HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dbrooks@osf.org (David Brooks)
Subject: Re: RKO's Gene Burns
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 22:48:51 GMT

In article <HykBoB1w164w@buscard.fidonet.org>, murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy) writes:
|> dbrooks@osf.org (David Brooks) writes:
|> 
|>|> When Mr. David Brooks wrote his rejoinder above, suspicions that he lives 
|>|> in Cambridge lept to mind.
|> > 
|> > When I read this, suspicions about prejudice leapt to mind.  Actually, I
|> 
|> Yeah, I don't understand the mindset in the People's Republic of
|> Cambridge.  I suppose that makes me prejudiced against its residents.
:
|> side.  From what I know of Cambridge, they've raised knee-jerk reactions 
|> to an art form.  Cambridge knows what's best for you, whether you like it 
|> or not.

Why do you persist in this absurd delusion that I live in Cambridge?  Or,
to be more relevant, that anyone who holds views you might consider to
be -- no, I can't type the awful word; it begins and ends with "L" -- must
live in Cambridge?  Or that anyone who lives in Cambridge must hold those
views?  Bill Weld lives in C******e.

I find this pigeonholing to be insulting.

(Not that it matters one whit, but I live in a town that is predominantly
Republican, but has voted in favor of prop 2.5 overrides and a large bond
issue.)

And Ted O'Brien is a shrill windbag.
-- 
David Brooks					dbrooks@osf.org
Open Software Foundation			uunet!osf.org!dbrooks
Six more months!  Six more months!
Newsgroups: ne.politics
From: cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond)
Subject: Re: Rapist's lawyer opens victim's private files???!
Organization: Integrated International Systems Corp. One Longfellow Place, Suite 3309, Boston, Ma.
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 21:21:55 GMT

gjc@mitech.com (George J. Carrette) writes:

>In article <1992Jul22.142457.17696@kronos.com>, richb@kronos.com (Rich Braun) writes:
>> Does anyone else here feel the same sense of outrage at yesterday's
>> Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision to uphold the $100 daily
>> fine against a rape crisis center which is withholding its patient's
>> confidential files from the attorney of the alleged rapist?

>Clearly the rapist is deemed more worthy of protection. by the SJC,
>and the great court.

>(1) DNA testing was recently rejected by the SJC. Because of the
>    "expert clearly can't agree." E.G. Is the chance of a false positive
>    really 2 MILLION-TO-ONE or is it "only" 1 MILLION-TO-ONE.

>(2) the Massachusetts law that makes it impossible for a rape victim
>    to find out if a *convicted* rapist had tested positive for HIV
>    without "negotiating" (e.g. making cash payment to the rapist
>    or other quid-pro-quo).


>Of course you can see the point of #2 from the point of view of
>a rapist. If he tested positive for HIV then any conviction for rape
>would automatically turn into a good case against him for attempted
>murder.

>-----------


A. While it is legit for the judge to review the files for pertinent
evidence (as has been done in the past) it is beyond all reason for the
DEFENSE atty to see the files that are not pertinent!!!! The first
judge seems to have balled this one up... the SJC was just frosting.

B. I have seen the results that are used for DNA testing and they are
nowhere near being clear and unequivical... I would say that the chance
of error is 5 orders of magnitude greater than you think!!  Interpreting
these (they look like spectrum analysis charts) is tough enough in a
laboratory , but once the sperm is contaminated with foreign matter and
other the victims organic matter and has dried/aged then the interpretation
is purely black magic.  IE this time the SJC was right.

C. " a good case against him for attempted" This is almost certainly the
reason! And it is a constitutionally protected reason at the federal level,
not just the state. There is a solution! The State should grant immunity
from prosecution for any crimes discovered by the testing process and 
then order the tests! There is even a precident , in that, in the 70s
the Supreme Court ruled that the Army's drug testing program was an
unconstitutional search and could not be used for criminal action, but
they did not have to stop and they could discharge the soldiers as long 
as the discharge was a general or honorable discharge (not bad conduct or
dihonorable).

Charlie

-- 
*****************************************************************************
*  Charles Richmond 	Integrated International Systems Corporation        *
*  cmr@world.std.com	(Temporary) crichmond@mr4dec.enet.dec.com           *
*  Specializing in UNIX, X, Image Processing, and Communications.           *
Newsgroups: ne.politics
From: dlw@odi.com (Dan Weinreb)
Subject: Re: in praise of scalpers
Reply-To: dlw@odi.com
Organization: Object Design, Inc.
Distribution: ne
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 19:49:41 GMT

In article <BZS.92Jul19010746@ussr.std.com> bzs@ussr.std.com (Barry Shein) writes:

   Some performers do of course command higher prices, no argument, but I
   suspect it's all a delicate thing.

   For example, imagine if you went to your regular $7.50/seat movie
   house to see, oh, Batman Returns, a popular movie, and found that
   tickets were $25? I think a lot of people would be livid.

On the other hand, Broadway musicals work exactly this way, and nobody
is surprised if the ticket prices for the latest Andrew Lloyd Weber
hit are quite high. It depends on habits and psychology and so on;
it's more complex than can be explained by simplistic, mechanistic
versions of supply-and-demand arguments.  As you say, it's a delicate
thing.
From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: RKO's Gene Burns
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 92 15:10:54 EDT
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

|> I suppose you listen to Gene Burns on WRKO radio, ehwhat?  Bummah that
|> he'll be leaving for national syndication from New York come November.

You mean that pompous ass is going to stop using up valuable airtime and
is finally going to transit his last meridian?  Best news I've heard since
Thursday.

Yes, Mr. Burns will be leaving WRKO but I'm happy that I'll still be able 
to hear his syndicated program broadcast by that station at an as yet 
undetermined time slot.  I wonder who his replacement will be?

When Mr. David Brooks wrote his rejoinder above, suspicions that he lives 
in Cambridge lept to mind.  I wonder what his beef with Mr. Burns is?

To my mind, Mr. Burns' program has the widest variety of topics on the 
air.  He has covered just about everything with equal facility.  He does 
his homework and knows what he's talking about.  I wish I could say the 
same about the predictable Jerry Williams.

                                - - - Murph

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From: gjc@mitech.com (George J. Carrette)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: Rapist's lawyer opens victim's private files???!
Date: 27 Jul 92 09:27:30 GMT
Organization: Mitech Corporation, Concord MA

In article <brx2ml.bp1@wang.com>, fitz@wang.com (Tom Fitzgerald) writes:
> 
> Even if the chance of false positives is only 10^-5, that's probably not
> good enough to stand as evidence on its own.  Then police can just compile
> DNA profiles of released convicts (or even anybody who's been jailed for
> any reason, the way they fingerprint everyone now).

You are picking on a GIANT STRAW MAN. No evidence in a trial ever
stands on its own. And any method that uses statistical sampling
would of course preclude the kind of sloppy police work that
you posit in your STRAW MAN.

Also, you mention "the way they fingerprint everyone now."

Good example. And there are resonable computer-generated pattern
match databases of fingerprints in current technology.

But do the police take a fingerprint set from a crime scene
and regularly feed them into a computer to generate matches
all over the country? No. They do not.

Newsgroups: ne.politics
From: dbrooks@osf.org (David Brooks)
Subject: Re: RKO's Gene Burns
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 20:11:30 GMT

murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy) writes:
|> Yes, Mr. Burns will be leaving WRKO but I'm happy that I'll still be able 
|> to hear his syndicated program broadcast by that station at an as yet 
|> undetermined time slot.

2am, please God.

|> When Mr. David Brooks wrote his rejoinder above, suspicions that he lives 
|> in Cambridge lept to mind.

When I read this, suspicions about prejudice leapt to mind.  Actually, I
lived in Cambridge, England, 1968-1972, but I'm not living in the past.

|>  I wonder what his beef with Mr. Burns is?

I already told you.  He's a pompous ass.  I suspect you are going to tell
me what my beef *really* is.
-- 
David Brooks					dbrooks@osf.org
Open Software Foundation			uunet!osf.org!dbrooks
Six more months!  Six more months!
From: gjc@mitech.com (George J. Carrette)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: Rapist's lawyer opens victim's private files???!
Date: 23 Jul 92 09:03:22 GMT
Organization: Mitech Corporation, Concord MA

In article <1992Jul22.142457.17696@kronos.com>, richb@kronos.com (Rich Braun) writes:
> Does anyone else here feel the same sense of outrage at yesterday's
> Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision to uphold the $100 daily
> fine against a rape crisis center which is withholding its patient's
> confidential files from the attorney of the alleged rapist?

Clearly the rapist is deemed more worthy of protection. by the SJC,
and the great court.

(1) DNA testing was recently rejected by the SJC. Because of the
    "expert clearly can't agree." E.G. Is the chance of a false positive
    really 2 MILLION-TO-ONE or is it "only" 1 MILLION-TO-ONE.

(2) the Massachusetts law that makes it impossible for a rape victim
    to find out if a *convicted* rapist had tested positive for HIV
    without "negotiating" (e.g. making cash payment to the rapist
    or other quid-pro-quo).


Of course you can see the point of #2 from the point of view of
a rapist. If he tested positive for HIV then any conviction for rape
would automatically turn into a good case against him for attempted
murder.

-----------
From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: RKO's Gene Burns
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 11:31:04 EDT
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

dbrooks@osf.org (David Brooks) writes:

> |> When Mr. David Brooks wrote his rejoinder above, suspicions that he lives 
> |> in Cambridge lept to mind.
> 
> When I read this, suspicions about prejudice leapt to mind.  Actually, I

Yeah, I don't understand the mindset in the People's Republic of
Cambridge.  I suppose that makes me prejudiced against its residents.

> |>  I wonder what his beef with Mr. Burns is?
> 
> I already told you.  He's a pompous ass.  I suspect you are going to tell
> me what my beef *really* is.

Heh!  Neat.  I was just curious why you'd want to call him names.  You 
could have just said he was pompous and leave it at that.  By adding the 
"ass," you imply a distaste for the man himself, more likely his views
since I'm sure you don't know him personally.

I like Gene because he makes you think through your position on a topic 
so that you don't take a knee-jerk stand and refuse to hear the other 
side.  From what I know of Cambridge, they've raised knee-jerk reactions 
to an art form.  Cambridge knows what's best for you, whether you like it 
or not.

I don't know you but you did post a derogatory opinion of someone I 
admire.  I don't want to tell you what your "beef *really* is" but I can 
only think that since Gene is more known for being an anti-government 
conservative by those who don't listen regularly, you disagree with his 
views.

I am a Republican and would label myself conservative.  Gene has shaken 
me from my own knee-jerk assumptions on such hot-button topics as 
abortion and prayer in school!  I was amazed that anyone could do that!  

I really value his reasoned approach to any topic ranging from bashing 
the big brother government of Cambridge to the religious right's 
self-importance.  His range and grasp of issues is amazing.  It is 
something you can't get with any other talk-show host in the area.  He 
analyzes and prompts analysis of issues while others just talk, rants, 
and raves.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: RKO's Gene Burns
Keywords: Talk, Radio
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 11:34:05 EDT
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

sdo@linus.mitre.org (Sean D. O'Neil) writes:

> Again, I pretty much agree.  He does get a little bombastic at times, but
> not so as to put you on edge.

True.  He's had me running for the dictionary on more than one occasion.  
I don't mind, though; at least I learned a couple of "New Words For 
Today."  :-)

> Strangely enough, the only other local radio talk guy I would put even
> close to Gene is Avi Nelson--strangely, because they are both of pretty
> much the same political persuasion (libertarian).

Avi's not bad but he's a bit too boring for me.  His monotone doesn't 
excite me but he does have his good moments.  I think I like Janine Graf 
(spelling probably incorrect) better and would welcome her as Burns' 
replacement.

> The guy who I just can't stand these days is Howie Carr, sometimes of
> RKO.  His shtick is essentially making fun, and often in a mean way, of
> politicians he doesn't like for whatever reason.  His demeanor reminds
> me strongly of the know-nothing yahoos I remember from high school.
> 
I agree.  I'm not as offended by his schtick as others might be but 
really...  He doesn't seem to have any other dimension to his public 
persona than snickering at other public figures.  It has its place now 
and again but day after day?  I think he's better in the Herald where he 
has time to think through what he's about to pose.  The column is biting 
while still being funny.

Know who gets on my nerves?  Jerry Williams.  That guy is so predictable 
that I pretty much tune in his program for background noise.  He seems to 
be so self-promoting while not offering anything new.  The topic for 
today and everyday will be politics and from the populist side.  "I'm mad 
as hell" but I don't need him to remind me about it everyday.

What other stations offer talk radio in the Boston area?  Please don't 
tell me about whatever station has Marjorie Claprood, though.  THAT'S 
nasty!

Does anyone remember 'RKO before they changed to the talk format?  I won 
tickets to one of the concerts they sponsored that had Santana and, I do
believe it had the Cars in their early years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, Massachusetts - Data: (508) 682-5329
SysAdmin:  murph@buscard.fidonet.org / ...!ulowell!wizvax!buscard!murph
From: dand@buscard.fidonet.org (Dan Davidson)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: rko's gene burns
Date: 26 Jul 92 10:03:22 GMT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r


  => In a message to All on 07-24-92  15:00 Dan Weinreb said:

 DD> No radio talk show of whatever color could ever entice me, and no
 DD> TV talk show can hold me for more than five minutes.

 DD> Intolerant?  No, just impatient with ill-considered convictions
 DD> from people with no credentials.

 DW> Every so often, "Talk of the Nation" on NPR (afternoons 2-4) ends up
 DW> with a whole string of callers who ask reasonably intelligent
 DW> questions.  Sometimes it's fairly interesting.  It depends a lot on
 DW> the nature of the day's guest(s).

My attitude on talk shows is more ho-hum than my post indicated.  It's
just a matter of choice.

Around here NPR is carried by WBUR and WGBH.  I listen almost
exclusively to WGBH, where the closest thing to a talk show
(fortunately not close at all) is "All Things Considered."

But I assure you that the only way I could possibly get interested in
talk shows is if they're on public radio.


                                                   -- Dan --


... Ad astra per aspera (or, I'll never get off the ground)
--- Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
From: gjc@mitech.com (George J. Carrette)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: Rapist's lawyer opens victim's private files???!
Date: 27 Jul 92 08:58:16 GMT
Organization: Mitech Corporation, Concord MA

In article <5125@transfer.stratus.com>, tarl@sw.stratus.com (Tarl Neustaedter) writes:
> ... if I am genuinely innocent, I would take my chances in a trial, and
> if incorrectly convicted, hope additional information would crop up to
> eventually prove my innocence.

You only take this route if you have infinite money to spend
defending yourself.

> I don't know what the odds ended up at, but they didn't achieve the
> billions-to-one that should guarantee even odds of not being confused
> with another living human being.

If you don't have much money for a lawyer the current DNA test is even a good
bet to tell the difference between you and your BROTHER.

If you think you need BILLIONS-TO-ONE, then, well, forget it.
If you have bad case lung cancer you have a much better chance
of getting cured by visiting one of those "Faith Cure" preachers
on Television.

-gjc
Newsgroups: ne.politics
From: mgelman@cyclades.ma30.bull.com (Michael A. Gelman)
Subject: DNA Fingerprinting article (was Re: Rapist's lawyer...)
Reply-To: mgelman@cyclades.ma30.bull.com (Michael A. Gelman)
Organization: Bull HN Informations Systems Inc.
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 16:09:45 GMT

Today's _Wall Street Journal_ has an article on page B1 on the issue of 
DNA fingerprinting.  Basically, it says many of the things that have been 
said here: Some say it is acurate, some say it's not acurate, some say it
is an issue of privacy.  Also, FBIs plans for connecting the databanks
together...

--Mike Gelman
-- 
mgelman@granite.ma30.bull.com
Advanced Engineering Program -- Bull HN Info Systems
(Any similarity between my opinions and those of Bull, living or dead, are
entirely coincidental.) 
Newsgroups: ne.politics
From: Leo_Hoban@amicol.UUCP (Leo Hoban)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: Blast from the Past
Date: 21 Jul 92 16:14:26 GMT
Organization: Amiga Colony BBS

Nice guy....

OTOH, my father's comment in reference to him (He went to college with him)
was, "Too many games without a helmet."

-- Via DLG Pro v0.991
From: Leo_Hoban@amicol.UUCP (Leo Hoban)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Evidence
Date: 30 Jul 92 12:42:27 GMT
Organization: Amiga Colony BBS

Give me a good solid fingerprint where the suspect couldn't have been if
he is telling the truth over eyewitnesses any day....

OTOH, A fellow in Cambridge got off in a murder case when the police
got his palmprint in the victims's blood off the doorjam.
(That case was on court tv. rather interesting, actually.)

-- Via DLG Pro v0.991
From: dand@buscard.fidonet.org (Dan Davidson)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: rko's gene burns     
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 20:18:16 EDT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r

 -=> Quoting Brian Murphy to All <=-

 BM> I am a Republican and would label myself conservative.  Gene has
 BM> shaken  me from my own knee-jerk assumptions on such hot-button topics
 BM> as  abortion and prayer in school!  I was amazed that anyone could do
 BM> that!   

I would have approached your "hot buttons" only with trepidation.

 BM> self-importance.  His range and grasp of issues is amazing.  It is
 BM> something you can't get with any other talk-show host in the area.  He
 BM> analyzes and prompts analysis of issues while others just talk, rants,
 BM> and raves.

No radio talk show of whatever color could ever entice me, and no TV
talk show can hold me for more than five minutes.

Intolerant?  No, just impatient with ill-considered convictions from
people with no credentials.

Please wait for me to duck for cover before answering (;

                                             -- Dan --


... THINK! or thwim.
--- Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: rko's gene burns
Date: 26 Jul 92 14:33:01 GMT
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

betsys@cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz) writes:

> So when is this paragon of reasoning on? <grin>
> I'd like to get hooked, I mean, hear for myself.

Weekdays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on WRKO 680 AM.

While the rest talk, Gene Burns listens.  He'll have callers on for half 
an hour and more fleshing out the argument.  It's a beautiful thing.

                                - - - Murph

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From: richb@kronos.com (Rich Braun)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Time & Money (was Re: in praise of scalpers)
Date: 27 Jul 92 17:40:42 GMT
Distribution: ne
Organization: Kronos Inc. / Waltham, MA
Disclaimer: This posting is a personal opinion and not that of Kronos Inc.

>>   Any system that allocates resources based on willingness to waste time, is
>>   unacceptable in a nation which bases its wealth on productivity.

>>A person who is unable to find a job, and thus has plenty of time and
>>little money, might not feel the same way, though.

>That's a good point, if you're living within modest means then
>"wasting time" to save money *is* productive.

Way back when I was an independent contractor, the incremental value of
my time was about $50 per hour.  At any given point, I could ask myself
"Should I work an extra hour at my job, or should I do this external
task (for example, fix the car)?"  Usually, it was "cheaper" to hire
someone else to do a given task than to do it myself.

Now that I'm on salary, an incremental hour of time has little, if any,
cash value.  I do a lot more things around the house.  This has little to
do with wealth or productivity; it simply has to do with the structure of
my employment.  (Or, in economic terms, "opportunity cost".)

-rich
Newsgroups: ne.politics
From: boba@miki.pictel.com (Bob Alexander)
Subject: Re: RKO's Gene Burns
Organization: PictureTel Corporation
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 16:32:01 GMT

>Strangely enough, the only other local radio talk guy I would put even
>close to Gene is Avi Nelson--strangely, because they are both of pretty
>much the same political persuasion (libertarian).

Is Avi Nelson a libertarian?  I thought he considered himself a conservative.

     Bob Alexander                                     boba@pictel.com
       The more the government does, the better libertarianism looks
     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     Organizations don't have opinions; people do.  The above opinions
     do not reflect those of the directors, stockholders, managers, or
     other employees of PictureTel.
From: dand@buscard.fidonet.org (Dan Davidson)
Newsgroups: ne.politics
Subject: Re: rko's gene burns     
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 19:33:31 EDT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r

 -=> Quoting Brian Murphy to All <=-
 BM> Does anyone remember 'RKO before they changed to the talk format?  I

I remember WRKO when it was WNAC.  Don't laugh -- you'll be old,
yourself, some day...

                                                   -- Dan --



... Onward and upward.
--- Blue Wave/QWK v2.10
                                                                         
Newsgroups: ne.politics