HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: SMT research opportunities at IMT, Singapore
Date: 30 Jul 92 08:04:40 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept, QMW, University of London, UK.

From: mthyow@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg
>IMT  is  a  National  Institute  established  in  June  1990  and
>committed to the promotion of advanced manufacturing technologies
>in  Singapore. The Institute was established under  the  National
>Automation  Master Plan, Singapore and set up under the  umbrella
>of Nanyang Technological University.

Interesting, in the light of recent comments in this newsgroup,
claiming that the success of Singapore was due to it being an
example of ultra-libertarian capitalism. This sounds pretty
much like state direction to me. In the UK this sort of thing
would be regarded as wasteful semi-socialist state spending,
and would be the first thing to be cut in order that people
have less tax, so that they can spend more on imported goods
manufactured in places like Singapore ...

The salaries and conditions offered are better than the
equivalent in the UK as well. Here academics and researchers
are facing another year in which their salaries are being
allowed to drop further below the average for those of
equivalent qualifications and experience outside academia.

Matthew Huntbach
From: mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Eurocentrism [was Three-Syllable Words]
Date: 28 Jul 92 17:20:13 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept, QMW, University of London, UK.

From: nick@cs.hw.ac.uk (Nick Taylor)
>It doesn't surprise me in the least to find that "democratic" needs to be
>added to that ever-growing list of words which mean different things on
>either side of the Atlantic. In fact, I doubt that the British and American
>meanings have ever had much in common apart from such platitudes as
>"everybody has a vote" - we don't even agree on who "everybody" is
>in our respective democracies.

No, what I am concerned about is an American usage which has
nothing at all to do with "everybody has a vote". The American
usage seems to mean something like "no class differences in
culture". Thus under the American definition, elections could
be abolished altogether, but society would still be
"democratic" so long as the dictator shared the same cultural
tastes as the masses.

Matthew Huntbach
From: ian@pharaoh.cyborg.bt.co.uk (Speed Freak)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,uk.misc
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK
Date: 29 Jul 92 11:13:15 GMT
Organization: large

fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes) writes:



>>=>Neil Postlethwaite (neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk) writes:
>>=>
>>=>> Does anyone think that the all pervading Amercanisation
>>=>> of the world had really gotten out of hand.

>It hasn't happened here dude :-)

Isn't it sad that many British people worship the Americans.  Just look at 
all the filthy scum who wear New York Yankee baseball caps for instance.

Ian.

-- 
The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds;
and the pessimist fears this is true.  -- James Branch Cabell.

Ian Crocker 					ian@cyborg.bt.co.uk
From: Christopher.Carne@brunel.ac.uk (Christopher J Carne)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Metric System (was: New banknotes)
Date: 23 Jul 92 10:21:31 GMT
Organization: Brunel University, West London, UK

Would the defenders of the Imperial/US weights & measure like to
answer this one:

I have two spaces; space A is 11 8/8" x 6 1/16"
                   space B is 2 chains x 7 yds

What is the area of each space in square feet?
If I have a piece of linoleum of 1/3 acre will I be able to cover
the spaces?   
If linoleum weighs 2 1/3 oz/sq inch how much will the total covering
weigh (in stones and lbs).
Linoleum is sold by weight, it costs 5/- 3 1/2d per quarter pound.
Work out the cost of the total covering.

If you have any trouble with these see me during prep.


Chris
From: egpv29@castle.ed.ac.uk (JHenderson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: WANTED: how much does a bicycle cost in Cambridge, England?
Date: 24 Jul 92 13:37:15 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <1992Jul23.143925.3669@rdg.dec.com> evansg@uproar.enet.dec.com (Gwyn Evans @ IME) writes:
=>
=>In article <24091@castle.ed.ac.uk>, egpv29@castle.ed.ac.uk (JHenderson) writes:
=>>A wrecked bike is locked to my front garen railings and I would
=>>like to ge rid of it. I am thinking of trying using a sledgehammer
=>>to smash the "lock" bit, but I don't want to look a fool by
=>>failing to do this in a public place!!
=>
=> I believe that the use of a small hydraulic bottle jack is one of the 
=>favoured methods, if you've got the room to fit it where it can apply
=>some force.

Thanks to you and to everyone who e-mailed me with suggestions. The most
feasible idea for removing the lock seemed to be to use a grinding 
attachment on an electric drill. I haven't got one, so I tried using
my car jack, which is designed to lift something which, being a Fiat
Uno and therefore 95% rust, is quite light. After the jack started to
bend while no effect was noted on the lock, I gave up and sawed through
the bike frame, which took 2 minutes with junior hacksaw.


