HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: 00tdspence@bsu-ucs.uucp
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Sinking libraries
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:23:38 GMT



Hi.

I'm a student at Ball State U. in Muncie, IN
and I work at the U library.
A co-worker of mine says he heard from "a friend who knows somebody" in
the Architecture College that when our library was being designed,
the architects did not figure in the weight of the books and therefore
the building is slowly sinking into the ground.

I know this is an urban myth.
Could anyone please verify that it is so I can convince the guy I work
with that he shouldn't beleive everything he hears???

Please respond by e-mail only.
Thank you.

Travis Spence
00tdspence@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov (gary l. schroeder)
Subject: Re: Political ULs
Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:01:39 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.133839.4468@ultb.isc.rit.edu> kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu writes:
>In article <1992Aug24.193232.664@bnlux1.bnl.gov>, schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov 
>(gary l. schroeder) writes:
>>In article <1992Aug20.201612.11825@news.cs.brandeis.edu> 
>st890270@pip.cc.brandeis.edu writes:

>>>>Has anyone on the net actually _seen_ Dan Quayle with their own eyes?

>>>My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend saw him once, and thought that he was witty and
>>>intelligent.

>>Not.         

>I have met Dan Quayle (please, hold the applause (and the applesauce too, for
>that matter)), and while I found him to be quite pleasant and cordial, he was
>neither particularly witty nor intelligent during our brief encounter.  But who
>knows, maybe away from the madding crowd and in the privacy of his own
>quarters he's a different man.


Dan may be able to tell a good joke and shake hands with the best of
them (how else do you get to be a politician?), but this hardly
qualifies him as the potential leader of the world's only remaining
Super Power.  How much faith can you have in a man that was selected by
Bush to offset his unappealing age and looks for the young female vote?
Or is this an urban legend?

Gary "here's my obligatory phrase in the middle of the name" Schroeder


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Schroeder	                |  Warning: prolonged exposure to this
schroede@bnlux1.bnl.gov         |  .sig may cause retinal damage and 
Brookhaven National Laboratory  |  blistering skin rashes. 
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: johana!tsw@apple.com (Tom Watson)
Subject: Re: classic commericals
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 00:21:48 GMT
Organization: FBN/GRQ Ink.

The 'best' classic commercial was the one for VW's many years ago.  It related
the various phases of 'Harry the Swinger' and the VW's he used in each phase.
I only remember seing it a few (2 or 3) times, but it was indeed one of those
that you would remember if you saw it!!

-----
Tom Watson
johana!tsw@apple.com
From: bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Scearce)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The Flat Earth Society???
Date: 28 Aug 92 17:56:35 GMT
Reply-To: bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems
NNTP-Posting-Host: sector7g

Master debaters, I'm perfectly willing to grant that most of us have
evidence that there is some *local* curvature to the Earth, but that's
quite a different ball of wax from the "the Earth is a sphere" theory
currently in vogue.

Even if I were willing to accept your arguments, the point of the FES
(as I understand it) is that most people don't *make* the arguments at
all; they are told "the Earth is fl^H^Hround", and they dutifully
repeat it, not unlike how the old-timer flat-Earthers exponded their
theory.  [The astute a.f.u. reader will note the "plausible story
relayed by word of mouth in the absence of evidence" theme running
through this -- the "round Earth" is, for most people, folklore.]

And Phil, it ill-behooves you to make up anecdotes.  "Seattle on a
sunny [...] day" -- as sarcasm, it works; but as scientific evidence,
it leaves much to be desired.

Brian "swipa?" Scearce
---
Brian Scearce                               bls@sector7g.eng.sun.com
        The above does not necessarily represent Sun policy.
          It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Subject: Re: Gold coins (Was: Re: You are humble and loveable. CHOMP!)
Reply-To: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 09:39:15 GMT

In article <schumach.714789818@convex.convex.com> schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher) writes:

>soft. (Of course it's been about 50 years since quarters were worth
>enough for anyone to bother counterfeiting them...)

In the '50's there was a movie (Mr. 880, starring Edmund Gwenn and Burt
Lancaster) about an old counterfeiter who only makes a few one dollar
fakes at a time to buy groceries, etc.  The point was made that no one
bothers to check $1's because the're worth so little, as compared to say
$5's, $10's, or $20's.

This was in the 1950's, not today, so I guess the analogy would be like
saying no one was caring about checking nickels, because only dimes or
larger coins have any significent value to be concerned with at all, much
less 1930's valued quarters.

cjl
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: andrew@venus.resntl.bhp.com.au
Subject: Re: Pencil in Priorities
Organization: BHP Research, Newcastle Laboratories
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 07:43:41 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.233702.9430@tamsun.tamu.edu>, daugher@cs.tamu.edu(Walter C. Daugherity) writes:
> In article <1992Aug24.192447.7556@bert.eecs.uic.edu> artn@bert.eecs.uic.edu  
> (Ellyn Sandor) writes:
> | joslin_paul@ae.ge.com writes:
> | >The same professor claimed that only two drugs of that time period were
> | >still used today for the same illnesses - quinine and digitalis. I doubt
> | >this, but can't think of a counter-example except opium/morphine.
> | 
> | 	Aspirin, perhaps, is another example, it's been around for a while.
> | 
> 
> Yes, at least willow-bark tea (known to Hippocrates?), which has salicylates in  
> it.
I did not see the original post, only this excerpt, but the remark as
represented seems astounding in ignoring the entire field of homeopathy, let
alone modern Chinese herbal medicine. Also the time period referred to...?
Anyway, using the (assumed?) criterion of use by modern, Western, main-stream
medicine only, a perusal of Culpeper's Herbal (1649) shows the following:

caraway (carum carvi) - ingredient of compound tincture of Cardamom Aromatica,
   used for flatulent dyspepsia then and now
gall-oak (quercus infectoria) - ointment listed in British Pharmacopoeia, used
   to check dysentery
goat's rue (galega officinalis) - herb was officially cited in the United
   States Pharmacopoeia, used to reduce temperature in fevers by inducing
   perspiration
white hellebore (veratrun viride) - some evidence it was used for hypertensive
   patients as some of the derived alkaloids are today.

Well, that's up to the letter "h"...

BTW, care should perhaps be taken in citing digitalis. While the cardiotonic
properties of foxglove (digitalis purpurea) have been known to homeopaths for
some 200 years, Culpeper indicated its use as a gently cleansing purgative.

Andrew
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: guppy@wixer.cactus.org (Jennifer Mery)
Subject: Re: Eating Dogs
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 07:14:46 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.190030.16394@news.nd.edu> wlamonac@haydn.helios.nd.edu (william lamonaca) writes:
>imagine.  I never heard anything about tunnels.  As far as the families being
>reimbursed handsomely- nope.  The houses that were put up were not much better
>than the ones that had burned down.  In fact they were worse- they were built
>on unstable ground and began to sink almost as soon as they were built.  I
>never heard anything about expensive cars, etc.

Okay, well there's only two reasons for those houses to sink. 1) There
really were tunnels under the neighborhood or 2) They didn't take into
account the weight of the books. :)

jam
-- 
==============================================================================
Jennifer Mery |
Austin, Texas | guppy@wixer.catus.org
==============================================================================
From: smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The Flat Earth Society???
Date: 28 Aug 92 00:09:16 GMT

In article <l9q3n1INN88p@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Scearce) writes:
> It *is*, in
> fact, a very interesting phenomenon that most of us think that the
> Earth is spherical, and almost none of us have direct experience of its
> roundness, or even know anybody who has direct experience of its
> roundness.

Umm -- depends on what you mean by ``direct experience''.  There's a
lot of evidence other than simple circumnavigation, such as the horizon
effect.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: elambert@qualcom.qualcomm.com (Eber Lambert)
Subject: Re: Cellular Frequencies
Keywords: n
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 19:48:21 GMT

rdippold@cancun.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold) writes:


>perry@Unify.Com (Perry Clarke) writes:
>>Isn't it also true that each "side" of the conversation is broadcast on a
>>different frequency?  So to be a "master" criminal you would need *two*
>>"Radio Shack portable TV"s!

>Yes, the forward link (cell to mobile) and the reverse link (mobile to
>cell) are at diffrent frequencies.  For instance, for Channel 1 it's
>825.03 MHz for reverse and 870.03 MHz for forward.

Actually there is not a lot of isolation between transmit and receive audio.
So in an eavesdrop mode you CAN hear both halves of the conversation although
one half will likely be louder than the other.

The cellular band currently is 824 to 894 Mhz (mobile Transmit 824-849;
mobile receive 869-894). This falls on UHF channels 72 to 83 (actually
72-77 for mobile TX, 80-83 for mobile RX). 

 But theres problems: Some TVs (later ones) need a Picture carrier to 
 demodulate sound (parallel demod to keep residual PM on the Pix carrier
 out of the sound channel (buzz)). Also AFC override disappeared with
 synthesized (push button) tuners. Many sets mute audio if no Pix carrier
 is found.  So criminals will need the older manual tuners and a quick wrist
 to scan the 833 somewhat randomly assigned available phone channels. Even 
 manual tuners dont always give you full fine tuning range (channel to
channel) so you may be limited to a handful of frequecies around each
aural carrier frequency for each of the 10 TV channels listed above. Also
as pointed out, your caller is probably in a car and the call will be
handed off to another cell/frequency before the intercepted call gets 
interesting and you'll have no idea where (spectrally speaking) it went.

The probability of eavesdropping with a TV set is pretty low. 
You'd spend most of your time listening
to the Gaussian symphony on radio station KTB (voice of the heavens).
But its possible. This is yet one more shortcoming of the FM system that 
will be obliterated by Digital Cellular (ahem! toot! toot!).  Even Big 
Brothers wiretappers are gonna have a REAL TOUGH time. 

eel
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Pencil in Priorities
Date: 25 Aug 92 14:46:06 GMT
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <BtIA23.E4u@unx.sas.com> sasbmt@jjoyce.unx.sas.com (Bruce Tindall) writes:
>I would also mention caffeine, except that I'd run the danger of 
>starting up an endless thread on what Coca-Cola used to contain...

Wax tadpoles?
-- 
             ......................................................
             ted frank | thf2@midway.uchicago.edu | std disclaimers
             the university of chicago law skool, chicago, illinois
             it's log!  log!  log!  it's big, it's heavy, it's wood
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Person in flux)
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Reply-To: kls4344@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 13:47:28 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.181531.25673@sunova.ssc.gov>, Chuck Adams 
<chuck_adams@qmail.ssc.gov> writes:

>I'm looking for mnemonics for stuff like "FUBAR" (f**ked up beyond all
>recognition).  Is "SNAFU" a real word, or more of the same?

SNAFU=Situation Normal, All Fouled (or F*cked) Up.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.cascade
From: zaphod@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (clifford.m.weiss)
Subject: Re: apples to teachers - idea why
Organization: None
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 21:57:39 GMT

In article <1992Aug23.143430.8964@midway.uchicago.edu> thf2@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>In article <BtFA6L.E45@egsner.cirr.com> datri@egsner.cirr.com (Anthony Datri) writes:
>>>"What? Over? Did you say it's over? Nothing's over, till we decide it is! 
>>> Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" --John Belushi
>>
>>Bill Murray.
>
>Winston Churchill.

Burma
--
From: brnt@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Sex on the Train
Date: 1 Sep 92 15:43:01 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <1992Sep1.072034.24759@echo.philips.nl>, dolf@echo.philips.nl (Dolf Grunbauer) writes:
> nichol@asc.slb.com (Bruce Nichol) writes:
>>	I read a short story in a recent international edition of
>>Newsweek about a couple in a train in England.  Apparently they were
>>having oral sex on the train and were pretty much ignored by the other
>>passengers.  However when they were finished, the lit up cigarettes.
>>This caused much dismay among the other passengers, some of whom
>>complained to the conductor.  "I say, you can't smoke here!"  They
>>were later arrested for indecent exposure or something like that.  
> 
> I think this is a joke. The version I heard was of a man masturbating
> and afterwards asking the old lady next to him if it was ok if he smoked

	Oh yeah, this is definitely a UL.  A few years ago Paul Harvey
(anything heard on Paul Harvey has a 9 in 10 chance of being an urban legend)
told a story about a couple having sex on an airplane.  About halfway through
the act, a stewardess notice their behavior and tried to make them cease and
desist.  The other passengers pelted the stewardess with food.
	I don't believe a word of it.

Brent "Gosh, nothing that exciting ever happens in the seat next to me" Dyer

-- 
       .    _  .     _____________ 
       |\_|/__/|    /             \ 
      / / \/ \  \  / Happy! Happy! \      
     /__|O||O|__ \ \   Joy! Joy!   / 
    |/_ \_/\_/ _\ | \  ___________/      
    | | (____) | ||  |/                       
    \/\___/\__/  // _/
    (_/         ||   
     |          ||\   
      \        //_/   Brent E. Dyer
       \______//      Administrative Assistant
      __|| __||       University of Kansas Computing Services
     (____(____)      BRNT@UKANVAX		BRNT@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 01:06:38 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.233107.6408@rose.com> bill.dehaan@rose.com (bill dehaan) writes:
>In message <1992Aug25.203750.11874@natinst.com>, scott@natinst.com
>(Scott A. Taylor) writes:
>
>ST>To take this in a different (but almost related) direction, as a youth I was
>ST>of the belief that the name of the rock group KISS was an acronym for
>ST>"Kings In Satan's Service".  Any basis in fact? Official statements by Gene
>ST>Simmons, perhaps?
>
>Simmons denied it. And the original acronym attributed to the group  was
>Knights In  Satan's Service,  not Kings.  Simmon's comment  was that the
>people  who  worried  about  this  sort  of  thing should picket Adidas,
>because Adidas is an acronym for "All Day I Dream About Sex".

I heard KISS was an acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Ted "what's Nova an acronym for?" Frank
-- 
             ......................................................
             ted frank | thf2@midway.uchicago.edu | std disclaimers
             the university of chicago law skool, chicago, illinois
             it's log!  log!  log!  it's big, it's heavy, it's wood
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: st890270@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (LUCIFER)
Subject: Re: The Flat Earth Society???
Reply-To: st890270@pip.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 19:32:56 GMT



There is also a Discordian Society (they even have their own "bible", or so
my friend claims)


Incidentally, the only reference to the Discordian Society that I know of is 
in the card game "Illuminati". Is there any other?
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Subject: Re: Monty Python's 3-sided ?
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 00:43:40 GMT

In article <31AUG199217031756@apsicc.aps.edu> einhorn_d@apsicc.aps.edu (E. Drew Einhorn) writes:
>In article <Btv7M2.9vD@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Matt Hucke) writes:
>>Didn't Monty Python once make a $20 bill with three sides?
>
>I heard it was a 3-sided record.  One side had a norm spiral groove with the
>audio signal pressed into the vinyl.  The other side had two intertwined
>grooves.  When you put the needle down you had a 50-50 chance of getting one
>groove or the other.  So the second time you listened to the second side you
>might hear a different second side.  Never saw or heard the album.  
>
*VERSHPLONK*  

Damn, the frozen chicken cannon missed.  Gotta fix that tripwire.

ObUL: An Iowa farmer was successfully sued by a teenage burgler maimed
      by a spring-activated frozen-chicken cannon.

ObUL2: T:  I've just been cooking with jalapenos and rubbed my right eye.
           Ouch.
-- 
           .........................................................
          ted frank | thf2@midway.uchicago.edu | standard disclaimers
         the university of chicago law school, chicago, illinois 60637
         here i sit looking for a warming smile in a house of cold wit
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Matt Hucke)
Subject: Re: Counterfeiting (Was: You are humble and loveable)
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 00:25:46 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.121823.23066@echo.philips.nl> dolf@echo.philips.nl (Dolf Grunbauer) writes:
>
>ObUL: some german counterfeiters where so sure of their false banknotes that
>      in stead of printing "Deutches Bundesbank" (sp ? German Bank), they
>      printed "Deutches Bundesbahn" (sp ? German Railroad). No one noticed
>      the difference.

If no one noticed, why do you have this information?
-- 
And now, Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey:
    If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, go real limp, so people will think
    you're a dummy, and they'll try to catch you, because hey, free dummy!
hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu             _V_a_l_h_a_l_l_a BBS, 217-352-3682, WWIV4.21, 14.4k
From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Counterfeiting
Date: 31 Aug 1992 05:58:17 GMT
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

In article <l9tjonINNm1h@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM writes:

  +If I remember correctly, the material is mostly a combination of linen
  +and cotton, and might almost be better described as "cloth" than
  +"paper".  I've been looking through my Cecil books, and couldn't find
  +the recipe, so I must have read it somewhere else.

According to Poundstone's _Big Secrets_, U.S. currency paper is
manufactured by Crane & Co. of Dalton, Massachusetts.  It was 
originally 100% linen.  The linen content changed several times to
75%, then 50% to the current 25% with the other 75% being cotton.

Other points:

  - It is embedded with red and blue fibers. 
  - It fluoresces under UV light.
  - Its ink is magnetic.
  - It is riddled with tiny holes.
  - It was originally made from old clothing.

Check it out if you're desperate for more details.


Terry "It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world" Chan
--
Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov                  This is illegal, but I know jujitsu
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory                         so I don't care.
Berkeley, California  USA  94720                      
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: berry@athos.pei.com (Berry Kercheval)
Subject: Re: Counterfeiting (Was: You are humble and loveable)
Reply-To: berry@pei.com
Organization: Protocol Engines, Inc., Mt. View, California
	<l9ku3jINN7ge@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> <9223911.12738@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>
	<1992Aug27.121823.23066@echo.philips.nl>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 19:51:35 GMT

>>>>> On 27 Aug 92 12:18:23 GMT, dolf@echo.philips.nl (Dolf Grunbauer) said:

Dolf> ObUL: some german counterfeiters where so sure of their false
Dolf> banknotes that in stead of printing "Deutches Bundesbank" (sp ?
Dolf> German Bank), they printed "Deutches Bundesbahn" (sp ? German
Dolf> Railroad). No one noticed the difference.

There was a case in the U.S.A. where a counterfeiter was producing
truly excellent bills.  I think they may have been painstakingly
hand-drawn; the details were in (I think) "The FBI Story" or one of
those books I read as a child.

Anyway, he was caught because he left off the part of the bill where
it says "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private".
After his conviction, he was asked why he left it off.  

"That would be *wrong* because it's not true!"

  --berry

--
Berry Kercheval :: berry@pei.com :: Protocol Engines, Inc.  Mt. View, CA
"Car pool fatigue: it's like shell shock, but you don't get any VA benefits.
They just fill your gas tank and send you back to the front."
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: cindy@solan10.solan.unit.no (Cynthia Kandolf)
Subject: Re: Just One Calorie...?
Organization: /home/ludviga/cindy/.organization
	<1992Aug23.060334.24647@u.washington.edu>
	<1992Aug26.160453.22813@news.cs.brandeis.edu>
	<1992Aug27.140836.13166@bnlux1.bnl.gov> <46946@shamash.cdc.com>
	<6066@pdxgate.UUCP>
Date: 4 Sep 92 18:49:28

James Price writes:
>   the way I heard it, Tab had _less_ than one calorie, for indeed,
>it didnt have any calories at all. They just said it had a calorie
>so no one would get overly suspicious I guess.... Who would drink
>something that had 0 calories, hell, I wouldnt trust it....

This one's too easy... Water.  I drink it every day.

(And if i remember correctly, coffee and tea if you don't add sugar
or milk.)

-Cindy Kandolf
 cindy@solan.unit.no
 Trondheim, Norway

There's never a forever thing.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: IQTI400@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU (macphil)
Subject: Re: QWERTY
Organization: IUPUI
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 20:19:28 GMT

In article <17n6lhINN7g8@darkstar.UCSC.EDU>
carolo@cse.ucsc.edu (Carol Osterbrock) writes:
 
>>ObULInFAQFormat:
>>   F: The QWERTY keyboard was designed to slow down typists.
>
>Well, so what *was* the reason for the design?  I think I was told
>that it was so that common letter combinations were unlikely to cause
>the machine to jam.  To me this means that it forces you to type more
>slowly, since a jam is caused when one key is returning when another
>one is striking.
 
>-carol "hunt & pecker" o
 
the accepted reason is to keep it from jamming.  this is not the same
as "to slow down the typist".  it's a mechanical reason, not a speed
reason.  once you become accustomed to the positioning of the keys,
it shouldn't make any difference where they are although there are
improvements such as (?) dvorak and whatnot that try to capitalize
on frequency of usage and dexterity.
 
before the proliferation of PCs and standalone word processors, the
rule of thumb for typing teachers was that you should be able to
achieve the same speed on manual as electrics...