HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: peterk@public.sub.org (Peter Kittel)
Subject: Re: other fun mistranslations..
Organization: Public News & Mailserver, Commodore Germany PM UNIX, Frankfurt
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 11:53:58 GMT

Ok, here two examples from Germany:

When Commodore launched its VIC 20, it had to be renamed to VC 20 here, 
because the german word for f*ck is spelled indeed with an i, and the 
V in VIC is pronounced here like an F.

Rolls Royce has a car named Silver Mist, but in German, "Mist" means
"dung".

-- 
Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel  // E-Mail to  \\  Only my personal opinions... 
Commodore Frankfurt, Germany  \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Monday, 13 Apr 1992 11:55:47 MST
From: <ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: MIT's "Infinite Corridor"
 <1992Apr6.212239.14221@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu>
 <1992Apr08.211713.14988@sdd.hp.com> <199 <3470@moscom.UUCP>

In article <3470@moscom.UUCP>, de@moscom.UUCP (David Esan) says:
>
>They do, but the manual is 300 pages long, with at least 100 pages stating
>"This page intentional left blank", and the rest filled with gibberish
>that only hardened IBM'ers can understand.
>
You must be referring to the processes that are "transparent to the user".
Loyd Means
Phoenix AZ
From: thf2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Ted Frank)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Ask Marilyn Again
Date: 12 Apr 92 13:04:11 GMT
Reply-To: thf2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <1992Apr12.095929.11527@rose.uucp> david.lloyd-jones@rose.uucp (david lloyd-jones) writes:
>Seems to me this depends upon the algorithm Monty uses for determining
>the door to open.  If his rule is "I will open a goat door, picking one
>at random if there are two," then the initial condition is you have a
>1/2 chance: 50% you got it right, 50% the one Monty doesn't open has it.
>
>On the other hand, if Monty's rule were "I will open a door, and if it
>has the prize behind it we'll can the show and re-shoot the whole deal"
>then he would be giving you genuine information, and the odds would move
>from 1/3 to 2/3.
>
>The New York Times interview he did several years ago, when this
>first became big news, seemed to me to imply that the first was the
>actual algorithm.

The Times interview was last summer.

The algorithm is a third one: "Out of the two doors you did not choose,
I will open the one with a goat; if both of the two doors have goats,
I will randomly select one of those doors."  I think this also indicates
it's pretty straight-forward that one should switch.
-- 
Ted Frank          + "He wanted to be the car rather than the thimble or the
1307 E 60 St, #109 +  hat."  -- District attorney explaining Marc Cienkowski's
U o' C Law Skool   +  murder with bow and arrow of Michael Klucznik in
Chi, IL 60637      +  Doylestown Borough, PA over a game of Monopoly.
From: mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: FCC Call letters
Date: 6 Apr 92 04:45:14 GMT
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens

In article <1992Apr1.072956.22769@talon.ucs.orst.edu> tim@comphy.UUCP (Tim Mefford) writes:
>At some point in history, the 40's I might guess, the FCC decreed
>that all radio stations granted call letters henceforth would 
>arbitrarily be divided into east and west, those east of the 
>mississippi getting W??? call letters, and those west getting 
>K???.  My question is why W + K?   Any reason?

They were assigned by international treaty (in the 1930s I think).
The United States owns K, N, and W, together with part of the A range
(A followed by some characters but not others, I don't remember which).

There was an attempt to establish a commercial shortwave station
somewhere in Alabama or Mississippi a few years ago, whose call letters
were going to be NDXE.  Perfectly OK, but it would be the first N call
sign assigned to a broadcaster as far as I know.  

Call signs are assigned to all licensed radio transmitters that are not
operated by the government -- including aircraft radios, weather stations,
hams, and the like.
 
The alert reader will notice the "N4TMI" in my signature...
-- 
==========================================================================
Michael A. Covington, Ph.D. |  mcovingt@uga.cc.uga.edu  |  ham radio N4TMI
Artificial Intelligence Programs | U of Georgia | Athens, GA 30602  U.S.A.
==========================================================================
From: morris@anasaz (Bob Morris)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Origins of Syphilis
Date: 6 Apr 92 17:40:49 GMT
Organization: Anasazi, Inc.  Phoenix, Az

>In article <1992Apr3.152228.16602@sunova.ssc.gov> chuck_adams@qmail.ssc.gov (Chuck Adams) writes:
>
>Was it really "much more virulent than today"?  How would anybody know?  
>
It's pretty common for a virulent disease to become milder.  They sort of
"shoot themselves in the foot" by killing their hosts (people) then die
for lack of hosts.  The milder ones that let their hosts live longer
have a chance to be transmitted to someone else before the host is gone.

