HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: peterm@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Peter Mardahl)
Subject: Alzheimer's and Aluminum pots and pans
Summary: real scoop on aluminum pots and pans
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
 
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 19:28:14 GMT

From the Saturday, December 12, 1992 San Francisco Examiner, page D-1:

"Pots, pans cleared of Alzheimer's blame

	Don't throw away your aluminum pots and pans yet.  Because 
aluminum has been found in brain tissue samples of Alzheimer's patients,
the indigenous compound was thought to be a possible cause of the disorder.
But a new study, using highly sophisticated measuring equipment, indicates
the aluminum found in brain cells probably was due to contamination by
airborne dust that contains aluminum, said J.P. Landsberg of Oxford 
University.  The dust-carried contamination was found in stains routinely
used to study brain cells.

	Examination of 80 Alzheimer's brain samples with the new equipment,
and without the stain, showed that none of them contained aluminum,
Landsberg reported in the English science journal Nature.

	--Chicago Tribune"

  Well, there it is, guys, in print, and cited.  Aluminum is NOT in the
brain cells of Alzheimer's victims.  Someone else may have cited this
already, but at any rate, here it is again.

  Does this mean I get in the FAQ?

Peter "too poor to afford stainless steel" Mardahl

peterm@cory.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Traffic Light UL's
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 22:26:18 GMT

v462etnn@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (David L Anderson) writes:
: > 
: >The traffic light in question was located at the crest of a hill
: >(Genesee and Torrey Pines Road, FYI), and we found that if the car's
: >lights were flashed at the right point when coming up the hill, that the
: >light would change.  I have no idea whether this particular sensor
: >was just easier to trip than others, or if it was due to the hill causing
: >the headlight beams to be higher and actually hit the sensor, but it did
: >work, and I can provide witnesses...
: > 
: >Martha
: > 
: 
: So, correct me if I'm wrong, but a nearby lighting strike could
: cause the light to change (provided it didn't hit the light and
: destroy it).

Only if the flash was of the right frequency - and possibly the right
digital code.

: I'm skeptical.  What did the sensor look like?  I have a hard
: time imagining that some sensor could be triggered by a flashing
: light on an emergency vehicle but not by headlights.

They do not use the headlights or emergency lights on the emergency
vehicle to trigger the sensor. They use a strobe light. Headlights
are not intense enough - nor can they be flashed rapidly enough - the
filaments cannot heat and cool quickly.

Bill
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: bob@netcom.com (Bob Becker)
Subject: Re: Fruitcake
Keywords: hungry preservatives brick prehistoric recycling karma
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 02:15:38 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.213826.28695@netcom.com> obrien@netcom.com (Robert O'Brien) writes:
>In the regional newsgroup ba.general, 
>
> ***   AHA!   ***
>for years, I've suspected that there were only so many fruitcakes to go
>around, and that they only have to fire up the fruitcake factory if

I'm sure you are correct.
Henceforth and Hithertwofore this shall be known as 
O'Brien's Law of the Fruitcakes.

Similarly, I have long suspected the same thing is happening
with zuchinis.  I've seen thousands of people giving them away,
but never eating them.  Veeeeerrrrrrry suspicious!

Perhaps this could be   Becker's Corollary?


Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: afcondon@maths.tcd.ie (Andrew Condon)
Subject: Re: CD pricing conspiracy NOT!
Organization: Dept. of Maths, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 11:14:22 GMT

aad@siemens.com. (Anthony Datri) writes:
>>    "In the U.K. market, a CD sells for, in Canadian dollars, 
>>$24-$30 --- in a market twice our size.

>Translating to $US and taking the VAT into account, that range is in line
>with the usual US retail price.

This is complete bollocks. I stopped buying CDs on this side of the Atlantic
this year, getting travelling friends to buy stuff in America. This means
that I get CDs for half price, despite eco-unfriendly expensive cardboard
long boxes. 

The truly ridiculous thing is that I can buy CDs which are *made in the UK* and *exported to the US* for half price in the US as *expensive export CDs*, eg 4AD
releases.

