HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Subject: Re: T--Polyandric Polymath and Kill Files
Reply-To: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 14:39:10 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.222255.166@ncsu.edu>, tai@cs.ncsu.edu (Scott Tai) writes:

>Although I also
>find the use of foul language and slanderous remarks which 
>seems to be this newsgroup's trademark offensive, I think that
>the suggestion of shutting others out is easily the MOST
>offensive thing I've ever seen written.

This is patently absurd.  We are physical beings with physical
limitations; it is IMPOSSIBLE to listen to every person who wants to be
heard.  Therefore, some of the MUST be ignored.  There are 3265 news
groups available to me; I ignore 3,183 of them, along with all the
people who post only to those groups.  I have also decided to ignore the
people who publish several of the newspapers in this area, as I simply
do not have time to read all of them.

Clearly the universe requires us to choose.  How do we choose?  We
evaluate what is available and must grade some as being more worthy than
some other.  Your offerings have been evaluated and have shown
themselves to be lacking.

>  What is it with you people?

We are smart, hence the decision not to listen to you.

> Can you really not stand to hear any dissenting
>voices?

Your postings were found to be lacking not for their dissent, but for
their lack of information, lack of reasoning, inaccuracy, and prejudice.
Dissent is welcome; your material is not.


                                -- edp (Eric Postpischil)
                                "Always mount a scratch monkey."
                                edp@alien.enet.dec.com
From: zlsiida@fs1.mcc.ac.uk (dave budd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Silent letters (was Re: Heroditus
Date: 29 Jul 92 09:52:41 GMT
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre
Originator: netnews@uts.mcc.ac.uk

In article <1992Jul28.165117.1460@cbnewse.cb.att.com> gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart) writes:

>yeah, English is a weiieird language.  Who invented "silent letters"?

>GMS

At least some of the silent letters used to be sounded - the w in wr for 
example.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  I don't take part in any sport that requires me to change clothes  |
|  Dave Budd, MCC, Oxford Rd, Manchester, England   (44)061-275-6033  |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: catapcnl@NeXTWork.Rose-Hulman.Edu. (Chris Lawrence)
Subject: Re: Admission to Mensa
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 01:08:58 GMT


In article <1992Jul28.194952.24293@fcom.cc.utah.edu> knechod@stacc.med.utah.edu  
(Kevin Nechodom) writes:
:In article <920725164248.2080b8a7@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU> SSR48327@VAX1.UTULSA.EDU  
(Syed Shibli) writes:
:[deleted stuff]
:>  The SAT cutoff is 1250 (or 1300 prior to 1970). 
:>                                              --Syed Shibli
:
:Hmm.  I was about to make some wise crack about the entropy of
:intelligence (evidenced by the decline in the SAT cutoff) when I
:realized that I needed a little more information.
:
:Is anyone aware of the reasoning behind the change?  Since the scores
:are standardized, I don't think any comparison is possible, but maybe
:there was a change in the calculation?
:
:Who knows?
:-- 
:Kevin Nechodom UofU STACC        | Great Moments in Physics History:

I think they re-normed the SAT in 1970.  Apparently, *too many* people were  
getting high scores :-).  (I can say this since I got a 1320).
--
Chris Lawrence
Pretender to the Throne; Destroyer of the Faith
-----------------------------------------------
"In a democracy, the majority often gets what it wants.  Occasionally, it also
 gets what it deserves."
 - ??? (Can someone tell me?)
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T: To All MENSA Members...
Date: 24 Jul 92 17:40:39 GMT

In article <1992Jul23.213518.6135@ncsu.edu>, sat@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott Andrew Tai) writes:
> 
> 
> 1) You're not more intelligent, you simply scored higher on a test
>    whose validity is questionable.
> 
> 2) Intelligence has many aspects.  MENSA is not an organization for the
>    top fiftieth of the most intelligent people in the world.  It is an
>    organization for people who a) THINK they are in that category (and
>    what that says about those individuals is not, in my view,
>    complimentary), and b) who have a particular style of intelligence
>    suited to IQ tests.  People whose intelligence is expressed in other
>    ways that the ability to pass tests need not apply -- even if
>    accepted, the mindset of MENSA members is that of people who find the
>    passing of tests to be important and valuable.

