HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: lashlepi@newton.ccs.tuns.ca (Phillip Lashley)
Subject: Re: wpa on elections 1992 in guyana
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 05:38:07 GMT
Organization: Technical University of Nova Scotia, Halifax, N.S.

In article <RAJ.92Dec21143256@sunset.gsfc.nasa.gov> raj@sunset.gsfc.nasa.gov (Raj Ramlagan) writes:
>In article <BzMGCL.32r@ccu.umanitoba.ca> umbacchu@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Emran Ally Bacchus) writes:
>
>   > People close to what happened during the election noted  
>   > a lot of multiple voting and impersonation  by the two old
>   > parties. The P.N.C's was a higher level and included seizure of
>   > ballot boxes, takeover of polling stations, anti-personal
>   > violence and heavy marking of ballots after the polls were 
>   > officially closed.
>
>
>Let me state that I have no knowledge of the WPA's position and what
>their major thrust is.  I just know them as a political party in
>Guyana whose leader was assasinated by Burnham.  I do believe the PNC
>cheated because of personal conversations I've had with a member of
>Carter's staff.  To insinuate the PPP lowered themselves to such a
>level is a big statement.  You need to supply more data.  If the PPP
>cheated in the elections, then why did'nt they do so over the past 22
>years?  So what's wrong with the INDO Guyanese ruling?  The AFRO
>Guyanese screwed the place for 22+ years.  The WPA does not have 
>longevity and recognition as the PPP, both at home and abroad.  Maybe
>as the Democratic process blossoms in Guyana the WPA will get a chance
>to show their stuff.  If Indians conspired and planned to get power by
>any means so what.
Raj,
comon, get real here - yes the place has been fucked for the past n+1 years, but i (imho)cannot believe this is attributed to one racial type.  i grew up in Guyana, and believeme, the power abuse was by no means mono-racial.  Lets try to gt deeper than this.
Phil
:

********************************************************************************* Leave the damm ting on the tree, so other people can pass and see            *
*lashlepi@newton.tuns.ccs.ca                                                   *
*Fax: (902)-420-7858                                                           *
*    Look, anything i say, i am responsible for thinking and writing, not      *
*                   withstanding divine intervention                           *********************************************************************************
B
B
>
>Raj


Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
From: hdavies@rx.xerox.com (Hugh J.E. Davies)
Subject: Re: who is number 1? (was: toe socks)
Reply-To: hdavies@rx.xerox.com
Organization: Rank Xerox Ltd.
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 16:51:22 GMT

In article 526@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu, thomasl@silver.ucs.indiana.edu ((thomasl)) writes:
>In article <1992Dec23.101508.29482@spectrum.xerox.com> hdavies@rx.xerox.com writes:
>>In article 7Dx@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu, thomasl@silver.ucs.indiana.edu ((thomasl)) writes:
>>
>>
>>Only a small point, but the person sitting in the round chair in The Prisoner is Number 2, not number 1. Number 1 is never shown, except in the last show.
>>
>
>quite right! thank you, and it is certainly not a minor point.
>ahhhhh, the last show.... only a few more episodes to go, and
>i will be there.
>
>how bout them toe socks, eh?
>

Hmmm. The toe socks. Sorry, but I can't help with those. You could try calling Harrods.

---


Regards,

Hugh.
------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't speak for Xerox, nor they for me.

Rank Xerox European Systems Centre, Welwyn Garden City, Herts., UK.
Mail to; Huge.wgc1@rx.xerox.com, whatever it says in the header.

Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
From: jlacey@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (james.w.lacey)
Subject: Re: Doonesbury and Camel Cigarettes
Organization: AT&T
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 15:31:51 GMT

In article <frank2.25@odie.ee.wits.ac.za> frank2@odie.ee.wits.ac.za writes:
>A local (South African) weekly newspaper carries a few Doonesbury strips in 
>each edition. The topic of the latest ones published is the Joey Camel 
>cigarette advertising campaign, and its success among children. Has this 
>been a significant issue in the USA, or is Trudeau trying to make it an 
>issue?
>
>What sort of following does Doonesbury have in the USA, and how have the 
>more controversial strips been received?
>...

The motivation for the digs by Trudeau was probably a survey that
showed that Joe Camel was among the most recognized cartoon 
characters among US children.  The accustation is that cigarette
companies are using advertising that appeals to young
potential smokers as a way of recruiting new customers.

Cigarette smoking is generally discouraged in the US.  The
government requires any cigarette advertising to carry a
warning on the dangers of smoking.  Many businesses and
universities severly limit the areas in which smoking is 
allowed.  For example, in Northeastern University in Boston,
smoking will not be allowed in any university building as
of Jan 1, 1993.  This is stricter than average, but not
really uncommon.  Smoking is also not allowed on any
US domestic airline flights.  Most restaurants are 
required by law to have non-smoking sections (varies by state.)

Doonesbury is a fairly popular strip, although some newpapers
carry it on the editorial page rather than with the rest of
the cartoons because of its political content.  


-- 
     Jim Lacey  --  my own opinions    
     email:  att!cbnewsl!jlacey  or  jlacey@cbnewsl.cb.att.com
     D'ou venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Ou allons-nous?
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.indian
From: prabhak@giga.cs.umn.edu (Satya Prabhakar)
Subject: Re: Why is Yoga considered an occult practise?
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 12:21:41 GMT

(Gerry Palo) writes:
>>(Satya Prabhakar) writes...
>>>Yoga, to the best of my knowledge and belief, is a combination of
>>>physical exercise (with heavy emphasis on deep breathing) and some
>>>amount of transcendental meditation (trying to keep the mind blank
>>>for an extended period of time.) This practise is not packaged with 
>>>any religious connotations.
>
>I am not a fundamentalist, and I don't claim yoga to be a form of devil
>worship.  But it is most definitely a form of religious practice, as
>the above post indicates, and it has underlying its forms a definite
>religious/spiritual weltanschauung.  The same laws that forbid Christian
>prayer and religious practice in public schools apply to other religious
>practices as well.  

I agree with you in principle that if Yoga is widely considered to be
a Hindu form of physical and mental exercise and has some religious
aspects to it, it ought not be to taught in our schools. Then, would you
be as willing to ban Karate and Judo also, naming them Buddhist or
Chinese rituals?
>
>I most definitely do not wish this path to be taught to my
>children, especially under the amateurish forms that any public school
>sponsored pedagogical activity would necessarily make of it.  Aside from 
>the deeper questions of the appropriateness of yoga (especially as it
>centers around the breath) for modern consciousness, I am disturbed by
>the dilletantism with which it is both taught and practiced in western
>countries today.  

Continuing my argument, would you similarly preepmt the teaching of
Karate also because we are convinced that western teachers don't really
understand the inner meaning of the art? 

Coming down one level to more mundane arts, Tennis and Chess, I find
that most schools tutors are amateurish and impart wrong types of
strategy-formulation and stroke-techniques to children (to the best of
my experience in both the games). Should we then stop the teaching
of these arts also for fear that we may be causing harm than good?

>I believe that yoga, while right
>for an earlier age, is no longer quite right for the age of consciousness
>in which we are now living.  

From what I know, Yoga can be practised at various levels. I have no
ability to do higher forms of Yoga, so I spend a few minutes doing some
breathing exercises every morn (pranayam) and then drink some Pepsi :-)
I don't think pranayam itself would hurt anyone.

Satya Prabhakar

--
___________________________________________
Happiness, dear Phaedrus, is a passed pawn!
Xref: sparky soc.culture.usa:9376 soc.culture.indian:42167
From: haynes@cats.ucsc.edu (Jim Haynes)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Why is Yoga considered an occult practise?
Date: 28 Dec 1992 20:48:28 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: hobbes.ucsc.edu


In article <1992Dec28.191825.13381@digi.lonestar.org> gpalo@digi.lonestar.org (Gerry Palo) writes:
>The problem with yoga is that it is much more difficult to draw the separating
>line with yoga, between where it is simply a method of physical and psycho-
>logical culture and where it becomes a real path of spiritual development.
I've argued that this is something we are especially touchy about in the U.S.
because of the constitutional separation of church and state.  (Others have
argued against me, saying that in their countries there is a state church
but no real expression of religious belief in governmental functions, and
objecting to the practice of U.S. officials about expression their religious
beliefs so openly, but I digress...)

It seems to me that yoga developed in the culture of India with the religious
environment that is part of that culture; karate developed in Japan likewise,
and other things in other countries.  In the U.S. we kinda want these things
pulled apart so you can do yoga and still be a good Presbyterian or do
karate and still be a good Baptist (or Catholic or atheist or anthroposophist
or anything else).

I remember reading an advertisement for the opening of a karate school in a
Bible Belt town, saying quite pointedly that they would teach it without
the foreign religious aspects.  Now when we talk about Christian fundamentalists
and yoga, I imagine that they imagine yoga to be inseperable from all the
things that they imagine "India" to be: reincarnation and strange gods and
sacred cows and everything that in their minds is part of the concept "heathen."
Similarly they imagine karate to be part and parcel of buddhism and ancestor
worship and emperor worship and everything they have ever been told about
Japan.  And they are the kind of people who would prefer to live in a
community where everybody believes exactly as they do, who have no desire
to live among people who do not accept their version of Truth.
India conjures up in their minds
-- 
haynes@cats.ucsc.edu
haynes@cats.bitnet

"Ya can talk all ya wanna, but it's dif'rent than it was!"
"No it aint!  But ya gotta know the territory!"
        Meredith Willson: "The Music Man"

Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
From: John.Carver@launchpad.unc.edu (John Carver)
Subject: US interventionism
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 20:37:44 GMT


I have noticed an interesting phenomenon.  When the US intervenes in
another country's internal affairs, such as it is doing in Somalia to
distribute food and medicine, this is "unwanted interference", and
"yankee imperialism".

Yet, the other day, a friend of mine who said the above, then said with
a perfectly straight face that the situation in Yugoslavia and Serbia
was the fault of the US for not intervening to enforce peace on the
region.  Somehow the fact that two countries are blowing each other's
brains out day and night is a horror which falls squarely on the
shoulders of the US.  I've been told that it is our fault, in that many
words. 

It seems the US is damned no matter what it does - if it intervenes to
ensure safe delivery of food, it is critizied for intervening.  If it
doesn't, it is critized for not intervening, and blamed for the results
of what two other countries are doing to each other.  

If it had NOT come to the aid of Kuwait in the gulf war, and Kuwait was
overrun, then it would be the US's fault for letting a neutral 3rd
country fall to its aggressive neighbor.  But since the US did
intervene, we are at fault for meddling in an internal Arab dispute.

I'm trying to understand how my non-US friends can critize both actions
simultenously, but have so far failed.  Also, when 20000 3rd world
children starve for lack of food, why is it the fault of the US?  Why
not the fault of Japan?  Or Germany?  Or England?  Or the 3rd world
people themselves for having more children than the region can support
with food and water?  The other 1st world nations could have assisted
just as easily as the US could have.  So why does the moral blame fall
on the US and the US only, according to some people I talk to?  There
are people who *do* think that.  I'm trying to understand why.

Personally, I think the US should stop ALL non-humanitarian assistance
to other countries.  Right now it gives *billions* of dollars to other
countries for economic, military, and civilian assistance.  I think we
should eliminate all that, and spend the money on US schools and
programs for US citizens to give opportunities instead of living in a
ghetto for their entire lives.  We have enough problems here that we
can't afford to support the rest of the world any more.  Let Israel pay
for its own military.

John

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  laUNChpad.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.indian
From: verma@pfeast.enet.dec.com (Virendra Verma)
Subject: Re: Why is Yoga considered an occult practise?
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 30 DEC 92 14:01:45    


In article <1740@emoryu1.cc.emory.edu>, libwca@emory.edu (Bill Anderson) writes...
> 
>The idea that clearing one's mind "let's the devil in" is 
>ludicrous beyond imagining, but Gerry is absolutely correct-
>spiritual disciplines should not be taught as a lark, by 
>people who have scant knowledge of what they are doing. 

	I absolutely agree with you guys that Yoga should not be taught
	by ones who are not knowledgeable and it should not be introduced
	in public schools against the will of the people. That is not
	what Dharma or Yoga is meant for.

	Yoga is not a physical science but a spiritual practice. Sure it
	is part of Hindu dharma, but, the whole notion of Dharma is 
	entirely different than the notion of religion. For instance, the 
	very idea of religion implies 'imposition' against one's choice. It 
	may be OK if religion is traded for bread, but it does not imply 
	the 'choice' aspect. On the other hand, dharma of the east and
	Yoga in particular is no belief but a technology based on experience.
	It is not for perpetuation of a belief, but, is, solely, intended 
	to benefit the aspirant - physiologically, psychologically and 
	spiritualy. If it doesn't benefit the aspirant, it is useless. 
	Christians in the United States can take this fear out that by 
	learning Yoga means perpetuation of Hinduism. Conversion is 
	meaningless in Hinduism. You can still be a devout Christian and 
	yet practicing Yoga will equally benefit the aspirant if done in 
	a correct way. Hinduism is a way of life.

namaste,

-- Virendra Verma
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer:
   My employer is not responsible for my views. Read my views at your 
   own risk.
   ****
   tamso ma jyotir gamaha	   - [Lord] take me from darkness to light.
   shramam bina na kimapi saddhyam - Nothing gets accomplished witout work
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xref: sparky soc.culture.usa:9312 soc.culture.german:9451 soc.culture.british:17877 soc.culture.canada:9575 soc.culture.italian:5546 soc.culture.mexican:7597 soc.culture.magyar:967 soc.culture.spain:4851 soc.culture.soviet:11336 soc.culture.french:9311 soc.culture.african.american:13159 soc.culture.asian.american:11068 soc.culture.china:33278 soc.culture.polish:4019 soc.culture.nordic:7992 soc.culture.netherlands:4967 soc.culture.latin-america:5095 soc.culture.filipino:4377 soc.culture.japan:12685
From: werner@cs.utexas.edu (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.german,soc.culture.british,soc.culture.canada,soc.culture.italian,soc.culture.mexican,soc.culture.magyar,soc.culture.spain,soc.culture.soviet,soc.culture.french,soc.culture.african.american,soc.culture.asian.american,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.polish,soc.culture.nordic,soc.culture.netherlands,soc.culture.latin-america,soc.culture.filipino,soc.culture.japan
Subject: Census Bureau released National Ancestry figures
Followup-To: soc.culture.usa
Date: 21 Dec 1992 06:55:33 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: dimebox.cs.utexas.edu


      CENSUS BUREAU WEDNESDAY RELEASED NATIONAL ANCESTRY FIGURES

	 German ancestry indicated by largest group (1 in 4)

The long version of the 1990 US census form (which went to 1 in 6 households)
asked respondents to identify their ancestry in a fill-in-the-blank field
(some people entered their race or a continent).

California has the largest population of northern and western Europeans,
New York has more Eastern and Southern Europeans, Minnesota has most
Norwegians, Massechusetts most French Canadians, Pennsylvania most Slovaks,
and Ohio most Hungarians.

   Here is the list of all groups with more than 1 million members:

		German (57.9 million)
		Irish (38.7)
		English (32.7)
		African-American (23.8)
		Italian (14.7)
		American (12.4)
		Mexican (11.6)
		French (10.3)
		Polish (9.4)
		American Indian (8.7)
		Dutch (6.2)
		Scotch-Irish (5.6)
		Scottish (5.6)
		Swedish (4.7)
		Norwegians (3.9)
		Russian (3.0)
		French Canadian (2.2)
		Welsh (2.0)
		Spanish (2.0)
		Puerto Rican (2.0)
		Slovak (1.9)
		White (1.8)
		Danish (1.6)
		Hungarian (1.6)
		Chinese (1.5)
		Filipino (1.5)
		Czech (1.3)
		Portuguese (1.2)
		British (1.1)
		Hispanic (1.1)
		Greek (1.1)
		Swiss (1.0)
		Japanese (1.0)

Of course, statistics like these need to be taken with a LARGE grain of salt,

And rather than making too much of this split along nationality lines, we
should celebrate the (successful?) melting pot which America must still be
considered primarily.

And, personally, I would be tempted to speculate on some of the numbers
and what might motivate people to self-classify this way, so many "Germans"
and "Irish", so few "Hispanics" and "English" (and split so-many-which-ways),
but I'll refrain.
-- 
  werner@cs.utexas.edu |  ..!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!werner | werner@UTXVM.bitnet

              "Free Advice and Opinions -- Refunds Available"
Xref: sparky soc.culture.usa:9380 soc.culture.indian:42235
From: prabhak@giga.cs.umn.edu (Satya Prabhakar)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Why is Yoga considered an occult practise?
Date: 29 Dec 92 17:24:55 GMT
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.