In Britain and Ireland the CD market is in the hands of a cartel. This is not a
conspiracy, it's capitalism. It's also not casually disputable having been
verified by <hmm, I have forgotten the name of the British monopolies
commission, perhaps someone can follow-up with the correct reference?>

--
Andrew 
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: obrien@netcom.com (Robert O'Brien)
Subject: Nicotine/Niacin (was: Monumental LSD overdose)
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 11:26:11 GMT

[crosspost removed, 'cuz I don't read alt.drugs]

honig@ics.uci.edu (David A. Honig) writes:
> andrew@cubetech.com (Andrew Loewenstern) writes:
>
>>Yes, nicotine is an awful poison.  A drop of _pure_ nicotine has been
>>known to kill a person in 15 minutes.  I don't have a reference on
>>that, though...
>
>Nicotine is a class I toxin, a few tens of migs will off you.  Several
>gardeners are killed each year from overexposure to this pesticide.


I read that Niacin, (a vitamin, I think) is usualy found in a form
called niacinimide, AKA nicotinimide, and the usual source is the ole
weed terbacky itself.  Now, I'm rather wildly allergic to the combustion
products of same, but is it true that it's a very efficient source
of a *required* nutrient???

Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 16:14:45 -0500 
From: "Andrew C. Plotkin" <ap1i+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Mnemonics & Now - Burning Mines
	<1992Dec18.093646.19735@dcs.warwick.ac.uk>

Excerpts from netnews.alt.folklore.urban: 18-Dec-92 Re: Mnemonics & Now
- Burni.. Wisp@dcs.warwick.ac.uk (812)

> >Tsk. Sapphires and rubies are corundum (aluminum oxide, with impurities
> >to impart color), but emeralds are beryl (aluminum/beryllium silicate.)
> >Topaz is aluminum silicate, so emerald is probably around the same
> >hardness as topaz.
> >

> Hold on a sec. Isn't that like saying that because diamond and graphite are
> both made of carbon, they must both have the same hardness? Surely it all
> depends on the crystal structure etc.

It was just a guess. I don't know mineralogy from my left thumb.

However, the guess was that Al and Be are chemically similar (same
column of the periodic chart, I think) so that beryl crystals are just
like corundum crystals, except with Be atoms substituted for some of the
Al. This is plausible but I have no idea if its true.

--Z

"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the borogoves..."
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 20:11:39 GMT

bdsuba@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (PANDAMAN) writes:
: 
: BTW, is it true that the number of stars in the "P" on Playboy magazine
: covers represented the number of times HEF sacked the centerfold?  I heard 
: this a long, long time ago in my teen years.

Nope. It indicates the distribution district.

Bill
From: tms@cs.umd.edu (Tom Swiss (not Swift, not Suiss, Swiss!))
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Liquid Nitrogen to defeat The Club (was: where to buy a CLUB ...)
Date: 20 Dec 92 17:32:20 GMT
Organization: The Reality Liberation Front (pixels to the people!)

tjc50@juts.ccc.amdahl.com (Terry Carroll) writes:
>> Another good way to clobber the Club, apparently used by some pros, is
>> to pour liquid nitrogen on the lock area; once cold-soaked, a smart
>> rap with a hammer shatters the sob.
>
>With all due respect, sounds like bullshit to me.  I'm following up to 
>alt.folklore.urban; any comments?

     I saw this on one of those consumer-protection shows. I don't recall
if it was liquid nitrogen, but they used some sort of freezing spray;
the Club did break. Not easily, but it did break.

     Those freezing sprays, btw, are loads of fun to play with. Their
supposed use when I worked at a movie theater in high school was to freeze
bubblegum on the bottom of seats, making it brittle and easy to remove; but
we found it a lot more fun to spray at each other.

