Congressional offices have a position known as Legislative Correspondent (LC). It is the responsibility of the LC to draft letters. Depending on the importance of the issue, the elected member may actually read and approve. Though most letters are likely signed off by a senior staffer and not the member.
Interns and volunteers typically open and sort mail, but do not draft a response.
Believe it or not, these letters do matter. Though please don't just copy from pre-drafted language. Those letters do tend to get discounted quite a bit. It is rather difficult for anyone to seriously think that several thousand people spontaneously came up with the exact same language, type font and formatting for their letter on an issue. If you want your letter to carry some actual weight, take the time to compose your own thoughts and words, not someone elses.
Letters to the editor are important as well for more than one purpose. In addition to the general public, Congressional offices monitor papers within their district, especially for mention of the members name. If the member starts getting frequently mentioned in the letters to the editor column, this will eventually get noticed and is actually more likely to be read by the actual elected offical. Most offices compile a clips file of pertinent newspaper articles and editorials for the member to personally review.
Of course, every office varies in their routine. Some members are much more hands on and try and review as much of the material which comes into their offices as possible, others delegate almost everything to staff.
Orrin Hatch serves in the Senate, not the House. As such, he will not vote on "this" bill. However, a handy check of THOMAS, the Library of Congress's congressional tracking service shows that Orrin Hatch Sponsored the Senate version of this bill s. 167.
S. 167 passed the Senate by Unanimous Consent on February 1, 2005. Just needs the President's signature and its a law.
I recently underwent a tonsellectomy and various sinus surgeries. One noticable side effect, at least to my friends and family, is that my voice has changed. Many co-workers who I have called for years on a daily basis have needed several weeks to recognize my voice.
A minor concern, but I guess I would likely need to retrain any voice programs at this point in time. I do know that my cell phone auto dialer is not working anymore, but then again, it was never a very reliable voice dial to begin with...
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
"FirstSource monitors for the first uploads of a client's intellectual property to the eDonkey and Bit Torrent networks. When the system spots a file name matching the client's content, it initiates a download to confirm that the file is what it appears to be. Once the content is validated, the system captures the IP (Internet Protocol) address and identifying information of other users downloading and sharing the pirated material."
Can some one explain why you couldn't simply name the file gobbledygook.torrent or some such nonsense? Of course you are still guilty of copyright infringement, but would seem to defeat this automated detection system.
As a political professional, I have been referring to this as distributed campaigning. For the last few cycles, political types have been aware of the internet, but for the most part candidates and the parties did not seem to be able to move beyond sem-static webpages and god forbid, spam. Grassroots political activists on the other hand have been utilizing this tool much more effectively. There are of course the bloggers, but even more important are the numerous list-servs and other impowerment tools which sprung up, with MeetUp.org being the most famous tool.
For decades, voters and activists have felt increasingly marginalized. As the two parties have increased their stranglehold on political power, and as the powers-that-be at the top of those parties ruled with iron fists, grassroots activists have felt powerless. What Dean and his distributed campaign represented, was a return of power to the people. Your average Joe was empowered to hold a house party and spread the message. They became a partner and player in the campaign, their voice counted. Dean's campign was not just for the Presidency, but for outright control of the Democratic Party. The powers-that-be could not and would not countenance this loss of power. They did everything they could to stop the Dean Juggernaut. Of course, this was ably assisted by the Dean Scream and a media willing to play it to death. The Democratic Party was not afraid the Dean would lose the presidency, they were scared he would win. This would end their stranglehold on power. They would rather detroy the Party, than lose control.
Now that they are aware of the power of Distributed Campaigning, the powers-that-be will do everything they can to co-opt this strategy. However, I predict this will be to little avail. The internet makes it possible for underfinanced candidates to reach a large vetting audience. this audience in turn can raise awareness and more importantly, the almighty dollar. Large amounts of small donations, where before, a candidate was beholden to a few wealthy donors.
