HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ken@nate.UUCP (Ken Gacioch)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Subjective info on other groups wanted
Date: 18 Nov 92 14:16:12 GMT
Reply-To: nate!ken@cs.rit.edu
Organization: HealthChex, Inc.

In article <1992Nov17.223304.1635@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com writes:
>I'm curious about some of the other hi-iq groups mentioned in the FAQ.
>Anyone here belong to others?  How do they compare to Mensa, or how
>would you describe them, from a standpoint of focus and activities?
>I'll take email and summarize to the net if there's enough interest.

I used to belong to Intertel (99th %ile), but didn't re up after a couple
years.  No activities anywhere nearby, and the newsletter was (IMHO)
excruciatingly dull.  I suppose I could have organized activities for
local Illians, but I was LocSec of our Mensa group at the time, and didn't
need the extra work.
   Market penetration for Mensa is slightly under 1%, but it's about 10 times
less for Intertel.  There were only about 2000 members in the US at the time.
Not a whole lot of chance for face-to-face interaction, which is what I find
most rewarding about Mensa.

Ken Gacioch
nate!ken@cs.rit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: wiggins@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (Don Wiggins)
Subject: Grad Students
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 01:35:12 GMT

Is it me, or does there seem to be an unhealthy level of interest on this
board about grad students killing their professors??

 ===========================================================================|
 |                                      | Success is getting what you want. |
 |Don Wiggins                           | Happiness is wanting what you get.|
 |Internet: wiggins@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu |     -- Brother Dave Gardner       |
 ===========================================================================|
From: ustai@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Ouch.......
Date: 23 Nov 92 13:57:47 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University

Hiya y'll
	What's all these TAI bashing about?  I haven't been here since the
group started and suddenly I see a whole bunch of "die TAI".  I take exception
to that... (for obvious reasons... :))
	Anyway, this guy (me) is not related at all to the other TAI, unless,
of course, he happens to be my dark self, which is not possible, cos I know I
am the evil part of the twin... :)
	Anyways, it's interesting even this group will lower itself down to
flaming instead of using logic to bash another....  I guess all humans are
alike in that manner huh?
	Well... that's my drivel for today...  See you all again when I have
time.......  Ciao.

-Tai
ps: Yo TAI, do mail me if you really are TAI....  Curious how you got *that*
name........... :)
From: radams@BNR.CA (Rodney Adams)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Marylin Vos Savant.  Personal info request <=****
Date: 9 Nov 92 18:27:54 GMT
Reply-To: "Rodney Adams" <RADAMS@BNR.CA>
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

In article <R1PVTB4w165w@iowegia.uucp>, quest@iowegia.uucp (Steve J.
Quest) writes:
|>        I have a question about Marylin Vos Savant.  I have heard 
|>about this person, but have not heard details ABOUT this person.  
|>My first reaction to the name is "what a lucky person to have a 
|>last name of Savant".

If I remember correctly, her name had less to do with luck than one 
might suppose.  Savant is not her husband's last name, nor was it her 
last name at birth; Savant is her mother's maiden name.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rodney G. Adams
The opinions expressed above are not necessarily those of my employer.
As if you didn't already know that....
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: An invitation
Date: 24 Nov 92 02:22:57 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

30 years ago, some friends of mine bet me that I would never survive to see
my 50th birthday (the most cited reason for my death was that I would be
shot after a truly atrocious pun).  Anyway, I shall win that bet on the
first of December (absent an unforseen happening).  My wife decided that we
should have a party to celebrate my winning the bet.  The party will be on
Friday, December 11th, at 7:30 pm in our apartment.

If you live in, or will be visiting the San Francisco Bay area on that
date, you're invited.

If you think that you shall be able to attend, and do not know where I
live, ask me for the address and directions, and I'll email them to you.  I
am reluctant to post the address or phone number on this forum.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|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.          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: ken@nate.UUCP (Ken Gacioch)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: GRE scores
Date: 23 Nov 92 23:27:11 GMT
Reply-To: nat!ken@cs.rit.edu
Organization: HealthChex, Inc.

In article <By6Lqu.Ks@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu> jglarson@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Johan Larson) writes:
>OK, so mensa accepts on the basis of GRE scores, 
>with the bar at 1250 (verbal + quantitative).
>Do any of the more demanding smart-organizations
>do likewise?  If so, what kind of numbers does one
>need?

Read Mensa - FAQ: What other high-IO societies are there? [Bi-Weekly]

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: platinum@montage.UUCP (Doug Swallow)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Special Interest Groups
Distribution: world
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 02:18:36 GMT
Organization: Software Environments, Inc.

ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU writes in article
<1992Nov22.012716.24016@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>:

> I think we should try it again in Orlando. To do this, we (I did it last
> time, so now it's "your" turn) will need to contact Lisa Shea, Assistant
> SIGs Officer, to reserve a slot in the SIGs Room. Last time the @party
> was at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Maybe another time would work better.
> 
> Another idea is to have the @-folks volunteer to take a turn at
> Hospitality duty. Then we could meet each other but still not have to get
> too far away from the "action" or have yet one more schedule
> conflict/choice.

Either idea is an excellent one. At the 1993 Mensa MAGIC AG in Orlando, the
hospitality is comprised of over 8,000 square feet of ballroom space at the
Peabody Hotel.  It is located off a large "pre-assembly" area in which we
will create dozens of small seating/gathering areas for people to socialize
between programs, and right next to the room currently set aside for the
SIGs hospitality suite.

There may even be an opportunity to create a hands-on networking environment
to permit people to experience CompuServe and Usenet interaction; though
nothing's firm yet in that respect.

I'd be happy to refer you to the necessary people if you're interested in
helping in any of these areas!

I'm the off-site activities co-chair for the 1993 AG. If you've got any
general AG questions, I'd be happy to answer those myself.


--
/ Doug Swallow
|Internet:   platinum@montage.uucp     |Mail: 7927 Clubhouse Estates Dr.
|CompuServe: 75776,1011                |      Orlando, Florida 32819-5026
|Phone:      407-236-0153              |Fax:  407-352-3111

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: skh4161@mvs.draper.com (Kjeld Hvatum)
Subject: Re: t: Re: IQ Test Creation Question
Organization: Draper Laboratory
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 18:41:00 GMT


>: Mensa's charter specifies "... generally recognized tests of intelligence
>: ...", which the LAIT, Mega and Titan are not.
>
>And some of the more commonly used tests accepted for Mensa qualification
>are not intelligence tests at all.

Some of the tests, like the SAT, go out of their way to avoid
being associated with IQ.  But the Princeton Review coaching
book on the ACT flat out says, "The SAT is an IQ test."
The CEEB's own technical book on the SAT talks of verbal
ability as being closely associated with important high-level
cognitive functions.

To pretend there are clear lines between testing intelligence,
aptitude, and achievement is silly, in my opinion.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: rakowski@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (Calvin)
Subject: Benifits of Mensa
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 01:36:02 GMT

I am sorry if I'm wasting bandwidth here, but I have kind of an interesting
question. (make that questions)
1) I got a 28 on my ACT taken three years ago.  It stated in the FAQ that
   an ACT score of 29 or better was needed to join Mensa.  I'm fairly sure
   that I could have done better than that had I brushed up on my geometry
   (I only got a 32 math.. *yuck* and worse, about a 24 verbal.. I'm quoting
    these from memory, so I could be wrong)  Anyway, my point is, would it
   be possible for me to still join Mensa if I took some other sort of 
   "IQ test" and scored in the 98th percentile?

2) What benifits can be recieved from joining Mensa?  My maternal uncle is
   a member of Mensa.. However, he lacks, shall we say, a modicum of common
   sense... He's a Mailman.. ;>   Anyway, I am just wondering if the money
   spend on the application would be worth it.  (would employers be more
   likely to hire a member of Mensa, or would he look down on the member 
   thinking he is a know-it-all?)
 
