HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another introduction...
Date: 16 Nov 92 15:37:36 GMT
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing

In article <1e3o4dINNhli@phakt.usc.edu> pechever@phakt.usc.edu (Paul Echeverri) writes:

>The baliset hums the first few bars of "Purplehaze" in appropriate greeting.
>"Welcome to the Place, /*.  You've pretty much summarized my views in your
>article.  Similar experiences, but to a much lesser degree--dad's agnostic
>and mom goes to church but won't yell at anyone for not going, so I guess
>my decision to leave the Holy Roman Catholic Mind-Control Empire (tm) was
>a lot easier than yours.  To quote Jubal Harshaw:
>	'I do not let slobs tell me where to go on Sundays.'

/* turns toward the baliset music, and chuckles.
"Thanks for the greeting!  Excellent choice in music!  Although,
'Purple Rain' or 'Deep Purple' would be equally acceptable!"

/* takes a sip of his Grape Crush, smiles and nods towards Robbie
and Linda.  "Thanks for the drink!"

"I know that a lot of people have left the RC Church - for some it
is easier than for others.  The struggle that *I* still have is in
not over-reacting to my Catholic friends and family.  My home-town
is *so* Catholic that many of them have never experienced knowing
someone with a different ideology or religion - Catholic is sort of
a 'default religion' for them.  Sometimes they will be quite 
prejudiced without realizing it; sometimes they will try to 'trick'
me into something, usually going to Mass, in a coy, non-threatening
manner.  Either way, they don't mean any harm, but I sometimes
get so irritated.  But, in a way, its nice to know others have been
where I am."

>"I'll admit the subject's been getting warm, and that's why I propose we
>drop it.  We'll just turn the Place into a warzone for no good reason, since
>neither side will ever make itself understood by the other.  It's the 
>proselytization and implicit assumptions of superiority over the 
>non-sheep^H^H^H^H^HChristian element of the populace that annoys me (thanx
>Speaker for saying it so well :)  I don't care what you worship; just don't 
>tell ME where I'm going."

/* nods again, this time his smile fading a bit.
"Luckily, most of the Catholics I know aren't big proslytizers.
So it's only with my Evangelical sibling that I have that problem.
But I was amazed with my mother's initial reaction - she is normally
a very non-bigoted person.  I discovered that, for a person who is
not born Catholic, she feels respect and sympathy for.  For a born
Catholic who leaves, she feels *quite* differently."

/* sighs.  "But, she and I are working that out as we go along!"

/* picks up a napkin to hold under his drink; it starts to shift
from white to a pale violet.  Then he takes another sip, and listens
again to the baliset.

-- 
========================================================================
Mike Holmes       mjmh@crsa.bu.edu           "Happiness Will Prevail!"
Boston University Department of Geography (a truly GREAT place to work!)
========================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: Christmas? But it's only November!!
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 03:16:34 GMT



>Worse than capitalism, it`s--------

>***********TRADITION***********


>More arrrgghhhss from the Troll

and the song from "fiddler on the roof" starts playing in the background...

--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown
From: gryphon@openage.openage.com (The Golden Gryphon)
Subject: I need some help with a spell for Didi.
Organization: Open Age, Inc.
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 16:21:30 GMT


Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: I need help with a little spell.

The Golden Gryphon walks over to the bulletin board, and posts the following:

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

HELP NEEDED
-----------

I'm working on a little spell for Didi, to help her get better.  This is your
generic Pagan/Wiccan/Shamanic magic.  I need some people to drum, stir the
cauldron, chant, dance, and generally give warm happy feelings of healing.

SITE:
-----

The Meadow.


When:
-----

Real soon now.  Please e-mail me with how you plan to help, and I will put it
all together.  I have actually put some things in the mail today, but you all
can help me make them stronger.

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

With that posted, TGG heads out the door to the meadow, carrying a few small
packages.
-- 
The Golden Gryphon 				gryphon@openage.COM
"Mad Scientists seeks mindless brawny assistants, good pay, quiet location."
"They're not ghosts,  they're metaphysically challenged." - Me
Openage - The Premier SCO UNIX integrator in the Washington D.C. area
From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jay Brandt (Jason))
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Introduction (was Eh?)
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Date: 21 Nov 1992 01:16:40 GMT
Organization: University of Oregon, Architecture
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

In article <JBrandt-201192123922@aaa.uoregon.edu>, JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU
(Jay Brandt (Jason)) wrote:
> 
> In article <1992Nov19.202659.6550@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>,
> walker@superboy.jsc.nasa.gov (Cybernetic Samurai) wrote:
> > Projecting behind his head is a white, or ivory, cylinder carved
> > into what seems to be a handle.

Jason watches as the Cybernetic Samaurai walks about the room, and realizes
he was mistaken. He hadn't expected an ivory sword-hilt and CS's
description sounded on first read like the 'handle' might be attached to
his head.

"Sorry for the silly misinterpretation. I ought to have recognized the
sword hilt. I've worn my own that way often enough."

Jason
.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: Democracy
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 00:23:30 GMT


>=>"email your [StM's] address to me....i am going to chambanacon this
>=>weekend...i will get a copy and send it to you...."
>=>
>=>kitten is ever helpful when it comes to dispersing information.
>=                                         ^^^^^^^^^^
>=Frood wonders, "Is that like dispersing a crowd? ... 'O.K. now.  The
>=show's over, there's nothing for you information here.  Go home.'"
>=
>=*chuckle*
>=
>="Or beaming it out into space, widest dispersion?"  :-)

>StM, who's of the opinion that before one criticizes another's use of the
>English language, one ought to be damned sure one understands the language
>better than the person being critized does, points out, "Actually it IS. 
>Kitten almost certainly did NOT mean `dispensing' information.  Her use of the
>term "dispersing" was perfectly valid and appropriate. Heinlein was dispensing
>information when he wrote the book.  I suppose you might've thought `disbursing'
>would've been a more appropriate term, but I think not.  Dispersing it means
>spreading it around.  When you disperse a crowd, you're causing it do spread
>out.  Similarly with beaming something into space.  The odd thing about
>information, though (and one that makes the economics of information rather
>intractable, by he way) is that no matter how much you try to disperse it, the
>amount in your own vicinity doesn't decrease."


kitten, after hugging frood...bounces over to speaker and bites him
gently on the nose..."i think he was teasing, sweetie...

but thank you for defending my honor...it's hell to be literate and
language impaired...."  



--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown

Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: Another introduction...
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 18:26:47 GMT

abner says:

>>>"You poor soul ...  well, I hope you read some of RAH's good novels
>>>eventually?"  Abner slyly looks over at Kitten, waiting for the explosion.


>>kitten flings herself at abner and starts to tickle him violetly (i
>>know that is repetitious, but it works...)

>After an initial "Yipe!" of surprise, kitten's tickling doesn't seem to have
>much effect on Abner ...  which takes a lot of the fun out of it.

>Abner gets his back to a wall, then mutters "Boy, am i messed up ... my only
>tickling area is my back, so I don't mind tickling and I can't stand backrubs."

>Then he realizes the advantage of this.

>Tickle tickle tickle!


kitten squeals..."NO FAIR!!!!!!!!"  and tries to get at abner's
back...."c'mere you...."

this is very hard to do when one is giggling hysterically.
--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown
From: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: God and Science:  The Ramblings of The Nightstalker
Date: 24 Nov 92 00:12:19 GMT
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing

In article <1992Nov20.020035.28231@data-io.com> li@Data-IO.COM (Phyllis Rostykus) writes:

>Liralen looks a touch surprised at her name, and then listens to /*'s
>praise with wide eyes.  And as he keeps on talking, she blushes, brighter
>and brighter in pure embarrassment.  

>"Oh, dear." she says, a little helplessly, "I am *not* the embodiment of a
>loving attitude, I'm just *me*."  She sighs and giggles, "I know, I'm
>hopeless as far as praise goes, can't ever accept it gracefully.  But 
>those are just my ideals.  I don't always live up to them.  Just like 
>anyone, just as David Green said, too." 

/* smiles, not meaning to have put Liralen on the spot like that,
but he *is* a relatively spontaneous person, and he simply needed
to tell Liralen how impressed he was.

>"I mean, I *really* admire you for your attitude and your conversations and
>your willingness to keep trying with your brother.  It's *cool* that you
>kept on with it instead of writing your family off.  That is an action that
>speaks louder than any of my speech making."  Liralen grins and then sighs.

Now it is /*'s turn to blush!

"I think its funny how people react to praise.  I know that if I receive
a compliment for anything other than a relatively straightforward
academic achievement (or anything readily quantifiable), I either 
hem and haw and get all quiet, or make
a joke about it.  But in most ways I do tend to have a rather 
unassailably healthy sense of self-esteem!  (That's a polite way of
saying that if I'm not careful, I can border on the egotistical!!) 

"Actually, there are a lot of people in the Place who
are wonderful... One of the great things about being here!"

>Then she thinks a bit and finally just says, "Thank you, though, for the
>kind words, they mean a lot to me..." and hugs the purple one until her Big
>Dogs t-shirt is lavander.

/* hugs back, happy that his words have made a difference, and 
thankful for the support that Liralen's words have brought to him.




-- 
========================================================================
Mike Holmes       mjmh@crsa.bu.edu           "Happiness Will Prevail!"
Boston University Department of Geography (a truly GREAT place to work!)
========================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: mss2@quads.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer)
Subject: Re: science, religion, and spirituality
Reply-To: mss2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 19:05:34 GMT

In article <1eogbrINNe08@gap.caltech.edu> lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU writes:
>In article <1992Nov22.113007.17652@midway.uchicago.edu>, mss2@quads.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer) writes:

>=	"The operation, no.  But I'll point out that the _purpose_ of
>=the program quite certainly and provably _does_ come from outside of
>=the computer.

>Actually, unless I'm mistaken, some AI researchers at Stanford have managed to
>get something going that appears to choose its own purpose, using some sort of
>evolutionary setup.  I.e., the (self-modifying) programs were given no
>"purpose" by the programmers, they were simply started up.  Those that survived
>showed behavior which, in humans, we'd associate with "purpose."  So it appears
>that "purpose" may be an emergent property that doesn't require that big father
>figure in the sky for its existence.

	"Except that one purpose of the programs you gave is that some
scientists at Stanford wanted to see what would happen if they created
a certain environment for self-modifying programs.  If one of those
programs became self-aware and asked, `Why am I here?' one answer would
be `because the Computer Scientists wanted to see what would happen if
they created a system with such-and-such constraints.'  And that's a
purpose external to the sytem."

Michael
-- 
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS	"Indeed I tremble for my country
mss2@midway.uchicago.edu	 when I reflect that God is just."
mike.schiffer@um.cc.umich.edu	 -- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on
mschiffer@aal.itd.umich.edu	    Virginia (1784)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: An Introduction
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 11:41:00 GMT




>-------------BOOM!  ZAP!---------------

>With a flash from a poorly written cyberspace display procedure, a figure
>appears in the doorway.

>"Oops!  Where am I?"

>Confused and shaken by improper virtual reality entry, Dave "the Wave" creeps
>quietly into a corner and listens in.  A familiar voice and figure catches his
>attention.

>"Dad?"

kitten....who has been waiting for more hug victims...grabs the the
wave and hugs him....

"welcome to the Place...i have been trying to get my daughter to come
in...but she is too busy being a college student...:(.

as far as drinking...you can drink WHATEVER you want here in the
Place... mike callahan never lets anyone do anything stupid (like
drive) when they have consumed too much...

what you need is the ALLABOUT...i will nudge dear nick for
that....poor man, he is sooooo busy that his shine is fading...and he
isn't even able to maintain VAX properly...

in any case...your next Coke (or whatever }:)  ) is my treat."

--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown
From: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Speaker-to-Minerals)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re:  Science and god:  Are they incompatible?  If so, why?
Date: 18 Nov 92 16:22:33 GMT
Reply-To: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol1.gps.caltech.edu

In article <1992Nov18.014401.12174@muddcs.claremont.edu>, dgreen@jarthur.claremont.edu (David Green) writes:
>In article <1ebl10INNol2@gap.caltech.edu> lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU writes:
>->In article <1992Nov17.044659.16994@muddcs.claremont.edu>, dgreen@jarthur.claremont.edu (David Green) writes:
>->>>Yet his article showed pretty strong signs that he wasn't even aware (as he
>->>>was writing the piece) that there are other branches of Christianity.
>->>
>->>Those being?  (If StM can demand examples, I think it's only fair that I be
>->>able to as well.)
>->
>->To name a few:
>	[list deleted]
>I meant, what are the signs, not what are the branches.

Sorry.  My mistake. Well, lets see now:  First, there's his use of the phrase
"The Christian faith."  Note the use of the singular.  There are quite a few
different Christian faiths, some of them consistently at each others' throats. 
For example, Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize Mormons as Christians. 
There's NS's statement that "Christianity gives purpose but not all the
answers."  Contrast this with one of the justifications given historically for
book-burning, to wit, that all books other than the Bible are either
superfluous or wrong, since if they agree with the Bible, they're superfluous,
and if they don't agree with the Bible, they're obviously wrong.  He adds that
"the evolution vs. creation debate is an old one, but unnecessary."  There are
quite a few Christians in the southern United States who'd very strongly
disagree with that claim.  He further states "The main point of the beginning
of Genesis is to show how order arose out of chaos, and thus since evolution is
exactly that sort of process, the two accounts agree."  Again, there are
substantial numbers of Christians who would vociferously disagree with this
claim.

He concludes with "Thus, claims by Christianity must be dealt with on its own
ground," once again treating Christianity as if there were a single uniform
faith that all Christians subscribed to.

Now, as near as I can tell, either it never occurred to Nightstalker that there 
are a lot of Christians out there who'd take strong exception to some of his
claims about Christianity, or else he simply dismissed them as "not REAL
Christians."
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk (Mary Branscombe)
Subject: Re: illuminati
Reply-To: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 01:20:00 +0000


Bill protests...
>As you can see, Magnus here at OSU has nothing to do with the Illuminati. 

"oh, you're only saying" that replies Mary, doing her best impression 
of a conspiracy theorist in a black hat and cape (anyone lend me a 
black hat and cape?)
*giggle*

But seriously - hope I didn't upset you too much Bill. It always 
amuses me that once you get to believe in a conspiracy even evidence 
against it becomes evidence for it because the contrary evidence 
*has* to be a fake! Sorry if it's a sore spot! can I get you a drink?

Ohio, huh? My half-sister lives in Cincinatti. Are the winters as bad 
as she says?
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
| Ommmmmm, said the lift                    |maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk |
| Organisation: Me? You're joking, right?   |maryb@cix.compulink.uucp  |
|I know I type "teh" for "the" My fingers have their own accent ;-)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+

Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: Rejoice, and Velvet reels
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 03:47:13 GMT

velvet asks:

>     Kitten, have you seen Diana?  Last I heard she said she was trying to
>learn to use mail.  Apparently she hasn't yet succeeded....
>     Who else out there likes Celtic music?

"no, i haven't," sighs kitten...but welcome back velvet...and hug!

--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown
From: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another introduction...
Date: 19 Nov 92 16:02:08 GMT
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing

In article <1eeu7gINNl4j@gap.caltech.edu> ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz) writes:

>Abner says, "Well, you see, 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' was the first
>science fiction book I ever read.  It's what got me hooked ...  So I noticed
>your name right off the bat!"

/* has always been a bit unhappy about the fact that he discovered
Heinlein so late in life.
"I didn't even *know* about RAH until I picked up 'Stranger' in college.
I'd been reading sf for a long time, so I don't have a clue as to what
took me so long."

"The first science fiction book I remember picking up was a trilogy
by John Christopher - I think the first book was 'THe City of Gold
and Lead' or something like that.  This was sometime in early grade
school.  I was fascinated by it, though, and picked up everything of
his the library had - then moved on to Bradbury, then Asimov... 
by then I was hooked!"


>>>Abner looks around the place, just in case.  OK, diverse it is, but no
>>>sign of any One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eaters, so /* is
>>>probably safe ...

>>>gulp< "They don't have a habit of coming here, do they?"

>"Well, I've never seen one, but then they've never had a *reason* to come
>in here before."

>"Don't worry.  If one shows up, there are more than enough people here who can
>deal with it.  For that matter, we could always distract it by getting it to
>sing about short shorts ..."

/*, laughing a little less nervously, looks relieved.
"And while its singing, I could run away! run away!"


>>>"Mike, /*'s next Grape Crush will be on ***  I'll buy his next Grape
>>>Crush!"

>>"Thanks, Abner!  I think I need another drink after that Purple-People
>>Eater scare!!"

>Here you go.  I'm sure it'll taste mauvelous!

"AUGH!  What an awful pun!"

/* gets a sly grin on his face.

"Many more that bad and I'll get violetly ill!!"

;)



-- 
========================================================================
Mike Holmes       mjmh@crsa.bu.edu           "Happiness Will Prevail!"
Boston University Department of Geography (a truly GREAT place to work!)
========================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 23:45:40 -0500 
From: Mark Beirne Lively <ml5a+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Science and god: Are they incompatible? If so, why?
 <1992Nov17.223926.14301@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> 
 <1992Nov18.043643.16303@muddcs.claremont.edu>,<pmpusbob.722074983@vincent1.iastate.edu>
	<1ednqaINNrsm@gap.caltech.edu>
Distribution: world

Excerpts from netnews.alt.callahans: 18-Nov-92 Re: Science and god: Are
th.. Speaker-to-Minerals@SOL1 (625)

> In article <pmpusbob.722074983@vincent1.iastate.edu>,
> pmpusbob@iastate.edu (Christian M Charlebois) writes:
> =	"BTW, about summing up Christianity into one description, of course its
> =possible.  There has to be one decribing characteristic that defines a 
> =Christian.  Something with which we can say "he's a Christian and he's not".
> =For me it is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as savior.  I think a lot of
> =Christians would agree with me."

> StM points out, "And a lot wouldn't.  For example, those who try to dissociate
> their religion from the Crusades or the Inquisition with the claim, "But they
> weren't REAL Christians."


I would say that a majority of the actual crusaders were.  At least in
the early crusades.  The fourth crusade(I think it was)  was just a
trade war.  The problem with the crusaders and most of the
inquisitioners was that they were told to do wrong things and I imagine
that a number of themn knew it was wrong but wouldn't do anything
because they were told as good Christians they should follow orders.

-I remember the the glory days when we sat with the king.
Dining on meh yams and washing it down with red rum.
ML5A@andrew.cmu.edu Bear aka the Lord High Rulebender
Newsgroups: alt.callahans