===============================================================================
Tom Swiss/tms@cs.umd.edu  |  "Born to die"   |   Keep your laws off my brain!
     "What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?" - Nick Lowe 
                     Keep your values off my family.
      "It's not by amusing oneself that one learns."
       -- Anatole France
      "It's only by amusing oneself that one can learn."
       -- Edward Kasner and James R. Newman
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:54:53 GMT

rperkins@astro.as.arizona.edu (Rachel J. Perkins) writes:
: 
: >>
: >>Pluto and Neptune cross orbits.  Neptune is currently inside of Neptune's
: >                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: >>orbit and will be inside of it for another 6 or 7 years.  90% of the time
: > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: >>tho Pluto is on the outside.
: >
: >Now that IS a neat trick! :-)  Been talking to the Professor of Mathematics
: >who recently put forth his theory on sci.astro?  He proposes moving Venus to
: >Earth's orbit and thereby making Venus inhabitable. :-)
: >
: >(I know the above was a typo, just couldn't resist. :-)
: 
: sorry, the above was NOT a typo. the two orbits are not exactly circular

Hm. Maybe you should re-read it - more carefully. "Neptune is inside Neptune's
orbit". How can Neptune stray from it's orbit? Is there so holy dogma to get
it to return to the proper, and just, path?

:  (in fact all orbits in our solar system are elliptical), and so it is the 
: case that for some of its orbit, neptune is on the inside, and for some of 
: it, pluto is on the inside.  since the two planets are in different planes
: of elevation, they are EXTREMELY unlikely to collide. so it's not a case
: of putting them in the same place at the same time, although their paths do 
: cross in two places. so, prepare to have your diodes rearranged for those
: misused smileys. phil?

The paths cross, they do not intersect. They do not even come close to
doing so. 

Bill
From: JTCHEW@lbl.gov (Ad absurdum per aspera)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Pour out shots of hooch
Followup-To: alt.folklore.urban
Date: 17 Dec 1992 16:21:54 GMT
Organization: Honest Ernie's Used Ions
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.252.152

And here on the inside front cover of the British journal New Scientist
we have an advertisement for expensive booze that uses our old favorite, 
the "Port Outward, Starboard Home" etymology of "posh."  Not with 
tongue in cheek, as far as I can tell, but as if straight fact.  

The message (delivered rather hamhandedly, in my opinion) is of
course that people will take one look at  you drinking the stuff and
 jump to the conclusion that you live like a well-heeled wastrel from 
the Age of Steam.  Joe's vintage rotgut tip #33:  remove the brown paper
bag before drinking, and pour it into a glass if you have one, or you'll
spoil the whole effect.

Joe "Wait until they try KIBO in their next ad" Chew
From: fehr@ms.uky.edu (Jeff Davis)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Guess what's not in this dictionary?
Keywords: S****** I* T** H**** O* A* A****  <gack!>
Date: 17 Dec 92 22:31:37 GMT
Organization: Austerlitz, Gershovitz, and Carmichael

J*** H****** writes:
>
>The word can also be spelled "g*******". 
>Maybe it was defined under this spelling?

And their foot shall fall in due time....


-- 
Jeff Davis <davis@keats.ca.uky.edu> Don't be a stranger.
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: nicolett@carson.u.washington.edu (Nicolette Roberge)
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 21:15:10 GMT



Two that I use are 
HOMES for the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior) 

and the knuckles of the right hand for remembering the days of the month.
How does this work?  
Start with the knuckle of the pointer finger, say January--because it is
knuckle, it has 31, then the space betwwen it and the next knuckle--February--
the knuckly months have 31 days, all the others have fewer.  
The only trick is that you have to hit the knuckle of the little finger
twice as you turn around...

Nicolette
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: PAPAI@kcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Jonathan Papai)
Subject: Re: WAY stupid things to do with guns (was self-i
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 22:25:36 GMT

sasbmt@jjoyce.unx.sas.com (Bruce Tindall) writes:
>In article <1992Dec19.072903.15141@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, PAPAI@kcgl1.eng.


ohio-state.edu (Jonathan Papai) writes:
>>ObUL Baseball was not invented by a civil war general.
>
>I thought that the man who didn't invent baseball was a lieutenant,
>or maybe a captain, but not a general (Abner Doubleday).  I also think
>he was one of the two men killed in the siege of Fort Sumter (when the
>cannon firing the final salute to the Federal colors exploded).
>(ObStupidThingToDoWithGuns)
>

	Abner Doubleday was a General from New York.  Among the
battles he almost had his troops in was at Antietam Creek, where
Union commander "Young Napolean" George McClellan held his corps
in reserve a couple of miles north of the battle.  Snatching a
draw from the jaws of victory.

	The one death at Fort Sumter occured when a cannon was
firing a final salute to the Federal colors.  However, the cannon
did not explode.  It recoiled enough to fall off the back of the
elevated platform it was sitting on, and fell on a guy and
crushed him.

ObACWstuff: At Antietam Battlefield National park, South of town
and near the creek, stands an obelisk with an inscription that
reads approximately: "Near this spot, on September 17,1862,
Seargent William McKinley, later President of the United States,
served coffee and biscuits to weary soldiers from Ohio.

ObUL: Neither Abe Lincoln or Genl McClellan have living descendants.

ObUL2: A newsgroup actually exists that discusses ONLY this kind
of stuff.

Jon "A house divided makes two smaller houses." Papai
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: torsten@cwis.unomaha.edu (Torsten Wesley Adair)
Subject: Re: Tatoo Gag
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 03:27:44 GMT

richg@hatch.socal.com  writes:
> There is a store near here (Los Angeles) called "The Merchant of Tennis".

There's a science fiction store here in Omaha called "Merchant of Venus".
Torsten at Omaha
From: twcaps@tennyson.lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The El
Date: 20 Dec 1992 01:50:51 GMT
Organization: Department of Redundancy Department
Reply-To: TWChan@lbl.gov (Terry Chan)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.12.117

jfurr@polaris.async.vt.edu (Joel K. Furr) writes:

  +Interestingly, it's called the El because it's an elevated train.  Not the
  +"L"... the El.

Oh.  I thought it was the "L" for "Lemur Train."

Terry "Whoops!  Wrong newsgroup" Chan
--
Energy and Environment Division   | Internet:  TWChan@lbl.gov
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory      | 
Berkeley, California  USA  94720  | Carpe Per Diem
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 08:43:08 EST
From: <WCE2@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Thad's Letter to Santa Claus
Distribution: world

According to an AP release, postal officials in Port Angeles, Washington
(state) opened an unstamped letter to Santa Claus and found a pathetic plea
from "Thad" for Santa to come and take him to "Heven" so "My mom an dad woud
not have too by things for me no more." Seems dad has been unable to find
work and "We don't get many food now.  . . We got candils.  A city man took
the lights a way.  It looks like we don't live heer no more.  We do."

The letter was published over the weekend, and by Monday offers of money,
food, and gifts for poor Thad were pouring in from around the country.  The
AP storymade the "sob-of-the-day" section of the Hazleton Standard-Speaker
(front page, highlighted by a pink background), so there's probably a "Food
for Thad" relief effort being mounted locally, also.

Only problem: police have searched local police and power company records,
and they can't identify Thad's family.  No problemo (as a Hungarian taxi
driver said to me about my lost luggage): phone calls are pouring in with
tips and leads to the afflicted family.

As Mark Twain said about a similar pathetic and misspelled letter that
circulated in 1872: "Do you [we] know that letter to be genuine?"

Anyone with definite knowledge: please e-mail direct, as I often can't check
this listing daily.

Bill Ellis (wce2 @ psuvm.psu.edu)                 Editor, FOAFtale News
Penn State, Hazleton Campus                       Voice: 717-450-3026
Hazleton, PA 18201-1291                           Fax: 717-450-3182
     "He who affirms the devil, creates the Devil." --Eliphas Levi

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: N.W. Choe <nwc1@midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: snuff-like rape video
X-Xxmessage-Id: <A7565A8016027489@sl-mac-9.rh.uchicago.edu>
X-Xxdate: Thu, 17 Dec 92 22:25:36 GMT
Organization: Beaver Consulting Co.
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1.1d13
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 22:31:20 GMT

In article <17DEC199208541497@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov> Larry Oberle,
oberle@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov writes:
>So now we have at least one alleged rape on tape, with the tape
used for 
>profit (albeit extortion).  Presumably, had they run out of
viedotape, they 
>would have stopped the rape in order to get more.  

