HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lawson@acuson.com (Drew Lawson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: What time is it at the North Pole?
Date: 9 Sep 92 20:07:22 GMT
Reply-To: lawson@aldia.UUCP (Drew Lawson)
Organization: ACUSON, Mountain View, CA

In article <jyc.716012295@Leland> jyc@leo.Stanford.EDU (Jon Corelis) writes:
>   I've thought of a more precise way to pose this question:
>
>   When it's twelve noon in Greenwich, what time is it at the North
>   Pole?
>
>   It seems to me that this is a very rare example of a question that
>demonstrably has no answer -- that is, it isn't just that we don't know
>the answer, but that we can prove no answer exists.  But maybe someone
>can show I'm wrong.

Certainly.

The time in most places these days is by convention only.  If you mean
"what time is it" in terms of synchronized with the sun being highest
at noon and such things, then it certainly is not the same "time"
everywhere in a 15 degree time zone.  What time is it in California?
Is that PST or PDT?

What time it is at the North Pole depends on who you're talking to.
I've been told that UT is used for such things, but I could be wrong.


Drew "the big hand is on the . . ." Lawson
-- 
Drew Lawson                      If you're not part of the solution,
lawson@acuson.com                you're part of the precipitate
From: coule@uctvax.uct.ac.za
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Re: list of words in American and British Englis
Date: 8 Sep 92 17:37:28 +0200
Reply-To: self
Organization: University of Cape Town

Yes In article <1992Sep4.183905.29665@news.Hawaii.Edu>, gerard@caliban.soest.hawaii.edu (Gerard Fryer) writes:
> In article <6P3gqB1w165w@cultnet.ch>, cubsfan@cultnet.ch (wrobel) writes:
> |> I am American teaching English out of an English book.  The differences 
> |> are many and varied.  My favorite (favourite) was "thumb tack" (Amer.), 
> |> which in England is "drawing pin".  There are also the following:  the 
> |> last letter of the alphabet (zed vs.zee), defence vs. defense, lorry vs. 
> |> truck, etc.  Trying to decipher the British meanings, I have had to 
> |> resort to a foreign dictionary, which usually notes the distinction. (in 
> |> my case, I used Italian-English dictionary).
> |> 
> Soon after I arrived in the U.S. from England I was working on a figure
> for a paper and asked a draughtsman for help (oh, excuse me, draftsman,
> or perhaps I should use the P.C. term: technical illustrator).  I
> amused her no end when I asked for a rubber.  She finally figured out
> what I wanted to do and said "Oh, you mean an eraser."
> 
> -- 
> Gerard Fryer  (g.fryer@soest.hawaii.edu)
> School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology
> University of Hawaii at Manoa


 Yes and why cannot you say `Can I go to the toilet' in the USA after
all it comes from the `posh' french toilette. but when I did people
looked at me with horror.


Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
From: sloubtin@dsg.cs.tcd.ie (Sylvain Louboutin)
Subject: Re: Laws against sexual methods?
Organization: DSG, Dept. of Computer Science, Trinity College Dublin
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 21:40:49 GMT

In <4lon26tlPk@treff.GUN.de> tim@treff.GUN.de (Tim Landscheidt) writes:

>Hello,
>here in Germany it is rumored that some sexual  methods  are
>'forbidden' in some parts of the USA. For our  next  history
>lesson I need some more information  about  this  topic:  In
>which state is which sexual method (my dictionary  does  not
>contain a direct  translation  for  'Stellung'  ;-))  (posi-
>tion?)) forbidden? And *how* does  the  Police  check  this?
                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

with 'under-cover' agents of course :-)

-- 
//Sylvain R.Y. Louboutin, fax: (+353-1)772204, e-mail: Louboutin@dsg.cs.tcd.ie
//Distributed System Group, O'Reilly Institute, room F.35, (+353-1)7021539 ...
//Department of Computer Science, Trinity College, Dublin 2, -Ireland-  ASK-18
Xref: sparky soc.culture.usa:7218 alt.folklore.urban:23242
From: 00rdharringt@bsu-ucs.uucp (Rob Harrington)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: What time is it at the North Pole?
Date: 10 Sep 92 17:43:03 GMT

In article <jyc.716012295@Leland>, jyc@leo.Stanford.EDU (Jon Corelis) writes:
> 
>    I've thought of a more precise way to pose this question:
> 
>    When it's twelve noon in Greenwich, what time is it at the North
>    Pole?
> 
>    It seems to me that this is a very rare example of a question that
> demonstrably has no answer -- that is, it isn't just that we don't know
> the answer, but that we can prove no answer exists.  But maybe someone
> can show I'm wrong.

Most likely I think it would be Greenwich Mean Time.  What time do they 
use in outerspace?  In submarines they use GMT.  Makes sense that they
would use it elsewhere too...

-- 
/---------------------------------------v-------------------------------------\
|  Rob Harrington                       |              Ball State University  |
|  Department of History                |               Muncie, Indiana, USA  |
|  Vax--00RDHARRINGT@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu  |       Unix--herring@bsu-cs.bsu.edu  |
>---------------------------------------^-------------------------------------<
|               Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah -- Shane MacGowan                |
|                       Aoibheann beatha an scol/aire!                        |
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
Xref: sparky soc.culture.usa:7277 alt.fan.rush-limbaugh:5365
From: buckland@ucs.ubc.ca (Tony Buckland)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,talk.politics,alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
Subject: Re: Health Care & Jobs (Disappearing) was: Re: Stupidity of Am. Masses
Keywords: GM sells out American workers!
Date: 14 Sep 92 18:51:52 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of B.C. Computing Services

In article <1992Sep14.160753.24887@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca> golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:
>In article <BuJv0x.6un@quake.sylmar.ca.us> brian@quake.sylmar.ca.us (Brian K. Yoder) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep10.170756.1318@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca> golchowy@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Gerald Olchowy) writes:
>>>Canadians pay 9% of GDP in public and private dollars for our health
>>>care system.  
>>Which doesn't provide service of quality as high as that available in the US.
>But only for those Americans so fortunate as to have an taxpayer subsidized 
>health insurance through their employer.  
>>It is also important to consider factors beyond the monetary ones.  I consider
>>that the factors of morality and individual rights are important too.  By what
>>moral principle should I be required to pay for the medical care of someone
>>else?   By what moral principal does a bureaucrat have a right to tell a doctor
>>what he may charge a patient, or what a patient may pay?  People who have the 
>>audacity to tell me how I must spend the money I have earned, and how to care
>>for my health make me sick...what's the cure for that?
>> ...
>>OK, let's cut the overhead.  We can start with Medicare and Medicaid.
>Medicare and Medicaid aren't overhead...and its nice to start with
>the part where the taxpayer pays for somebody elses care...are you
>in favor of starting with the taxpayer subsidy that goes to your
>health care, or would you be willing to provide the same taxpayer
>subsidy you receive to every American who doesn't receive it.

 The main problem, as I see it, with the anti-altruistic argument
 that no-one should have the product of their effort taken from
 them to provide for health care as part of the general welfare,
 is that you then end up with dead people, and with people helplessly
 suffering the agony of their own illnesses or of watching the pain
 of their loved ones, unless the doctors and other care providers
 act with unlimited supplies of just that altruism that is being
 argued against.
From: rnt@druwa.ATT.COM (Bob Thomas)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Re: Health Care & Jobs (Disappearing) was: Re: Stupidity of Am. Masses
Date: 9 Sep 92 15:35:52 GMT

Anyone wanting factual information about the Canadian health care
system would do well to read the September 1992 issue of
Consumer Reports.  CR contends that a lot of misinformation about
the Canadian system has been disseminated in the U.S. by organizations
such as the AMA and hospital and insurance trade associations.
The motives of these groups is quite plain.  Should the U.S.
adopt a health care system similar to the one in place in
Canada, doctors and hospitals would no longer be able to
charge whatever they feel like, and health insurance
companies would lose the practically all of their business.