I had just started reading this newsgroup, and only found one part of the
FAQ.  If these questions were answered in other parts (that our cruddy
newsserver did not recieve) then I apologize, but I would appreciate 
answers to these questions.
Thank you ...
-Dave
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Tired of Tai
Date: 17 Nov 92 19:17:48 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

In article <16Nov92123936@miracle.com>, sue@miracle.com wrote:
> 
> What's going on here?
> 
> I disappeared about 3 or 4 _months_ ago, being tired of all the fluff,
> mostly regarding Scott Tai.  Now, I finally pick up this newsgroup
> again, and find that you people are still squabbling over him!  Aren't
> there more important, or at least more interesting, things to post about?
> 
> Somebody Email me in another few months, and let me know if it's quieted
> down..
> 
> Until then...
> 
> 
> 
> - Sue -
> 
> 
> P.S. - It isn't that I have anything against Scott Tai, but hasn't this
> been going on long enough?

He comes and goes; he was gone for most of the time that you were gone.  If
you had stuck around, you would have been here while he wasn't. 
Unless........

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|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: edp@math.zk3.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Subject: Re: And again, "Voting Analysis"
Reply-To: edp@math.zk3.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 13:56:00 GMT

In article <1992Nov18.180014.6947@walter.cray.com>,
sonic@bearpit.cray.com (Curtis Swanson) writes:

>>Millions of people contributed to the
>>information gained by the organization and they did so solely by not
>>voting.
>
>Wrong again.  The results of the sampling of group X were applied to group
>Y.  WITHOUT THE SAMPLE OF GROUP X (boy, I wish I could underline or 
>italicize), nothing is learned about group Y, other than "they did not 
>vote."

Tell me what the people in group Y did, other than not-voting, that
contributed to what the organization learned.

You can give no answer; there is nothing they did other than not-voting
that contributed to what the organization learned.  I did not deny that
the sample from group X is needed, but that is not something done by
those in group Y.  Millions of people contributed to the information
learned but did so solely by not-voting.


                                -- edp (Eric Postpischil)
                                "Always mount a scratch monkey."
                                edp@rusure.enet.dec.com
From: meattle@usc.edu (Saumya Meattle)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Membership Info
Date: 20 Nov 92 21:42:10 GMT
Distribution: ca
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: sal-sun65.usc.edu


Hi,  

I used to be a mensa International member.
I came to the US 2 years ago and have lost touch with Mensa since then.
I need info as to how I can get involved again. 
I would appreciate someone telling me who to contact in LA.

Thanks.

Saumya Meattle
meattle@usc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Subject: Re: Special Interest Groups
Organization: The Cat Factory
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 01:29:14 GMT

In article <0096395E.135EFE20@LNS62.TN.CORNELL.EDU> EGYED@lns62.tn.cornell.edu writes:

}It would be a good thing to have new Usenet groups,
}like rec.org.mensa.[your_favorite_sig_here], to be able to use the
}advantages of Usenet to its fullest. Without it, the SIGs communicate
}with their newsletters, or personal contacts, if the participants are
}in the same area. Having a subgroup for sigs that are going to use it
}would speed up communication by orders of magnitude.

I doubt any one SIG has enough membership to justify broadcasting their
affairs to the world.  Mailing lists would be appropriate, though.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483
Santa Monica, CA  90405
From: rr@chem.ucsd.edu (Roxanne Rohmann)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Grad Students
Date: 19 Nov 1992 05:05:31 GMT
Organization: Chemistry Dept, UC San Diego
NNTP-Posting-Host: chedccf0.ucsd.edu

> wiggins@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (Don Wiggins) writes:
 > Is it me, or does there seem to be an unhealthy level of interest on this
 > board about grad students killing their professors??

Unhealthy?
From: nicolas@stam.nl (Nico Veenkamp)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: IG in Flevohof
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 11:29:32 CET
Organization: Stam Tijdschriften bv, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:

> > videoprogram so did have the time. Met several old friends (whom I didn't 
> > know that they were in Mensa too) and made some new friends. All in all 
> > had a good time.
> 
> It is always a pleasant surprise to meet a friend at a Mensa function, not
> having known that each other was a Mensan.
> 
You can imagine the surprise. I know both of them through involvement in 
organizing science fiction conventions. I noticed that people within the 
science fiction community tend to have a higher Mensa potential than 
other groups I work with. I am not sure if this is true or not but that 
is my impression.



      *================================================================*
      |  Nico Veenkamp	        | You write, we publish                |
      |  Stam Tijdschriften bv  | -------------------------------------|
      |  P.O. Box 235           | Internet : nicolas@stam.nl           |
      |  2280 AE  Rijswijk      | FidoNet  : 2:281/1.7                 |
      |  The Netherlands        | BIX      : nicolas                   |
      *================================================================*
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: sonic@bearpit.cray.com (Curtis Swanson)
Subject: Re: IQ Test Creation Question
Reply-To: sonic@bearpit.cray.com (Curtis Swanson)
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 16 Nov 92 16:53:55 CST

gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:

:In article <5Ji9TB1w164w@jwt.UUCP> bbs-phaedrus@jwt.UUCP writes:

:>standardized IQ test only measured what has been learned and not the 
:>potential to learn.

:I don't agree with this.  I don't disagree, either, not being able to prove
:it either way, but I'm not sure you can give a usable argument toward this.

Well, The proctored exam I took did both (about 60% language - what has been 
learned - and 40% logical - determine the sequence/relationship).  As such,
I thought it relied too much on knowledge previously learned.  But, until
a better test is made, you make do with what you have.....

***  Curt Swanson  ***  sonic@romulus.cray.com  ***  IOTTMCO  *********
Bad opening line #106:
     "Say, you own the 'Buns of steel' video, don't you?"
***  Warning: This signature expires on 30-NOV-92!  *******************
From: ringo@icad.com (Amy Gorin)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: "Family Circle" Scheduling Program
Date: 19 Nov 92 17:27:43 GMT
Organization: ICAD Inc., Cambridge, MA


   Now, what about "Fred Bassett"?  Apparently Graham is from some other
   universe whose social structure centers around a fetish for chairs.
 

Yes, he's from England.  It's a british strip.  

-ringo
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: wicks@meena.cc.uregina.ca
Subject: re:re:ig in flevehof
Date: 15 NOV 92 10:18:42 GMT
Organization: University of Regina, Regina, Sask., Canada

1996 will be the 50th. annivesary of Mensa. A committee with David Schulman
as chair was appointed at the Amsterdam IBD meeting. If you want to volunteer
for help to organize this, please contact David Schulman in Ireland. IJ contains his address.
Britain may issue a special Postage stamp to commemorate this event. Jean, how aboutREPLY
getting Us committee to arrange to get US Mail to issue a stamp. We will be trying
to get a stamp issued in Canada. The IG could be in 1994 ans possibly in Asia.
From: nicolas@stam.nl (Nico Veenkamp)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Special Interest Groups
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 13:10:23 CET
Organization: Stam Tijdschriften bv, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake") writes:

> In article <9oHFuB4w165w@stam.nl> nicolas@stam.nl (Nico Veenkamp) writes:
> >And of course organize @-parties at gatherings :-)
> 
> Oops, I think this is where I came in! :-)
> Seriously, we did this for the U.S. AG in San Francisco last summer and a
> few folks did show up. I was there, as were Phil Hill, Jerry Holcombe,
> and a few others I didn't get to introduce myself to. Mike Steiner popped
> in for a moment (he was involved in the project to create alien societies
> and introduce them to each other, sorry I've forgotten the name of the
> game).

Didi,
I only heard of @-parties at science fiction conventions. I thought it 
might be a good idea to introduce it within Mensa too. But I see that it 
is done already. I like meeting people 'in the flesh' after exchanging 
messages for a while. 

(from a fellow librarian)

      *================================================================*
      |  Nico Veenkamp	        | You write, we publish                |
      |  Stam Tijdschriften bv  | -------------------------------------|
      |  P.O. Box 235           | Internet : nicolas@stam.nl           |
      |  2280 AE  Rijswijk      | FidoNet  : 2:281/1.7                 |
      |  The Netherlands        | BIX      : nicolas                   |
      *================================================================*
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 16:01:30 -0500 
From: "Peter A. Simon" <ps3p+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: the perennial question

Would someone please be so kind as to e-mail me address of Mensa's head
office?  Also, I would appreciate it if someone could tell me what GRE
scores are required for membership.

Thank you very much.

Peter
From: pamela@sscux1.ssc.gov (pamela gurd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: the question is the answer ?!
Date: 16 Nov 92 22:13:11 GMT
Article-I.D.: sunova.1992Nov16.221311.16972
Organization: Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory


> This reminds me of a (probably apocryphal) story I read somewhere
> long ago.  It seems a professor gave a final exam consisting of
> a single question.
> 
> "Write a question that you feel would be suitable for a 
> final exam and answer it."
> 
> One student thought for a few moments, then wrote the above
> sentence twice.
> 
> -Dwight


It seems to me that the exam question, as asked, (and I think "exam
question" can include directives) requires the sentence being written twice;
but this means the answer inside the answer must have the sentence twice,
and so on - the student will run out of time before he can answer the question
this way!

Pam.
From: jcooley@miracle.com (John Cooley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: "Family Circle" Scheduling Program
Date: 23 Nov 92 19:02:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: miracle.23Nov92150210
Organization: Miracle Computer Consultants

yaros@sab57.larc.nasa.gov (Steve Yaros) writes:
>Don't forget the little ghost with the name "not me" (or something like
>that)...he should appear every month or so.

Thanks, Steve, for pointing out that oversight!

How frequent would you schedule "not me" ?  Every 5 weeks?

                                     - John Cooley
                                       Cartoon Scheduling Systems, Inc.


 ==========================================================================
       John Cooley              Zappa as a waste management engineer: 
                                  "Hey, there, Brother!  Whatcha
    jcooley@miracle.com            doing with that Cosmic Debris?"  
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: sonic@bearpit.cray.com (Curtis Swanson)
Subject: Re: Tired of Tai
Reply-To: sonic@bearpit.cray.com (Curtis Swanson)
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 19 Nov 92 12:48:27 CST


franklin@ug.cs.dal.ca (Steve Franklin) writes:

>If so, when you ask "Aren't there more important, or at least more 
>interesting, things to post about?", why not SUGGEST SOMETHING? Stop looking
>to others for answers. If you don't like the quality of the newsgroup, then
>CHANGE it.

Gads!  Sounds like the voting thread in disguise!  Extremely valid point.

***  Curt Swanson  ***  sonic@romulus.cray.com  ***  IOTTMCO  *********
Bad opening line #106:
     "Say, you own the 'Buns of steel' video, don't you?"
***  Warning: This signature expires on 30-NOV-92!  *******************
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Tai
Date: 16 Nov 92 23:18:34 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

Well, we can all relax now.  I've found out the real name of the person who
posts under the aliases of Scott Andrew Tai and other names.

His real name is Richard Cranium.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled flame fest.

[:) this message is smiley-captioned for the humor impaired :)]

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|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.          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: jcooley@miracle.com (John Cooley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: _Vidya_
Date: 16 Nov 92 15:36:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: miracle.16Nov92113629
Organization: Miracle Computer Consultants

clong@remus.rutgers.edu (Chris Long) writes:
>The last issue of _Vidya_ I received was 122/123 (May/June).  Is
>the publishing of it that irregular, or is it just me?
>-- 
>Chris Long, 265 Old York Rd., Bridgewater, NJ  08807-2618

OK, I'll bite.  What's a "_Vidya_" ?

-John


 ==========================================================================
       John Cooley              Zappa as a waste management engineer: 
                                  "Hey, there, Brother!  Whatcha
    jcooley@miracle.com            doing with that Cosmic Debris?"  
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Subject: Re: Mensa - FAQ: Do I qualify for Mensa? How do I Join? [Monthly]
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 17:27:41 GMT

In the list of national Mensas, Mensa Japan should be removed.
--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle