HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re:  Wanted: Favorite College/Dorm Practical Jokes
From: liam@durie.amigans.gen.nz (Liam Greenwood)
Date: 10 Apr 92 20:18:16 PST
Distribution: world
Organization: It's Home, really...

    If that was somewhere like CIT in Petone, the locks on the outside doors
had an intimate relationship with the individual room locks. I believe the
locks on the floor were all related as well, for ease of master keys. In this
sort of scenario minor changes to the locks would have a higher than normal
chance of a nearby locks' key working. The arrangement was like this...

		________________________________________________
			    common  corridor
		_______________________|door|________________|door|____
				       |    |		     |	  |
				       |	common area	  |
				       -	tea/coffee	  |
				 room  |	etc making	  -
				       -	 facilities	  |  room
				       |			  -
				       |			  |
				       -			  |
				 room  |			  |
				       -			  |
				       |_______|room|_____|room|__|

    Keys from any of the rooms off the common area could open the doors from
the common corridor, but only open one room. Keys for other common areas
couldn't get into this one. However, there were 'master' keys for a floor
that could get into any common area.
--
****  Liam Greenwood	    * Don't tell my Mother I'm a programmer...   ****
****  Wanganui, N.Z.	    * she thinks I'm a piano player in a brothel ****
		   **** liam@durie.amigans.gen.nz ****					  *
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com ()
Subject: Re: FCC Call letters
Reply-To: moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com ()
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 92 22:30:53 GMT


In article <1992Apr6.144913.6990@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>, folse@crs.cl.msu.edu (Mark Folse) writes:
|>The overlap of the TV audio band into the FM band also applies in the
|>U.S.  The audio signal for VHF Chanel 6 can also be received on a
|>standard FM receiver, at the low end of the band.

Nit:  It's the receiver that's "overlapping", if anything is.  The TV channel
6 audio frequency is 87.75 MHz, the FM band is 88-108 MHz.  It's just that
most (analog) tuners can tune a little past the ends.

-Mike
From: russ@bbx.basis.com (Russ Kepler)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Such a deal!
Date: 7 Apr 92 04:10:01 GMT
Organization: BASIS International, Albuquerque NM

In article <1992Apr6.211235.6208@PA.dec.com> mikkelson@breakr.enet.dec.com (snopes) writes:
>I had only seen the reader reaction to Marilyn vos Savant's original, unclear
>statement of the problem.  Having subsequently seen a better, more precise
>explanation of the situation, I now understand the logic behind switching 
>doors.  As the medication I have been taking has been most helpful in
>alleviating the symptoms of van der Linden syndrome, I did not fire off a 
>letter to Ms. vos Savant castigating her for her answer.

I also have problems with her original puzzle explanation and
"solution", problems that aren't cleared up until a later and longer
explanation of the puzzle.  In the last year 2 puzzles were confusing
in the initial writing: the Monty Hall switcheroo (the initial
explanation made it appear as though a random door were opened and not
a door known to have a junk prize behind it) and the more recent "pay
increase" puzzle, whose specific problems escape me now, but several
readings of the puzzle finally made sence of her "solution".

To be charitable I've ascribed the bad puzzle definition to shortened
descriptions due to column length (or the lack thereof).  But this 
appears to be a long term problem...

-- 
Russ Kepler, Basis International Ltd. russ@bbx.basis.com  phone: 505-345-5232
From: weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Falling bullets (was: Ask Marilyn? Not if you want the right answer!)
Date: 7 Apr 92 16:25:15 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: linden@positive.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden)

In article <ku26gpINN6v4@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, linden@positive (Peter van der Linden) writes:
>Well, with the greatest possible respect and sympathy for your point of
>view Matthew, I put to you the suggestion that, any time an object falls
>through the roof of a car and embeds itself in the body of a passenger, most 
>commentators would feel entitled to say that it "clearly came down from
>above".  After all, the roof is over the heads of the passengers.

If you keep changing your subject posting by posting, I'll never catch
up.  When I first replied, the discussin was in reference to bullets
shot straight up.  Now it seems to cover a vague all bullets from above.

Pick one and stick to it.  You'll feel better in the morning.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu)
From: phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Phil Gustafson)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Ask Marilyn Again
Keywords: Marilyn
Date: 9 Apr 92 23:53:59 GMT
Article-I.D.: zorch.1992Apr9.235359.28563
Organization: Famed Parquet Floor

In article <73296@netnews.upenn.edu> weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener) writes:
>"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American
>people."--Churchill, or maybe Disraeli

Henry Louis Mencken.

Phil "Wanna hear some Mencken Stories?" Gustafson



-- 
|play: phil@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG; {ames|pyramid|vsi1}!zorch!phil                |
|work: phil@gsi; sgi!gsi!phil            | Phil Gustafson                   |
| "Better a free bottle in front of me than a prefrontal lobotomy"          |
|                                      Fred (not Steve) Allen               |
From: tjw@vm2.cis.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Iron in blood setting off metal detectors
Date: 16 Apr 92 22:08:35 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Apr16.152527.14763@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, berger@atropa (Mike Berger) writes:
> tjw@vm2.cis.pitt.edu writes:
>>See how much rust (iron oxide) will stick to a magnet.

> A pretty substantial amount, apparently.  Just look at the heads
> of a well-used tape recorder.

> If iron compounds don't have magnetic properties, I wonder how
> magnetic recording tape works?

Well, that is a good question!  I've never seen rust stick to a magnet, but
is recording tape iron oxide?

Terry "You've make a monkey-boy out of me, Buckaroo!" Wood
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Falling Bullets
Organization: Hewlett-Parkard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 20:10:29 GMT

: >air there is and is much higher at higher altitudes. Therefore Terminal
: >velocity is greater at higher altitudes.
: 
: The speed of sound in air is only dependant on the temperature of the
: air. (assuming a constant composition of air)
: Terminal velocity is not at all concerned with the speed of sound.
: The terminal velocity is greater at higher altitudes because of the 
: much less dense atmosphere.  There is much less air to cause that
: air resistance that slows things down. (Drag)

When did density of the media become irrelevant?  

: >You have to be under power to exceed the speed of sound ( if starting 
: >from rest ), falling things just don't do this. 
: 
: You do not have to be under power to exceed the speed of sound.  It would
: help to be at high altitude.  There is a case of a high altitude balloon 
: pilot having to bail out near 100,000 feet altitude.  He could have 
: VERY easily exceeded the speed of sound.  Any where from Mach 1 to 
: above Mach 2, depending on his body attitude.  He did survive this fall
: (I believe it was in the 1950's).
: 
: Something that would be very difficult to do would be to exceed the speed
: of sound near sea level.  This makes is very unlikely that a bullet,
: falling back to the ground, would be traveling supersonically after
: being fired "up".  (whatever the heck "up" is)

He exceeded the "speed of sound at sea level". That is completely different
than the speed of sound at 100,000 feet.

Bill
From: jwbirdsa@amc.com (James Birdsall)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The Philadelphia Experiment (?)
Date: 8 Apr 92 22:56:49 GMT
Organization: Applied Microsystems, Redmond, WA

In article <1992Apr8.171236.21201@midway.uchicago.edu> djb6@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>If this hasn't been beaten to death already (I didn't find it in two readings
>of the FAQ so here goes)...
>
>The Philadelphia Experiment:
>The US Navy performs an experiment in the Philadelphia navyyard to
>either turn a battleship invisible or to teleport it to Norfolk, I'm not
>sure which.  The ship was manned at the time.  The experiment failed and 
>to this day there are insane sailors wandering around Philadelphia turning
>invisible and psychotic at random.

   This was a movie from a few years ago. They were trying to turn it
invisible, as I recall.

   Of course, the movie *could* have been based on an urban legend, but I
suspect it's the other way around.

-- 
James W. Birdsall   WORK: jwbirdsa@amc.com   {uunet,uw-coco}!amc-gw!jwbirdsa
HOME: {uunet,uw-coco}!amc-gw!picarefy!jwbirdsa OTHER: 71261.1731@compuserve.com
================== Kitten: a small homicidal muffin on legs. ==================
=========== "For it is the doom of men that they forget." -- Merlin ===========
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.usage.english
From: wcsjc@alfred.carleton.ca (John Coughlin)
Subject: Re: Pleonasm
Keywords: I don't read headings very carefully
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 14:29:41 GMT

There's nothing I hate more than a redundant pleonasm!
From: de@moscom.UUCP (David Esan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Carbonated Beverages
Date: 16 Apr 92 14:11:45 GMT
Reply-To: de@moscom.UUCP (David Esan)
Organization: Moscom Corp., Pittsford, NY

In article <kupbbpINNa70@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> linden@ella.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden) writes:
>ObUL: Churchill ordered the British Navy to open fire on a bunch of French
>battleships at the start of the war, to prevent them falling into Nazi
>hands.  The French were somewhat annoyed about this, as they were allies
>at the time.

Aaargh!  I'm responding to a Churchill post.

This is not an Urban Legend but <trumpet flourish> THE TRUTH.

Winnie did order the destruction of the French fleet after France fell to
the Germans in World War II.  The fleet in German hands, could have tipped
the balance of power in the Battle of the Atlantic, which in the early
days was a near thing.  When the French refused to flee to England,
and refused to scuttle their fleet, the Royal Navy was ordered to destroy
the French fleet.  Whether or not the French were allies at the time is
questionable.  France was occupied, Petain ruled Vichy France and was a
Nazi puppet, although DeGaulle headed the Free French Forces in England,
he was largely ignored.  

Details are available in your nearest WWII history section.
-- 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -->     David Esan      de@moscom.com  
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Subject: Re: Ask Marilyn Again
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 17:57:46 GMT

In article <1992Apr12.161345.29433@e2big.mko.dec.com> moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:
>In article <1992Apr12.130411.9190@midway.uchicago.edu>, thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank) writes...
>>The algorithm is a third one: "Out of the two doors you did not choose,
>>I will open the one with a goat; if both of the two doors have goats,
>>I will randomly select one of those doors."  I think this also indicates
>>it's pretty straight-forward that one should switch.
>
>For those who are convinced they know whether they should switch or not let's
>try the game with a slight rule change.  Contestant picks a door.  Contestant
>is led away, and Monty opens the unchosen door with the goat, if both have
>goats he chooses at random.  Contestant does *not* see which door is opened.
>Contestant is now allowed to keep the initially chosen door or switch for
>the unopened, unchosen door.  But the contestant never gets to see which of
>the other 2 doors was opened, he just knows he gets "the other one".
>
>Does this change the odds at all?  If so, why?  And what are the odds now, and
>should the contestant switch?
>
>Example:  3 doors, contestant chooses door 3.  Monty opens door 1 and reveals
>a goat.  Contestant is allowed to keep door 3 or get the other door (door 2).
>Contestant does not know whether the "other door" is door 1 or door 2.

Same odds, because it's the same problem.  Switch.
-- 
Ted Frank          + "He wanted to be the car rather than the thimble or the
1307 E 60 St, #109 +  hat."  -- District attorney explaining Marc Cienkowski's
U o' C Law Skool   +  murder with bow and arrow of Michael Klucznik in
Chi, IL 60637      +  Doylestown Borough, PA over a game of Monopoly.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: berger@atropa (Mike Berger)
Subject: Re: Iron in blood setting off metal detectors
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 15:39:08 GMT

chris@sleepy.UUCP (Chris Mills) writes:


>Hi there.  This is my first a.f.u. post (actually, my first non-local post
>since setting up news here).  Standard apoligies if this is a FAQ...

>A friend of mine says he read somewhere that there are people that accumulate
>iron in their bodies to the extent that they set off metal detectors in
>airports.  Anyone hear this?  Is it an U.L.?  Is it true???
*----
I don't know if its the actual cause, but the iron level in my blood
is very high, and I routinely set off the airport metal detectors,
even after emptying pockets, etc.

I have known people who couldn't wear conventional wind-up watches
because they became magnetized and stopped working.
--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
From: walsh@optilink.UUCP (Mark Walsh)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: FCC Call letters
Date: 14 Apr 92 00:44:53 GMT
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA

From article <167C27123.MEDELMA@cms.cc.wayne.edu>, by MEDELMA@cms.cc.wayne.edu (Michael Edelman):
> Amateurs used to have an 11 meter band (27 MHz) as well as a 5 meter
> band (100 MHz). TVs used to include a channel 1 around 54 MHz. Note
> the harmonic relationships; a lot of amateur bands have this relationship.
> It made construction of multi-band transmitters easier in the old days
> (the lowest bands are 160, 80, 40, 20 and 10 meters).

TV channel 1 (48 to 54 MHz) was eliminated before it ever got off
the ground because of the dreaded (at least for TV, anyway!) skip.
It would be a mess to get several channel one's at once.  The 5
meter ham band became the present day 6 meter band, 50 to 54 MHz.
I don't see how harmonically relating the bands really made
construction of equipment any easier; an old timer told me this
was done so that with any luck, the harmonics of bad amateur
equipment would fall on other amateur frequencies, and not on more
vital services.  Also note that the third harmonics from 40 meters
fall in 15 meters.

> The expansion of the CB service from 23 to 40 channels was made by just
> expanding upwards. CB now includes 27-27.9MHz; the amateur band above that
> goes from 28-30MHz.
 
Be careful here.  The CB frequencies go from 26.965 to 27.405.
Channels 24 and 25 filled in the space between 22 and 23, but
there are four other "gaps" in the CB voice frequencies known
as "Class D" channels (or alpha channels) for things like RC cars.
The space between 27.405 and 28.000, while filled with errant
CB'ers, is still allocated to other services.  It is interesting  
to listen to those CB'ers on these "upper" frequencies because 
while they all know that they are operating illegally, they seem 
to be much more decent people than those on the "lower 40."
Just above them is the 10 meter ham band, which goes from 28.000
to 29.700 MHz.

What all of this has to do with FCC call letters, or gerbils,
or anything else is beyond me.
-- 
Mark Walsh  ---  What, me worry?
UUCP:  uunet!optilink!walsh
AOL:   BigCookie
Ham:   KC6RKZ
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,misc.kids
From: karen@brahms.amd.com (Karen Black)
Subject: Re: Walla walla bing bang (was Re: Worm song?)
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices; Sunnyvale, CA
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 07:42:20 GMT

In article <92097.112555ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET> <ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET> writes:
>In article <1992Apr4.010929.21383@ims.com>, johnnyb@ims.com (Johnny Battle)
>says:
>>
>>from around that time were the "One-eyed, One-horned, Flying Purple
>>People-eater"
>>and the "Itsy-bitsy, Teeny weeny, Yellow, Polka-dot Bikini" songs. I believe
>>"Ahab the A-Rab," "Does Your Chewing Gum Loose Its Flavor on the Bedpost
>>Overnight," and "Tie Me Kangaroo Down" also made it big just about then. Now,
>>my question is: were the radio airways really dominated by this kind of song
>>
>Does the SPEARMINT Lose its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight was a country 
>music staple much earlier, in the 40's I think.  Along with Yucka-Puck, 
>Movin' On and (my favorite) I've Got Tears in my Ears, Lyin' on my Back, 
>Cryin' on my Pillow Over You.  Of the others, "Ahab" and "Tie Me Kangaroo" 
>were well into the 60's.
>Other favorites were "Beep, Beep" and "Tan Shoes, Pink Shoe Laces".  I think
>we remember them so well because they caught our fancy (temporarily) and
>because they were a radical departure from the standard fare of the era.  It
>is usually the unusual that we remember the best.

Two oddball songs I remember from the early 70's were "Dead Skunk (In the
Middle of the Road)" and "Tennesee Birdwalk".  Since silly songs go all
the way back to "Lamsie Doats" (30's?) and beyond ("Clementine"), I
doubt that it's a 60's phenomenon.

Karen Black

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: mikkelson@breakr.enet.dec.com (snopes)
Subject: Re: Carbonated Beverages
Organization: Still waiting for the snuff films . . .
Date: 15 APR 92 19:43:46    


In article <92106.093708ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET>, 
  <ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET> writes...

>No physics, no chemistry?  Who told you these things?  We must investigate this
>immediately.  I want full details.

Uh, some guy told me none of that stuff would be required.  Honestly.

Anyway, what good is a classic UL if you're just going to disprove it with a
bunch of math, chemistry, and physics stuff?  No amount of science is going
to convince me that that couple didn't _really_ find a hook hanging from the
passenger side door . . .

- snopes

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|   SAR 19.604-12, RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE AND USE OF POSTING (SNP 1992)    |
|                                                                             |
|  This posting contains data that shall not be disclosed outside this site   |
|  and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed for any purpose other than |
|  to evaluate this posting.  If a contract is awarded as a result of this    |
|  posting, then the whole thing's off.                                       |
|                                                                             |
|   + David Mikkelson  Digital Equipment Corporation, Culver City, CA  USA +  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.folklore.science
From: MEDELMA@cms.cc.wayne.edu (Michael Edelman)
Subject: Re: FCC Call letters
Organization: Wayne State University
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 12:02:42 GMT

In article <1992Apr6.202820.17055@njitgw.njit.edu>
dic5340@hertz.njit.edu (David Charlap) writes:
 
>
>In article <1992Apr3.115836.28499@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner) writes:
>>
>>Can anyone properly relate the story about TV's channel one, and why we
>>don't have it?  Elements of the story include the 5 and 6 meter amateur
>>band, as well as the old FM band usage, etc.
>
>I believe the Channel-1 band is now being used for the 40 channels of
>Citizen's Band (CB) radio.
 
Amateurs used to have an 11 meter band (27 MHz) as well as a 5 meter
band (100 MHz). TVs used to include a channel 1 around 54 MHz. Note
the harmonic relationships; a lot of amateur bands have this relationship.
It made construction of multi-band transmitters easier in the old days
(the lowest bands are 160, 80, 40, 20 and 10 meters).
 
I don't recall all the details, but there were a lot of trades in allocation
made. The amateur 11 meter band was added to the Citizens Band 450MHz
allocation, the 5 meter band became the FM broadcast band, smack in the
middle of the TV allocation, and the the amateurs got the old TV channel`
1, 50-54MHz.
 
The expansion of the CB service from 23 to 40 channels was made by just
expanding upwards. CB now includes 27-27.9MHz; the amateur band above that
goes from 28-30MHz.
 
            --mike KE8YY
From: morris@anasaz (Bob Morris)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Rocky Mountain Oysters (Warning: LAME)
Date: 16 Apr 92 20:50:50 GMT
Organization: Anasazi, Inc.  Phoenix, Az

>}>bulls = steers with testicles.
>}steers = bulls without testicles.
>
>	And that concludes the arithmetic lesson for today.  Remember the
>moral of the story: You can subtract the same value from both sides of an
>equation and you will still have a valid equation.

I thought we didn't have to do algebra in this group.

(you were warned, get your fLAMEs off)

Bob Morris
aka /dev/null (new address for this post only)
These are definitely NOT my opinions, but you already know that
From: tim@tcom.stc.co.uk (Tim Kennedy)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Extraterrestrial metal
Date: 16 Apr 92 08:41:02 GMT
Organization: BNR Europe


Does anyone else remember hearing the story about the pillar in India
somewhere which is made out of a metal that is unknown anywhere in
the world?  Someone told me this one years ago.  

			Tim
--
In 1988 BBC Radio One listeners voted for  | T. Kennedy <tim@tcom.stc.co.uk>
the alltime greatest single.  Way ahead of | Dept 30730 NME, BNR Europe,
Strawberry Fields and Stairway To Heaven,  | Oakleigh Rd South, London N11 1HB.
at no. 1 was I Owe You Nothing by Bros.    | LUFC, Yorkshire's No. 1.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,soc.culture.canada