Or so I've heard...

Bob "never had it" Morris
aka morris@anasazi.com  (new address)
anasaz!morris@asuvax.eas.asu.edu (old address still works)
My opinions only, of course...
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: A grim death (was burger bar accidents)
Organization: Hewlett-Parkard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 19:33:17 GMT

tim@tcom.stc.co.uk (Tim Kennedy) writes:
: 
: My dad worked in the steel mills of Scunthorpe as a student during his
: holidays,  and claimed to have witnessed a man falling into a vat of 
: molten iron and vapourising instantaneously.
: 
: 				Tim

I think he was pulling your leg. There is no way a person could fall into
a furnace. It is doubtful if a person could fall into one of the crucibles
used when "tapping" the furnace, but is possible.

There are/were occasionally people who were killed by vapor explosions
that occurred when pouring the molten metal.

Also, a person might fall into a vat of molten iron, but they would not fall
into the iron - it is too dense. They would float on the surface. They would
not, and could not, be vaporized anwhere close to instantaneously.  

Bill "Don't forget that the steam barrier will act as a heat shield" Nelson
From: scott@bbx.basis.com (Scott Amspoker)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Ask Marilyn Again
Date: 10 Apr 92 20:07:35 GMT
Organization: BASIS International, Albuquerque NM

In article <1992Apr10.025551.20133@e2big.mko.dec.com> moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:
>No, it seems intuitive that it would be 1/2, but it is not.
>[good explanation deleted]
>
>I felt as you do when I first heard this problem.  But I worked the problem
>out and was suprised that I was wrong.  Switching increases your odds.

I found that proper intuition on the problem is easier to achieve when the
problem is expanded to, say, 1000 doors.  You pick one door out of 1000.
You really don't expect to have the right door.  Of the remaining 999 doors,
Monty Hall reveals goats behind 998 of them.  At this point it is not
random odds.  Monty Hall's knowledge of what is behind the doors changes
that.  There is only 1/1000 chance that you picked the correct door
in the first place.  The other door is most likely to be the one.

-- 
Scott Amspoker                       | 
Basis International, Albuquerque, NM |    "A man without a newsgroup"
                                     | 
scott@bbx.basis.com                  |
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Matt Hucke)
Subject: Re: Polio immunizations
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 19:36:47 GMT

In article <1992Apr16.173135.5146@PA.dec.com> mikkelson@breakr.enet.dec.com (snopes) writes:
>
>>"...no identification of self or mission; no interference with social develop-
>> ment of said planet; no references to space, to other worlds or more advanced
>> civilizations."   The PRIME DIRECTIVE, by Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon.
>
> . . . except in episodes featuring computers, women, or other life forms.

Well, er, um, yeah... but they're getting better at obeying it now! :)
-- 
  "It begins here--an army--to bring sense to a world plagued by worse than
   thieves and murderers. This will be a good life... good enough."
             Bruce Wayne, "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns"
hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu                             Gene Roddenberry 1921-1991
From: tjw@vm2.cis.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Churchill and French
Date: 17 Apr 92 22:23:08 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <92108.084910ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET>, ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET writes:

> It isn't about Churchill, but you have reminded me of another story like that.

Well this isn't about Churchill but it is about the FRENCH and our favorite
dead-FROZEN-animator: DISNEY (or rather his company).

I was listening to the BBC World Service the other night around 04:15 and
they had a "From our correspondent" segment on.  This featured a review of
Euro-Disney.

The best part of the whole report was what the FRENCH think of this "pollution
of their culture".  It seems that Euro-Disney has become known to the locals
as "The American Chernobul".

Sheesh!  I wouldn't let them into Club-33 if I were Disney.

Terry "Parlez Vous Disney?" Wood
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Wednesday, 15 Apr 1992 11:40:18 MST
From: <ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Iron in blood setting off metal detectors
 <1992Apr15.153908.22134@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>

In article <1992Apr15.153908.22134@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, berger@atropa (Mike
Berger) says:
>
>I don't know if its the actual cause, but the iron level in my blood
>is very high, and I routinely set off the airport metal detectors,
>even after emptying pockets, etc.
>
>I have known people who couldn't wear conventional wind-up watches
>because they became magnetized and stopped working.
>--
There may be some other reason.  My mother couldn't wear a watch for that
reason and she was anemic.  Or is there not necessarily a correlation between
iron in your body and iron available for your blood to use?  I know that
some supposedly iron-rich foods (spinach being one of them) that cannot be
assimilated by the body.
Loyd Means
Phoenix AZ
From: 21329KAD@MSU (Kim Dyer)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Cow Tippin'
Date: 6 Apr 92 23:00:22 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University

>>An angry cow isn't something you want to deal with (especially if it
>>hasn't been "dehorned" ).  I don't want almost half a ton of beef upset
> I didn't grow up on a diary farm, but I thought bulls had horns,
> and cows didn't.

LOTSA people think that.  Horns aren't sex linked traits, but I wouldn't
expect someone who didn't grow up around the animals to know that.  MOST
folks reguarly dehorn thier cows.  (It can be done using a NASTY cream
on the horn buds of very young calves.)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Fax paper curled up (was: Re: Not my house!!!!)
From: mcirvin@husc9.harvard.edu (Mcirvin)
Date: 10 Apr 92 16:32:41 EDT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center
Keywords: faxlore 
Summary: joke

>In article <3APR199204295370@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu> ae313406@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu (Vance Kochenderfer) writes:
>>
>>ObMildlyAmusingStory: A woman who works in my brother-in-law's office
>>thought that when you send a fax, the paper gets rolled up into a
>>little tube and is sent down the line.  That's why when you receive
>>it, it's always curled up..  Of course, you have to be sure there's
>>no dust in the line....
>
Dave Barry once debunked this belief by helpfully informing us that
"only the INK goes through the wire!"

-- 
Matthew James McIrvin     Znggurk Wnzrf ZpVeiva
mcirvin@husc.harvard.edu
From: tjw@vm2.cis.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Pleonasm and Churchill
Date: 10 Apr 92 04:36:35 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

> In article <ku6jr3INN72o@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> linden@positive.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden) writes:
>The technique of using more words than necessary (e.g. "he heard with his
>own ears") is called "pleonasm".  Please write that in big letters in your
>red books and don't forget it.  PLEONASM, peons.

"Oh F*ck *ff, you st*p*d f*ck*ng b*st*rd" and then I puked on his shoes.

I saw a reference to a snuff film in Time or Newsweek yesterday.  I'll post
the details later today (4/10/92).

Terry "The Original -- Accept No Substitutes" Wood
From: bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Scearce)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Dolphins: Nature's dunces?
Date: 9 Apr 92 21:14:07 GMT
Reply-To: bls@sector7g.Eng.Sun.COM
Organization: Sun Microsystems
NNTP-Posting-Host: sector7g

In article 5APR199216281530@gamma.is.tcu.edu, djohnson@gamma.is.tcu.edu (Darryl (The Other Brother) Johnson) writes:
> Countless slasher movies have conclusively proven that [investigating
> strange noises] is NOT survival behavior.  You would think that by
> movie#5 or #6, natural selection would result in a massive apathy
> toward strange noises.
 
The teenagers in such movies who show any inclination towards breeding
at all are usually the first to go.  I'd say that slasher movies depict
a non-Darwinian ecology.

Brian "Survival of the Most Photogenic" Scearce

---
Brian Scearce                               bls@sector7g.eng.sun.com
        The above does not necessarily represent Sun policy.
  "Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice appears under your feet."
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.religion.kibology
From: kibo@world.std.com (James 'Kibo' Parry)
Subject: Re: The Philadelphia Experiment (?)
Organization: A room filled with typography (in Boston's Back Bay)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 23:40:18 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.012731.10519@cs.uow.edu.au> u8802356@cs.uow.edu.au (Elephant) writes:
>warren@nysernet.org (Warren Burstein) writes:
>
>>In <1992Apr11.011443.5236@nmt.edu> houle@nmt.edu (Paul Houle) writes:
>
>>> IN TEN YEARS, this will become availible to YOU from the PHONE COMPANY
>>> as a service that by dialing *647351845###646412* will INSTANTLY
>>> transport any HARRASSING caller to your FRONT DOOR.
>
>>I hope they build this into my newsreader, too.  Gives a whole new
>>meaning to kill files.  And you won't just get mail from Kibo, he'll
>>come by to visit.
>
>A pitty it only works on harrassing callers though, or can you
>include polite people, friends and family at some additional cost ?

