However, DirecPC tries to deliver the next best thing to a persistent connection by offering a service called an Electronic Program Guide.

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However, no parental notice and consent is required when an operator collects a persistent identifier for the sole purpose of supporting the website or online service's internal operations, such as contextual advertising, frequency capping, legal compliance, site analysis, and network communications.

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But critics of the bill - including several leading internet service providers (ISPs) - say it can be difficult to identify persistent file-sharers, particularly those that share a web connection or use a public access point.

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National Weather Service meteorologist "Skip" Ely said the dry pattern is caused by a persistent area of high pressure that has dominated North Texas weather since the end of June, blocking normal moisture flows across the South.

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"Due to strong and persistent northerly winds, coastal flooding along portions of the Great Lakes is possible, " the National Weather Service warned.

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