HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: sp@osf.org (Simon Patience)
Subject: Re: Words: American vs English (UK type)
Organization: Open Software Foundation
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 08:22:50 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.081747.23526@osf.org>, sp@osf.org (Simon Patience) writes:
> In article <thos.718421370@suite.sw.oz.au>, thos@suite.sw.oz.au (Thomas Cohen) writes:
> > In <1992Oct2.145442.14354@netcom.com> sue@netcom.com (Sue Miller) writes:
> > 
> > >Daan Sandee writes:
> > 
> > >Wrong!!  Chris Malcolm said that a LORY was an Australasian parrot.
> > >As any decent English or American dictionary will tell you.
> > 
> > Ahem. Actually a lorikeet. I've never heard them called "Lory"s before.
> 
> Try using a dictionary. I did, it was right there, spelt Lory.
>  
> > What do people over in the UK call Tractor-trailer rigs (to use the 
> > American parlance)? We call them Semi's (from semi-trailer or
> > semi-articulated, which doesn't really make a lot of sense).
> 
> Juganaut perhaps?

That should read Juggernaut. It's just bloody typical that the same post
I refer someone to a dictionary in a moment of self righteousness that
I then mispell a word myself.

Simon.

-- 
  Simon Patience
  Open Software Foundation			Phone: +33-76-63-48-72
  Research Institute				FAX:   +33-76-51-05-32
  2 Avenue De Vignate				Email: sp@gr.osf.org
  38610 Gieres, France				       uunet!gr.osf.org!sp
From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Scroungers?
Date: 13 Oct 92 14:53:55 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol

Was an interesting juxtaposition of two topics over the last week.  The
first was a Government announcement of yet another drive against
'welfare scroungers', who they estimate cost the country around 500
million pounds per year.  (This seems largely to be made up of people
who do small odd jobs for unreported cash, so that they can continue to
receive the entire allotment of dole money, and God knows anyone on the
dole probably needs to sneak in some money that way just to survive,
we've already had someone in here today asserting that it is impossible
for a family of four to survive on a large multiple of that amount, but
never mind, that's another argument and not relevant here.)

The other topic was a bit of investigative journalism by one of the TV
news shows, I think on Channel 4, into a Government scheme whereby
people can avoid death duties (inheritance taxes) on items of
artistic/architectural/etc merit by putting them on a register and
making them available for public viewing.  This is estimated to 'cost'
quite a lot in foregone taxes (certainly more than the welfare
scroungers) and, of course, is only available, practically speaking, to
the very well off.

'Preserving the nation's heritage', you say, 'what's wrong with that?'
Well, nothing in principle, but a great deal in execution.  The
'registry' does not specifically identify the works of art (or other
items) in question, so it is useless for serious scholarship or
tourism.  It also doesn't say where they are or who owns them -- just
lists 'contact' points, which may be the owner's lawyers, accountants,
etc.  And, finally, its existence is not advertised, and there is only
one copy of it which is kept locked away in an office in London.  (On
average, fewer than 2 citizens per year manage to get access to consult
it.)

It's regarded by lawyers and accountants who specialise in inheritance
issues as an invaluable way to avoid death duties, totally legally, and
with an approximately zero probability that anyone will ever actually
show up to see (or indeed, even be able to discover the existence of)
any of the items which you have registered as 'accessible to the public'.
(The Government said they'll look into it.  Thanks, guys.)

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
From: ag129@cus.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Currency problems
Date: 15 Oct 92 18:28:51 GMT
Organization: U of Cambridge, England

In article <1992Oct15.142620.2911@dcs.qmw.ac.uk> mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes:
>It could be abolished overnight if it were replaced with
>a benefit payment of the same amount going to mortgage payers.
>This would at least have the effect of making it clear what it
>actually is. You could then progressively transform this
>benefit payment to something which actually is targetted at
>those in need, rather than a fixed amount going to everyone.

Huh? MIRAS is an acknowledgement of the fact that some of peoples'
earnings go to pay for the cost of living, and not on sports cars,
pizzas, shell suits and other trashy luxuries. It is a reduction on
the amount a person (or more likely a family) is forced to pay to the
State. It is not a handout.
From: yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Dave Shariff Yadallee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Reports from political conventions
Date: 8 Oct 92 12:16:50 GMT
Organization: Edmonton Remote Systems #2, Edmonton, AB, Canada

ATTENTION BRITONS!!

Can anyone post a summary of what happened at the LDem, Labour and Tory
conventions?  Please post.

BTW, Nick and Jon, I haven't forgotten your challenge.

DSY - Loyal to God,Queen and country.

Dave Shariff Yadallee (yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca,
userLIBE@mts.ucs.ualberta.ca)
God Save the Queen, God Bless us All! Remember! Jesus Saves!!
Canadians: send a clear message to the government!  ON Oct. 26, Abstain
From: pete@minster.york.ac.uk
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Words: American vs English (UK type)
Date: 8 Oct 92 11:08:40 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of York, England
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

H G J Evans (huw@castle.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
: It is
: also quite common to refer to vehicles by their gross laden weight (GLW)
: if you happen to know it. For example, you might talk about 7.5 tonners,
: sixteen tonners, etc. It is easy to recognise 7.5 tonners but not to
: differentiate between bigger wagons.

I've also heard them referred to by length -- ``We've got to unload three
forty-footers today...'' 

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: cc@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Chris Cooke)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Words: American vs English (UK type)
Date: 7 Oct 92 12:37:07 GMT
	<1ahj0hINN5fh@early-bird.think.com> <1992Oct2.145442.14354@netcom.com>
	<thos.718421370@suite.sw.oz.au> <1992Oct7.085003.6490@crc.ac.uk>
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

In article <1992Oct7.085003.6490@crc.ac.uk> msmith@crc.ac.uk (Mike Smith x3297) writes:

   It varies, some people call them Artic's (short for articulated), others
   call them Juggernauts.

In my family they were usually called "TIR lorries", because the letters
"TIR" were always on the back in big letters.
--
	-- Chris. 	cc@dcs.ed.ac.uk   (on Janet, cc@uk.ac.ed.dcs)
From: gedge@cm.cf.ac.uk (Geraint A Edwards)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Return to UK - Queries.
Date: 15 Oct 92 16:37:11 GMT
Organization: I'm at, not speaking for: Uni of Wales, College of Cardiff

mjl-b@minster.york.ac.uk writes:
} Income support for the single person is currently 33 pounds 60 pence per
} week. Las Vegas here we come...

For those of us 25 and over, IS is roughly 43 pounds.

I had a visit from the DSS yesterday.

Gedge
--
Geraint A Edwards, Computing PhD student.      gedge@cm.cf.ac.uk
Graphic-free .sig's rule! Unix+Usenet 0pence/hr, Spuddy +44 203 638780
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: dbrooks@penge.osf.org (David Brooks)
Subject: Re: Cities with 7 hills
Organization: Open Software Foundation
	<7366@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com> <DBROOKS.92Oct16174951@penge.osf.org>
Date: 16 Oct 92 18:54:08

I wrote:
> Bush will be struck down on November 1 (All Saint's Day) and the
> Fundamentalist VP will reign for exactly 100 days (the term runs out on
					   ^^^
> January 20).

Well... 81 actually. <blush>
--
David Brooks					dbrooks@osf.org
Open Software Foundation			uunet!osf.org!dbrooks
Three more months!  Three more months!
From: fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Currency Problems
Date: 8 Oct 92 12:36:22 GMT
Distribution: soc
Organization: Edinburgh University

Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Currency problems

mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach) writes:

-From: fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes)
--Libertarian ideas would cover this situation. It's part of the theory to
--make the external costs internal. For instance, rather than welfare
--there might be unemployment insurance and charities.

-Ah yes, now what about those who couldn't find a job in the
-first place, and so never paid "unemployment insurance"?
-(incidentally, of course "National Insurance" was once just a
-nationalised version of your scheme, which is why the archaic
-distinction between it and income tax is maintained), not to
-mention those whose skills are limited so who would be charged
-a high premium. Charity is a wonderful thing, but I doubt the
-"Help a thick unemployed yobbo" charity would raise much money.

Well if folks aren't willing to give charity to these people willingly
then where's the legitimacy for government to extort the money from them
to supply this charity against people's wishes? I thought governments
were elected to do the things that people wanted done? 

Or maybe there's something wrong with the scenario you propose above?

