HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: radams@BNR.CA (Rodney Adams)
Subject: New sins
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 18:05:18 GMT
Reply-To: "Rodney Adams" <RADAMS@BNR.CA>
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ltd.

Now this is interesting, particularly if ecsd (Eric Dynamic) still
had USENET access: the Roman Catholic Church, according to an article
from the Washington Post, has listed discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation as an official sin.  Wonder what Eric would have
said about that....

Other listed sins in the Roman Catholic Church's first worldwide 
addendum to its official list of sins since 1545 include:

1. Failure to vote (wonder what Eric Postpischil would say?)
2. Drunken driving
3. Forging checks
4. Charging unjust rents
5. Paying unfair salaries
6. Wasting resources (such as conspicuous consumption or pampering 
   pets while people starve)
7. Discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, age, 
   religion, national origin or handicap
8. Tax evasion
9. Doing shoddy work
10. Artificial manipulation of markets to inflate prices


----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rodney G. Adams
The opinions expressed above are not necessarily those of my employer.
As if you didn't already know that....
"It is people who live by rules that are always hoping to get them
changed."                                            - Robert Harbison
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: helpdesk@cs.utwente.nl ([BenO helpdesk dispatcher])
Subject: Re: random comments..ha ha
Reply-To: helpdesk@cs.utwente.nl
Organization: University of Twente, Department of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 12:20:58 GMT

In article 726137614@Isis.MsState.Edu, jgs1@ra.msstate.edu (jimi strickland) writes:

  Someone with a strong vocabulary may be subjected to
>  dealing with people with a poor vocabulary.
>  Instead of bothering to 'teach' these others 'new' words, he may be
>  restricted to using those words that they *do* understand, thereby possibly
>  losing a great deal of his vocabulary from unuse.

Sure, this sounds like life to me... but you do not "lose" words through disuse - they remain part of your passive vocabulary. And it is amazing how quickly you start to use them aqain when you find yourself amongst people with wider active vocabualries.  


>  On the other hand, an extremely intelligent person may have grown up
>  with people with poor vocabularies and never got the chance to develop
>  a strong pallette of words to choose from.

Unless you're in some seriously deprived place - in which case you'd probably be more concerned with basic survival than your vocab. - then this is where the intelligent
person gets hold of books, lovely books... full of long words, shorts words, new words,
smutty words and MORE words: LOTS MORE!


Lynn Packwood


Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: elbaldwi@eos.ncsu.edu (edward lee baldwin)
Subject: Re: questionable cancels?
Originator: elbaldwi@c00004-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: elbaldwi@eos.ncsu.edu (edward lee baldwin)
Organization: north carolina state university, project eos
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 18:46:18 GMT


you better watch out...
you better not cry...
you better not pout....
i'm telling you why...
cancel-man is coming to town......

hahhahahhahahhahahah

he know when you are posting...
he knows when you are not...
he knows whether you've been bad or good...
so be good for his sake...

hahhahahahahhahhahaha

						elb
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 16:44:50 GMT

In article <1993Jan12.045648.17151@mtu.edu> cmwolf@mtu.edu (christopher m. wolf) writes:
>galster@plains.NoDak.edu (Dwight Galster) writes:
>>And if you think the Bible is not God's book but just the writings of
>>fallible men, then you have, in my opinion, a very weak basis for any
>>kind of religion.  If you yourself are to decide what God says and what
>>God means, that effectively puts you above God.  It is the supreme form
>>of idolatry. (This paragraph applies only to those calling themselves
>>Christian.)
>
>And thank God us Christains don't give a %#$@ what you think.
>

I think it's rather presumptuous and self-centered to speak for
all Christians and say that you don't care what another person
thinks, let alone all other people.  Hope you don't really mean
that.

GMS
From: clong@romulus.rutgers.edu (Chris Long)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Date: 8 Jan 93 07:28:13 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

In article <EIVERSON.93Jan6221336@aiaia.nmsu.edu>, Eric Iverson writes:

> My next door neighbor (170 IQ, Ph.D in physics at age 21) who joined
> with me was even more infuriated.

How smart can he be if he's friends with you?
-- 
Chris Long, 265 Old York Rd., Bridgewater, NJ 08807-2618

Score: 0, Diff: 1, clong killed by a Harvard Math Team on  1
From: zlsiida@fs1.mcc.ac.uk (dave budd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Evolution?
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:20:14 GMT
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre

Anybody round here ever hear of a group called talk.origins ?????
Now if somebody I met in the street needed convincing about evolution, I'd 
get logged into the net and call up that group and leave them to read it.

        Never believe an experiment until it is confirmed by theory 
    Dave Budd, MCC, Oxford Rd, Manchester, England    (44|0)61-275-6033  
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: skh4161@mvs.draper.com (Kjeld Hvatum)
Subject: Re: Mconnections available for ftp
Organization: Draper Laboratory
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 04:58:00 GMT


>From: drich@sandman.lerc.nasa.gov
>Message-ID: <1993Jan6.143208.3173@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
>
>The Mconnections Mensa e-mail directory is now available for anonymous
>ftp from sweedishchef.lerc.nasa.gov in /anyone/drich/Mconnections-12.20.92.
            ^^

You mean "swedishchef"...
            ^
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: SAT and GRE
Date: 12 Jan 93 01:04:52 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

In article <93008.170817FDMWINK@UCF1VM.BITNET>, FDMWINK@UCF1VM.BITNET
wrote:
> 
> In article <C0JJzE.J17@news.rich.bnr.ca>, radams@BNR.CA (Rodney Adams) says:
> >
> >I seem to remember hearing early last year that ETS was considering
> >adopting a writing section on the SAT.  Does anyone have any further
> >information on this?
> >
> I believe they have decided to add a writing section but I don't know
> when this might be implemented.  Personally, I think it an excellent
> idea.  Writing requires much different skills than multi-guess tests.
> 
> The only time I was faced with an essay section on a standardized
> test was the NYS Regents Scholarship Exam back in the 60's.  Does anyone
> know if it still has an essay section?

I took the Regents exam during my senior year (class of 1960).  They
offered the option of a 50-question multiple-choice exam instead of the
essay.  Our teachers all recommended that we write the essay instead
because experience showed that people scored higher on it than on the
multiple-guess tests.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Now that I have a reader that can do .sigs, I can't think of a witty |
|one to put here, so I won't.  All normal disclaimers apply.          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (Eric Roberts)
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Univ. of Western Ontario, London, Canada
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 23:33:23 GMT

In article <mike_steiner-070193102944@192.35.50.131> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
>In article <1993Jan4.204851.17743@julian.uwo.ca>, roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca
>(Eric Roberts) wrote:
>
>> Yes, I do not believe in evolution, and I have yet to see any reason
>> why I should. There is plently of evidence against it.
>
>On the contrary; there is plenty of evidence for it.  There is precious
>little evidence against it.  Although the mechanism of evolution is not
>fully understood, that does not mean that evolution doesn't exist.
>
>Evolution happens.
>
>+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
>|Now that I have a reader that can do .sigs, I can't think of a witty |
>|one to put here, so I won't.  All normal disclaimers apply.          |
>+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
I am not claiming that the world was created the way it is described
in the bible. What I am saying, is that it seems impropable to me
that human beings came into existence by genetical mutations.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 15:08:04 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.202654.9396@julian.uwo.ca> roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (Eric Roberts) writes:
>In article <1993Jan8.171012.22397@cbnewse.cb.att.com> gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
>>In article <mike_steiner-070193104411@192.35.50.131> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
>>>In article <1993Jan6.214524.25582@julian.uwo.ca>, roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca
>>>(Eric Roberts) wrote:
>>>
>>>> I don't know of any way to predict performance, what I do know is that 
>>>> IQ tests fail to do so.
>>>
>>>SATs have proven to be a valid predictor of performance in the first year
>>>of college or university.
>>
>>Out of curiosity, Eric, what has been your personal experience with
>>IQ and SAT tests?  Do you have some information about any specific
>>examples of their failures?
>Do you have any of about them being successfull?

Many universities use the tests for admission because of the correlation
between the scores and being able to complete studies.  And what about
your personal experience?
> 
>>
>>Also, I was wondering if you had any theories with respect to why
>>so many institutions use these tests even if they have been proven
>>worthless.  Thanks in advance.
>>
>>GMS
>Nope, I never figured that one out. One reason might be that people
>attempt to measure everything, and feel more comfortable with a 
>number. I hope you are not suggesting that the fact that 
>people use those tests makes them valid...
I suggest that they have had success with them that exceeds their
success at selection without them.  Same for companies that give
aptitude tests.  And I personally have found a correlation between
low performance on tests and irrational behavior.  Only anecdotal,
evidence however, since I can't, or at least haven't, corroborated
it with others.  I do agree that I haven't seen that much of a difference
among folks that report in the "upper" (130 and up?  Again, subjective)
range, but that may be more cultural than anything else, having all
been in the same population (college, work, Mensa, whatever).  I've
also seen quite a bit of hostility toward folks these low-performers
perceive as "elitist".  No mystery, there.  But if we're discussing
rather low performers, there's no mystery there either.  To paraphrase
Henrik Ibsen, you can't tell a stupid person that they're stupid, but
you can tell anyone that they're smart.  It's reasonable that no one
wants to feel inadequate.

GMS
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Date: 11 Jan 93 22:53:48 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

In article <1993Jan8.203403.10139@julian.uwo.ca>, roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca
(Eric Roberts) wrote:
> 
> In article <1993Jan8.165547.21586@cbnewse.cb.att.com> gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
> >In article <1993Jan7.233323.24625@julian.uwo.ca> roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (Eric Roberts) writes:
> >>In article <mike_steiner-070193102944@192.35.50.131> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
> >>>In article <1993Jan4.204851.17743@julian.uwo.ca>, roberts@gaul.csd.uwo.ca
> >>>(Eric Roberts) wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Yes, I do not believe in evolution, and I have yet to see any reason
> >>>> why I should. There is plently of evidence against it.
> >>>
> >>>On the contrary; there is plenty of evidence for it.  There is precious
> >>>little evidence against it.  Although the mechanism of evolution is not
> >>>fully understood, that does not mean that evolution doesn't exist.
> >>>
> >>>Evolution happens.
> >>>
> >[....]
> >
> >>I am not claiming that the world was created the way it is described
> >>in the bible. What I am saying, is that it seems impropable to me
> >>that human beings came into existence by genetical mutations.
> >
> >Pardon my bluntness, and I honestly don't mean this to come across
> >as an insult (I would just be sarcastic, if so), but I get the distinct
> >impression that you don't have much of a background in the related
> >sciences.  If that's the case, you might have some interesting
> >research ahead of you.  As for a very readable book that just happens
> >to have some rationale for the structural development of the human
> >body, for instance, check out Asimov's "The Human Body".  It's
> >available in cheap paperback, too, for around six bucks.  Any 
> >elementary biology text will have information on examples of
> >natural selection related to mutation and evolution.
> >
> >GMS
> 
> I know enought about genetics to know that what the theory
> of evolution claims is impropable. 

Apparently, you don't know enough, because if you did, you would know that
probability doesn't have anything to do with it, because it has happened.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Now that I have a reader that can do .sigs, I can't think of a witty |
|one to put here, so I won't.  All normal disclaimers apply.          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: ajr@ice.massima.com (Arnold J Rimmer)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Date: 11 Jan 93 10:38:30 GMT
Reply-To: ajr@ice.massima.com (Arnold J Rimmer)
Organization: Massima Consumer Products, Inc., USA Division
Division: Cryonics Project Labs, Sector 12


People People People...

What is all the fuss about?

IQ tests are not true indicators of intelligence or of mental accuity...
Outside of academic pursuits, does anyone really care what your IQ, SAT,
or GPA scores are?  Only to those who use it as a crutch, perhaps to make
up for something that they lack in other areas.

One cannot possibly judge the intelligence of an indivudual by a mere 
test on paper.  And what right do they have to grade my intelligence or
potential by their set standards.  

Excellence in one's self...  believe in your self and not what people say
about you.

					Signing off,
					Arnold J. Rimmer
From: jcooley@miracle.com (John Cooley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: New sins
Date: 12 Jan 93 16:54:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: miracle.12Jan93125425
Organization: Miracle Computer Consultants

radams@BNR.CA (Rodney Adams) writes:
>Now this is interesting, particularly if ecsd (Eric Dynamic) still
>had USENET access: the Roman Catholic Church, according to an article
>from the Washington Post, has listed discrimination on the basis of
>sexual orientation as an official sin.  Wonder what Eric would have
>said about that....
>
>Other listed sins in the Roman Catholic Church's first worldwide 
>addendum to its official list of sins since 1545 include:
>
>1. Failure to vote (wonder what Eric Postpischil would say?)
>2. Drunken driving
>3. Forging checks
>4. Charging unjust rents
>5. Paying unfair salaries
>6. Wasting resources (such as conspicuous consumption or pampering 
>   pets while people starve)
>7. Discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, age, 
>   religion, national origin or handicap
>8. Tax evasion
>9. Doing shoddy work
>10. Artificial manipulation of markets to inflate prices


 I'm glad I'm not religious.  (hee hee hee hee!)

                                        - St. John the Quiet
 
 ==========================================================================
       John Cooley              Zappa as a waste management engineer: 
                                  "Hey, there, Brother!  Whatcha
    jcooley@miracle.com            doing with that Cosmic Debris?"
Organization: University of Central Florida - just passing thru
Date: Monday, 4 Jan 1993 15:29:59 EST
From: <FDMWINK@UCF1VM.BITNET> "Larry Wink"
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Another thought...(Not even close)

In article <jgs1.726138144@Isis.MsState.Edu>, jgs1@ra.msstate.edu (jimi
strickland) says:
>
>  Having scored an 'A' on the first four reports, I felt that I had
>  demonstrated sufficient reading comprehension and ability to report on
>  what I had read.  Therefore, I stopped reading the books and reporting
>  on them and devoted my time to more academic pursuits.  Needless to say,
>  my grade in that class was poor.  The professor let me withdraw from the
>  class with a passing grade, but I am required to take it again.

An example of what's wrong with the current educational system (and society
as a whole) - let's not ever hold someone reponsible for their actions.

>  I fail to see why I should be required to read and report on more books
>  when I have already shown that I possess the knowledge/skills.
>  I think I should be able to just write one paper or so. ha ha
>  I, like many other students, felt that it was a tragic waste of my good
>  time to read what is not even considered 'good' literature and then
>  report on it for the professor's amusement.
>
I doubt your professor was amused.

>  I fully realize that I/they *should* have done the work, but quite a few
>  people go to college to *learn* and not just get some mark on a piece of
>  paper arbitrarily ranking their knowledge on the subject.
>  (grades in college are seldom accurate indicators of a student's
>   mastery of the subject except in cases of blatant failing)
>
>          -jimi-
>

Well, jimi, there is obviously no need for a bright boy like you to be wasting
his time in college.  After all, what will you end up with?  Some marks on
a piece of paper arbitrarily attesting to your knowledge and ability to learn.
Run, don't walk, out to the real world.  Its just waiting for another bright
boy who knows it all.  An attitude like yours will be justly rewarded.

 --Larry Wink
 Internet: fdmwink@ucf1vm.cc.ucf.edu <or> ljw@pro-magic.oau.org
 Bitnet: fdmwink@ucf1vm     Usenet: bbs-phaedrus@jwt.UUCP     GEnie: l.wink
    "The is no more terrible sight than ignorance in action." - Goethe
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: johnson@sleipnir.pb.wes.mot.com (Mark Johnson)
Subject: Re: New sins
Reply-To: johnson@wes.mot.com
Organization: Motorola Wireless Enterprises, Schaumburg, IL
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 15:19:08 GMT

In article <1993Jan10.222058.16966@cbnewse.cb.att.com>, gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
=)In article <1993Jan10.083337.3619@syacus.acus.oz.au> ron@syacus.acus.oz.au (Ron Williams) writes:
=)>Rodney Adams (radams@BNR.CA) wrote:
=)>> Other listed sins in the Roman Catholic Church's first worldwide 
=)>> addendum to its official list of sins since 1545 include:
=)>[ more deletes ]
=)>Really?? 
=)Pardon my naivete', but I was under the impression that "sins" were
=)defined by their being prohibited by the writings in the Bible.
=)What does a separate list of sins accomplish, and how could the
=)list of things considered sins change?  And is there a grandfather
=)rule?  Would people be pulled out of Heaven because they did things
=)that weren't sins when they got there?  Is there an extradition
=)agreement?  I can picture the big line at the Pearly Gates, and
=)Saint Peter yelling, "Yablonski, John!  Got some bad news for
=)you, buddy."

It actually gets better than that.  Here in the Chicago area, there is
a large population of Irish Catholics.  This presented a problem when
Good Friday landed square on St. Patrick's day.  How to reconcile the
prohibition against eating meat on Good Friday with the venerable
tradition of having (I think) corned beef on St. Pat's?  The archdiocese
of Chicago solved the problem by offering a special dispensation for
corned beef within the confines of Cook County.

This immediately brought several questions to my mind.  What if you
lived in Cook County, under the Chicago archdiocese, but were out of town
on the day in question?  Can you still take advantage of the waiver?
What if you're from one of the collar counties and drive in just for
the sandwich?  Is that OK?  Or what if you're eating the sandwich in
the car and drive out of the county?  Can you buy the sandwich in Cook
County and take it home?

Thank God I was born Protestant!
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "Johnson"            | Paranoid schizophrenics outnumber their enemies at   |
| johnson@wes.mot.com  |                 least two to one.                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Disclaimer:  If Motorola agreed with what I said, I'd get paid a lot more.  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: galster@plains.NoDak.edu (Dwight Galster)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: IQ Test?
Date: 12 Jan 93 01:22:22 GMT
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computing Network

In article <mike_steiner-110193143500@192.35.50.131> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
>In article <1993Jan8.165043.21324@cbnewse.cb.att.com>,
>gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) wrote:
>
>[omitted]
>
>> On another point, why would it be so difficult to reconcile
>> religious beliefs with evolution?  If one were to assume that
>> there were a God, why would one have the audacity to question the
>> "right" method for an omniscient being to "create" or modify life?
>> It seems a bit ridiculous for a believer to question anything a
>> supreme being would do, particularly when "acceptance" would
>> otherwise seem to be a believer's strong suit.
>
>That is my belief.  Evolution is God's way of advancing/developing life.
>


On the other hand, why would we believe in a God who routinely lies about
his past activities?  And who bases His entire theology on one historical
event which we disbelieve?  Christianity without creation is absurd.
If the earth is billions of years old with a history of hundreds of million
years of evolution, that means there have been hundreds of millions of
years of death.  Therefore it is not possible that through one man's sin
death came into the world.  Therefore sin does not cause death, therefore
there is no need for a savior.  Therefore Jesus Christ is irrelevant.
This is fine for people who are not Christians, but why would a Christian
hold a belief that makes his religion an absurdity?

The above statement is absolutely correct:  "If...there were a God, why
would one have the audacity to question the "right" method...."  Indeed.
If he said he created it recently, and perfect, then he did, or he's not
God and just another liar.

And if you think the Bible is not God's book but just the writings of
fallible men, then you have, in my opinion, a very weak basis for any
kind of religion.  If you yourself are to decide what God says and what
God means, that effectively puts you above God.  It is the supreme form
of idolatry. (This paragraph applies only to those calling themselves
Christian.)

Evolution is a fact?  Sure it's a fact.  It's a fact like creation is a
fact, like the incarnation of Jesus Christ is a fact, like eternal
salvation is a fact.  That is, it's a fact of faith, and nothing more.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa