HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: thietaniemi@cc.helsinki.fi
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet,talk.politics.soviet
Subject: Re: ESTONIAN MINORITIES: statistics
Date: 29 Sep 92 07:25:16 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki


In article <1a8gthINNt2@uniwa.uwa.edu.au>, wojdylo@maths.uwa.oz.au (INFIDEL) 
writes:> 
>>Please reread the statistics carefully before suggesting next time that the
>>ethnic Estonians might represent a minority in Estonia. 
> I am not sure as to your competency in English. I made no such suggestion.
> jw

Anyway, you wrote exactly this:

> It may even be that the Estonians that the Estonian government
> represents are in the minority (nobody in this newsgroup seems to have
> any hard statistics)

Then you got the our statistics. Aren't you satisfied?

TH.
From: miwalker@mizar.usc.edu (Michael Walker)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Re: languages in ex-Soviet Union
Date: 2 Oct 1992 11:39:18 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: mizar.usc.edu
Keywords: Ukrainian, Byelorussian

I can't offer you any information about the Ukraine, but I think its a
safe bet that they are using there own language and replacing Russian
as much as possible.  But I was in Belarus this summer, and I can tell
you that they have begun to replace ALL Russian road signs, and seem to
have adopted the policy of substituting Belorussian language throughout
the country.  Obviously this has only resulted in spotty changes so far. 
But an interesting aside is that many citizens of Belarus don't understand
the Belorussian language.  Fortunately it is so similar to Russian, that it
isn't much of a problem, but this attempt to assert Belorussian nationalism
was scoffed at by my friends, who are Belorussian.
From: oleg@watson.ibm.com (Oleg Vishnepolsky)
Subject: Re: More education talk...
Date: Thu, 01 Oct 1992 13:17:12 GMT
News-Software: IBM OS/2 PM RN (NR/2) v0.13 by O. Vishnepolsky and R. Rogers
Reply-To: oleg@watson.ibm.com (Oleg Vishnepolsky)
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

In  <1992Sep30.202622.23203@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>  frants@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Leonid Frants) writes:
> >Bad spelling is not a sign of a weak brain, it is a sign of lack
> >of literary education.
>
> Not true. I know well-read and intelligent people who are not good
> in spelling -  my dad is one of them. He always had that problem. It
> most likely has to do with how good one's visual memory is.

The fact that you know some well-read people that can't spell does not
mean that on average lack of spelling skills is not a sign of not having
read adequate amount of literature. I would contend that in most cases,
it is a valid sign. One, of course, should be cautious about applying
a rule like that, but, as we know, such universal test as SAT verbal
is based on a similar assumptions that amount of student's vocabulary
is indicative of his/her intelligence and being well-read.

Oleg V
From: viznyuk@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Re: Muravsky?....
Date: 3 Oct 92 16:25:30 EDT

In article <BvIIBy.5t7@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, didinsky@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (didinsky garry) writes:
> Yesterday, at a car-breaks place, I picked up a magazine with a story 
> about new Moscow police chief, Muravsky.  Article describes him as a very
                                 ~~~~~~~~
I bet it's Murashev. Though in US newspapers he could go
as Muravsky. Not a big deal, really.

Serega & Co

> liberal person with extreme (for Russia) views.  I did not have much time
> to read the whole article, but maybe someone can fill me (and others) in on
> this individual and his progressive views.
> 
> ---Garik.
> 
> ps. I hope you will also include your personal opinion about him.
From: shimkevi@buchmf.bu.edu (Sergey Shimkevich)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Re: Solaris - the "freeway sequence"
Date: 6 Oct 92 21:26:04 GMT
Organization: Boston University Chemistry Department

In article <rabjab.2.718397433@golem.ucsd.edu> rabjab@golem.ucsd.edu (Jeff
Bytof) writes:

>I just saw the video of Solaris, Tarkovsky's adaptation for the
>screen of the Stanislaw Lem novel.  I enjoyed it.  However,
>I am mystified by the length of the "freeway sequence" in the first
>half of the film.  What point was Tarkovsky trying to make by 
>lingering on images of cars zooming along a Japanese freeway?

That sequence should be mentally edited :-)

This is the only Tarkovsky movie that I do not like because it completely
distorts Lem's original work. 

Lem was mad as hell at Tarkovsky for making that movie and would have
definitely stopped the production if he could.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Ryan: What is it to you, demon?       //// Sergei Shimkevich             //
// Lune: It is Sir, Demon to you, worm!  //// shimkevi@buchmf.bu.edu        //
// -Phantasy Star III                    //// shimkevich@A1.tch.harvard.edu // 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: bil@burka..aix.kingston.ibm.com (Igor Belchinskiy)
Subject: Re: More education talk...
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 92 13:59:15 GMT
Organization: Be. I am.

In article <BvK984.CA8@news.cso.uiuc.edu> didinsky@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (didinsky garry) writes:
>I have a question about oral exams in Russia. I heard from a lot of people 
>that often it was not enough to have good knowledge of the material, but 
>having a good relation with professor would be even more helpful.  Moreover,
>bad relationship with prof. were also an obstacle in getting a good grade.
>How widespread was influence of prof/student relationship on grades?

Not that much. I had both kinds of relations with a lot of my profs
(bad usually for neglecting their lectures, good because of I wrote
some program for them). Good relations sometimes help - prof may ask
one more question if he is in-between grades :-)

With bad/no-at-all relations I had real problem with only one guy 
from my more than 30 profs. But that guy really hated me - so I got my only
"satisfactory".

I'd say almost all profs tried to be honest and objective in determining
grades. Or it was possible to take exam with other examinator.

>And another question:  Not everyone can take an oral exam, often for psychol.
>reasons.  (In my HS a very bright guy could not take a written exam, so 
>teachers examined him orally)  Hence, did russian school or university
>ever went out to help these people by giving them a written exam.

Yes - I know at least one case of a bright boy with paralysys (sp?),
who studied at home (teachears visited him at home) and take exams at home too.

My mother's HS (she is a teacher) had 2-3 home learning students every year.
(Don't know how it works now).

>---Garik the Curious.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: bil@burka..aix.kingston.ibm.com (Igor Belchinskiy)
Subject: Re: Spelling...
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 92 13:33:29 GMT
Organization: Be. I am.

In article <91508@netnews.upenn.edu> sergei@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu (Sergei Borodin) writes:
>In article <1992Oct02.133106.17836@watson.ibm.com> bil@burka..aix.kingston.ibm.com (Igor Belchinskiy) writes:
>
>>Dostoevsky asks in Anna Karamazoff, why there are so many average individuals
>
>>	-igor
>
>  Sorry, just can't to not return to this again. Look, it's a whole new
> thread for american movie scenarist!! 

Now you got it! Actually movie Anna Karamazoff was made 2-4 years ago
(I don't remember details but something like Russian director and 
French or Italian everything else. It was shown in Cannes).

> No stiffs any more - Anna get divorsed
> this fucking asshole mr. Karenin and marry, well, whom do you like better,
> let it be Alesha Karamazov. They start the whole new life, they move
> to America, open their own business, let's say, a Gas station, or better
> a Burger King. They finally get credit cards and loan from the bank and
> buy a house. After that they make a couple of boys and a girl. 
>
Vse budet horosho - vse pozhenyatsya i uedut v Ameriku (very old joke).

> Uhh, blya, forgot. They would have problems with INS. Any Ideas?

They would use income of their Taco Bell (it should be Taco Bell, not 
ordinary Burger King) with Matreshkas (three layer egg puding with
kasha in the center - immediate hit) to hire lawer with 
Mercedes Benz 600. That should solve any INS problems.
>
> S.B.
	-igor
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: dstein@sylmar.math.ucla.edu (David Stein)
Subject: Re: More education talk...
Reply-To: dstein@sylmar.math.ucla.edu (David Stein)
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 06:51:01 GMT

sethr@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (seth.r.rosenthal) writes:

>I'm not an immigrant, and I was educated here.  Native
>New Yorker and all that.  Third generation American Jewish.

>Garik's question is a good one, but I'm not sure I agree
>with the premise behind his answer.  People here are
>materialistc, but the motivating factor in American
>education has traditionally been independence and
>innovation.  Memorization is discouraged, understanding
>is encouraged.  Imagination and fantasy are prized over
>repetition of known facts, etc.  One can argue that this
>reduces the knowledge base of Americans, but Americans as
>a whole are innovative, tend to be very independent minded
>and opinionated as a result.  