Gee, how long did this go on? Even at the fastest speed, this means
two hours
or so (depends upon format). Oh, no one said that it was contiguous.
N.W. Choe    Beaver Consulting Co.- Chicago
5454 S. Shore Dr. #318
Chicago, IL 60615     312.702.4605
"Embarking upon the obvious to stumble upon the truth."
From: walsh@optilink.COM (Mark Walsh)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Amusing signs
Date: 14 Dec 92 23:06:17 GMT
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA

And speaking of Intercourse, PA, there is another Intercourse
near the Colorado/Utah border that is much smaller.  In fact,
there is a typical highway sign displaying the number of miles
to this town, and the sign happens to be on Route 666.  If
only I had had my camera with me on the bike...

In the northern reaches of Sonoma County, CA, there is a rare
species of toad that migrates across a not too used section of
road.  CalTrans (California Department of Transportation)
erected an official sign declaring "Toad Crossing."  I cannot
find anything in the California Vehicle Code to the effect
that any special rules pertain to this situation (like a
school crossing), so perhaps the advisory is there to alert
one to a possible loss of traction.

In California, it is legal to turn right on a red light after
coming to a complete stop.  But once in a long while, you
will see a sign at an innocuous intersection that says,
"Right Turn on Red Permitted After Stop."

I like that tunnel on the big freeway going through Colorado
(I-70?) that has signs before you get to it stating very,
very clearly the presence of photo radar upon exiting the
tunnel.  So some locals actually speed up through the
tunnel, only to slam on their brakes just before exiting it.
The more enterprising cover up their license plates, speed
through, and give the single finger salute to the camera.

Next time you see the slippery when wet logo of the car
with the two wavy black lines (skid marks) behind it,
think of what my friend Steve says:  "Uh oh, tire biting
snakes ahead!"
-- 
Mark Walsh (walsh@optilink) -- UUCP: uunet!optilink!walsh
AOL: BigCookie -- Amateur Radio: KM6XU@WX3K -- USCF: L10861
"What, me worry?" - William M. Gaines, 1922-1992
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak)
Subject: Re: Amusing signs
Reply-To: kasprj@rpi.edu
Organization: The Big Wedge 
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 20:02:17 GMT

 
 Ah, the Silly Sign Collection. I've been keeping track of these for a 
while. Sorry if some of these were already posted, but I've been on 
hiatus from AFU for a few months.
 
 Here in lovely Troy, there are signs at some of the traffic lights 
saying "Wait for Green Light". I guess the people around here would
just keep going otherwise. (Considering how some RPI students drive,
I wouldn't be surprised.)
 
 Then, of course, there are those signs which say "When Flashing 
Stop Ahead". The interpretation of this I leave to your imagination.
 
 In Washington DC, there is a street called "SW Formerly 15th Street".
A friend of mine brought back a picture of the street sign.
(Silly Street Names is another good category... has anyone posted 
the story of Unknown Street recently?)
 
 I've got a picture from Mount Rainier National park, of a yellow 
diamond sign which reads "Rocks". It's sitting right next to - you
guessed it - a pile of rocks. I guess a lot of people had been asking
what they were.
------------------------------------------------------------------
     __  Live from Capitaland, heart of the Empire State...
 ___/  | Jim Kasprzak, computer operator @ RPI, Troy, NY, USA
/____ *| Sam Adams,Spaten# Life is too short #Hudson Lager,Beck's 
     \_| Pilsener Urquell#to drink cheap beer#Pete's Wicked Ale
      ====  e-mail: kasprj@rpi.edu or kasprzak@mts.rpi.edu
From: wwo@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (Thomas Schoene)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Mnemonics
Date: 13 Dec 92 00:29:01 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: Cornell University

In article <1gc1etINNges@bigboote.WPI.EDU>,
bdsm@poincare.WPI.EDU (Billy Don McConnell) writes: 
> 
> In article <1992Dec12.052658.394@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>, 
> quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (Quetzal) writes:
[stuff deleted]

anyone on alt.urbn.folklore, please delete "rec.arts.startrek.misc" from the
"newsgroup" line when you reply to posts in this tread.  r.a.s.m is getting a
lot of these posts which have no business being there.  

Thanks 

P.S.  Whoever crossposted this thread to r.a.s.m. what were you thinking?
-- 
Tom Schoene
wwo@cornella.cit.cornell.edu  -or- wwo@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Back off man.  I'm a political scientist!