-However, the thick unemployed yobboes might not be so thick
-that they couldn't start their own "charity", collectors for
-which come armed. Yes, I am beginning to get the hang of this
-libertarianism now - "market forces" in the shape of starving
-muggers force you to contribute to charities. Either that or
-you pay for a bodyguard or more insurance against getting
-mugged. What a wonderful world Libertaria is for insurance
-salesmen.

The police are there to solve that sort of problem. Libertarianism does
not equal anarchy.

But, if you think about it, people might reduce their taxes which pay
for the police by actually contributing enough to such charities to
reduce the costs of policing. Donating money to certain charities would
be a simple case of self-interest as well as a sign of a caring society.



--In the above situation, an insurer, rather than pay out money to have
--someone unemployed, might offer to pay the employer a retainer to keep
--someone employed until a recruiting agency, hired by the insurer, had
--found alternative employment. It'd depend on the insurer's own
--calculation of minimum cost, which would pretty much match the equation
--you are alluding to above.

-Well, I've heard of selling yourself into slavery, but paying
-an insurance company for the privilege of being sent to the
-slave market, that's a new one.

A recruiting agency is hardly a "slave market". 

-Matthew Huntbach

FoFP
From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: VNS: Tue  6-Oct-1992
Date: 7 Oct 92 09:31:53 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol

In article <1992Oct6.141705.7816@bristol.ac.uk> P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee) writes:
>In article <1992Oct6.102918.8182@rdg.dec.com> evansg@uproar.enet.dec.com (Gwyn Evans @ IME) writes:
>>    UK News
>>    -------
>>    FT-SE = 2446.3 (-103.4)
>>    Exchange Rate for UK pound = $ 1.7065  = Dm 2.3959
>>	= Yn 204.18 = SFr 2.0888 = FFr 8.1571 = A$ 2.3652
>
>You neglect to mention the 'headline' story that that FTSE drop is the
>largest drop in a single day since the 1987 'crash', and that that
>pound = 2.39 Dm is another 5 pfennig drop.  Which leads to some fear
>(in the Tory party, as well as outside) that interest rates may have to
>go back up, and worse, that that might have to happen before their
>conference closes.

Bobble, bobble.  Yesterday the pound regained that 5 pfennig, and the
FTSE picked back up about half of that drop, up around 50.  Have heard
no comments on the exchange rate reversal.  The market spokesbods
appear to believe that the stock (FTSE) upturn is not a real upswing,
but a 'technical realignment' as people adjust their holdings to take
their gains or minimise their losses (depending on what their market
positions were).

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
From: jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Names of naughty politicians
Date: 8 Oct 92 17:58:47 GMT
	<1992Oct7.150103.9328@vax.oxford.ac.uk> <BvsuJz.ApM@brunel.ac.uk>
	<26686@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Glasgow, Scotland.
In-reply-to: fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk's message of 8 Oct 92 13:23:22 GMT

In article <26686@castle.ed.ac.uk> fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes) writes:

   wasn't there someone high up in the Scottish Tory party caught in an
   Edinburgh Hotel with a prostitute and a slipper?

Yes - in fact there's probably quite a few senior Scottish Tories who
fit the bill (or should that be slipper?? :-)

The case that made the papers involved Prof. Ross Harper, a prominent
lawyer who now works at this university. He sued the Sun over this
story and it ended up being settled out of court a few months ago.

		Jim
From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: New factory in Swindon
Date: 8 Oct 92 09:03:34 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol

Interesting bit of news on the telly last night.  Unfortunately it was
one of those little 'padding' features, and so was even less jam-packed
with detail than normal TV news reports.  Never mind, maybe someone
here works for Rover and can fill this out.

Rover have just opened a shiny new, modern, mega-expensive pressing
plant in Swindon.  Factory the size of a football field, designed for
pressing car body panels and other sheetmetal parts.  Part of their
plan to fight their way back up in the European auto industry.

The thing that interested me was that it is almost entirely
roboticised.  To keep this monstrous plant running at full output
requires only 5 workers on the shop floor.  Is this, possibly, one of
the early steps towards my predicted future?

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
From: mlemmerm@nl.oracle.com (Mick Lemmerman Publisher)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Scroungers?
Date: 15 Oct 92 14:23:50 GMT
Reply-To: mlemmerm@oracle.nl (Mick Lemmerman Publisher)
Organization: Oracle Europe

Can't remember the name of the Tory who said it was time
to get rid of the "something for nothing" society  (Mr
Richard Cranium?). Anyhow, is he planning to abolish 
inheritance?
From: jeremy@castle.ed.ac.uk (Jeremy Henderson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Currency problems
Date: 9 Oct 92 09:50:27 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <26691@castle.ed.ac.uk> fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes) writes:
~
~Now that it's becoming painfully obvious that government spending is way
~too high (estimate for borrowing next year: 50 billion, or if you prefer,
~around 25% of the government tax-grab) it's got to be time to look
~carefully at the welfare state. Surely most people would agree that it'd
~be better to live wiythin our means and start targetting the tax money
~at those folks who are, beyond the doubt of almost anyone, actually
~poor. 
~
~If it can be done in Sweden, then it can surely be done in the uk.

I must be dreaming here. Mike, I think that you're way off base on
most things ;-), but here you've gone completely over the top. First
you're complaining about the UK govt.taking too much tax and spending
it on social welfare, and then you want the UK to be more like Sweden.
How do you reconcile those two ideas? BTW, I don't think the UK could
become like Sweden even if we wanted, because Sweden has a very small
population and a great wealth of natural resources.


-- 
===Jeremy Henderson===jeremy@castle.ed.ac.uk=          Vommen
                                             Bladmagen
                                   Loepmagen
                        Naetmagen
From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Privatisation snippets
Date: 16 Oct 92 16:04:23 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol

In article <1bi15mINNfd9@fido.asd.sgi.com> livesey@solntze.wpd.sgi.com (Jon Livesey) writes:
>In article <1992Oct14.092526.27792@bristol.ac.uk>, smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee) writes:
>>
>> However, if a government REALLY feels that it wants to privatise
>> everything, then my feeling is that the Russian way is the proper 
>> way to do it.  It's my feeling that I (and everyone else in the 
>> country) own these nationally-owned industries, with the government's
>> proper role being that of our agent.  Since I already own part of 
>> the company, I shouldn't have to buy it from myself.
>
>Since the money paid for the shares goes to the Treasury, 
>part of it comes to you.   So those who wish to take the 
>risk of owning shares in publicly traded companies are 
>risking their own money, and you, as previous part owner, 
>get a share in the benefit.   You get to choose whether
>you want to take the risk or not.

Well, I find 4 things in that statement that conflict with my world
view.  I know from experience that my mentioning them isn't going to
convert you, because our universes are too different, but never
mind...

First: I do not actually believe that I have seen ANY benefits from this
governments' privatisations.  Quite the reverse.  But I've argued this 
already.

Second, while I might have gotten to 'choose' whether to take the risk
or not, I certainly didn't get to 'choose' whether I wanted it sold.
Indeed, the way in which the electoral system allows a majority
government to get in on a minority vote makes it impossible to
demonstrate convincingly (either way) that most people 'chose' to
sell (or not to).

Third, people did not universally get to 'choose whether they wanted to
take the risk'.  Only people with reasonable amounts of spare cash got
to play.  I see it as part of the standard effect of this government's
economic policies, which is to redistribute money from the worse off to
the better off.

Finally, I personally did not get to choose whether to take the risk or
not.  Despite the vast quantity of taxes which I've paid to this
Government (I'm well above average family earnings, nevermind Ann who's
on the same salary), I was in one of the groups prohibited from
playing, by the fine print in the privatisation terms and conditions.
(You could argue that I shouldn't complain, since if I'd had the option
I'd have turned it down as falling outside my sense of what's right;
but you certainly can't say that I had a choice in the matter.)

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: jac54@cas.org ()
Subject: Betting on the Prez
Organization: Chemical Abstracts Service, Columbus, Ohio
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 11:25:39 GMT


	Anybody know what odds Ladbrokes are offering on
	Bush/Quayle vs. Clinton/Gore (for the Presidential
	election of course.)?

	Alec Chambers
From: proberts@informix.com (Paul Roberts)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: VNS: The Vogon News Service
Date: 9 Oct 92 04:05:50 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1992Oct9.005405.4587@morrow.stanford.edu> mossop@pangea.Stanford.EDU (Antony Mossop) writes:

>I too like the VNS but must plead for more world news, as i) I like 
>the UK style of world news coverage and ii) I can get world news from
>local US media???!!!! Sadly no I can't.
>

Oh but you can - certainly in the Stanford area. Tune into KALW FM 91.7 :
they relay several hours of the BBC World Service every day. I can post
times if necessary. They carry BBC World News at 7am, 8am, 9am and
midnight for a start.

Paul
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:14108 talk.religion.misc:18284 soc.culture.europe:8938 soc.culture.french:7672
From: hg798502@LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Hugh Graham)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,talk.religion.misc,soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.french
Subject: Re: Responding to the Nick and Jon challenge (Re: challenge to DSY...Was
Summary: turning wintury
Date: 14 Oct 92 22:16:25 GMT
Article-I.D.: yuma.Oct14.221625.46805
Organization: Colorado State U. Engineering College

In article <LUCHINI.92Oct14162534@fangio.nhmfl.fsu.edu> luchini@nhmfl.fsu.edu (Marco Luchini) writes:
>In article <k7TmsB3w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca> yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Dave Shariff Yadallee) writes:
>
>> Read Revelations 17:7-9.  Quoting verses 9 to 14:
>> 
>> "And now think hard: his seven heads represent a certain city built on seven
>> hills ... They also represent 7 kings. 5 have already fallen, the 6th now
>> reigns, and the seventh yet to come, but his reign will be brief. ... His ten
>> 
>> Rome is the only city that I know of that has 7 hills.
>
>Tallahassee, FL, is also built on seven hills.  And it is much more
>unpleasant than Rome.  
>
>> DSY



It's thread linking time!

Edinbra is built on 7 hills!
Religious nonsense based on different interpretations of
allegorical/mythological writings is responsible for
conflicts all around the globe.  It's even linked to
the troubles in the 6 counties.  In a vague sense..
Sorry, I can't connect this subject to the price of coal.


Hugh              
@CSU not 4 CSU.
--
hg798502@longs.lance.colostate.edu
I am not a free man, I am a number.
From: jch+@cs.cmu.edu (Jonathan Hardwick)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: y
Date: 15 Oct 92 01:11:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.Bw51yt.7pq.2
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

livesey@solntze.wpd.sgi.com (Jon Livesey) writes
> No.   These sheets are aimed at Americans who don't know Poland
> from Portugal.   However, most of them would giggle at the idea
> that the State Department thought it necessary to tell them that
> the UK is a stable democracy.    They might need to be told that
> about Hungary or Spain, but not about the UK.

You're kidding, right?  The last time I had to relieve someone of the
misapprehension that Britain is an absolute monarchy where the Queen
gives out the orders was last Monday.  At the end of the haircut she
still couldn't quite grasp the idea of voting for an MP to decide who
gets to be PM, but she was suitably impressed that we got to vote at
all.  I should have asked her about Poland and Portugal; maybe she'd
have done better on that... 

Jonathan H.
From: Geraint.Jones@comlab.oxford.ac.uk (Geraint Jones)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Edinburgh
Date: 7 Oct 92 21:33:59 GMT
Reply-To: Geraint.Jones@comlab.oxford.ac.uk (Geraint Jones)
Organization: The Bosco Collapsible Concubine and Folding Family Corporation
Originator: geraint@pierrot.comlab

miriam@seismo.gps.caltech.edu (Miriam Jackson) wrote:
(  and what about: Alnwick, Alnmouth (careful), Berwick, Norwich, ...
 ) and if you're really getting into this: Carneddau, Betws-y-Coed,
(  Pen yr Helgu Du, Llangollen, etc.  (Send spelling corrections to 
 ) alt.flame.spelling.anal.retentive ;-) )

Now, now.  That's not fair to the Americans who think that the British are
all English, or at least English-speaking.  You wouldn't expect Welsh place
names to be pronounced (or even spelled -- even if correctly) as though they
were English.  And of course the reason that so many place names in what is 
now England (and Scotland, too) are so strange is that they are corruptions 
of place names in other languages, some of them no longer spoken here.  It  /
is the surprising linguistic uniformity of the short history of modern     /
America that makes its few native American placenames stand out.	  / g

____
Try Coedpoeth, Gwynfryn, Bwlchgwyn, y Mw'nglawdd and Brymbo while you're at it.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british