Your continual illigical, unfactual, irrational, tirades, coupled with your
posting from an invalid address and the name of a nonexisten person, says
much that is uncomplimentary about you.  You come off as an egotistical,
sanctimonious, hypocritcal, buffoon who makes Danny Qualye look like an
exmplar of rationality and thought in comparison.
 
> 3) White supremacists claim superiority based on the questionable
>    critera of skin melanin content and regional and national heritage.  
>    It is no less dehumanizing, invalid, and wrong in my view to attempt 
>    to discriminate based on the even less tangible criterion of "IQ".
> 
> MENSA is simply one more dangerous way in which one group of people
> attempt to set themselves apart -- and by 'apart' one invariably finds
> 'superior', since few people desire to join an organization which
> claims its members are 'inferior' -- from the rest of the populace.  Of
> such "harmless" little groups are born the divisive philosophies which
> feed nationalism, racism, and separate us from each other.

and you're a liar to boot.

> If you're so damn smart you ought to see that.

We're smart enough to see that you're a lying asshole, that's for sure.
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: dtl8v@holmes.acc.Virginia.EDU (Heraclitus)
Subject: Re: Look out guys - Mensan denies evolution
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 12:25:31 GMT


   So there was an anti-evolutionist article published in UK Mensa.
So what?  Mensa doesn't STAND for anything.  It expresses no opinions
as an organization nor encourage its members to follow any platform.
One of the prime goals of Mensa is to foster independent thinking, and
whether a member wishes to be backward or not is of no concern to the
rest of the organization.  He does science a service simply by
publishing his viewpoints and supported facts just to have targets to
shoot down as evidence becomes available, whether scientists already
know about the holes in the theory or not.

Doug Lamb
dtl8v@Virginia.EDU
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Subject: Re: More on the AG
Reply-To: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 17:33:58 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.153429.2322@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>,
ehp@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU ("Didi Pancake") writes:

>Hey, until you yourself have tried to transcribe a tape of a meeting of
>around 14 Mensans where everyone is usually talking at once about three
>different topics and they don't identify themselves before speaking and
>the taping equipment is pretty rudimentary to begin with, lay off the
>wise cracks about the Mensa national office, please. 

What wise cracks?  I did a simple calculation and expressed amazement. 
This is not a "wise crack"; I am truly amazed.  And I have yet to
receive an explanation from either you or Jean Cooper.  I am no stranger
to typing or transcribing, having worked as a production typist and
reaching 120 wpm, so please explain for me why 45,000 characters
requires 40 hours to transcribe.

>If Mensa were a rational group, the secretary could just take "action"
>minutes where only the formal motions and their votes are reported, but
>NOOOOOO!  Mensans being so enormously predisposed to wrangle about the
>stupidest stuff, we have to take full discussion minutes where everything
>everyone said is reported. It's a horrid job to work from these tapes and
>try to sort everything out properly.

You are conflating two issues here.  What the job is (transcribing
everything instead of just motions and votes) and/or whether it should
be done is a separate issue from how difficult it is to do the job. 
Maybe, to satisfy those who want everything, the recordings should be
made available upon request but only the motions and votes should be
transcribed.  But that is irrelevant to the issue of why it takes 40
hours to transcribe 45,000 characters.  Why does it take 40 hours to
transcribe 45,000 characters?

>In further fact, it is Jean herself who must do this, not the national
>office, and she's a _volunteer_ officer in this association . . .

So because somebody is a "volunteer" officer, we are not supposed to be
critical of them?  Tell me then, how can you choose between candidates
in an election if you are not critical of them?  There is no basis for
decision if you do not consider their job performance and
qualifications.  Clearly it is of interest to Mensa members to consider
whether our officers are doing a good job or not; there is no reason
their performance should not be questioned.


                                -- edp (Eric Postpischil)
                                "Always mount a scratch monkey."
                                edp@alien.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: TRUE BLUE?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 15:02:27 GMT

In article <14881@claris.com>, mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
> In article <1992Jul28.205220.2240@ugle.unit.no>, mortenaa@Lise.Unit.NO (Morten Aagaard) writes:
> > 
> > How come the sky is blue?
> 
> Refraction.

