HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gleason@mwk.uucp
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Blue Star sighting far from home
Date: 13 Oct 92 02:29:41 CST
Organization: M. W. Kellogg, Houston TX


  I'm over in Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates, installing
some equipment. Reading the local paper during a break, and 
there, on page three, like running into an old friend when I'm 
far from home, I see...

  "Mystery Message on LSD hits shops too:
	"Dubai police investigating source of the fax"

  A number of stationery shops here have also reported receiving 
a fax warning that tatto stickers bearing the brand "Blue Star" 
are allegedely laced with LSD.

  The principal of a school here had earlier issued a circular 
warning students and parents against buying the stickers after 
receiving a similar warning through the fax.

  The manager of a stationery shop said that he had received 
the same fax message, but had not reported the matter to the 
police. He said he had asked his employees to post the message 
on the bulletin board as a precautionary measure. 

  When asked for comment, CID Police officers said that the 
Dubai police is investigating the source of the mysterious fax 
message.

  Gulf News learned that many persons have contacted the CID 
to inquire whether the message had come from the government 
authorities.

  The Education Ministry's private education department said 
that it has not been officially notified about the matter.

(reproduced without permission)

Lee K. "Rock the Casbah" Gleason
gleason@mwk.uucp
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: nasadk@lib108.its.rpi.edu (Kristopher Martin Nasadowski)
Subject: Re: Laboratory Construction (was Re: The weight of the water)
Reply-To: nasadk@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY.
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 16:06:15 GMT

In article <1992Oct12.043925.833@polaris.async.vt.edu>, daniel@polaris.async.vt.edu (Daniel Pawtowski) writes:
|> 
|> Let me see here... there's a story I've heard about Davidson Hall here at
|> Virginia Tech.  It seems that some new lab hood blowers were installed a few
|> years back.  After installation, it was realized that the CFM of the new
|> blowers exceeded the total cubic feet of the building.  If all the blowers
|> were started at once, the windows would implode.  Two of the three units were
|> disabled and padlocked soon afterwards.  One wonders if some industrious 
|> student will ever think up a unque method of delaying final exams... :-)
|> This story was told to me by a friend who works for Tech.  No, I haven't
|> tried climbing on the roof to read the capacity of the blowers up there.

Heh.. Great. Well, here at dear old RPI, er Rensselaer, or whatever, the
main Chemistry building, Cogswell Labs is just like that. In front of 
the building are two short white towers. Tour guides tell the incoming
freshpersons that these lead to refrigeration units to cool the building
to freezing if any of the nasties escape from the Biology Labs. Actually, 
working there during the summer was good because there is an extremely high
rate of air turnover. So it doesn't smell that bad. The air enters the 
bottom and leaves out the top. During the summer, the campus power supply 
was redirected to another distribution network, and so all the power was
lost to the buildings for 15 minutes. In that time, it took Cogswell about 
a minute or so to reequalize the air pressure. You could hear the air
whistle in the window cracks, and pushing open an exterior door was very
difficult. You could even feel your ears begin to pop!

In general, the building is kept at a negative pressure, so that everything
bad ends up going out the roof. It beats Walker Lab where there is no 
incoming supply of air for the venthoods, so you have to open windows.
Try doing that in February!

Nazman
<nasadk@rpi.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: styri@hal.nta.no (YuNoHoo)
Subject: Re: Cows
Reply-To: styri@nta.no
Organization: Bohemians and Globetrotters, Unlimited
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 11:56:34 GMT

In article <1992Oct13.035903.24589@ucc.su.OZ.AU>, Shannon McNeil writes:
|> I hope this makes it this time.
|> 
|> Hi guys.
|> 
|> Something has been bothering me for quite some time, so please could
|> somebody out there tell me WHY cows lie down before it rains.

Because cow tipping on wet grass is potentially dangerous.

|> HOW DO THEY KNOW!??

That's in their genes. And that leads me to another issue of interest to
this group. Ever seen one of those cow barriers made of metal pipes in the
road? Well, the new thing is just to paint pipe-loke stripes on the surface.
Sure saves money.

The funny thing is, even cows with no experience of the `real thing' will
stop at the fake barrier. How do they learn? (And, will these barriers
catch on on countries where the original barrier wasn't used? And if they
do - how does the global communication system used by cows work?)

---
YuNoHoo
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: rob@msc.cornell.edu (Rob Vaughn)
Subject: McDonalds Urban Legends
Organization: Cornell-Materials-Science-Center
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 19:11:33 GMT

One of my rare visits to a McDonalds this past weekend reminded me of
some possible urban legend material from my high school days when Mickey
Dee's was a twice-a-day stop:

The first rumor claimed that McDonalds stopped using the hollow, straw-like
coffee stirrers because addicts were using them to snort cocaine (in lieu
of a fresh,rolled $100 bill, I guess.)  The replacement, which is a long
paddle-like stick, isn't much better - the rumor claims it can be used like 
a small spoon similar to the kind favored by some snorters.

The second rumor claims that the reason for the demise of the Hot Cherry Pie
of yesteryear (preferred over the Hot Apple Pie by yours truly) was due
to either (a) a cancer-causing red dye used in the pies; and/or (b) burns
caused by the excessively hot molten yumminess contained therein.

Any ideas on the real reasons behind these changes?  Any other interesting
McD's stories?  Conspiracy stories involving Grimace or the French Fry Guys
are most welcome.

Rob

-- 

Rob Vaughn, Fugitive Systems Guy
Mat. Sci. Center Computing, Cornell University
rob@msc.cornell.edu - rob@crnlmsc2.bitnet
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen)
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 92 15:49:16 GMT
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Subject: Re: End of Millenium Hysteria (was Re: Oct. 28: The Rapture)
Summary: 
Followup-To: 
Organization: Roller Coaster fanatic with no hope for a cure
Keywords: 

wvhorn@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (William VanHorne) writes:
>References? On AFU? Ha!

Which certainly deserves consideration for an AFU motto award.

-- 
Geoff Allen          \  Disneyland is going to be a place where you can't
uunet!pmafire!geoff   \  get lost or tired unless you want to.
geoff@pmafire.inel.gov \                    -- Walt Disney, 1953
From: tchnd-bf@garnet.berkeley.edu (Nicholas C. Weaver)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Radar Cars (was: stupid cop tricks & t)
Date: 12 Oct 92 23:17:22 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

In article <1992Oct12.005220.2051@nezsdc.icl.co.nz> derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:
>In article <1992Oct9.182042.26312@engage.pko.dec.com> moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:
>>In article <1992Sep29.174649.171@nntp.nta.no>, styri@hal.nta.no (YuNoHoo) writes...
>>>Funniest speed speed trap (?) I've seen was a radar connected to a sign
>>>that lit up the text "SLOW DOWN!" whenever somebody passed too fast.

	A similar device has been in use in Southern
California for the past year.  It consists of a trailer which has the speed
limit posted on it, and a spot where the speed of the car on it is
displayed.  It tends to relaly slow people down.

	As for Photo Radar, it has also been used in some areas around the
state, mostly as a revinue producer.  But in California, it is supposidly
easier to beat the ticket in court.
-- 
                             Nicholas C. Weaver
nweaver@ocf.berkeley.edu                           nweaver@soda.berkeley.edu
It is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, .signifying nothing.
#include <stdwittydisclaimer.h>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher)
Subject: Re: What's lutfisk? + new UL (was Re: Liz Claiborne/Oprah Winfrey UL)
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 17:58:36 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

Lutefisk is raw herring (or is it cod?) fillets soaked in lye
and served cold, often with lefse (a sort of undercooked tortilla
slathered in butter, also cold). A holiday treat among Scandinavians
and their descendants in Minnesota. Oh, sure, they complain about
having to eat it, but they do it anyway.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The End Of The World
From: mcirvin@husc8.harvard.edu (Mcirvin)
Date: 15 Oct 92 00:12:39 GMT
Distribution: alt
Keywords: baptist, apocalypse

ipgrier@compass.uwaterloo.ca (Iain P. Grier) writes:

>It appears that Baptists and some other miscellaneous religion 
>(United Church?) believe that the end of the world is supposed to
>happen on October 28th, 1992.

>Is the apocalypse story an UL or is the story that it's a Baptist
>story an UL?

Probably the latter.  The major information I've seen about the
Oct. 28 Rapture comes from the Mission for the Coming Days, an
outfit that seems to have connections to someone in Korea
(I don't know whether the Moonies are involved or not).  If there's
any Baptist support it's probably from some tiny splinter group;
the Baptists are a large and fragmented denomination.
-- 
Matt McIrvin, posting nonsense again 
Xref: sparky alt.folklore.urban:25724 alt.angst:4009
From: rperkins@astro.as.arizona.edu (Rachel J. Perkins)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.angst
Subject: Re: The End Of The World
Keywords: baptist, apocalypse
Date: 15 Oct 92 00:07:47 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

In article <14OCT199216283902@csa3.lbl.gov> jtchew@csa3.lbl.gov (Ad absurdum per aspera) writes:
>I once read a vaguely UL-ish tale about some ancient writings
>(Assyrian, Sumerian, somesuch) which supposedly translated to:
>"Children do not respect their parents, every man wants to
>write a book, and I am sure the end of the world is at hand."
>
>Joe "Today will be the first day of what's left of your life" Chew

wow. angst throughout history.  
and i am sure that the end of the world is at hand. but that's a good thing,
right?

bah.

--
		-just give me what for,
	rachel perkins =  rperkins@astro.as.arizona.edu
      "Chastity..the most unnatural of all the sexual perversions...."
					-Aldous Huxley
From: wells@athena.cs.uga.edu (Scott Wells)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Mink jewels (was Re: Mink boners)
Date: 13 Oct 92 23:22:48 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

>I don't believe a boned penis would be selected for and would become
>a popular trait in any animal, especially since The Deflatable Penis
>has already been refined so.  Were penises to stick out like tent poles
>all day and night they would be prone to damage.  They would make easy
>targets in a fight, and might catch and break on something while the
>animal was running.  I can see it now:

>
>If minks do indeed have skeletal material in their wieners, other
>weasel-like animals should also have vestiges of the trait,
>and the story should be more common.
>
>  -- Dan Wright

Yes, minks have penis bones, which I have seen marketed as "mink
jewels." As a man, I am revolted, and yet strangely amused. 

In fact, many mammals have penis bones, including the dog and (I
think) bulls and hogs. It's why dogs must endure _penis captavis_ when
mounting a bitch. If a sire has a "deflatable," it could just lose the
erection and walk away, which seems to be an awful way to begin a
relationship.


-- 
Scott Wells                        +  
Internet: wells@athena.cs.uga.edu  + 
University of Georgia		   +
Athens, Georgia, USA               +
From: rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu (Eric Rescorla)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: AIDS, high-risk behavior and a horror story
Date: 10 Oct 92 18:28:06 GMT
Organization: Rescorla for himself.

In article <1992Oct9.000932.3953@nezsdc.icl.co.nz> derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne) writes:
>Both of these statements can now be shown to be false.  Cocaine is now 
>recognised as one of the most addictive substances available.
Methinks you've been listening to the Partnership For a Drug Free America
or some such. I did not know that scientists currently recognized
cocaine as "one of the most addictive substances available."

Surely, you have data.
-Ekr

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Rescorla, DoD#431 (Nighthawk S)              rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu
Former chemist now CM400 mechanic                 ekr@eitech.com(preferred)
   "Base 8 is just like base 10, really...if you're missing two fingers."
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein)
Subject: Re: Dead pet UL?
Reply-To: warren@nysernet.org
Organization: Mail to News Gateway at Wang Labs
Date: 15 Oct 92 18:04:49 GMT

The bit about the neighbors being Chinese seems to be a new addition.
At least it was absent from the last dozen times this one was posted.
-- 
/|/-\/-\       In real life, the Vice President chastises Murphey Brown
 |__/__/_/     for her morals.  Bill Clinton plays the sax on "Arsenio
 |warren@      Hall."  Though "Batman Returns" is fiction, it's not too
/ nysernet.org much stranger than truth - Caryn James, The New York Times
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.religion.kibology,talk.bizarre
From: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Subject: Re: "Lost In Space" was better
Reply-To: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 07:04:24 GMT

In article <1992Oct14.211541.19306@news.unomaha.edu> torsten@cwis.unomaha.edu (Torsten Wesley Adair) writes:

>
>	Torsten at Omaha	Marijuana vs. Television
>
Which is the "less filling" one, and which is the "tastes great" one?

Which one is unsurpassed?

Which one has more to do with a Social Disease?

Which one is more likely to be affected by the weather?

Which one has more influence on the growth of a child?

Which one is endorsed by 4 out of 5?

cj "would a rose dipped in lutefisk smell as sweet?" l
From: joltes@husc10.harvard.edu (Richard Joltes)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Headless cheerleaders and other bits & pieces
Keywords: accidents injuries
Date: 9 Oct 92 15:53:57 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

vkochend@nyx.cs.du.edu (vance kochenderfer) writes:
>    I was looking through this book that had descriptions of various
>US Army weapons.  Part of the text for a hand-held grenade launcher
>boasted that "at point-blank range, the grenade has enough force to
>shear a man's head off, even if the grenade does not arm."
>
>    No description is provided of what would happen if the grenade
>DID arm.

Aside from the recipient's head disappearing in a tremendous flash worthy of
an Irwin Allen movie, the sender would be blessed with numerous small-to-large
holes all over his/her body, or (in the case of an HE grenade) would probably
become deaf, blind, and quite unconscious from the concussion.

A former 82nd Airborne paratrooper, one Donald Burgett, wrote of his experience
in the Normandy invasion (WWII for the uninitiated).  At one point he said he
was investigating a rustling noise in a hedgerow.  Suddenly the hedge parted
and he was 6 ft. from a German soldier, who held a "potato masher" grenade, pin
already pulled, in his hand.  Burgett said the fellow "tossed the grenade at
him like a beer can" and disappeared.  Instead of diving out of the way Don
tried to grab the grenade and throw it back.

According to his account, the "damn thing went off about a foot from my head.
I was sprayed with what felt like hundreds of sand-like particles, and was
hit by a blast of real furnace heat.  I flipped backwards and passed out."
Several hours later he awoke, temporarily deafened by the explosion, but
without a mark on his body (other than a whole load of soot) and got up to
find out where everybody was.  (The quote is from Burgett's book, _Currahee_,
which is (sadly) out of print.)

Lucky bugger, too.  While he was walking back to his lines (stone deaf) he was
shot in the arm and hit by a small grenade fragment in the leg, all because he
couldn't hear a damn thing.  While recuperating in an English hospital he 
found that he'd been declared dead (someone had seen his unconscious body 
after the grenade went off) and "had to sign three copies of a statement saying
that I was alive, in the grandest tradition of Army efficiency."

Oy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dick "one, two, five!" Joltes				joltes@husc.harvard.edu
Hardware & Networking Manager, Computer Services 	joltes@husc.bitnet 
Harvard University Science Center

"Mind you, not as bad as the night Archie Pettigrew ate some
sheep's testicles for a bet...God, that bloody sheep kicked him..."
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Personal message for 'doc'
From: derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne)
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 23:35:17 GMT
Organization: Fujitsu New Zealand
Keywords: !

In article <1VFasB1w165w@hovel.welly.gen.nz> cybapunk@hovel.welly.gen.nz (Phil Ross) writes:
>pt@geovision.gvc.com (Paul Tomblin) writes:
>
>> Doc - forging a test message from me is the last straw.  Unless I recieve an
>> apology from you forthwith, I'm going to contact your sysadmin.  If I can't
>> get your priviledges revoked, I'm going to go higher.
>> You have until next Friday (Oct 9) to apologize.
>
>OOOh.  Isn't that very scary folks?

I was wondering exactly what he meant by 'higher'.  Scares the willies out 
of me...

I thought getting Phil Gustafson to rearrange this guys diodes was the 
official punishment of A.F.U...

Should find out soon it's Friday now.

Derek "Stay tuned for another exciting episode of..." Tearne
-- 
Derek Tearne. -- derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz --  Fujitsu/ICL New Zealand -- 
Some of the more aware dinosaurs were worried about the environmental
consequences of an accident with the new Iridium enriched fusion reactor.  
"If it goes off only the cockroaches and mammals will survive..." they said.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: jeq@i88.isc.com (Jonathan E. Quist)
Subject: Re: Post the FAQ (was Dead pet UL?)
Organization: INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation, Naperville, IL
Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1992 17:52:09 GMT

In article <26717@dog.ee.lbl.gov> TWChan@lbl.gov (TWChan@lbl.gov) writes:
>(Dan Wright) writes a suggestion for easing the burdens on newcomers:
>
>  +In my humble opinion you should post the FAQ, even if it hasn't changed
>  +since last time.  Now's when it's needed most.  And you might use a
>  +glaringly obvious subject line such as "Here's the FAQ! <-----READ".
>
>Okay.  It was posted last week, but I'll do so again.  A "glaringly
>obvious subject line"?  Lemme see what I can do.  Maybe after I post
>it, we could go trolling some more and see what happens.

Uh, try setting "Distribution" to something other than "local".
-- 
Jonathan E. Quist                              INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation
jeq@i88.isc.com  '71 CL450-K4 "Gleep", DoD #094        Naperville, IL
        There are many things a person should experience in a lifetime.
       Among them are an infant's first cry, and an infant's first laugh.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: styri@hal.nta.no (YuNoHoo)
Subject: Re: Yeast
Reply-To: styri@nta.no
Organization: Bohemians and Globetrotters, Unlimited
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 15:42:07 GMT

In article <9210161222.AA06229@deepthought.cs.utexas.edu>, Robryche writes:
|> rxh6@po.CWRU.Edu (Randall Holt) writes;
|> >In a prev. art. smcneil@metro (Shannon McNeil), asks;
|> >>From article by dignan@husc10.harvard.edu (Thomas Dignan):
|> >>>       Can one use yeast from a vaginal yeast infection to raise bread
|> >>> or to ferment beer? It was recently suggested to me that there is a
|> >>> distinct marketing possiblity behind products made this way.
|> >
|> >>I think you have the wrong group.  Shouldn't this be in alt.tasteless?
|> >
|> >Actually, I think alt.tastes.funny would be more appropriate.
|> 
|> How about alt.tastes.like.chicken ?

Nah, the proper name should be `alt.tastes.fishy'

---
YuNoHoo  "but will this method give good head"
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Oranjelo
From: derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz (Derek Tearne)
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 92 00:32:38 GMT
Organization: Fujitsu New Zealand
Keywords: names

In article <1992Oct5.204437.24237@cs.yale.edu> smith-jeff@CS.YALE.EDU (Jeff Smith) writes:
>In article <Bvnv3z.BC@hpuerca.atl.hp.com> mhr@hpuerca.atl.hp.com (Mike Reaser) writes:
>>In <1992Oct03.144232.3407@rose.com> bill.dehaan@rose.com (bill dehaan) writes:
>>
>At my high school we had a set of female triplets whose last name
>was Tracey.  And (you guessed it), they were all named "Tracy."  Their
>full names were:  "Tracy Traci Tracey", "Tracy Lee Tracey" and "Tracy
>Leann Tracey".  Mom must have still been on the Thalidomide when she 
                                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^
>came up with those.

Please explain what Thalidomide has to with this?  Also how old are you?

Derek "There are some things even I don't joke about" Tearne


-- 
Derek Tearne. -- derek@nezsdc.icl.co.nz --  Fujitsu/ICL New Zealand -- 
Some of the more aware dinosaurs were worried about the environmental
consequences of an accident with the new Iridium enriched fusion reactor.  
"If it goes off only the cockroaches and mammals will survive..." they said.
From: pete@minster.york.ac.uk
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Women in groups
Date: 14 Oct 92 18:23:24 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of York, England

DSTEPHEN@cmsa.gmr.com wrote:
: 
: My brother once played on an intramural basketball team in college with the
: euphonious name "Bongwater."  

And why should the college authorities object to the name of the greatest
band in the world?
pete
--
*Peter Fenelon -- Research Associate -- Software Safety Assessment Procedures*
Dept. of Computer Science, University of York, York, Y01 5DD (+44/0)904 433388
EMAIL: pete@minster.york.ac.uk `There's no room for enigmas in built up areas'
From: kati@glnserv.UUCP (Lady Dragon)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Computer Troubles
Date: 15 Oct 92 10:22:26 GMT
Organization: Vermi-net, Houston, Tx. 77098

More people who have trouble understanding computers:
1. My husband works as a computer operator for a place that does the data
processing for banks. One of the people from a customer bank called up to
say the system was down and how long would it take to fix it. My husband
looked at the computer and the modem lines and everything was working fine.
The lady said, no they were down. In an effort to help identify the problem,
my husband told her to look at her stuff and tell him about parts that might
not be working. She told him, wait a minute; I have to get a flashlight.
Why? he asked. Because the electricity went out and the lights are off.
He patiently explained to her that computers need electicity to function as
well.

2. A friend of mine working as a customer support person for a software
company requested that a customer send her a copy of the troublesome disk.
Sure enough, a Xerox copy came in the mail a couple of days later.


* * email address: nuchat!xcluud!glnserv!kati * Houston, Texas, USA, Earth * *
Xref: sparky alt.folklore.urban:25111 rec.arts.startrek.misc:10156