Hey, Senator Kerry, can you help me. I don't like CDs and won't get a CD player. None of the

[RB TexLa]

singers I like put their music out on cassettes. Would you please call the heads of the record labels and DEMAND that they release their stuff on cassettes for me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. And I have a concern about batteries

What is it with all these different sizes?

Thanks for the idea. I am going to write John Kerry and ask him to make the battery industry stick to ONE size. If they can do it for clothing, they can make one size fits all batteries.

[WillyT]

2. Hey Senator Kerry... I Don't Like Telecommunication Companies Attempting To

Set up a two or three tiered Internet, where my access to information is limited and\or censored based upon the amount of money I am able to pay.

And I would SINCERELY thank you for doing something to prevent these greedy bastards from taking away something that has long been available for a semi-reasonable flat rate FOR EVERYONE!

And have a Merry Christmas Senator!

Thanks in advance.

:shrug:

[XboxWarrior]

3. Hey, wait a minute......

I want 8-tracks........



I love the way they can play 2 songs at once!

[ProSense]

9. Hey,

start here.

[WillyT]

16. Oh, I Know Pro !!! - I Was Trying To Point Out Something To The OPer !

This is all a part of the same "game".

:shrug:

Maybe I was too obtuse.

[RoyGBiv]

18. I got it ...

But then I was about to post almost the same thing. :-)

[WillyT]

21. Hey Thanks !!!

:bounce::hi::bounce:

[ProSense]

4. Did you contact your Senator?

Who is your Senator?

[RB TexLa]

6. Mary. But she doesn't go around demanding television networks air specific NFL games over other

ones.

So she probably wouldn't call and demand cassettes either.

[ProSense]

10. Senator Landrieu?

And you're complaining about Kerry?

OK!

[RB TexLa]

11. Yes, I was

[ProSense]

14. Has she come around to voting with the Democrats on anything?

Just asking?

[sandnsea]

13. She's the WORST Dem Senator we have

She doesn't demand anybody do anything, except the country roll over for the oil companies in the Gulf. SHE is one of the key reasons we can't get rid of oil subsidies.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. I think she is second worse. Feinstein is MUCH worse.

[stillcool]

15. Hey...

how come other companies can cut deals with the NFL, and my neighbors can watch the Patriots, but I can't because the cable companies are too fucking greedy? My senator is doing something for me..so if you want cassette decks that's yours' and Mary's business.

[RB TexLa]

17. There's no cutting deals, some companies won't carry the NFL network in the package level the NFL

network wants to be carried.

The cassettes thing is a joke.

[stillcool]

24. Of course there is..

it's negotiated..That is what Kerry was trying to 'negotiate'..so that some of us in Massachusetts would still be able to watch the game even though our cable company is too greedy. I don't understand what your bitch is? Do you live here, and have satellite?

[RB TexLa]

26. I live in Dallas and Louisiana, if I had been in Louisiana for the Cowboys/Panthers game

I wouldn't have seen it, Dish Network there, no NFL network. I have Verizon FIOS here with it included no extra cost.

[stillcool]

28. well..maybe you ought to..

move here...you might get an understanding of what our senator was trying to do for the people of our state.

[RB TexLa]

29. People outside of Dallas complained about not seeing the Cowboys games that were on the NFL network

The Cowboys don't have the entire state as their home broadcasting area. No NFL team does. There are some games that are going to be on ESPN or NFL network that some people won't get. The entire states of California and Colorado are not getting the game tonight that is on ESPN, it is broadcast locally in San Diego and Denver.

[WillyT]

30. Hell... Even I Can Explain THAT !!!

:rofl:

[RB TexLa]

32. And you think Kerry is going to be successful in his demand?

This is exactly why the NFL put New England's last game on the NFL network, that and the market size of New York and Boston.

Look at the games they had on, large market teams and teams with national followings. They chose the teams that would help generate the most pressure on the cable companies to carry them in the standard tier.

[WillyT]

34. I Really Don't Know... But I'm Glad He's Bringing Up The Issue !

My concern is that as we get more and more used to having things that were once almost free and widely available taken away and replaced by "packages" of higher and higher costs, we will roll over like lap dogs when they try to impose the "tiered" plans for the internet.

Hell... moving from the old Friday Night Boxing, to total Pay-Per-View has just about ruined that sport.

If I had my way, I'd force the cable\dish networks go ala carte after you purchase their basic "package". That way, I could toss all the crap I have no interest in off my TV, and select the things I am interested in without jacking up my monthly bill with these assholes.

:shrug:

[RB TexLa]

35. The NFL is trying to lower costs for the game, you notice there isn't the uproar when

a team plays on ESPN. Those games have the same rules, the game is on cable but is broadcast in the two teams home markets over the air.

The NFL wants NFL network carried on the standard tier of cable lineups, not in a sports package or ala carte, they are using big market teams and teams with national followings to put pressure on the cable companies.

The NFL network is in the standard line up on Verizon FIOS.

[WillyT]

36. Fine... And Most Basic Cable Packages Offer ESPN, But Not The NFL Network

Right?

:shrug:

[RB TexLa]

37. Right, and Disney has been putting pressure on the cable companies to keep the NFL

network off the standard tier. And they have a pretty good threat with the other programing they provide. They are the reason that only your regional Foxsports network is standard tiered and if you want out of region ones you have to pay extra, if one has all the Foxsports networks less reason to watch ESPN.

[WillyT]

38. Ok... So What's Wrong With Kerry Getting Into This ???

Maybe he can pressure Disney to back down and\or compromise.

:shrug:

[RB TexLa]

39. His demand that they move the game to NBC is a short term solution

and one the NFL is not going to go for. They want to pressure the cable companies and it's not going to work if every time they have a big game on NFL network they allow it to be moved to over the air. This is the uproar they want, Kerry isn't going after the cable companies by asking the game be moved to NBC. Maybe he will get involved in it regarding the real problem going on. But I don't really know how much I want the congress choosing what networks I get and don't get on a cable line up.

There could be some kind of anti-trust law issues with Disney using their other programing and it's pricing to protect it's sports programing. Don't know enough about the legal aspects of it all it to know.

[karynnj]

40. He was on the similar baseball issue

where only direct tv was to carry out of area baseball games. What he did was to provide a public forum where the various stakeholders explained their needs. He then suggested some ways of approaching the issue. Though he was laughed at and mocked, they found a solution and it ended up making some people happy - while not hurting anyone.

Here he has less leverage - as baseball is uniquely exempt from anti-trust, but he simply wrote a polite letter and gave the issue some visibility. He is suggesting that they work it out in a way that benefits people. It's not Iraq, Afghanistan or global warming - all of which he has spent far more time on - but it is diplomacy. Here the fight is between the league and the cable companies, but it affects people who are not seen as having any impact on the cable companies or the league - though in aggregate, both need them. Getting all sides to realize that they are hurting the people who made them successful is a case where the Senator is standing up for people not powerful enough to have a voice themselves.

If he succeeds, the precident here and in the baseball case is that the cable companies have some responsibility to serve the public.

[stillcool]

31. Oh...well then...

if you people in Texas can't watch the "Dallas Cowboys"..then I guess here in Massachusetts...I can't ask my Senator to intervene on my behalf....sheesh...again ...what's your bitch?

[rockymountaindem]

5. What's wrong with someone trying to do something for his constituents?

I don't get the ire this is raising.

[WillyT]

7. I Don't Get That They Don't Get That This Is Gonna Be The Internet REAL Soon !!!

:banghead:

[RB TexLa]

8. The home market gets the game over the air on a local station.

No one in Boston or New York is prevented from seeing the game.

[ProSense]

20. Here you go

more information.

[RB TexLa]

23. So you are saying that if the Denver Broncos change their name to the USA Broncos

after a certain time of using that name they can claim home broadcasting rights to the entire country?

[ProSense]

25. Now, you're not making any sense!

But then again, neither does the OP!

[RB TexLa]

27. What you linked to said basically that New England should have more than greater Boston as

their home broadcasting area because they have a regional name and a stadium near the RI border. That does not give them home broadcasting rights to all of New England. Just as if the Broncos used the name USA Broncos or if the Saints move to Harrison County, MS and become the Gulf Coast Saints they would not get to expand their home broadcasting rights.

[karynnj]

41. Kerry explained that both western MA and NY are not included

in the local area - though it is their local team.

[sandnsea]

12. The airwaves are supposed to be OURS

Networks have the PRIVILEGE of running programming on them. If they don't run what WE want, they should lose their license.

Way too many Reagan babies.

[WillyT]

19. "Way too many Reagan babies." - LOL !!!

Yep... time to break out the teach-ins again!



:shrug:

[sandnsea]

22. That's not a bad idea

It scares me to death to think what's going to happen once people who knew how it used to be are all gone.