And what if I dial the number, do I meet myself?

								-- K.

Xref: sparky alt.folklore.urban:11562 alt.religion.kibology:1486
From: mjd@saul.cis.upenn.edu (The Special Case)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban,alt.religion.kibology
Subject: Re: Tomato Flavor Chewing Gum
Date: 6 Apr 92 15:35:32 GMT
Followup-To: alt.folklore.urban
Organization: Eaters of Wisdom
In-reply-to: bediger@isis.cs.du.edu's message of 5 Apr 92 18:13:44 GMT

In article <1992Apr5.181344.11306@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> bediger@isis.cs.du.edu (bruce allen ediger) writes:
   Who gets to designate the correspondence between some artificial flavor and
   a real-life fruit/meat/seasoning? 

I'd like to know this too.

    You left out my favorite example, which is that chocolate ice cream
never tastes anything like chocolate.

    
--

        A woman does NOT like a CLUMSY, FUMBLING man with an ICE PICK.
Mark-Jason Dominus 	  			    mjd@central.cis.upenn.edu
From: morris@anasaz (Bob Morris)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Cricket chirp rate versus temperature
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:29:20 GMT
Organization: Anasazi, Inc.  Phoenix, Az

Max Headroom writes:
>
>I once heard on some morning radio show that the 
>rate at which a crickett chirps can be used to
>determine the temperature.

I have heard something similar about ants.  You could tell the
temperature by measuring the speed they are walking
and applying some formula.  Forgot the formula, though.

Bob "on asphalt in June in Phoenix they're just a blur" Morris
aka morris@anasazi.com  (new address)
anasaz!morris@asuvax.eas.asu.edu (old address still works)
My opinions only, of course...
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: sherman@oak.math.ucla.edu (The Ahkond of Swat)
Subject: Re: Klaatu (was Re: McCartney origins (was Re: Stupid Redubs))
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 92 02:24:34 GMT

In article <2370038@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com> hypes@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com (Gary Hypes) writes:
> A response to the discussions about ripoffs:
>
> Just as a point of fact, the Buchwald lawsuit is neither trivial nor
> meritless. It appears that Buchwald genuinely submitted a screenplay
> which provided the basic structure, plot, and characterizations for
> "Coming to America"; not just a "gee, it was a screenplay, and it was
> about somebody from Africa, so obviously you stole from me."

According to the recent LA Times article, it was a one- or two-page
"treatment"; that is, an outline.  It wasn't a full screenplay, but
it did contain sketches of characters and plot.

> As I understand it, Buchwald won his case - a very difficult matter for
> this kind of suit - and the award was appealed. I don't know what's
> happened subsequently.

That's the current state of affairs.  Buchwald won, but not very much.
What with legal costs, he took a net loss (along with his partner).

--
 Bill Sherman     S^1 `--> S^(2n+1) -->> CP^n      sherman@math.ucla.edu
      Hail to the sun god!  He is a fun god!  Ra!  Ra!  Ra! 
                                  -Shea and Wilson, _Illuminatus!_
From: morris@anasaz (Bob Morris)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: The wacky, flakey State
Keywords: earthquake dam flood
Date: 13 Apr 92 17:44:45 GMT
Organization: Anasazi, Inc.  Phoenix, Az

>Rivers flow along fault lines only if there are fault
>lines following the line of greatest gradient.

You're right, of course.  I was thinking of the rivers that DO follow
faults, like the Bright Angel fault in the Grand Canyon which has not
one but two rivers flowing along it, one from the North and one from
the South into the Colorado River.

Since were on geology and rivers, the last time I was at the Grand
Canyon, the geologist ranger told me that they still don't have a
good theory about why the canyon was formed where it was.  Seems that
every theory comes with accompanying counter evidence.  Did the
Arizona State Legislature just pass a law to require it to be there?
Before you tell me that they haven't been around that long, take a
walk down by the state capitol or just read the local news...