(Gerry Palo) writes:
> (Satya Prabhakar) writes
>>I agree with you in principle that if Yoga is widely considered to be
>>a Hindu form of physical and mental exercise and has some religious
>>aspects to it, it ought not be to taught in our schools. Then, would you
>>be as willing to ban Karate and Judo also, naming them Buddhist or
>>Chinese rituals?
>
>This is a good point.  My own feeling is that they probably should not be 
>taught as part of normal public school curricula, though they certainly
>may be valuable to individuals based on their own or their parents' choice.

It looks like the issue comes down to this: If an activity or course
has spiritual implications, then its scholarship should be forbidden
in the American school system. Yoga (to a greater degree) and Karate
(to a lesser degree) seem to be 'tainted' by religious spiritual
ethos and therefore are not permissible. It appears that even simple
meditation should be disallowed since it has eastern philosophical
underpinnings.

This I agree with. Since the validity of any of these practises cannot
be objectively ascertained (much like the belief in God) to be beneficial
they are best left to parents for teaching at home.

Then we are confronted with this question: Do we disallow all forms
of Yogic or Karate practises even if they have been proved to be
beneficial. How about 'deep breathing'? Doctors all over plead us to
use more of our lung capacity. Yoga has developed a system of deep
breathing that has been *proved* to be extremely beneficial. Now do
we forbid the practise of this *just because* it happens to have
originated from the Hindu philosophical system?

>If you would like a different perspective on this subject, that of Rudolf
>Steiner (Anthroposophy), who spoke with great respect for the yoga path
>of initiation in times past, I would be glad to send you a copy of a
>lecture of his called "The Change in the Path to Supersensible Knowledge".
>It is not a polemic against yoga but it delineates something of the nature
>of our particular age and certain changes that have come about in the
>human constitution and even the environment that bring problems with the
>yoga path for modern people. Send me your postal address if you would like
>to see it.  This whole discussion raises a number of interesting issues.

Please consider posting a summary of this lecture, if possible, for
the cause of the greater good.

Satya

--
___________________________________________
Happiness, dear Phaedrus, is a passed pawn!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,misc.invest
From: prabhak@giga.cs.umn.edu (Satya Prabhakar)
Subject: Speeding Ticket: Subtelty in answering the officer?
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 17:22:12 GMT

Today has not been the best of days. I was doing around 35-38 in 
a 30 mile zone and got trapped by the cop. 

He asked me if I knew at what speed I am going. I told him "35!'
He replied saying that he tracked me at 43 which I sincerely
think is not true.

When he came back with the citation, he said, "Well, you have 
the right to appeal this in a court of law. But remember that
you *admitted* to me that you violated the speed limit", with
heavy emphasis on 'admitted'. 

My question is this: If I choose to appeal the citation, would
I have been better off if I insisted that I was going within
the speed limit or I did not admit that I was traveling at
an illegal speed? 

What are my chances of a reversal in either case?

This is now an academic question since I already mailed in my
check.

Satya Prabhakar


--
___________________________________________
Happiness, dear Phaedrus, is a passed pawn!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.indian
From: swami1@troy.cc.bellcore.com (swaminathan,kashi r)
Subject: Re: Why is Yoga considered an occult practise?
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 20:24:42 GMT

In article <1992Dec21.172629.20974@news2.cis.umn.edu> prabhak@giga.cs.umn.edu (Satya Prabhakar) writes:
>Yoga, to the best of my knowledge and belief, is a combination of
>physical exercise (with heavy emphasis on deep breathing) and some
>amount of transcendental meditation (trying to keep the mind blank
                                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

According to the born-again christian movement, 
keeping the mind blank permits the devil to enter it. At least this
is how it was explained to me by a born-again.

>for an extended period of time.) This practise is not packaged with 
>any religious connotations.
>
>My question is as follows: Is the branding of Yoga as a form of
>devil worship chiefly out of ignorance or is it me that is missing
>
>Satya Prabhakar
>					-Ortega Y' Gasset


Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa