HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Doggone (was: Ring in the New Year with Some FAQs
From: derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 22:59:22 GMT
Organization: Fujitsu New Zealand

In article <C0H4q9.IuA@panix.com> bergman@panix.com (Mark Bergman) writes:
>
>During WWII, the OSI (the CIA's daddy) studied:
>	1. The use of bats to burn Japanese cities. The
>	  theory was that bats would naturally roost in the
>	  eaves of the (predominantly wooded) homes. 
>	  Bats could be fitted with explosives and released
>	  at dawn, finding their way to the closest roost.
>
>	2. The use of cats to guide bombs. The theory was
>	  cats, as everyone knows, always attempt to land on
>	  their feet. A harness was devised that slung a cat
>	  beneath a a winged bomb, with the cat
>	  "controlling" the control surfaces on the wings,
>	  much as a para-glider controls their chute.

You forgot

	3. The possibility of manufacturing a human retro virus designed 
	  to break down the enemies immune system.  The theory being that, 
	  as more fatalaties during wartime are caused by disease than 
	  armaments, anything which compromise the enemies immune system 
	  will AID the war effort.  This strategem would have been 
	  particularly effective in either in a winter campaign (e.g. 
	  Stalingrad) or somewhere in the tropics (e.g. Sub Saharan Africa).  
	  This was a remarkable feat as genetic engineering was yet to be 
	  invented and no human retro virus had so far been identified.  
	  However they did apparently succeed and later handed over their 
	  files and specimens to the CIA. All the rest is consp^H^H^H^H^Hhistory.


Derek "Never in the field of Human Cornflakes was so much Maize sowed by so
       many for so few" Tearne


-- 
Derek Tearne.   --   derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz   --    Fujitsu New Zealand   -- 
 _______
 _______} This is a Usenet condom<tm>.  Roll the condom over the .signature 
	  file before posting to protect yourself from .sig retro-virii
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: st890270@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (LUCIFER)
Subject: You dissapeared my Battleship!
Reply-To: st890270@pip.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:12:03 GMT

Alt.folklore.ghost-stories is having the Philidelphia experiment discussion.
they seem to have some interesting thoughts.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: CD Legends
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 00:53:11 GMT

In <28207@dog.ee.lbl.gov> twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan) writes:

>johnson@ut-emx.uucp (Karen J. Morgan) writes:
>  +
>  +It was **Paul** who was dead.  Not only could you hear them say it when you
>  +played the record backwards, but you knew it was true because he was the only
>  +one barefoot on the album cover.

>Paul who?


HI, karen....

don't you just love these unkulturd children??????

barb "just another r.a.t." t.
--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: rhadden@isdres.er.usgs.gov
Subject: RE: Conspiracy_Theory theory
Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 21:11:16 GMT

I have often wondered at the attraction of conspiracy theories myself. I know
several people who can get quite upset if I don't accept their byzantium
theories of conspiracies, but who dismiss me without a care if I don't agree
with their other ideas or with later proved true facts.
        One suggestion is that these are people who feel helpless, and see
conspiracies as a means of explaining why they are helpless against "Them"
who do the conspiracies. At this point, to confront their conspiracies,
they either recognize their feelings of helplessness, which is scary, or
they hang on to a conspiracy theory.
        Another suggestion deals with blame and victimization. By blaming
others, you are not required to change behavior or recognize your own
faults. By believing that _(insert favorite cospiracy group here)_ is
responsible for _(insert favorite problem here)_, then you do not have
to accept responsibility for doing anything about the problem. Since it
is an overwhelming number of conspirators causing it, there is nothing that can be done anyway, so give up.
        A third suggestion is a way to distract attention. A man recently
found to be using illegal drugs solemnly announced he was set up by a
conspiracy of people out to get him. Those who believed the conspiracy
did not therefore, judge him on using the illegal drugs, or asked how
an honest person could be set up with a temptation that would not tempt
an honest person.
lee hadden
standard disclaimers, except for conspiratorial ones :-).
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: goehring@infonode.ingr.com (Richard R Goehring)
Subject: Re: Rush!Rush!Rush! (BAD groups)
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 00:25:33 GMT

twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan) writes:

>RE  Terry "Does anybody know the name of some BAD groups?" Chan
>  
>Terry "How about BTO?" Chan

 Oh, by BAD you mean great ??

 They are still my personal favorite.

        Richard "You ain't seen nothin' yet" Goehring

-- 
 ----------------------==============================+++++++++++++++++++++++
 Richard Goehring	          |
 goehring@infonode.ingr.com       |    SPRINGFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
 ...!uunet!ingr!infonode!goehring |  Bart Simpson, owner and propriater [sic]
From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Microwave Fun
Date: 6 Jan 93 19:37:28 GMT
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

rhuss+@EDRC.CMU.EDU (Robert Huss) writes:
  +
  +	Someone recently told me about a neat trick done in a Steven Segal
  +movie. (probably the one where he's a tough, nasty, good guy, who does
  +all it takes to get the bad guys... which one is that?)  

"Bereft of Talent"?

   [details deleted]

  +Bob "don't try this at home" Huss

No, use an industrial strength microwave oven when you can get
some really good effects.

Terry "Dr. Science" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Yeah, right.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,rec.arts.startrek.misc
From: davew@willow03.cray.com (Dave Wagner)
Subject: Re: The canonical Star Trek plot
Originator: davew@willow03
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 12 Jan 93 10:19:05 CST


In article <ll4c1cINN261@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, linden@positive.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden) writes:
> I'm glad to see that they are *still* using "canonical plot #1" though:
> 
>          "Trekkers encounter all-powerful & superior life form
>           who don't understand earthlings, initially imprison them,
>           but are persuaded to coexist peacefully"
> 
> E.g.
>          The Cage   (pilot for Star Trek)
>          Encounter at Far-Point (first episode of for ST:TNG)
>          whatever-this-was-called  (first episode of Deep Throat Nine)
> 
And 2001, et.al.  

BTW.  Was it just me, or did anyone keep expecting Sisko to say
      "My God, it's full of stars" during the orb stuff?
-- 
Dave Wagner                               "Tongue-tied and twisted,
davew@cray.com , uunet!cray!davew          just an earth-bound misfit, I"
(612) 683-5393                                  -- Pink Floyd
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Tuesday, 5 Jan 1993 05:53:48 EST
From: <MIWHC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject:    Ethnicity & SS# RESULTS!

     This just in ... the results of my oft insulted Ethnicity/Social Security
Number link possibility.
     After quasi-methodically polling every relative, friend, coworker,
     After bothering every new person I met with my new fixation,
     After begging friends to ask all of their friends and family,
     I now have the results to this wretchedly aching question:
           Is their an ethnicity/social security link?

     Out of almost 250 responses, the ethnicity was 34% Black, 14% Jewish,
6% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 34% White, with everyone who replied as mixed being
classified non-white. And...
     All but 4 blacks had even middle numbers. 1 Asian (Thai) had an even
number. 3 Hispanics (1 Cuba, 2 Colombian) had odd middle numbers, AND ...
about 1/4 of the Whites had ODD middle numbers with EVERY ONE coming from
fairly old families, and 2 from mixed Jewish families.
     Statistically speaking there is something bizzarre going on, but I'm
sure someone on the net will figure out what it is. I regret not asking their
ages, it may have shed some light on this UL.
     What I proved CONCLUSIVELY is that asking a hoty in the bar what the
middle of her SS# is, is a FAR better way of meeting her than asking what
her sign is. Just judging from my success with this method so far, adjusted
for mean deviation and statistical noise, the Ethnicity/SS# concipiracy
is an outstanding way of meeting women.

                                 -- Rick Yukon, the Blind Existentialist.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Bugger it
From: system@codewks.nacjack.gen.nz (Wayne McDougall)
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 08:29:43 NZST
Organization: The Code Works Limited, PO Box 10 155, Auckland, New Zealand

linden@positive.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden) writes:

> From: system@codewks.nacjack.gen.nz (Wayne McDougall)
> > Can you offer any evidence that all transatlantic telephone conversations 
> > are recorded?
> 
> Certainly.  The earliest contemporary reference that I can find is an article
> in the New Statesman in July 1980.  Duncan Campbell (an editor of the New Sta
> and Linda Melvern (a veteren Sunday Times reporter) reported that the functio
> of the (US Govt's) NSA Menwith Hill station in Harrogate, Yorks is to tap
> British domestic and international telephone traffic.   The article makes cle
> that all transatlantic calls are recorded.

That is not evidence. How does this article "makes clear"? What you have
offered is an allegation.

> Secondly, I would refer you to "The Puzzle Palace - inside the NSA" by
> James Bamford, publ Penguin, ISBN 0 14 00.6748 5, which on page 419 et seq
> repeats and expands on this report.

Well I read this book, and again this is an allegation. Not evidence.

> Thirdly I was at graduate school with a man who was cheating the telephone
> system by making collect calls to different public phone boxes in England.
> As part of the process of convincing him to plea bargain, he told me they
> played him a tape of one of his calls.

A specific repeat-offending individual having his phone calls recorded is not
evidence that all trans-atlantic phone calls are recorded.

> I would like to see this line reinstated in the FAQ:
> > T. The CIA, NSA and 11 different secret govt organizations tap & bug everyt

This can never be T, as if you could prove it, then the organiSations wouldn't
be secret.


ObDefn: evidence: a statement of a witness, an object, etc which proves
the point in question
-- 
  Wayne McDougall, BCNU

"I hate quotations." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: pynq@quads.uchicago.edu (Jeremy Mathers)
Subject: Re: No US President Ever Survived an Energy Crisis
Keywords: Duck, Martha, the cow's in the barley again!
Reply-To: pynq@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: D. J. Dougherty & Associates
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 16:15:03 GMT

In article <3B65wB8w165w@unkaphaed.gbdata.com> popec@unkaphaed.gbdata.com (William C. Barwell) writes:
...
>What happened was the utter collapse of the oil drilling business in the 
>United States, both continental and offshore.  A lot of unhappy oil 
>industry CEOs out there.  Bush is the first Republican Cndidate in 60 
>years not to have the whole hearted endorsement of the oil industry.

The real problem is that Bush is not a show business kind of guy.

Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton are.  The general public doesn't
understand politics, but they do understand show business.  They
therefore assume that the two are or should be merged.

The Bush Administration will go down as a 4 year hiatus in an otherwise
inevitable process.


	- J. "Hollywood's always tried to mix...
	      Show business with politics ..." M. -

************************************************************************
Our buggy newsreader limits
the length of .signature files
to 4 lines, but I have figured out
a way to have as many lines as

	- pynq@quads.uchicago.edu, who is still costing the net
	  hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, every time he posts -
************************************************************************
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Why care what percentage?  (was: Gay Likelihood)
From: system@codewks.nacjack.gen.nz (Wayne McDougall)
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 93 09:15:03 NZST
Organization: The Code Works Limited, PO Box 10 155, Auckland, New Zealand

derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:

> Yes, this is like saying that you can't _prove_ that smoking cigarettes 
> causes cancer.  There is no _proof_ of either hypothesis - however in
> both cases the enormous amount of statistical evidence implies a causal
> relationship.

My wife the doctor now says that the causal nexus for smoking=cancer has
been discovered; ie the mechanism has now been identified and that you can
say as a statement of fact, rather than a statement of probability, that
smoking causes cancer.

But she tends to get rather extreme in her views, especially after working
on the respiratory wards which are clogged with smokers. Can anyone else
substantiate her claim, or offer evidence to refute it (ie that the
mechanism isn't fully established, or something like that - what do Rothman's
say?)


Wayne "will eat for food" McDougall


-- 
  Wayne McDougall, BCNU

"I hate quotations." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,rec.sport.baseball
From: kutcha@eos.acm.rpi.edu (Phillip Rzewski)
Subject: Re: Trademarkability of personal names (Was: Re: Babe Ruth Candy Bar)
Organization: The Voice of Fate
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 08:59:47 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.054625.29384@athena.mit.edu> cmk@athena.mit.edu (Charles M Kozierok) writes:
>i believe that this (or a related) law doctrine is the reason why you
>rarely see players' real names in computer sports games. the players'
>associations own the rights to the use of the names. so you can't
>just write a baseball game and put as oakland's firstbaseman "M. McGwire".
>
>i *did* however once see a football game where all the players' numbers 
>were accurate, so i guess that is fair game. seriously, i wonder if
>that would be a problem for some of the big names who have distinctive
>numbers. a "#99 bar" might sell pretty well, especially north of the
>border... what do you legal eagles think?

Well, I'll at least second the example and cite one in particular: "John
Madden Football" (the "second edition" or something, I think) for the Super
Nintendo. It was very weird because all the players were referred to only
by number, yet the game came with a rather LARGE book of stats which were
perfect match-ups to the players stats as of the end of last year (we
decided this was the case becasue one guy in the room was a MAJOR football
geek and could quote the stats and we'd look in the book and he'd be right
EVERY time).

--
  Phillip Andrew Rzewski                      Internet: kutcha@acm.rpi.edu
             "Don't wait; while you're waiting, you're dying."
                          --- Peter Hammill
From: jeremiah@yang.earlham.edu (Jeremiah Wilton)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Jesus' name (was Re: Late breaking potential UL!)
Date: 11 Jan 93 14:47:10 GMT
 <1993Jan8.180935.16231@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> <63290@mimsy.umd.edu>
Organization: Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana

In article <63290@mimsy.umd.edu>, sjsmith@cs.umd.edu (Stephen Joseph Smith) writes:
> flaps@dgp.toronto.edu (Alan J Rosenthal) writes:

>>Jesus' name was simply "Jesus", or if you prefer "Jesus
>>of Nazareth"
> Jesus' name was "Yeshua."

Okay, maybe someone can help me paw through the multi-layered ignorance 
surrounding this.
Somebody also said "wasn't it Joshua?"  Someone who knows Hebrew should 
just clarify, in ancient texts, what is the difference between "Yeshua and 
Yoshua(Joshua)? Are they not both just spelled "Yud Shin Aleph"?  Is there 
a Vav in there I'm missing (probably)?

The point is, what Stephen Joseph Smith didn't tell you is that the whole 
"Yeshua" business is the stuff of fanatical movements like the Messianics 
and the JFJ's.  They use the Yeshua name a proof positive that Y?shua was 
the messiah (can you detect the fatal flaw in the logic here?).
-- 
Jeremiah Wilton | jeremiah@yang.earlham.edu | JEREMIAH@EARLHAM.bitnet |
                |       NeXTmail only: jeremiah@math.earlham.edu      |
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.folklore.college
From: wvhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William VanHorne)
Subject: Re: Norwegian Elkhounds
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 13:18:35 GMT

In article <06!308-@rpi.edu> kasprj@rpi.edu writes:
>
> Okay, so what can you tell us about Norwegian Elkhounds? One of my 
>neighbors had one back when I was a wee lad. The most vivid memory 
>I have of it is when our cat chased it out of our yard.
>
Ah yes, stalwart companion of the Vikings, guardian of the household, mighty
hunter, immortalized in the haunting saga "Hey, Your Damn Dog Just Ate My
Pizza", behold the majestic lord of the fjords: the Norwegian Elkhound.  

Factoid 1: There are actually two breeds of dog known as "Norwegian Elkhound"
in North America, the "Norsk Elghund" (Norwegian Elk Dog) and the poetically
named "Norsk Grahund" (Norwegian Grey Dog).  Note that when Europeans say
"elk" they mean the animal know as "moose" to real people, so we should 
call them Norwegian Moosehounds.

Factoid 2: In WWII (aka "the good war"), the British 8th army fighting 
Rommel in N. Africa used Elkhounds as war dogs because their German Shepards
were dying from the heat.  Elkhounds, being R-30 insulation with legs, could
hold up under the conditions.  There is no record of Elkhounds being trained
to haul explosives under German tanks.

Factoid 3: In the 1960s and 70s (and for all I know, it's still true), all
privately owned pure-bred Elkhounds in Norway were required to be registered
with the Norwegian defense ministry, and subject to mobilization in case of
war.  This makes the Norwegian Elkhound the only breed of dog subject to the
draft.  Many Canadian Elkhounds today are the offspring of conscientious
objectors.

I have to go now.  That damn dog just ate my pizza.

---Bill "Dogs R Us" VanHorne
From: bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Scearce)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Microwave Fun
Date: 8 Jan 93 19:05:57 GMT
Reply-To: bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: sector7g

In article 1I20@austin.ibm.com, bwilson@efim.austin.ibm.com (Brad Wilson) writes:
> I have also heard that CD's (musical, not monetary) do "neat" things in
> a microwave.  (If you turn it on while they are in there, of course)

You get a really cool lightshow.  The effect is enhanced if the CD's are
coloured around the edges with a green felt pen first, though.

Brian "No, really, I can *see* the difference" Scearce
---
Brian Scearce                                           bls@sector7g.eng.sun.com
              The above does not necessarily represent Sun policy.
                  "You can't fit the truth on a t-shirt, man."
                                 "That'd fit."
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.fan.lemurs,alt.religion.kibology
From: kibo@world.std.com (James "Kibo" Parry)
Subject: Re: Ring in the New Year with Some FAQs
Followup-To: alt.religion.kibology
Organization: Two rooms filled with typography, in downtown Boston
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 05:16:57 GMT

In article <ciu5wB4w165w@codewks.nacjack.gen.nz> system@codewks.nacjack.gen.nz (Wayne McDougall) writes:
>derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:
>
>[Newspaper report of possible UL about cats and washing machines deleted]
>
>> Derek "I still maintain the fire engine and cat story is true" Tearne
>
>here we have it folks, both Derek and Kibo admit
>that they are responsible for MAINTAINING urban legends. 

I never said that.  I said I *was* an urban legend!

						-- K.
From: phs@cassiopee.cosmos (philippe schnoebelen 303v)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Architect suicides
Date: 5 Jan 93 19:28:59 GMT
Reply-To: phs@lifia.imag.fr (Philippe Schnoebelen)
Organization: Institut Imag, Grenoble, France

In article <PHS.93Jan4180354@cassiopee.cosmos> I wrote:

>  I'm looking for ULs where
>
>	   an architect realizes that his construction is asymmetric (e.g.
>	   different number of columns) on the inauguration day. When the
>	   officials look for him for congratulations, he has disappeared.
>	   Indeed, he is just committing suicide by jumping from the top of
>	   the building ! Of course, nobody else has seen there is a problem
>	   (yet).

Well, I've just been told a nice local variant (thank you Fabrice).

Near Grenoble is a small city called Voiron. In Voiron there is a famous
statue, on top of a hill, and highly visible. It is called "La Vouise" and
is of the 'Virgin Mary with Child' type. Well, the child is carried in the
WRONG ARM (it appears there are strict rules. Any info ?) Guess what, when
he saw his mistake, the sculptor jumped from the top of the statue and
killed himself. This story is widely known in Voiron...

Please mail (or post) any variant you know.

--Philippe
--
Philippe SCHNOEBELEN,  LIFIA,  46 Av Felix VIALLET,  38000 Grenoble,  FRANCE
						     email: phs@lifia.imag.fr
"Algebraic symbols are used when you do not know what you are talking about."
From: jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Mother Lifts Car Off Child. Uh huh.
Date: 7 Jan 93 01:02:02 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., San Jose, CA

[cars bursting into flames]

Pintos of mid-70's vintage were much maligned for their
exploding fuel tanks, which tended to explode when the car was
rear-ended.  There were several lawsuits against Ford Motors
because of this.  However, even the exploding Pintos were
rather rare.

There is, however, a Pinto running around the local area that
has personal plates reading "MOLOTOV".
--
  Jilara   [jane@swdc.stratus.com]

"Every now and then, a big rock falls out of the sky, and everyone has 
a *very bad* day."  --from the PBS "Dinosaurs" special.
Organization: Junior, Math/Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.folklore.college
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 14:28:56 -0500 
From: "Stephen M. Lacy" <sl31+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Who Kresge was (Was: Re: Architecture (Was: Architect Suicides))

Article      KRESGE Foundation

Text         {krez'-gee}

             The KRESGE Foundation, in Troy, Mich., was established in 1924
             by Sebastian S. KRESGE as a general-purpose charitable
             foundation. Its chief activities have been providing grants for
             major capital equipment, construction, and renovation to
             educational, medical, and artistic institutions. In 1984 it had
             assets of $814,000,000.

(taken without permission)
"When you wake up with me, I'll be your glass of water." -Crowded House