Will Microsoft ever treat you right?  Are you going to get a tangible
benefit from the Telecommunications Act of 1996?  Will technology
help you or hinder you?

VICUG NYC's next General Membership Meeting, which is this TUESDAY,
FEBRUARY 10, from 6 to 8pm, will feature a special guest speaker: Paul
Schroeder, Director of the American Foundation for the Blind's National
Technology Access Program (NTAP).  Mr. Schroeder is nationally recognized
as the leading advocate for access to all types of technology for people
who are blind and visually impaired.  Mr. Schroeder will be speaking on
the NTAP's current initiatives, as well as fielding questions from the
membership. So, come and get the straight scoop on what's going on in
Washington state AND Washington, DC.  Come tell Paul how the accessibility
and inaccessibility of technology products and services impacts YOUR life.
Tell him what message YOU want him to convey to Bill Gates and Bill
Clinton.  Join us at our most exciting meeting yet!

And, as if Paul's visit weren't enough to entice you to 135 West
Twenty-Third Street, there's another speak-up-or-shut-up issue on the
table:  membership dues.  At the February 4, 1998, Executive Committee
Meeting, the subject of dues, their purpose, and their collection was
discussed in detail.  It was decided that membership dues should be set at
twelve dollars a year, and that they will be collected in accordance with
the procedure outlined in VICUG NYC's bylaws.  (Article IV, Sections 1 and
2 ).  Tuesday's meeting will be your opportunity to discuss the issue, so
show up or shut up!  The General Membership will decide whether or not to
accept the dues, as set by the Executive Committee, at March's meeting.  To
obtain a copy of VICUG NYC's bylaws, you can either email Gregory J.
Rosmaita at <[log in to unmask]>, or visit the VICUG NYC web site, where
the bylaws are available as a hypertext document

        http://www.njin.net/caldwell/vicug/bylaws.html

The minutes of the February 4 Executive Committee meeting are also available
at the VICUG NYC web site

        http://www.njin.net/caldwell/vicug/020498.html

VICUG NYC meets on the second Tuesday of every month in the The Associated
Blind (TAB) building, which is located at 135 West Twenty-third Street
(half-way between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) in New York City.  If you have
any questions about subway lines and bus stops in the vicinity of the TAB
building, please either call (212) 255-1122, or consult the hypertextualized
directions to TAB located at

        http://www.njin.net/caldwell/vicug/directions.html

Remember that no matter where you go or what state your computer is in, you
can always stay in touch with VICUG NYC by using the VICUG NYC HotLine:
(212) 539-3514.

And don't forget that the MIDI SIG meets on the third Monday of every month,
which means that the next MIDI SIG meeting will be in the studio of SIG
leader Mike Mandel on Monday, February 16.  The meeting will start at
6:30 pm, and will last until (at least) 8:30pm.  Mike's studio is located
at 400 West Forty-Third Street, Apartment 20L. The building, the Manhattan
Plaza, is located on the southwest corner of Forty-Third Street and Ninth
Avenue.  Please call (212) 868-0345 for directions and a list of nearby bus
and subway stops. For more information about the MIDI SIG, please contact
Mike Mandel at <[log in to unmask]>

See y'all on the tenth,
        Gregory J. Rosmaita
                WebMaster and Minister of Propaganda, VICUG NYC
                                ListOwner, VIC-NYC and VICUG-L

                VICUG NYC HOTLINE: (212) 539-3514