HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Mornington Crescent rules anyone?
Date: 8 Jan 93 13:16:16 GMT
Reply-To: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Organization: GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Great Baddow, UK

To those who do not understand "Mornington Crescent", let me point out
that the best way of understanding the game is to watch one let the
players explain their moves.  So:

I have chosen the Weismuller Putney opening.  This usually goes from
Putney Bridge to Notting Hill Gate, and thence to Green Park.  However
there is a little-used variant starting at *East* Putney and going to
Lancaster Gate.  This allows one to defend Shepherd's Bush and East
Acton, while still maintaining access to Holborn and Goodge Street.
Quite why one needs to do this should become clear as we play the game
out.

Paul.
-- 
Paul Johnson (paj@gec-mrc.co.uk).	    | Tel: +44 245 73331 ext 3245
--------------------------------------------+----------------------------------
These ideas and others like them can be had | GEC-Marconi Research is not
for $0.02 each from any reputable idealist. | responsible for my opinions
From: pkh@cs.nott.ac.uk (Kevin Hopkins)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Teletext services (was Video Plus)
Date: 7 Jan 93 13:09:35 GMT
Organization: Nottingham University

In article <1993Jan7.093047.3440@ohm.york.ac.uk>, nigelm@ohm.york.ac.uk (Nigel Metheringham) writes:
|> Well now magazine 6 has something sensible - if you call a start
|> page, a clock cracker page and 98 identical test pages sensible - I
|> wonder where all the bandwidth has gone.... :-(

What is the "clock cracker" page? It just looks like some sort of
test page. And are the 600's being provided by a ITV themselves rather
than Teletext?

-- 
Kevin Hopkins.
From: zlsiida@fs1.mcc.ac.uk (dave budd)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Think of a number
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:39:29 GMT
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre

In article <1993Jan12.100838.27343@wraxall.inmos.co.uk> des@inmos.co.uk (David Shepherd) writes:

>also 2.8% doesn't agree with figures used by equal opportunities agencies
>of about 4% of the working population coming from "ethnic minorities".

Well, you wouldn't expect %s of working pop to be even close to %s of 
general pop in this country any more, now would you?

        Never believe an experiment until it is confirmed by theory 
    Dave Budd, MCC, Oxford Rd, Manchester, England    (44|0)61-275-6033  
Xref: sparky uk.misc:2398 rec.arts.tv.uk:7030
From: jrg@doc.ic.ac.uk (James Grinter)
Newsgroups: uk.misc,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Ariston music for TV Advert
Date: 8 Jan 93 21:00:15 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Dept. Of Computing, Imperial College of STM, UoL, UK
NNTP-Posting-Host: oak50.doc.ic.ac.uk
In-reply-to: tchua@soda.qmw.ac.uk's message of 8 Jan 93 07:49:21

In article <TCHUA.93Jan8074921@soda.qmw.ac.uk> tchua@soda.qmw.ac.uk (Terence Chua) writes:

   All I know is that it's got my vote for the most irritating advert on the air
   just a few points short of the Renault Clio ("Papa?" "Nicole!") ad. The
   bloody thing just goes aristonandonandonandonandon...

Last August/September time, BBC 2 had a dance programme on the air
which showed a film by someone (name and director completely
forgotten) which was clearly where the Ariston idea came from.

It began with a boy thowing a ball through a window, then climbing in
to fetch the ball. Anyone else see this, or know what the film is
called?

James.
--
James Grinter, c/o Dept Of Computing, Imperial College, LONDON, SW7 2BZ.
Aeval({227406,131304,719166,950732,993440,1364628,1491756,1868584,1235232,;
2151480,2524368,2802876,2769312,2839886,3104325,1824},;
{|x,y| QQout(chr((x%2048)/y)+chr(int((x/2048)/y))) })
Newsgroups: uk.misc
From: James Petts <pettsj@visigoth.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Oil spills - history
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A77094EEE2010855@visigoth.demon.co.uk>
X-Xxdate: Wed, 6 Jan 93 13:53:50 GMT
Organization: No Affiliation
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d13
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 13:54:09 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.104110.1601@infodev.cam.ac.uk> Philip Hazel,
ph10@cus.cam.ac.uk writes:
>Anybody remember the year of the Torrey Canyon disaster? Everybody
interviewed
>on News at Ten last night seemed to be too young to remember it, as they
were
>all claiming yesterday's accident was the first major oil spill on
British
>shores. But then we found we couldn't remember when the Torrey Canyon
wreck
>actually happened...

1967 is the year you want.

 ===> James Petts <===

*** CAUTION - READ THIS .sig AT YOUR OWN RISK! ***************************
*                                                * NOTE! VISIGOTH HAS NO *
* Q. Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? * CONNECTION WITH ANY   *
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*    gersput!                                    * DEMON.CO.UK           *
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**************************************************************************
*  pettsj@visigoth.demon.co.uk (preferred), pettsj@cix.compulink.co.uk   *
**************************************************************************
From: mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk>
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 93 18:01:06 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Mantis Consultants, Cambridge. UK.

joe@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk (Joe Sharkey) writes:
> In article <17imVB39w165w@mantis.co.uk> mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk> writes:
> >Oh, do be serious.  If people wanted to buy records, the manufacturers would
> >make them.
> 
> Do you have a list of *majors* who press LPs over here?
> 
> A quick look at "Top 20" albums suggested they're all imported.
> 
> Also, how many reissues come out on LP?
> 
> CDs may be wonderful.  But:  *I WANT TO BUY LP's*.  OK?

I want to buy LaserDiscs instead of video cassettes, for the same reason I
prefer CD over cassette.  But nobody else wants LaserDisc, so nobody makes
them.  It's sad, but life's like that.  If there was demand for LaserDisc,
manufacturers would make them.  Also, if I must use video, I'd much rather
have Betamax or Video-8 rather than VHS.  But again, manufacturers don't make
pre-recorded tapes in those formats.

I don't believe there's any sort of "kill off LaserDisc", "kill off Video-8"
or "kill off Betamax" conspiracy, so why do you believe there's a "kill off
vinyl" conspiracy?


mathew
From: steve@acorn.co.uk (Steve "daffy" Hunt)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: 6 Jan 93 14:54:49 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Acorn Computers Limited, Cambridge, UK
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

mathew (mathew@mantis.co.uk) wrote:
: joe@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk (Joe Sharkey) writes:
: > CDs may be wonderful.  But:  *I WANT TO BUY LP's*.  OK?

: I want to buy LaserDiscs instead of video cassettes, for the same reason I
: prefer CD over cassette.  But nobody else wants LaserDisc, so nobody makes

Hardly the same issue, since there ISN'T a large installed base of
laserdisc players.  There is a huge number of people who have invested
heavily in LP reproduction, and they are being shafted.

: them.  It's sad, but life's like that.  If there was demand for LaserDisc,
: manufacturers would make them.  Also, if I must use video, I'd much rather

Well, you're demanding them.  I doubt you're the only one.  If there
was industry commitment to the format, demand would grow.  Format wars
are led by the corporations, not the customer - remember the video
tape format wars.
-- 
				Steve Hunt	steve@acorn.co.uk
From: Tim Steele <tjfs@tadtec.co.uk>
Subject: PDC, StarText, VideoPlus, ... ?!?
Organization: Tadpole Technology plc
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 14:38:39 GMT
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A771EF746405A1C3@mac-tjfs.tadtec.co.uk>
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d16
X-Xxdate: Thu, 7 Jan 93 14:32:20 GMT

I have a Ferguson (JVC) video which can set itself off teletext; however, 
it doesn't use PDC (aka StarText?) or VideoPlus+, but an earlier system 
which used hidden date and time information on the guide page (try pressing 
REVEAL). Fortunately, this information has been retained on the new system 
(well done Phil!!) 

It would be nice if you could get a new EPROM for the decoder which 
enabled it to do PDC.  Apparently it was designed to work with PDC but 
the spec. was late!

I have written to JVC (it's pointless writing to Ferguson as they just 
buy the technology from JVC) but they haven't even bothered to reply.

Anyway, when will all this lot be drawn together?  Can someone at least 
say what the state-of-the-art is?  Last year we had a spate of new video 
recorders with built in PDC, this year flavour-of-the-month seems to be 
VideoPlus+.  Last I heard, only C4 actually broadcast PDC, and it doesn't 
look as if the other channels will follow suit.

Confused Consumer of Cambridge
From: chardi@cs.man.ac.uk (Ian "Flup" Chard)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Cable provider offering phone service
Date: 12 Jan 93 10:19:57 GMT
Reply-To: chardi@cs.man.ac.uk
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester

In article <1625@ozz.oasis.icl.co.uk>, sch@oasis.icl.co.uk (Simon Hamner) writes:
|> S.A.McIntyre@durham.ac.uk (Scott A. McIntyre) writes:
|> [original text deleted ...]
|> > 
|> > ... stuff deleted ...
|> >
|> > If your equipment is capable of receiving any electromagnetic signals in the bandwidth
|> > which tv signals are broadcast in, then in theory you need a lic.
|> > 
|> > I could be wrong...infact, I probably am.
|> > 
|> > Scott
|> > 
|> > -- 
|> 
|> So this means my radio scanner, which can pick up the audio from TV channels
|> needs a TV licen[sc]e? 
|> 
|>   Simon.

AFAIK the answer to this is _yes_.  Although, by law, you are allowed to
deliberately receive the transmissions of broadcasters, amateurs and standard
frequency stations, I believe the TV licence regulations supersede this as far
as TV sound goes.

Ian.

-- 

[ Ian Chard, Systems Integration |  "Oh, Tetrapak, I always wondered where    ]
[ University of Manchester, UK   |  those were made!"                         ]
[ Email:    chardi@cs.man.ac.uk  |                                            ]
[ Al-Hussein:    50d50'N 0d15'W  |                                   -- anon. ]
From: mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk>
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Transport subsidies - Was: Car Parking
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 93 17:40:55 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Mantis Consultants, Cambridge. UK.

anw@maths.nott.ac.uk (Dr A. N. Walker) writes:
> In article <scsXVB33w165w@mantis.co.uk> mathew@mantis.co.uk (mathew) writes:
> >No, I'm just pointing out that car owners are knowingly and willingly
> >doing something incredibly dangerous -- that is, driving a car [...]
> 
> 	Come off it, Mathew;  it's less dangerous than crossing the road.

Precisely the point.  They're doing something dangerous to everyone else. 
That's what I object to.  If they were risking only their own lives I
wouldn't care.


mathew

Newsgroups: uk.misc
From: dave@alex.com (Dave Quinn)
Subject: Re: Mornington Crescent rules anyone?
Organization: Alex Technologies Ltd, London, England
Apparently-To: mail2news@demon.co.uk
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 12:17:50 +0000

In article <1993Jan6.095202.27792@medusa.prime.com>, richm@CIS.Prime.COM (Richard Mutter) writes:
|> Please, if anyone does really know the rules, and if there are
|> any, could they post them to this group or Email them to me
|> as well. This game has always perplexed me, and everyone
|> seems very coy about it. Perhaps it's a case of the King's
|> invisible clothes, and people don't really know - well Damon?
|> 
|> Richard

Now your getting the idea!   :-)

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     (          *#/*           )  Alex Technologies Ltd.
     David Quinn      )       *##*\##         (   CP House,
    dave@alex.com    (      *###*_/-*##*       )  97-107 Uxbridge Road,
                      )     _____/______      (   Ealing,London W5 5TL
_____________________(______\----------/_______)________________________
From: gerry@keele.ac.uk (G.D.Pratt)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Mornington Crescent rules anyone?
Date: 5 Jan 93 17:47:52 GMT
Organization: Keele University, England
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Ok - I give in. Please let me in on what Mornington Crescent (THE GAME) is
all about. Is it a wind-up or what. I am confused.
gerry

--
gerry pratt - workstation support programmer - university of keele - ENGLAND
email:  gerry@seq1.keele.ac.uk ( DYNIX? - just say no!! ) tel:UK 0782 583072
"these opinions are mine, mine, Mine, Mine, MINE......ALL MINE I TELL YOU!!"
From: snail@lsl.co.uk
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Transport subsidies and Record Companies
Date: 7 Jan 93 14:11:04 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Laser-Scan Ltd., Cambridge

In article <7PTywB33w165w@mantis.co.uk>, mathew@mantis.co.uk (mathew) writes:
> Well, if you wanted an assembler sans libraries you could've got Fast BASIC. 
> That's what I did.  I think DevPac came without libraries originally as well;
> the version I had did.  If you want C, you can use gcc.  There's a free
> Modula 2 as well.  Of course, those weren't around in 1987, but then the
> machines were fairly new and with a fairly small following.

No, I got Metacomco's assembler, because at the time it had the features I 
wanted in an assembler. I'm not even sure if I could get DevPac at the time.
Beside I later pirated several versions of Devpac and hated them all, never
used them. The last thing I wanted was an integrated environment to develop
games in - takes too much memory, gets in the way etc.
> 
>> Besides, as you've said you don't own a car. You are not paying for the roads
>> unless you buy road tax dics each year out of sheer altruism.
> 
> I am paying for the road.  The road tax revenue just about covers the cost of
> physically maintaining the existing road network, as far as I can work out
> from the figures -- but only if you assume 100% payment, assume all cars pay
> the full rate, assume all motorcycles are >50cc, and so on.  It doesn't cover
> medical costs, or associated expenditure such as paying for traffic police,
> repairs to buildings, and the like.

OK, I've already addressed this in another post. I'd still like to see figures
though, not that I disbelieve you, I don't believe or disbelieve either side
in the does road tax pay for itself argument.

I don't understand the repairs to buildings or medical costs bit though.

Back to the original idea: when I buy a CD of music and there is a track on it
that I don't like, I don't make use of that music, so maybe I should have
a refund (much like you want a motorway refund). What pisses me off about the
music industry, is putting one really good track or collectable track on each
of the (now four) formats for the chart. So poor old collector has to go out 
and buy all the formats just to get the four elusive tracks but also has
to pay for multiple copies of the other stuff also on each format.
Then again, record companies in this respect, are a cartel and you don't
support cartels, so no argument there I suppose?
-- 
snail@lsl.co.uk      

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless
 means to side with the powerful, not to be Neutral."
                                                     Quote by Freire.
                                                     Poster by OXFAM.
Xref: sparky uk.misc:2512 rec.arts.tv.uk:7091
From: mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk>
Newsgroups: uk.misc,rec.arts.tv.uk
Subject: Re: Ariston music for TV Advert
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 19:35:57 GMT
Organization: Mantis Consultants, Cambridge. UK.
X-Newsreader: rusnews v0.98

dom@castle.ed.ac.uk (Dominic A. Varley) writes:
>In article <1993Jan8.105724.19094@syma.sussex.ac.uk> nealet@syma.sussex.ac.uk
>(Neale Type) writes:
>>Does anyone know what the source of the music (cheap sounding computer
>>ditty) comes from, as I am sure it sounds like an old Comodore-64 game
>>tune ??
> 
> Wasn't it one of the first portable keyboards Casio produced in the `80's,
> a Casio-Tone?? Which if I remember rightly a Dutch duo produced the same music
> as used in the  advert - and beleive it or not - had a hit.

I'm afraid you don't remember rightly.

The *original* Ariston advert used a cover version of "Da Da Da" by Trio. 
Trio were a German New Wave band; "Da Da Da" was their only hit, although
this may be partly because their career was cut short when they died in a
plane crash.  It did, indeed, feature a Casio keyboard.  An original VL-Tone,
in fact.  I still own one.  The rhythm preset they used is called "Rock 2".

The current Ariston advert uses completely different music.


mathew
From: idf@cs.bham.ac.uk (Ian Fitchet)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Drugs
Date: 7 Jan 93 23:36:04 GMT
Organization: School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham


 On 7 Jan 93, Dave Hodgkinson wroteApparently-To: mail2news@news.demon.co.uk

> But there are side effects to cannabis, but I'm buggered if I caaan
> remember them!

 I read over Christmas my sisters Psychology textbook which under the
general topic of mind/body affecting drugs (which I felt morally
obliged to read for just this sort of occasion) it said that studies
on users of cannabis showed that their sensory-motor reflexes were
dulled to the extent that people under the influence shouldn't perform
complex activities eg driving.  It didn't say how much had been
consumed but that was the first I have heard that cannabis affects
motor control.

 Any readers capable of typing a coherent reply?  Presuming they
remember the question... :-)

--
Cheers,

	Ian

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian Fitchet     				      I.D.Fitchet@cs.bham.ac.uk
School of Computer Science
Univ. of Birmingham, UK, B15 2TT
From: ph10@cus.cam.ac.uk (Philip Hazel)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Oil spills - history
Date: 6 Jan 93 10:41:10 GMT
Organization: University of Cambridge Computing Service

Anybody remember the year of the Torrey Canyon disaster? Everybody interviewed
on News at Ten last night seemed to be too young to remember it, as they were
all claiming yesterday's accident was the first major oil spill on British
shores. But then we found we couldn't remember when the Torrey Canyon wreck
actually happened...

--
Internet: P.Hazel@ucs.cam.ac.uk       University Computing Service,
JANET:    P.Hazel@uk.ac.cam.ucs       Computer Laboratory, Pembroke St,
Phone:    +44 223 334714              Cambridge CB2 3QG, England.
Xref: sparky uk.misc:2382 uk.transport:178
From: mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk>
Newsgroups: uk.misc,uk.transport
Subject: Re: Transport subsidies - Was: Car Parking
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 93 15:49:56 GMT
Followup-To: uk.transport
Organization: Mantis Consultants, Cambridge. UK.
X-Newsreader: rusnews v0.98

snail@lsl.co.uk writes:
> In article <14072@ecs.soton.ac.uk>, nwp90@ecs.soton.ac.uk (Nick Phillips)
> writes:
> > In
> > respect of transport, I would like to see a subsidised and efficient
> > (ha ha) service, which provides everyone with what they need.
> 
> That'd be nice, but in libertarian terms I'd be called selfish for wanting
> to help others.

No, not at all.  You'd only be called selfish if you wanted to "help" others
using their money, without their consent.  Regardless of what sort of "help"
it is.

Remember "Brazil"?  Citizens are helpfully assisted in recalling information
vital to their personal security, and that of other citizens and the state.
Naturally they are required to pay for the electricity used by the Ministry
of Information in helping them in this way.  All for the public good, of
course.  Is not prevention of terrorism as good a cause as funding public
transport?


mathew
From: dil@castle.ed.ac.uk (D I Laurenson)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Drugs
Date: 8 Jan 93 13:13:49 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

pettsj@visigoth.demon.co.uk (James Petts) writes:

>In article <1993Jan7.142137.23932@tadtec.uucp> Tim Steele,
>tjfs@tadtec.co.uk writes:
>>but I suspect this is entirely arbitrary.  Anyone know better?

>I would (and do!) take Ibuprofen every time. Ibuprofen and aspirin are 
>both non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) which operate in the same 
>way, by blocking the sysnthesis of compounds called prostaglandins.

True - the disadvantage of asprin is that it can cause ulceration of
the stomach.  Paracetamol doesn't do this.  As far as I'm concerned, for
myself, paracetamol is safe and effective.  All drugs are harmful when
abused, it's just that paracetamol is a rather nasty way to go as the
effects don't become apparent until about 36 hours later (and if like
many ODs the person decides that they would really quite like to live
after all it certainly isn't what they want to hear).

>......
>From the preceding paragraph, it should be clear that paracetamol, which 
>is regarded as a s"safe" drug is NOT. It should be locked away from 
>children very carefully, and there is a feeling that tablets should 
>contain an emetic, so that if you take too many, you will throw them 
>right back up again.

I'd like to see the emetic part - but it is very true that NO DRUGS ARE
SAFE.  Each one must be used within the guidelines dictated for that
drug eg. not operating machinery when on anti-histamines etc.  Having
said all that, I would tend not to keep paracetamol in a house with
children around because of the potency of the drug.  (Nor would I even
dream of keeping anything more potent than Disprin in a house where a
habitual abuser might be).

Dave.
From: snail@lsl.co.uk
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Transport subsidies - Was: Car Parking
Date: 11 Jan 93 13:19:33 GMT
Organization: Laser-Scan Ltd., Cambridge

In article <930108.150220.1l3.rusnews.w165w@mantis.co.uk>, mathew@mantis.co.uk (mathew) writes:
> I'd be surprised and delighted if the electricity suppliers decided not to
> buy any more coal.  I gather that energy efficiency could reduce power
> requirements in this country by around 45%, and most of the remaining demand
> could be satisfied entirely using renewable energy sources.  I don't expect
> that to happen in my lifetime, though.  I think we're going to be stuck
> burning coal for a long time.

I remember something from a 2 or 3 years back when I heard that the power
wasted by people leaving their videos plugged in, and their alarm clock radio
and other things on 'standby-mode', totals up to enough to power the city of
Leicester - and this is only the tip of the iceberg, we're probably up to being
able to run most of Birmingham now on 'wasted' electricity. ME, I switch my
video off when I'm not watching the TV, but then I don't mind the clock
flashing on/off at me.

> If anyone can set up a charitable hospital, the public can divert funds into
> whichever one spends the largest proportion of its cash on patient care. 
> That is, someone can set up an alternative NHS which isn't out of managerial
> control.

Well we all know what I think of this idea.
> 
>>                                                          As regards
>> the Channel Tunnel, why do you think we wouldn't spend money on it?
> 
> How many people do you know who are actually willing to use the Channel
> Tunnel once it's built?  Everyone I've spoken about it has said point blank
> that they think it's a deathtrap and that they won't use it.  I'm certain
> that the moment it's opened, it'll be the IRA's number one target.

Absolutely, I was amazed they actually met up at the middle, I've said I'll
use the hovercraft or ferry or whatever, I'm very sceptical of it. Also, we'll
have Rabies over here soon after it's opened. A lot of people here think I'm
going to be wrong (I'd like to be) in this case, and "anyway Rabies isn't a real
problem any more" - yeah sure :-(.

> That leaves it for use as a goods transport system, and a hopelessly
> expensive one.

:-) Share ownership, who needs it? Not Channel Tunnel owners.
-- 
snail@lsl.co.uk      

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless
 means to side with the powerful, not to be Neutral."
                                                     Quote by Freire.
                                                     Poster by OXFAM.