] Alarmed by the unhealthy choices they make every day,
] more and more Americans are calling on the government to
] enact legislation that will protect them from their own
] behavior.

almost believable. Thanks to Mike Morrison for this one.

Americans Demand Increased Governmental Protection From Selves

] Linda Tripp will get more than $595,000 from the Defense
] Department to settle a lawsuit over the release of
] confidential personal information about her to a
] magazine, her lawyers said.

can anyone say 'irony'?

U.S. Settles With Linda Trip for $595,000

] FCC Chairman Michael Powell said his
] agency was taking "an important step toward preserving
] the viability of free over-the-air television."

Dude, you SOOOOO blew it...

FCC Approves Internet Anti-Piracy Tool

I apologize for the cross posting. Hope everyone had a good time @ PN7. Unfortunetly, I could not attend due to a broken left clavicle. The Oxycodone gave me the same effect though. ;-)

In case you've been living under a rock this summer, the fight against the MPAA, RIAA, and monopolistic telecom providers is still raging. We achieved a small victory at the end of last spring's session to have the issue deferred and put into 'summer study session'. We are now _in_ 'summer study session' and hearings are beginning to commence.

What's at risk? Well, do you use MythTv or Tivo? Do you burn DVDs or VCDs of television content? Have a NAT box on your cable or DSL line? Use VPN from home? Or God forbid, do you have a splitter on your cable line in your home? Doing, possessing, or even TALKING about any of these activities could render you a felon in the state of Tennessee if this bill passes. Even better than jail time, you could be sued into bankruptcy without even being convicted. Civil penalties can be assessed at up to $50,000 per DAY per DEVICE in your possession (no need to have used it in the act). That's right kids. If you have 2 splitters on your line for one year and they go after you, the _minimum_ penalty you will receive is $876,000. That doesn't include fines or attorneys fees.

What can you do? Spend a few hours of your life sitting on your ass in a hearing room. Seriously. Just showing up was perhaps THE KEY reason why this bill was not passed last spring. There are two hearings this week. Day 1 is basically the 'Bad Guys'. Day 2 is the 'Good Guys'. Tuesday's agenda is as follows:
Tuesday, October 28, 1:00 p.m.

Stacy Briggs, Executive Director
Tennessee Cable Television Association

Brian Allen, Director of Corporate Security
Time Warner Cable

Todd Flournoy, Counsel and Director of State Legislative Affairs
Motion Picture Association of America

Jeff Yarbrough
Tennessee-based Charter Cable Operator

Jim Spears, Vice-President of Government Relations
BellSouth

Ross Loder
Tennessee Municipal League

Wednesday's agenda is:
Wednesday, October 29 at 9:00 a.m.

Jonathan Band
American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries and the American Law Library Association

Scott Lyon or Scott Kozicki
Tennesseans for Digital Freedom Association (sic) Tennessee Digital Freedom Network)

Arnold Grothues, Vice President of Industry & Government Affairs
Radio Shack Corporation

Both of these hearings should be held in the 12/14 Legislative Plaza hearing rooms, HOWEVER, if they are still under construction, they may be moved. Ask anyone at the Plaza and they should be able to redirect you. For specifics, you can contact Sen. Trail's office for exact instructions: 615.741.1066. Ask about the "Joint Committee on Communications Security" hearing. Yea. We thought it was about cable theft too.

If you wish to be actively involved, please call me or email as soon as possible. 615.429.4502.

Cheers,
Scott

] "He pointed out a relatively remote baseball diamond that
] was enclosed in a chain-link fence," Neel recalled in an
] interview with Salon. "I could see these people behind
] the fence, with their faces up against it, and their
] hands on the wire." (The ACLU posted photos of the
] demonstrators and supporters at that event on its Web
] site.) "It looked more like a concentration camp than a
] free speech area to me, so I said, 'I'm not going in
] there. I thought the whole country was a free speech
] area.'" The detective asked Neel, 66, to go to the area
] six or eight times, and when he politely refused, he
] handcuffed and arrested the retired steelworker on a
] charge of disorderly conduct. When Neel's sister argued
] against his arrest, she was cuffed and hauled off as
] well. The two spent the president's visit in a firehouse
] that was serving as Secret Service and police
] headquarters for the event.
]
] It appears that the Neels' experience is not unique. Late
] last month, on Sept. 23, the American Civil Liberties
] Union filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Philadelphia
] against the Secret Service, alleging that the agency, a
] unit of the new Homeland Security Department charged with
] protecting the president, vice president and other key
] government officials, instituted a policy in the months
] even before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of instructing
] local police to cordon off protesters from the president
] and Vice President Dick Cheney. Plaintiffs include the
] National Organization for Women, ACORN, USA Action and
] United for Justice, and groups and individuals who have
] been penned up during presidential visits, or arrested
] for refusing to go into a "free speech area," in places
] ranging from California to New Mexico, Missouri,
] Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina and elsewhere in
] Pennsylvania.

'I thought the whole country was a free speech zone.'

] Appearing in dress uniform before a religious group in
] Oregon in June, Boykin said Islamic extremists hate the
] United States "because we're a Christian nation, because
] our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christians. ...
] And the enemy is a guy named Satan."

yes... let's keep pissing off the rest of the world with our constant crusade references...

Rumsfeld defends general who commented on war, Satan

] The Top 25 Censored Media Stories of 2002-2003

It's a little early for a Top n list of any sort I think, but some of these things need to be aired out before it's too late.

Project Censored

] In fact, they're tracking every download and selling the
] data to the music industry. How one company is turning
] file-sharing networks into the world's biggest focus
] group.

This is so obvious. Essentially, the music industry tracks what is being downloaded and where. They heavily promote the respective artists in the respective areas. Brilliant you say? No, just good marketing, and another reason why this is not a THREAT to the industry. It's a catalyst for growth.

I am reminded of a great interview that Peter Gabrial gave. He was asked about piracy, particularly in the third world (where he is heavily influenced and very popular). He said essentially that he viewed piracy as an opportunity. "If people are copying my work, I just go tour there." Peter got it. He realized that there was demand for his work, and maybe he isn't making royalties because of the copying, he has the opportunity to make REAL money by touring and selling merch. Oddly enough, this interview was in the early 80s.

BigChampagne is Watching You

Between the times of 6:30 – 7:00 PM tomorrow (that's Friday the
5th), you will have to go pick up your instructions.

Here's where you will need to go:

If your last name begins with the letters A-M, you will need to go
to the Union Station Hotel parking area (1001 Broadway). You will
be looking for a guy standing next to a grey Nissan Sentra wearing a
blue Titans ball cap. He will probably be parked in one of the Post
Office parking spaces.

If your last name begins with the letters N-Z, you will go to the
Shoney's next to the Coliseum. (110 Interstate Dr). Look for me in
a black MG or with a tan Toyota Corolla (depending on if I get a new
drive shaft installed on the MG tonight…lol). I'll be somewhere in
or around that parking lot. If I'm in the Toyo, I'll wear an old
style brown fedora so you won't miss me.

If you are coming with a group of people, then the driver's last
name will determine which location you will go to.

Use MapQuest or Yahoo Maps if you don't know where these places are
located. If you get lost on your way to either of these locations,
give me a call at 415-5975.

And, if you have any questions at all, please email me at
blake@nashvillefiles.com. (blake @ nashvillefiles . com)

Important note: Our "operatives" will leave each of these locations
at 7:00 sharp.

Hint: This will be the first "rolling" or "chain" flash mob (as
requested).

] In a society that enjoys the benefit of a strong,
] enforceable copyright law, it is too easy to forget what
] life would be like without it.

this guy is so far off, it's quite scary.

Why suing college students for illegal music downloading is right - Aug. 7, 2003