Bob "not my fault" Morris
aka morris@anasazi.com  (new address)
anasaz!morris@asuvax.eas.asu.edu (old address still works)
My opinions only, of course...
From: tzf@cs.arizona.edu (Theron Friedman)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: In Search Of
Keywords: Might be a repeat.. I think it was posted only locally..
Date: 7 Apr 92 20:02:08 GMT
Reply-To: tzf@cs.arizona.edu (Theron Friedman)
Organization: U of Arizona, CS Dept, Tucson

In article <32249@darkstar.ucsc.edu>, unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu (The Unknown Matt) writes:
|> 

|> 
|>         One I saw recently was interesting. They were looking for Atlantis..
|> While that's really hokey in itself, they found some "walls" and corridors
|> or somesuch, and I'm pretty sure it was off of Florida in coral beds..  So
|> how come this never came out in the 'real news'? (or did it?)  Presumably they
|> found a city there.. they had a little bit dug out on the show..
|> 
|>         Anybody have the foggiest idea what I'm talking about??
Background here: one of Edgar Casey's predictions was that atlantis would
start to resurface towards the end of this century, the first parts
coming up off the coast of Bimini. (FYI, Casey is the model for all the
people claiming to "channel entities" these days; I think he died in the
'40's, but he had most of his sessions documented.) Anyhow, some believers
went and looked off the coast of Bimini in the early '70's, and sure enough
they found the stone paths & walls. Articles did appear in various
newspapers about it at the time; the ones I remember were in back sections
of Sunday papers, not front page, but definitely newsprint. I think there
was even a book published about it, but forget the name.
	At the time archeologists were debating whether the formations were
man made or natural (when they paid any attention to it at all). I haven't
heard anything more recent. What did they REALLY have dug out on the show?
(I assume that any substantial artifacts would have gotten major newsplay,
but one can miss these things.)

	terry "often in deep water" friedman
From: isaacman@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov (Subvert the Dominant Paradigm! (301) 513-7769)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: Run out of town on a rail
Keywords: eat more cruciferous vegetables for Jesus.
Date: 14 Apr 92 13:31:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: stars.14APR199209315473
Organization: NASA/GSFC-Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1

In article <1992Apr14.081411.23187@klaava.Helsinki.FI>, mjtuovin@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Markku Tuovinen) writes...
>>In article <ktuhtvINNgdk@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> linden@ella.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden) writes:
>>>
>>>This week's phrase is "run out of town on a rail".
>>>It means to eject someone in disgrace.
>>>But why add "on a rail"?
>>>What does it come from?
> 
>I don't know about the history of th thing but the custom is kinda
>familiar to me from a French comic book Lucky Luke that is a
>comprehencive parody from 'the Wild West'. For example one album (48
>pages each) had two hustlers in main roles and they were regularly
>tarred, feathered and carried out of the town an a rail. The rail used
>in the comic was a railroad rail, by the way (artistic freedom, I'd say
>:)

Yes, artistic freedom is correct.  They really did do this to 
undesirables (like you and me).  The "rail" in question was usually a 
fence rail of triangular cross section with the pointy side up:  the 
victim (generally male) was tarred, feathered, and strapped to the rail 
so as to inflict maximum discomfort on a certain part of his anatomy...
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
From: tjw@vm2.cis.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: California Uber Alles?
Date: 10 Apr 92 05:01:55 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Apr8.195352.1@acfcluster.nyu.edu>, axd7104@acfcluster.nyu.edu writes:

> Does anyone know whether it's true that When Jerry Brown was governor of
> California, he almost had the CA National Guard invade the state of
> Nevada because they were doing some sort of envirinmentally incorrect
> dumping that Brown thought was 'wrong'?  If so, I think this a damn good
> reason to keep him out of the White House at all costs.

I didn't know that Bill Clinton had net access!!!!

Terry "Nice try, Bill" Wood
Organization: Arizona State University
Date: Friday, 17 Apr 1992 09:00:50 MST
From: <ICLNM@ASUACAD.BITNET>
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: Re: If you lie with maps, you will rise with fleas

In article <kusk8oINNm74@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, linden@positive.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter
van der Linden) says:
>
>OK, everyone who hasn't been living in a cave for the last four years
>(all you posters from Arizona, rest easy) knows that the US Government
>
>My question is: whose genome is being mapped?  We can put certain
>requirements on the subject: not obviously prey to any genetic disorders,
>
See today" (Friday, April 17) Wall Street Journal.  There is a front page story
(column 1) about human genome mapping.  The answer is "no one's".  They are
trying to identify the 100,000 or so genes in the human body.  There is quite
a controversy about the race to patent each discovery, both by companies and
governments.  Billions of dollars are at stake, as are issues of shared re-
search and intellectual integrity of knowledge, etc.

Please note that I am posting from Arizona (from my air conditioned cave.
It's 90 degrees today).
Loyd Means
Phoenix AZ
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban