Rick Boucher’s Anti-Spam Act

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Rick Boucher (D-VA) and his collegues have introduced an anti-spam bill. (I know, I know, Yet Another Anti-Spam Bill…)
Here’s a press release and actual text of the bill for you to chew on.

The Anti-SPAM Act, of which Congressman Boucher is an original co-author, would enable consumers to opt-out of all commercial e-mail from any company. Companies who send commercial e-mails would be required to clearly identify the e-mail as a business solicitation or advertisement and to provide the recipient with a return e-mail address or website where he or she can opt-out from receiving the company

Register In The “No Call” Registry – It Takes Less Than One Minute Flat

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a.k.a. Register In The “No Call” Registry (and It’s Illegal For Telemarketers To Call You)
A few months ago, I got all hot and bothered about the news that our cell phone numbers would soon be made available to telemarketers via 411 info.
One solution to this is to sign up for the “Do Not Call Registry.”
Most telemarketers cannot call your telephone number if it is in the National Do Not Call Registry. You can register your home and mobile phone numbers for free. Your registration will be effective for five years.
If a telemarketer calls you during that time, you can file a complaint.
It just took me less than a minute to register my home and cell phone numbers.

Day 2: Ashley In Egypt

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This just in from Ashley the Bookmobilist in Egypt on day 2.


Date: 27 June 2003
Time: 4:44pm
Hello everyone! Day 2 has gone really smoothly here. We’ve managed to get all the equipment (printers, cutters, scorers) out of the tighter-than-tight Egyptian customs and have had the Library’s engineering dept. construct some tables. We hope to have things up and running soon.
On Monday the filmmakers (who are making a documentary about these goings on) and I will be travelling around, shopping for some sort of vehicle to create the BibAlex Bookie.
We’ve also begun to think about a catalog system where users will be able to see if a text in the Library is available in digital form, and then, if they want, go upstairs (or downstairs, there are 11 floors) and print and bind it.
Things are looking good: the setup is housed in its own space right next to the Children’s Library at an entrance to the building.

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Bills To Investigate WMD Lies Further Fail House

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House Rejects Deeper Probe on Iraqi Arms
By Ken Guggenheim the Associated Press.

The House on Thursday rejected two attempts by Democratic lawmakers for additional inquiries into the handling of intelligence on Iraq’s weapons programs.
Democrats sought to include the inquiries in a bill authorizing 2004 intelligence activities. That bill, whose details are mostly classified, was expected to be approved late Thursday or early Friday…
Reviews of administration assertions of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction already under way by the House and Senate intelligence committees and the Senate Armed Services committees. But some Democrats said they don’t go far enough.
An amendment proposed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas to require the U.S. comptroller general to study U.S. intelligence-sharing with U.N. inspectors was defeated 239-185.
By a 347-76 vote, the House rejected an amendment by Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio to require the CIA’s inspector general to audit all telephone and electronic communications between the CIA and Vice President Dick Cheney relating to Iraq’s weapons.
Kucinich, a presidential candidate and outspoken opponent of the war, cited a Washington Post story in which unidentified intelligence analysts said they had felt pressured by Cheney to make their assessments meet administration policy objectives.

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Howard Dean On How We Can Afford Health Care For All

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This footage is from the “Democratic National Candidates Forum” organized by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition that took place on June 22, 2003 at
the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago, IL.

This is by far my favorite quote from the Forum. The question is (paraphrased) “How can we afford
healthcare?”

In a nutshell, the repeal of the Shrub’s latest tax cut for the rich would
cover the cost two times over. (See the longer edits below if you want to hear more — this clip
is the sound byte version.

Howard Dean On Health Care – Soundbyte (Small – 2 MB)

“If
you say to the American People ‘You have a choice. You can have the President’s tax cut, or you
can have health insurance that can’t be taken away. You can have the President’s tax cut, or you
can fully fund Special Education. You can have the President’s tax cut, or you can start to
balance the budget and get jobs back again in this country. What people are gonna say is ‘I’ll take
the jobs, the education, and the health care, cause I didn’t get the President’s tax cut.'” – Howard Dean.


Howard Dean On Health Care – Edited (Small – 3 MB)
(Includes a bit more of what was said immediately before the quote above, for context.)


Howard Dean On Health Care – Complete (Small – 5 MB)

Man On Trial For Holding Sign Outside Shrub Speech

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Looks like there will be a whole lot of political statements being misinterpreted as death threats if all you gotta do is hold up a “No War For Oil” sign to qualify.
I’m not sure if I’m going to be there tomorrow myself yet, when the Shrubbery himself pulls into Burlingame for an instant tomorrow afternoon (morning?), but I think I can speak for a lot of other people when I say:
‘See you tomorrow, Mr. “President.” No death threats. No violence. Just a whole lotta love for each other and our country. Something you probably wouldn’t understand…’
S.C. Man Charged with Threatening the President

Joseph Lieberman On Media Ownership

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This footage is from the “Democratic National Candidates Forum” organized by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition that took place on June 22, 2003 at
the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago, IL.

Here’s the
original question that was presented to the candidates (courtesy of Jesse Jackson).

Joseph Lieberman On Media Ownership (Small – 4 MB)

“This FCC decision will have a disproportionately adverse effect on
minority-owned broadcasting stations. It will diminish competition and Freedom of Speech in
America. We gotta turn it around.” — Joseph Lieberman.

Q: I take Senator Lieberman then, that you would tell media companies, “Be on notice. These rules
could be temporary. Buy at your own risk.”

Lieberman: Absolutely. They will be temporary and in fact there is a Bill working it’s way
through congress right now that would overturn that FCC decision. If it doesn’t pass or if George
W. won’t sign it, as President, I will do whatever I can to overturn this FCC decision…

Let me say finally, this FCC decision will have a disproportionately adverse effect on
minority-owned broadcasting stations. It will diminish competition and Freedom of Speech in
America. We gotta turn it around.

John Kerry On Media Ownership

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This footage is from the “Democratic National Candidates Forum” organized by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition that took place on June 22, 2003 at
the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago, IL.

Here’s the
original question that was presented to the candidates (courtesy of Jesse Jackson).

Kerry On
Media Ownership (Small – 3 MB)

“This
administration’s idea of “diversity” is to have a whole bunch of different oil executives from
different companies running the government. And I want you to think about that in the context of
the FCC because it’s by big oil, of big oil, for big oil. The corporatization of all the choices
that we face in this country is what this is about.” — John Kerry.

Richard Gephardt On Media Ownership

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This footage is from the “Democratic National Candidates Forum” organized by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition that took place on June 22, 2003 at
the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago, IL.

Here’s the
original question that was presented to the candidates (courtesy of Jesse Jackson).

Richard
Gephardt On Media Ownership (Small – 3 MB)

“This is just one
more issue of an indication that we are being led today, run today, by a radical extreme
administration that has sold your government to the special interests of this
country…”

“Get everybody to vote! Failure’s not an option! We have to win this election
and get rid of the money changers in the temple of government!” — Richard
Gephardt.