Comments on: Sylvester McMonkey McBean prepares to leave the White House

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:03:24 +0000

I think it was Douglas Adams that once pointed out the real job of the president is to attract attention away from the people that are really incharge. Bush was pretty much a front for Cheney, Wolfowitz et. al.

By: Tim Hogan

Tim Hogan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:07:07 +0000

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” Did we really have that buffoon as our President for the last eight years? Sheesh, it was just a dream…nightmare! Thank God! (or whatever).

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:42:18 +0000

Most telemarketers use automated cold-callers, basically a computer with a voice modem and software that automatically dials a number from a randomized list of phone numbers. If a person or answering machine answers the phone, th nmber is tagged as a valid voice line, if a fax machine answers the number is tagged as a fax line and if a dialup modem answers it is tagged as a data line. But is the number is out of service, as indicated by by three tone preceding a short pause and a recorde message, the cold-caller removes the number from the list so time wont be wasted on followup calls.
Under current U.S. law, these lists are considered the property of the companies who compile them, and are often sold to other telemarketers.

There is a simple trick that can stop most of thes calls. begin your answering machine outgoing message with the three tones. When an ACC calls, these three beeps will cause the machine to remove the number from its list. The tones do not have to be exact. Most people can whistle the notes close enough to fool the machines.

By: Mark Tiedemann

Mark Tiedemann — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:49:06 +0000

True, Dan, but according to WHO U.S. subsidized meds expanded from helping 50,000 people to over 2,000,000. Not nearly enough, as you say, but still a vast improvement.

By: Dan Klarmann

Dan Klarmann — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:11:28 +0000

Aids relief? I doubt that the increase in funding for meds came anywhere near balancing the damage done by the Global Gag Rule that accelerated the spread of the disease.
A big ad campaign to make condoms seem as sexy as cigarettes or beer would have been much more effective.
Still would.

By: Dan Klarmann

Dan Klarmann — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:07:03 +0000

The no-call lists don’t apply to any group that might want to call you. Non profits are exempt, so any charity can call and beg. Anyone with whom you have done business, or their affiliates, are free to call. It is also okay to call to follow up on a mailing. Communications companies may call to “test systems” and, while they have you, maybe offer you a long distance deal. The list of exceptions goes on.

I read through some of the text of the these bills when they were proposed. I could not think of anyone to whom these no-call rules actually apply, besides friends and family.

By: hUH?

hUH? — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:24:25 +0000

speaking of the no call list (which I am on), if anybody knows how i can get my US Senator to quit calling me with annoying recorded messages, please let me know.

i wrote my senator and got no reply.

maybe the legislation does not apply to the legislators.

By: Mark Tiedemann

Mark Tiedemann — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:12:59 +0000

He did increase spending on AIDS relief. It’s the one thing he seems to be bragging about and it is true that under his administration, funding went up for AIDS medication in Africa tremendously.

By: Niklaus Pfirsig

Niklaus Pfirsig — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:38:59 +0000

even the no call list is so toothless as to be ineffective. The more aggressive telemarketers simply ignore the list and do business as usual.