This new campaign paradigm gives the best hope in recent years of the voters shattering the shackles of two party oppression. It is possible splinter parties might easily arise in the next few cycles based on this model. For the Republicans, christian fundamentalists and fiscal conservatives may find in this decentralized world, that they are unble to maintain the "big tent." The same should be considered for Democrat liberals (greens) and centrists in the DLC. As these and other factions wrestle for control of their respective Party systems, they may find it viable for the first time to create a sustainable third party.
Been dealing with this for 4 years
on
VoIP Questioned
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
I have been using my GSM standard digital phone exclusively for 4 years. I have dealt with most everything listed in this article. None of those things are of concern to me. While I can't help but wonder why TIVO needs a standard phone line to set up, thats TIVO's fault. If I really want, I'll just slap a TV Card into my computer, problem solved, one less sale for a company with an idiotic policy. And for that matter, like most Americans, I could probably do with watching less TV.
I used to have problems with some companies not accepting that I did not have a land line (Video Rentals, etc...), but have found in the last couple years as it has become increasingly common for people to drop their land lines, that companies have adjusted. For that matter, I always figure if they can't accept I don't have a land line, they can do without my business, that is capitalism after all. Those compnaies that adjust to the new world of cell phones and VOIP will survive, those that do not, won't. I for one have never had a problem going elsewhere if a video store or pizza parlor is so backwards as to not want my business over a telephone number. I'm usually all too ready to drop a polite note to that companies management explaining why they lost a customer. But again, It has been at least 3 years since I ran into any problem like that. As for not being in the phone book, I find that to be a definite plus. As I am on a "cell" phone, I almost never get telephone solicitations. Those rare times I do, all I have to ask is if they are aware they are calling a cell phone. At that point the solicitor profusely apologizes and asks if there is a better number to reach me at, to which I gladly respond, no.
I saw the original model in Akihabara two months ago. They seemed to be all the rage in Japan. However, I had difficulty convincing myself that it would have mass appeal in America with such a large price tag. I would think most people who want a PS2 probably own one already. For that matter, early adopters likely have a DVR/Tivo already anyways. I guess I'd like to know exactly who they are marketing this too.
I find it rather ironic that Spider Robinson wrote this rant. I, for the most part, have found his work to be more fantasy than science.
While I agree that the state of Science Fiction is rather dim as of late, i don't think I agree with the why, which he doesn't actually explore. If one considers Golden Age Science Fiction, it is to some extent very fantasy. I can't even begin to count hown many authors just evented some new law of physics to help the plot device. Even the greats like Heinlein resorted to this tactic (5th Column). I would attest that most Golden Age Science Fiction is Fantasy in a Futuristic setting.
Today's Authors cannot get away with that to the most extent. While there are many good authors writing today, they do not seem to sell as well as Fantasy. I have been bemoaning for over a decade that I can find more "Fantasy" in the Science Fiction section of most bookstores than actual SF. While I am a huge Tolkien fan and have read the first two Eddings series as well as Feist, for the most part, I avoid Fantasy. Okay, I'll also admit to Pratchett and a couple others. What upsets me about this, is that if this trend continues, it will become a disencentive for new writers. Why write good hardcore Science Fiction, when the money is in Fantasy? How much has Robert Jordan raked in with his Wheel of Time? (which I haven't read)
As for good SF. I think that Robert Charles Wilson is greatly underappreciated. If you haven't read him, do so. However, I think many of his earlier works are out of print. Also of note is Neal Stephenson. His psedononymous novel written as Stephen Bury, Interface, is classic. I am of course waiting anxiously for the sequel to Cryptonomicon.
There are a whole slew of other authors writing of course, though I have noticed most new SF is military oriented. The question however, is how well they sell. Robert Charles Wilson's works seem to disappear from stock within a year. If these works don't sell, they won't be stocked, if they aren't stocked they can't sell, and eventually we are left with a Sceince Fiction section of the bookstore which is actually all fantasy.
In my opinion, too much attention is being paid these days to graphics and frame rates. I like the occasional FPS, but it tends to get old after a while. Many of the classic games didn't depend on graphics, but on actual game play. I remember when Tetris swept the world. Very simple game of blocks, people used to play on end for hours. Or how about Lemmings? A puzzle game WITH sound and graphics (for the day). BUT, it also had addictive game play... Don't ask about my grades from that semester. I used to log onto the Merit Network just to compare notes on how to get through a level. I was also majorly addicted to Neuromancer, which combined classic text base with graphics. I still rmember the first time I cracked ICE in that game. I didn't sleep for a month getting through it. Anyone else remeber Tower Toppler? Another classic puzzle game.
The Grandaddy of time wasters on my college dorm floor was a surfing game on my Amiga. Of course this was back in the day when there were only two computers on the floor, my amiga, and a pc across the floor. OF course I remember playing Sim City for hours on that PC. These days, every student has one or two computers and a T-1.
Actually, you should check your facts. This bill passed 98-1 in the Senate and 357-66 in the House. The Late Sen. Wellstone was the lone dissenter in the Senate. Furthermore, a total of Seven Senators cast very reluctant votes. They felt that certain provisions of this act needed to be passed for the security of the nation, but overall had grave concerns regarding the bill. Their floor statement reflect that they felt the courts would strike down the worst provisions of this bill. Unfortunately this has not come to pass.
Congress has an unfortunate history of passing bad legislation during times of National Crisis. Japanese internment, Gulf of Tonkin, etc...
Remember, this bill was passed just over a month after 9/11. This country was collectively in a deep state of shock. As time passes, more citizens are waking up to what has been done in the name of National Security. Much of what the President and Congress has done, in my opinion, is little more than window dressing. Given time, public sentiment will turn against these intrustions.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin
I so hated the hype over "Ginger/It." "It's" going to change the world "they" said. I live in a Northern climate. And while yes, this looks like it could be a cool way to travel bout town or deliver materials in the summer, nobody ever acknowledges the 8 months of the year when you wouldn't be caught dead on a scooter. Heck, even in the summer, any rainy day puts you back in the car. So when "they" said it was going to change how we build our cities... how laughable!
Our cities and commuting will change in the US when gas goes up to $5 a gallon. Even then, we will most likely get serious about fuel cells/alternative energy and still drive cars all over the place.
I will be interested to see if the rule of Star Trek movies follows with Nemesis. Odd number Trek movies suck, even numbers rule.
Odd - Motion Picture - Tried too hard for artistry Search For Spock - it just blew! The Final Frontier - Spock's Half Brother? Gah! Generations - They could have done so much between the casts and didn't Insurrection - I just couldn't buy those alien bad guys.
Even - Wrath of Khan - Rocks! Gotta love Kirk yelling KHAAAAAAN! The Voyage Home - So many great lines. Merged the comedic aspects very well. Nuclear wessels! The Undiscovered Country - My personal Favorite. Gotta Love the zero grav scene. Guess who's coming to Dinner. First Contact - Time Travel... Gotta Love Time Travel. Now if they would only set a Star Trek Movie in the Mirror, Mirror Universe. Nemesis - ?
I have high hopes this pattern will not disappoint me on this Tenth movie.
Using this procedural rule is actually quite common for Lott. He has invoked this rule several times over the past year to tie up the business of the senate. He did this after the nomination of Judge Pickering was defeated in Committee.
Of course, Lott also snipes at Daschle constantly for not clearing legislation in a timely manner. Go figure!
Has anyone else seen the correlation between Futurama becoming the cutting edge satire show on TV and Simpsons becoming somewhat tired and cliched?
I am a long time Simpsons fan, the show has had its bad seasons in the past, but I have found since Futurama debuted, that the Simpsons has suffered. I have the feeling that most of the creative talent is writing for Futurama, leaving the Simpsons to the 2nd string. I am unsure if the same creative team is truly up to putting out 2 top notch shows.
Of course , my greatest fear is that both shows end up being canceled. Not sure what I would do without my Bender and Homer fix.
This is actually not a bad idea. However, your story does not illustrate that the phone calls made legislators change their minds on this subject, just that it brought attention to the GA shutdown.
So, by instituting a call your Congressman Day will likely not change their mind, but it would at least bring some attention to this issue.
Now would actually be the time to do this, most legislators who are not on the Senate Commerce Committee are likely not even aware of Hollings legislation. This would bring it onto their radars and inform them that their constituents are concerned. It is always easier to influence your legislator before they have taken a stand, versus getting them to change their mind.
I would also think that the EFF would be the more likely place to start such a movement./. members would still participate, but the EFF could bring together a whole host of concerned citizens.
The most effective way of communicating with your Rep or Senator is to meet with them personally. If your Member of Congress holds office hours or town hall meetings, attend the meeting. Be prepared with rational questions. Do not launch into a diatribe or attack on a position. Present a reasoned analysis of why you may disagree with you Rep. Provide eveidence which backs up your position. The key here is that Congressional folk are constantly beset by irrational people. If you do not present a professional manner, you will be dismissed out of hand.
If you cannot meet with your elected Rep, do meet with their staffer. Elected officials keep District and State offices. They have staffers who brief them on issues. Be prepared for your meeting with a letter addressed to the official outlining your concerns. Bring any supporting docs. It is important to have your concerns in writing when meeting with staff, they have very limited time and will likely appreciate any effort which makes their job easier.
If you cannot meet with staff. WRITE A LETTER!!! DO NOT USE E-MAIL. I have stated this several times on/. over the years. E-mail is the worst way to communicate with Congress. Congress is simply overwhelmed with e-mail. A good rule of thumb in lobbying your elected officials is the easier it is to send a message, the more likely it is to be ignored. Do not inundate your official with mail. the worst thing you can do is write a letter a week or more. Congressional offices receive tens of thousands of pieces of mail every week. The more mail you send, the more likely your mail is to be buried. Each piece of constituent mail is entered into a database as it is processed. If your name and address shows up a hundred times, you will recieve a low priority of response.
The most important thing is be patient. Congress is under extreme pressure right now. Mail is up and phones are ringing off the hook. Every constituent has become an expert in counter-terrorism. I would give your official 4 to 6 weeks to respond. While this may seem like a long time, realize the logistical problems of responding to the sheer volume of requests these offices are handling.
If you have not received a response in that time period, a follow-up letter or phone call of inquiry to the office is warranted. Again, keep your cool. If this does not shake out a reponse, then you likely will not receive one.
Believe it or not, elected officials who do not at least respond with form letters, tend to not get reelected.
The concern arises that this may be a slippery slope. Yes, Today MI only allows those items of data. However, as we term limit through our legislators and governors, the law could be quite easily changed. For example, Michigan passed a seat belt law back in the late 70's or early 80's (can't exactly remember). At the time we were told you could not be pulled over for not wearing a seat belt, but could only be cited if pulled over for another reason. The legislature has recently modified that law so that the police may pull you over for no other reason than they observed you didn't have a seat belt fastened. Even though when the Seatbelt law was passed, we were explicitly told this would not happen.
And no I'm not against seatbelts, or even neccesarily mag strips and bar codes. Just be aware that laws can change.
The State I live in recently switched to Magnetic Strips. This was done to comply with federal regulations which requires states to switch to these kind of ID cards. If the State does not, they forfeit certain federal funding. The Secretary of State fought this switch based on privacy concerns, but lost. So... If your State has not switched yet, they likely will.
Of course, when I received my new license, the first thing I did was run it by an industrial magnet. I don't mind having an ID Card, I just don't want my data accessed that easily.
Slashdot Mirror
As for Sky, half the time it is black and white.
Congressional offices have a position known as Legislative Correspondent (LC). It is the responsibility of the LC to draft letters. Depending on the importance of the issue, the elected member may actually read and approve. Though most letters are likely signed off by a senior staffer and not the member.
Interns and volunteers typically open and sort mail, but do not draft a response.
Believe it or not, these letters do matter. Though please don't just copy from pre-drafted language. Those letters do tend to get discounted quite a bit. It is rather difficult for anyone to seriously think that several thousand people spontaneously came up with the exact same language, type font and formatting for their letter on an issue. If you want your letter to carry some actual weight, take the time to compose your own thoughts and words, not someone elses.
Letters to the editor are important as well for more than one purpose. In addition to the general public, Congressional offices monitor papers within their district, especially for mention of the members name. If the member starts getting frequently mentioned in the letters to the editor column, this will eventually get noticed and is actually more likely to be read by the actual elected offical. Most offices compile a clips file of pertinent newspaper articles and editorials for the member to personally review.
Of course, every office varies in their routine. Some members are much more hands on and try and review as much of the material which comes into their offices as possible, others delegate almost everything to staff.
Orrin Hatch serves in the Senate, not the House. As such, he will not vote on "this" bill. However, a handy check of THOMAS, the Library of Congress's congressional tracking service shows that Orrin Hatch Sponsored the Senate version of this bill s. 167.
S. 167 passed the Senate by Unanimous Consent on February 1, 2005. Just needs the President's signature and its a law.
I recently underwent a tonsellectomy and various sinus surgeries. One noticable side effect, at least to my friends and family, is that my voice has changed. Many co-workers who I have called for years on a daily basis have needed several weeks to recognize my voice.
A minor concern, but I guess I would likely need to retrain any voice programs at this point in time. I do know that my cell phone auto dialer is not working anymore, but then again, it was never a very reliable voice dial to begin with...
From the Bill of Rights.
Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
From the article..
"FirstSource monitors for the first uploads of a client's intellectual property to the eDonkey and Bit Torrent networks. When the system spots a file name matching the client's content, it initiates a download to confirm that the file is what it appears to be. Once the content is validated, the system captures the IP (Internet Protocol) address and identifying information of other users downloading and sharing the pirated material."
Can some one explain why you couldn't simply name the file gobbledygook.torrent or some such nonsense? Of course you are still guilty of copyright infringement, but would seem to defeat this automated detection system.
As a political professional, I have been referring to this as distributed campaigning. For the last few cycles, political types have been aware of the internet, but for the most part candidates and the parties did not seem to be able to move beyond sem-static webpages and god forbid, spam. Grassroots political activists on the other hand have been utilizing this tool much more effectively. There are of course the bloggers, but even more important are the numerous list-servs and other impowerment tools which sprung up, with MeetUp.org being the most famous tool.
For decades, voters and activists have felt increasingly marginalized. As the two parties have increased their stranglehold on political power, and as the powers-that-be at the top of those parties ruled with iron fists, grassroots activists have felt powerless. What Dean and his distributed campaign represented, was a return of power to the people. Your average Joe was empowered to hold a house party and spread the message. They became a partner and player in the campaign, their voice counted. Dean's campign was not just for the Presidency, but for outright control of the Democratic Party. The powers-that-be could not and would not countenance this loss of power. They did everything they could to stop the Dean Juggernaut. Of course, this was ably assisted by the Dean Scream and a media willing to play it to death. The Democratic Party was not afraid the Dean would lose the presidency, they were scared he would win. This would end their stranglehold on power. They would rather detroy the Party, than lose control.
Now that they are aware of the power of Distributed Campaigning, the powers-that-be will do everything they can to co-opt this strategy. However, I predict this will be to little avail. The internet makes it possible for underfinanced candidates to reach a large vetting audience. this audience in turn can raise awareness and more importantly, the almighty dollar. Large amounts of small donations, where before, a candidate was beholden to a few wealthy donors.
This new campaign paradigm gives the best hope in recent years of the voters shattering the shackles of two party oppression. It is possible splinter parties might easily arise in the next few cycles based on this model. For the Republicans, christian fundamentalists and fiscal conservatives may find in this decentralized world, that they are unble to maintain the "big tent." The same should be considered for Democrat liberals (greens) and centrists in the DLC. As these and other factions wrestle for control of their respective Party systems, they may find it viable for the first time to create a sustainable third party.
I have been using my GSM standard digital phone exclusively for 4 years. I have dealt with most everything listed in this article. None of those things are of concern to me. While I can't help but wonder why TIVO needs a standard phone line to set up, thats TIVO's fault. If I really want, I'll just slap a TV Card into my computer, problem solved, one less sale for a company with an idiotic policy. And for that matter, like most Americans, I could probably do with watching less TV.
I used to have problems with some companies not accepting that I did not have a land line (Video Rentals, etc...), but have found in the last couple years as it has become increasingly common for people to drop their land lines, that companies have adjusted. For that matter, I always figure if they can't accept I don't have a land line, they can do without my business, that is capitalism after all. Those compnaies that adjust to the new world of cell phones and VOIP will survive, those that do not, won't. I for one have never had a problem going elsewhere if a video store or pizza parlor is so backwards as to not want my business over a telephone number. I'm usually all too ready to drop a polite note to that companies management explaining why they lost a customer. But again, It has been at least 3 years since I ran into any problem like that. As for not being in the phone book, I find that to be a definite plus. As I am on a "cell" phone, I almost never get telephone solicitations. Those rare times I do, all I have to ask is if they are aware they are calling a cell phone. At that point the solicitor profusely apologizes and asks if there is a better number to reach me at, to which I gladly respond, no.
I saw the original model in Akihabara two months ago. They seemed to be all the rage in Japan. However, I had difficulty convincing myself that it would have mass appeal in America with such a large price tag. I would think most people who want a PS2 probably own one already. For that matter, early adopters likely have a DVR/Tivo already anyways. I guess I'd like to know exactly who they are marketing this too.
Cool device, but no market.
I find it rather ironic that Spider Robinson wrote this rant. I, for the most part, have found his work to be more fantasy than science.
While I agree that the state of Science Fiction is rather dim as of late, i don't think I agree with the why, which he doesn't actually explore. If one considers Golden Age Science Fiction, it is to some extent very fantasy. I can't even begin to count hown many authors just evented some new law of physics to help the plot device. Even the greats like Heinlein resorted to this tactic (5th Column). I would attest that most Golden Age Science Fiction is Fantasy in a Futuristic setting.
Today's Authors cannot get away with that to the most extent. While there are many good authors writing today, they do not seem to sell as well as Fantasy. I have been bemoaning for over a decade that I can find more "Fantasy" in the Science Fiction section of most bookstores than actual SF. While I am a huge Tolkien fan and have read the first two Eddings series as well as Feist, for the most part, I avoid Fantasy. Okay, I'll also admit to Pratchett and a couple others. What upsets me about this, is that if this trend continues, it will become a disencentive for new writers. Why write good hardcore Science Fiction, when the money is in Fantasy? How much has Robert Jordan raked in with his Wheel of Time? (which I haven't read)
As for good SF. I think that Robert Charles Wilson is greatly underappreciated. If you haven't read him, do so. However, I think many of his earlier works are out of print. Also of note is Neal Stephenson. His psedononymous novel written as Stephen Bury, Interface, is classic. I am of course waiting anxiously for the sequel to Cryptonomicon.
There are a whole slew of other authors writing of course, though I have noticed most new SF is military oriented. The question however, is how well they sell. Robert Charles Wilson's works seem to disappear from stock within a year. If these works don't sell, they won't be stocked, if they aren't stocked they can't sell, and eventually we are left with a Sceince Fiction section of the bookstore which is actually all fantasy.
In my opinion, too much attention is being paid these days to graphics and frame rates. I like the occasional FPS, but it tends to get old after a while. Many of the classic games didn't depend on graphics, but on actual game play. I remember when Tetris swept the world. Very simple game of blocks, people used to play on end for hours. Or how about Lemmings? A puzzle game WITH sound and graphics (for the day). BUT, it also had addictive game play... Don't ask about my grades from that semester. I used to log onto the Merit Network just to compare notes on how to get through a level. I was also majorly addicted to Neuromancer, which combined classic text base with graphics. I still rmember the first time I cracked ICE in that game. I didn't sleep for a month getting through it. Anyone else remeber Tower Toppler? Another classic puzzle game.
The Grandaddy of time wasters on my college dorm floor was a surfing game on my Amiga. Of course this was back in the day when there were only two computers on the floor, my amiga, and a pc across the floor. OF course I remember playing Sim City for hours on that PC. These days, every student has one or two computers and a T-1.
Actually, you should check your facts. This bill passed 98-1 in the Senate and 357-66 in the House. The Late Sen. Wellstone was the lone dissenter in the Senate. Furthermore, a total of Seven Senators cast very reluctant votes. They felt that certain provisions of this act needed to be passed for the security of the nation, but overall had grave concerns regarding the bill. Their floor statement reflect that they felt the courts would strike down the worst provisions of this bill. Unfortunately this has not come to pass.
Congress has an unfortunate history of passing bad legislation during times of National Crisis. Japanese internment, Gulf of Tonkin, etc...
Remember, this bill was passed just over a month after 9/11. This country was collectively in a deep state of shock. As time passes, more citizens are waking up to what has been done in the name of National Security. Much of what the President and Congress has done, in my opinion, is little more than window dressing. Given time, public sentiment will turn against these intrustions.
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin
(start rant)
I so hated the hype over "Ginger/It." "It's" going to change the world "they" said. I live in a Northern climate. And while yes, this looks like it could be a cool way to travel bout town or deliver materials in the summer, nobody ever acknowledges the 8 months of the year when you wouldn't be caught dead on a scooter. Heck, even in the summer, any rainy day puts you back in the car. So when "they" said it was going to change how we build our cities... how laughable!
Our cities and commuting will change in the US when gas goes up to $5 a gallon. Even then, we will most likely get serious about fuel cells/alternative energy and still drive cars all over the place.
(end rant)
not a trekkie (trekker?) or a virgin thank God! Just a Science Fiction Fan. Hell, I've never even watched an entire episode of Enterprise.
While I would never dis on the Comic Book Guy from Simpsons, I also loved the South Park trekkies from the Timmy in Time Episode.
So no, not a trekkie, just a tech geek.
I will be interested to see if the rule of Star Trek movies follows with Nemesis. Odd number Trek movies suck, even numbers rule.
Odd -
Motion Picture - Tried too hard for artistry
Search For Spock - it just blew!
The Final Frontier - Spock's Half Brother? Gah!
Generations - They could have done so much between the casts and didn't
Insurrection - I just couldn't buy those alien bad guys.
Even -
Wrath of Khan - Rocks! Gotta love Kirk yelling KHAAAAAAN!
The Voyage Home - So many great lines. Merged the comedic aspects very well. Nuclear wessels!
The Undiscovered Country - My personal Favorite. Gotta Love the zero grav scene. Guess who's coming to Dinner.
First Contact - Time Travel... Gotta Love Time Travel. Now if they would only set a Star Trek Movie in the Mirror, Mirror Universe.
Nemesis - ?
I have high hopes this pattern will not disappoint me on this Tenth movie.
Using this procedural rule is actually quite common for Lott. He has invoked this rule several times over the past year to tie up the business of the senate. He did this after the nomination of Judge Pickering was defeated in Committee.
Of course, Lott also snipes at Daschle constantly for not clearing legislation in a timely manner. Go figure!
Has anyone else seen the correlation between Futurama becoming the cutting edge satire show on TV and Simpsons becoming somewhat tired and cliched?
I am a long time Simpsons fan, the show has had its bad seasons in the past, but I have found since Futurama debuted, that the Simpsons has suffered. I have the feeling that most of the creative talent is writing for Futurama, leaving the Simpsons to the 2nd string. I am unsure if the same creative team is truly up to putting out 2 top notch shows.
Of course , my greatest fear is that both shows end up being canceled. Not sure what I would do without my Bender and Homer fix.
This is actually not a bad idea. However, your story does not illustrate that the phone calls made legislators change their minds on this subject, just that it brought attention to the GA shutdown.
/. members would still participate, but the EFF could bring together a whole host of concerned citizens.
So, by instituting a call your Congressman Day will likely not change their mind, but it would at least bring some attention to this issue.
Now would actually be the time to do this, most legislators who are not on the Senate Commerce Committee are likely not even aware of Hollings legislation. This would bring it onto their radars and inform them that their constituents are concerned. It is always easier to influence your legislator before they have taken a stand, versus getting them to change their mind.
I would also think that the EFF would be the more likely place to start such a movement.
"The question is," he said, "if you do anticipate gravity, then why?"
Because you've spent your entire life living in a gravity well!
The most effective way of communicating with your Rep or Senator is to meet with them personally. If your Member of Congress holds office hours or town hall meetings, attend the meeting. Be prepared with rational questions. Do not launch into a diatribe or attack on a position. Present a reasoned analysis of why you may disagree with you Rep. Provide eveidence which backs up your position. The key here is that Congressional folk are constantly beset by irrational people. If you do not present a professional manner, you will be dismissed out of hand.
/. over the years. E-mail is the worst way to communicate with Congress. Congress is simply overwhelmed with e-mail. A good rule of thumb in lobbying your elected officials is the easier it is to send a message, the more likely it is to be ignored. Do not inundate your official with mail. the worst thing you can do is write a letter a week or more. Congressional offices receive tens of thousands of pieces of mail every week. The more mail you send, the more likely your mail is to be buried. Each piece of constituent mail is entered into a database as it is processed. If your name and address shows up a hundred times, you will recieve a low priority of response.
If you cannot meet with your elected Rep, do meet with their staffer. Elected officials keep District and State offices. They have staffers who brief them on issues. Be prepared for your meeting with a letter addressed to the official outlining your concerns. Bring any supporting docs. It is important to have your concerns in writing when meeting with staff, they have very limited time and will likely appreciate any effort which makes their job easier.
If you cannot meet with staff. WRITE A LETTER!!! DO NOT USE E-MAIL. I have stated this several times on
The most important thing is be patient. Congress is under extreme pressure right now. Mail is up and phones are ringing off the hook. Every constituent has become an expert in counter-terrorism. I would give your official 4 to 6 weeks to respond. While this may seem like a long time, realize the logistical problems of responding to the sheer volume of requests these offices are handling.
If you have not received a response in that time period, a follow-up letter or phone call of inquiry to the office is warranted. Again, keep your cool. If this does not shake out a reponse, then you likely will not receive one.
Believe it or not, elected officials who do not at least respond with form letters, tend to not get reelected.
I am in a position to know about letters to legislators. Please save me deciphering your handwriting. TYPE!
The concern arises that this may be a slippery slope. Yes, Today MI only allows those items of data. However, as we term limit through our legislators and governors, the law could be quite easily changed. For example, Michigan passed a seat belt law back in the late 70's or early 80's (can't exactly remember). At the time we were told you could not be pulled over for not wearing a seat belt, but could only be cited if pulled over for another reason. The legislature has recently modified that law so that the police may pull you over for no other reason than they observed you didn't have a seat belt fastened. Even though when the Seatbelt law was passed, we were explicitly told this would not happen.
And no I'm not against seatbelts, or even neccesarily mag strips and bar codes. Just be aware that laws can change.
Thats why God invented nails you AC!!!
The State I live in recently switched to Magnetic Strips. This was done to comply with federal regulations which requires states to switch to these kind of ID cards. If the State does not, they forfeit certain federal funding. The Secretary of State fought this switch based on privacy concerns, but lost. So... If your State has not switched yet, they likely will.
Of course, when I received my new license, the first thing I did was run it by an industrial magnet. I don't mind having an ID Card, I just don't want my data accessed that easily.
Mayhaps you should read such science fiction classics as Starship Troopers and the Forever War.