After reading the CR article, I am convinced that the U.S.
ought to institute a system similar to the one in place in
Canada.  Such a system could be put in place at a lower total
cost than the one we currently use.  Frankly, I am tired
of letting conisiderations such as health care benefits (or the
lack there of) influence my carreer decisions.  More
importantly, I feel that everyone is entitled to decent health
care regardless of their economic health.

Bob Thomas
Denver, CO
Xref: sparky soc.culture.usa:7243 alt.folklore.urban:23352
From: snopes%club33@stlth.enet.dec.com (snopes)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: What time is it at the North Pole?
Date: 12 Sep 92 01:13:06 GMT
Organization: Just put everything on the floor; I can find it.


>   When it's twelve noon in Greenwich, what time is it at the North Pole?

Easy -- it's daytime.  Either that or nighttime.  You've pretty much got a
50-50 shot at being right.

(I actually saw this once on "Family Feud".  Asked to name a time people
usually go to sleep, the contestant answered "night".  He was then asked to
name a time people usually get up, and he replied, "morning".)

- snopes

+--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
|    NOTE:  This signature for adults only.  Sale to minors prohibited.       |
|    All characters 18 years of age or older.  For private home use only.     |
|    Any other use, copying, reproduction or performance in public, in        | 
|    whole or in part, will be prosecuted.                                    |
|                                                                             |
| +  David Mikkelson  Digital Equipment Corporation, Culver City, CA  USA  +  |
+--------------------------------+--------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
From: buckland@ucs.ubc.ca (Tony Buckland)
Subject: Re: Cops
Keywords: cops
Organization: University of B.C. Computing Services
Distribution: intergalactic
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 00:37:07 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.105954.26157@email.tuwien.ac.at> holger@vmars.tuwien.ac.at (Holger Reusch (Dipl. Gerhard + Joe)) writes:
>I know that US police officers are called "cops".  I'd like to know
>where that handle comes from?  Is it short for _C-something officer
>of the police_ or the like?

 Old French "caper", to seize -> obsolete English "cap", to arrest
 -> "cop", British slang for an arrest -> "copper", British slang
 for one who makes an arrest -> shortened to "cop".
From: carl.camurca%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Carl Camurca) 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Separatists...
Date: 4 Sep 92 12:09:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online, St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: carl.camurca%travel@wugate.wustl.edu (Carl Camurca) 

JK>>>There are movements in both Alaska and California to break away from the
JK>>>US.  Alaska's movement is stronger as the movement to break California
JK>>>into two states is more immediate than the California seccessionist
JK>>>movement right now.  (Personally I'm against CA leaving--if we have
JK>>>to keep our current state government that is!)
JK>>
JK>>    How strong are these movements? On what grounds want they to
JK>>    split/secede California? Why should any sane USian want a European
JK>>    situation on American soil?

Do you imply insane Europeans?

JK>        The split-CA-in-two movement has been around as long as
JK>CA has been a state.  Every few years in gets more active, the
JK>media gets excited, then it dies down again.  The main reason
JK>nothing ever happens is that what would be Northern CA doesn't
JK>want San Francisco but San Franciscans would rather die than
JK>be part of Southern CA :)

Why's that?

greetinx, Carl

 * OLX 2.1 TD * The true secret of suspense is
                    
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,alt.folklore.urban
From: cbuckley@unix1.tcd.ie (Colm Buckley)
Subject: Re: What time is it at the North Pole?
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 12:39:20 GMT

In <jyc.716012295@Leland> jyc@leo.Stanford.EDU (Jon Corelis) writes:


>   I've thought of a more precise way to pose this question:
>   When it's twelve noon in Greenwich, what time is it at the North
>   Pole?
>   It seems to me that this is a very rare example of a question that
>demonstrably has no answer -- that is, it isn't just that we don't know
>the answer, but that we can prove no answer exists.  But maybe someone
>can show I'm wrong.

Of course, there is no "real" time at the North and South poles - although
I seem to remember an article or essay or something which said that, within
a certain radius (500km?) of the poles, GMT is used as "watch time".

Does anyone have further information on this?

