HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jimhsu@athena.mit.edu (Jimmy M.D. Hsu)
Subject: Net Shenanigan
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 17:37:07 GMT

Alan "it'll never work" Arthur writes:

>Nice idea, but you blew it already. Did it ever cross your mind that anybody
>might actually read alt.shenanigans AND rec.games.vide.arcade? Well I do.

Of course you do, don't be silly.  Like the first net shenanigan,
the key is not to tip off the rest of r.g.v.a.  It's pretty
ego-centric to believe that everyone is like you and reads both
groups.  Sheesh!

Let's stop posting about the shenanigan here and move it to email,
okay?

P.S.  Try to make your posts as creatively gory as possible,
as this is a satire of arcade violence.
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Re: more phone phun
From: kevin@netlink.cts.com (Kevin Dorne)
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 93 17:10:43 PST
Organization: NetLink Online Communications, San Diego CA

The maid ran off with the chauffeur.  The butler is in the south of 
France on holiday, and we wouldn't think of picking up the phone 
ourselves, so leave a message and upon their return, we will answer your 
call.

--                    
INTERNET:  kevin@netlink.cts.com (Kevin Dorne)
UUCP:   ...!ryptyde!netlink!kevin
NetLink Online Communications * Public Access in San Diego, CA (619) 453-1115
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: deitsch@sol.crd.ge.com (Andy Deitsch)
Subject: Re: Fun with blindfolds
Reply-To: deitsch@sol.crd.ge.com
Organization: GE Research & Development
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 15:33:02 GMT

In article <1993Jan12.110339.16176@ericsson.se>, etlanmy@ermintrude.ericsson.se (Allan Murphy) writes:
|> In article <1ispdhINNd1h@master.cs.rose-hulman.edu> nuxollam@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu writes:

|> >2.  Have the blindfolded person stand on a chair with a hand on the head  
|> >of person #1 who is standing in front of the chair.  Persons #2 and #3  
|> >carefully lift the chair just an inch or two off the ground while Person  
|> >#1 slowly sinks down onto his haunches.  This makes the blindfolded  
|> >individual think that he/she is now several feet in the air.  Persons #2  
|> >and #3 then urge the person on the chair to jump (perhaps shaking the  
|> >chair a bit for that added encouragement).  Apparently the victim's  
|> >reaction upon coming in contact with the floor 4 feet earlier than  
|> >expected is worth all the effort.
|> >
|> >I personally have never seen these done so please let me know how well  
|> >they work.
|> 
|> I've seen number 2 done, except without the jumping bit. It was quite
|> amusing already - the person on the chair gets really worried as they think
|> that they are hovering about 5 feet above ground. The effect is helped, as
|> you say, if the people holding the chair wobble it about and some other
|> people go "Woah! Watch out!" in the background. The jumping part would be
|> funny, but probably difficult to persuade the person to do.

In the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy", there is a similar prank, except
they blindfold this guy and put him in a helicopter.  The helicopter
then flys around hovers about 3 feet of the ground while someone pushes
the blindfolded guy out. 

-- 
_________________________________________________________________________
Andy Deitsch                             email    : deitsch@crd.ge.com  
GE Corporate Research & Development      phone    : (518) 387-7207   
Schenectday, NY 12301                    dial comm: 833-7207     
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: murraya@ecf.toronto.edu (MURRAY ALEXANDER W)
Subject: Re: Pay phone shenanigans
Followup-To: alt.shenanigans,misc.test
Organization: University of Toronto, Engineering Computing Facility
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 08:01:57 GMT

In article <C0CppK.Hp2@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> jajmoore@laplace.uwaterloo.ca (Moses Moore) writes:
>I used to do that, but in the Southern Ontario area the pay phones have been
>replaced with the electronic models (magnetic strip reader, LED display with
>instructions and cost of long distance calls, etc) and these don't have the
>old 99-trick for making it ring.  Anyone know of some shennanigans for the 
>new "Millenium" phones?

I was playing around with one and found it would dial a 1-800 number without
depositing change or anything.  Of course, then I found out that this works
from _any_ pay phone... call up 1-800-FARM-AID, the message is pretty
funny.  Something to the effect of "Well, we got rich off ya, but if you
want to send MORE money, here's the address...."

In one area (SF basement, if you care) we have two pay phones side by side:
the "old" fun model, and the "new" model mentioned above, which does NOT
have a coin slot... it takes calling-cards or credit cards ONLY.  While
talking for a long while on the normal pay phone, I was most amused to watch
about a dozen people try to figure out where to put the money into the new
phone.  Did I put them out of their misery?  I think not.... If they can't
(or won't) read the instructions, I don't know why I should help them
continue in their ignorance.  ;^) Besides, 'twas funny. 

>FYI: the 99-ring trick:
[...]
In the 416 area code it was 57 for the test prefix, not 99.  That doesn't
seem to work any more, though... perhaps I'll try 99. :)

Regards,
-- 
Alex Murray, 9:III  I8F5G:6X@-C`P('-U8FQI;6EN86P*)S%&64\\1C!.(D!@8`I@"F5N9`H` `
MurrayA@ECF.Toronto.Edu, or SIZone!Alex@EE.Ryerson.Ca ._ _     _  _  _     _
______________________________________________________| | || || `| `'_||_|'_|__
"No sir, I didn't [write] it," disclaimed Mr. Horse.  | | |!_||  |  !_|._!!_|
From: dpassage@soda.berkeley.edu (David G. Paschich)
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Re: Wrong-Number Phone Shenanigan
Date: 8 Jan 1993 09:48:48 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley, CS Undergraduate Association
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu

In article <1gqu71INNjg4@access.usask.ca> skeeter@skatter.usask.ca writes:
>	I used to have a phone number that got a lot of calls intended
>for the bus depot.  (Mine was nnn-9702 and the depots was nnn-8000 :-|  
>however one of their extensions was nnn-5702...)
>
>	I tried very hard (for the first couple of weeks) to be nice and
>tell people they had mis-dialed.  Sometimes that worked.  But I would
>get calls on my machine: people asking me to call them back with the info.
>
>	I changed my message to "THIS IS NOT THE BUS DEPOT" and gave
>the REAL number.  I still got messages.

When I lived in the dorms here at UC Berkeley, (501 Cheney Hall) my
phone number was 643-1683.  The number for the College of Letters and
Science Advising Office is 642-1683.  (All numbers at UCB are either
642- or 643-; the 642-'s are all offices, the 643-'s are mostly dorms.)
Anyway, me and my roommates got about 2 or 3 calls a day from hapless
frosh (much like ourselves) looking for the College of L&S.  Once or
twice we gave advice.  Mostly we just got in the habit of not answering
the phone during the day.  Eventually our answering machine message
changed to:

"Hi there!  You've reached the College of Letters and Sciences
Advising Office.  Our three fine counselors, David, Dean, and Charan
[my roomies] aren't here right now, but if you leave your name, number
and question after the tone, we'll get back to you just as soon as we can!"

Suckered in about one clueless dweeb a week.


-- 
David G. Paschich	Comp Sci Undergrad Association		UC Berkeley
dpassage@soda.berkeley.edu			  dpassage@ana-ng.chaos.org
"We will create a new political climate where the system does not
attract ego-driven, power-hungry people." -- Ross Perot
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Yeah, right.  As if anybody in r.m.c believes in HK.
From: dubach1@husc10.harvard.edu (joev dubach)
Date: 6 Jan 93 19:14:21
Distribution: alt
Organization: Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services, Cambridge, MA

I mean, come on!  With articles like this?

>In article <1993Jan6.031408.21669@cronkite.ocis.temple.edu> sklar@picasso.ocis.temple.edu (Dave Sklar) writes:
>>
>>       I think he's on a Trivial Pursuit card.  The question's about a
>>composer who later became a zoologist.  I won't get it wrong anymore!

>Another little-known fact about Krakaden is that his speciality in zoology
>was lemur-training.  Before his death he was training some Ringtailed
>Lemurs to play the works of Mozart on miniature grand pianos.

>          (__)
>          (oo)					Joel Furr
>   /-------^/					jfurr@polaris.async.vt.edu
>  / |     ||                                    Blacksburg, Virginia
> *  ||----|| 					USA
>    ^^    ^^

Personally, I think somebody's got to do some damage control, and
denounce messages like this, to have any hope of actually getting them
to believe in HK.
--
_____________________________________________________
DDDDDDDDD   JJJJJJ      | Joev Dubach
     D      J     J     | dubach1@husc.harvard.edu
     D      J     J     | 249 North Mail Center
D    D      J     J     | Harvard University
DDDDD    *  JJJJJJ  *   | Cambridge, MA 02138
From: nuxollam@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Fun with blindfolds
Date: 11 Jan 1993 21:38:57 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department at Rose-Hulman
Reply-To: nuxollam@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: o231-05.nextwork.rose-hulman.edu

During a rap session last night our resident Spaniard told us a few good  
shenanigans...perhaps more like pranks but fun regardless.

1. Rub a layer of liquid soap or hand lotion in a large patch on the crook  
of your arm (where the blood donor people stick the needle).  Then close  
your arm like you are flexing it (i.e. bring your fist up to your  
shoulder.  Blindfold someone who has not seen you prepare this and have  
him stick his/her finger into that crook while the arm is still closed.   
The sensation is amazingly similar to sticking your finger into a  
considerably more disgusting location.  For greater effect, you can have a  
third person stand in front of the victim and pretend to be rapidly  
pulling up his/her (<--Although I doubt there are many females who are  
uncouth enough for this) pants when the vicitm rapidly removes his/her  
blindfold (which is very likely to happen)...

2.  Have the blindfolded person stand on a chair with a hand on the head  
of person #1 who is standing in front of the chair.  Persons #2 and #3  
carefully lift the chair just an inch or two off the ground while Person  
#1 slowly sinks down onto his haunches.  This makes the blindfolded  
individual think that he/she is now several feet in the air.  Persons #2  
and #3 then urge the person on the chair to jump (perhaps shaking the  
chair a bit for that added encouragement).  Apparently the victim's  
reaction upon coming in contact with the floor 4 feet earlier than  
expected is worth all the effort.

I personally have never seen these done so please let me know how well  
they work.
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: jajmoore@laplace.uwaterloo.ca (Moses Moore)
Subject: Re: Pay phone shenanigans
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 22:41:43 GMT

In article <C0B9nK.B10@world.std.com>, mgm@world.std.com (michael g moncur) writes:
>  
> If there's a row of pay phones, one fun thing to do is ring them one at a
> time.  As soon as one rings, hang up and dial another...  This confuses
> people greatly, and usually doesn't even cost you a quarter.
> 

I used to do that, but in the Southern Ontario area the pay phones have been replaced with the electronic models (magnetic strip reader, LED display with instructions and cost of long distance calls, etc) and these don't have the old 99-trick for making it ring.  Anyone know of some shennanigans for the new "Millenium" phones?


FYI: the 99-ring trick:
At any telephone, dial the number for the phone you're dialing from, but replace the first two digits with 99.  ie, if the pay phone's # is 560-3254, dial 990-3254.  Then tap the handle for 1/3 second (as if to hang up), and listen.  If you hear a steady tone, hang up.  Otherwise tap it again.


Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: rogue@ccs.northeastern.edu (Free Radical)
Subject: Re: Yeah, right.  As if anybody in r.m.c believes in HK.
Organization: College of CS, Northeastern U
Distribution: alt
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 02:41:40 GMT

In article <DUBACH1.93Jan6191421@husc10.harvard.edu>
dubach1@husc10.harvard.edu (joev dubach) writes: 
>Personally, I think somebody's got to do some damage control, and
>denounce messages like this, to have any hope of actually getting them
>to believe in HK.

It would also help if people didn't cross-post between the groups, as
I've seen done.  Whoever is setting up the mail-list for this, let me
know where to send - I'm interested.

	RA

rogue@damon.ccs.northeastern.edu (The Rogue Agent)
--------------------------------------------------
The NSA is now funding research not only in cryptography, but in all areas
of advanced mathematics. If you'd like a circular describing these new
research opportunities, just pick up your phone, call your mother, and
ask for one.
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: jimhsu@athena.mit.edu (Jimmy M.D. Hsu)
Subject: MTN
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 03:00:17 GMT

I've decided to omit the part about the company
that makes this game.  Leave it out of your posts.
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: dementia@cheshire.oxy.edu (Daniel Steven Reinker)
Subject: Re: Net Shenanigan
Organization: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041 USA.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 20:59:38 GMT

In article <C0EDG6.7Cn@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> cstringe@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Chuck Stringer) writes:
>chaplin@keinstr.uucp (Roger Chaplin) writes:
>| Daniel Steven Reinker (dementia@cheshire.oxy.edu) wrote:
>| : Ok, folks, here's your chance to be involved in a net shenanigan. This
>| : is one I've been wanting to pull for awhile. I just posted an article on
>| : rec.classical asking if anyone had heard of the obscure composer
>| : Huenter Kradaken. The joke, of course, is that there IS no such composer.
>| : However, I now need people to post giving me information about
>| : Kradaken. (Feel free to make up whatever bogus information you want to.)
>| : Make it at least a little believable. The goal is to see how long we
>| : can go before someone sez "Wait a sec! There's no such composer!"
>| : Thanks for any help, and please, if you are also a reader of rec.classical,
>| : don't tip them off.
>| 
>| Okay, I admit it, you got me.  I went off looking for rec.classical.
>| You're a rascal, Steven!
>|
>Actually, it's rec.music.classical and it seems to be working. Herr Kradaken
>has developed quite a life history.
>
Oops! Sorry folks...he's right...it IS rec.music.classical, NOT 
rec.classical. I humbly apologize...gotta be more careful when posting
things to alt.shenanigans.

I have to admit...Huenter is turning out to be quite an interesting
individual, far more than his third symphony would suggest. :)

Hiz Lord Dementia


-- 
"You can't help that. We're all mad here."-The cheshire cat, Alice in WL

"A mass hysteria/a megalomania/reveal Dementia/reveal"-Metallica                
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: fox@rei.com (Fuzzy Fox)
Subject: Re: Net Shenanigan
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 00:25:14 GMT
Organization: Recognition Equipment, Inc.

dementia@cheshire.oxy.edu (Daniel Steven Reinker) writes:

>Ok, folks, here's your chance to be involved in a net shenanigan. This
>is one I've been wanting to pull for awhile. I just posted an article on
>rec.classical asking if anyone had heard of the obscure composer
>Huenter Kradaken.

rec.classical:  no such newsgroup

Gee, ya almost had me going for a minute there.  :)

-- 
#ifdef TRUE        | Fuzzy Fox (a.k.a. David DeSimone)       fuzzy@netcom.com
#define  TRUE   0  |
#define  FALSE  1  |  "911 Emercency Rescue Service - Can you hold, please?"
#endif             |
From: tonyz@hpwrce.mayfield.hp.com (Tony Zugates)
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 21:12:10 GMT
Subject: Re: Snap Crackle Pop
Organization: the HP Mtn.View Resp. Cntr.
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans

The formula was corrected by Karl in e-mail as being Silver Acetylide..
Its supposed to be a lot more stable... there were some other tricks
to getting around using acetylene directly....I dont remember now, but
if someone knows, maybe they could post.


all disclaimers apply, especially here... I disclaim everything abount
anything, anywhere at anytime for any reason.
From: kanderso@reed.edu (Karl Anderson)
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Re: Homemade mace
Date: 5 Jan 93 07:04:42 GMT
Organization: Reed College, Portland, OR

In article <1i9tp9INNh4e@network.ucsd.edu> napier@cs.ucsd.edu (Jim Napier) writes:
>
>Does anyone have a recipe for a homemade form of mace? I'd prefer this to be
>much milder in its effects than real mace. Thanks.

When I need a mace in a hurry and don't have my 'usual', I simply use
a pipe or crowbar.

A milder effect may be achieved by taping a sock or pillow on the end.

>Jim
k
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: rmorley@mis.mi04.zds.com (Ron Morley)
Subject: Is this a shenanigan?
Organization: Zenith Data Systems
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 12:35:58 GMT

There appears to be some sort of problem here.  No activity in the one group
on the net which is truly dedicated to wasting time and valuable resources?!
Is this a shenanigan?

Ron Morley
Zenith Data Systems

My thoughts are my own...no one else wants them
From: seibel@acsu.buffalo.edu (Philip A. Seibel)
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Kradaken the Ninja
Date: 7 Jan 93 19:47:37 GMT
Organization: UB

I think that kradaken was a ninja, wasn't he?  Isn't that why the 4th symphony
has such an asian flavor to it?


The problem with these net-shenanigans is that some people read a lot of news.
If you want one of these net-shenanigans, to really work, you should plan for
it through a mailing list, and then after much planning, start posting to the
intended group.

Philip 
aka Ranlhach 

seibel@cs.buffalo.edu
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: lindss@aix.rpi.edu (Steven Anthony Lindsey)
Subject: Beef Stew
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 04:36:39 GMT


When a relative of mine was a kid, he and a couple of his friends went to
what he described as a preppy bar and brought a hot waterbottle full of
beef stew with them.  They were sitting at the bar drinking shots of vodka,
while one of his friends had this hot waterbottle filled with beef stew
stuffed down his shirt.  They called the bartender over and ordered another
round, and after drinking their shots, the friend in the middle pretended
to throw up, projecting the contents of the waterbottle rather convincingly
onto the bar.  My relative and his friend then proceded to shovel the fake
vomit into their mouths.  The bartender was the first in a whole chain of
people to start throwing up as they fed frantically.  After a good portion
of the bar was throwing up, the three of them left (and never went back).
It was a bit sick, but I couldn't stop laughing when he told me.  If anyone
attempts a repeat performance of this, I'd like to know how it goes.  Just
don't do it at Dirtbags in Tucson, AZ, since they might recognize it.
From: russell@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Russell Schulz)
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Re: Net Shenanigan
Date: 10 Jan 93 07:33:58 GMT
Organization: Private System, Edmonton, AB, Canada
X-Newsreader: rusnews v0.99

boenne@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Robert Boenne) writes:

> Well, a Sociology prof. told us an interesting story of his earlier days.
> He and his friends went to register and the officials demanded that they
> specify a religious preference and after some arguing, they did.  They all
> put down that they were druids.  A few years ago, some researcher published
> a paper on the rise of strange religons in the midwest and the sudden
> increase of druidism shown by student registation cards was a major point
> in his paper.

Tom Keenan (yes, the shad one) told us about when he was going to university
in the US, and he was required to put a religion.  he chose some obscure
humorously-named sect which escapes me.

the next week he got a call from a religious co-ordinator who wanted him
to know about the other four people on campus from the same sect!
-- 
Russell Schulz  russell@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca  ersys!rschulz  Shad 86c
From: v120qldp@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (JAY WALKER)
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
Subject: Re: Wrong-Number Phone Shenanigan
Date: 11 Jan 93 16:55:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1993Jan11.023840.15945@netcom.com>, eamon@netcom.com (Charles E Taggart) writes...
>We had a similar phone number problem when I was a kid ... the last digit
>of our number was one different from Martin Bros. Restaurant, a 24-hour
>place that took orders to go.  It seemed like we'd get at least one call a
>week from someone trying to place an order at two or three o'clock in the
>morning.
> 
>It used to really piss my dad off, and the way he usually dealt with it
>was this:
> 
>"Yeah, this is Martin Bros.  Can I take your order? ... two shrimp
>po-boys, two fries, onion rings.  Okay, that'll be $8.23 ... come pick it
>up in about 20 minutes."  *click*
> 
>Chuck

Sounds to me like those people calling you at 2 in the morning were pulling a
shenanigan on you.  =)

Anyways...The phone company pulled a little shenanigan on my household.  Seems
they made a misprint in the phonebook giving someone else in the next county
our phone number!  We get a lot of wrong numbers, but the joke is on the person
who calls us when they get their phone bill!  =)

---
 The two most abundant things in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity.  
Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans
From: etlanar@yogi.ericsson.se (Alan Arthur)
Subject: Re: Magic Time Ninja Hints Wanted
Organization: Ericsson Cellular Division
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 10:30:07 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.182659.1816@athena.mit.edu> jimhsu@athena.mit.edu (Jimmy M.D. Hsu) writes:
>
>I think one of the problems with the Heunter Kradaken hoax was
>that the originator asked for follow-up postings.  Hence, the
>resulting silliness.  I would like to begin a new shenanigan.
>This one is for the rec.games.video.arcade.  I will soon post
>the first of the below postings.  Read through them carefully
>if you want to participate in the shenanigan.  Before posting,


Nice idea, but you blew it already. Did it ever cross your mind that anybody
might actually read alt.shenanigans AND rec.games.vide.arcade? Well I do.
There is no way that a hoax of this nature can work when you start broadcasting it
like this. Look what happened to Kradaken. That could have been really good,
but some people went completely over the top, and others completely ignored
warnings to shut up (God, I'm still seeing new posts with people trying to
carry on with it) We could have recovered that one, if only some people had
thought a _little_ bit about what they were doing. 

I'd give up on your video game one before you even start it.


For all those who mailed me about HK, sorry he's now passed on, the game's a 
bogey, forget it, etc, etc. But don't give up hope, the Chops & Chops Hoax
Factory is in full motion, and the hoax of the century is being planned now.
(INVITATION ONLY)




Chops


Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans,alt.folklore.urban,alt.folklore.college