HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: hayim@locus.com (Hayim Hendeles)
Subject: Re: What time is it at the North Pole?
Organization: Locus Computing Corporation, Los Angeles, California
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 20:16:58 GMT

In article <17205@ulysses.att.com> smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin) writes:
>In article <cbuckley.716042360@unix1.tcd.ie>, cbuckley@unix1.tcd.ie (Colm Buckley) writes:
>> 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".
>
>A long time ago, I used to ask my Hebrew school teacher questions like
>those.  Things like ``above the Arctic Circle, how do you know when
>sunset is, and hence when the holidays start?  What about astronauts
>traveling at near-light speeds, and experiencing time dilation?  Their
>calendar will get out of sync.  Colonists on Mars will undoubtedly use
>the Martian day, which will cause the same effect.  Should they use the
>Martian year as well?''  Etc. -- though she didn't even understand some
>of the concepts I was talking about, since there's nothing in the
>Talmud about relativity or Lorentz contractions.
>

At least as far as the Artic circle questions go, Rabbi Yissaschar Frand
has a fascinating tape on the subject called "Mincha/Maariv at the
North Pole" - or something like that.

I highly recommend this tape which is available for purchase. IF
anyone is interested, I will post the relevant information.

The various proofs offered by the Halchik commentaries are fascinating -
some want to bring a proof from the Flood when the Sun/Moon/Stars
were out of business, others from the verse
"shemesh bgivon dam" - where the Sun was actually stopped.

In classic literature, the question is discussed in the Tiferes Yisrael
at the end of the 1st chapter in Berachos.

However, I do not know if an astronaut travelling at relativistic
speeds or on Moon/Mars is the identical question or not. Perhaps there
are differences. I don't believe this is discussed on the tape.

As an aside, sometimes I actually suspect that these questions
may be relevant someday. After all the posuk does say
"Im yihyeh nidachaca biktzeh hashamayim ..." - might this not
imply that space travel may become a reality one day?

(After all, "vavi eschem al kanfei nesharim" can now be understood
literally, despite the fact that for the past 2000 years it was
understood in a figurative sense. Might one not say the same
thing about this verse also?)

Hayim Hendeles

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: williamsk@gtephx.UUCP (Kevin W. Williams)
Subject: Re: Third to be bombed...
Summary: We were FIRST!
Organization: gte
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 16:44:01 GMT

In article <1992Sep7.155557.29707@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, PAPAI@kcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Jonathan Papai) writes:
> in Message-ID: <1992Sep4.184825.18056@ultb.isc.rit.edu>
> bmb1021@ultb.isc.rit.edu (B.M. Buck ) writes:
> 
> >In at least two cities I've lived in (Charlotte, NC and Binghamton, NY),
> >there is the claim that that city is "third" on the list of sites to be
> >bombed by the Soviets (now that the Soviets are gone, I suspect that
> >this legend had died, too), because of some strategic importance of the
> >city.  The stated first two places (when pressed) end up being the
> >missile sites, and Washington, DC.  After that, comes the current city.
> >
> >Is this legend wide-spread?  If you've heard it for your locale, what is
> >the supposed reason for being third?
> 
> 	Add Columbus Oh. (I'm not making this up) to the list.
> This even was popular with the local media.  We have Compuserve,
> Battelle Institute, Chemical abstracts, and the University here,
> the center of the information universe I guess. It's just a
> desperate attempt to seem important, IMHO.
> 
> 	Why do you suppose it's always third, never second or
> fourth.

I grew up in a town which firmly believed that it was going to
be the first to go. Up until 1970, we still had nuclear warfare
drills (dump your desk, carry it into the hall, line them up on
the little marks arranged so you had 360 degree metal shield,
and curl underneath it in a fetal ball).

Of course, since Bellevue, Nebraska was the home of Offutt Air
Force Base, central headquarters of the Strategic Air Command,
we had some reason for the paranoia. The fact that SAC ran
Operation Looking Glass right over our heads for years and
years helped keep us reminded.

Kevin Wayne "Then kiss your ass goodbye" Williams
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com
Subject: Re: Colour perception (was: Death by sneezing)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 01:53:10 GMT

In article <fq5pbb4@csv.warwick.ac.uk>, csuah@warwick.ac.uk (~WISP at CU~) writes...
>In article <Z3umqB1w165w@dogbox.acme.gen.nz> dogbowl@dogbox.acme.gen.nz (dogbowl) writes:
>>moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:

>>> ObUL:  Red traffic lights are tinged a little on the orange side, and
>>> green lights tinged on the blue to help red-green colorblind folks to
>>> distinguish them.

>>I don't know about the red lights having orange in them, but the green
>>lights *do* have blue tints in them. At least they do in the area where
>>I was born, as the rate of red-green colour-blindness in males approaches
>>30%.

>>(Apparently when the traffic lights were first installed 35 years ago, they
>> didn't have the tinting, and there were quite a few accidents because of it)

>I very much doubt this. (All of it) If you can't read a traffic light, you
>have to be vertically-blind, as well as color-blind. The position of the light
>in the stack, and the fact that you can tell which light is on or off, is all
>you need to use traffic lights. Now in an aircraft, it's a different ball-game
>hence the fact you aren't allowed any kind of powered flight licence (in
>the UK at least) if you're red-green color-blind...

At night (especially a rainy or foggy night) it might not be immediately
apparent where in the stack a light is or even if it is a traffic light
if the color doesn't register.  A former housemate who was red/green
colorblind mentioned how what he was often suprised by 'street lights' that
suddenly changed from white to yellow.  (Apparently he could see red as a
distinct color as well as yellow, but green looked white to him)

Second, a few traffic lights are mounted horizontally.  Quick, is the light
on the left side of a horizontally-mounted light red or green?  <Crash!> Too
late...

Also, there's at least one light mounted with the green light at the top,
Tipperary Hill, Syracuse, NY.

FWIW, there used to be a traffic light somewhere near Gloversville, NY
that was lime green.

-Mike
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: obrien@netcom.com (Robert O'Brien)
Subject: Recursive UL's
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 09:01:38 GMT
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)

First, I *know* the apostrophe should be used for posessives, not plurals.
Anybody wanna make trouble?  I got one in my NAME, I can use 'em as I please!


OK< the subject:

I have experienced what I'd call 'recursive' urban legends.  I've had someone
explain to me that "some people [believe|used to believe] that X"
whereas I've never found any evidence of same.

Specific example: in the mid 60's a friend or neighbor told me that some
people used to believe there was some kind of danger in certain combinations 
of foods.  The only one I remember is milk and cherries.  The story went
that "some people believed..."  and I eventually heard the same story
from other sources years later and in other cities.

My impression is that perhaps NO ONE ever believed this, but there has
somehow arisen a UL that somebody did.

Anyone ever run across something comprable?  Maybe AFU, in a previous 
incarnation, started these rumors for the fun of it?  

Then again, maybe there once were people who believed these ridiculous things.


ObOb: thanks, all who helped explain "Ob__"  [I'm glad *my* 'B' is capitalized]
Xref: sparky alt.folklore.urban:23212 alt.religion.kibology:3766
From: rperkins@astro.as.arizona.edu (Rachel J. Perkins)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.religion.kibology
Subject: Re: Viruses: was(Re: aids started by cia?)
Date: 10 Sep 92 01:56:39 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ


>In article <BuAoIn.5GM@world.std.com>, kibo@world.std.com (James "Kibo" Parry) writes:
>> In article <TS2JJJ6@taronga.com> arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva) writes:
>> >
>> >ObUL:  The K in Vitamin K stands for Kibo.
>> 

ObKibo: the 'std' in kibo's email address stands for sexually transmitted
disease... (i thought that might get us back to the subject of the original 
post.)

bah.
--
		-just give me what for,
	rachel perkins =  rperkins@astro.as.arizona.edu
      "Chastity..the most unnatural of all the sexual perversions...."
					-Aldous Huxley
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: barth@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (barth.richards)
Subject: Re: British Paper Money
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 19:30:54 GMT


In article <Sep.13.20.08.56.1992.21845@cadenza.rutgers.edu> masticol@cadenza.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola) writes:

>ObUL: The Germans, during World War II, produced a perfect set of
>counterfeit plates for British #5 notes, to try to destabilize the
>currency. It could have happened, so it must be true.

Not a UL.  This effort has come to be commonly known as "Operation
Bernhardt," which involved the Third Reich's recruitment of known
counterfeiters from the population of concentration camps.

Many of the notes were very, very good counterfiets, but not completely
perfect.  The methods for detecting one are described in an article in
Spring 1992 issue of the International Bank Note Society's journal.  I
myself have one of the fivers.  O.B. also did other denominations and had
plans to do US dollars as well.  (I have heard varying reports that they
might have actually gotten as far as making plates for the dollar notes.)

As the war came to a close, some of the officers involved sunk the plates
and hundreds of counterfeit notes into a lake in Austria, where they were
discovered and brought up by divers some ten or twelve years later.  The
Bank of England introduced a metal thread into the paper of their notes
after discovering the Nazi's countereiting efforts, and soon after issued
new notes with more complex designs.

In article <1992Sep14.052001.14865@muddcs.claremont.edu> kaydin@jarthur.claremont.edu (puck) writes:

>   True or not, this was the subject of a *very* funny story, written
>from the point of view of a German lower officer in charge of the
>project, who goes through a variety of misadventures from the production
>of the false fivers to the transferring of them to England to the
>burying them in England to recovering them after the war.  This story
>came around the U.S. a few years back as a Masterpiece Theater series.
>
>   Now, does anyone out there remember the name of the story, the author,
>or details of its truth/fiction?

I saw the MPT presentation of the story too, and I seem to remember that it
was based on a P. G. Wodehouse novel.

Organization: Doctoral student, Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Date: Tue,  8 Sep 1992 14:52:15 -0400 
From: "Robert S. Huss" <rh50+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Bridges

	I wouldn't be surprised if the original bridge which
started the UL about bridges collapsing due to soldiers
marching in step had some other cause, but I believe the
possibility exists of "shaking" any structure apart.
	Most objects have a resonance frequency, at which
they will continue a vibration, and amplify it.  I
heard of a case where a guy with a powerful set of speakers
found the resonance frequency of his dorm by chance, in
the middle of some symphony recording.  By reproducing the
sound on his snythesizer, he could make the whole building
shake to this one note.  It didn't cause the building to
collapse, but I can see the possibility.
	Therefore, if soldiers, marched across a bridge,
with the correct marching frequency, the bridge would
begin to resonate, and if enough soldiers continued to march
across the bridge, it might occur long enough to shake the 
bridge apart!

Bob Huss.
.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com (tim clinkenpeel)
Subject: Re: Notorious Toothpaste Skit
Reply-To: tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 16:30:27 GMT

presto@chopin.udel.edu (Jason Y Nocks) attempts to bring about an aura
mysticism to himself of his knowledge of simple tricks:

>Forgive me if I'm wrong

[rest deleted -- jason mentions a magic device that he believes is responsible
for the 'trick', yet refuses to divulge the nature of the trick, apparently do
to some wizard's code of ethics.  whoopee.]

jason:
i you had paid any attention to the original post, you would have realized
that the 'leprechaun pitcher/glass' could _not_ be successfully employed as
the poster states:

>After brushing her teeth, this girl does the unthinkable:
>she raises the filthy cup to her lips and drinks it all down, swallowing
>several times, till every last drop is gone.
                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

since the trick glass works by transferring the fluid from one chamber to
another (illustrated below) and therefore can only appear to reduce the
quantity of liquid (not completely 'disappear').   further, anyone even
vaguely familiar with the trick would know that you can't use water -- you
need an opaque medium.

how the trick works:

       1.  | |         | |   2.  | |         | |
           | O         | |       | O         | |
           |#|         |#|       | |         | |
           |#|         |#|       | |         | | 
           |#|         |#|       | |         | |     key:  | - side of glass
           |#|         |#|       | |#########| |           # - opaque liquid
           |#|_________|#|       | |#########| |           O - hole in 
           |#############|       |_____________|               chamber lining

the simplified (cut-away view) 'glass' in the illustration has two 'chambers',
an thin outer chamber where the liquid is first placed (fig 1.) so the glass
appears to have significant content, and a wide inner chamber where the
liquid is moved by tipping the glass through the hole in the chamber lining
('O') and thus appears to have less content (fig 2.).  an amateur's delight -
requires no talent to either acquire (bought not thought) or perform.
-- 
\clinkenpeel: aberrant analytical cynical agnostic idealist.  i exclusively /
/represent myself.  i do not offend anyone; however, some morons choose to  \
\offend themselves.  judge only those who you would have judge yourself.  i /
/don't practice what i preach - i'm not the type of person i'm preaching to.\
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: obrien@netcom.com (Robert O'Brien)
Subject: Re: Junk FAX Mail?
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 08:50:01 GMT
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)

>
>> Has anyone ever received junk mail on their FAX machine?
>

And *I've* received calls around 2 am where the tone on the line sounds
like a FAX to me, not a data modem.  But then, I'm often up at 2 am and
can answer on the first ring.   Now that I read AFU at 2 am, my line's
usually busy.  [I'd put a "smiley" here but...]


ObUL:  "Smileys" are "Frowned" upon in AFU
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: dw@unislc.uucp (Dan Wright)
Subject: Re: The Wildebeast
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Organization: salt lick silty
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 15:19:20 GMT

Thomas Dignan wrote:
: [ what is a wildebeast ]

GNU
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: gfowler@javelin.sim.es.com (Gary Fowler)
Subject: Re: Ann Landers stops an urban myth!
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 14:20:42 GMT

crawford@ben.dev.upenn.edu (Lauren L. Crawford) writes:

>Gee, I heard that if it was the right hoof, the soldier was gay,
>and if it was the left hoof, he was straight ... or maybe it was
>the other way around.  

>Now, if the horse was rearing ...


>-- 
>Lauren Crawford  //  crawford@ben.dev.upenn.edu

>I believe we are on the irreversible trend toward more freedom and
>democracy -- but that could change.   -- J. Danforth Quayle  

What if all four hooves are off the ground?

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: d8b@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Boudria)
Subject: Re: Notorious Toothpaste Skit
Organization: Raytheon Company, Portsmouth, RI
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 15:51:19 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.160655.1590@etek.chalmers.se> cafer@etek.chalmers.se (Tommy Vaske) writes:
>In article <1992Sep10.172818.8887@unislc.uucp>, dw@unislc.uucp (Dan Wright) writes:
>(edited)
>|> 
>|> On a small table are a glass of water, a toothbrush, and a tube of
>|> toothpaste.  The first performer comes on, squeezes some toothpaste onto
>|> the brush, and proceeds to brush his teeth.  He then rinses with the
>|> water, spitting it back into the cup.  The next performer comes on,
>|> squeezes more toothpaste onto the brush, brushes his teeth thoroughly,
>|> then uses the dirty water to rinse, again spitting it back into the cup.
>|> The audience gets more grossed out and groans more loudly as two other
>|> performers come on and further dirty the water in their turn.  The cup
>|> is looking positively sickening when the last performer comes on.  For
>|> this role Mr. McGrew would chose the prettiest, most dainty girl he
>|> could find.  After brushing her teeth, this girl does the unthinkable:
>|> she raises the filthy cup to her lips and drinks it all down, swallowing
>|> several times, till every last drop is gone.
>|> 
>(edited)
>|>  
>|> Have any of you seen a similar trick?  Do any of you know of some other
>|> device or explanation for this skit?
>|> 
>|>   -- Dan Wright
>
>That's quite a common filthy skit around here. Also, we have the
>Egg Toddy (performed by some friends of mine last night); Four persons
>needed, lined up at the stage or whereever. The first takes one or two
>raw eggs in his mouth, shakes his head, bulges his cheeks in and out,
>etc, until the eggs have the right fluffy consistence. This he spits
>into a glass. The second one puts some sugar in his mouth (last night
>they used sugarcubes, so he had to chew on them for quite a while) adds
>the contents of the glass, shakes his head, spits. The third one takes
>some liquor in his mouth, adds the contents of the glass, shakes, spits.
>And the fourth one consumes this deeeeelicious drink - yummm!
>
>Breakfast is another example. One guy gets down kneeling, mouth wide
>open with the back of the mouth "shut". Another guy sits or stands in
>front of him, making his breakfast in the kneeling guys mouth. The guys
>I know of used sour milk and cereals (very common for breakfast in Sweden)
>which the guy then ate with a spoon right out of the same container in
>which it had been blended... This show also featured orange juice, which
>was sipped out of the mouth through a straw.
>
>--tommy
>***********************************************************************
>*      Tommy Vaske     * "I know, that God lives in everybody's soul, * 
>*    - semper idem! -  *     and the only Devil in your world         *
>*   cafer@etek.cth.se  *      lives in the human heart..."     -M.D.  *
>***********************************************************************

Aw, come on guys, I'm trying to eat my lunch.  I guess I'll save it for
later - much later.

D.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: jcopelan@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James c Copeland)
Subject: Re: So, what IS the shelf life of Twinkies?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 23:28:14 GMT

In article <1992Sep5.225436.13317@zip.eecs.umich.edu> stame@emunix.emich.edu (Stewart Tame) writes:
>In article <1992Sep4.015941.4310@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> jcopelan@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (James c Copeland) writes:
>>OK, I have heard that Twinkies could last for 20 years?  What is the  basis
>>for this claim?  What is the REAL shelf life of these things?
>>(I have a steak dinner riding on this one).
>>
>
>The actual shelf-life is quite a bit less than 20 years.  In fact it
>should be printed somewhere on the package if you trouble to look.  I mean,
>think about it: if twinkies have such an open-ended shelf-life, why does
>the Hostess delivery person stop by once or twice a week to take away the
>old stock and put fresh stuff out?  Or haven't you ever been in the store
>when this goes on?
>
>	-- Stewart "eats twinkies and isn't ashamed to admit it" Tame
>
But, (maybe this belongs in alt.conspiracy) have you ever seen what happens
to those old Twinkies???

jc
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jim Copeland                                            COPELAND.5@OSU.EDU |
|	If Atheism is a religion, then health is a disease.		     |
|					- Clark Adams			     |
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim)
Subject: Re: Sinking libraries
Organization: Rice University
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 03:03:49 GMT

In article <1992Sep12.073936.18363@u.washington.edu> grimjack@milton.u.washington.edu (Leslie Basel) writes:
>In article <1992Sep8.182428.588@HQ.Ileaf.COM> hal@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Hal Wadleigh) writes:
>>Perhaps this "sinking library" story is a perversion of the true story about
>The way I heard it is that they pumped so much oil out of the ground near 
>Mexico City that it began to sink and they have actually _stopped_ pumping!
>This would tie in with the peat bog part.  (but then another story has it
>that it was water that they pumped too much of - what's a guy to think?)

  Houston has this problem with water. They're switching to only using 
resivoirs to prevent further "sink." One of our embedded cities (Belair) lost 
a lawsuit to force them to abandon using wells for it's water supply.


-- 
Mike Swaim            | Canada will become the next world power
swaim@owlnet.rice.edu | and they will work to ENSLAVE all the nations
Disclamer: I lie      | of your planet. -Ricardo
Cthulhu in '92! The stars are right!
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: styri@hal.nta.no (YuNoHoo)
Subject: Re: A Possible Russian UL
Reply-To: styri@nta.no
Organization: Bohemians and Globetrotters, Unlimited
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 13:57:21 GMT

[Soap in beer story deleted]

Guess the bottle is marked "shake well before use" then (in russian).

---
YuNoHoo  "guess we'll hear about beer bottles with lye next"
From: mafu@ocf.berkeley.edu (Mark Fujimoto)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: "Killer" bowling balls
Followup-To: alt.sport.bowling
Date: 11 Sep 1992 21:09:51 GMT
Organization: U. C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: monsoon.berkeley.edu

In article <41058@gremlin.nrtc.northrop.com> jbarnett@nrtc.northrop.com (Jeff Barnett) writes:
>rules on weights: [limits 1-3 deleyed]
>(4) no more than 3.5 (maybe 4) oz static imbalance toward the top 
(hand side) or bottom.  

Maximum post drilling top weight is three ounces, minimum is -3 
ounces (i.e., bottom weight), weighed statically at the center
span.