HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gpowell@ent1.ent.ncsu.edu (Eugene Powell)
Subject: Daylength, Sunshine, Bluesky, unoffensive dialog
Summary: equate forgiveness with being nicer than the other when
Originator: gpowell@ent1.ent.ncsu.edu
Keywords: tilt axis bold as love
Organization: Dept. of Entomology - NCSU, Raleigh, NC
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 18:44:55 GMT

We have done extensive research here in NC that indicates conclusively
that the sky is not just blue but CAROLINA BLUE, although some at this
institution prefer to see RED. Some may even see red after reading
'news' items posted from here but that's another discussion....

I guess i was playing a little devil's advocate with the daylength
thing since I have seen renditions of climatic conditions from past
events that could account for a typical "day" as we know it being
impossible to measure. Some other plan or calculations would have
to be used to determine amounts of time if environmental cues were
absent, say during large volcanic spewings, or after local floods
destroyed records and deposited much silt fomenting huge sandstorms.
The more primitive man of the past (mostly distant past) readily
associated catastrophic events with some divine message or plan,
and often with some deity they of course had knowledge of.

At least one pantheon and several myths attempt to explain the need
for adding five days to calendars (day defined as the time from sun-
set to sunset, or about 24 hours by Mickey's arms) about 5000 years
ago. Now of course these primitive peoples, who could construct
marvelous monuments, navigate oceans, solve complex mathmatical prob-
lems, could not possibly have measured correctly somehow hence the
need to add five days. BTW, the pantheon thing required the rower
of the solar boat to cease his transport of the sun across the sky
during this period.

On another vein, then I'll shutup for awhile, does anyone out there
possess modern referances to the pole shift theory? I've heard of
some ongoing geologic attempts to ascertain possible mechanisms and
time frames involved, but can't seem to get to current stuff. One
interesting slant seen was a seemingly logical theory requiring
not a total 180 degree shift, but a temporary resettling of the poles
at a right angle to present position for an unknown time period.
This theorist submitted that a shift would begin gradually then speed
to an event, and that repositioning of water from the poles would
be required.
Incidentally, there are copies of maps showing the coastline of
Antarctica without ice. Some copies are minimum 500 yrs old, and
even have longitude lines. Geologic studies of coastal contours
from this particular map using soundings (stretching my knowledge
of this subject) confirmed actual shoreline locations. 

One tiny item: what happens when we pass through a black hole spiral
at its extremities where apparent effects are minimal (we probably
missed this while scanning the net)
I still think some kinda spingravity effects my knees, or am I aging?
From: nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T=Killfiles and whoami
Date: 29 Jul 92 16:22:45 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Jul28.225210.28598@ncsu.edu> tai-sa@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott A Tai) writes:
>
>Maybe if your hollombe friend discontinued posting kill files for my id, 
>I wouldn't have to continually modify it.  Then everyone would be happy.  
>
>Get it?
>


Scott:

   You're not in my killfile.  Still, if I chose to add your name to it,
indicating that I wasn't interested in listening to your arguments, what
purpose would be served by trying to circumvent that effort?  Wouldn't
you just be atagonizing people that have already decided, for good or
bad, that they didn't want to listen to you?

                                               Nick


-- 
   _/   _/  _/  _/_/_/   _/   _/  
  _/_/ _/  _/  _/   _/  _/_/_/
 _/ _/_/  _/  _/       _/ _/                    Nicholas C de Mello
_/   _/  _/   _/_/_/  _/   _/                     Nick+@pitt.edu
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: eternal life
Date: 22 Jul 92 18:09:11 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.095419.49373@ccvax.ucd.ie>, bharat@ccvax.ucd.ie writes:
> 
> In article <1992Jul20.135359.14577@ugle.unit.no>, mortenaa@Lise.Unit.NO (Morten Aagaard) writes:
> > If the paralell-universes theory is right, one could get eternal life
> > in one of these while dying in another????
>  
> I have heard about anti-universe. But paralell-universe is new to me????

The parallel universe theory says that any decision point, two or more
universes are created--one for each branch of the decision.  There is an
entire subgenre in science fiction devoted to this theory; these stories
involve the ability to travel from one of these universes to at least
one other, and usually to many others.  L. Neil Smith wrote a series of
stories, using this principle, to show how the United States would be
today (and in the future) if it had adopted the principles of
libertarianism at the beginning of its history.  Also, the book "Ring
Around the Sun" is an excellent example of this subgenre.  The latter
books by Robert A. Heinlein are also based in part on this theory (with
the extra twist that all works of fiction have also spawned their own
universes where the fiction turned out to be real).
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: T/ T: To All MENSA Members...
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 15:39:36 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.021628.19341@ncsu.edu>, scott@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott A Tai) writes:
> 
> In article <3762@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP>, nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello) writes:
> |>In article <1992Jul23.213518.6135@ncsu.edu> tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us writes:
> |>>
> |>>MENSA is simply one more dangerous way in which one group of people
> |>>attempt to set themselves apart -- and by 'apart' one invariably finds
> |>>'superior', since few people desire to join an organization which
> |>>claims its members are 'inferior' -- from the rest of the populace.  Of
> |>>such "harmless" little groups are born the divisive philosophies which
> |>>feed nationalism, racism, and separate us from each other.
> |>>
> |>   No, I wouldn't join a group that claimed it's membership was inferior
> |>to others.  Neither would I join one that claimed superiority to others.
> |>I think you're right, either attitude breeds unnecessary conflict.  I'm
> |>quite satisfied with mensa, which claims only the third and unmentioned
> |>option of equality.
> 
> Hardly.  By insisting on a test score for membership, MENSA attempts to
> give the impression that its members are intellectually superior to the
> general population.  
> 
> -- Scott Tai
>    tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us

Well, if by "general" you mean "average of the rest of the", then
you're right.  See, when I say things like "you'd have to agree that...",
I'm right and you do.

GM("Helping the World Through Scott Tai")S
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: IQ vs. Faith
Date: 27 Jul 92 21:56:41 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.185932.25418@ttinews.tti.com>, hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
> 
> In article <14825@claris.com> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
> }In article <1992Jul22.190618.21468@ttinews.tti.com>, hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
> 
> }> You can't have it both ways.  Either the Bible errs in calling the first
> }> four days "days" (in which case the validity of the entire work is called
> }> into question) or "day" in Genesis doesn't mean "sunset to sunrise."
> }
> }One minor correction:  sunset to sunset; although even in the first "day,"
> }before there was a sun, it does say, "it was morning and evening; the
> }first day."
> 
> Oops.  Sorry about that.

Oops.  I had meant to write "it was evening and morning; the first day."
However, the rest is correct.  According to Jewish tradition (and Islamic
tradition, also) the day begins at sunset, and ends at sunset.  That's why
Sabbath services are held Friday evenings, even though the Sabbath is on
Saturday.
From: Craig.Wagner@p2.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Wagner)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Densa exists!
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 12:57:19 -0500

  db> From: zlsiida@fs1.mcc.ac.uk (dave budd) Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
  db> Organization: Manchester Computing Centre

  db> The very night I posted this, I got home to find some post on my mat
  db> from Densa!  (this is UK, btw).
  db> 
  db> "DENSA people don't know what they're doing.  Wrong! Densafolk know
  db> exactly waht they're doing.  It's the other people who don't know what
  db> we're doing, so they think we're stupid, just because we refuse to
  db> believe everything we' re told by so-called 'experts' on TV, radio and
  db> in the newspapers.  ...So come and join us.  Life membership of Densa, 
  db> for which you receive your certificate of Densanity, badge, membership 
  db> card, Densawallet in quakeproof Densarette, plus the unique Densil 
  db> (the unleaded pencil) costs 5 pounds +1.50 p&p.  You can also order 
  db> the wonderful Densa Tshirt for 8pounds+1.50p&p  or you can have 
  db> everything for 12pounds+1.50p&p  It is your duty to join today to 
  db> restore some common sense to this country.

It's clear that they *do* know what they're doing.  They're collecting money
from people!  I wish I'd thought of it first...    ;-)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Subject: Exploratorium notice
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 16:22:31 GMT

Here is a notice from Elna Tymes, of the SFAG
Committee, which appeared on the Mensa Forum yesterday:

"If you attended the San Francisco Annual Gathering
earlier this month, and bought a ticket to the 
Exploratorium event, and were dissatisfied with the
dinner provided, you may be eligible for a partial
refund.  Dick Amyx, the AG chair, has authorized a
refund of an amount to be determined after the books 
close at the end of this month, to those who contact
him and request the refund.  The offer will have a time
limit on it -- watch the Mensa Forum for the ending
date.

"If you want whatever refund is available, contact
Dick Amyx, SFRM LocSec, at 994 N. 2nd St., San Jose,
CA 95112."

Dick Amyx can also be reached via e-mail on the
Internet at this address:

70760.2755@compuserve.com

--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle
From: rad@genco.bungi.com (Bob Daniel)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T: To All MENSA Members...
Date: 29 Jul 92 15:14:02 GMT
Reply-To: rad@genco.bungi.com (Bob Daniel)
Organization: Gentry & Assoc. Excelsior Springs, MO

In article <1992Jul28.141155.6246@linus.mitre.org> wchenaul@cyclone.mitre.org (William W. Chenault) writes:
>(For purposes of this discussion, I will assume both parents have the same
>IQ - this simplification is only to help me explain my point better.)  For
>example, if parents with IQ = 110 have a child, this child will, ON AVERAGE,
>have an IQ of 105 (half-way between average (= 100) and his/her parents IQ.
>This is the "genetic half" of IQ, and it works both ways - if parents with
>IQ = 90 have a child, then on average, this child will have an IQ of 95.

I'm afraid my family doesn't fit in this case.  My parents IQ's are average,
my six sisters are generally above average, and my two brothers and I have
IQ's well over 140.  This might be one of those cases where parents want
their children to be better than themselves.  Or perhaps there is a relation-
ship with high IQ's among siblings in a large family.

As far as environment goes.. We grew up in a violent area of St. Louis and
then in an apathetic small town.  On top of that, our parents were not very
intellectually encouraging.  
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: Why mammal lips?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 18:41:19 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.213928.1981@brandonu.ca>, mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:
> In article <1992Jul24.123158.8144@cs.mcgill.ca>, mingmar@cs.mcgill.ca (Ming MAR) writes:
> > Why are most mammals lipped?  Is this a result of random
> > evolution or is there any particular reason for not being
> > duck-billed?
> 
> Why is Cosby negroid?  But the lip thing...
> See mammals and birds come from entirely different evolutionary lines
> (well they both are vertebrates, but they separated a long time ago)...
> I forget the explanation for the duck-billed platypus but I think
> it's simple...  Wish I had my Evolution text here (maybe you should consider
> looking at one yourself).
> 
> Brian McBean  McBeanB@BrandonU.Ca

Thanks for sharing that information, Brian.

GM("Still a smartass.")S
From: SSR48327@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU (Syed Shibli)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: student membership
Date: 22 Jul 92 01:38:12 GMT
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mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:

>In article <1992Jul21.071356.2761@news.Hawaii.Edu>, macknik@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Elizabeth A. Macknik) writes:
>> 
>> 
>>  VG: I would like to be a member of mensa. I know that I would qualify for it. 
>>  VG: My question is,"Is there any special rates for students' membership ?".
>> 
>>  NDM:   There is a 50% discount for students under 25.  By the by, I've had
>>  NDM: a problem with the "under 25 limitation" from before I hit 25.  It seems
>>  NDM: to me that this necessarily means graduate students are not offered a
>>  NDM: discount.  Most schools offer annual salaries to (science at least) 
>>  NDM: graduates of less than $12,000.  If anyone needs that discount it's
>>  NDM: starving graduate students!  I vote for a removal of that age limit!
>> 
>> There is an implied bias here--that undergraduates are not over 25.  However,
>> in the U.S., over 40% of undergraduate students are non-traditional.  
>> While non-traditional includes many designations, the primary criteria is
>> being a student over 25 years of age.  (It also includes veterans, etc.)
>> 
>The following are my perceptions and may not be what Mensa's policies or
>thoughts on the matter actually are.
>
>The implication is that a student who is over 25 probably has an income--or is a
>"professional student."  Mensa doesn't want to be stuck with getting 50% dues from
>someone who is able to pay, or who is avoiding the workplace by "hiding" in school
>for longer than is necessary to get a degree.

  If by "professional students" you mean teaching/research assistants, then
  that income is very little, indeed. Most graduate students (at the Masters
  level) receive much less than $12,000 per year. Over here, PhD students
  get around $12,000 (in the engineering and sciences). I think doctoral
  candidates in the liberal arts get considerable less. Does Mensa define
  a "minimum income" by which members will be charged the regular dues? 
  I do not think an age cut-off is a reliable indicator. How about a letter
  from the school, instead? That way, all students will be students, and all
  regular members will be regular members.

-- 
                                              --Syed Shibli
                                                ssr48327@vax1.utulsa.edu
                                                +1 918 631 3257
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Subject: Re: T: To All MENSA Members...
Reply-To: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 20:06:44 GMT

>In article <1992Jul27.214609.12298@ncsu.edu> tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us writes:

>     Personally, I have absolutely no doubt that blacks, Hispanics, 
>and other minorities are of equal intelligence, on average, to the 
>average white.  I do not want to accuse MENSA of racism here, but 
>how the hell do you explain these testing differences?  If you assert 
>that IQ and aptitude tests measure skills that are unrelated to 
>differences in education and social background (which is the position
>of all psychometric purists), you can come to only two logical 
>possibilities:

You ignore my previous posting in which I explained there is a third
possibility, one backed not only by logic, but also, unlike your
postings, by data.  Intelligence is affected by early childhood care --
attention and stimulation from caregivers, maturity of the mother, et
cetera.  People who score well on IQ tests are more likely than the
general population to have been the oldest or only child or to have been
born more than three years later than the next previous sibling.

Intelligence is partly hereditary and partly environmental.  A child may
be born with a great capacity, but if the child is not stimulated and
cared for properly early, that capacity may be lost for the rest of
their life.

In our society, blacks are at a disadvantage in early care -- children
are born to young mothers, siblings are born closer than three years
together, there are more children per family, there are fewer caregivers
per child, on average.  But black children who are fortunate enough NOT
to have been born in these conditions score better, on average, on
intelligence tests.  By examining the population distribution, it is
found that these environmental factors account for most of the
difference between IQ scores of whites and blacks.

The facts backing this up can be found in Intelligence and Giftedness by
Dr. Miles Storfer.


                                -- edp (Eric Postpischil)
                                "Always mount a scratch monkey."
                                edp@alien.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: RMS0214@MVS.CC.NCSU.EDU
Subject: Re: T: To All MENSA Members...
Reply-To: RMS0214@MVS.CC.NCSU.EDU
Organization: North Carolina State University Computing Center
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 00:22:49 GMT


In article <712134035.F00002@blkcat.UUCP>, Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson) writes:
|>nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello) writes to Scott Tai:
|>
|> n>   I admit I'm a little confused.  If I understand right, you do not
|> n> object to clubs restricted to people of certain, arbitrary, qualities:
|> n> age, religion, or certain scores on IQ tests - in general.
|>
|>If you understand his statement to that effect, perhaps.  But it completely
|>contradicts his angle of bashing in the past.  But then, what can we expect from
|>a proven liar who hides behind a nonexistent address, constructs invalid
|>arguments from outdated evidence, and ignores not only current data, but even
|>those who know what they're talking about from firsthand experience?

Do you have anything better to do with your time than launch
personal attacks on individuals attempting to do some good?
I have no idea who Scott Tai is, but your post is clearly a
personal attack which has little to do with the Mensa issue.

Grow up.

Raj Shah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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);}printf("\n");}
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mcbeanb@brandonu.ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Why GREENSleaves?
Date: 27 Jul 92 23:00:45 GMT
 <1992Jul25.060938.20652@cs.mcgill.ca> <3759@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> <1992Jul26.013959.1074@cs.mcgill.ca>
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

In article <1992Jul26.013959.1074@cs.mcgill.ca>, mingmar@cs.mcgill.ca (Ming MAR) writes:
>>  I think mildew is a fungus, not a plant.
>  
> But fungi _are_ plants.

wait-a-sec!  Are they?  somebody help me out: the five kingdoms of life are:
           1)  Animal
           2)  Plant
           3)  Protozoans (?)
           4)  isn't Fungi one of em?
           5)  I forget

> This thread hasn't answered the question of why there aren't more
> blue plants (such as some lichen and various evergreens).  Maybe
> having blue needles is less efficient than having green needles.

Maybe it's just so Greenpeace doesn't feel a need to change their name
to Blue-greenpeace...  then they'd get associated with ikky algae.
  
> What color is seaweed?  What little seaweed I've seen seems to be
> quite a bit darker than forest green.  Of course, since my sample
> size is small, my impressions may be totally false.

Hmmmmmm....  maybe the seaweed needs more green stuff (associated with
chlorophyll) since it's under water and it's harder to catch sun beams.
  
Brian McBean  -  McBeanB@BrandonU.Ca
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: drich@sandman.lerc.nasa.gov (Daniel Rich)
Subject: Re:  Mensa national versus local, New York City
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 14:47:11 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.141007.27275@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>, edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil) writes:
|> The offices should be moved elsewhere.

This is an issue that I have talked about with several members of the
AMC over the last several years.  When Margo was running the office,
there was a good reason to leave the office in Brooklyn, but now, I
don't know of one.  

The arguement that we haven't decided what the purpose of the national
office doesn't hold water.  Why not rent a building in somewhere like
Omaha where rents are low, and sublease the space we don't use?  The
building would then be providing income to national, and this might
actually *reduce* dues!

|> Most of my benefit from Mensa comes from the local chapter, yet they
|> receive only a fraction of my dues.  ....
|> The amounts American Mensa provides will not pay for printing of
|> our newsletter (five standard 8.5 by 11 pages) at the cheapest service
|> in the area (New Hampshire).

This has been another of my ongoing complaints.  The group I used to
be loc sec of (Maumee Valley) found that it was costing us more to
publish a newsletter than we were receiving as our portion of the
dues.  From talking to other local groups, I have found that this is a
comon problem (especially with smaller groups).  The only thing that
kept the group going was the flat grant that applied for every year.

I have asked several times for a breakdown of where the dues income is
spent, but have never seen anything satisfactory (although I did see a
somewhat vague pie chart at one point).

|> From the local group, I benefit from frequent events and new
|> acquaintances.  In contrast, I receive little from American Mensa except
|> the Bulletin, which is useful for RG announcements and little else. 
|> (The articles are occasionally entertaining, but not worth much.)

It also comes in handy for wrapping fish and lining bird cages. :-)

One of the arguements I have heard several times is "We charge much
less than many professional societies."  However, this doesn't make
any sense.  Mensa is a *social* organization, and for my $39/year (of
which the local group gets around $7 if I remember correctly) the
national office provides only a single (rather worthless) magazine.

The professional societies I am a member have many publications,
seminars and other activities for 2-3 times the cost.  I don't see
where my dues for Mensa are being used.

|> We should change how dues are distributed and move American Mensa out of
|> New York City.

I whole-heartedly agree!

-- 
Dan Rich                    | drich@lerc.nasa.gov   |  (216) 433-4000
Sr. Systems Engineer        | "Danger, you haven't seen the last of me!"
RMS Technologies, Inc.      |    "No, but the first of you turns my stomach!"
NASA Lewis Research Center  | -- The Firesign Theatre's Nick Danger

From: Dave.Aronson@f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP