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UNIVERSAL SERVICE
Schools and Libraries Wary of Filtering-for-Funds Legislation
(CyberTimes)

MERGERS
Telephone Mergers: A Heated Game of Musical Chairs (NYT)
Industry Awaits Toll as Telecom Giants Join (ChiTrib)
Bell Atlantic and GTE Won't Comment on Merger Rumors
(TelecomAM)
Two Phone Giants Reported Merging in $52 Billion Deal (NYT)
Bell Atlantic and GTE Agree on a Merger (WSJ)
GTE to be Acquired by Bell Atlantic (WP)

COMPETITION
Kennard Says FCC Won't Curb Local Competition for Sec. 706
(TelecomAM)

LEGISLATION
House to Take Up Commerce Appropriations Bill This Week
(TelecomAM)

DIGITAL TV
Fees Weighed for High-Definition Television

ENCRYPTION
Harry and Louise Have a New Worry: Encryption (WP)

ADVERTISING
An Ounce Or Two of Suspicion (WP)

==================
UNIVERSAL SERVICE
==================

SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES WARY OF FILTERING-FOR-FUNDS LEGISLATION
ISSUE: Universal Service
Last week the Senate approved legislation called the Internet School
Filtering Act. If this legislation becomes law, schools and libraries that
accept federal "E-Rate" subsidies would be required to install filtering
software on computers linked to the Internet. The aim of the bill,
introduced by Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ),
is to keep minors away from pornography and other inappropriate material
online. But critics of the legislation argue that decisions of this type
should be left in local hands and not be required by the federal government.
This is especially important, they say, because of the controversial
elements surrounding filtering software programs.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/cyber/articles/28filters.html

========
MERGERS
========

TELEPHONE MERGERS: A HEATED GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS
ISSUE: Mergers
The Bell Atlantic/GTE merger announcement is just the latest in a torrent of
multibillion-dollar mergers taking place in the telecommunications industry.
Companies are scrambling for scale as they work to offer bundles of voice,
data and video services to customers that will allow them to remain at the
"top tier of communications carriers in the next millennium." It isn't
difficult to understand this competitive anxiety when you look at the
numbers. Since 1996, the nation's eight largest local phone companies have
become four. And the nation's four largest long-distance companies have
become three, with one of the three, AT&T, planning to acquire
Tele-Communications Inc. and engage in an international joint venture with
British Telecommunications. What's next? The next stage may well be big
international alliances for local phone companies. "Phone companies like SBC
and Bell Atlantic have their eyes on the next round, which is when they ask
permission to link to foreign carriers," said Dwight Allen, a
telecommunications consultant for Deloitte & Touch. "They are trying to
educate the regulators that what in unthinkably large today might not be
adequate tomorrow."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/biztech/articles/28impact.html

INDUSTRY AWAITS TOLL AS TELECOM GIANTS JOIN
ISSUE: Mergers
At the same time SBC and Ameritech are filing formal merger applications
with state and federal regulators, AT&T and British Telecom announce a joint
deal, and reports indicate that Bell Atlantic and GTE are talking deal. Are
these telecom giants gearing up for competition or they trying to get big
enough so no one can compete with them? "The answer is, nobody knows," Van
writes. America's $170 billion phone industry is headed into unchartered
territory. "There's a basic fallacy in the law," said Jim Freeze, a senior
analyst with Forrester Research based in Cambridge, Mass. "These mergers do
nothing to facilitate competition, and nothing will, until Congress
addresses this fallacy. The monopolies must be split into a regulated
wholesale business and unregulated retail business to make competition occur."
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: Jon Van]
http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9807280077,00.html

BELL ATLANTIC AND GTE WON'T COMMENT ON MERGER RUMORS
ISSUE: Mergers
Bell Atlantic and GTE declined to answer rumors about reported merger talks
between the two companies. House Telecom Subcommittee Chairman Billy Tauzin
(R-LA) said that if true, "it
raises the stakes in the consolidation poker game." Rep Tauzin said the
merger will
win regulatory approval if the two companies can demonstrate that being bigger
provides more consumer choice. "A combined GTE and Bell Atlantic would, in my
opinion, give the long distance carriers a run for their money," Rep Tauzin
said.
"This only points out what I have been saying all along: If the FCC won't
allow the regional Bell companies into the long distance market, they are
going to merge their way into it instead." Bell Atlantic is the dominant
local telephone carrier on the East Coast in 13 states and Washington, D.C.
from Maine to Virginia. GTE has operations in 28 states, including in Bell
Atlantic's states of Pennsylvania and Virginia.
[SOURCE: Telecom AM]
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/

TWO PHONE GIANTS REPORTED MERGING IN $52 BILLION DEAL
ISSUE: Mergers
Bell Atlantic Corp., the primary provider of local phone services from Maine
to Virginia, has agreed to acquire GTE Corp., the nation's largest
independent local and long-distance company, for $52.8 billion in stock,
said executives close to the negotiations yesterday. The merger would mean
little in the short run for most of Bell Atlantic's residential customers.
"But the companies are likely to assert that their combined financial muscle
will allow them to accelerate the deployment of expensive high-speed
Internet services and to compete in local phone markets dominated by other
Bells." Most analysts say that within the next few years they expect the
global telecommunications market to be dominated by a handful of
international giants.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C6), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel & Laura M. Holson]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/biztech/articles/28phone.html

BELL ATLANTIC AND GTE AGREE ON A MERGER
ISSUE: Merger
The boards of GTE Corp. and Bell Atlantic Corp. approved a $55 billion stock
swap yesterday that will bring together GTE's local, long-distance, wireless
and Internet "offerings" with Bell Atlantic's local and wireless service.
The partners are hoping to create a telecommunications giant for the 21st
century. They may however, get caught in regulations that restrict the Baby
Bells from offering long-distance phone service. The planned deal could
raise calls for the new company to divest itself of assets, such as some of
its wireless or long-distance operations.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: Jared Sandberg & Steven Lipin]
http://wsj.com/

GTE TO BE Acquired BY BELL ATLANTIC
ISSUE: Telephony/Mergers
Local phone giant, Bell Atlantic Corp., will today announce plans to buy GTE
Corp. in a record $52 billion deal. This merger is one of the largest in a
recent wave of telecommunications consolidation spawned by the 1996
Telecommunications Act. While industry executives claim that larger firms
will be able to offer services at a lower cost, consumer advocates worry
about the impact of the dozen-plus telecom mergers announced in the two
years since the law was past. According to Mark Cooper, research director
for the Consumer Federation of America, "There comes a point where too big
is bad, and this is it." He suggests that local phone mergers are creating
"regional giants that ultimately control Internet access as well as phone
service."
[SOURCE: Washington Post A1, A8 AUTHOR: Mike Mills]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/28/035l-072898-idx.html

============
COMPETITION
============

KENNARD SAYS FCC WON'T CURB LOCAL COMPETITION GOALS FOR SEC. 706
ISSUE: Competition/Infrastructure
FCC Chairman Bill Kennard told state regulators at a National Association of
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) meeting July 27 that the Commission
will not stop enforcing Telecom Act sections that call for local phone
competition in order to meet the Section 706 mandate that the agency
encourage the deployment of high-speed networks: "I have never
departed from these bedrock requirements of the Act and I would not propose
that we depart from them in the future....I find no exception in the Act for
data as opposed to voice or for equipment investments made after the Act's
passage as opposed to before the Act." Chairman Kennard said that local
competition is vital to deployment of broadband technology to the home. [See
full text of speech at http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Kennard/spwek822.html]
[SOURCE: Telecom AM]
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/

============
LEGISLATION
============

HOUSE TO TAKE UP COMMERCE APPROPRIATIONS BILL THIS WEEK
ISSUE: Legislation
The House agenda this week includes the Commerce Appropriations bill
(HR-4276) which proposes reductions of $5 million for the FCC and $4 million
for the National Telecom and Information Administration's (NTIA) information
infrastructure grant program (TIIAP). The Senate version of the bill
(S-2260) would restore $9 million to the NTIA program and give the FCC a
slight budget increase. The Senate bill lifted restrictions on TIIAP that
would have prevented schools and libraries receiving e-rate funding from
being eligible to receive a TIIAP grant.
[SOURCE: Telecom AM]
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/

===========
DIGITAL TV
===========

FEES WEIGHTED FOR HIGH-DEFINITION TELEVISION
ISSUE: DTV
The major broadcast networks and TCI cable are discussing a deal that would
make digital broadcast stations a "premium" service that subscribers would
have to pay $10-$12 a month to receive. While some critics say that
broadcasters have be given free slices of airwaves which they should not be
allowed to turn around and sell to the public, other say that this type of
pay-per-view system might be useful in the early stages of transition to
digital. Gigi Sohn of the Media Access Project says that the digital
transition brings up some difficult questions, "Should cable operators have
to carry two signals [the existing signal plus a the digital one]? My take
in the early years is no, certainly not if it means bumping CSPAN off the
cable system."
[SOURCE: Washington Post E3, AUTHOR: Paul Farhi ]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/28/156l-072898-idx.html

===========
ENCRYPTION
===========

HARRY AND LOUISE HAVE A NEW WORRY: ENCRYPTION
ISSUE: Encryption
The computer industry is concerned that they will lose out on business to
foreign customers because of U.S. government regulations limiting export of
encryption technology. To date, the tech industry has not had much success
in convincing Congress to pass legislation relaxing such regulations. So
now, a coalition of about 90 companies called Americans for Computer Privacy
(ACP) is working towards making encryption a consumer issue. Over the next
two weeks, the coalition is spending $1 million on print ads and television
spots to air on Washington stations, as well as CNN and CNBC. The ads will
feature a middle-aged couple sitting in their living room discussing the
issue of encryption. "The challenge is to bring this issue home," said Ed
Gillespie, ACP's executive director and former communications director for
the Republican National Committee. "We want to make sure policymakers and
consumers understand the importance of encryption and how it matters to them
in their everyday lives." ACP hopes the ads will spur Congress to pass
legislation that would loosen export restrictions.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1,E2), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/28/108l-072898-idx.html

============
ADVERTISING
============

AN OUNCE OF TWO OR SUSPICION
ISSUE: Advertising
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States began airing ads last
week that more closely resemble public service announcements than liquor
commercials. The advertisements shows a glass beer, wine, and cocktail being
served to bar patrons, while a voice-over explains that "part of drinking
responsibly is knowing that alcohol is alcohol" regardless of what form it
comes in. A close up of easily identified premium-brand liquor bottles is
the ad's closing shot. Critics claim that the commercial is bold attempt of
the liquor industry to re-introduce hard alcohol ads on T.V. "The impact of
the ad is an endorsement of drinking in general. Their goal is to open up the
opportunity to get more liquor advertising on TV," says Laurie Leiber,
director on the nonprofit group, Center on Alcohol Advertising.
[SOURCE: Washington Post E1,E4 AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/28/123l-072898-idx.html

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
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Meetings
Meeting: Advisory Committee on Public Interest
Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters (NTIA)
Meeting of Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service (FCC)

Telephony
Bell Atlantic Asks FCC for Special Approval of Interstate
Data Links (WP)
Privacy
Bill Would Allow Sale of Patient Data

Copyright
Protecting Digital Copyrights (NYT)

Internet
Children and the Net (WP)
Senate votes to ban gambling on Internet (ChiTrib)
Senate Approves Ban on Internet Gambling (WP)

Mergers
Approval of AT&T-Teleport Merger (FCC)
AT&T Completes Takeover of Teleport (NYT)

** Meetings **

Title: Meeting: Advisory Committee on Public Interest
Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters
Source: NTIA
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/pubintadvcom/augmtg/fedregister.htm
Issue: Digital Television
Description: The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Public Interest
Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters is scheduled for August 10,
1998, in Washington DC; the Federal Register notice
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/pubintadvcom/augmtg/fedregister.htm has additional
information.

Title: Meeting of Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service
Source: FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Public_Notices/1998/da981394.html
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service will hold an
open meeting on Wednesday, July 29, 1998, from 12:30 to 3:00 pm, at the
Westin Seattle Hotel, 1900 Fifth Ave., Seattle, Washington 98101. At the
meeting, the Federal-State Joint Board will address issues contained in the
Commission's Joint Board Referral Order.(1) In the Joint Board Referral
Order, the Commission requests that the Joint Board provide a recommended
decision on issues pertaining to the appropriate methodology for determining
high cost support for non-rural local exchange carriers. This meeting will
be open to the public.

** Telephony **

Title: Bell Atlantic Asks FCC for Special Approval of Interstate Data Links
Source: Washington Post (F3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/24/048l-072498-idx.html
Author: Mike Mills
Issue: Telephony/DSL Services
Description: Bell Atlantic has filed a request for the FCC to make an
exception to the rules prohibiting Bells from carrying voice or data traffic
across state lines. Bell Atlantic claims that they have heavily wired West
Virginia with high-speed DSL service but are prevented from further
development because their digital links must stop at the border. "What we
have here are six-lane superhighways in West Virginia leading into two-lane
country roads leading in and out of the state," describes Dennis Bone,
President and chief executive of Bell Atlantic-West Virginia. Critics of the
Bells argue that they should be required to sell of their data service
affiliates, including any DSL services, before they can enter the long
distance the market.

** Privacy **

Title: Bill Would Allow Sale of Patient Data
Source: Washington Post (F1)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/24/174l-072498-idx.html
Author: John Schwartz
Issue: Health/Privacy
Description: The Patient Protection Act of 1998 will likely reach the House
floor as soon as today. The Republican sponsored measure would allow
hospitals, insurance companies, HMOs, doctors, and pharmacies to sell or
disclose patient data. Privacy advocates are worried that the bill would
result in patients' reluctance to speak openly with their health care
providers. The Director of the Health Privacy Project at Georgetown
University Medical Center, Janlori Gold, says: "It's a serious interference
with the doctor-patient relationship."

** Copyright **

Title: Protecting Digital Copyrights
Source: New York Times (A24)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/24fri1.html
Author: NYT Editorial Staff
Issue: Copyright
Description: "Traditional copyright concepts that have served this nation
well for centuries should guide the debate on copyright in the digital
universe." This past spring, digital copyright legislation passed the Senate
and House Judiciary Committee that would protect movies, music and other
intellectual property from piracy. But there continues to be controversy
surrounding a provision in the legislation that would make it a crime to
"circumvent encryption used to control access to digital material or to
manufacture or sell devices that could be used to circumvent protection
measures." Music and movie producers argue that making circumvention illegal
is the only way to prevent consumer theft of their products. But libraries
and schools fear that the prohibition is so broad that their access to
electronic information would be greatly limited in comparison to what the
copyright law would otherwise allow. The existing law ensures producers of
artistic material the right to profit from their creative works, but it does
not allow a creator to control who looks at the material or prevent it from
being lent or circulated to others. Thus a library can purchase a book
patrons can borrow it or a teacher can copy material from it for classroom
use. "Preserving these user rights is important in the digital world where
copyright owners, with the right technology, could limit or prevent access
to information. The content producers dismiss fears that the Internet could
become a strictly pay-for-use world as unrealistic, but neither they nor
Congress can predict how the Internet will develop. That is why legislation
needs to be flexible enough to deal with rapid evolution in technology and
electronic commerce."

** Internet **

Title: Children and the Net
Source: Washington Post (A18)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/24/179l-072498-idx.html
Author: WP Editorial Staff
Issue: Internet/Free Speech
Description: While both of the Internet measures passed by the Senate this
week are intended to protect children, they also possess a "threat to free
speech and to the Net's potential as an educational tool." One measure will
require schools and libraries to install filtering software in order to
receive the 'e-rate' subsidy for Internet access. The existing commercial
software has the potential to "use key words and/or political bias to screen
out innumerable sites, often without indication which or why." In addition,
the Senate passed a revised form of the Communications Decency act which
will require commercial sites to block access to sites containing material
deemed to be harmful to minors. "Both show how easy it is to erode the once
unquestioned claims that the Internet would open up the world to kids and
adults alike."

Title: Senate votes to ban gambling on Internet
Source: Chicago Tribune (Sec 1, p.6)
http://chicago.tribune.com
Author: Associated Press
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: In a 90-10 vote, the Senate passed a bill that would shut down
the billion-dollar Internet gambling business. Said Sen Jon Kyl (R-AZ),
"More than a billion dollars will be gambled over the Internet. Internet
gambling is unregulated, accessible to minors, addictive, subject to abuse
for fraudulent purposes like money laundering, evasive of state gambling
laws -- and already illegal at the federal level in many cases." The bill
will extend to the Internet -- and other emerging technologies -- the
current federal ban on interstate gambling on sports by telephone or wire.

Title: Senate Approves Ban on Internet Gambling
Source: Washington Post (A5)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/24/084l-072498-idx.html
Author: News Services
Issue: Internet/Gambling
Description: Yesterday, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a law to prohibit
gambling on the Internet. The measure is an extension of an existing ban on
gambling by telephone or wire. States will still be allowed to use the
Internet for lotteries and off-track-betting. A similar measure is pending
in the House.

** Mergers **

Title: Approval of AT&T-Teleport Merger
Source: FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1998/nrcc8051.html
Issue: Mergers
Description: The Commission has approved the transfer of communications
licenses and authorizations from Teleport Communications Group, Inc. to AT&T
Corp., thereby granting the companies' merger application. In so doing, the
Commission noted that the merger will likely produce a competitor that can
more quickly provide business and residential consumers with a choice of
local telephone service providers.

Title: AT&T Completes Takeover of Teleport
Source: New York Times (AP-Business Index)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/f/AP-ATT-Teleport.html
Author: The Associated Press
Issue: Mergers
Description: The Federal Communications Commission yesterday approved AT&T's
takeover of Teleport Communications valued at $11.3 billion. "The commission
concluded that the merger is unlikely to have any anti competitive effects,"
the FCC said in a statement. AT&T has said that the merger will allow it to
participate in the most lucrative part of the telecommunications industry by
selling all-in-one packages of long-distance, local and data communications
services to businesses. "We're giving customers simplicity, convenience and
choice," said AT&T Chairman Michael Armstrong. "It's one-stop shopping for
local and long-distance services, just for starters." In addition to its
focus on business customers, AT&T says it still plans to expand into the
residential side of local service.

******************************************
...and we're outta here. Have a great weekend; we'll be back Monday.

Universal Service
Senate Adopts Internet Legislation to Appropriations Bill
(TelecomAM)
Western Wireless Asks FCC to Change Kansas Universal Service Fund
(TelecomAM)

Internet
2 Bills Target Minors' Internet Access (WP)
Senate Adds Internet Proposals to Spending Bill (CyberTimes)
Bulk E-Mail Become Politicians Tools (CyberTimes)
Internet Companies Move to Safeguard Computer Users' Privacy (WP)

Education
Home Computer Study Leaves Questions (CyberTimes)

Radio
FCC might legitimize radio 'pirates' it now punishes (ChiTrib)

Arts
In Election Year House Authorizes Financing of Arts (NYT)

Telephone/Ownership
Puerto Rico Accepts GTE Group's Bid To Buy Control of Telephone
Company (WSJ)

Advertising
House GOP Plans Major Ad Campaign (WP)

Lifestyles/Internet Use
Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda...E-Mail Quickly, Yadda, Yadda (WSJ)

** Universal Service **

Title: Senate Adopts Internet Legislation to Appropriations Bill
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Internet Regulation/Universal Service
Description: The Senate July 21 adopted without debate two Internet
content-related amendments to an appropriations bill for the Commerce
Department, TelecomAM reports. S-1482, introduced by Senator Dan Coats
(R-IN), would restrict access to Internet content "harmful to minors."
S-1619, introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ),
would require the use of Internet blocking and filtering software by schools
and libraries that receive universal service discounts know as the erate.

Title: Western Wireless Asks FCC to Change Kansas Universal Service Fund
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: Western Wireless has petitioned the Federal Communications
Commission to preempt Kansas laws and regulatory rules that prevent wireless
carriers from using the state's universal service fund to serve rural and
high-cost consumers. Western Wireless contends that Kansas law and
regulation violate the Telecom Act of 1996 because it is not competitively
neutral and is not based on the actual cost of providing service. On a
statewide basis, only incumbent phone companies can receive universal
service support -- competitors are only eligible to receive support while
serving selected areas of the state. State courts upheld the law setting up
the fund, and related litigation is pending before a U.S. District Court in
Kansas.

** Internet **

Title: 2 Bills Target Minors' Internet Access
Source: Washington Post (A5)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/22/097l-072298-idx.html
Author: Juliet Eilperin, John Schwartz, Helen Dewar
Issue: Internet Regulation/Universal Service
Description: Yesterday, the Senate passed two bills that will restrict
minors access to adult materials on the Internet. One measure would make the
granting of "E-Rate" subsidies to public schools and libraries contingent
on the installation of software that blocks minors access to indecent WWW
sites. The second bill is a revised version of the 1996 Communications
Decency Act (CDA) that would make companies responsible for preventing
children from accessing sites that contain material "harmful to minors."

Title: Senate Adds Internet Proposals to Spending Bill
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/cyber/articles/22filter.html
Author: Jeri Clausing
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: On Tuesday, the Senate added two proposals for controlling
children's access to the Internet to a spending bill, "approving without
debate a measure that would make it illegal for commercial Web sites to
distribute adult material to minors and another that would require software
filters on computers in libraries that receive federal Internet subsidies."
The measures, which had been introduced as separate bills by Senator John
McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Dan Coats (R-IN), were added on voice votes to the
appropriations bill for the Commerce, Justice and State dept.s in a
"controversial but common tactic for pushing through legislation on
contentious issues." Civil liberties groups were upset with the action, but
not surprised. A similar filtering proposal has been added to a House
appropriations bill.

Title: Bulk E-Mail Become Politicians Tools
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/cyber/articles/22politics.html
Author: Rebecca Fairly Raney
Issue: Political Campaigns
Description: A new campaign concept is becoming commonplace among
Net-literate political candidates and officeholders this year. "Mass email
lists -- once the exclusive domain of techno-activists -- have hit the
mainstream of politics." Campaigns across the nation this summer are using
these lists to contact reporters, stir up supporters and send updates to
contributors. "Mass emailing to a limited but extremely interested audience
makes everyone feel a part of the family," said Andy Brack, an Internet
political consultant and president of Brack Network Strategies in Charlston,
S.C. "If you don't do it, you're not using the medium properly...People get
addicted to good email like they get addicted to good chocolate," he said.
This trend shows more than a change in the way campaigns are run, it also
offers a chance to return to grass-roots campaigning. Kim Alexander,
president of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Calif. Voter Foundation, points out
that campaigns in Calif. have come to rely on television advertising, but
that inexpensive organization by email may change the current equation.
"Maybe we are seeing a return to a different style of campaigning that uses
technology to engage people instead of turning them off," she said. "The
public has a role again in these campaigns. I think that's incredibly
healthy for the process."

Title: Internet Companies Move to Safeguard Computer Users' Privacy
Source: Washington Post (A13)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/22/088l-072298-idx.html
Author: Robert O'Harrow
Issue: Privacy
Description: In response to yesterday's Federal Trade Commission
recommendation that Congress should pass privacy legislation if online
companies fail to implement self-regulation by the end of the year, the
Online Privacy Alliance, a coalition of Internet merchants, announced that
it would use an electronic stamp of approval to assure consumers of
information safety. Both the Council of Better Business Bureaus and a
nonprofit group called TRUSTe have developed privacy seal systems. Marc
Rotenburg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center questions the
effectiveness of the seal programs, "There's no assurance that the privacy
policy is any good." First, he argues, "You need a baseline standard."

** Education **

Title: Home Computer Study Leaves Questions
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/cyber/education/22education.html
Author: Pamela Mendels
Issue: Education
Description: Eight years ago, a group of researchers in New York City set
out to see if equipping low-income homes with computers that had online
access would influence the chance of academic success for poor, minority
sixth graders that were at risk for dropping out of school. A group of
children who fit the requirements received computers and modems. As these
children were finishing the eighth grade, they were showing modest but
noticeable gains in reading over a comparison group. Given these results,
the researchers decided to continue the project, known as Project TELL,
which stands for Telecommunications for Learning. Last year, as the test
group approached the end of high school, 46 percent of the students who had
remained in the project were able to graduate on time, in comparison to 41
percent of minority students overall in New York City. To the researchers,
who published their findings earlier this year and are issuing another
report for a UNESCO publication to be released this fall, the results
indicate that technology at home can help under-privileged children learn.
"Our work shows that to some extent, you can expand the school day by
putting that learning window in the home," said William Kornblum, principal
investigator of Project TELL. But the project raises another question: What
really helped these children? Was it the computers of the extra attention of
caring adults? Edward Miller, an education research and policy analyst
working on a book about schools and computers, notes that it is a common
occurrence in education studies for children that are being examined to show
an improvement simply because they are receiving special attention. Kornblum
does not dismiss the "spotlight effect," but he points out that those kids
that showed the most marked improvement in test scores where also those that
spent the most time on their computers. Kornblum also said that computers
alone are not necessarily solely responsible for the impressive high school
graduation rates. The participants, that had previously received no formal
outside help with academics, in addition to the benefits of being online,
received face-to-face tutoring and the promise of scholarships if they met
college entrance requirements. While the Project TELL study is definitely
notable as one of the few long-term looks at the effects computers can have
on kids when placed in the home. There were so many possible influences on
the student's performance that there was no way for researchers to examine
the effects of the computers alone on student achievement.

** Radio **

Title: FCC might legitimize radio 'pirates' it now punishes
Source: Chicago Tribune (Sec 1, p.1)
http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,ART-12198,00.html
Author: Frank James
Issue: Radio
Description: The Federal Communications Commission is considering legalizing
low-power radio stations around the country. The relatively inexpensive
radio outlets could revive local programming while giving just about anyone
the chance to be a broadcaster. Opponents include the powerful lobbying arm
of the broadcast industry -- the National Association of Broadcasters. The
NAB, in official comments filed at the FCC, argues that the airwaves are
already too cluttered and the introduction of microradio could interfere with
plans for broadcasters to switch to digital systems.

** Arts **

Title: In Election Year House Authorizes Financing of Arts
Source: New York Times (A1,A14)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/washpol/congress-arts.html
Author: Katharine Q. Seelye
Issue: Arts
Description: Yesterday, the House overwhelmingly approved money for the
National Endowment for the Arts. The vote of 253-173 basically guarantees
that the arts agency, in one way or another, will receive $98 million, the
same amount it received this fiscal year. The Senate and President Clinton
also have indicated support for the approved amount. "The old debate over
the existence of the NEA finally has given way to a more thoughtful dialogue
about the appropriate level of federal arts funding in America," William
Ivey, the new chairman of the endowment, said in a statement.

Title: Funding for arts agency survives House vote
Source: Chicago Tribune (Sec 1, p.3)
http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9807220096,00.html
Author: Michael Kilian
Issue: Arts
Description: In a 253-172 vote, the House voted to approve $98 million in
funding for the National Endowment for the Arts despite a last minute fight
by conservatives. The funding victory may be a farewell tribute to the NEA's
main sponsor, Rep Sidney Yates (D-IL) of Chicago. Rep Yates, 88, is retiring
after this term.

** Telephone/Ownership **

Title: Puerto Rico Accepts GTE Group's Bid To Buy Control of Telephone Company
Source: Wall Street Journal (B7)
http://wsj.com/
Author: Stephanie N. Mehta
Issue: Telephone/Ownership
Description: "State officials in Puerto Rico yesterday accepted an enhanced
offer by a GTE Corp.-led group to acquire a controlling stake in the
government-owned telephone company amid protests over the privatizations
effort. In addition to its $444 million cash offer, GTE and its partner,
Popular Inc. a bank holding company, outlined a set of concessions aimed at
appeasing employees of Puerto Rico Telephone Co. Workers, who walked off the
job over a month ago in protest of the sale. "We certainly are more than
willing to understand the concerns of the union leaders and be responsive to
those concerns," said Michael T. Masin, GTE's vice chairman, in an interview
yesterday.

** Advertising **

Title: House GOP Plans Major Ad Campaign
Source: Washington Post (A5)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/22/097l-072298-idx.html
Author: Juliet Eilperin, John Schwartz, Helen Dewar
Issue: Advertising
Description: House Republican Leadership has disclosed plans to launch a $37
million media campaign in support of GOP congressional candidates. Party
leaders plan to raise up to $16 million in soft money for the "issue
advertisements" that will air in contested districts.

** Lifestyles/Internet Use **

Title: Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda...E-Mail Quickly, Yadda, Yadda
Source: Wall Street Journal (B1)
http://wsj.com/
Author: Jane Costello
Issue: Lifestyles/Internet Use
Description: Summer camp sure isn't what it used to be, at least not at the
second annual CyberCamp, an indoor/outdoors experience funded by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The camp is coordinated by Trudy Dunham for the
University of Minnesota. This year, the camp is expecting more than 500
campers, between the ages of 8 and 12, to sign up for the two-week session
beginning on August 10. This summer's curriculum will focus on the
environment of lakes and streams. Daily activities include everything from
being responsible for a virtual fish "with a life span equivalent to the
camp session," to creating on-line arts and crafts or logging on for a hike
in the woods. While campers can sleep soundly in their own beds at the end
of the day, programmers continue to work on future CyberCamp offerings.
"We're working on food fight graphics right now," says Dunham. "Ideally,
we'd like to get a huge tomato to splash all over the screen."

**************************

Universal Service
Furchtgott-Roth Criticizes Emphasis on E-Rate (TelecomAM)
FCC Asks Joint Board for Universal Service Recommendations
(TelecomAM)
Universal Service Support for Non-Rural Carriers that
Serve High Cost Areas (FCC)
Some Guiding Principles on the Deployment of
Advanced Telecommunications Capabilities (NTIA)

Infrastructure
Copper may remain king in communications (ChicagoTrib)
FCC to Ease Rules On Local Phone Firms For Data Networks (WSJ)
WorldCom to Announce Opening Today of Its Pan-European
Telecom Network (WSJ)

Electronic Commerce
House Reaches Compromise on Digital Copyright Law (NYT)
Congress Is Challenging State Internet Fees (NYT)
Taxdodge.com (ChiTrib)
The New Synergy (NYT)
Testing to Begin on System to Fight 'Spam' (NYT)

Television & Broadcasting
Talks With USA Show NBC's Expansion Goal (NYT)
Fast Track To Anxiety In TV News (NYT)
FCC: Committed to Diversity (WP)
PAX Net Apologizes for Ad (WP)
Paxson Pitches Diversity Plan (B&C)

Advertising
Madison Ave. Is a Hall of Mirrors (NYT)
Soap and Diaper makers Pitch to masses of Web Women (WSJ)

Antitrust
Debate Grows Over the Role An Operating System Plays (NYT)

Satellites
Bringing Intelsat Back to Earth (NYT)

Books
'Ulysses' at Top As panel Picks 100 Best Novels (NYT)

** Universal Service **

Title: Furchtgott-Roth Criticizes Emphasis on E-Rate
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The Telecom Act "primarily wanted action for rural America, and
rural America was ignored," FCC Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth told the
International Telecard Foundation. He acknowledged the importance of
education, but said that the "rule of law is more important" and that no
matter how worthy a cause is, "government agencies should follow the laws as
written." The Telecom Act was designed to offer support for services, not
computer equipment like routers and computers, Commissioner Harold
Furchtgott-Roth. Misdirection of the funds could create a billion-dollar
market for computer equipment.

Title: FCC Asks Joint Board for Universal Service Recommendations
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The Federal Communications Commission has asked the
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service for recommendations on
universal service support for nonrural carriers serving high-cost regions.
The Commission said that during the next year, it will not change its
methods for determining universal service support levels: "Existing levels
of high cost support will be maintained, and consumers in high cost areas
will continue to enjoy access to affordable telephone service." The issues
referred to by the Joint Board include: 1) How to determine support for high
cost support to non-rural carriers; 2) the extent to which federal support
should be applied to the
intrastate jurisdiction; and 3) how providers should recover contributions
through rates, surcharges and other means. The FCC has asked the Joint Board
for recommendations by November 23. [See FCC item below]

Title: Universal Service Support for Non-Rural Carriers that
Serve High Cost Areas
Source: FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1998/nrcc8048.html
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The FCC has asked the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal
Service for recommendations related to the amount of universal service
support that non-rural telephone companies should receive for serving high
cost areas. This Commission noted that further coordination with state
regulators should provide valuable input that will enhance the development
of universal service and competition policies.

Title: Some Guiding Principles on the Deployment of
Advanced Telecommunications Capabilities
Source: NTIA
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fccfilings/sec706.htm
Author: Larry Irving
Issue: Universal Service & Access
Description: NTIA, on behalf of the Administration, sent a letter to the FCC
offering some guiding principles on a soon to be initiated inquiry, mandated
by section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act), into the
deployment of advanced telecommunications capabilities. [See post of entire
letter later today]

** Infrastructure **

Title: Copper may remain king in communications
Source: Chicago Tribune
http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9807200019,00.html
Author: Jon Healey
Issue: Infrastructure
Description: In the mid-90's telco's like PacTel said they would start
building the networks of the future -- fiber optic networks that would
replace existing lines. Now PacTel and others are saying the networks of the
future have been built, but they are not fiber -- they are the existing
copper wires our phones use today. With advances in technology, the industry
now believes high-speed communications and video can be sent offer
traditional phone lines. Some industry analysts think that copper can't keep
up with all the information services flowing to the home.

Title: FCC to Ease Rules On Local Phone Firms For Data Networks
Source: Wall Street Journal (A14)
http://wsj.com/
Author: WSJ Staff Reporter
Issue: Infrastructure
Description: The Federal Communications Committee is planning to ease some
competitive requirements on the nation's heavily regulated phone carriers in
an effort to encourage the development of high-speed Internet networks.
Under the new proposal, to be approved probably next month, "new high-speed
data networks won't be subject to those requirements as long as the local
carriers create separate affiliates to provide the service, FCC officials
said." The commission hopes that by requiring these networks to be created
independently, a marketplace will be established where competitors can get
off on equal footing.

Title: WorldCom to Announce Opening Today of Its Pan-European Telecom Network
Source: Wall Street Journal (A10)
http://wsj.com/
Author: Gautam Naik
Issue: Infrastructure
Description: WorldCom Inc. is expected to announce today that its nearly
2,000 mile pan-European telecommunications network, linking London,
Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Frankfort, is open for business. "Now a
business customer can have a video-phone on the desk of every executive in
Chicago and Frankfort," says Liam Strong, chief executive officer of
WorldCom's international unit. "We're breaking the mold." WorldCom plans to
stretch its fiber-optic system, dubbed Ulysses, to Milan Zurich and some
regions of France outside Paris.

** Electronic Commerce **

Title: House Reaches Compromise on Digital Copyright Law
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes-7/18)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/cyber/articles/18copyright.html
Author: Jeri Clausing
Issue: Copyright
Description: On Friday, the House Commerce Committee passed a bill that
would establish a review process to ensure that new digital prohibitions
don't trample on the "fair use' doctrines of traditional copyright law. Over
the past month the Commerce Committee has struggled to craft a "fair use"
compromise between those interests of movie and record producers and
software makers, and those of schools and libraries, "who feared they could
lose the right to do things as simple as making copies of electronic works."
Early on Friday morning, the two sides struck a deal and the Commerce
Committee, on a 41-to-0 vote, sent that version to the House floor. However,
before the House can vote on the bill, lawmakers must reconcile it with the
earlier version approved by the Judiciary Committee.

Title: Congress Is Challenging State Internet Fees
Source: New York Times (C2)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/20tax.html
Author: David Cay Johnston
Issue: Legislation
Description: The Internet Tax Freedom Act, passed by the House last month
and moving through the Senate, would ban taxes on Internet access in all
states but eight which already collect fees on the service. The eight
states, however, would have to re-enact their legislation after passage of
the Internet Act.Frank Shafroth, policy director for the National League of
Cities, said: "All eight states have Republican governors, and for seven
it's election time this fall. And there is such incredible terror these days
when anyone accuses you of wanting to raise taxes that at most two of these
states will have the courage to re-enact their existing tax law." "That's
not a grandfather clause; that's a dead man's clause," said Eugene Gavin,
the commissioner of the Department of Revenue Services in Connecticut, one
of the eight states. The content of the bill is being heavily influenced by
lobbying by America Online, the nation's largest Internet service provider,
Mr. Shafroth says.

Title: Taxdodge.com
Source: Chicago Tribune (sec 1, p.13)
http://chicago.tribune.com
Author: John McCarron
Issue: Electronic Commerce
Description: In Commentary piece McCarron writes that the press is missing
the story of electronic commerce. If we're at the dawn of an age in which
people use computers to shop "who's going to pay for state and local taxes."
Sales taxes account for 1/3 of the tax revenues in Illinois and 1/5 of
Chicago's. Big savings could draw more and more people to online shopping
and, if it does, what will that mean for property taxes which are supported
mainly by commercial retailers? "In a better world, a national protocol
would be set up so people would pay sales taxes not according to their
method of purchase, but where they live, which is to say, at the level their
elected representatives have determined."

Title: The New Synergy
Source: New York Times (C3)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/digicom/20digicom.html
Author: Denise Caruso
Issue: Electronic Commerce
Description: "Synergy" is an 80's word making a strong comeback in the
digital 90's. "Boiled down, what the term describes is parking old content
in a new garage: If you liked the movie, then you'll love the TV show, the
book, the magazine piece, the video game, the soundtrack, the action
figures, the desk accessories and -- au courant! -- the Web site." The New
Synergy is about creating cross-over hits -- like a computer game spawning a
TV show and book star (i.e. Carmen Sandiego) or a video game leading to a
book and a movie and 2,000 Web sites (Lara Croft, Tomb Raider).

Title: Testing to Begin on System to Fight 'Spam'
Source: New York Times (C8)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/20spam.html
Author: John Markoff
Issue: Internet/Email
Description: Bright Light Technologies www.brightlight.com will release a
test version of a system aimed at combating unsolicited, commercial email --
known affectionately as Spam. On some networks, Spam makes up more than 50%
of all electronic mail. Special decoy email accounts will collect spam and
copies of the messages will be blocked by a "spam wall" installed on mail
servers.

** Television & Broadcasting **

Title: Talks With USA Show NBC's Expansion Goal
Source: New York Times (C7)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/media-talk.html
Author: Bill Carter
Issue: Television Economics
Description: NBC's parent, General Electric, may want out of the volatile
television network business. Reports that GE has been in talks with cable
channel USA Networks has reignited speculation. Warren Littlefield, the
president of NBC Entertainment said that while the talks with USA did not
result in a deal "something is going to happen....whether that is a spinoff
or a joint venture or a merger of some kind, it's clear that we're going to
try to do something in the future with some other entity." The process is
the result of a goal articulated by NBC's president Robert Wright: finding
an entertainment cable channel that could provide a secondary revenue source
for programming owned by the network.

Title: Fast Track To Anxiety In TV News
Source: New York Times (C1)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/tv-producers-media.html
Author: Doreen Carvajal
Issue: Journalism
Description: The CNN/Vietnam nerve gas story has rattled television news
producers who argue that experienced correspondents preside over stories
like tough editors. The producers of the CNN story were dismissed while
veteran correspondent Peter Arnett maintained that he was simply a "face"
with minimal involvement. "Producers are the journalists who track down
impossible facts with the cunning of hunters -- booking the camera crew,
searching for sources, finding the location, writing the script, editing the
material -- and all for salaries that are usually 10 times less than what
correspondents make," Carvajal reports

Title: FCC: Committed to Diversity
Source: Washington Post (A16)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/20/005l-072098-idx.h...
Author: William E. Kennard (Chairman, Federal Communications Commission)
Issue: Minorities/Employment
Description: Chairman Kennard responds to a recent letter concerning the
D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in which FCC's equal opportunity
employment recruiting policy to be unconstitutional. He argues that minority
employment in broadcasting has almost doubled since the 1971 implementation
of the minority outreach and recruitment policies recently overturned by the
court. "This is not about 'racial tastes,'" suggests Kennard, "it is about
inclusion, opportunity and merit." He adds, "In a nation whose strength is
the diversity of its people, broadcasting's viability depends, in part, on
its connection to all Americans."

Title: PAX Net Apologizes for Ad
Source: Washington Post (C7)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Issue: Advertising
Description: A new television service, PAX Net, that plans to offer only
non-offensive programs has already offended some people with its first print
ads. PAX Net's president Jeff Sagansky has vehemently apologized for what
many perceived homophobic wording that accused "so-called creative people
using what was once the family hour to peddle every kind of alternative
language and lifestyle to our kids."

Title: Paxson Pitches Diversity Plan
Source: Broadcasting&Cable (p6)
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/
Author: Chris McConnell and Paige Albiniak
Issue: Diversity
Description: Last week, FCC Chairman William Kennard received at least one
suggestion from the broadcast industry on how to promote ownership
diversity. The suggestion came from broadcaster Bud Paxson who asked
commissioners for "some ownership relief in exchange for helping both
minorities and nonminorities to build new stations from unused construction
permits." Paxson's plan calls for allowing financial backers, such as his
company, to own up to 33 percent of the new broadcasters without having that
interest count toward national ownership limits. It also proposes allowing
the new entrant's station to overlap signals with a partner's station,
provided they are in different markets. The plan calls for deals among
programmers, entrants and financiers to be stuck by Dec. 1 and suggests
requiring new stations to be on the air within 12 months.

** Advertising **

Title: Madison Ave. Is a Hall of Mirrors
Source: New York Times (C1)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/recycled-ad-column.html
Author: Stuart Elliott
Issue: Advertising
Description: "Advertising is often described as holding a mirror to society.
Now more than ever, the mirror is reflecting back images of advertising,"
Stuart begins. Hoping that self-deprecation softens sales pitches,
advertising about advertising has made a big comeback in the 90's. "The idea
is to try to create a bond between the advertiser and the audience that
declares 'We're all in this together,' " said Larry Adelman, a critic of
consumer culture who is co-director of California Newsreel, a documentary
center in San Francisco. "But we keep buying. It's a hip, ironic way to
co-opt a growing public backlash against advertising's ubiquity and undercut
any impulse to think critically about it."

Title: Soap and Diaper makers Pitch to masses of Web Women
Source: Wall Street Journal (B1,B2)
http://wsj.com/
Author: Vanessa O'Connell
Issue: Online Advertising
Description: As more and more women log onto the Web, consumer-marketing
giants are hot on their heels. For example, Unilever, a firm whose brands
included Close-Up toothpaste, Lipton tea and Ragu sauce, recently struck the
largest online advertising deal ever, where it has agreed to spend at least
$50 million over the next three years promoting its products on America
Online and Microsoft's collection of sites. Also, rival Proctor & Gamble has
increased its presence on the Web by doubling to 10 the number of brands it
promotes on the Internet and spending $3 million in the second quarter on
cyberspace advertising. Ventures like these are consumer-products
manufacturers' first real efforts to sell directly to consumers on a mass
scale and, in particular, the 22 million women who now surf the World Wide Web.
Over the past two years, Web traffic by women has more than doubled and
women now account for more than 43 percent of the online population,
according to Forrester Research. "Any new medium that can help us deepen our
bonds with families and offer them new benefits is, by definition, of
tremendous interest to us," observed Denis F. Beausejour, P&G's vice
president for world-wide advertising, in a recent speech. Katherine
Borsecnik, AOL's vice president, network programming points out that "Women
have an enormous amount of purchasing power and influence, and clearly our
advertisers are focused on that."

** Antitrust **

Title: Debate Grows Over the Role An Operating System Plays
Source: New York Times (C1)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/07/biztech/articles/20microsoft.html
Author: Andrew Pollack
Issue: Antitrust
Description: Technology may be advancing too quick for anyone to predict the
future of operating systems. But "[t]he nature of the operating system, the
master program that breathes life into computer hardware, is at the heart of
the Justice Department's lawsuit accusing Microsoft Corp. of antitrust
violations," Pollack writes. Last week, Sun Microsystems announced a new
operating system called Jini which employs distributed computing to control
computer, its peripherals and other gadgets as a community of devices all
working together as a single virtual machine. The wheels of justice may be
trying to operate on a beast that evolves into a new species on the
operating table.

** Satellites **

Title: Bringing Intelsat Back to Earth
Source: Washington Post (F5, F6)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/20/019l-072098-idx.html
Author: Mike Mills
Issue: Satellites
Description: Conny Kulluman, recently elected director-general of Intelsat,
is eagerly planning for the privatization of the thirty-four year old global
satellite consortium. His vision includes Intelsate's transformation into a
private, publicly traded satellite company with a separate treaty
organization that would facilitate the availability of satellite service to
underdeveloped countries. While unwilling to disclose exact plans for full
privatization, Kulhman says he has goals for Intelsate's demise by 2001.

** Books **

Title: 'Ulysses' at Top As panel Picks 100 Best Novels
Source: New York Times (B1)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/books/072098best-novels.html
Author: Paul Lewis
Issue: Publishing
Description: Like Letterman's Top 10? Well, here's a list of the Top 100
books written in English this century. Top five are: 1) "Ulysses," James
Joyce, 2) "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald 3) "A Portrait of the
Artist as a Young Man," James Joyce 4) "Lolita," Vladimir Nabokovan 5)
"Brave New World," Aldous Huxley. List was picked by the editorial board of
Modern Library, a division of Random House. Betsy, Rachel and I will be
comparing notes on which books 1) we have read, 2) we were supposed to read
but didn't and wrote papers on anyway and 3) (horror of horrors) we only
read the Cliff Notes version.
*********