HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 21:19:02 GMT

system@codewks.nacjack.gen.nz (Wayne McDougall) writes:
: 
: Oh YEAH? The planes do intersect, and there is supposed to be a collision
: or near miss in about 4 billion years. Working backwards they should also
: have collided about 2 billion years ago (c. 1/2 the estimated age of the
: solar system). Some people speculate that Pluto is an asteroid that was
: captured by Neptune at this time.

Yeah - some people do make such a speculation. The same ones who ignore the
fact that Pluto has a moon. Also, the same people ignore the fact that none
of the asteroids travel anywhere close to that far out. They are pretty much
confined between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.

Bill
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Subject: Re: Colors of Olympic Rings
Reply-To: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 08:16:42 GMT

In article <3138@israel.nysernet.org> warren@nysernet.org writes:

>What color is the flag of Kibonia?

Hail, hail Kibonia, land of the brave and free.

cj "Rufus T. Firefly" l

(so how many hides of the sons of the squaws of the hippopotamus are there?)
From: Bruce.Tindall@launchpad.unc.edu (Bruce Tindall)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: African-American-top
Date: 3 Jan 93 03:28:04 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service

In article <1993Jan2.130701.3358@pollux.lu.se> magnus@thep.lu.se (Magnus Olsson) writes:
>You may of course say that the German language is sexist, since it
>assigns the masculine gender to _all_ human beings by default, as it
>were. 
>On the other hand, the Swedish word for 'human', 'M"anniska', always
>takes the feminine pronoun.

And to round things out, in German, following the logical rule that all
diminutives are neuter, girls have no gender at all.  Das Fraeulein (neuter)
is the diminutive of "die Frau" (the (feminine gender) woman).

Bruce "first time I've ever heard that in the pluperfect subjunctive" Tindall


--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: manley@optilink.COM (Terry Manley)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: AFU Flan Cub
Date: 29 Dec 92 01:18:22 GMT
Organization: DSC/Optilink Access Products

In article <1992Dec25.055629.14250@netcom.com> obrien@netcom.com (Robert O'Brien) writes:
>...altificial...

Who is the altificial this week?

I'm thinking it must be a Terry.

--
Dave^H^H^H^HTerry "Do altificials wear black and white striped shirts and carry a whistle?" Manley

Remember: You too can be an Honorary Terry.
          February 3 is National Honorary Terry Day.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: PAPAI@kcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Jonathan Papai)
Subject: Re: A FAQ for the Holidays
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 23:48:39 GMT

The FAQ says:
>Key to one liners below:
>  F  = 100% falsehood
>
>THE MISAPPLIANCE OF SCIENCE
>F. Bubbles in bubble wrap contain a cheap, but toxic gas.


styri@hal.nta.no (YuNoHoo) in
>Subject: Re: UL: Monumental LSD overdose taken (was: Re: Brands of LSD)
>
>Oxygen is found to be toxic at partial pressure above 0.5 bar if sustained
>over some time (days/weeks). A partial pressure of 1.5 to 2 bar may cause
>the rapid onset of convultions. However, the limit will vary from person
>to person, and the gas mix may have an effect as well. (Michael Jacksons
>oxygen tent may not be a good idea, but if he uses a mix of 40% oxygen
>and 60% helium he should be able to sleep safe.)

	[change of subject to Nitrogen toxicity deleted]

>The effect depends on the partial nitrogen pressure, exposure time and
>other factors like increased alveolar carbon dioxide amount. Divers can
>experience the onset of nitrogen narcosis from 50' to 200', the threshold
>varies from person to person. Most often the symptoms becomes apparent
>at 100'. It begins as a feeling of light-headedness, euphoria and numbness.
>Another description used is carefreeness. The next level is irrationality
>and emotional instability. The temperature and light seems to be important
>to how the nitrogen narcosis is experienced by the diver. Warm water and
>much ligh may give pleasant sensations; Cold, dark water yields anxiety
>and panic.
>
>Nitrogen narcosis may be fatal, but usually the victim is capable of
>functioning physically (and may not realize that his/her rationality
>is impaired.)


	I would guess that the bubbles in bubble-wrap (tm)
contain air.  If so, then the FAQ is in error.  The air in the
bubbles (being 78 % Nitrogen and 21 % oxygen) would be toxic at
increased pressure.

ObUL: BioSphere2 (tm) now has an atmosphere depleted to 15%
oxygen, and half of the participants are now taking prescription
anti-mountain sickness medication.

Jon "BioSphere1 is holding steady at 21 % oxygen" Papai
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Subject: Re: Amusing street names
Reply-To: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 04:16:58 GMT

In article <1992Dec20.174303.1786@samba.oit.unc.edu> Bruce.Tindall@launchpad.unc.edu (Bruce Tindall) writes:
>BTW, are there any ULs or even (horrors!) facts about how "Great Jones
>Street" in New York got its name?  Was there a person referred to as 
>"Great Jones," or is the street distinguished from a lesser street
>of the same name?  There is a one-block "Great Jones Street" in 
>Durham, N.C., too; nothing is on it anymore, but they keep the sign
>up anyway.
>

To the best of my knowledge, Great Jones street has nothing to do with:

Jack Jones (or his father Allen)
David Jones (of the Monkees)
Me and Mrs. Jones
Basketball Jones
(The whole town's talkin' about the) Jones boy
Lorenzo Jones (No tribble at all)
Purple Kool-aid (Jonestown)
Bula Vinaka

However, NYC does have a Jones Alley.

cj "no connection to Joni Mitchell either" l

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: leecr@microsoft.com (Lee Crocker)
Subject: Re: African-American-top
Date: 01 Jan 93 02:15:02 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

>Unfortunately, this resulted in "blacktop" (as in asphalt) becoming
>"African-Americantop", a "black-and-white issue" becoming an
>"African-American-and-white issue", etc.
>Anyone else heard this one before?

I saw with my own eyes last year an article in the San Jose Mercury
News talking about budget cuts that would put a city (Cambridge I
think) "back in the African-American."

-- 
Lee Daniel Crocker    | Free minds; free bodies; free trade.
leecr@microsoft.com   | Libertarian Party  1-800-682-1776
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: bjackson@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Ben Jackson)
Subject: Late breaking potential UL!
Keywords: smirk, political
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 22:48:16 GMT

I just read in our local paper that President-elect Clinton's first
executive order was that there should be "fresh flowers" on his desk
every morning.  Can anyone confirm this?  I'd also like to know to whom
he gave this order (is this part of the "smooth transition" the Bush
administration keeps talking about?).

Ben "Gennifer and I are kissing-cousins" Jackson

--
"If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall."-Lewis
Ben Jackson, ben@ben.com, bjackson@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Xref: sparky alt.folklore.urban:31807 sci.skeptic:21589
From: tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: terry awards
Date: 31 Dec 92 09:43:50 GMT
Reply-To: tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll)
Organization: Amdahl Corporation

In article <C00F65.Hx8@rahul.net>, phil@rahul.net (Phil Gustafson) writes:
> That would be the _son_, rather than the sum, in both cases, Jonathan.
> You've sorta tried to multiply lemurs on a log table.

Is that like Noah saying to the snakes and other animals "go forth and 
multiply," and then two adders did it on a log table?

Terry Carroll - tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com - 408/992-2152
The opinions presented above are not necessarily those of a sound mind.
From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The Ultimate Circumcision
Date: 30 Dec 1992 07:48:23 GMT
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

randle@nosc.mil (Mike Randle) writes:
  +
  +I Recall reading about a medical mishap back in the late 70s (I think).
  +A doctor slipped up during a circumcision of a bouncing baby boy, and
  +recommended to the parents that he should have a sex change operation
  +and be rasied as a girl. Seems that the kid's fledgling manhood was
  +beyond repair.  If I'm right, the doctor was in the military, and the
  +hospital may have been Trippler (Hawaii).  Can anyone confirm this
  +incident, or is this just another urban legend?  If it is true, whatever
  +became of him/her?  What happened to the doctor?

I don't about the kid, but I think the guy went on to teach
agriculture in a Harmony, Texas school.

Terry "Ouch!" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Carpe per diem
From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: American Civil War Stuff
Date: 23 Dec 1992 08:09:22 GMT
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

thf2@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
  
  +Speaking of cross-pollination, you missed the one about the Civil War
  +bullet that impregnated a virgin.
  +
  +>The correct answer to ObUL2 is (drum roll)
  +>alt.war.civil.usa.  Come join us sometime.
  +
  +It's not in comp.society.war.civil?  I thought alt was a sewer...

alt is a sewer.  However, nobody posts to comp.society.war.civil
so the civil war flames are in news.groups.  Say, how about a 
CFV?
  
  +Ted "How come no one cares about the Crimean War?" Frank

History hasn't been the same since they introduced Coffee-Mate [tm]


Terry "Performing random acts of senseless posting" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Carpe per diem
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Subject: Re: asteroids beyond Jupiter
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 22:20:33 GMT

In article <jonathan.725178913@author.ecn.purdue.edu> jonathan@author.ecn.purdue.edu (Jonathan L Neuenschwander) writes:
>loshin@godot.think.com (David Loshin) writes:
>>Everyone knows that Pluto is the Dog Star.
>
>Yeah, Disney's dog star.
>
>Siriusly!

You're such a cynic!

>:-) :-)

That's two-fifty for each smiley.

>Jonathan "Doggedly making obscure puns" Neuenschwander

Ted "once received a Christmas card from a Terry" Frank
-- 
ted frank                     | thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu 
standard disclaimers          | void where prohibited
the university of chicago law school, chicago, illinois 60637
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: dannyb@panix.com (Daniel Burstein)
Subject: zebras - why are they striped?
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 08:22:23 GMT
Organization: Panix, NYC

someone asked what was the advantage to zebras of being striped.  The
answer seems to be cameflouge (sp?)
  
Surprisingly, the striping, which on first thought would make them easier
to see and target, actually makes them much more difficult to find.

The television series, NOVA, produced an excellant show (well, most of
them are <g>) called something like "The deception of cameflouge" which
went into the use of same by teh military to hide items.  (Also, it turns
out, there are times you WANT to make items more visible...)

Anyway, one of the things they demonstrated was the use of the
"Razzle-Dazzle" painting schemes used by ships at teh end of the Great War
(also known as WW 1).  To the vast amazement of eveyone involved (except
the proponenets of the scheme), painting ships with large more or less
randomized splotches of black and white actually made them HARDER to locate.

If you can catch any real WWI or WWII film footage, keep an eye out for
these ships.  The technique kind of faded (no pun inteneded) towards the
end of WW II when radar and infrared began to replace the "mark-one eyeball"

The NOVA episode is available on video, and has lots of greatstuff in it,
including the use of inflatable tanks! and painting shadows on runways so
enemy pilots shoot the wrong targets...

dannyb@panix.com
From: bergman@panix.com (Mark Bergman)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: body in college rug
Keywords: legend
Date: 30 Dec 92 18:28:26 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC

In article <1992Dec26.213544.5321@panix.com> dannyb@panix.com (Daniel Burstein) writes:
>One of the FAQ stories involves some people picking up a rug from the
>garbage, bringing it home, and finding a body in it.
>  
>I hate to use the phrase, but this one ACTUALLY HAPPENED.  Yes, and I was
>(almost) there.
I was there. I did not see the body, but I did see the rug,
newspaper reports, cops, rug-carrying-students, etc.
>
>In 1985 give or take a year, some college students from Carman Hall,
1983. Late Sept. or early Oct. 
>Columbia College (NYC) pulled a rug out of a dumpster (quick side
>question: is dumpster a trademerk?) and brought it upstarirs.  Yep, there
>was a body in it.
>
Low-level mobster, killed elsewhere, dumped in Manhattan.
>Made quite a hit in the news at teh time, too.
>
>I was assigned to a different Emergency medical Service unit at the time,
>so didn't go on the call, but I certainly remember it going out, and we
>all kidded the crew who had the removal detail...
>
>danny
>
><dannyb@panix.com>  <dburstein@mcimail.com>
>
>


----
Mark Bergman
718-855-9148

bergman@panix.com
{cmcl2,uunet}!panix!bergman
From: brian@sgmlinc.com (Brian E. Travis)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: 'Springfield' is NOT a city in all states!
Distribution: world
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 05:18:21 GMT
Organization: SGML Associates, Inc.
Reply-To: brian@sgmlinc.com

In article <lisqabINN7mg@news.bbn.com> pdsmith@bbn.com writes:
 > How many of you have heard the rumor that there's a "Springfield" in
 > all the states of America?
 > 
 > NOT TRUE!  In fact there are *no* towns that are found in all states!
 > This is easy to determine; just get an atlas and start comparing ...
 > (I recommend comparing 'Nevada' and 'Alaska' first; they have hardly
 > any towns to begin with).

Scientific Experiment: Why don't we take 51 postcards and address 
them to General Delivery in Springfield for each state. Let the 
Post Office earn it's pay. If We don't get any back, we'll know 
they were delivered.

BTW, I heard that Aurora is the only common town/ship/village/burg/
city name.

Brian "P.O., P.O. He's our man...If he can't do it, no one can" Travis
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.religion.kibology
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Skyscraper FALLS DOWN.
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 19:58:25 GMT

kasprj@operators.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak) writes:
: 
: |>      Now, I know that the complex never actually was able to anchor itself
: |> into bedrock like the Empire State Building was and that the sidewalks and
: |> streets around the building show extreme signs of stress from torsion of the
: |> moving and relatively unsecured complex.
: |>      BUT, can one of them actually fall down? The thought of a mountain
: |> of steel, glass, office equipment and attourneys splatting all over Battery
: |> Park is terrifying, but somehow also strangely compelling.
:  
:  Two World Trade Center was secured by means of underground cables anchored
: to the bedrock outcropping somewhere in the close vicinity of the Woolworth
: Building. There were originally six of these cables, but rumor says that one
: of them was cut through during student protests in the early 70's.

So, what would this accomplish - besides keeping the building from sliding
across the street or onto a different block. It would have no effect on
keeping the building from tipping.  For documentation, check out a good
book on "Statics" sometime.  

I suspect that the whole thing is an UL.

Bill
From: phaedrus@unkaphaed.gbdata.com (James Hartman, Sysop)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: CD Legends
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 92 23:35:52 GMT
Organization: Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy, Houston, TX

strat@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Steve Davis) writes:

> Apparently, at any point during a track the CD producer can put in a
> code that says "The rest of this track is spacing between this track
> and the next ..." There is a Jimi Hendrix live at Winterland CD that
> does the same thing a you describe.

Indeed.  Supertramp's live album, _Paris_, has all of the between-song
chatter from the stage in the "negative" time between tracks.  Makes it
awfully nice to skip right to the music!
--
phaedrus@unkaphaed.gbdata.com (James Hartman, Sysop)
Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy, Houston, TX, (713) 943-2728
After December 31, (713) 481-3763
1200/2400/9600/14400 v.32bis/v.42bis
From: khartman@fnalna.fnal.gov
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Trademark legends
Date: 31 Dec 92 18:34:56 -0600
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab
NNTP-Posting-Host: fnalna.fnal.gov

In article <Geoff.6b4p@equinox.gen.nz>, Geoff@equinox.gen.nz (Geoff Mccaughan) 
>writes:
> Simon E. Booth (sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu) wrote:
>>Even stranger, I read on the net (so it must be true!) somewhere a story
>>alleging that Bayer was in operation before and during WWII, making not
>>aspirin but such nasty military chemical products as Taubin and Zyklon,
>>which were nerve gases.  No reference to the Bayer company appears in any
>>accounts of the Nuremburg trials.
> 
> Zyklon B was simply hydrogen cyanide crystals. Manufactured by I.G. Farben.
> I have no idea if they have any relationship to Bayer [I have vague memories
> that there may be a tie-up to BASF, but I wouldn't put money on it].


	I'm not sure what Zyklon B was (perhaps it was Hydrogen Cyanide),
but Hydrogen Cyanide is a gas, not crystalline.  Potassium and Sodium Cyanides
are both crystalline.

 
> --
> Geoff, Sysop Equinox (equinox.gen.nz) +64 (3) 3854406 [4 Lines]
>                                Voice: +64 (3) 3852101
>         "Hi. You have just entered the fourth dimension. Small isn't it?"


Ken
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: cardo@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Ric Crabbe)
Subject: Re: Licking the bars
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 22:48:59 GMT

jonathan@vinnie.cuc.ab.ca (Jonathan Levine) writes:
>My sympathy is extended to Californioids, to whom none of this will make
>any sense.  If in doubt, go put a crescent wrench in the freezer and get
>back to me in a couple of days.

hey, not all of us southern Californians are climately unsophisticated...

Ric 'New Yorkers, making California a better place to live' Crabbe

>--
>Jonathan Levine: voice 403-686-0473 | Digital Alternatives      (Calgary AB)
>                 fax   403-686-1254 | Virtual Universe Corp.    (Calgary AB)
>      uucp: jonathan@vort.cuc.ab.ca | Survival Research Laboratories (SF CA)	
-- 
Sleep? Isn't that a completely inadequate substitute for caffine?
cardo@cs.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: arielle@NeoSoft.com (Stephanie da Silva)
Subject: Re: extreme strength (was: mom lifting car..)
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 10:17:50 GMT

In article <H.eg.LO&jEJF1hcw@harvee.billerica.ma.us> scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us writes:
> In <1992Dec29.185926.5236@panix.com>, Daniel Burstein writes:
> 
> >Ever carry someone on your back?  Figure on that being 200 pounds.  
> 
> i doubt i have the strength to do either of those things, and i weigh
> closer to 150 than to 200.  your examples are far from universal.

I can carry a 200 pound guy on my back and I'm just a little slip of a 
thing.  In fact, it used to be one of my favourite things to demonstrate 
to freak out people.  I can't carry them far, but I can do it.

Stephanie "No, no, if I do that, I'll hurt you!" da Silva
From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Russian Jelly Doughnuts Revisited
Date: 30 Dec 1992 08:04:35 GMT
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

I read an excerpt from Richard Lederer's book entitled _Anguished
English_ in the _Funny Times_ which repeated several oft-told 
stories (e.g., JFK calling the people of Bayer jelly doughnuts.)

However, he repeated two stories:  

That someone at the UN pulled the computer translation boner of 
"Out of sight, out of mind" by feeding the info to a translating 
computer which translated the line into Chinese, then into French, 
and finally back to English and of course got "Invisible insane."

The second was the Russian translation one of "The spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak" into "The wine is good, but the meat is
spoiled."

I was curious if anyone had the book or access to a library and
could check whether or not Lederer had any substantiation for the
above two stories.  [The UC libraries don't have it.]

There was an excerpt of various mistranslations from around the
world such as:

SIGN IN A BANGKOK DRY CLEANER:  Drop your trousers here for best
results.

AD BY A HONG KONG DENTIST:  Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.

IN A ROME LAUNDRY:  Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the
afternoon having a good time.

AD FOR DONKEY RIDES IN THAILAND:  Would you like to ride on your
own ass?

CZECH TOURIST AGENCY SIGN:  Take one of our horse-driven city
tours--we guarantee no miscarriages.

Terry "Stop:  Drive sideways" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Carpe per diem
From: saxe@excalibur.cs.unc.edu (Eddie Saxe)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Shakespeare and the KJV (was: Re: Legal language)
Date: 23 Dec 92 22:37:29 GMT
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In article <CINDY.92Dec20150316@solan10.solan.unit.no> cindy@solan10.solan.unit.no (Cynthia Kandolf) writes:

>don't take any wooden fruitcakes.

How do you tell?

Eddie "Finger-lickin' (TM) Good" Saxe
-- 
saxe@cs.unc.edu          Posted from the Chapel Hill Zoo (fence not included).
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban