US Federal Communications Commission commissioner Robert McDowell has raised an eyebrow at Google’s request to serve as an administrator of a national database detailing the use of “white-space” spectrum. Google was among a coalition of tech outfits that first floated the idea of allowing unlicensed WiFi  devices into the white spaces, which are portions of the licensed television spectrum that go unused by terrestrial TV channels. Google, no doubt already the gorilla in the White Space china shop, has had to defend itself against heavy opposition from those already in the spectrum, including television broadcasters and wireless mic users.

We here at The Lounge feel strongly about The White Space, and intend to do everything in our power to keep these frequencies out of the hands of the Media giants and firmly in the hands of local communities. Google, who at this point has monetized most everything they have touched, seems quite willing to develop the  database of available frequencies needed to make this plan work and they are willing to donate it to the public, in return for administrating that database. I for one don’t necessarily have a problem with this, simply because the database doesn’t exist and Google’s willing to develop it. I do feel strongly that the FCC should take a real good look, make sure the White Space will be freely available to Cities, States, and local business’  so they in turn can deploy their own wireless local networks, without paying those no good money grubbing media shysters to carry OUR FREE signal.

Below is an excerpt from The White Space. Click to read more.

The simple fact that there are still people willing to commit murder and mayhem on unsuspecting civilians because of a preconceived lack of respect towards their god  is reason enough to show these cartoons. Here at The Lounge, were getting a little tired of that dog and camel show.

For a little Jihadist humor, visit the Red Jihad.

And for those who just like a couple of cartoons, we have several with the graven image. Thanks to Mark Pirro for the laughs.

The Underpants Bomber

Barack Hussein Obama

Fully one year after gaining election, the Commander and Chief of the United States Armed Forces will address the nation on his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan Tuesday night from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

After running a campaign whose central theme was a reduction of military presence worldwide, a very large block of anti-war liberals are finding that Obama plans on doing just the opposite. The president claims the American people will support his strategy once they understand the perils of losing the war. Meanwhile, polls show support for the war has dropped significantly since Obama took office, with a majority now saying both that they oppose the war and that it is not worth fighting. Needless to say, the anti-war stance he ran on last year was so much bullshit. I just can’t imagine all the left-wing liberals who live in the Hudson Valley will just sit around and accept the fact that Barry simply had no plans on pulling out of the Middle East. Then again, I haven’t heard of any big anti-war protests being planned for Tuesday, and I live ten miles away. I guess since the One has decided we must fight, all the left-wing bastards have to respect his decision or risk getting thrown off the island. It would seem that some people are willing to sell their soul for free health care.

In my mind, West Point  is  the only base that Barry can make the speech without creating some kind of YouTube moment from the grunts who are getting killed on the ground, both here and overseas. It’s obvious that the professional soldiers in this country have a problem with the Commander and Chief.

It’s mind boggling to think Obama is going up to The Point for anything at this juncture. Not after what he has done to this country over the last 11 months. Not after bashing all of those hard-working, blue-blooded Americans. Not after bowing to the Emperor of Japan, who’s family has the blood of 15,500,000 souls on its collective head, and to whom countless West Point alumni had lost their lives. This is not a President for whom many show respect, and by going to The Point, he is simply buying a photo op.

It  is obvious this visit forces the students to show respect. Not that there would be any question; there is no way a Cow would fail to applaud, would boo, or would otherwise show disrespect while in the presence of POTUS. These kids are hardwired for respect and the best way to screw that up is to be on the Drudge Report. The administration knows this and has no problem manipulating our future leaders for their own political ends. Shameful to say the least.

I for one can’t wait to see him speak on Tuesday. I just can’t figure out how he will repackage the ‘Bush Doctrine’. Maybe the spin doctors can help?

The idea behind net neutrality is that the owner of the plumbing should not care what the plumbing is used for or who uses it. This means that just because you are the local cable company, you cannot discriminate in how your Internet service is priced or prioritized on your network to benefit your other businesses.

It was only a matter of time before really innovative companies like Google, Hulu, or Skype were able to use the data you already pay for to provide the same services the the ISP’s provide. For the phone company to charge $10 a month for caller id when it costs $.05 to provide in a non-competitive market is wrong. And to restrict the consumer from utilizing these services simply because they compete with you is just bad for the consumer.

Net Neutrality is all about fostering competition. The new and innovative use of bits and bytes across the broadband network has made cable and phone company as content providers irrelevant, whether they know it yet or not. That leaves them with one purpose: running a network.

Net Neutrality insures that the network they manage is open to competing services and does not discriminate or favor one application over another. To say that an application like Google Voice somehow violates these principals is bunk. Network neutrality has always been about phone and cable companies trying to maintain power in the face of the Internet Revolution. Nothing more.

There has been a ton of conversation lately about AT&T and Apple banning the Google Voice application in the IPhone store. The service has the potential to be a real windfall for the average consumer. Google Voice, which is already available on BlackBerrys, provides users with free domestic calls, inexpensive international calls, free text messaging, call routing and other services. It also makes it trivial to switch to a new phone service, because with GV, everyone calls the same number for all of your phones.  The simple fact that this system competes with the the Phone Company for services is just good for the consumer. Companies tend to be more pro-consumer when there is actually competition, and ATT isn’t keen on sharing the revenue from all those calls to Europe.

Google Voice is actually the old Grand Central, a system that let you forward all your calls to a new ‘local’ number. The Gordons are Grand Central users since 2006, and its an excellent service. You can set Google to ring your cell phone if someone calls your home phone, for example. You can have your work phone number ring every phone you have if your out on a long lunch. The kids can text to the GV number, and spam the whole damn family. Not a bad idea nowadays, and  if anything it keeps people connected for emergencies and group efforts. A family of 4 in Disney for a week with 1 contact number?

Google Voice closed Grand Central for renovations last year, and it wasn’t until recently that it began accepting new users, and there has still been some hassle associated with actually using the service. IPhone type apps like GV Mobile remove many of those hassles, which is why AT&T is keen to keep them off the iPhone.

The mobile app for Google Voice uses the regular PSTN connection to place a call to Google Voice, which then places a call out to the person you need to reach. Since these calls and text messages originate from your Google Voice, they display your Google Voice number for the recipients. The wireless number you buy from the cell phone company just became irrelevant. The Google Voice app essentially reduces the cell phone carrier to a dumb pipe, and that where the debate centers. As a matter of fact, this is ground zero for the Consumer Vs. the Money Grubbing Telco Shysters. If the average consumer dosen’t make a stink here, your liable to pay twice for every call you make in the future with your cell phone. The point is that your paying for data on the phone, but the phone company won’t let you use it for speaking. Even though its all just data, they won’t let you use your data that way.

Motive? The vast majority of executives at AT&T despise Google because the search giant represents their deepest fear: a future where companies like AT&T are just dumb pipes, over which content companies like Google deliver services that soak up advertising revenue which old school phone executives really do believe belongs to them. The baby bells hate Google so much, they pay obscene $amounts to besmirch  the search giant. Both Apple and AT&T conspired just this week to prohibit competition and limit the open Internet in order to protect revenues. While brand loyalists will proclaim such anti-competitive foolishness is just good business, methinks the AT&T and Apple decision to block the Google Voice application is a rare, clear example of a network neutrality violation and should be reviewed at the highest level of Government.

Even if you want to argue semantics and proclaim it’s not technically a neutrality violation because the filtering isn’t happening at a base network level, good for you. It’s still  anti-competitive behavior, we just haven’t invented the word for it yet, and we should be collectively wise enough to expect no different from the Money Grubbing Telecos. As we’ve said for many years here @ The Lounge, now is the time for Consumers to stand up for whats right, and make the Networks Neutral.