Friday, September 7, 2007

Friday-Sunday, September 7-9, 2007

The Battle to control Internet service...

There's a war going on in Washington over "net neutrality" and since it will ultimately effect all of us, you have the right to know what it's all about. In simple terms, Internet content companies (Google, eBay, etc.) are backing network neutrality which would bar Internet providers from charging extra fees to guarantee access to the Internet or give priority to some content. Sounds good to me, right? I don't want to pay extra for a faster service, do you? High-speed Internet providers (hello AT&T and Verizon) say bull-doody to that, we won't block access to public Internet sites but we want the right to offer private Internet-based services with faster speeds for uses such as downloading movies...

Sounds like a slam-dunk for the Justice Department and FCC right? Wrong! Yesterday antitrust authorities at the Justice Department warned regulators against imposing "network neutrality" regulations that would bar broadband Internet service companies (like AT&T and Verizon) from charging extra to some content providers. You might wonder why they oppose network neutrality. Their rationale is that setting different levels of service and pricing is already in practice by the U.S. Postal Service with the various mail options offered by the P.O. But there is a big difference...

I don't mind paying a different price for mailing something faster because I'm not paying the Post Office anything until I mail something. I already pay for the right to access the Internet by the monthly fee Time Warner Cable charges me for high-speed service. I don't need higher monthly rates, they're high enough now. Get it, Justice Department and FCC???

More on the legendary Pavarotti in my Commentary...

10 Timeline Memories for Friday, September 7:
  1. 1813] Crying 'Uncle': The nickname 'Uncle Sam' is used as a symbolic reference to the U.S. in an editorial in the Troy (NY) Post...
  2. 1927] Must-see TV: Philo T. Farnsworth succeeds in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using an image dissector...
  3. 1930] Stripped: "Blondie" makes its 1st appearance in the comic strips...
  4. 1963] Going to Hall: The National Professional Football Hall of Fame is dedicated in Canton (OH). First year inductees include Sammy Baugh, Red Grange, George Halas, Tim Mara, Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe...
  5. 1966] Curtains: "The Dick Van Dyke Show" airs for the final time on CBS-TV after a 6-year run...1969] The half-hour animated 'The Beatles' Saturday morning show airs its last show after debuting in 1965...1971] "The Beverly Hillbillies" is seen for the last time. It debuted in the fall of 1961...
  6. 1977] Liddy leaves: G. Gordon Liddy is released from prison after serving more than 4 years for his involvement in Watergate...
  7. 1978] "Happy Trails": Keith Moon, drummer for The Who, suffers a fatal overdose at 31...1996] Tupac Shakur and Marion "Suge" Knight are shot in Las Vegas after a Mike Tyson fight. Shakur will die of his wounds 6 days later...2003] Warren Zevon dies of inoperable mesothelioma at 56...
  8. 1979] Sports-TV: ESPN begins when Lee Leonard introduces George Grande who describes the format concept of the 1st all-sports cable network...
  9. 1980] Tennis anyone?: John McEnroe beats Bjorn Borg in a classic U.S. Open final for his 2nd straight title. This year's finals wrap up this weekend...
  10. 1999] Sumner sighting: Viacom Inc. announces its plans to buy CBS Corp...

Music Memories:

  • 1986] #1 on this date: "Take My Breath Away" - Berlin...[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Commentary...

Much response to Luciano Pavarotti's passing and here are a couple of e-mails of interest: "When 'Yes, Giorgio' (a movie Pavarotti starred in) was shot here at the Hatch Shell (in Boston) I was thrilled (having worked for some recent years at WCRB) to be cast as an extra. Watching the film after it came out, I had more of a thrill when a close-up of our (AFTRA/SAG members) part of the audience showed the actors playing his manager, his "chief" fan and one principal actor, also included me, appearing to wipe a tear from my eye. In fact the tearing was brought on by the huge, maybe 500, watt light aimed at the crowd for the camera shot" - Len Zola of The Media Gang...On Pavarotti's eclectic choice of singing partners, this e-mail: "Let's see how many radio stations or satellite or Internet for that matter are creative enough to play that duo of Bono, the Edge, Brian Eno and Luciano Pavarotti performing "Miss Sarajevo". Any contemporary station could find a way to play it. Wonder if any of them will? My guess is slim to none. When I was at the Three Tenors concert a few years back I was surprised to see the large number of young to early middle-age people in attendance. The same ones you'd see at a U2 concert. It's the perfect tribute to Pavarotti for contemporary radio. But will it test?" - John Gorman...I love John Gorman's candor. Here's the video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=u4VM41immWI ...How about Pavarotti and James Brown? http://youtube.com/watch?v=VCIyzNISw1Q ...You can also find the legendary tenor with Barry White and others on YouTube. He was an amazing talent who was universally accepted at every level of music...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Michael Feinstein (51), Corbin Bernsen (53), Julie ("Marge Simpson") Kavner (56), Chrissie Hynde (56) and here's Chrissie with one of her best ("Don't Get Me Wrong"): http://youtube.com/watch?v=D_Bj8wrXslk and Gloria Gaynor (58)...

Saturday-Sunday, September 8-9, 2007...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1664] Start spreading the news: The Dutch surrender New Amsterdam to the British who rename it New York (9/8)...
  2. 1921] There she is...Miss America: Margaret Gorman of Washington (DC) is crowned the 1st Miss America...1945] Bess Myerson of New York (NY) becomes the 1st Jewish Miss America (9/8) (Mazel, Bess)...
  3. 1926] Chime time: The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) creates NBC (9/9)...
  4. 1954] Long live the King: Alan Freed becomes the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll" as he begins his 5-year reign at 1010/WINS New York (9/8) Here's the trailer for one of Freed's movies, "Rock, Rock, Rock": http://youtube.com/watch?v=X6Po_zTbgms ...
  5. 1956] Long live the other King: Elvis Presley's 1st "Ed Sullivan Show" appearance attracts a TV audience of 50 million, about one-third of the population. Elvis, shot from the waist up, will make a total of 3 appearances on the show (9/9)...
  6. 1960] Long live the Pats: The Boston Patriots lose the 1st AFL game ever played, 13-10 to Denver (9/9). The Patriots play their opener this Sunday in the Meadowlands against the Jets. You know who I'll be rooting for...
  7. 1965] Monkees wanted: Variety places an ad announcing auditions for "The Monkees" TV show. Failing the auditions: Stephen Stills, future Three Dog Night member Danny Hutton, Paul Williams and Charles Manson (Yes, that Charles Manson). You know who passed the auditions (9/8)...
  8. 1971] Att-i-ca...Att-i-ca: Prisoners seize control of the maximum security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo (NY), beginning a 4-day seize that claims 43 lives (9/9)...
  9. 1974] Zero on the conditions: President Gerald Ford grants an unconditional pardon to former President Richard M. Nixon (9/8)...
  10. 1976] "Happy Trails": Communist Chinese leader Mao-Tse-tung who dies from natural causes at 82...2003] Nuclear scientist Edward Teller of natural causes at 95 (both 9/9)...

Music Memories:

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

(9/8) Pink (28 ), David Arquette (36), Jose Feliciano (62), Willie Tyler (67) & Lester (?) and Sid Caesar (85)...

(9/9) ER male lead Goran Visnjic (35), Adam Sandler (41), Hugh Grant (47), Tom Wopat (56), Joe Theismann (58), Dee Dee Sharp (62), Inez Foxx (65), Chaim Topol (72), Sylvia Miles (75) and Cliff Robertson (82)...

Timeline Countdown for Sunday, September 9: 14 days until autumn, 24 days until the MLB playoffs and 45 days until the World Series...





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