HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: halchuk@seismo.emr.ca (Steve Halchuk)
Subject: THUNDERBIRDS question
Reply-To: halchuk@seismo.emr.ca
Organization: Dept. of Energy, Mines & Resources, Canada
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:15:53 GMT

That wonderful seies of the late sixties - The Thunderbirds (complete
with SUPERMARIONATION) is being broadcast in Canada on YTV. After 
hearing that it has regained some popularity in the UK, can someone
shed some light on the acronym FAB, which is used by one of the 
Thunderbirds after receiving a message? 

Thanks in advance
Stephen


---
 +============+     | S. Halchuk, halchuk@seismo.emr.ca
 |  o \0\     |}    |"I've never been asked, 
 |      \     | }   | And I've never replied
 |      \\    |  }  | If I supported Glasgow Rangers" :-) The Pogues
                     




Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
From: abilenko@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Arkady Bilenko)
Subject: Re: DS9 was very BAD
Keywords: bbbaaaaadddd?  Think again.
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 20:42:58 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.162606.20898@wam.umd.edu> rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari) writes:
>In article <1993Jan11.154247.29074@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> abilenko@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Arkady Bilenko) writes:
>>In article <1993Jan10.122547.12235@wam.umd.edu> rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari) writes:
>
>	My point is not that I want ST to be some sort of science 
>	education show.  I long ago gave up any hope that television
>	entertainment could have any semblance of technical literacy, 
>	but I find it _very_ irritating to have these pretentious 
>	ST:TNG/DS9 types using all sorts of "hip science" buzzwords
>	that they don't understand.  It's like listening to 
>	pathetic lit majors discussing "deconstructionalism" and
>	sociology majors talking about "stratification".  It's bunk, 
>	and it's annoying.
>
	Not that I am trying to infringe upon your right to free speach, but
during that very lengthy article you didn't state your point.  All you did
was gripe, gripe, gripe, and, of course, flame.  You have relatives and 
friends for complaining and alt.flame for flaming.  
	As it's been probably already said to you numerously, if you don't 
like it, think it's bunk and very annoying, don't watch it; no one makes 
you.  Or maybe you like to be irritated?
	Arkady
From: the lost cause
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Re: Sci-Fi Channel Listings?
Date: 8 Jan 1993 14:03:58 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Distribution: na
Reply-To: jdavidso@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: jd-next.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

In article <106254@bu.edu> mab@buphy.bu.edu (Michael Burstein) writes:
> Could someone repost the listings for the Sci-Fi Channel? The one I have
> is from December 3rd and seems to be out of date. 
> 
Never thought I would do this, but.....me too!  

Couldn't resist this one; I would like to see some listings for the channel  
though.
--
************************************************************************
 the Lost Cause                       jdavidso@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
(hardwaire guy extraordinaire)       MACTech,NeXTtech; NeXTmail accepted
                      "Everything is relative."
************************************************************************
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 09:53:09 CST
From: Rich Chong <U41602@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Space Rangers. Puke! self-spoiler

Yuk, what a really bad sci-fi show.
The characters have absolutely no dimension, use standard unbelievable
cliches up the hilt, and sound like a bunch of whiney union workers.
How many times do they need to remind us that they're misfits?
Yup, "You've done your job, now let me do mine". right,
They each have their own arrogant retentive ways with not much chemistry
between. No one i'd want to feel for or relate to. Totally unbelievable.
The Japanese guy who plays the spiritual indianlike empath is ok.
Well also, Ringer the droid, had some possibilities. But the crew
seemed so anti-technology, that I don't see how they can appeal to us
sci-fi folks. Once again, the bad-sf-computer is fixed by overloading
with data (ala WarGames and several ST episodes). I'm glad at least they
didnt make Ringer smoke,spark,etc. Maybe an off switch is askin too much
And the top guy hammering the crate closed in humiliation at the end.
Come on, i'd expect the carpenter's union peons do that. Nice hay in the
crate to protect the bulletproof droid from damage tho ;-).

I didn't think UV rays lingered around much, but hey, it's just tv.
UV rays? UV rays? Geeze, get a tan, and maybe something more exotic.
They don't need to go overboard like ST's sometimes radiation-o-the-week
but a something a little more mystifying or specific (like 326.2nm UV)
would sound better.
The morphing effects were too short and jumpy without a good fluid-feel.
Computer scenes mostly looked low budget fantasy-ish rather than what
we come to expect these days.
Grit and grime in the show is much better than ST's anteseptic look.
Action was also too jumpy. Scene changing too fast w/o development.
Come on, flashlights taped to machine guns? I thought that went out
in the early 70s. What's wrong with having lasertype weapons?
I'll givem another chance with another episode, but things don't look
at all promising for this one.
Posted-Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 16:42:40 -0600
Received-Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 16:41:12 CST
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 16:42:40 -0600
From: Otto Heuer #3 <ottoh3@cfsmo.honeywell.com>
To: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: [SR] Space Rangers: What has Marjorie Monaghan been in?
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Organization: mailEnteringNews at Honeywell SRC


The woman that piloted the ship (in the uncomfortable position) in 
Space Rangers... what else has she been in?  She looks awful familiar...

		--Otto "HACK-MAN" Heuer
From: d_ellis@ricks.enet.dec.com (David Ellis  12-Jan-1993 1510)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Re: DS9: waht about this?
Date: 12 Jan 93 20:10:13 GMT
X-Received: by usenet.pa.dec.com; id AA24690; Tue, 12 Jan 93 12:10:14 -0800
X-Received: by enet-gw.pa.dec.com; id AA12390; Tue, 12 Jan 93 12:10:12 -0800
X-Received: from ricks.enet; by decwrl.enet; Tue, 12 Jan 93 12:10:13 PST
X-To: rec.arts.sf.tv.usenet
X-Apparently-To: rec.arts.sf.tv.usenet

GGPERRY@NUACVM.ACNS.NWU.EDU (ggreg) asks:

> why did the cardassians leave their station to the federation to discover
> all their technology and secrets?  how come they didn't blow it up or
> just move it, like they did in that lousy premiere?  why would they just
> leave it behind?

Before their departure from DS9, the Cardassians trashed the station, either 
taking or destroying anything of value.

Although it was not directly stated, I get the impression that it was by no 
means a spanking new showcase of Cardassian technology even before the
Cardassians got it ready for the Federation.  It's sixty years since the 
Cardassians first came to Bajor, so the station has to be at least several 
decades old and out of date.

----
David  J  Ellis
Digital Equipment Corporation,          Semiconductor Engineering Group
77 Reed Road, Hudson MA 01749           Mailstop HLO2-3/D11         
Internet: d_ellis@ricks.enet.dec.com    Phone: (508) 568-4393 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
From: ghost@openage.openage.com (Glenn Host)
Subject: Re: Space Rangers
Organization: Open Age, Inc.
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 1993 13:04:44 GMT

jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com writes:

>In article <yTiZwB3w166w@hogbbs.scol.pa.us>, crunch@hogbbs.scol.pa.us (Travis Prebble) writes:

>[spoilers toward the end]

>From a character standpoint:
>	Boon is pretty much generic HERO

Even though I am a star trek fan I prefere a 'Han Solo' style leader compared
to a 'Kirk/Picard' style leader so I was pleased but my development is needed.

>	The woman pilot is interesting, as she is competent, attractive,
>		and strong without being bitchy

Attractive?  My wife asked if it was a man or a woman. :)

>	The alien character has some potential.  I liked the interplay between
>		him and the android.

Personally I have been surprised that this has not been done before -
a Asian actor playing an alien.

>	The guy with the metal arm is pretty dull.  Once the android is gone,
>		there may be a better place for him.

I question that headquarters did not know how many spare parts the guy
was loaded with but maybe he has a friend in Headquarters who cleaned
up his records.

>	Linda Hunt can still act circles around everybody, she needs a
>		bigger role

>	The android had potential.  I could have skipped the hydraulic noises
>		every time he smiled.  However, the comparisons to Data would
>		have drawn too much criticism.  Now they have an excuse as to
>		why there aren't robots around.  It's good to see an @$$hole
>		robot.

Agreed,

>Story?  I'll reserve judgement.  The plot mostly worked, but what were all the
>'bad guys' doing on a *quarantined* ship at the end?

No idea either. :)

But I don't expect consistant plot lines on TV, just to enjoy myself for a while.
-- 

                      Glenn E. Host - Reston, VA
Very grateful guest of Openage - the best SCO service shop in the area
************* my views represent no one - not even myself. ****************
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
From: v129j6ed@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (This is F.U.N.)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Re: MST3K should invade TNT's 100% weird time slot!
Date: 12 Jan 93 05:46:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1iptk4INNsk6@cae.cad.gatech.edu>, vincent@cad.gatech.edu (Vincent Fox) writes...
>So anyway, I'm sitting here trying to enjoy it but I keep expecting
>3 little figures down front to make comments. Pretty soon I'm voicing
>out the kinds of things Joel and the 'bots might say. Eventually though
>I tired of this and reeled up some taped MST3K when I realized that
>was what I really wanted to see. 100% Weird is a good try in that they
>have the kind of movies that would be funny. But it's pale next to MST3K.
>Who can watch movies that bad without some friends to make fun of it all?
>If MST3K invaded TNT's slot, my friends without the Comedy Channel could
>finally become addicts as well. And a good invasion would give the Mads
>something to do.

You think those movies last friday were bad.
Boy, did you miss out.
My housemate and I watched the ultimate in bad SF(science-foolery)
documentaries the friday before. 
Some highlights:  talking to yogurt
                  nuns studying faith healing on bacteria
                  the Rod Serling movie had run out of material that he read,
                      so they recapped the whole movie, and to top it all off
                      this documentary had a love theme. (I kid you not)
                  Ufo's that are really from Atlantis, not from Outer Space,
                      and resettled to underwater bases beneath the Bermuda
                      Triangle, and also live within the hollow core of the 
                      Earth(ie Dyson Sphere) who use the North Pole as an
                      entranceway.

Now tell me, is that WIERD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*******************************************************************************
"If you love your foot, dive for it!" - The Power of Lard - Lard
*******************************************************************************
Jef Kolodziej                    Cliche Dude                    The KaTeFan(tm)
v129j6ed@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu           State University of New York at Buffalo
History Major                                                  611 LaSalle Ave.
(716) 834-2606                                                Buffalo, NY 14215
From: MMURRAY@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU (Murray)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: QL Tale of Two Sweeties
Date: 6 Jan 93 13:39:51 GMT

Last night our local NBC affiliate hacked the episode.
Immediately after the half-hour break, just after Sam said
"...had never scorned two women" (or whatever) the picture froze
and static was all to be heard.  This lasted for about a minute
or two, followed by the standard "technical difficulties" message.
After about two minutes of this, the local guy said that the network
almost had the problem fixed, followed by about two more minutes
of the standard "technical difficulties" message.
Of course, buttheads that they are, they did not continue from where
they left off, but went back to the point where the show would have
been had they never screwed up.
Was this a local thing?
From: SCOLVIN@CLEMSON.CLEMSON.EDU ("scolvin")
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest   V18 #16
Date: 8 Jan 93 16:54:00 GMT

I was on break, so I got these letters on Star Trek NG AND DS9 after
they were a couple of days old, but I feel like throwing my hat into the
ring.  First of all, the comments about the things being unbelieveable:
This is science fiction and I think you are all losing the fact that
WE DON"T KNOW EVERYTHING!!!!  Just because we can not live or exist
without something or even with something does not mean that other
races cannot.  Isn't that the whole notion of science fiction?
And the comments about the stupid fake-gun trick and some of the other
things.  If they had just sat there, the DS9 would have been destroyed
so they had to do something to bid time.  Yes, I admit that some of it
was hoakey.  The time thing got OLD after about the first 20 seconds,
but I think the problem was that they had a 90 minutes show and they
made it a 2 hour show.  And another thing, this is only the first show
and if you look at the premiere of TNG it was totally different from
the plots they usually had and also THEY WERE UNPOLISHED!
Imagine that!  What I am saying, is give it time and open your minds
a little bit because the impossible is sometimes possible.

Mark Helvie
MHELVIE@clemson.clemson.edu
From: wsbusup2@rw8.urc.tue.nl (Boudewijn Wayers)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Help needed on puzzle
Keywords: puzzle
Date: 5 Jan 93 15:31:33 GMT
Reply-To: wsbusup2@urc.tue.nl

I am working on a puzzle in a local newspaper for which I need some
help.

One part of the puzzle consist of sequences, that must be finished.
The seuences are:
	110-20-...-11-10-6

	Kuharic,...,Selimoski

	...,Mori,Tsutsumi

	Jordan,Holyfield,...,Mansell

	Gorbatsjov,Kohl,...

Another part of the puzzle consists of numbers with some kind of
meaning. The numbers are:

	65% - 18% - 12% - 0.8%

	26>220 microgram or > 0.5 milligram

	8 - 6 - 1 - 1 - 13 - 17 - 2

	1=3 2=7 3=4 4=7 5=14 6=8 7=13 8=7 9=6 10=4
 
	13-22-25-31-41-49 metres

	
If you know one or more answers, please let me know via e-mail.

Thanks in advance, Boudewijn Wayers.
From: tjgerman@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Trevor German)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: RANDOM NUMBERS ON A COMPUTER
Date: 7 Jan 93 19:46:16 GMT
Organization: Imaging Systems Division, NCR Corp, Waterloo, Ont., CANADA


	Someone wants to know hos to create random numbers on a computer.


	This sounds trivial but it is not. First you need a good definition
	of a random number. The definition required is as follows.


	1. The number shall be contained within a range, say 0 - 255

	2. The probability of selecting and number at any time will
	 be 1:256.

	3. No sequencies shall exist, ever.....

	If an algorithm is used than sooner or later some condition will
	be met that restarts the sequence. This is why these routines are 
	usually called pseudo-random generators. Also, they very often
	favour some numbers and therefore the selection distribution is not
	even.

	Rather than develop complex routines than generate very long
	sequencies of numbers a common approach is to use a relatively
	short but uniform repeating sequence and use an external influence
	to index into it. For games etc this external influence is time
	between user actions or keystrokes. If a fast clock is used, say
	1 MHz then something that approaches random selection is produced.
	Kinda like those electronic dice that are simply counters that run
	when you press the button and stop when you let go. Its random
	because you can't accuratly control your finger within the scale
	of the clock.
	
	However, when being used for a completely internal purpose such as
	providing numbers for a number-cruncher where the time between 
	selections is fixed and repeating then the resultant numbers 
	produced are not random. Sometimes, though, thats exactly what 
	you want, to be able to repeat the experiment. 

	Hardware random number generation can be done using something that
	counts random events, like the atmospheric noise froma tuned out
	radio etc. 
	------------------------------------------------------------------


--
       >|  "Only average people            | Trevor J German BSc    |<
       >|        never make mistakes."     | NCR, Waterloo, Ontario |<
       >| tjgerman@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM | Canada.                |<
From: ISW@cup.portal.com (Isaac S Wingfield)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: Manhole covers - why circular?
Date: Tue,  5 Jan 93 12:46:23 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <NICHAEL.93Jan5134917@kariba.bbn.com>

The other shape that satisfies the condition is an equilateral triangle.

Isaac   isw@cup.portal.com
From: raghu@hermes.ICS.UCI.EDU (Raggu de Maggu)
Subject: Re: A nice New Year puzzle.
In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 01 Jan 93 00:20:31 GMT."
             <1993Jan1.002031.5763@zip.eecs.umich.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Date: 5 Jan 93 19:43:19 GMT


In message <1993Jan1.002031.5763@zip.eecs.umich.edu> you write:

    |  Given a plane and exactly 3 colors, prove whether or not it is possible
    |  to assign a color to each point of the plane in such a way that no two p
	>  oints
    |  exactly 1 inch apart have the same color.  If the assignment is possible
	>  ,


what if i want points 1 inch apart to have the *same* color? (i know
you can (trivially) color the whole plane with one color. so let me
insist that atleast two colors have to be used.)

another variation: how would you answer the above questions if i
allowed you n (> 3) colors?

raghu subramanian
From: goddard@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Bart E. Goddard)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: closed form for a sum
Date: 12 Jan 1993 18:08:23 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Reply-To: goddard@NeXTwork.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Bart E. Goddard)
NNTP-Posting-Host: g214-1.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu


Evaluate: 
        \infinity 
          ___
         \        sin(n)/n
         /___
         n = 1
The solution is nice.
--
Bart Goddard                            |Behold, thy King cometh unto thee,
Math. Dept. Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech.  |meek, and sitting upon an ass, and
goddard@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu        |a colt, the foal of an ass.
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: raph@panache.demon.co.uk (Raphael mankin)
Subject: Re: Looking for random permutation generation algorithms 
Distribution: world
Organization: Solvfield Ltd.
Reply-To: raph@panache.demon.co.uk
X-Mailer: Simple NEWS 1.90 (ka9q DIS 1.19)
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 22:50:49 +0000

There is an extensive literature on generating permutations of various orders,
including lexicographic. Look in the journals, though you may have to go back
10 years or more as it is all old hat.
-- 
--------------
Raphael Mankin			Nil taurus excretum
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: 01jmbrown@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: I'm bored with manhole covers
Date: 11 Jan 93 19:18:34 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's

In article <1993Jan11.103323.2169@EE.Surrey.Ac.UK>, @ee.surrey.ac.uk (null) writes:
> As I was going up Guildford High Street on Saturday, I walked over a manhole cover.
> It was square.
> 
> Can someone explain what is going wrong?
> 
> Yours mystifiedly,
> 
> J.H.B.D.



Yeah, it shoulda been round!     :)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
From: blum@medici.ils.nwu.edu (Dan Blum)
Subject: Re: Alternate cover shape [SPOILER]
Reply-To: blum@ils.nwu.edu
Organization: The Institute for the Learning Sciences
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 22:43:11 GMT

Timothy Vaughan (tvaughan@buphyk.bu.edu) wrote:
> I just thought of a non-circular shape that won't fall through.
> I don't know what it is called, but it is the shape of the rotor
> in a Wankel engine.  It has constant diameter, although not
> constant radius.  It could be described nonrigorously as a "rounded
> triangle."  I will try to derive the equation for it.

> Tim

I think that this is called a Delourede triangle, although I won't
swear to it.  There are an infinite number of other constant-diameter
figures, any of which should make a suitable cover.  Martin Gardner
wrote a column about them - I can't remember which collection it's in.
--
_____________________________________________________________________
Dan Blum           Institute for the Learning Sciences   Room 327
blum@ils.nwu.edu   1890 Maple Ave., Evanston, IL 60201   708-467-2306

"It's nothing, honey - the dog's learning how to juggle."
_____________________________________________________________________
From: radar@grumpy (Reidar J. Husmo)
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles
Subject: Re: Manhole covers - why circular?
Date: 6 Jan 93 12:59:30 GMT
Organization: Keele University, England
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Robert Weinberg (robertw@informix.com) wrote:
: Manhole covers are manufactured in circular shape, rather than oval or square, to  
: satisfy one paramount condition.
: 
: What is the condition, and why does a circular shape satisfy it?
: 
: What other shapes would also satisfy the condition?
: 
Ok, lots of people have already given the correct answer(s) to the first
question, so I won't bother with that.

Somebody mentioned that triangles (with 'circular' edges) are candidates,
too. This is indeed correct.

British 20 & 50p coins are heptagonal - with a constant diameter.

It is therefore tempting to say that any (2n+1) polygon which edges are part
of a circle, with centre being the opposite vertex, will do.

This is, of course, induction of the worst kind. (3 & 7 are true, hence all
odd numbers are true...) Anyone care to prove that these polygons are
suitable as manhole covers?

Radar
Newsgroups: rec.puzzles