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SPEBSQSA 1

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Thadeus

Thadeus

Technical User
Jan 16, 2002
1,548
US
This is my favorite acronym, because it was created as a jibe at all of the government acronym's of the 30's.

• Legal name: The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. or SPEBSQSA, Inc. Note: no periods between letters of abbreviated form.

The lengthy original name and initials... ...captured the imagination of readers coast to coast, and inquiries came pouring in.

While the Society advises against using the acronym as a pronouncable word, it fails, as members continue to have fun goofing on it.

Anyone here a member?

~Thadeus
former Baritone, turned Lead
 
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Not a member...love to sing...enjoyed watching/hearing SPEBSQSA have their annual convention here in Salt Lake City a couple of monthas ago.

As their finale, they joined with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Organ at the 21,000-seat LDS Conference center here in a marvelous combined concert on the last day of their convention...what a sound!!!

[santa]Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[ Providing low-cost remote Database Admin services]
Click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips if you use Oracle in Utah USA.
 
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For those who desire to join an acronym based organizations can join me in STRAPPE.
No dues, the only requirement for membership is to take the postage paid envelopes that come with junk mail and send them back to the sponsoring organization with no identifying information inside. Once fully integrated into your lifestyle you automatically become members in good standing in the Society To Return All Postage Paid Envelopes.
The postal service makes a profit on them, your landfill gets less waste. From a consumer standpoint it is a win-win situation.
 
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As a fully paid up member of STRAPPE (UK) may I advise the enclosure, in the paid envelopes, of material from another junk mail sender - obviously with no identifying information.

Recycle your waste, it's so much more satisfying.

Rosie
"Never express yourself more clearly than you think" (Niels Bohr)
 
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An aside, if permitted.

A very good friend of mine was a member of a barbershop quartet back in high school. One night in April 1982 his group had an important competition so I attended to lend my support.

It was the same night UNC-Chapel Hill beat Georgetown for the NCAA Men's basketball championship. We switched often between watching the game and listening to the competition.

Tim


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I love logging onto Tek-Tips. It's always so exciting to see what the hell I
said yesterday. [/blue]
 
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Technically (and I've pretty much given up on trying to convice the rest of the world - especially techies) an acronym IS a word.

So if SPEBSQSA isn't pronounced as a word it is considered an initialism not an acronym. (It could also, I believe, be considered an abbreviation - the shortened form of a word or phrase.)

SCUBA yes (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apperatus)
IBM no (always read as eye bee em not like the arabic Ibn)

mike
 
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A tip for STRAPPE members the world over is to put more waste in the envelope than the sponsoring organisation would otherwise expect, thus the amount of postage that they have put on the envelope is insufficient to cover the weight. Therefore, they will receive a bill from the postal service before they receive and can open the letter, so it costs them money and therefore dents their profits.

This works in the UK (and other places) where postage is priced by weight, although consideration has been made to changing to pricing by size. I have yet to hear the outcome of this consultation other than "It is taking place."

John
 
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madelca100,

You'll never win your battle, but that's no reason not to fight it. [thumbsup2]

I can't find the thread right now, but we have discussed acronyms vs. initialisms here in MAI before.

More info, for anyone interested, can be found on Wikipedia.

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue]
[/tt][red]Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ181-2886 before posting.
 
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Back in the ooooooolllldd days (early seventies), I used to recieve mailers that had cards to return that had punch-card holes. I (being a child, but understanding what the holes in the card were for) loved to put clear tape over a few of the holes and return the cards - with no, or fake, information. To this day I like to imagine a machine somewhere spewing out cards while technicians ran hither and thither.

I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson
 
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I used to be the guy in Atlanta that resolved problems with the mailback cards that created problems at Southern Bell. Rather than clear jams themselves, they would place a service call. After I left IBM I helped train the SB people to clear their own jams by insuring that 2 cards a month jammed. You lick the 9 edge, column 40, and spread the card with the thumbnail enough that it won't go through the throat.
There were several people that would punch the card in another position, then use a chad to fill up one of the legitimate holes.
The taped holes would kick out with DPBC errors with no challenge to fix other than the keypunch problems created when the scotch tape built up on the punches and caused the chads to be deformed, creating a chip tube jam. The hole substitution required a batch listing and a card to listing comparison. The jammed cards required them to punch a duplicate.
They went to OCR as soon as they could.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
 
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I read somewhere that the best way to handle those punched cards is to soak them in warm water for a while and then very carefully dry them out. The paper will expand just enough that the holes are no longer the correct size, which can cause all kinds of bizarre errors.


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard. [dragon]
 
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My whole family has joined STRAPPE. I had never considered adding more weight than expected to the package, though... that's not a bad idea. If only everyone would do that... we could rid the world of junk mailers!

SACLAAI = Society Against the Creation of Long, Annoying Acronyms and Initialisms ?

Ben
The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't. - Douglas Adams
 
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The bricks are what got the rules changed.
I fought a battle with American Express with little rocks and pennies.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
 
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Since I stumbled across this thread, I've joined STRAPPE in a MASSIVE way! The number of Loan/Credit Card/Insurance/Holiday junk letters I get in a week was filling my recycle bin and several extra bags as well [flame]

Now I'm content knowing that the companies sending out the junk are having to pay for the priviledge of throwing it away, as well as the administration costs of (I hope) removing me from their mailing lists - RESULT!! [lol]

Thank you edfair ==>*

Chris

Varium et mutabile semper Excel

 
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