HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: phaedrus@unkaphaed.UUCP (James Hartman, Sysop)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.arts.tv.uk,rec.arts.drwho,alt.tv.prisoner
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK, Now: Gordon Bennett!
Keywords: Gordon Bennett!
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 92 17:58:17 GMT
Organization: Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy

ace@kryton.UUCP (Catherine Beckstead) writes:
> > Good luck on the Gordon Bennett question! Sophie herself was asked that, pr
> > at the Friends Christmas con in '91, and her response was essentially "Gee,
> > dunno, it's just something British people say."
> What I was told, (from a British person now living her in the US), is
> that Gorden Bennett was a Canadian talk-show host back in the 70's
> (I think).  He didn't seem to know why it is a slang term, nor did
> he know much more about it.  Maybe our Canadian friends can enlighten
> us further.  It is a term used in Red Dwarf a lot too.  At least
> Holly used to say it.

From "Partridge's Concise Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English:"

Gordon Bennett!  A mild expletive: coll.  It is sufficiently 'explosive' to
be a useful euph. for, e.g., Gawd a' mighty!  James Gordon Bennett (1795-
1892) founded and edited the New York Herald; his son of the same name (1841-
1918) succeeded him, and was responsible for, among other things, sending
Stanley to Africa in search of Livingstone.

So now you know.

--
phaedrus@unkaphaed.UUCP (da sysop)
"They say travel broadens the mind/so I went over the falls in a barrel
I found the north pole/in a field of ice/and in a land of dreams/I found you."
--T. Dolby (I Live in a Suitcase)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY)
Subject: Re: Duty on goods brought into the UK
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory
Distribution: soc
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 20:30:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep15.133037.4374@hemlock.cray.com>, lord@hemlock.cray.com (Steve Lord)        writes...
> 
>In article <15SEP199212354454@sscvx1.ssc.gov>, godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY) writes:
>> In article <NICKH.92Sep15110806@VOILA.VENARI.CS.CMU.EDU>, nickh@CS.CMU.EDU (Nick Haines)            writes...
>> >Anyone had any experience paying duty on possessions taken into the UK
>> >after some time abroad? I'm here in the US for another year now, and
>> >am thinking about buying various items (a computer etc), taking
>> >advantage of the prices here. I think there are rules covering
>> >`items essential to livelihood' or some such, which would cover a
>> >computer for me, but I'm not sure....
>> > 
>> >Replies by email please.
>> > 
>> >Nick Haines nickh@cmu.edu
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> If you've arrived from outside the EC you must have owned goods, and used them
>> for one year or more in order to get exemption from duty and VAT. Special
>> rules for cars, but essentially the same.  Phone the local British Embassy
>> and get a leaflet - then read it carefully.  It's not a problem, never has
>> been for me anyway.
>> 
>> laurence
>> 
> 
> 
>I just read a taxation guide for people living abroad published by a big
>accountancy firm, so I assume this info is correct :-). Yes, if you own the
>goods for a year before taking them back to UK you don't pay duty, you are
>also not supposed to sell the items for at least another year after you get
>back. Quite how they check up on that I don't know, but these are Customs
>and Excise (the VAT man), and I think the onus is on you to prove you don't
>have to pay rather than on them to prove that you do.
> 
>Steve Lord
>-- 
> 
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Steve Lord					voice: +1-612-683-5291
>Cray Research Inc				email: lord@cray.com

Making a mountain out of a molehill.  It's easy, they don't cause you
big problems unless they spot an obvious discrepancy in what you tell them.
Kepp receipts for big items.  If you get a problem, it can be sorted out
after you return to the UK

Laurence
From: sandee@Think.COM (Daan Sandee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: This England
Date: 10 Sep 92 12:50:35 GMT
Organization: TMC
NNTP-Posting-Host: telecaster.think.com

In article <18mobtINN731@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, esh2@po.CWRU.Edu (Evelyn S. Hlabse) writes:
|> 
|> There is a friendly argument that I would like help with.  There
|> is a poem which United Airlines is currently using in its ads
|> that is from a poem and I don't remember the poem or author.  It
|> has the phrase "this sceptered isle, this England".  I think it
|> was Spencer or Milton, my daughter says Churchill quoting
|> Shakespeare.  Anyone know for sure.

"Richard II", by the well-known English playwright, W. Shakespeare,
somewhere in Act I, I think, old John of Gaunt lying on his deathbed and
holding a speech. "Methinks I am a prophet new inspired", &c, eulogising
England, "this royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, this earth of
majesty, this seat of Mars, this other Eden, demi-paradise", &c,
"this precious stone set in the silver sea, which serves it in the office
of a wall", &c, "this earth, this realm, this England" (quote usually ends
here, but the speech going on past this high point into an anticlimax).

Don't know about Churchill, but it's likely he quoted this speech, especially
the bit about the sea serving in the office of a wall, during the Battle
of Britain. Note that Shakespeare's works are mostly canonical, but
Churchill's sayings are often apocryphal.

Daan Sandee                                           sandee@think.com
Thinking Machines Corporation
Cambridge, Mass 02142                                 (617) 234-5044
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 23:55:26 -0400 
From: Thomas Richardson <tr2g+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: What is a 2.1 equivalent to ?
	<1992Sep12.235914.18962@cs.hw.ac.uk>

In article <1992Sep12.235914.18962@cs.hw.ac.uk> neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil
Postlethwaite) writes,


>Everybody who does an honours degree in their final year, be it 3rd in England
>or 4th in Scotland (4 year course - better !!) does a dissertation. This 
>being a short (in time length - equiv to maybe 3 months full time work)
>research project in a subject usually of your chosen supervisors interest
>or research field.

This is simply not true, speaking from my experience at Oxford, and from
speaking to friends from other Universities, many degree courses do not
require a dissertation (admittedly, some give this as an option).  

>MSc's (Master of Science) are pretty common over here.

MSc's are becoming more common in Britain, as research councils become
less and less willing or able to fund people to do longer (and better)
research degrees.
A number of my friends (those who didn't emigrate) chose to do MSc's, as
there was absolutely no funding available (even with a first) in their
chosen field.

(MA's are pretty common amongst Oxford graduates, but that is because
they are awarded, without doing anything (apart from paying a nominal
fee) 3 to 4 years after graduating.)

Thomas Richardson
Philosophy Dept
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From: smckinty@sunicnc.France.Sun.COM (Steve McKinty - Sun ICNC)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: buying peerage
Date: 9 Sep 1992 15:58:49 GMT
Organization: SunConnect
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: hardy.france.sun.com

In article <1992Sep9.123609.6848@dcs.qmw.ac.uk>, mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes:

>                                Although titles are supposedly
> given as a reward for contributions to business or public life
> or something, it has been noted that the contributions to
> business and public life of those who also contribute to the
> Conservative Party seem to be noticed rather more regularly
> than the contributions to busines and public life of those who
> do not.

Is that not just a consequence of having had 15 years of Conservative
government? I suspect if we'd had 15 years of Labour we'd probably be
hearing rantings from Lord Arthur Scargill by now...


Steve
From: rogerp@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Roger Pollard)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 01:14:06 GMT
Subject: Re: buying peerage
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Rosa, CA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british

In soc.culture.british, cc@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Chris Cooke) writes:

    In article <5437@unixhub.SLAC.Stanford.EDU> streater@unixhub.SLAC.Stanford.EDU (Tim Streater) writes:


>  The Lords "veto" was important when the Tory government opposed a certain
>  measure but the Commons passed it anyway, helped by back-bench "rebels" from
>  the Tory party.  A significant number of Tory Lords looked likely to support
>  it as well, so the government woke up hundreds of clueless hereditary Lords
>  who never normally make it near Parliament, and told them to vote against the
>  bill, and it failed.
>
>  Can't for the life of me remember what the bill was though.

My recollection of the issue is: 

The bill was the War Crimes Bill to allow the prosecution of hitherto alleged
undiscovered Nazi war criminals who had been living in the UK since the
end of the war.  The Bill was passed by the Commons with a significant
majority (my recollection is that the government was ambivalent) and
then defeated by the Lords after a very long debate and much publicity.
It was passed a second time by the Commons and handed back to the Lords
with the implied threat that the government would invoke the Parliament Act
if their Lordships rejected it again. The Bill was then passed by the 
House of Lords by a small (and reluctant) majority.

I stand to be corrected on the details, but I believe that is the gist
of what happened. I think that the Parliament Act (which allows the
Commons to overrule the Lords) has only been invoked once since it became
law in 1911.

