HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dgreen@jarthur.claremont.edu (David Green)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: God and Science:  The Ramblings of The Nightstalker
Date: 13 Nov 92 09:37:21 GMT
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711

In article <1dvmuuINNrqt@phakt.usc.edu> pechever@phakt.usc.edu (Paul Echeverri) writes:
->"Y'know, Nightstalker, there _are_ more religions than Christianity and
->what you conveniently lump under "Eastern systems"".  A small tongue of fire
->licks out from the baliset's belly and lovingly touches the foot of Night-
->stalker's suit.
->"Christianity and Science does make more sense (in as much as the article 
->makes sense) since it openly admits it's about a religion that specifically
->opposes growth and has done so since its inception."

*sigh*  Anyone else want to take a bash at Christianity, while the topic's
out?  Please, I've had a bad past couple of weeks, why not just go the whole
nine yards, and make me completely miserable?  Haven't you people heard of
tact?  Yes, I will admit that Nightstalker's statement about 'Eastern
religions' was a little narrow... but that's no reason to retaliate in what
you see as being similar suit.

->Looking down, Impu-Sebek is struck by vertigo as he sees the enormous size of
->the soapbox that has materialized under his feet.

I think there's a difference between preaching--which the soapbox is supposed
to symbolize (methinks we've grown slightly away from that original meaning)
and outright bashing...

->"Just thought I'd mention that.  Avoid the either/or fallacy.  Not that there
->aren't fallacies enough in Christianity to choose from..." 

The best form of argument.  Generalized statement that doesn't say anything
other than "I disagree and so I'm going to make it sound bad without backing
my statement up with any sort of evidence."

Disclaimer: Yes, I've been through more stress than I could reasonably deal
with over the last two weeks.  No, I am not really myself at this point.  Yes,
I would appreciate it if people would please refrain from taking wild stabs at
what I believe in with generalizations.  Intelligent, informed comment with
specific examples is one thing.  Random bashing is another.
-- 
dgreen@jarthur.claremont.edu		        	   David "Mishael" Green
		    Have you scritched your local Furry today? 
************************Who ordered the muon? -- I. I. Rabi*********************
  I have not been appointed Judge, Jury, or Executioner by God.  Just witness.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Happy New Year
From: DPERRY@eagle.wesleyan.edu (DAVID M. PERRY)
Date: 5 Nov 92 09:20:41 EDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Wesleyan University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20Lines: 69

Jack Crow, who has been (as always) sitting in a corner and wathcing and
noodling on the guitar, stands up and goes to the bar.

	"Red wine, please."  He takes his glass, drains it, and hurls it into
the fireplace yelling "Haaappppppyyyy New Year!!!!!  and Happy Samhian,
Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, etc...  I'm either a few days late or early
(SAmhain this year is Oct. 31, Nov. 6, or Nov 10, depending on your trad).  I'd
like to wish an especially happy new year to Hawke, Shadowshine, Susan, and
Dorian (if he's still here) and everyone else, especially to those for whom it
is the new year."

	He takes out various noisemakers and makes noise for a while.

	"You know, I haven't sung anything for a while." A few faces brighten
expectantly, rembering Jack's singing (back when he was called Raven). 
"Hmmmmm.  Ok, I'm gonna sing my theme song.  It's by a man named John Gorka,
and it's called "Jack's Crows.  Everyone knows what crows are, but some may not
know Jack.  He kills giants, jumps over candlesticks, climbs beanstalks, is the
son of Robin, is the trickster, is luck incarnate.  I often wake up to find
myself one of Jack's Crows."


A slow minor dissonant chord progression starts.
Jack's voice enters in the baritone range.

"Jack's Crows are loud in the morning
Critical of the other birds
Farmers don't appreciate them, 
Though they don't say it in so many words.

CHORUS:
	Jack's Crows, Jack's Crows.
	Where everybody's from, and nobody goes.
	That's where you're gonna find,
	Jack's Crows.
        
Jack's Crows have bad reputations
Some of them are known as theives.
Their involved in strange celebrations
And Magic, on All Hallow's Eve.

CHORUS

Jack's Crows are all very ancient
No relation to the crows of Jim.
Jim was driven to the shadows
But now you're seeing more of him, with

CHORUS

Jack's Crows are in for a murder.
A murder is a Gathering.
Some watch, some go a little further,
Soem eat what the others bring

CHORUS:
	To Jack's Crows, Jack's Crows.
	Where everybody's from, and nobody goes.
	That's where you're gonna find,
	Jack's Crows."

The guitar slowly fades out, leaving a silence as the musical spell fades away.
"Thank you very much.  Blessed Be."

One of Jack's Crows
From: mss2@quads.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer)
Subject: Re: Gasoline Taxes - What they are in Aus!
Reply-To: mss2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 03:21:07 GMT

In article <1992Nov6.011149.15094@ucc.su.OZ.AU> mar@physics.su.OZ.AU (David Mar) writes:
>Danger Mouse wanders into the Place (no, of course you never saw him
>leave). He waves a piece of paper.
>
>"I have done the research and come up with the breakdown of where our
>petrol money goes in Australia. These figures are for the Sydney
>metropolitan region on the 1st of October, 1992, and are supplied by the
>NRMA (National Roads and Motorists Association).

My data comes from the Gannett News Service via LEXIS, and is a bit
dated, coming as it does from August of 1991-- if anyone has more
recent data, it would be appreciated.

Federal gas tax, $.14 per gallon.  (This appears to be a flat rate,
rather than a percentage.)  State gas taxes vary, but combined state
and federal taxes average 32.5 cents per gallon, with a high of 40.1
for Rhode Island and a low of 22.1 for Alaska-- another story gave the
average, this time weighted for the number of gallons pumped in a
given state, as 36 cents per gallon.  Then there are local taxes-- for
example, both the city of Chicago and Cook County hit the Chicago
resident, with the result that Chicago gas taxes are about 50 cents a
gallon (and Illinois state and local taxes are a percentage of the
total base price, including the federal tax, so residents are taxed on
their taxes).  Still, even Chicago doesn't manage to make the cost of
the government greater than the cost of the product itself-- I'd say
that it hovers around 40% there, with the norm being closer to 30%.
If we got the exciting 50 cent per gallon tax hike that Ross Perot
proposes, then taxes would be a bit over 50% of the total cost to the
consumer-- and gas would cost close to what it does in Canada, which
gives me a first approximation of what taxes are there.  Any Canadians
care to give a more accurate breakdown?

	In any case, it appears that, in the US and before taxes, the
retail price of gasoline is around $0.75.

>"So there you go. Over half of what we pay for petrol is tax. Now, does
>anyone have similar figures for other countries?"

	One note-- neither of us have data for what corporate taxes
are in our respective countries.  It would be extremely difficult to
translate this into effects on gas prices in any case, since petroleum
companies have a lot of diverse operations, but those costs are
bundled into the price too (after all, where else is a corporation
going to get money?)

Michael
-- 
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS	"Indeed I tremble for my country
mss2@midway.uchicago.edu	 when I reflect that God is just."
mike.schiffer@um.cc.umich.edu	 -- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on
mss2@usite-next.uchicago.edu     Virginia (1784)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Gosh, is it Guy Fawke's Night already?
From: DPERRY@eagle.wesleyan.edu (DAVID M. PERRY)
Date: 5 Nov 92 09:25:06 EDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Wesleyan University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20In-Reply-To: mtemplar@redunser.demon.co.uk's message of 4 Nov 92 22:36:06 GMTLines: 18

In <720941766snx@redunser.demon.co.uk> mtemplar@redunser.demon.co.uk writes:
> 
> "Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please" calls out MonTemplar. "You are
> hereby invited to partake of this special Bonfire Night celebration. Feel
> free to take as much food as you want. All drinks tonight are on myself and
> Nicki, Mike. Once you've been satiated, do join us outside to watch the
> bonfire and the fireworks display. See you out there!"

"Guy Fawkes day!  Guy Fawkes day the year i lived in Leeds was one of the best
days of my life.  We went out to a field (we being my goth friends and I),
drank, danced, and generally reveled (and oh yes, burned the bonfire).  Count
me in.  Anything i can do to help?

One of Jack's Crows.

"My god is Horny and I like it that Way"
From: dgil@ipsaint.ipsa.reuter.COM (Gillett, David)
Subject: Re: More elections, a victory...
Reply-To: dgil@ipsaint.ipsa.reuter.COM (Gillett, David)
Organization: Reuters APL Software Division
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 14:04:01 GMT

     StM is right, of course:  The neat box diagrams from High School Civics
courses leave out a lot of what *really* goes on.
     I don't disagree.  That's part of where I'm coming from when I suggest
that 'separation of powers' (which is not synonymous with 'checks and
balances', although it's hard to imagine one without the other) was pretty
badly eroded long before the '92 campaign.
     That makes it hard for me to single out Clinton, and ascribe to him some
personal blame for the decay -- as I think I perceive StM to do.  Personally,
I have greater expectation that he will actually uphold the Constitution than
I had of either Reagan or Bush -- not as much as I would perhaps prefer, but
greater than they.
                                      Mentor

-----------Message forwarded from IPSA Mailbox-------------
From: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Speaker-to-Minerals)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Gasoline Taxes
Date: 8 Nov 1992 09:05:07 GMT
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
Distribution: world
Reply-To: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol1.gps.caltech.edu

In article <1992Nov8.050424.8145@ra.msstate.edu>, jmpierce@whale.st.usm.edu (Jimmy Malcolm Pierce) writes:
>  "I was just listening to Evening at the Improv and they said that people
>are being caught using inflatable dolls to look like there is more than one
>person in the car so the driver can use the Car Pool Lane ! I think its
>in Los Angeles ! 'Honest Officer, she's just a little tired. Thats why her
>mouth is yawning open !' Gee, I wonder what the fine is for this..." DJ.

That's nothing new.  It's been happening ever since they first implemented car
pool lanes.  I *THINK* the fine is the same as for simply using the car pool
lane without the requisite extra passenger[s].  By the way, when I spoke of
"bus lanes," I meant bus lanes, not carpool lanes.  There's a difference. 
Buses are allowed in carpool lanes, but not vice versa.  The reason:  There are
often places in these lanes where the buses must stop to pick up or discharge
passengers (e.g., at CSULA, there's a bus stop on the freeway.  No kidding!).
From: c162-cc@po.berkeley.edu (Chua Hak lien)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: The Damned Second
Date: 13 Nov 92 01:55:11 GMT
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley

In article <1992Nov12.153648.13114@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca> aaron@space.ualberta.ca writes:
>
>[ This one is for Abner J. Mintz, who gave me
>
>4 words: angel  centurion  prismatic  intrigue
>
>and the optional condition of featuring Callahan's characters.  But I didn't
>feel up to doing that, especially not in talk.bizarre.  Maybe here I'll try it,
>with appropriate permissions, of course.]
>
[ Alfavaen's story follows.. ]

C+ gives applause. "May I try too? This is a 100 word attempt..."

==> START

	Longinus leaned on his spear and watched the descending angel.
	"So He has forgiven me?", he asked, squinting from the glare of the
prismatic bands surronding the divinity.
	"Yes, centurion.", it replied."Lay down the weapon, and you 
will be free of your wanderings."
	"What will become of the Spear?", Longinus asked. "Look at what 
men have done for the Grail. Will this be embroiled in similar
intrigue?"
	The angel nodded.
	"It will be rediscovered by those who come here in His name, but
not His cause."
	And then the two departed, and the city of Antioch was built there
soonafter.

==> END

C
+
From: ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: More elections, a victory...
Date: 5 Nov 1992 19:34:46 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: seurat.wag.caltech.edu
Keywords: discrimination, hatred, intolerance

>Caithelin comes in grinning.  She lays a pile of singles on the bar.
>"Champagne, Mike.  A round for everyone.  We have a very important toast to
>drink." 

>"To voting down discrimination, hatred and intolerance."
>And the glass is hurled into the fireplace with a mighty crash!

(Describes Oregon's Measure 9, which essentially outlaws tolerance towards
homosexuals ...)

>"Yesterday however, it was voted down.  Not by as high of a margin as we
>would perhaps like, but by enough.  Thank God!!!! (Or your deity of
>choice.)"  She refills her glass again.

>"As I said, to voting down hatred!"
>	*Crash!*

Abner doesn't drink alcohol, so a full glass of champagne follows into the
fireplace.
From: eesshlgb@gdr.bath.ac.uk (S H L G Bisson)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Liability
Date: 11 Nov 92 09:51:26 GMT
Organization: School of Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, UK

In the referenced article, mss2@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>In article <1992Nov9.035705.12574@midway.uchicago.edu> eeb1@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>>In article <1992Nov3.001251.14266@ttinews.tti.com>
>>hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:

>>This sort of suit is why I like the British system of making the loser
>>pay the attorney fees for both sides....  I suppose under those
>>circumstances you might not get your money back, but at least the
>>criminal's family would wind up paying whatever they could afford.

>	"I have mixed feelings about adopting the English rule on
>court costs, though.  My instincts sympathize with it, but it seems
>possible that such a rule would result in people fearing to file even
>well-justified suits against large organizations with expensive legal
>staffs, because there's always a chance of losing, and a loss could
>impoverish them. 

>Michael

Ignatz looks across,

"It's not as bad as it seems. There's a system here of `Legal Aid', where
by the government provides funds that will enable those who cannot afford 
representation to have it. 

"Ok, it has its drawbacks, a legal aid solicitor is unlikely to be as
experienced as one a company can buy, though it has been known for some
very experienced QC's (about the best lawyer you can get!) to do legal aid
work on very large cases, where it is obvious that the plaintif is in the
right, but up against a very powerful lobby.

"On the whole, though, the British are not as litiginous as you Americans
(who'll probably sue me for saying that! :-) ), and so people only go to
court for things they feel very strongly about - we'd never sue a travelling
dinosaur exhibition for not having real dinosaurs!

"There's also a system of small claims courts, where both sides represent 
themselves, and the plaintif pays a fee into court (the `costs' which are
often awarded later), ensuring that at least the plaintif believes in
the case.

"It's all checks and balances, aiming to prevent the waste of our legal
system, whilst ensuring that legitimate concerns are heard."

Ignatz looks over.

"Does this make more sense to you?"

--=-
Ignatz Mouse/Simon Bisson...the bookshop baited me with a signing...........
-=---
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: jmpierce@whale.st.usm.edu (Jimmy Malcolm Pierce)
Subject: Re: A Ramble about Halloween Weekend
Organization: University of Southern Mississippi
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 05:48:15 GMT

Liralen Writes:
>Moebius scarves, Mobieus scarves, 
>Rolly Polly Mobieus scarves...

     As opposed to Rolly Polly Fish Heads ???

         Later, Jim.

-- 
 Jim Pierce Bach. of Sci. in Applied Computer Science USM - Gulf Park Campus 
             jmpierce@whale.st.usm.edu  Disclaimer: Standard.
                     "Kill the Wabbit ! " Elmer Fudd. 
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: yho@bmerh2.bnr.ca (Yue-shun Ho)
Subject: Religion and Science: Poles Apart  (Re: God and Science ...)
Reply-To: yho@utcs.utoronto.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 22:37:31 GMT

Since the existence of god(s) has not become a subjective truth, I would
  rather argue whether Religion and Science are compatible, as opposed to
  whether God and Religion are compatible.  For me, religion and science
  are poles apart.

Science is the attempt to discover, by means of observation and reasoning
  based upon it, first, particular facts about the world, and then laws
  connecting facts with one another and making it possible to predict
  future occurrences.

A religious creed, however, differs from a scientific theory in claiming to
  embody eternal and absolutely certain truth.  While science is based on
  observation and logical reasoning (i.e., it is empirical and cognitive),
  religion is based on authority and faith.

Consider the following biblical texts: "Beware lest any man spoil you through
  philisophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments
  of the world, and not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8), and "Blessed are they
  that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

The authority here is Christ, and we are taught to accept his words as the
  truth whether we have seen him or not.  It can be seen then that there is
  a sharp distinction between the methods of arriving at "truths" in science
  and those in religion, and it is such distinction that makes them   
  incompatible to each other.  The acceptance of an allegedly holy book as
  authority, and having simple faith in it, are the rules of the game in
  religion, not those in science.

yue-shun, toronto, ontario


Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From:  tje3@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
Subject: Re: Gasoline taxes
Originator: tje3@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu
Reply-To: tje3@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Tammy Jo Eckhart)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 15:49:01 GMT

S H L G Bisson writes:

>"There's also what seems to be a fairly uniquely British concept that
>hasn't been mentioned here yet: the Park And Ride. 
>
>"Here an out of town parking area for a large number of cars is set up,
>and a subsidised bus route direct to the town centre is provided. In 
>Bath we have three Park and Ride schemes at present, with a further three
>planned. These, in conjunction with bus lanes should provide a much improved
>traffic flow, and a more pleasant environment in the town.

	"I've seen Park and Rides outside Cedar Rapids, Iowa, although
they're not the same thing exactly," says the Lamplighter.  "Aurora tells me
that they're parking lots outside of town where, for example, five people
could drive their cars in, and then carpool into town in the remaining car,
leaving four cars behind."

	"Around New York, I've seen carpooling lanes -- it's illegal to drive
in them unless there are two or more in the car.  There are some new lanes
popping up that could be special lanes for public transit, but I don't know
much about them."

-         -    -  - -=---------=----=--=-=#=========#====#==#=#*#########*####*
The Lamplighter             |"There's only so many times you can type 'Pat
(Tom Lee)                   | Buchanan' into a word processor before the
tje3@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu | system crashes."                    -- Love & War
From: Adrian.Waterworth@newcastle.ac.uk (Adrian Waterworth)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Gasoline Taxes - What they are in Aus!
Date: 6 Nov 92 13:47:12 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

Overhearing DM and Michael discussing taxes on gasoline/petrol/stuff-what-
you-put-in-your-vehicle-to-make-it-go-vroom, Martyr scowls and shakes his
head.

"Ha! You guys don't even know you're born! I don't know what the exact
percentage of taxation is here in the UK, but I know it's pretty high. [*]"

"Whatever - you try paying over two quid (i.e. two - yes, that's TWO -
UK pound-type things) a time for a gallon of unleaded and _then_ see
how you feel!"

"Grumble, grumble, bah humbug, mutter, mutter, curse..."

And so saying, Martyr disappears off into a corner with his pint of
Guinness to reflect upon the profits made by the oil companies, the
profits made by the UK government, the godawful state of public
transport throughout most of the UK and the fact that, in order to
drive to work, he has to put anything from 20 to 25 pounds worth of
petrol in his car every week...

				Martyr.

[*] I seem to recall, back when petrol was about 1.80 a gallon, that
	the government tax accounted for maybe 1.30 of this. This would
	set the direct rate of taxation (at the petrol pumps) at about
	72%. Neat, huh?

		\----------------------------------------/
		 |  Adrian.Waterworth@newcastle.ac.uk	|
		/ ---------------------------------------\
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: njones@nyx.cs.du.edu (Nathan Jones)
Subject: Re: HE 
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 20:42:57 GMT



Hi Folks!

For some reason, I want to say that _HE_ was written by Alan Dean Foster.
Will somebody out there check _With Friends Like These..._ and _Who Needs
Enemies?_  to see if it is in one of them?

Thanks.  I wouldn't want the story to go uncredited.  By the way, wasn't
it kind of illegal to post that story here?  Copyright laws and all that...
:)

Smiles and Hugs and all that.

Nathan.