   Memorization is discouraged?  Since when?  Since, in New York
 State, children spent the entire their 9th grade English course
 by memorizing vocabulary words, taught to them from neat handbooks 
 prepared with about as much fantasy and imagination as goes into 
 the writing of an SAT test?
   
   Strangely, I have have never experienced this particular retarded 
 form of learning back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm not a native speaker of English, so I'm not sure what I wrote.
Flames will be ignored unless you post them in perfect Czech.
================================ - David (the metamathician) - ===
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: dolgov@inpbox.inp.nsk.su (Yuri V. Dolgov)
Subject: Anecdote
Reply-To: dolgov@inpbox.inp.nsk.su
Organization: Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SD RAS
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 14:05:38 +0700

   Staryi, sedoy ewrei stuchitsya w dwer'. Emu otkrywayut.

- Zdrawstwuyte, Wy pryatali ewreew ot nemzew wo wremya woiny ?

Dama (gordo)

- Da, pryatala !

- Kepochku wernite, pozhaluista !

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri Dolgov                               Internet: dolgov@inp.nsk.su
Programmer                                Phone:    +7(3832)359 147
Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics       Novosibirsk, Russia.


Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: arto@leland.Stanford.EDU (Artavazd Khachikian)
Subject: MISHA! others ignore
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: ca
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 92 18:45:23 GMT

Misha, I sent you a message by the number you gave me in your
message. Nobody answered, and the names of the people living in
that place were not indicated either, so I left a message
" NA AVOS'".

Please call me again and confirm your phone number. Arto.
Xref: sparky soc.culture.soviet:8146 talk.politics.soviet:8253
From: mns6569@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Movies
Reply-To: mns6569@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 17:12:38 GMT

I've just seen Konchalovsky's movie "The inner circle". 
Thought I might add my 2 cents to the Russian/American movies discussion.
This one was very "russian'-like to me. It was slow, dark, very 'russian'
in theme, even enployed a good number of russian actors. 
Unlike most Soviet movies, however, it was NOT boring, NOT shot by an inept
cameraman with 1 camera, and somehow the director managed to almost make 
the soviet contingent of actors ACT.
Now, in my humble opinion, soviet actors can do a lot of things. Sign
petitions, sign autographs, etc, but most of them can not ACT! They deliver
their lines like Levitan used to on the May Day parade. You start seeing it
after about 2-3 years of watching non-soviet movies. Then you see one, and
you get shocked. The actors are full of self-importance, or else, 
Stanislavsky's methods just tell them: "Do not talk like normal people do".
Watch any soviet movie. The line "I'm going to the bathroom" is delivered
with almost Shakesperian "Poor Yorik" overtones. 
That, plus very low quality of camera work, plus lack of interesting subjects
or total inability of directors to keep the film going in a cirtain direction
(like latest Riazanov's offerings) are the reasons I don't like Soviet movies.
As I said in the beginning, I command Konchalovsky for managing to create
pseudo-russian lighting and camera work, and at the same time still keep
the standard high. And even more so, for his ability to make russians ACT, ie
deliver their lines in half-way normal voices. I'd be curious to see this
movie dubbed in Russian and listen to dubbers Levitan-like voices delivering
the same lines.
Also, I think this movie demonstrates the difference between russian and
american actors. See the movie and deside which once you like better.
Mike.S
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: oleg@watson.ibm.com (Oleg Vishnepolsky)
Subject: 1992 MATH SCORES (was Re: education...)
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 13:52:40 GMT
News-Software: IBM OS/2 PM RN (NR/2) v0.12 by O. Vishnepolsky and R. Rogers
Reply-To: oleg@watson.ibm.com (Oleg Vishnepolsky)
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

The following is 1992 scores from international math tests made
by ETS (Educational Testing Service). Please keep in mind that
1) only those countries listed were tested 2) tests consisted of
problems of various difficulty and thus the level of math education
was exponential rather then linear to the score. With this in mind
here are the scores:

      Country      SCORE
                   (% of problems solved)
      -------      ----------------------
     1. China         80
     2. Korea         73
     2. Taiwan        73
     4. Switzerland   71
     5. xSU           70
     6. Hungary       68
     7. France        64
     7. Italy         64
     9. Israel        63
    10. Canada        62
    11. England       61
    11. Ireland       61
    11. Scotland      61
    14. Slovenia      57
    15. Spain         55
    15. UNITED STATES 55       <--------------
    17. Portugal      48
    18. Jordan        40
    19. Brazil        35
    20. Mozambique    28

Guess what place United States would be at, if other European countries
(like Germany, Poland, Sweden, etc) were tested ?
Let's feel good that we beat Jordan and Mozambique to the punch.

Oleg Vishnepolsky
From: DeVoid@cup.portal.com (David - Lyall)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Re: Commercials and Slogans
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 92 23:58:53 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <LEONID.92Sep25121233@tuna.uchicago.edu>
  <1992Sep28.171942.15913@husc3.harvard.edu>

>When I first came in America I have spoken with
>one guy (who happened to be a math graduate student
>at Harvard and decently knows Russian, spending
>some time in Russia). I expressed
>the same view as Leonid here, and said that
>in US commercials are the same as the idiotic
>slogans "Slava KPSS" in Russia. He looked at me
>as if I was mad and said that everybody here
>*loves* commercials while in Russia everybody
>hates slogans. Judging by some American netters
>(like Bill Ross) on this board he was right.
>
>IMO, TV commercials are incredible more offensive
>than Slava KPSS slogans. If a kid watches a
>children program which advertizes cookies,
>he will believe it, while if he sees Slava
>slogan he will disregard it. The reason
>is very simple: Soviet slogans were just
>stupid, while American ones are cunning,
>and stress the emotional sphere. I suspect
>this is why Americans won the Cold War.
>
>Misha.
>
	I think that this is exactly true, Misha. In America people are
given freedom to think and act, but the overwhelming percentage of their
choices are reduced to absurdity. Everything is permitted, but the most
attractive options to most people are trivial.
	You must still be a Marxist. Marcuse called this "repressive
tolerance". Drugs and sex and lust for consumer items are used to create an
apathetic citizenry who will leave the ruling to those most suited to
ruling. That is, the makers of commercials and the ones who profit from the
sale of the things advertised.
	American propaganda is SO much more sophisticated, because cynicism
about ideals is the foundation of it all. The Soviets told everyone to do
good and be idealistic. That was no fun after a while, so naturally
everyone came to hate the ideals that were forced upon them.
	Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll ARE fun for most people (at least
reading or watching it) so the commercialists still rule.

\  / |  /\    |+ /\ |+  == /\ |    \\//
 \/  | / -\   |  \/ |\  | /- \|__  //\\
+----------------------------------------+
==> J. David Lyall > DeVoid@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
From: didinsky@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (didinsky garry)
Subject: Spelling...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 06:21:17 GMT

I don't feel like participating in a discussion on whether Garik should
be spelling better or not.  I just have two comments:

1.  Garik said that he finished a HS. Therefore, one cannot make a conclusion
that Garik had a class in English grammar, since grammar is taught prior to
HS.  It only implies that Garik knows how to use a dictionary, since starting
HS till his Ph.D. he probably had to write a lot of papers.

2.  Garik's aim was to bring out a message that in America one could get a
decent education, no worse than the best that Russia can offer.  Now, he
regrets that that message was so hidden by his spelling/grammar mistakes
and typos.

----(Garik).

"You're not going to psychoanalyse me. I pay a doctor for that", Woody Allen.

"He's done a great job on you, you know. Your--your self-esteem is like a
notch below Kafka's."  Woody Allen.
From: hra2@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Hibatur Rahman Ahmad)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.afghanistan
Subject: THE NEWS YOU WANT TO HEAR...
Date: 26 Sep 92 14:28:34 GMT
Organization: Lehigh University


Article #34014 (34018 is last):
From: clarinews@clarinet.com (ANWAR IQBAL)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.politics.people,clari.news.f
ighting
Subject: Afghan president visits Pakistan
Date: Fri Sep 25 20:21:22 1992

        ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (UPI) -- Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani
arrived Friday in Pakistan amid speculation that he may meet Bosnian
President Alija Izetbegovic, who is expected to arrive Saturday.
        The visit follows media reports from Bosnia that Afghan Mujahideen
fighters were helping Bosnian Muslims in their fight against the Serbs.
        Officials in Islamabad said Rabbani, who landed at the northern city
of Peshawar, will begin his official appointments Saturday when he comes
to Islamabad.
        It is Rabbani's first presidential visit to Pakistan, which helped
the Afghan resistance in toppling the Soviet-installed regime in Kabul.
        Rabbani and other Mujahideen leaders fought their 14-year war against
the communists from Peshawar before returning to Kabul in April this
year after the collapse of the communist government.
        Diplomatic sources said Rabbani may meet Izetbegovic, who arrives
Saturday evening but has no meetings scheduled with Pakistani leaders
until Sunday. Both the leaders were to be in Islamabad until Sunday
evening.
        Rabbani will go to Iran from Pakistan. Iran has proposed forming an
Islamic force to help the Bosnian Muslims when the Bosnian foreign
minister visited Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, two months ago.
        Izetbegovic told Pakistani television in New York Friday he was
``grateful to Pakistan and other Muslim countries for the solidarity you
showed with us.''
        Pakistan was one of the first countries to expel Belgrade's
ambassador after Serb rebels attacked Bosnia.


--
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 13:06:44 EDT
From: <OMARS@auvm.american.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.afghanistan
Subject: Assassination attempt


This just came in.....

Reports from Kabul indicate that the Afghan Army's chief of staff Gen.
Assef Delawar was the target of an assassination attempt today. Delawar,
a career military officer is a remnant of the previous communist regime.
In April this year, he defected to the Mujahedeen side and joined ranks
with Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Islamic government's current Minister of
Defense. The report said Delawar was seriously injured when a bomb
exploded near his car as he was passing near the Microrayon section of
the city. A bystander and his driver were killed.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.afghanistan,soc.culture.pakistan,soc.culture.iranian
From: endevour@next06csc.wam.umd.edu (.)
Subject: Re: NEWS YOU WANT TO HEAR ...  ,    NOT .
Organization: Workstations at Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 15:48:45 GMT

In article <1992Sep26.142834.56795@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu>  
hra2@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (Hibatur Rahman Ahmad) writes:
> 
> Article #34014 (34018 is last):
> From: clarinews@clarinet.com (ANWAR IQBAL)
> Newsgroups:  
clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.politics.people,clari.news.f
> ighting
> Subject: Afghan president visits Pakistan
> Date: Fri Sep 25 20:21:22 1992
> 
>         ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (UPI) -- Afghan President Burhanuddin  
Rabbani
> arrived Friday in Pakistan amid speculation that he may meet Bosnian
> President Alija Izetbegovic, who is expected to arrive Saturday.
>         The visit follows media reports from Bosnia that Afghan  
Mujahideen
> fighters were helping Bosnian Muslims in their fight against the Serbs.

Mr.Rabani, a Pakistani agent imposed upon the Afghan people by the 
dreaded pakistan's internal intelligence, is showing his true skin once
too often. While Afghanistan is in midst of a civil war which might 
eventually lead to the disintegration of Afghanistan Mr.Rabani is 
cowboying in the region and participating in the school boy adventurism 
of his Pakistani masters. 

If there is weapons and assistance needed then Mr.Rabani ( if he claims 
to be a true Afghan , and not a Pakistani agent) should use what ever 
resources he has to bring security to Kabul and the rest of the 
country. While insecurity is in such a level that MR.PRESIDENT can not
fly out of Kabul for his "official" visit to his Pakistani masters, while
Gulbudin and his mad fanatics can target practice over a city with ground
to ground missiles, while water, electricity and essential food supplies 
are running out in Kabul and the rest of the country, while hospitals 
turn down dying patients due to the lack of doctors and basic medical
supplies  the Wonderful Wizard of Oz ( Sheikh Rabani ) is out "selling"
stingers to the Bosnians, Iranians or maybe to the highest bidder. 

And now a word or two for Mr.Rabani's visit:
Such visits serve none but to divert attention from the genocide that 
is in-acted in Kabul by Gulbudin ( a power hungry fanatic who who has 
put Khomur Roj's atrocities to shame ), Wahdat ( Iranian agents disguised
as sectarian warriors ) and Mr.Do Nothing Rabani who facilitated the 
ISI's coup against the United Nation's plan to bring about a 
smooth transition from the communists to the Afghans.
From: ali@utrcv1 (ALI BABA)
Subject: test
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: United Technologies Research Center
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 21:35:00 GMT

Newsgroups: soc.culture.afghanistan,soc.culture.pakistan,soc.culture.iranian,soc.culture.arabic