Roger  (only here for a break ... usually  roger@ee.leeds.ac.uk )

===================================================================
Roger Pollard         4US-Q        Santa Rosa Systems Division
                                   Hewlett-Packard Company
phone: (+1 707) 577-4207           1400 Fountaingrove Parkway
e-mail: rogerp@sr.hp.com           Santa Rosa,  CA 95403-1799, USA
===================================================================
From: neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Postlethwaite)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Rain Relief Fund
Date: 10 Sep 92 09:39:08 GMT
Organization: Dept of Computing & Electrical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

In article <18litfINNehn@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu> rahman@ces.cwru.edu (Rahman A. Soomro) writes:
>
>Dear friends,
>
>Recent rains in Pakistan have caused devastating effects on the 
>daily life of the Pakistani people. Scores of people have lost there
>lives and more than a million have been homeless.
>
>	I appeal to you to help our brothers and sisters in need
>and donate some money to help them. Please send your contribution
>(tax deductible) with your name and also I request you to collect 
>donations from any source -- your colleagues at work, friends, business
>associates, customers, persons from any nationalities and backgrouds
>to help people in trouble. 
>
>	We are tying you help suffering peoples, who are suffering
>from disease and malnutrition.
>
>Please mail your contributions to:
>
>Pakistan Rain Relief Fund
>4105 Providence drive
>St. Charles, MO 63304

Or better still, send it to a *REPUTABLE* organisation like the Red Cross, Save
the Children, OXFAM etc .........

Neil

P.S. Bog off out of soc.culture.british puhlease.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: NEWS@ugle.unit.no (Deep Third Sand)
Subject: an another killer and born once again
Followup-To: plot
Keywords: plot
Organization: Norwegian Institue of Technology
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 92 11:20:58 GMT

Tamil Eelam mother is back in martial art after four years absent.

do any one know "puddu avitthal" :=: ? while i know "puddu" :=: food.

SCSLC_C meens criers. ok Oh! man!!

Deep Third Man has worked hard in that Water C last night. ok man

"mEdaiyila karuvaadu"
thayanantha be loved
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: mohan@tnds05.newshost (Lavanya-Mohan)
Subject: Re: Why Ethiopia first?
Organization: /user1/u1/mohan/.organization
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 09:46:24 GMT

In article <18402.2aae21f1@ecs.umass.edu> vigneswa@ecs.umass.edu writes:

   > [ One paragraph deleted ...]

   >         Now I don't have  that problem.  Thanks to Mr Bill Clinton and
   > Mr Bush, and the presidential election TV coverage, most of the people 
   > know the name Sri Lanka (no, Shri Lanka, as pronounced by both).  Only
   > question they have now is; "Why we feed Ethiopia first then? Maybe Sri
   > Lanka will be next".

I too was surprised (and a bit hurt too...) to hear that SL was compared
in this way in the speaches of Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush, which naturally
get wide publicity. But, perhaps, Mr. Clinton didn't mean that SL has the
worst economy in the world. It could have been something like saying "the
value of x lies in between y and z"! Here, it is not a necessity that y
and z are the lowest and highest possible numbers, respectively. This would
answer your question: Why Ethiopia first?

But, I certainly wonder, why Mr. Clinton chose just SL to compare...! Is
it because SL is a well known country (popular/notorious) in the USA?

   >         Hmm....  UN would have double role then.  The following was in
   > the news.  Whole newsclip also follows.

   >         Martin said the United Nations had failed to act  effectively
   > on  "the  most  clear  and gross cases of human rights violations
   > seen recently in Iraq and  Sri  Lanka.  The  U.N.  can  and  must
   > respond more urgently to these situations."

   > Vicky:
   > UMass, Sep 09

However, in this rate, I wouldn't be really shocked if our so called leaders
take the country to the lowest possible level (in all aspects: economically,
politically, moraly and so on...) in the years to come... (sigh)

// Mohan

--
=  S. Lavanya-Mohan               E-mail:    mohan@tele.nokia.fi    =
=  Nokia Telecommunications       Telephone: +358-0-511 5671        =
=  Finland                        Telefax:   +358-0-511 5615        =
=====================================================================
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: amal@mel.dit.csiro.au (Amal De Silva)
Subject: SMOKING GROUND
Organization: CSIRO DIT (Melb.)
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 07:12:25 GMT


News report in slnet
>smoke has started rising from cracks in the ground, officials  said  on
>.Sunday.A team from the Geological  Survey  Department  has  gone  to
>inspect  the  site  at Diyatalawa, 120 km (75 miles) northeast of
>Colombo, after the smoke was first noticed last week.   

>Professor P. W. Vithanaga, a geology expert, said the  cracks
>were  due  to  the  island  moving away from India at the rate of
>about half an inch (one centimetre) a year.

Accordingly it would take 100,000 years to move by one kilometer, 20 million years
for Sri Lanka move by 200 kilometers. My be if seal the cracks it might move 
faster.

Amal de Silva
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: thaya@solan.unit.no (Thayanantha Balasundaram)
Subject: Re: Mission is partially completed!!
Keywords: piece
Organization: Norwegian Institue of Technology
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 18:12:07 GMT

In article <6995@stan.xx.swin.oz.au>, sri@stan.xx.swin.oz.au (SRITHARAN K) writes:
 > Hi fellows,
 > 
 > Thanks for rubbishing and making some good points.
 > 
 > I am happy to see atleast some of you identified with SL.
 > 
 > When we are going to put S, T and M in SL?!
 > 
 > God knows!!!
 > 
 > I am sorry to hurt someone's feelings.
 > 
 > cheers,              _
 > Sri                 [_
   i think it will be   _], T and t
   bye for now
   thayanantha be loved
From: m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. Dharmasena)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Re: Closing SCSL
Date: 8 Sep 92 17:30:42 GMT



muttiah@stable.ecn.purdue.edu (Ranjan S Muttiah) writes:

> In article <5460@arccs1.fed.FRB.GOV> m1pkd00@fed.frb.gov (Prasad K. 
> Dharmasena) writes:

> >sri@stan.xx.swin.oz.au (SRITHARAN K) writes:

> >> Why there is not much articles now a days? Or else AUS side is onot
> >> reciving?

> >If my topics are not your cup of tea/coffee/passion fruit, then
> >start "your own thang," for crying out loud.  Sheeeez!

> Ok, fine.  Let's discuss your article then :-).  Well here, let's see;
> You work for the Feds.  Yaaaeeeeeekkksss!! Run for cover :-)
      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No, I work for *The* Fed, aka Federal Reserve Board.  So, what's the
big deal?  Just a few weeks ago, someone else accused me of being
a part of CIA/FBI/MOUSE/CAT/whatever.  Jeeezzz, people, here we are 
talking about the all-knowing, all powerful, omni-potent Usenet.
What's more powerful than that?  (Okay, so your toaster doesn't count)
:-)

prasad
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka,rec.sport.cricket
From: pdy@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (P. D. Yapa,,7980,)
Subject: REye-Witness Rept. SL-AUS 1 st One Day
Organization: Clarkson University
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 02:35:21 GMT

I WAS THERE - first one D international AUS-SL

  first an apology for being late - I was w/o access to a unix terminal
for some time.
but since there was very little posted on AUS-SL matches i decided to post
an eyewitness account

WARNING : This report is biased - I was born in SL

I managed to get press box seats ( surprise they sold at Rs. 200 ( about 4.5
US dollars). Great VIEW -
match was played at the OVAL

AUS batted steadily  - scored runs at ease, but I felt that they could have
 easily scored another 20 runs. SL fielding was poor. about 20 runs came from
 misfileds and overthrows. Romesh ( WK) missed an early easy chance off Moody ?
bowling was not good except for Gurusingha

SL was in trouble 8 for in 6 overs. Mahanama bowled - a stupid stroke.
Asanka and Aravinda were at crease. Things looked very bleak for SL, with
McDermott and Whitney bowling very well.  Aravinda took things into his hand
and hit 3 fours in one over off McDermott.  That set the Pace.
in the next few overs he hit McDermott a six and then Whitney a Six.  Later 
he hit another six off someone.  Asanka played a good role - scored runs
but he didn't look confident. often uppish shots landed between fielders
(lucky). shots did not go in the way it was intended ( he was very lucky
but NO chances ). When Asanka was out Arjuna came, and scored very slowly
taking mostly singles, Aravinda was run out responding to a call by Arjuna.
(but it wasn't anybody's fault).

When Arjuna came to the crease, the target looked achievable, but he scored so
slowly that at the end of the 47 th over it looked like AUS would win.
in fact " the radio commenataotr praised the professionalism of the
AUS players for not loosing head, when evrything looked like going the SL way.
and now it would be impossible for SL to win ( 33 or 34 runs in 3 overs ) and
McDermott Bowling ----- the 48th over.
Well Arjuna hit 20 runs off that over - 2 sixes and 4 two's. then target looked
simple and most of the remaining runs were scored by Ruwan Kalpage not
Arjuna

It was really worth watching- I flew from Tokyo to watch it

Poojitha Yapa
From: sri@stan.xx.swin.oz.au (SRITHARAN K)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
Subject: Mission is partially completed!!
Date: 10 Sep 92 01:42:41 GMT
Organization: Computer Centre, Swinburne University of Tech., Melbourne, Australia.

Hi fellows,

Thanks for rubbishing and making some good points.

I am happy to see atleast some of you identified with SL.

When we are going to put S, T and M in SL?!

God knows!!!

I am sorry to hurt someone's feelings.

cheers,
Sri
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: vperera@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (vicumpriya perera)
Subject: Re: Closing SCSL
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 01:25:26 GMT

Top 10 reasons why scsl traffic is low 
--------------------------------------

Number 10. My uncle's cousin's son's wife's step-son is really into Sri
lankan stuff. But that's he. 
Number 09. Those damn netvironmentalists who want to recycle all those
cycles, kilocycles and bites.
Number 08. These stupid computers. Somebody please, pretty please, teach
me to make this work.
Number 07. Look at that guys english. I wouldn't dream of posting
anything with that broken sword. (Is he wearing anything? I thought so.)
Number 06. All those back stabbing flame retardant meniacs, "Mother, how
can I sleep with legs and arms straight ?"
Number 05. Prema's zoo is on the loose, beware of black cats and yellow,
oops, green tigers. Not to mention Prabha's lot.
Number 04. I didn't come here to post notes around. Just to make couple of bucks
and go home or 'd rather stay forever.
Number 03. Those racist pigs ( That is lions and tigers for you, Sir.) Get them
outa here. Or I am gone.
Number 02. I didn't like cricket then. And I don't like it now.

A drum roll please...
Thakita, tharikita, kundath, tha...

Here issss number 01. No productive discussions, constructive articles.
These are bunch of losers. Let's leave it for dead.


Amendments are welcome !
Vicum...
Newsgroups: soc.culture.sri-lanka
From: news@ugle.unit.nO (Thayanantha Balasundaram)
Subject: play GROUND
Followup-To: m
Keywords: weare is normal life right now,only in china only last one line was not
          appeared on screen,but if you save it it appears,channel-3,a-ha,3.,
          cry wolf
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 23:27:55 GMT

In article <Bu6pAF.50o@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, vperera@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (vicumpriya perera) writes:
|> Top 10 reasons why scsl traffic is low 
|> --------------------------------------
|> 
|> Number 01. My uncle's cousin's son's wife's step-son is really into Sri
|> lankan stuff. But that's he. 
|> Number 02. Those damn netvironmentalists who want to recycle all those
|> cycles, kilocycles and bites.
|> Number 03. These stupid computers. Somebody please, pretty please, teach
|> me to make this work.
|> Number 04. Look at that guys english. I wouldn't dream of posting
|> anything with that broken sword. (Is he wearing anything? I thought so.)
|> Number 05. All those back stabbing flame retardant meniacs, "Mother, how
|> can I sleep with legs and arms straight ?"
|> Number 06. Prema's zoo is on the loose, beware of black cats and yellow,
|> oops, green tigers. Not to mention ranjit's lot.
|> Number 07. I didn't come here to post notes around. Just to make couple of bucks
|> and go home or 'd rather stay forever.
|> Number 08. Those racist pigs ( That is lions and tigers for you, Sir.) Get them
|> outa here. Or I am gone.
|> Number 09. I didn't like cricket then. And I really like it now.
|> 
|> A drum roll please...
|> Thakita, tharikita, kundath, tha...
|> 
|> Here issss number 10. No productive discussions, constructive articles.
|> These are bunch of losers. Let's leave it for dead.
|> 
|> 
|> Amendments are welcome !
|> Vicum...

i came to norge in 1988 2 R|dde Folkeh|gskole, 7084 Melhus.
| :=: oe
h|gskole :=: hihgschool
there weare 2 dvisions for common norsk lession at first period 2 times a week.
one day at last minutes the same norsk teacher asked the foregin students that
why did you come to norge?
at last i said we cant sleep well in shri lo(n)ga(e), school bell begun to rang
teacher did not heare me, asked once again.
at the lunch time asked other students that i could not sleep well in Tamil Eelam.
theare have been a night master also. also a permanant house mother.
at the school we says god natt, sove godt with bleasure.
god :=: good
natt :=: night
sove :=: sleep
godt :=: well
then what have we felt till right now?

be long term distance
thayanantha be loved

Boo!