John Kerry made a good point at yesterday's Senate Commerce Committee hearing (which I live-blogged). He noted that the last major revision to communications law in 1996 was mostly written to deal with telephone competition, and while he said that by now saying the Internet is the "future" has reached cliche level (it's the present, actually) that our last attempt to make policy was obsolete upon signing, dead on arrival.
Let me repeat that. John Kerry understands we're 12th in the ITU's "digital opportunity index." This is "Mr. Out-of-Touch" John Kerry, and even he understands what we have no broadband policy at all (which really is the official policy, to have no policy and let the "market" deal with it). Policy is no policy, sounds like J. Alfred Prufrock does Broadband, doesn't it?
For the more fun part of the hearing, I'll defer to Tech Liberation Front and their notes on celebrity testimony. Why was Justine Bateman a witness? I sort of fell asleep during that part of her testimony. Not really, but I wasn't quite alert to live-blog it as much as I cared about say, the FCC Chairman or Larry Lessig.
Another flashback and money quote from TLF on celebrity testimony:
I am going to find that video. Apparently, Kermit the Frog has also appeared before Congress. I will find proof. This I swear.
Let me repeat that. John Kerry understands we're 12th in the ITU's "digital opportunity index." This is "Mr. Out-of-Touch" John Kerry, and even he understands what we have no broadband policy at all (which really is the official policy, to have no policy and let the "market" deal with it). Policy is no policy, sounds like J. Alfred Prufrock does Broadband, doesn't it?
For the more fun part of the hearing, I'll defer to Tech Liberation Front and their notes on celebrity testimony. Why was Justine Bateman a witness? I sort of fell asleep during that part of her testimony. Not really, but I wasn't quite alert to live-blog it as much as I cared about say, the FCC Chairman or Larry Lessig.
Another flashback and money quote from TLF on celebrity testimony:
So there's another Net neutrality hearing today. I'm beginning to think we'll have to endure one every week for the rest of time. Anyway, today's took place in the Senate Commerce Committee and it featured the testimony of 1980s TV star Justine Bateman, who was in the sitcom "Family Ties."....
...my favorite celebrity testimony of all-time had to be from 1993, when Sheri Lewis and her sock puppet "Lamb Chop" testified in favor of the Children's Television Act, a law regulating educational TV programming. What made is so special was not that Ms. Lewis testified alone. Lamb Chop testified too! I wish I had the video of that to post here. I mean, there was a woman with a hand in a sock making it talk to elected members of Congress... and they were listening. Awesome.
I am going to find that video. Apparently, Kermit the Frog has also appeared before Congress. I will find proof. This I swear.
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