-- 
Colm.
+-------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
| Colm Buckley                        | "My program doesn't work."       |
| Computer Science,                   | "You forgot the semicolon."      |
| Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland  | "But..."                         |
|                                     | "Line 376. Check."               |
| cbuckley@unix1.tcd.ie               | "But..."                         |
| CBUCKLEY@vax1.tcd.ie                | "Trust me."                      |
+-------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
From: gledbet@heartland.bradley.edu (Gene Ledbetter)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Question About Diversity
Date: 14 Sep 1992 16:12:12 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: gledbet@heartland.bradley.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu



I've noticed two employment announcements recently (Tandem 
and some other computer company) whose notices end with the 
standard equal opportunities/affirmative action statement -- 
except that mention is made of "diversity" (or some phrase 
mentioning diversity) instead of affirmative action.  As I 
understand it, diversity refers to the eventual dominance in the
workplace of non-straight white males, specifically:  women,
blacks, Hispanics, and gays/lesbians/bisexuals.  I'm told that
diversity does not replace affirmative action, it goes beyond it.

Affirmative action has a well defined goal.  Does anyone 
know what the defined goal of diversity is, how it is to be 
implemented, and what its history is?
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Re: Question About Diversity
From: demon@desire.wright.edu (Stupendous Man)
Date: 14 Sep 92 22:23:32 EST
Organization: Demonic Possesions, Inc.

In article <9209142111.AA29814@heartland.bradley.edu_>, gledbet@heartland.bradley.edu (Gene Ledbetter) writes:
> 
> 
> I've noticed two employment announcements recently (Tandem 
> and some other computer company) whose notices end with the 
> standard equal opportunities/affirmative action statement -- 
> except that mention is made of "diversity" (or some phrase 
> mentioning diversity) instead of affirmative action.  As I 
> understand it, diversity refers to the eventual dominance in the
> workplace of non-straight white males, specifically:  women,
> blacks, Hispanics, and gays/lesbians/bisexuals.  I'm told that
> diversity does not replace affirmative action, it goes beyond it.
> 
> Affirmative action has a well defined goal.  Does anyone 
> know what the defined goal of diversity is, how it is to be 
> implemented, and what its history is?

	Diversity is simply a nice way of saying that people of all cultures
and backgrounds are welcome.

	Affirmative action carries too many negative connotations (quotas,
reverse-discrimination, etc.).

	Diversity lets people know that they don't have to look/act/be like
everyone else.

Brett                                                      
_______________________________________________________________________________
Proconsul Computer Consulting                                        CHA-CHING!
Better, Cheaper, Faster					       (Pick any two :)
Disclaimer:								   NOT!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.canada
From: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen)
Subject: Re: Health care, my final words
Originator: clamen@BYRON.SP.CS.CMU.EDU
Reply-To: clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
	<1992Sep11.132141.10991@cl.cam.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 20:01:44 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.132141.10991@cl.cam.ac.uk> iaf@cl.cam.ac.uk (Innes Ferguson) writes:

   clamen+@CS.CMU.EDU (Stewart Clamen) writes:

   >>	   Top reason why the US government should have nothing to do
   >>   with health care:
   >>
   >>	   Abortion gag rule.
   >>
   >That's actually a wonderful reason to be against socialized medicine,
   >>as practiced in say, the United Kingdom, or as Medicare in the US is
   >managed.  Would your opinion change if there was an Abortion Rights
   >Amendment to the (US) Constitution? 

   Wait a second! The Dutch have a "socialized" medicine system and they
   have absolutely no problem with abortion. Therefore, the above is *not*
   a reason against socialized medicine. I mean, even in the UK abortions
   are very easy to obtain.

   So, what's your point again?

I was just saying that Brett has finally come up with a pretty good
reason how socialized medicine (or even a national insurance plan)
could be abused in the United States.  The abortion gag rule prevented
clinics and hospitals that receive federal money from promoting
abortion as an medical option.  It is not inconceivable that it could
make similar restrictions on those medical sites submitting national
insurance claims.


--
Stewart M. Clamen			Internet:    clamen@cs.cmu.edu
School of Computer Science		UUCP: 	     uunet!"clamen@cs.cmu.edu"
Carnegie Mellon University		Phone: 	     +1 412 268 2145
5000 Forbes Avenue			Fax:	     +1 412 268 5739
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891, USA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
From: hong@mbfys.kun.nl (Hong Zhou)
Subject: Looking for a friend at Texas A&M Univ.
Organization: University of Nijmegen
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 13:28:25 GMT

Hi Everyone out Texas,

I am in search of the address/telephone number of a friend
whose name is Elsje Verhagen. She is a graduate student majoring
in Education at Texas A&M Univ. If you can help me to locate 
her, please drop me a message. Your help is deeply appreciated. 

Thanks in advance, 

Hong Zhou
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hong Zhou            |-----|    \       Dept. of Med. Physics & Biophysics
Muzenplaats 30       |__|__| |-----|    University of Nijmegen
6525 JA Nijmegen     | _|_ |  --|--     6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
The Netherlands      |  _  |   / 	
                     | |_| |  / /       Tel.   +31-80-614230
Tel. +31-80-556412  /     \|   /__\     email: hong@mbfys.kun.nl
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,talk.politics,alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
From: prabhak@giga.cs.umn.edu (Satya Prabhakar)
Subject: Re: Health Care & Jobs (Disappearing) was: Re: Stupidity of Am. Masses
Keywords: GM sells out American workers! 
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Distribution: na 
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 12:36:36 GMT

(Brian K. Yoder) writes:
> (Gerald Olchowy) writes:
>
>>Canadians pay 9% of GDP in public and private dollars for our health
>>care system.  
>
>Which doesn't provide service of quality as high as that available in the US.
>It is also important to consider factors beyond the monetary ones.  I consider
>that the factors of morality and individual rights are important too.  By what
>moral principle should I be required to pay for the medical care of someone
>else?   By what moral principal does a bureaucrat have a right to tell a doctor
>what he may charge a patient, or what a patient may pay?  People who have the 
>audacity to tell me how I must spend the money I have earned, and how to care
>for my health make me sick...what's the cure for that?

By what moral principle are you paying for highways which poor
people without any incomes are using? By what moral mandate are
you paying for welfare checks when people lose their jobs? And,
please tell us, why in the glorious heavens are you paying billions
of dollars to excuse Egyptian debt, settle Russian immigrants in
Israel and feed dying masses in Somalia? 

And in each of these cases, it is the bureaucrats who are managing
your money. I fail to see why it roils your gut so much to add
health care to the list which contains aid to Pakistan to buy bomber
jets!

Satya Prabhakar
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.canada,soc.culture.british,alt.usage.english
From: hosp@uni-paderborn.de (Holger Spangardt)
Subject: Re: List of words in American and British English
Organization: Uni-GH Paderborn
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 12:59:37 GMT

smckinty@sunicnc.France.Sun.COM (Steve McKinty - Sun ICNC) writes:

>In article <1992Sep4.155205.10293@cs.hw.ac.uk>, neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Postlethwaite) writes:

>> 
>> Neil
>> 
>> P.S. Can's (as in coke), don't have ring-pulls anymore. They have the silly
>>      flap things so they don't get chucked away like ring-pulls did.

>Which have a major design flaw. One of the advantages of the change from
>'need a can-opener' cans to ring-pulls was that the can faced away from
>you when you opened it, so a 'lively' drink didn't end up all over your
>shirt.

>The new captive things have reversed that again, so the hole faces you.

>Steve

This discussion is all rubbish (or should I say garbage??)

(No signature no fun) :-((
From: 10u6070@csdvax.csd.unsw.edu.au
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Re: Loud irritating obtrusive American
Date: 12 Sep 92 01:21:15 +1000
Organization: University of New South Wales

Is it just a nasty rumour, or it is true that the US delibrately chooses its
loudest, stupidest and most obnoxious students for exchanges like Study Abroad?
They are all unable to grasp the Australian sense of humour - no idea of
sarcasm.  I have had one draw a map of north america to show me where Florida
is, and then explain that "yes we do have MacDonalds in America".