-- 
-Jeremy Henderson        egpv29@castle.ed.ac.uk   

(or am I?)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: sooz@iastate.edu (Susan F Bradley)
Subject: Re: Americanising of the UK
Organization: Dept of English -- IOWA STATE UNIV
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 02:30:21 GMT

In <1992Jul27.205832.18009@macc.wisc.edu> dsals@vms.macc.wisc.edu (David Sals) writes...>
[Postlethwaite stuff deleted]

[Most of Dave's post edited for brevity]

>Ah well.  What I am trying to say is, if we didn't buy it, it wouldn't 
>exist.  Sorry, but someone in the UK is buying by the handful.

>   					Cheers!
>   							:-D ave

Oops - should have given you credit in my post for making this comment - didn't
mean to slight you. 
  - Susan B.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,soc.culture.usa
From: matthew@ntl02.decnet.nokia.fi (Matthew Faupel)
Subject: Re: Pronounciaton of Three-Syllable Words
Organization: Nokia Telecommunications, Cambridge, UK
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 18:01:09 GMT

LJ: Laura Johnson in article <1992Jul21.165008.19647@col.hp.com>

LJ: Time for a drift!

> One of my best friends is from the lower classes. Poor chap actually had
> to work while he was going to school (he served behind the counter
> in a tobacconists I think).

LJ: OK, is this "British sarcasm", or do you really consider anyone who has
LJ: to work while in school "lower class"?  (Working while in school is 
LJ: pretty common in the U.S. "middle class.")

You cut the quote.  If you examine the rest of it, I think which of the two
it is becomes quite clear:

> Anyway he told me as follows: "When we served a toff, if we didn't like 
> him, we called him "Sir" to show contempt. If we thought he was OK, we
> would call him "Guv", Sir."


Matthew
--
---* Amnesiac the Wizard *------------------* matthew@uk.tele.nokia.fi *---
 Opinions expressed here are not those of my company.    | NB. ntl02 is EN
 They're not even my own; I plagiarised the lot of them! | TEE EL ZERO TWO
---* matthew@ntl02.decnet.nokia.fi *------------------* Matthew Faupel *---
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: dylan@ibmpcug.co.uk (Matthew Farwell)
Subject: Re: VAX Account
Organization: The IBM PC User Group, UK.
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 07:24:14 GMT

In article <153b6rINNjnq@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> martin.baines@uk.sun.com writes:
>Phill - you got it wrong:
>
>He actually wanted an account to use a VAX - you know one of
>those vacuum cleaners with water in it.

As they say - Nothing sucks like a VAX.

Dylan.
-- 
It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As
pretty as an Airport' appear -- Douglas Adams
From: bruce@tcom.stc.co.uk (Bruce Munro)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Why only ONE british olympic team
Date: 28 Jul 92 16:43:06 GMT
Organization: BNR Europe, New Southgate, London.

In article <1992Jul27.154527.22971@philabs.philips.com> ajc@philabs.philips.com (Alec Cameron) writes:
>If anyone in Scotland was good enough to play Test cricket I expect
>they'd be selected for England too.  (Corrections welcome.)

Scots have played for the England cricket team, indeed Mike Denness
was the England captain for a while.

-- 
Bruce Munro.  <bruce@tcom.stc.co.uk> || ...!mcsun!uknet!stc!bruce
BNR Europe Ltd, Oakleigh Rd South, London N11 1HB. 
Phone : +44 81 945 2174 or +44 81 945 4000 x2174
"There are no strangers, only friends we don't recognise" - Hank Wangford
From: u4366504@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Fax number of Lucas-Bryce needed
Date: 30 Jul 92 02:59:26 GMT
Organization: The University of Melbourne

I would like a fax number or a phone number of "Lucas-Bryce CAV" company
in England.  They are the manufacturers of diesel equipments.

Thank you.  Cordial regards,  Sami Lambe.

My e-mail address is:

	U4366504@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au
From: tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner)
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 10:31:00 GMT
Subject: Re: Trouble in Bristol?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british

Hi Mark.

Two youths stole a ploice BMW motorbike and, while being chased, collided
with an unmarked police car and were killed.

As a "result" the main shopping street in Hartcliffe has seen stones thrown at
police, some cars and shops gutted by fire. The net result has been a media
field day for the media. The main shopping street (Symes Way) is not very big
and contains the usual 3bs: butcher baker and bookie, and not much more.

Personally I think the whole episode is best summed up as a few lads from 
Hartcliffe and elsewhere are using it as an excuse for a rumble with the 
police. 

Oh yes, Hartcliffe is just below Dundry, and is the area next to the Imperial 
Tobacco ex-factory. Hence it has unemployment of ~20% => cue for standard
political statements.
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:10755 soc.culture.australian:3742 soc.culture.new-zealand:2055
From: streater@unixhub.SLAC.Stanford.EDU (Tim Streater)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,soc.culture.australian,soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: Re: New banknotes
Date: 28 Jul 92 02:42:09 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.british
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

In article <MATTHEW.92Jul27165009@matthew.ntl02.decnet.nokia.fi> matthew@ntl02.decnet.nokia.fi (Matthew Faupel) writes:
>
>Not since they abandoned the Gold Standard sometime back in the 1920's.
>There's nowhere near enough gold to back all the notes and coins issued
>these days.

I belive the Swiss have enough gold to back their currency, but even that may
no longer be true.

tim
From: tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner)
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 08:52:21 GMT
Subject: Re: WANTED: how much does a bicycle cost in Cambridge, England?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british

|>                                                    ... and I would like
|>to think that even in the most casual of situations a true devotee of
|>British culture can make the effort to get THEIR English grammar
|>correct.
|
|HIS would be grammatically correct; THEIR is merely politically correct,
|
|>Thank you.
|
|Your welcome.

His welcome what?


Oh! You meant "you're welcome".

From: tgg@otter.hpl.hp.com (Tom Gardner)
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 15:05:34 GMT
Subject: Re: WANTED: how much does a bicycle cost in Cambridge, England?
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british

|           - for Mill Rd railway bridge (but many people get off and push their
|             bike over)
|
|You _what_?!?! Anyone with a reasonable amount of oomph will be over
|the bridge before they've even noticed it. Unless of course they get
|stuck behind some moron in a granny gear....

Yup. Tis true. In fact both your comment and mine are both true.

I also came across an (incompetent) engineer who never learned to change out
of top gear. Yes, she did avoid Castle Hill.

Where else could someone have designed the Sinclair C5!

As for hills, don't forget that there is a Borrowdale in Cambridge -- just look
for the sign as you travel along the Histon Rd.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,soc.culture.usa
From: sooz@iastate.edu (Susan F Bradley)
Subject: Re: Pronounciaton of Three-Syllable Words
Organization: Dept of English -- IOWA STATE UNIV
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 03:49:41 GMT

In <1992Jul22.100259.24069@osf.org> sp@mirabeau.osf.fr (Simon Patience) writes:

>In article <1992Jul21.165008.19647@col.hp.com>, lpj@col.hp.com (Laura
>Johnson) writes:
>> jackson@soldev.tti.com (Dick Jackson) writes:
>> > 
>> > One of my best friends is from the lower classes. Poor chap actually had
>> > to work while he was going to school (he served behind the counter
>> > in a tobacconists I think).
>> 
>> OK, is this "British sarcasm", or do you really consider anyone who has
>> to work while in school "lower class"?  (Working while in school is 
>> pretty common in the U.S. "middle class.")

>I hope you have remembered that UK school == US high school and not University.

>Simon.

>  Simon Patience
>  Open Software Foundation			Phone: +33-76-63-48-72
>  Research Institute				FAX:   +33-76-51-05-32
>  2 Avenue De Vignate				Email: sp@gr.osf.org
>  38610 Gieres, France				       uunet!gr.osf.org!sp

   I don't know whether or not Ms. Johnson knew that "school" did not mean uni-
versity in the UK, but perhaps British readers of this net should know that it
is also quite common and often obligatory for high school students in the US to
hold part-time jobs.  I think, perhaps, she was inquiring as to why anyone 
should be looked down upon for this, regardless of whether it is school or 
university.

Susan Bradley 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
From: apm@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Andrew Merritt)
Subject: Re: The Saint and Leslie Charteris
Organization: Hewlett-Packard NSG-PWD, UK.
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1scd1 PL4
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 14:39:37 GMT

dj@ssd.kodak.com (Dave Jones) writes:
: For 64,000 dollars and a date with Vanna

Who she?
From: rhaller@oregon.uoregon.edu (Rich Haller)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: BBN II -- Murk-o-Vision World Update (Mau Mau)
Date: 24 Jul 92 16:15:47 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.british,rec.games.empire,alt.war
Organization: University of Oregon

In article <1992Jul24.050033.18743@dscomsf.desy.de>, hallam@zeus02.desy.de
(Phillip M. Hallam-Baker) wrote:
> What like how to aim rockets? The gulf was just about the one place
> where all that techno wizardry would work. Nicely uniform background to
> spot the targets on, complete air superiority, nice dry conditions so
> the electronics don't go screwy.
> 
> Phill Hallam-Baker

You forgot to mention the very fine sand that was threatening to ruin the
electronics until someone came up with the solution of using panty hose as
a filter. This in turn led to a grass routes procurement of panty hose
starting with their rapid disappearance from the PXes, but also involving
the home folk.

I won't claim this is an example of 'good old american ingenuity' because I
don't know or care about the nationality of the person or persons
responsible. Good job, whoever did it.

Now let's get off this, please.

-Rich Haller
Xref: sparky soc.culture.british:10708 rec.games.empire:2336 alt.war:1576
From: nlc@tornado.xtel.co.uk (Neil Cook)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,rec.games.empire,alt.war
Subject: Re: BBN II -- Murk-o-Vision World Update (Mau Mau)
Date: 27 Jul 92 13:51:26 GMT
Organization: X-Tel Services Ltd.

In article <24168@castle.ed.ac.uk>, egpv29@castle.ed.ac.uk (JHenderson) writes:
|> In article <1992Jul24.123429.21819@dscomsf.desy.de> hallam@zeus02.desy.de writes:
|> =>In article <1992Jul24.054503.27801@usl.edu>, team13@ucs.usl.edu (Mejia
|> =>Pablo) writes:
|> =>
|> =>|>
|> =>|>   Yup.  And who had the highest rate of lost planes in the allies theatre
|> =>|>  of operations??  Well, I'll give you a hint.    They build Tornados and
|> =>|>  Harriers, the most unsurvivable plane designs in use today.
|> =>
|> =>The operations that most lives were lost in (GB that was) were in flying
|> =>low over the runways cratering them. Rather more tricky than buzzing
|> =>arround at the edge of the stratosphere in an Aiwacs eh? If you leave
|> =>all the work for other people it's none too surprising that your
|> =>casalties were low. 
|> 

Well, to answer the first of the above postings, Tornado's are very resiliant
aircraft - they have often made it home with one engine out etc. The main problem
is in the tactics used... the American aircraft were flying with massive
ECM support extremely high up, whilst the Tornados were flying at 50 ft above
the ground. Guess which one had more casualties? When the British realised
that the Allied air superiority was complete, the Tornados were not sent in
so low, and the loss rate went right down.
The American tactic would not be half so successful against a country with
better airpower, such as the former Soviet Union.

My dad makes the Tornado engine, so I know THAT'S reliable :)

|> I thought that the operation in which most UK lives were lost was the
|> "driving around trying to avoid being shot by the US air force" operation?
|> 
|> 
|> 
|> -- 
|> -Jeremy Henderson        egpv29@castle.ed.ac.uk   
|> 
|> (or am I?)

That is still an extremely touchy subject with Americans - don't shout that
too loudly :)
Seriously though folks, lets hope that the various things which caused that to
happen have been fixed now, cos we sure as hell don't want more people going
that way. 

Neil Cook.
From: louise@Feline.CAD.UCLA.EDU (Louise Perry)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: WANTED: how much does a bicycle cost in Cambridge, England?
Date: 30 Jul 92 17:30:37 GMT
Organization: U.C.L.A. Computer Aided Design Laboratory

>Actually, Cambridge is sufficiently small that one does not really
>need a bike, especially when one lives in a college not far from the
>city centre and does not go to the University Library very often.
>
>Li

Are you kidding?  I don't know a single student yet who doesn't
wake up until 5 minutes before his/her first tutorial/lecture.
Besides, cycling back from Fitz and 1 am completely pissed is an
experience not to be missed.

p.s.  I am buying a helmet at the first opportunity.

-- 

Louise Perry
louise@cad.ucla.edu
lpp@runge.amtp.cam.ac.uk
From: antonson@software.org (Todd S. Antonson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Voltage converter
Date: 28 Jul 92 03:58:43 GMT
Organization: Software Productivity Consortium, Herndon, Virginia


Hi,  I was wondering if there might be someone who knows about voltage
converters for US products in britain.  The only converters I have been
able to find are voltage converters from 220V -> 110V but I don't know anything
about the cycles (Hz).

In the US the cycles are 60Hz.  What is it in the UK?  I have a friend who
has a portable CD player from the US and it only works with batteries.  What
kind of converter should I look for so she can plug it in to the wall?  Will
these voltage converters work?  They have warnings about using them with
"electronics" but that electric razers are OK.

I hope to receive a quick response as I am going to London and Manchester and
Leeds Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

Thanks for any Information.

- Todd Antonson (antonson@software.org)
  Software Productivity Consortium.
From: mmh@cs.qmw.ac.uk (Matthew Huntbach)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Help Me Find My Way around London!!!!
Date: 31 Jul 92 08:19:38 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept, QMW, University of London, UK.

From: yep@wam.umd.edu (--!!HEY!!--)
>please help!
>
>i'll be travelling to London near mid-August.
>i booked a room at the Pavilion Hotel in London.
>
>Their address is:
>Pavilion Hotel
>37 Leinster Gardens
>London W2
>Tel: 258-0269
>
>can someone PLEEEEASE help me find out where it is in
>London..that is, can i get from Heathrow Airport onto the
>Underground and get off a stop near the Hotel?
>or does the Hotel provide a shuttle to and from the airport
>to the hotel?
>or if not, should i take a taxi instead?

Why not try phoning the hotel and ask? BTW their telephone
number should be 071-258-0269, you can only miss the 071 off
when phoning from inner London.

Otherwise, unless you have a lot of luggage, it's not worth the
expense of taking a taxi. Why not buy an A-to-Z at Heathrow
(they're only a couple of pounds), look up Leinster Gardens,
find the nearest tube station, and look that up on the tube map?

You'll find that it's somewhere in the Bayswater/Paddington
area - take the Piccadilly Line from Heathrow to Earl's Court,
and a District Line train from Earl's Court. Make sure you get
on the right District Line train at Earl's Court as they go in
several different directions.

Matthew Huntbach
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
Date: Friday, 24 Jul 1992 20:28:53 EDT
From: <CMURRAY@auvm.american.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british,soc.culture.australian
Subject:    Americans as Immigrants

I have been reading Paul Theroux's The
Happy Isles of Oceania and read an interesting
statement:

"Many Americans there [in Australia] said
to me, 'I consider myself an Australian.'
Not once in eighteen years of living in
Britain did I ever hear a transplanted
American say, 'I consider myself British.'
(p.38)"

For myself, I have visted and lived in
both countries and have felt very comfortable.

What do you think -- Do Americans make
good immigrants and assimilate into your
cultures well?

Thank you for any comments that you have
on this subject.
From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.british
Subject: Re: Help Me Find My Way around London!!!!
Date: 30 Jul 92 09:21:59 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Organization: University of Bristol

In article <1992Jul29.003917.13383@wam.umd.edu> yep@wam.umd.edu (--!!HEY!!--) writes:
>Their address is:          
>Pavilion Hotel
>37 Leinster Gardens
>London W2
>Tel: 258-0269
>
>can someone PLEEEEASE help me find out where it is in
>London..that is, can i get from Heathrow Airport onto the
>Underground and get off a stop near the Hotel?
>or does the Hotel provide a shuttle to and from the airport
>to the hotel?
>or if not, should i take a taxi instead?

In some arbitrary order:  I'd guess it is unlikely that they provide a
shuttle.  The hotel is roughly equidistant from the Notting Hill Gate,
Bayswater, and Royal Oak tube stops -- Bayswater is probably marginally
closer, but still probably a 1/2 mile walk, making proper allowances
for your getting lost, which is likely, since it involves the most
complicated route of the three.  Taxi all the way from Heathrow would
cost a lot, and I wouldn't recommend it.

Allowing also for the fact that you'll be jet lagged and probably don't
want to take a long hike with your luggage, think what I'd recommend
(despite being fully aware that it is not the shortest route, but it
should be easy to follow) is that you take the underground (Piccadilly
Line) from Heathrow to Earl's Court, change there to the District Line
for Paddington, get out at Paddington (following the signs for 'British
Rail Main Line' which will dump you into the train station), and pick
up a cab there.

Regard this as 'fall-back' information, though.  Best if you ask at the
'Tourist Information' office at Heathrow -- they're there to help out
with questions like this.  On the signs (with which Heathrow is well
supplied) symbolically indicating what is where, the symbol for the
Tourist Information office is a lower-case script letter 'i'.  Also, as
soon as possible (probably at the newsstand at Heathrow) buy a copy of
the London A-Z, the street-finder book that no Londoner can find their
way around without -- nevermind tourists.

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132