HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: Erik Naggum <enag@ifi.uio.no>
Organization: Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
Date: 02 Sep 1992 00:45:09 +0200
Subject: Re: Problematic smurfs!

Mike Steiner <mike_steiner@qm.claris.com> writes:
|
|   > "They" and "their" are used as singular gender-indeterminate pronouns.
|
|   This usage is neither correct grammar nor correct English usage.

Since you insist that you're right, and I'm unable to persuade you
otherwise, all I can do is point out to you that usage dictionaries
disagree with you.  In particluar, Merriam-Webster's {Dictionary of
English Usage} devotes four and a half column to this topic under the
heading "they, their, them", and concludes "They, their, them are used
in both literature and general writing to refer to singular nouns, when
those nouns have some notion of plurality about them."  The usage is
covered from the viewpoint of the lack of both "common-gender" and
"common-number" pronouns in English.

Note: this is not the only usage dictionary which covers this topic, and
any good dictionary will include an entry on "they," etc.  I have only
Merriam-Webster dictionaries available to me, however.

|   I've seen "apart of" used synonymously with "apart from" for more
|   than 30 years, so I had no ambiguity with it.

I find this puzzling and intriguing.  I have never detected "apart of"
used in a context in which it was not obvious that it was a typo for "a
part of".  Since you have seen it so often, and remember for how long
you have seen it, could you provide some examples, please?

Until I have evidence of the existence of a synonymosity between "apart
of" and "apart from" which my dictionary publisher has utterly failed to
pick up and publish, I choose to treat it as a dialectical anomaly.

The above-mentioned usage dictionary says "`apart from' is a fixed
two-word preposition in English", under the topic heading "apart from".
Significantly, "apart of" is not mentioned, and neither are any other
variants.

Merriam-Webster: {Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the
English Language} lists "apart from", and no variants.  It also lists
under "they" various information about its usage with singulars and as a
singular pronoun which you should find interesting.

If you have any disagreements with this, please discuss it with Merriam-
Webster.  Aside from any information on "apart of", I have nothing to
gain from this discussion.  I suggest that further discussion occur in
alt.usage.english.

Best regards,
</Erik>
--
Erik Naggum             |  ISO  8879 SGML     |      +47 295 0313
                        |  ISO 10744 HyTime   |
<erik@naggum.no>        |  ISO 10646 UCS      |      Memento, terrigena.
<enag@ifi.uio.no>       |  ISO  9899 C        |      Memento, vita brevis.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: eab@msc.edu (Edward Bertsch)
Subject: MN Mensa RG - The Wrath of Loon
Organization: Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Minneapolis, MN
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 19:58:32 GMT


The MN Mensa RG will be 25-27 September 1992 in Minneapolis (Bloomington)
It would be great to see some people from the net make it here.

for more information, call the minnesota mensa mensaphone at 612 755 4181


--

Edward A. Bertsch (eab@msc.edu)   Minnesota Supercomputer Center, Inc.
Operations/User Services          1200 Washington Avenue South
(612) 626-1888 work               Minneapolis, Minnesota  55415
(612) 645-0168 voice mail         [DISCLAIMER: MY OPINIONS; NOT MSCI'S]

      ___________________________________________________
      Dump the Republocrats:      vote Libertarian in '92
      ---------------------------------------------------

% echo "potatoe potato" | spell
potatoe
%
From: fuller@athena.cs.uga.edu (James P. H. Fuller)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The nerd stereotype
Date: 26 Aug 92 15:20:32 GMT
Article-I.D.: athena.1992Aug26.152032.15690
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

sm6h+@andrew.cmu.edu (Stephen P. Marting) writes:

>I'll call you a geek for now, 'cause I personally prefer that word. 
>You've said you are a geek.  Get ready for this - you almost ALWAYS will
>be.  Most likely until you're dead.  Now hold on to this thought - it
>doesn't matter.  Not a bit. 

     Can a geek have Buddah nature?

                                                  -- jf
From: quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The nerd stereotype
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 92 14:18:27 CDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Iowegia Waffle BBS, Clive IA USA, +1 515 226 2156

hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:

> }        a nerd is incapable of interpersonal relationships.
> }        So is a geek.
> 
> I've had quite a few.  The intimate ones tend to end disastrously, which
> I find discouraging.
> 

Jerry,

        Know that you are NOT alone.  I have found that hot love 
always grows very cold.  I have also seen with other people that 
cold love often grows warm.  Being an intense person, I am doomed 
to the cycle that you and I both find discouraging..........sq

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Subject: Re: Who needs intelligence (cont.)?
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:10:16 GMT

Of course I feel terrible that war, poverty, and other
social ills exist in the world.

But I have resigned myself to the realization that
I can have but a limited effect on any of those 'ills',
and try to do what I can in the sphere nearest me.
I cannot change the behavior of anyone
except myself, but perhaps by touching other people's
lives, those whose lives I have touched will be able to change
themselves.  Therefore, I recycle, because at least I
know that MY garbage is not polluting the earth and I 
volunteer, because I know that at least one illiterate
is being taught to read, and that at least one book
is recorded for the blind.

--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle                        
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: Aurora
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 00:28:37 GMT

In article <78577@ut-emx.uucp> ifaq570@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Allen Kitchen) writes:
>
>	Wasn't Waynes World supposed to be in Aurora Colorado, not 
>Illinois?
>
>allen
>ifaq570@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
>
>
No.  Nor Aurora, Oh.  It is supposed to be the suburb of Chicago
where many SNL members got their starts in the Second City
improvisational theater.

GMS
From: shedevil@vix.com (Anne P. Mitchell JD)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Neat New Newsletter!
Date: 21 Aug 1992 12:30:42 -0700
Organization: Fathers' Rights & Equality Exchange
NNTP-Posting-Host: gw.home.vix.com

Dear People,

A dear friend of my family's is a fairly well known professor of math
at an east coast university.  I am not mentioning names because I do not,
yet, have his permission to do so, and it's not really important.

At any rate, he has agreed to serve as the editor-in-chief for a novel
science newsletter, which even I, non-science minded as I am, think
sounds fascinating.  They apparently have a backer lined up, but the
backer would like a sense as to what the interest would be in 
such a publication.

So, below is my friend's description of the newsletter.  If you think
that you would be interested in receiving this newsletter please drop
me a note via email [my address is shedevil@gw.home.vix.com]. Please
be sure to include your full mailing address so that you can receive a
copy of the first issue.  I will forward this on to my friend.

I do not know what the cost, _if any_, will be for an ongoing
subscription, but sending your mailing address will *not* obligate
you to any subscription fee.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE OR OTHERWISE REPOST THIS INFORMATION!

<include file>:


The newsletter will be a "truth in science and technology" 
publication.  It will concern itself with an art which, in 
our opinion, is well on the way to becoming extinct -- 
namely, telling the truth.  It will consist of short news 
items concerning advances (or regresses) in science and technology, 
the kind of items that such publications as "Science" and "Nature" 
would not consider publishing, either because they are too
controversial, or because they deal with some unpleasant truth.  
The latter occurance is much more common nowadays.
 
We believe we can establish a network of informants who will 
contribute, either anonymously or under a pseudonym, or under 
their own names (as we would prefer) hot news items ranging over 
the entire spectrum of today's culture, with special emphasis on 
science and technology.  Some typical news items might be: an 
expose of neural networks as multivariate statistical analysis 
under a new name; a list of the increasingly baffling discoveries 
that ill-match the Darwinian theory of evolution (as it is 
understood today), and statistical evidence proving that African
witchcraft has been a more effective psychiatric cure than Freudian
psychoanalysis.
  
     I have gone as far as securing a certain amount of funding 
for the newsletter in the form of venture capital.  After discussions
with the board which is considering the funding of the newsletter, 
it has been decided that such funding will be contingent upon our 
being able to put together a credible mailing list for the first 
few issues.



 

-- 
   LOOKING FOR:  David Widdicombe, Hobson Woodward, Lorna Taylor & JJ Lancey
I am: Anne Mitchell, mom, & founder of the Fathers' Rights & Equality Exchange
Ask me about FREE!  FREE files available via anonymous ftp 128.45.1.1; dir /pub
		     TIBI GRATIAt AGIMUt QUOD NIHIL FUMAt
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Mensa on Letterman
Date: 1 Sep 92 17:43:26 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.132701.2185@brandonu.ca>, mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:
> 
> In article <1992Aug31.081449.3826@syacus.acus.oz.au>, ron@syacus.acus.oz.au (Ron Williams) writes:
> > Mike Steiner (mike_steiner@qm.claris.com) wrote:

[Description of Mensans's activities on Letterman omitted]
> > 
> > These people might be smart, but in my opinion they lack self-respect.
> > 
> > They certainly were probably not geniuses.
> 
> You are certain that they probably weren't geniuses.  Is it just me,
> or is that a weak statement?
> 
> Maybe they were just a bunch of Mensans who had senses of humour, and
> they were able to have a good time while laughing at themselves.
> Imagine that:  Smart, and a sense of humour.  Who woulda thought?

Anyone who has been in or around Mensa for any length of time.
From: rad@railnet.nshore.ORG (Rick DeMattia)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa,cle.general,railnet
Followups-to: rec.org.mensa
Distribution: oh
Subject: Mensa - eligibility testing 29-Aug-92 Cleveland OH USA
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 20:17:27 EDT
Organization: Railnet BBS +1 216 786 0476

Mensa - the high IQ society

Eligibility testing August 29, 1992 at
Cleveland Heights Public Library
2345 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights OH USA

Fee: $25

For more information call Cleveland Area Mensaphone, (216)749-4957.


--
rad (Rick DeMattia, sysop)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Game Theoretic Smurfs!
From: <ECOKXP@BYUVM.BITNET>
Date: Thursday, 3 Sep 1992 19:56:59 MDT
Organization: Brigham Young University

Let me recast the smurf problem if I may:

There is a group of 1000 smurfs.
Each smurf wears a hat, and only one hat.
A hat may be either red or blue.
Smurfs may observe the color of every hat, but their own.
Smurfs are unable to directly communicate the color of hats to each other.
At a meeting of the 1000 smurfs, a non-hatted human offers to pay a
 a gold piece to each red-hatted smurf that stands up, and states that there is
 at least one red-hatted smurf in the crowd.  He also threatens to behead
 any blue-hatted smurfs that stand up.
The human is always truthful.
Smurfs value gold, but value their own lives infinitely more.
The human will repeat his offer until a red-hatted smurf stands up.
Smurfs will always take the action they believe benefits them the most.

If there are only three red-hatted smurfs in the crowd, is it necessarily the
case that they will all stand up on the third offer?          ^^^^^^^^^^^


I hypothesize the answer is no.
From: mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (John P. Mechalas)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: A Short Puzzle
Date: 3 Sep 92 01:04:37 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

Here's an interesting puzzle someone pulled on me today:

   Imagine a frog that is in square three of a row of six squares.  Square
five contains food that the frog wishes to eat.  The frog can only move by
jumping three squares one direction, then stopping and jumping two squares
in the other direction.  Is it possible for the frog to land on the square
with the food without jumping off the "playing field"?

     -------------------------------------------------
     |       |       |       |       |       |       |
     |       |       | Frog  |       | Food  |       |
     -------------------------------------------------

   I'll post the answer tomorrow, though I imagine somebody will have
figured it out by then...  :)

-- 
                   "All my possessions for a moment of time."
                            -- Queen Elizabeth I
John Mechalas 
mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu                                 #include disclaimer.h
From: mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (John P. Mechalas)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The World According to Student Bloopers
Date: 2 Sep 92 01:30:27 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <1992Sep1.191019.12908@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper) writes:
>This article is probably copyrighted, since Richard Lederer
>is a well-known author.  He is in New Hampshire Mensa.

I thought of that, too...but checked and could not find any copyright 
information on it.  To the best of my knowledge, it was distributed through
the public domain.

-- 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
|   John Mechalas      |   Send all fan mail to: mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu   |
|   Purdue University  |   Send all hate mail to: someone else                |
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Mensa on Letterman
Date: 31 Aug 92 17:20:08 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.081449.3826@syacus.acus.oz.au>, ron@syacus.acus.oz.au (Ron Williams) writes:
> 
> Mike Steiner (mike_steiner@qm.claris.com) wrote:
> > floor.  One of them bought a can of soda from a machine, passed it to the
> > next person, and they relayed the can along the line (which extended down
> > a stairwell) until it reached the one at the doorway.  She then opened the
> > door, and ran with the can about 50 feet or so to Letterman's desk, where
> > she gave him the can.
> > 
> > A camera followed the can all the way to the door, and one of the studio
> > cameras picked it up when the last Mensan entered the studio.
> 
> These people might be smart, but in my opinion they lack self-respect.

Why do they lack self-respect?  They showed that they had a sense of humor,
and that they can take a joke.  They also got paid for it.

> They certainly were probably not geniuses.

That is a non sequitur.
From: sean@cae.wisc.edu (Sean Rutledge)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Coming in last (was: Demise of honor programs)
Date: 30 Aug 92 01:53:23 GMT
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering

In article <1992Aug25.015158.28316@ncsu.edu> cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA) writes:
>
>seb@draper.com (Steve Bacher)
>>For example, if (hypothetical instance) Arkansas were 50th in the nation
>>wrt kids graduating from HS, that would be considered terrible and shameful
>>(at least by Arkansans).  So, naturally, the governor would want to 
>>implement a program that improved their ranking (say to #27).  
>>
>>BUT - if every governor in every state were to implement a similar program,
>>or programs with basically the same outcomes, then all states would rise
>>equally, and Arkansas would still be #50.  Now, is that supposed to be
>>good or bad?
>
>Hmm...Arkansas..governor..50th in the nation...terrible and shameful.. 
>
>...Subliminal propoganda against Bill Clinton...?
>
I would think that Arkansas would at least be 47th.  It moved up to 42nd
in teacher salaries after a 13% pay increase last year.


sean rutledge                              murphy was an optimist!!!
sean@cae.wisc.edu
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Who needs intelligence (cont.)?
Date: 3 Sep 92 01:53:51 GMT
Organization: The Cat Factory

In article <J2sFqB8w165w@iowegia.uucp> quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest) writes:

}Here is a perplexing question:  is science good or bad?

Neither.  Science is simply a methodology and, as such, neutral.  It can
be put to good and bad uses, which vary with your definition of good and
bad.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: The World According to Student Bloopers
Date: 1 Sep 92 19:10:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: murdoch.1992Sep1.191019.12908
Organization: University of Virginia

This article is probably copyrighted, since Richard Lederer
is a well-known author.  He is in New Hampshire Mensa.
--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle                        
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: dens@flammulated.owlnet.rice.edu (Dennis Allen Schmitz)
Subject: Re: Who needs intelligence (cont.)?
Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 06:39:41 GMT

   }How do Mensans, or other people of intelligence, accomodate their careers,
   }objectives, lives, etc. to the fact that there are terrible atrocities, 
   }wars, social ills, etc. continually going on?  Should you feel even more
   }responsibility than the average person?  Does mathematics or rocket science
   }or philosophy matter when babies are being used for bayonet practice (just
   }saw that one last night on tv) or people are starving (unnecessarily)?

I chalk it to evolution at work. When those conditions come my way
(and I'm pretty sure they will some day,) I'll have a chance to earn
my own survival.

Pretty selfish huh?

I once read a story about a super genius whose instinct for survival
was so highly developed that he took over the world so he wouldn't get
blown up in a childish spat between two nations.

Now of course, it'd be in my own best interest (and that of my
progeny) to prevent that from ever happening here.

Responsibility? Absolutely not. I'm responsible for my actions, not my
inactions. I will not be drawn into someone elses debt by a code of
conduct which HE invents.

"Do mathematics ... [etc] matter ...?" Of course. If I let myself get
bound up in issues that I can't affect (or which can't affect me), I'm
wasting my time. May as well be doing something useful (not to say
philosophy is useful -- whatever flips your switch.)

Later,
den
From: Dave.Aronson@p11.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: A Short Puzzle
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1992 10:54:04 -0500

mechalas@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (John P. Mechalas) writes:

 JPM> it is assumed that the frog is starting in square 
 JPM> three.  But, the problem
 JPM> never states whether or not the frog is *starting* to 
 JPM> move, or if it is in
 JPM> the *middle* of a move.  It only says that the frog 
 JPM> is currently in square 3.

If yer gonna be that way, we can say that the frog is in the middle of a jump
and is in the AIR OVER square 3, and will immediately land right on the food!
From: quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Who needs intelligence (cont.)?
Date: Tue, 01 Sep 92 14:23:18 CDT
Distribution: world
Organization: Iowegia Waffle BBS, Clive IA USA, +1 515 226 2156

welchb@woods.ulowell.edu writes:

> My sincere question is somewhat similar to "If we can send a (wo)man to 
> the moon, why can't we .... ?", so here it is.
> 
> How do Mensans, or other people of intelligence, accomodate their careers,
> objectives, lives, etc. to the fact that there are terrible atrocities, 
> wars, social ills, etc. continually going on?  Should you feel even more
> responsibility than the average person?  Does mathematics or rocket science
> or philosophy matter when babies are being used for bayonet practice (just
> saw that one last night on tv) or people are starving (unnecessarily)?
> 
> I am not looking for flames, or for the question to be turned back on me,
> just for answers.
> -- 
> Brendan Welch, UMass/Lowell, W1LPG,  welchb@woods.ulowell.edu


Brendan,

        As a scientist, I have often found that I am held 
responsible for many of societies ills.  Science is often blamed 
for all the *bad* that happens in the world, and often they are 
right.  Science is used primarily for the advancement of warfare.

        On the other hand, science provides medicine, the means of 
detection so we *know* what is wrong with the world.  Strange as 
it may seem, we would not even KNOW about ozone depletion if it 
wasn't for scientists- but then again, if it wasn't for scientists 
(who developed chloro-fluorocarbons) we wouldn't even HAVE the 
problem in the first place.

        Here is a perplexing question:  is science good or bad?

sq

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: rhs@world.std.com (Richard H Schwartz)
Subject: Re: Who needs intelligence (cont.)?
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 22:29:00 GMT

quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J. Quest) writes:

>        If all the violence suddenly ended, the whole world would 
>be just like Des Moines, Iowa.  The news here is *amazing*, in 
>that there just seems to be no crime, no violence, no killing.  
>The news is filled with human interest stories, and maybe about 3 
>times a year something "horrible" happens, like some guy shoots 
>his ex-wife and it makes headline news for a month!

It used to be that way in Southern NH.

>        We don't even have many break-ins here.  I recently looked 
>through the paper under police reports, and could only find 
>incidents of automobile accidents.  This is why I live here, but 
>gee, it sure is boring.  Now that I have said this, crime will 
>move in next door to me (gulp!).............sq

Last night someone smashed my housemate's car window.  Right in my
driveway.  On a quiet cul-de-sac in a good neighborhood.

-rich

-- 
             Richard H. Schwartz, Scheduling Systems Inc.,
            1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  02138
                  (617) 864 8330; FAX (617) 864 8377
                          rhs@world.std.com