HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: chenowet@rd1632.Dayton.NCR.COM (Steve Chenoweth)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Being ashamed of being in Mensa
Date: 12 Aug 92 16:37:25 GMT
Reply-To: chenowet@rd1632.Dayton.NCR.com (Steve Chenoweth)
Organization: NCR Technology & Development, Dayton, Ohio

In article <1992Aug10.141954.16920@mcs.gvsu.edu> orr@newton.mcs.gvsu.edu (Wes Orr {Academic Computing}) writes:
>In article <1992Aug6.230554.2978@memstvx1.memst.edu> apowell@memstvx1.memst.edu writes:
>stuff deleted>
>>I guess I'm the same way; I don't exactly advertise that I am a member either. 
>>Does anyone else out there have this problem?  Why do some people feel that
>>they must almost apologize for being in Mensa?  Why is it that a person's even
>>TALKING about being smart is viewed by society as "bragging?" 
>The reason that talking about one's own intelligence, or lack thereof, 
>is viewed negatively is because one is contrasting their own intelligence to 
>someone else's. ...  Overall I think that
>talking about one's intelligence is egotistical and arbitrary. 

Many of us non-Mensans have the same problem with other trappings of
intelligence--titles like "professor," degrees, patents, publications and
so on.  Half the world seems to believe that the words "crazy" and "inventor"
go together, for example.  Thus, we tend not to point out such things which
may be different about us, unless asked.  

I doubt if there's much Mensa can do to fix this problem in the short run.
The trappings have almost the same effect on people as just plain old
talking about how smart you are.  And like Wes Orr, above, most of us find
the latter to be egotistical and arbitrary.  You don't want that, so it's
a sticky wicket, for sure.

By the way, it's nice of you members to allow others to contribute
to these discussions.


-- 
Steve.Chenoweth@Dayton.NCR.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: st1ns@rosie.uh.edu (Ault, Russell W.)
Subject: Re: Bad Joke
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 06:07:00 GMT

In article <Bszq1B.D8q@acsu.buffalo.edu>, blayda@acsu.buffalo.edu (Danger) writes...
> 
>What are the chances of getting Mensa to support
>The Libertarian Party?
> 

Mensa itself?  None whatever.  The heirarchy of Mensa is so busy with internal politics
that it forbids using any of the organization's energy on political activity that could
actually be productive in some way.  (This statement is a cynical retranslation of actual
Mensa policy.  The stated policy and stated reason only *happen* to fit together, they're
supposedly unrelated phenomena.)  

As for individual Mensans, yeah, there are lots of us who might support the party, but
given the fact that Bill Clinton looks good by comparison to George, I suspect that the 
average M will, like the average non-M, be voting more FOR Clinton than AGAINST Bush
this time.  The average voter's response to the Libertarian candidate is on the order of
"Andre MarWHO?"  So it goes.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Restricted meetings
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 22:36:31 GMT

Craig.Wagner@p2.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Wagner) writes:


>when I hosted events many years ago, and had it pointed out to me that leaving
>the weapon in the car was _not_ necessarily a very good idea, for a number of
>reasons.  

Ayuh.   The car may have a grudge against someone.  :-)
-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
                          rhs@world.std.com
From: graef@rs5.hrz.th-darmstadt.de (Ulrich Graef)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Another math question (was Re: Mensa math question)
Date: 15 Aug 92 13:22:03 GMT
Organization: TU Darmstadt

In article <311959E120203286@ccfvx3.draper.com>, seb@draper.com (Steve Bacher) writes:
> The following REXX program:
> 
> do x = 0 to 9
>  do y = 0 to 9
>   do z = 0 to 9
>    if try(x,y,z) then say x || y || z "is a solution."
>   end
>  end
> end
>  
> return
>  
> try: parse arg x,y,z
>  
>  return (x + y) * (y + z) * (x + z) = 3 * (100*x + 10*y + z)
>  
> 
> 
> produces the following output:
> 
>  000 is a solution.
>  676 is a solution.
> 
> On the IBM System/390 mainframe this took about half a second of CPU time.
> 
> Who needs geniuses?    :-)
> 
> 
>  - seb

Ok! wonderful! Please try to find the solution of the following question
in the same way (With the same amount of thinking!).


Problem:
========

Given the set of ten digits from 0 to 9: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

i)   Combine the digits to two numbers x and y and use every
     digit only once.

ii)  Without loss of generality: x > y.
     (Because the numbers are always different!)

iii) Which are x and y with the maximum product.
     Examples:

         4567890 * 123 = 56185047    # first try

        124689 * 3075 = 383418675    # second try is better


Questions:

a) How many solutions exist?

b) What is/are the solution/solutions?

c) What is the principle, which is the reason why your first
   solution is wrong?


Uli (MM)

P.S.: I know the answer and will post it in a week, if it is not found. 

-- 
Ulrich Graef        |  analog (phone) :  +49 6155 62493           
Lichtenbergweg 11   |  digital (Email): graef@hrz.th-darmstadt.de 
D-W-6103 Griesheim  +--------------------------------------------
Germany             |  Nothing is real, look into your mirror!
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: kevin@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Membership
Date: 15 Aug 92 15:42:06 +1000
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

Just another one of those letters inquiring about membership:
Hi! How do you become a member?
I live in Melbourne, Australia.
(Standard claim about how I'm really quite intelligent so you don't think
I'm just some try-hard wood-duck, and instead grant me some credibility)
At age 17 I enrolled in an Honours degree (i.e, 4th year) in Pure Maths.
I got 1st class honours (End of credibility claim.)
Thanks! Bye.
From: werme@alliant.com (Ric Werme)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Famous Mensans besides Isaac Asimov and Mel Lazarus, Chekov (ST)
Date: 20 Aug 92 14:15:42 GMT
Organization: Alliant Computer Systems Corp.

In NH, there *was* Wayne Green, publisher of _73_ (Ham Radio), ex-publisher
of _CD Review_ and a zillion computer magazines.  He had member # 8 and dropped
out last year due to lack of interest.  His wife is still in.

Also, there's Richard Lederer, author of several books _Take Thee to a
Punnery_, _Anguished English_, etc.  Before he joined, we invited him to
speak at one of our RGs.  He met and later married an active Mensan from
New Jersey who moved up here.  Such a deal - we only hoped to get Lederer
to join!

It probably doesn't count, but we have four members (or ex members) running
for public office on Libertarian ticket, including one running for US Rep.
He has no chance of winning, but more people will hear about the Libertarian
Party.  (And I think one member is running for State Rep as a republican.)

-- 
| A pride of lions               | Eric J Werme                 |
| A gaggle of geese              | 77 Tater St                  |
| An odd lot of programmers      | Mont Vernon NH  03057        |
| A Constitution of Libertarians | Phone: 603-673-3993          |
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: ph@venturi.ama.caltech.edu (Paul Hardy)
Subject: Re: Becoming one of the few...
Organization: California Institute of Technology
	<15000@claris.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 03:45:17 GMT

In article <15000@claris.com> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:

>  "military intelligence" isn't
>   the oxymoron that it appears to be.  In the 1960s (before the big
>   buildup for Vietnam), the army required an enlisted soldier to have
>   a GT score of 115 or higher to attend the counterintelligence
>   course.  This score was the 67th percentile of the military.  By
>   comparison, the 50th percentile is a score of 100, and the
>   eligibility score to qualify of OCS was 110; 136 equated to the 98th
>   percentile of the general populace, and 140 to the 98th percentile of
>   the military.  Remember that the 115 score was the *minimum,* not the
>   average.  Most people in the field had scores of 125 or higher.  I've
>   met some people in other fields of military intelligence who had GT
>   scores of 160 (which is the max--equivalent of getting 1600 on the SAT
>   tests).

Most recruiters that I've heard about, though, will try to get any warm body
into the military (as a private), giving them help to prepare for the entrance
tests, encouraging them to retake them, and using just about any trick in the
book until someone who expresses a mild interest finally joins.  I think
times have changed.

I know some people are offended by calling "military intellingence" an
oxymoron, but I never felt that way about "computer science"!  Another
candidate might be "Tai-phobe", since Tai does not exist and I don't think
anyone ever expressed the slightest amount of fear of this impostor.

				--Paul
--
This is my address:         ph@ama.caltech.edu
This is UUCP:               ...!{decwrl,uunet}!
This is my address on UUCP: ...!{decwrl,uunet}!caltech.edu!ama!ph
Any questions?

"Does Emacs have the Buddha nature?"  --Paul Hardy   "Yow!" --Zippy
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: skh4161@mvs.draper.com (Kjeld Hvatum)
Subject: Re: SAT percentiles
Organization: Draper Laboratory
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 23:34:00 GMT


>From: OCONNELLWR@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu
>Date: 11 Aug 1992 11:07:18 -0500
>
>Does anybody know what the percentile breakdown is on SAT scores?
>Please fill in these blanks in my otherwise all-encompassing ;} knowledge.

                        Here it is:

                        SAT Population   General Population (estimate)
                        --------------   -----------------------------
         1350   98%         97.7                99.4
         1400   ?           98.0                99.7
         1450   ?           99.6                99.9
         1500   ?           99.9                99.97
         1520   ?           99.94               99.985
         1540   ?           99.975              99.995
         1560   ?           99.990              99.998
         1580   ?           99.996              99.9993
         1600   ?           99.9995             99.9998
From: schin@acs.bu.edu (neil schier)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Famous Mensans besides Isaac Asimov and Mel Lazarus, Chekov (ST)
Date: 21 Aug 92 16:05:14 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

I am batting a 1000 when it comes to celebs. Lederer rings a bell
Now who is he?

Regards
NEil
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: Famous Mensans besides Isaac Asimov and Mel Lazarus, Chekov (ST)
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 15:37:20 GMT

In article <94325@bu.edu> schin@acs.bu.edu (neil schier) writes:
>Yes that's right Mr. Koenig is a Mensan (alright that and fifty cents will
>get you a cup of coffee -)

That plus 39 dollars plus AG registration fee will get you lots of
cups of coffee.

GMS
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Re: A question of conscience? (Was: Why does a person join mensa?)
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 21:42:52 GMT

SSR48327@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU (Syed Shibli) writes:

>  I'm interested to know how much of an influence such standardized
>  scores will have on your chances of getting employment. 
...
>                     When do such scores come in during the interview
>  session or as job applications are being screened by the recruiters?
>  Will it make a hell of a lot of difference, if at all?

It's pretty unlikely to come up *in* the interview.  Your resume's job
is not to tell your interviewer the things you will cover in the interview.
Your resume's job is to get you the interview, and good scores may do that.
But you never know... they may have just the opposite effect if the
employer is trying to avoid hiring over-qualified people.

The only time I remember being *asked* my scores in an interview (a phone
screen, actually) was when I interviewed with a high-tech Wall Street
firm called D. E. Shaw & Co.  This was a case where I didn't have them
on my resume, and they wanted them.  They use them to help decide who gets
to the next step of their hiring process.

-rich
-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
                          rhs@world.std.com
From: ednclark@kraken.itc.gu.edu.au (Jeffrey Clark)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Membership
Date: 19 Aug 92 23:04:55 GMT
Organization: ITC, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

In a reply I found Kevin wrote

>  kn> From: kevin@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au 
>  kn> Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
>  kn> Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia
>  kn> 
>  kn> Just another one of those letters inquiring about membership: Hi! How
>  kn> do you become a member? I live in Melbourne, Australia. (Standard
>  kn> claim about how I'm really quite intelligent so you don't think I'm
>  kn> just some try-hard wood-duck, and instead grant me some credibility)
>  kn> At age 17 I enrolled in an Honours degree (i.e, 4th year) in Pure
>  kn> Maths. I got 1st class honours (End of credibility claim.) Thanks!
>  kn> Bye.

I had heard of other countries (eg UK and US) allowing accelerated learning
such as enrolling for Honours degrees at age 17 or younger but not in 
"God made us all equal" Australia.  Is this a new phenomenon, how does a
person who may be a candidate get to hear of these things? (It's too late
for me, I'm 25, but I'm interested for any other interested party I may meet
and also to get a little peeved at the lack of opportunity presented to
promising children in my day. Gee that makes me sound old.) I beleive that
for the good of the world in general we must allow gifted children access to
accelerated learning.  The idea of squashing everyone to the mean, prevalent
in Australian education, stifles ingenuity.  We must accept that we are all
different and each have our gifts. No-one is superior or inferior in terms
of overall worth, but they are in terms of individual characteristics. I
know I can't play tennis as well as Jim Courier or chess as well as Anatoly
Karpov or sing as well as Pavarotti, but I'm still proud of what I am good
at? (which is not writing proper English sentences) I feel sorry for anyone
who beleives I am "up myself" (this means self-centeredly over-confident)
and feel that such an attitude only reflects their own attitude of "If you
knock everyone down eventually you're own top!". Well that tirade was
completely unnecessary but I must have needed to say it, see ya.
.
From: schin@acs.bu.edu (neil schier)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Densa Annual Molting
Date: 16 Aug 92 18:06:19 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA


Hey how can I joing Densa!!

Regards
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: Prejudice against intelligence
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 22:26:03 GMT

In article <1992Aug18.051121.2209@hellgate.utah.edu> tolman%asylum.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Kenneth Tolman) writes:
>
>  So why is it acceptable to be athletically better than everyone else,
>but not to be more intelligent?  Are people afraid of intelligence?  Is
>there some ancient cultural mystique which surrounds the concept of
>intelligence?  What is the deal?
>

Because, for all the moralizing, hand-waving, whining about "what's
REALLY important" and all that, the facts indicate that people
really do think intelligence is important, that high intelligence
intimidates them, and that other people with high intelligence have
an advantage over them that they find uncomfortable.  It's not
wrong, it's just uncomfortable, and it's very human.

Consider that it is illegal for me to use my strength to throttle
someone, but perfectly admissable for me to make an ass of them.
They both hurt, but the latter gives the intelligent person
power that some might feel is unfair.  It's even looked down upon
to mention you might be able to do this, let alone do it.  If
a larger or stronger person says, "I can beat you up," you might
go, "So what?  What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

It's interesting, I think.

GMS
From: blayda@acsu.buffalo.edu (Danger)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Amendments
Date: 14 Aug 92 01:12:07 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <BsMCJw.C7t@world.std.com> rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz) writes:
>gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
>
>>In article <3E6A06868022137C@ccfvx3.draper.com>, seb1525@mvs.draper.com (Stephen E. Bacher) writes:
>>> 
>>> Quoth rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz):
>>> 
>>> Er, I assume you really mean 2nd Amendment rights, as in the right to
>>> bear arms.
>
>>WHAT??!  I had it the other way around!  I've made a terrible mistake,
>>Ranger Smith!
>
>>I've got to get to Jellystone Park right away!
>
>My collection of bears (more than I can count) is all for the right to 
>arm bears, but they know it would make me uncomfortable :-)
>

It would make you uncomfortable?  Have you thought of pursuing litigation?
Oh wait...Massechusetts...nevermind, it has already been done.

-- 
************************************************************************
Thaddeus Krag Blayda blayda@acsu.buffalo.edu, v063j3h4@ubvms.buffalo.edu
# Caution : DANGER #  This Country is at critical mass.
Vote Libertarian in '92!  Vote Marrou/Lord!  Vote to have your freedom back.
From: rwd@CS.CMU.EDU (Randall Dean)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Slide duping with Nikon
Date: 12 Aug 92 17:13:57 GMT
Reply-To: rwd+@CS.CMU.EDU
Distribution: rec
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
Originator: rwd@ERNST.MACH.CS.CMU.EDU


I have a Nikkor 60mmAF Macro lense and am considering
purchasing a ES-1 slide holder for duping.  I have a
SC-17 and SB-24 for the light source.  It appears I
also need an extenstion tube and a step down adapter
since the lense is 62mm and the ES-1 is 52mm.  Anyone
have/use this setup?  What extension tube (PK11a,12,13)
do you recomend and what is the Nikon part for the
step down adapter?

-rwd
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: robert@sys.sweden.dg.com (Robert Claeson)
Subject: Re: polycarbonate camera bodies
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 08:06:16 GMT
Organization: Data General AB, Akalla, Sweden

In article <1992Aug19.164840.29913@midway.uchicago.edu>, ar12@quads.uchicago.edu (Richard Nixon) writes:

> *"Canon EOS-1 is heavier than a Nikon F-4 even though the latter is reputed
> * to contain more metal."
> * Robert
>  
> Check your facts. The F4 weighs on the order of at least a pound more than the
> EOS-1.

I did check my fact before posting. The EOS-1 with the PBD-E1 turned out to be
heavier than the F4S (the one with the extra battery pack -- sort of like an
EOS-1 with the PBD-E1).

-- 
Robert Claeson            Internet: robert@sys.sweden.dg.com
Data General AB                     robert@sys.dg.se
Box 28                    Tel: +46 (0)8-92 55 00
S-164 93 KISTA, Sweden    Fax: +46 (0)8-751 36 22
From: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: Grainy B&W film?
Date: 17 Aug 92 16:57:44 GMT
Reply-To: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (Jack Campin)
Organization: COMANDOS Project, Glesga Yoonie

mingos@vax.oxford.ac.uk wrote:
> sog@craycos.com (Steve Gombosi) writes:
>> K_LEPA@unhh.unh.edu (Kristen   Lepa) writes:
>>> Is there a B&W film out there that is inherently grainy?
>> Hmmm...why not use really fast film and a neutral density filter?
>> Does Kodak still make recording film? Now *that* was grainy ;-).
> Kodak sure do, recording film 2450, got some in my camera at this very
> minute - grain the size of small asteroids...

The Kodak Recording Film I've used (bought some more on Saturday) is 2475
(a 1000 ASA film only available in 35mm).  Are there two different films
here, or was that a slip?

Its grain has an interesting structure: very elongated.  This makes for a
distinctive texture at large enlargements; I like it for people pictures.

Does anyone know what Ilford Surveillance Film is?  I've seen it in their
catalogue - it's only medium speed and costs a *fortune*.  By far the most
expensive monochrome film I've ever heard of.  The name would suggest an
application like the Kodak stuff but the speed and price suggest otherwise.
-- 
--  Jack Campin    room G092, Computing Science Department, Glasgow University,
17 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8RZ, Scotland   TEL: 041 339 8855 x6854 (work)
INTERNET: jack@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk or via nsfnet-relay.ac.uk    FAX: 041 330 4913
BANG!net: via mcsun and uknet     BITNET: via UKACRL    UUCP: jack@glasgow.uucp
Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: donl@glass.esd.sgi.com (donl mathis)
Subject: Re: More 4x5 questions
Reply-To: donl@glass.esd.sgi.com (donl mathis)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 01:42:38 GMT


In article <1992Aug17.173035.20845@beaver.cs.washington.edu>,
franz@cs.washington.edu (Franz G. Amador) writes:

|> I saw an ad in the Adorama catalog for something called the "Pro 4x5
|> Focusing Hood", which looks like a lightweight aluminized cloth shaped
|> more or less into a tube.  One end ties around the camera back
|> somehow, and the other has an "elastic headband, which holds the hood
|> to the photographer's forehead while keeping both hands free."  Sounds
|> like a good design.  Has anybody used anything like this?

Yes!  Mine is called a "Wood's Hood", and I got it several years ago.
It may be slightly different than the one you describe, but it sounds
very similar.  The outside is a relatively thin layer of gray, shiny
material, and the inside layer is black.  I think it's nylon.  It is
not completely light-proof in bright sun, but has been dark enough for
me under nearly all circumstances.  It is small and light and simple; a
pleasant alternative to normal focusing cloths.  I normally don't use
the elastic strap that holds the open end to my head, because when I
get up close to the ground glass, the thing drapes down and gets in the
way, and when I stand back a bit to stretch it out, I'm too far away to
use the loupe.  Instead, I just drape it over my head; it barely
reaches back there, but is long enough to stay put, and that's all that
counts.  Highly recommended, though I still use a *real* focusing cloth
with the 8x10.

- donl mathis at Silicon Graphics Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA
donl@sgi.com
Newsgroups: rec.photo