Word: dialing
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...obscenity ruling that upset anti-pornography activists, the court unanimously struck down a major portion of Congress's 1988 dial-a-porn law. The statute, which had sought to criminalize "obscene or indecent" telephone-message services, had been enacted at the urging of parents' groups that complained the racy phone communications were too easily accessible to children. But last week the court insisted on maintaining the distinction between obscenity, which may be prohibited, and indecency, which may not. Justice Byron White declared that banning indecent but not obscene telephone calls for adults went beyond what was needed to protect children...
...master the use of call waiting. One conversation went like this: "Wait, I have to answer the call waiting. [presses button] Hello? Oh wait, I'll try again. [presses button again] Hello? This isn't working. [presses button again, accidently hangs up on both friends] !#$%&)*(*." And then both callers dial back again at the same time...
This new strain of talk radio, Nader maintains approvingly, "is the working people's medium. There's no ticket of admission. You only have to dial." Congressman Chester Atkins, a Massachusetts Democrat who was a chief target of pay-raise opponents, gamely praises the format as well. "Talk radio is in touch with the anger and hostility and frustrations that people feel with respect to government in their daily lives," he says...
...waters could be treacherous. The channel space on cable systems is limited, and in most areas CNBC would have to supplant another service to win a spot on the dial. (FNN officials say their channel has been dropped by only a few systems to make room for CNBC.) In addition, the channel's programming, aimed at both hard-core market watchers and ordinary consumers, could be an uneasy mix. Then too there is Ted Turner to deal with. The CNN founder has already fired one loud volley at the competition, denouncing NBC executives as "bozos" and claiming that they started...
...research contract. "I don't think Sony needs a U.S. subsidy," groused Republican Representative Don Ritter of Pennsylvania, who has sponsored legislation that would create more HDTV incentives for American industry. "It was open bidding," counters Sony spokesman Haruyuki Machida. Who will get the money? Don't touch that dial...