Specifically, selective refraction.  

GMS
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: skh@draper.com (Kjeld Hvatum)
Subject: genius sperm bank
Organization: Draper Laboratory
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 23:38:22 GMT

Last night, there was a story on TV ("48 Hours", I believe) about a
"genius" sperm bank progeny, now 8 years old.  The anonymous father was
described as a world-renowned computer scientist and highly accomplished
musician.  According to the report, some of the gifted programs in
California schools have a disproportionate number of these designer
kids, who're now moving into grade school and beyond, often more quickly
than most.  This is a very controversial topic among the general public.
I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned in this newsgroup.

To add fuel to the fire - I've seen an ad for genius sperm in one of the
Mensa journals, and an ad soliciting sperm donors in one of the
higher-IQ-society journals.  Nothing like the good old American
entrepreneurial spirit - making a buck off of the IQ differential
between high-IQ societies (actually, it may not have been the same
organization, but it was an amusing thought).

I heard some of these organizations pay donors $25 a pop.  Do geniuses
get a bonus?  I wonder how many Mensans paid for their college
education this way...  :-)

Kjeld Hvatum <skh@draper.com>
From: Craig.Wagner@p2.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Wagner)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: daylength
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 18:11:42 -0500

  RW> From: werme@alliant.com (Ric Werme) 
  RW> 
  RW> ...  Twilight would continue until early November, but the full moon
  RW> will still illuminate the ice.  (Cresent
  RW> 
  RW> Don't you just hate postings with misspelled words?  Sigh.

Well, yeah, but *I* wasn't going to say anything...  ;-)


  RW> moons would stay below the horizon.)
  RW> 
  > Why is this?  (the crescent vs full moon thing...)
  > 
  RW> New moons are close to the Sun, I think no more than 5 degrees away
  RW> (that's the tilt of the Moon's orbit to Earth's), so if the Sun is
  RW> several degrees below the horizon, so will the new moon.  On the other
  RW> hand, full moons are opposite the Sun, so during winter the full moon
  RW> will up.  During the summer, the full moon will be below the horizon
  RW> where it can illuminate the South Pole.  Seems like a pretty good
  RW> system to me.

This isn't making sense to me.  Noons moons are "close" to the sun, compared to
full or crescent moons, but in actual distance, not an angular measurement
(unless, I suppose, one is measuring the moon-earth-sun angle.  How is the tilt
of the Moon's orbit related to it's distance from the sun?  Won't the moon still
be within 5 degrees (is that it's inclination with regard to the plane of the
ecliptic?  I can't find my ephemeris right now) of the sun, _regardless_ of the
earth-moon-sun system configuration?  In which case, won't the mon be fairly
likely to be below the horizon whenever the sun is regardless of where the moon
is in it's orbit?  Unless the right ascension of the ascending node (and rate of
change of same) is such that the ascending always occurs in roughly the same
location with respect to the sun and earth, won't the presence of the moon above
or below the equator vary throughout the year (rather than remain constant with
lunar cycles?)  In other words, what does opposition or nearness to the sun have
to do with the seasons of the year?  Is there something you've said here I've
missed?  I'm not contending that what you've said isn't correct, I just don't
understand it from your explanation.
From: phil@miracle.com (Phil Hill)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: PUT TAI IN THE FAQ (was:Re: T=What Correlation?)
Date: 29 Jul 92 08:09:15 GMT
Organization: Miracle Computer Consultants

cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA) writes:
>Phil, I think this pest deserves a special mention in the FAQ. Something 
>like a "Beware of the dog" sign, to warn new readers on this forum.

You know... I suddenly became aware today.  I know what this Tai thing really
is.  He is a AI program designed to thwart kill-files.  He has the ability
to mutate and get around the best kill scripts in the world.

