Pitching your idea

From "Seinfeld": George proposes to Jerry a unique approach to pitching a new TV comedy series to NBC. George freaks out just before pitch meeting. After the pitch meeting that George screwed up by saying he wouldn't compromise his "artistic integrity, Jerry explodes.

After quitting a job in anger, George ponders career options. (H/t to Sam M.)

Public knowledge/public broadcasting connection

An academic study was conducted into current events knowledge possessed by the publics in Denmark, Finland, UK and US. Guess which country has the lowest level of public knowledge? Us. These academics suggest that the dominance of public broadcasting in Denmark and Finland -- compared to the commercial dominance in US media system -- has something to do with the findings.

Tax funding of public broadcasting in other advanced democratic countries is many times higher than in the U.S. Chart on page 8 of this paper.

Public TV in US ain't like this

Weeks before the Iraq invasion, Jeremy Paxman of BBC's "Newsnight" and skeptical British citizens literally cross-examine Prime Minister Tony Blair about evidence/reasons/legality behind the invasion. This interview with Blair resurfaces during official Iraq inquiry in 2010. Here's another tough Paxman interview of Blair having nothing to do with Iraq.

Broadband stimulus

As part of the Obama stimulus/recovery act, $7-9 billion was aimed at building out our country's broadband network. As the Wall Street Journal reported in November:

The largest U.S. Internet providers, including Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp., opted against applying for the broadband stimulus funds. All of the companies voiced reservations about some of the conditions that grant recipients would face, namely provisions that would require the providers to abide by open Internet, or net neutrality, rules that might hinder some future efforts to offer pricier Internet services.

Net Neutrality

A recent federal court decision in so-called "BitTorrentgate" ruled, according to AP, that the FCC lacks authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks. That was a big victory for Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company."

When Net Neutrality threatened to become federal law late last year, there was intense opposition and lobbying from companies like AT&T. It's worth remembering the ex-senator who was one of the main obstacles for years: Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Here was his attempt to explain his opposition to Net Neutrality in 2006...and his explanation put to music.

Comcast, one of the big cable/Internet companies, gets caught trying to keep the public out of a public hearing on Net Neutrality and Internet freedom.

Rightwing libertarians claim Net Neutrality is just one more unneeded law in search of a problem.

Internet Access: Digital divides

My middle-class daughters grew up with computers in the home and fast Internet.They are NetNerds. In poor rural areas and inner cities, such tools for learning and commerce are often out of reach. Here are videos of rural Southerners asking the government to step in and help folks get broadband.

Internet hoaxes

This hoax portraying Tommy Hilfiger as a racist still circulates.