 and N97 and E65
>
>Very convenient to use, you can make a voip call when the
>hotspot is available and just select a normal call when its not.
Yeah I should have bought the Nokia E65 when it was on
deep sale... but didn't. I will check around and see
if any sales tho
== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 3:01 pm
From: me@privacy.net
"Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I want to start using Skype for calls from home and
>> hotspots and use prepaid cell only when out of hotspots.
>
>I use voip instead.
Skype is voip..... no?
== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 4:28 pm
From: Rick
me@privacy.net wrote:
> "Rod Speed"<rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>> I want to start using Skype for calls from home and
>>> hotspots and use prepaid cell only when out of hotspots.
>>
>> I use voip instead.
>
> Skype is voip..... no?
Yes.
Check RadioShack for a headset with mic and headphones.
== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 7:22 pm
From: "Rod Speed"
me@privacy.net wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>>> I want to start using Skype for calls from home and
>>> hotspots and use prepaid cell only when out of hotspots.
>> I use voip instead.
> Skype is voip..... no?
Yes, but real voip isnt proprietary so you can change VSPs, and
have mulitple VSPs as well. The VSP is the voip service provider.
I have two VSPs, neither of which charges any monthly fee,
so if one is having a glitch, its trivial to use the other etc.
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TOPIC: walking boots-- which are good?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/52b4735386145e8e?hl=en
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== 1 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 12:36 pm
From: Phil Cook
SMS wrote:
>In any case, the bottom line remains the same when buying walking
>(hiking) boots. First look for the necessary design elements which are:
>
>1. GORE-TEX� lining (or other breathable waterproof membrane lining) for
>breathable waterproofness (nearly all mid to high end boots have this).
>NEVER buy hiking boots that lack a breathable waterproof membrane lining.
<sigh> What was that about the constant repitition of an idea
imprinting it in the consciousness of an audience? Didn't it have
something to do with Hitler?
It seems it did...
"But the most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success
unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly and with
unflagging attention. It must confine itself to a few points and
repeat them over and over." -- Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, p. 184
You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of
materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is
already a breathable waterproof material.
--
Phil Cook, last hill: Am Bodach in the Mamores on a sunny day :-)
pictures at http://www.therewaslight.co.uk soonish...
== 2 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 12:54 pm
From: bobharvey
On 27 Feb, 20:36, Phil Cook <p...@p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of
> materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is
> already a breathable waterproof material.
I'd go along with that. I've got gore-tex boots but I've been
perfectly happy with ones that didn't have it. proper leather boots
have a tradition going back, ooh, millenia.
For much of the late 90s young blokes in Europe bought second hand
east german airforce boots, which laced up to somewhere near the
chin. They wore them for work, cycling, hill walking, and (in the
case of some I knew) for job interviews. The construction was leather,
leather, with added leather. They were fantastically popular with
people who had no money, and seemed nearly indestructible and
comfortable enough to sleep in.
== 3 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 1:12 pm
From: "Chris Gilbert"
Phil Cook wrote
> <sigh> What was that about the constant repitition of an idea
> imprinting it in the consciousness of an audience? Didn't it have
> something to do with Hitler?
Gosh, Phil. That's desperately close to Godwin's law :-D
Or was that the idea ;-)
Chris
== 4 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 1:26 pm
From: bobharvey
On 25 Feb, 09:30, Phil Cook <p...@p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> I worded it rather poorly. What I should have said was that boots or
> shoes that are uncomfortable because of poor fit will never become
> comfortable.
There is much in that, although the human being will adapt to almost
anything. My father told of being issued the boots he wore at D-day:
MD: "Sarge, these boots don't bend anywhere!"
Sergeant: "No, lad, but your feet do. Put em on now"
I do think that comfortable fit, at the front and round the heel are
really important ways to choose a boot. I've also had to reject some
that simply don't come high enough up the ankle. There also needs to
be a clear space under the instep - trying to match the whole sole to
the arch of the foot is fraught with risks of blisters. Don't forget
that your forefoot spreads sideways (and a tiny bit forward) after
walking a while, especially if you normally wear fashion shoes in
'real life'.
I tried some anti-shoes in Germany last week - they had a wierd shaped
sole which had a convex curve from front to back. Standing still only
the bit under your instep touched the ground, the toe and heel (there
wasn't a heel) had a good 10mm of clearance. Designed by all sorts
of sports experts I thought they were just horrid. I might be wrong,
but that's how they seemed to me.
(http://www.mbtshoe.co.uk/ these seem to be similar idea, but less
extreme)
== 5 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 1:29 pm
From: bobharvey
On 19 Feb, 13:49, ®óñ© © ²°¹° <r...@spamall.com> wrote:
> After you've got the boots, don't forget that it's virtually illegal
> nowadays to walk outside the house without the use of Nordic Walking
> Sticks, even if you're just popping round the corner for a paper.
Tell me about it. I was perforated in about a million places by
people carrying them on the tram in Zurich, just to get from the house
to the tram stop, or up the stairs at work.
Now that we arn't allowed to carry swords as part of our daily office
work, someone has come up with the idea of carrying two spears instead.
== 6 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 2:22 pm
From: SMS
Phil Cook wrote:
> imprinting it in the consciousness of an audience? Didn't it have
> something to do with Hitler?
Godwin's Law. You lose. You made a mistake and I'm man enough to admit it.
== 7 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 2:37 pm
From: Scott Bryce
Phil Cook wrote:
> You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of
> materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is
> already a breathable waterproof material.
You only need a waterproof boot if you intend to walk for long periods
of time in wet conditions or in mud.
== 8 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 3:24 pm
From: "Paul Saunders"
Scott Bryce wrote:
> Phil Cook wrote:
>> You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of
>> materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is
>> already a breathable waterproof material.
>
> You only need a waterproof boot if you intend to walk for long periods
> of time in wet conditions or in mud.
Hmm... Pretty much mandatory for the UK then.
Paul
--
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk
== 9 of 9 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 4:43 pm
From: SMS
Paul Saunders wrote:
> Scott Bryce wrote:
>
>> Phil Cook wrote:
>
>>> You only need a waterproof membrane in your boots if they are made of
>>> materials that are not inherently waterproof. Treated leather is
>>> already a breathable waterproof material.
>> You only need a waterproof boot if you intend to walk for long periods
>> of time in wet conditions or in mud.
>
> Hmm... Pretty much mandatory for the UK then.
Plus you can't always plan when you might end up in wet conditions.
Actually a waterproof membrane is not required, you can take full grain
leather boots and seal them with Sno-Seal or other similar product. The
down side to this is that you're blocking all the pores of leather so
the leather can't breathe and you end up with sweaty, stinky feet and boots.
It's almost a non-issue these days anyway. Only the lowest end hiking
boots lack a GoreTex (or competing product) breathable waterproof
membrane. There's no real down side, the membrane is more breathable
than the leather, so even with no membrane you won't get any more air
circulation.
It's popular to bash GoreTex, especially since their early products were
not very durable or long-lasting, but the past several generations of
GoreTex don't have the problems that their early products did.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: What's 1 way you enjoy being wasteful?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/d28075f4c0b4eb2f?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 3:06 pm
From: me@privacy.net
"Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Just a big thermal mass heated by resistance electric heat for use later?
>
>Yes.
>
>> Have link?
>http://www.derbyheatbanks.com.au/
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_heater
>
Excellent strategy!!
Have not heard of them in USA
Is this widespread in Au?
== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 4:26 pm
From: Rick
me@privacy.net wrote:
> "Rod Speed"<rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>> Just a big thermal mass heated by resistance electric heat for use later?
>>
>> Yes.
>>
>>> Have link?
>> http://www.derbyheatbanks.com.au/
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_heater
>>
>
> Excellent strategy!!
>
> Have not heard of them in USA
>
> Is this widespread in Au?
i CALL IT a "hot water heater" :=)
== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 7:27 pm
From: "Rod Speed"
me@privacy.net wrote
> Rod Speed <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>>> Just a big thermal mass heated by resistance electric heat for use later?
>> Yes.
>>> Have link?
>> http://www.derbyheatbanks.com.au/
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_heater
> Excellent strategy!!
Yeah, its also got the advantage that the appliances are
very simple indeed and completely trivial to replace a heating
element or thermostat or fusible link when one dies etc.
> Have not heard of them in USA
> Is this widespread in Au?
Nar, not that commonly used now. I did come across one just the
other day on a yard sale run, but thats the only other one I have
ever seen, tho that doesnt prove much, you dont actually go inside
the house that often at most yard sales, usually just in the yard or
the garage etc.
Mate of mine who used to be an electrician said
that he didnt get all that many of them in his work.
You can also do it with electrically heated floors which are much
more common in the US, using the concrete floor as the thermal
mass, but that doesnt work as well because you dont have any
control over the release of the energy and you cant have the
extreme range from high to low temp either.
== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 7:31 pm
From: "Rod Speed"
Rick wrote
> me@privacy.net wrote
>> Rod Speed<rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote
>>>> Just a big thermal mass heated by resistance electric heat for use later?
>>> Yes.
>>>> Have link?
>>> http://www.derbyheatbanks.com.au/
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_heater
>> Excellent strategy!!
>> Have not heard of them in USA
>> Is this widespread in Au?
> i CALL IT a "hot water heater" :=)
Yeah, you can do it that way but you need a lot more
space when water is the thermal mass, because you
dont have anything like the same temperature range.
The ones that use metal bricks have a temp range from ambient
to quite literally red hot and they have that fancy silica insulation
that was developed for space reentry heat shields.
No risk of leaks either.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Cutting down the cost of washing machine powder
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/3b767149103b33f0?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 3:17 pm
From: andrew@cucumber.demon.co.uk (Andrew Gabriel)
In article <cd87b90b-94f0-4225-8ec8-27f34be98f47@o3g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>,
"hr(bob) hofmann@att.net" <hrhofmann@att.net> writes:
> On Feb 19, 1:59�pm, SMS <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote:
>> john bently wrote:
>> > Since most peoples clothes are not really that dirty as a general rule, is
>> > there not a simpler less expensive alternative that could be made up to put
>> > in a washing machine? � �Thanks for any advice.
>>
>> Buy a bucket of laundry soap powder at Costco and it will last you six
>> months to a year. Use half the amount they recommend. Avoid liquid
>> laundry detergent which is far more expensive than powder.
> I don't know if there is a COSTCO in the UK, where the OP seems to be
> located.
Costco exist in the UK, and I buy my washing detergent powder
in the giant boxes from there. Takes me 1-2 years to get through
one. It's much cheaper than buying the regular size boxes in shops
(keep an eye out for Costco special offers as you start running out),
but main reason is I don't have to buy and carry it home so often.
Adjust dose to match the amount of dirt you expect it to need to
remove from the clothes.
> Also, in the US we have "Consumers
> Reports" that has done a comparison of many different brands of
> clothes washing soap. And, as others have said try using half the
> amount the manufacturer recommends and see if that isn't just as
> good. The mfgr has no incentive to recommend anything less than the
> maximum amount they can get you to use and still have most of it come
> out in the rinse.
Bare in mind US washing soap and European washing detergent are
completely different things, because the washing machines have
completely different methods of washing.
--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
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TOPIC: Recalled products
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/7a385f82bdfbd4c8?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Feb 27 2010 6:59 pm
From: enough
he past few weeks in product recalls: lots and lots of lead and
salmonella. Not in the same products. As far as we know.
Food and Consumables
Trader Joe's Chocolate Chip Chewy Coated Granola Bars - salmonella
Turkey Hill Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream - undeclared almonds
Giant Food 24 oz. Party Platter Cookies - undeclared almonds
Estrella Family Creamery Red Darla cheese - possible listeria
infection
Nature's Variety raw chicken dog food - salmonella
Flying Horse Black and White Sesame Chewy Candy - undeclared peanuts
Lemon Chalet Creme Girl Scout Cookies - rancid oils
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars -
salmonella
Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch, Dutch Apple and Wildberry Chewy
Granola Bars - salmonella
Queseria Bendita Queso Fresco, Panela, and Requeso - listeria
Wholesome Spice 25 Lb. Boxes Of Crushed Red Pepper - salmonella
Furniture and Household
Thermador Built-In Ovens - fire hazard
Lysol Steam Cleaning Mop - Can squirt hot Lysol water at you.
Discovery Kids Animated Marine and Safari Lamp - fire hazard
Copco and Wild Leaf Tea Co. Bristol model and Martha Stewart
Collection® Enameled Steel Tea Kettles - handle can fall off - burn
hazard
Health Care
LifeScan OneTouch SureStep Test Strips - inaccurate readings
Babies and Children
Danbar Knight Hawk Toy Helicopters (Radio Shack) - fire hazard (while
charging, not while flying)
Nature Wonders Horse Figures (Walmart) - lead paint
Boy's Three-Piece Santa Set (Macy's) - buttons pose choking hazard
Tiny Tink[erbell] and Friends Children's Toy Jewelry Sets - metal
connector contains lead
Papyrus Brand Greeting Cards with bracelets - lead paint
Special Forces and Police SWAT Toy Gun Sets (Dollar General) - choking
hazard
ChildDESIGNS Generation 2 Cribs - death and injury hazard
Pull-A-Long Friends Pull Toys - choking hazard
Britax "Blink" Umbrella Strollers - finger amputation hazard
Allreds Design baby brakcelets and pacifier clips - lead
"Tiny Love" wind chimes - full of tiny stabby metal rods
Electronics
Franklin Electric Motor Controllers for Submersible Pump Systems -
shock hazard
GE Telaire Airestat and Carrier Single Beam Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and
Temperature Sensors - fire hazard
Hobbies and Recreation
Horizon Fitness and LIVESTRONG Fitness Elliptical Trainers - Pedals
can randomly fall off.
More About:
* recalls,
* roundups,
* recall roundup
From ConsumerReports.org:
* Tip of the Day: How to cope with the latest nasty winter weather
* Toyota, regulators grilled for second day on Capitol Hill
* 2011 Hyundai Sonata recall, stop sale
http://consumerist.com/2010/02/recall-roundup-1.html
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