I still haven't decided the best (if any) way to put "Beware the Tai" into the
FAQ.  But he probably deserves a place there.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Phil Hill                     | "All you people in TV land,           |
| Miracle Computer Consultants  |   I will wake up your empty shells.   |
|                               |  Peak time viewing blown in a flash,  |
|                               |   as I burn into your memory cells.   |
| Email: phil@miracle.com       |  'cause I'm alive." - Peter Gabriel   |
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: sat@ailab.ncsu.edu (Scott Andrew Tai)
Subject: Re: Why mammal lips?
Reply-To: tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us
Organization: NCSU Artificial Intelligence Systems Laboratory
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 13:02:48 GMT


In article <1992Jul24.123158.8144@cs.mcgill.ca>, mingmar@cs.mcgill.ca (Ming MAR) writes:
|>Why are most mammals lipped?  Is this a result of random
|>evolution or is there any particular reason for not being
|>duck-billed?

You don't have a girlfriend, do you Mingmar?
;^)

-- Scott Tai - AI Lab
   tai@ailab.ncsu.edu
or sat@ailab.ncsu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Subject: Re: More on the AG
Reply-To: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 17:18:50 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.150309.1621@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>,
jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper) writes:

>If you have concerns about the speed with which
>they are done, I suggest you discuss it with me personally,
>or, better yet, run for the office of Secretary.

In suggesting I should run for Secretary, you presume some improvement
would result.  That is false, as taking the office of Secretary would
take my services away from my local chapter, where I serve as a local
officer and typist (120 wpm) for our newsletter.  My time is better
invested where the benefits of Mensa most come from:  local chapters.

I still fail to understand how typing 45,000 characters could take 40 hours.


                                -- edp (Eric Postpischil)
                                "Always mount a scratch monkey."
                                edp@alien.enet.dec.com
From: nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T/ Re: T=Killfiles and whoami
Date: 30 Jul 92 05:25:43 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Jul30.031645.22365@ncsu.edu> tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us writes:
>
>You're missing the point.  I don't care if someone chooses to put me in
>their killfile.  What I do object to is the regular posting of a killfile
>with my id in it. 
>

  Scott:

   Why?
   Whether he posts that information or not, those people that install
you ID in their killfile are making the same choice.  And you, by 
mutating your ID are choosing to ignore their choice.  You're choosing
to "get in their face" after they've, effectively, asked you not to.
You can't expect them to respond with an open mind, or even normal
consideration after that...

                                       Nick

 

-- 
   _/   _/  _/  _/_/_/   _/   _/  
  _/_/ _/  _/  _/   _/  _/_/_/
 _/ _/_/  _/  _/       _/ _/                    Nicholas C de Mello
_/   _/  _/   _/_/_/  _/   _/                     Nick+@pitt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: drich@sandman.lerc.nasa.gov (Daniel Rich)
Subject: Newsletters and Dues (was Re: Mensa national versus local, New York City)
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 14:38:11 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.234535.5590@ttinews.tti.com>, hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath) writes:
|> It's not supposed to be.  It is possible to produce a calendar of events.

This is the third or forth time I have seen this comment.  Where are
you getting this from?  Yes, it states in the national bylaws (or in
the minimum local group bylaws, I don't remember which) that all local
groups must publish a *minimum* of a calendar.  How does this lead to
the local group subsidy being only for the production of a calendar?

|> Whether AMC _should_ give local groups more newsletter money is a
|> different issue.  I certainly wouldn't object.  I wouldn't even mind my
|> dues subsidizing other group's newsletters (your mileage may vary).

This still leads us to the issue of "Where are our dues going?"
Someone posted a list the other day, and if I remember correctly there
was about $26 missing.  Does anyone know where this is going?  I have
yet to see a good accounting of our dues usage.

|> So, how does the rank and file get this issue before the AMC?  I'll
|> mention it to Dave Felt next time I see him, but I don't know if that's a
|> useful mechanism.

Jean, are you listening?

-- 
Dan Rich                    | drich@lerc.nasa.gov   |  (216) 433-4000
Sr. Systems Engineer        | "Danger, you haven't seen the last of me!"
RMS Technologies, Inc.      |    "No, but the first of you turns my stomach!"
NASA Lewis Research Center  | -- The Firesign Theatre's Nick Danger

Organization: Masters student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
From: jlc5f@poe.acc.Virginia.EDU (Jean L. Cooper)
Subject: Re: Newsletter costs (was Re: Mensa national versus local)
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 18:55:31 GMT

Thank you--I think. 8^)
--
Jean L. Cooper    (BITNET: JLC5F@virginia.edu   CIS: 70253,1114)
"The true University of these days is a Collection of Books." 
                                           --Carlyle                        
From: Craig.Wagner@p2.f120.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Craig Wagner)
Sender: Uucp@blkcat.UUCP
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: More on the AG
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 10:21:56 -0500

  EP> From: edp@math.zko.dec.com (Eric Postpischil)
  EP> 
  EP> 
  EP> I still fail to understand how typing 45,000 characters
  EP> could take 40 hours.

Based on what Jean and Didi have said, I suspect it's not the typing which takes
the most time.  You may be grossly underestimating what's required...
From: nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T/ Fwd: T: To All MENSA Members...
Date: 30 Jul 92 03:53:14 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Jul30.020622.18919@ncsu.edu> tai@m-net.ann-arbor.mi.us writes:
>
>Nice stereotype, but generally inaccurate.  The percentage of MENSA
>members who are minorities doesn't even approach the relative 
>percentage of minorities in college.  The lack of education and social
>pressure doesn't appear to be as much of a factor as you would have
>it be.

    What is the percentage of minority members in mensa?  In college?

                                         Nick

-- 
   _/   _/  _/  _/_/_/   _/   _/  
  _/_/ _/  _/  _/   _/  _/_/_/
 _/ _/_/  _/  _/       _/ _/                    Nicholas C de Mello
_/   _/  _/   _/_/_/  _/   _/                     Nick+@pitt.edu
From: mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: TRUE BLUE?
Date: 30 Jul 92 20:07:25 GMT

In article <45869@shamash.cdc.com>, adams@chaos.aqeng.cdc.com (eric adams x4862) writes:
> 
> > How come the sky is blue?
> 
> It's an issue of scattering.
> 
> Small particulates in the atmosphere are scattering short wavelength (blue)
> light more efficiently than long wavelenght (red) light.  Scattering is more
> efficient when the particulate size is matched to the wavelengths involved.
> The blue sky is due to a wide area of atmospheric bodies scattering 'blue'
> light:
> 
>       OOO                               (dust particle)
>       OOO -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - *  -   -   > 'red light'
>                                                /   
>      (sun)                                    /
>                                              /  'blue light'
>                                           oo
> 
>                                       (observer)
> 
> This also goes a long way to explaining pretty red sunsets (sailboats not
> included).

At one time in our history, people rich enough to own sailboats usually had
children who rebelled against the their parents and became communists.  This
phenomonon was dubbed "red sons in the sail set."
From: nick+@pitt.edu (Nick C De Mello)
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
Subject: Re: T/ T=Killfiles and whoami
Date: 31 Jul 92 03:23:43 GMT

In article <14912@claris.com> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
>
>Tai, you are an obnoxious turd, who has been proven to be a liar and a
>plagarist.  It is no wonder that few people want to read your crap.  If
>you don't like it, you can change; otherwise, learn to live with it.  You
>are a deceitful person, on a par with Oliver North, Richard Nixon, and
>Joe McCarthy.  Learn honesty and integrity; you will be a better person
>for it.

   "Those who hate you don't win, unless you hate them.
     Then you destroy yourself."

                                 R. Nixon

-- 
   _/   _/  _/  _/_/_/   _/   _/  
  _/_/ _/  _/  _/   _/  _/_/_/
 _/ _/_/  _/  _/       _/ _/                    Nicholas C de Mello
_/   _/  _/   _/_/_/  _/   _/                     Nick+@pitt.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa
From: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Subject: Re: wierd spelling of weird
Originator: cjdcosta@c00100-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: cjdcosta@eos.ncsu.edu (CHRISTOPHER J DCOSTA)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 10:07:42 GMT


In article <1992Jul28.165117.1460@cbnewse.cb.att.com> gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com
(gilbert.m.stewart) writes:
>   Did I fat-finger my keyboard again?  Or are you just sharing?  If so,
>   yeah, English is a weiieird language.  Who invented "silent letters"?
>   What were they thinking?

I know knot.

By the way, how would you pronounce "ghotio" in English?
Look at how enough,  women  &  nation  are spelt.
                ^^    ^          ^^^