HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Famous Mensans
Date: 9 Oct 92 18:16:46 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

In article <1992Oct9.155037.21282@cbnewse.cb.att.com>,
gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) wrote:
> 
> In article <1992Oct9.073439.27339@tfs.com> ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:
> >gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
> >>In article <1992Oct2.082905.16918@tfs.com> ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:
> >>I like to say, "Get a load of the frontal lobes on that one".
> >>
> >>But courteously, in a very respectful way, of course.
> >>
> >I recall in my mail-gap, you suggested Madonna was taken. Since she & I
> 
> She's free next week Wednesday, I think, but that was as of yesterday.
> I could ask.
> 
> >have a psychic link, I'll be able to read out your sexual prowess when I
> 
> Prepare yourself.
> 
> >do your chart (though being born in Illinois puts you beneath 0 to start,
> >so here's high hopes for you.)
> >But, I guess, there's still Geena Davis - she's sorta flighty - probably a
> >Libra.
> 
> Fun to talk to, tho'.  She was in Hero with me.  Goldblum's a big guy,
> tho', so care must be taken.

Goldblum's out of the picture; they got divorced about a year ago.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|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: ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic)
Subject: Re: Is this line thing silly?
Organization: TRW Financial Systems
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 07:19:22 GMT

mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:
>Lemme draw a line:
>
><-------------------------------------------------------------------->
>
>That line is supposed to be one dimension, extending to infinity in
>either direction right?
>
>..........  So doesn't the above 1 dimensional line actually occupy
>a great deal of the volume of the physical universe over time?

Measure Theory says the measure of the set is 0.
Add the lengths together, though, and it'd take a long time to
wind it all into a ball.

>I just couldn't sleep last night, and thought that up.  Is it silly?

Nope. Greeks drew pictures in the sand, look what they came up with.
You do them in your head - {infer something here}.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: Boycotting the Vote
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 17:47:02 GMT

(Karleenus Schwartz Davis) writes:
|>
|>I just heard someone campaigning for people to boycott the vote
|>in order to show people in government that we don't support them.
|>He argues that this is the most effective way to "fix" this 
|>country (USA, I'm sorry for my *centrism), because the government 
|>will eventually come crashing down around their ears.
|>
|>Does anyone care to explain by what sort of logic this would work?

This person is seriously unintelligent, and someone I would enjoy
having as an enemy.

Consider this scenario: "Gosh, Dan, we won anyway, but there were so
few people voting that, well, I think it's a hollow victory.  I just
don't feel right about it."

Congress: "We, the congress of the United States, feel it is our duty
to take the presidency away from you, Mr. Clinton, because you won 
with such a small number of votes.  We're sure you understand.  In
fact, since we realize that a small number of people actually care
about our offices as well, we are all stepping down out of sadness
and guilt."

"In Washington today, no one showed up to protest anything, no
one voted for anyone, and the government came crashing down around
their ears.  No one was around to hear it, so there are doubts as
to whether it made a sound."

"In the polls, Perot is ahead seven to five.  Apparently Pat Paulsen
has gotten preliminary agreements from members of his family and his
postal carrier, which could mean a landslide for him at eleven to
Perot's five.  Government crashing down around his ears is feared."

"In Washington today, no one cared about anything except many groups
of extremists, who have always been the heart of this nation's politically
aware factions.  President David Duke made a statement today thanking
the 'Real Americans that still care', and that have supported him 'when all
other parties memberships have fallen.'  President Duke then went on to
say that the need for pretense is gone, and that his first action  will
be to replace the Presidential Seal with a swastika, and his first
project will be to establish prison camps for those he considers 'not
Real Americans'."

"The various states formed over the last year by the many special interest
groups that had all decided that they could not live as one nation any
longer all seem to be having difficulty competing economically with the
other nations of the world.  Most have requested foreign aid from the
Nation of Europe, The Asian Alliance and The Commonwealth of Soviet States,
all of which have requested a say in how the former US states are run
as a precondition.  Since labor costs are so much lower in 'Caucasia',
'Hispania', 'Islam', 'Prolifia', 'Prochoicia', etc., a bright spot is
that many of these countries may be called upon to manufacture some of the
new technology that is the mainstay of the rest of what was once
known as the former 'third world'."

I feel very sorry for people that are this goddam stupid, and very
angry that they still have one vote, like anyone else.

GMS
From: fsgaw1@acad3.alaska.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Def. of Intellegence
Date: 9 Oct 92 21:38:36 GMT
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks

W
What is intellegence??
It is the ability to understand the knowledge needed to survive and
to thrive. To have more or less, is a two edge sword.

::Death is life's way of telling you, that you've been Fired!!!::
From: ksdavis@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Karleenus Schwartz Davis)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Boycotting the Vote
Date: 16 Oct 92 22:26:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.Bw8JoA.2t7
Organization: Indiana University

The thing about a boycott, as I understand it, is to financially
cripple the company whose products you're boycotting so they'll listen
to you when you tell them why you hate whatever it is they're doing 
that you hate.  That implies both COMPLETELY ABSTAINING from supporting 
the company as well as SPEAKING UP to tell them why you're abstaining.

Now, if you apply this to government, you completely abstain from
voting (ie, cast either no ballot or a completely invalid ballot) and
you also in some way communicate the reason for your abstention.

The problem with applying consumer tactics to government is this:
While the company you boycott is financially pained by your boycott,
the government doesn't care one whit.  In fact, it works MORE SMOOTHLY
if the dissenters leave them alone.  You're not burdening them by your
abstention from the vote -- the only way you can trouble them is with
the SPEAKING UP part of it.  The boycott strategy does not carry over
into government at all.

I'm gonna vote, AND speak up.  Not voting merely wastes my excuse for
skipping class.  :-)

-sz
From: radams@BNR.CA (Rodney Adams)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Geneticism
Date: 7 Oct 92 02:24:01 GMT
Reply-To: "Rodney Adams" <RADAMS@BNR.CA>
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ltd.

In article <mike_steiner-061092103933@192.35.50.131>, mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
|> In article <1992Oct05.171136.4558@bnr.ca>,
|> radams@crchh404.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Rodney Adams) wrote:
|> 
|> > Second, I realized after I had posted the article that "defect" was perhaps
|> > more "loaded" of a word than I had intended.  "Abnormality" would have been
|> > more appropriate.  However, it could be considered a defect in the sense that
|> > homosexuals are inclined to forbear reproduction, thus preventing society 
|> > from the genetic benefits that would accrue from the other traits these 
|> > individuals might have.
|> 
|> Do you also consider celibates to be abnormal or defective?
|> 

Only if they choose celibacy ;)
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rodney G. Adams
The opinions expressed above are not necessarily those of my employer.
As if you didn't already know that....
From: crossgl@infonode.ingr.com (Gordon Cross)
Subject: Re: And now for something completely different
Keywords: RG
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 21:11:41 GMT

In article <Z#7E13CLT@linac.fnal.gov> crawdad@fncent (Matt Crawford) writes:

>Is anyone out there* coming to Chicago Area Mensa's RG, HalloweeM?

Yes, I'll be there!  It's one of my top 5 RGs.  Expect 450-500 in attendence.
-- 

Gordon Cross          UUCP:     uunet!ingr!infonode!crossgl   "all opinions are
111 Westminister Way  INTERNET: crossgl@infonode.ingr.com    mine and not those
Madison, AL 35758     MA BELL:  (205) 730-7842               of my employer."
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Bumping up the old test scores
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 01:53:54 GMT

Some years back I took the SAT, I got a 710 verbal, 520 math (with no
preparation on my part). This comes out to 1230 combined. I also took
the Weschler test and got a 94 %ile (once again high verbal, lowish
math). This puts me heart-breakingly close to, but on the wrong side of
the line required to get into Mensa. 
 	The obvious solution to getting high test scores is to improve
my math (I spent most of my time in math classes drawing or looking out
the window, and am quite frankly afraid of the stuff). Any less obvious
solutions (since a number of IQ test questions involve, not math, but
analogies and figuring out relationships, math won't help with
everything.)?
	Are there people out there who can help me out with the math
phobia (actually "study phobia") or point me to the right books?

Tom \|/ 
     0
	The obvious solution to my low test scores is to work on the
math section, are there any less obvious ways to increase your test
scores   
From: Dave.Aronson@p11.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Doubters Of Astrology
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1992 15:46:42 -0500

ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:

 ECSD> So what is Occam's Razor, again?

Basically a fancy way of stating the KISS principle: "Keep It Simple, Stupid!"

I think the literal wording is something like "Entities should not be multiplied
beyond necessity".  The usual interpretation is that if two explanations are
given for something, the simpler one is more likely correct.


Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes)
Subject: Perot and trust
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 19:43:56 GMT

No, No, No, I don't mean whether or not people still trust him after his
"in-again, out-again" summer campaign.       

This morning on the Natl Public Radio, I heard a bunch of "Reagan
Democrats" talking about how they were really impressed with Perot's
performance in the Sunday debate and how they would vote for him, if
they didn't think that a vote for Perot would be a vote taken from
Clinton and a vote the could help Bush win. I have much the same
feeling. I would vote for Perot if I didn't think he was a spoiler
candidate who would throw the election to Bush. I was wondering how many
people had the same feeling.
	It seems to me that this is a great example of "imperfect
knowledge" affecting a "market", or the prisoner's dilemma game (where
the optimal solution in the face of imperfect information is betrayal).
	Do people think that if more people knew that people were voting
for Perot, more people would vote for him, rather than against Bush and
for Clinton?

Fer God's sake, no flames! I posted this as an intellectual problem.

Tom.
From: nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Perot and trust
Date: 16 Oct 92 03:23:57 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

>thomas wrentmore barnes:
>> ... they would vote for [Perot], if they didn't think that a vote
>> for Perot would be a vote taken from Clinton and a vote the could
>> help Bush win.  ... It seems to me that this is a great example of
>> "imperfect knowledge" affecting a "market", or the prisoner's
>> dilemma game ...

   The audience of the second debate voted on what they thought of 
the three candidates after the debate.

     26 liked Clinton
     24 liked Perot
     02 liked Bush 

        even if Clinton and Perot split all the anti-bush votes,
          the bush-meister don't stand a snow-balls chance...

                             -- Nick




-- 
   _/   _/  _/  _/_/_/   _/   _/                 "Take 'em Easy"
  _/_/ _/  _/  _/   _/  _/_/_/
 _/ _/_/  _/  _/       _/ _/                    Nicholas C de Mello
_/   _/  _/   _/_/_/  _/   _/                     Nick+@pitt.edu
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Famous Mensans
Date: 9 Oct 92 15:50:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: cbnewse.1992Oct9.155037.21282
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Oct9.073439.27339@tfs.com> ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:
>gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
>>In article <1992Oct2.082905.16918@tfs.com> ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:
>>I like to say, "Get a load of the frontal lobes on that one".
>>
>>But courteously, in a very respectful way, of course.
>>
>I recall in my mail-gap, you suggested Madonna was taken. Since she & I

She's free next week Wednesday, I think, but that was as of yesterday.
I could ask.

>have a psychic link, I'll be able to read out your sexual prowess when I

Prepare yourself.

>do your chart (though being born in Illinois puts you beneath 0 to start,
>so here's high hopes for you.)
>But, I guess, there's still Geena Davis - she's sorta flighty - probably a
>Libra.

Fun to talk to, tho'.  She was in Hero with me.  Goldblum's a big guy,
tho', so care must be taken.

And, BTW, you've gotten e-mail from me and seen my birth data, several
of which point out that I was born in Detroit.

You're supposed to be doing my chart, here, so there's credibility at
stake!

GM(Helpful Software Man)S
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com ("Johnson")
Subject: Re: Boycotting the Vote
Reply-To: johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com
Organization: Motorola Wireless Enterprises, Schaumburg, IL
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 17:50:00 GMT

In article <BvvFLG.8zp@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, ksdavis@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Karleenus Schwartz Davis) writes:
=)Awlrighty, this one took me by surprise:
=)
=)I just heard someone campaigning for people to boycott the vote
=)in order to show people in government that we don't support them.
=)He argues that this is the most effective way to "fix" this 
=)country (USA, I'm sorry for my *centrism), because the government 
=)will eventually come crashing down around their ears.
=)
=)Does anyone care to explain by what sort of logic this would work?
=)
Of course it doesn't work.  A much better suggestion, if you want to use
your vote this way (and I feel it's a perfectly good way to use it) is
to vote for a third party, or write yourself (or someone else) in.  I
vote Libertarian these days, not because I believe they'll win (although
that might not be bad) but because if the Libertarians get enough votes,
the established parties will be forced to come up with better candidates
and platforms to survive.
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "Johnson"                              | Don't say words you're gonna regret|
| johnson@sleipnir.mnesouth.corp.mot.com | Don't let fire rush to your head   |
|                                        |        -- The Alan Parsons Project |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  If I spoke for Motorola, things would be a lot different around here!      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: Dave.Aronson@p11.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: t// Re: Personal to gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1992 14:16:00 -0500

moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:

>ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:
>|> I think we've been parsing this wrong. MAI = M AI, TAI = T AI. >|> "sisters"
. . .

 m> Not "sisters", schizophrenia.

Schizters?

From: Dave.Aronson@p11.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: The An-Tai conspiracy game
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1992 14:12:10 -0500

ecsd@tfs.com (Eric C. S. Dynamic) writes:

 JCR> These are my suggestions alone, but perhaps we can 
 JCR> initiate a convergence
 JCR> whereby we can add 'signatures' to this document over 
 JCR> the course of time.
 JCR> The signatures will demonstrate how collectively these views are held.
 JCR> All you do is post-with-contents and leave the document at its prior
 JCR> level of indentation (editing, sorry), and add your signature.
 JCR> This document can serve as the only reply anyone 
 JCR> makes in response to Tai.

 JCR> The format of the signature is shown below.

 JCR> Eric C. S. Dynamic (ecsd@tfs.com)

Holy wasted bandwidth, Batman!  That's going to result in several sets of
signatures floating around, as people "reply" to different versions.  Better
yet, since you suggested the signatures idea, you can collect names and userids
of people who agree with it, and post it monthly with the list appended.  Sorta
like a FAQ list.  You may add my name to the list as:

           Dave Aronson (Dave.Aronson@blkcat.fidonet.org)

(The address in the header will work too, and w/o "p11." on the front too, but
they all really wind up at the same place and the above is easiest.)
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: How To Kill Your Favorite Dead Philosopher
Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 22:39:10 GMT

In article <BvvEzH.8Dt@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> ksdavis@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Karleenus Schwartz Davis) writes:
>Schwartz writes:
>>>I'd *like* to hit McTaggart. . .unfortunately, I have to objectively
>>>relate his argument without inserting my measly undergraduate opinions.
>
>GMS offers:
>> [useful advice for exacting revenge on nassy nassy philosophers]
>
>
>Unfortunately, he died in 1925.  But, since he "proved" 

Dig him up.

GMS
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Is this line thing silly?
From: mcbeanb@brandonu.ca
Date: 9 Oct 92 13:10:49 CST
Organization: Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

In article <718495270.F00003@blkcat.UUCP>, Dave.Aronson@p11.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Aronson) writes:
> mcbeanb@brandonu.ca writes:
> 
>  m> So doesn't the above 1 dimensional line actually occupy
>  m> a great deal of the volume of the physical universe over time?
> 
> Nope.  Each "incarnation" of the line is just a line, so no matter how many of
> them you make or how you wiggle them, they take up a total of zero volume.

Maybe that's why I lost interest in math courses in the past couple of
years or so (or maybe I just hated calculus to death)...
Why do we bother to make lines when we can't even keep track of them
long enough to do anything with them.  Math is silly.
 
>  m> I just couldn't sleep last night, and thought that up.  Is it silly?
> 
> Yup.  But we need silliness once in a while.  Or twice.

Not three times?

Brian 
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: eager@eagercon.com (Michael J. Eager)
Subject: Re: Boycotting the Vote
Reply-To: eager@eagercon.com
Organization: Eager Consulting
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 17:45:18 GMT

In article 8zp@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu, ksdavis@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Karleenus Schwartz Davis) writes:
>Awlrighty, this one took me by surprise:
>
>I just heard someone campaigning for people to boycott the vote
>in order to show people in government that we don't support them.
>He argues that this is the most effective way to "fix" this 
>country (USA, I'm sorry for my *centrism), because the government 
>will eventually come crashing down around their ears.
>
>Does anyone care to explain by what sort of logic this would work?

There is a perverse logic which says that people will know what I mean when
I won't tell them.  Usually found in couples where one party is giving the 
other the silent treatment, for reasons which should be perfectly obvious.

Naturally, everybody bemoans the fact that many people don't vote.  On the
other hand, nobody changes their platform or position because a number of 
people sat on the sidelines with their thumb, er, ah, in their mouth.

>
>(Please, please, please don't start campaining for whom to vote.)
>
>-sz  (19, and people want me to stop voting already!)

The truth is that to be heard, you have to speak up.  Voting is only one
part of raising your voice.  Perhaps the people who want other to boycott
the election don't understand that.  Maybe they think that somebody else
should provide them with the "best" candidate, or "best" platform, without
their having to make any effort.  My philosophy (which I don't always keep
to) is that to be heard in a political context, I need to support the 
causes and candidates who share my beliefs and positions, from start to 
vote.


---
Michael J. Eager		Michael.Eager@eagercon.com
Eager Consulting		(415) 325-8077 
1960 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA 94306-1141

Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: zlsiida@fs1.mcc.ac.uk (dave budd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Intelligence
Date: 15 Oct 92 08:59:40 GMT
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre

In article <1992Oct13.190007.25213@walter.cray.com> sonic@cray.com (Curtis L. Swanson) writes:

>Yup.  I like to quote the rock group Loverboy: "There's three sides to 
>every story.  There's your side and my side and then there's the truth."

Reminds me of:
There are two ways to write correct programs, and only the third way works.


              Have another day    [Armageddon, the musical] 
  Dave Budd, MCC, Oxford Rd, Manchester, England   (44|0)61-275-6033  
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: Boycotting the Vote
Date: 13 Oct 92 17:44:40 GMT
Followup-To: rec.org.mensa

In article <1992Oct12.200629.18236@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>, edp@math.zk3.dec.com
(Eric Postpischil) wrote:
> 
> In article <1992Oct12.184038.12632@engage.pko.dec.com>,
> moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:

> >Non-voting is a message that you don't care.
> 
> You are not authorized to speak for those who do not vote; you cannot
> dictate what their message is.

The message is not what is intended; the message is what is received.  When
people don't vote, politicians get the message that people don't care.  It
doesn't matter that those people do not mean to send that message, that is
the message that is received.

As Sam Goldwyn said, if you want to send a message, use Western Union.  So,
if you don't vote to show that you don't like any of the candidates, send
them a telegram (or letter, or email, or a phone call) to tell them why you
didn't vote.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|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