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In Medieval times, Kings and Queens interested in maintaining control over small, outlying geographical areas arranged a complex system of fiefdoms, vesting feudal lords with their imprimatur to tell the local serfs and vassals what to do, and granting them the “power” to extract taxes – a portion of which would be given to the royals. Despite Constitutional strictures created to insure the contrary, the United States federal government has followed pretty much the same template, albeit on a bureaucratic, rather than monarchical, level. Case in point, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is showing once more that it is...

Zaneta Rago, the Director of Rutgers’ Social Justice Center, said that she was surprised there were not more millennials who believed that gender exists on a spectrum. “It's wonderful that approximately half of the respondents understood gender as a spectrum, but that means we're only half way there," she said. Daniella Anconetami, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student, said that she believes in the gender spectrum. She said that she discovered that gender “wasn’t black and white” in high school, and said that her opinions about gender identity changed after meeting someone who was transgender in high school....

Found this on twitter over the weekend, credited to some spam website I'm not going to link. However, I did find the graphic clarifying and amusing, while seemingly accurate in it's definitions... I -as with many of you, I'm sure- fall-in somewhere around  'modern conservatism' (purple line)... alas, by definition a 'modern' descriptive indicates how relentless the overall expansion of government has been over the long run... and how many times we've been forced back to a new, more defensible position. But has there ever been historical examples of purely 'Voluntarist' societies, even on a local level? Perhaps some Indian...

Interesting 12-question quiz to see where you fit on the political spectrum compared to others of your age, gender, race, party affiliation. http://www.people-press.org/political-party-quiz/

[Last week,] a deal between Verizon and a consortium of cable companies to free more spectrum for mobile broadband gained significant traction with the Department of Justice (DOJ) conditionally signing off on the deal and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announcing a vote of approval will come in short order. The agreement is an innovative move without much precedent. Verizon will purchase a significant chuck of spectrum from SpectrumCo, a group of cable companies including Comcast and Time Warner Cable, that covers 80 percent of Americans and is ideal for 4G mobile broadband. Moving forward, those cable companies can purchase...

A striking demonstration of a means to boost the information-carrying capacity of radio waves has taken place across the lagoon in Venice, Italy. The technique exploits what is called the "orbital angular momentum" of the waves - imparting them with a "twist". Varying this twist permits many data streams to fit in the frequency spread currently used for just one. The approach, described in the New Journal of Physics, could be applied to radio, wi-fi, and television. The parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are used for all three are split up in roughly the same way, with a spread...

Which brings us to the FCC’s next opportunity to illegally create law under the guise of “conditions” – the spectrum bandwidth auctions. Quick definition: Spectrum is the allocated airwaves. Used by broadcast radio and television (not cable TV), satellite radio and TV, cell phones – and even Bluetooth headsets, garage door openers and car key fobs ... And we’re running out of free-for-use spectrum. ... So we need Congressional legislation to create the next round of spectrum bandwidth auctions. (Which is further fomenting a great and growing prospective battle between the radio and TV broadcasters – who have spectrum aplenty,...

Great for political self-awareness: take the quiz and map your Bible-clinging, gun-slinging reactionary views- you misguided anti-progressive, you-

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed on Monday plans by regulators to nearly double the spectrum now available for wireless devices. The White House announced a plan modeled after proposals by the Federal Communications Commission to free up 500 megahertz of spectrum over the next 10 years to meet the demand for laptop computers and smartphones such as Apple Inc's popular iPhone. Some estimates suggest the next five years will see an increase in wireless data of between 20 to 45 times 2009 levels, reflecting the burgeoning use of wireless devices. The Federal Communications Commission, which manages commercial...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-national-broadband-plan Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release March 16, 2010 Statement from the President on the National Broadband Plan America today is on the verge of a broadband-driven Internet era that will unleash innovation, create new jobs and industries, provide consumers with new powerful sources of information, enhance American safety and security, and connect communities in ways that strengthen our democracy. Just as past generations of Americans met the great infrastructure challenges of the day, such as building the Transcontinental...

During the past several days, the Federal Communications Commission and Verizon Wireless' CEO Ivan Seidenberg have argued extensively over the agency's plan to reclaim spectrum from broadcasters. ... Seidenberg's views are not 100 percent clear to everybody, however, given the fact that the wireless carrier isn't involved in any way with any broadcaster. He also questioned why the FCC wanted to reclaim spectrum from broadcasters instead of cable companies.

Note: The following text is a quote: Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference DENVER, COLO. ~ Monday, October 5, 2009 Remarks as prepared for delivery. Thank you, Chief Laine, for that kind introduction. Chief Whitman, thank you for hosting the IACP in your home city. And IACP Executive Director Dan Rosenblatt, thank you for your strong leadership of this outstanding organization. Officers and Members of the Board of Directors, friends, and colleagues. It is my great pleasure to be able to join you today for the first time as Attorney General....

The classic 20th-century political spectrum is gravely flawed as a depiction of the range of philosophical opinion. The Traditional Political Spectrum The common depiction of the political spectrum traditionally shows communism at the left end, fascism at the right end, and less extreme political systems at various points in between: This depiction of the spectrum, and its nearly universal acceptance as a self-evidently accurate framework, has had a number of adverse corollary effects on political thinking and discourse. Because tyranny is found at the extremes of the spectrum, the socially and politically comfortable place to reside is near the center....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2008 STATEMENT BY FCC CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN Washington, D.C. –FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin today announced the close of Auction 73 (the 700 MHz auction). The auction began on January 24, 2008, and closed today after 261 rounds of bidding. The FCC auction raised a record $19.592 billion and helped advance new open platform policies. Auction 73 Raised More Money Than Any Auction has Ever Raised The $19.592 billion in revenue raised in the 700 MHz auction is significantly more than raised in any past FCC auction. In comparison, the 2006 Advanced Wireless...

Excerpt - WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The first round of the much-anticipated Federal Communications Commission auction of communications airwaves drew $2.4 billion in prospective bids before closing at midday Thursday, according to the agency. Nearly half the money, some $1.04 billion, was bid by one participant seeking a national license for a swath of 22 megahertz of radio spectrum. The bidding for a second national license of 10 megahertz topped out at $472 million in the first round. Both these bids are believed to be the minimum bid allowed in the first round for these chunks of spectrum. The information was...

The cast for the federal spectrum auction in January has now been assembled. On Tuesday night, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a list of 266 applicants who want to bid. The auction will offer frequencies that had been used for analog transmission by TV stations, which are now moving to digital. The applicants include Google, Cablevision, Cox, Qualcomm, Alltel, Chevron, US Cellular, as well as Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc., regional carriers such as Leap Wireless and MetroPCS, the startup Frontier Wireless, and a Guam-backed phone company headed by Roy Disney, Walt's brother. There's also the tiny, Middletown, Rhode Island-based...

Google has made it officially clear that they are committed to making their wireless spectrum proposal win the FCC decision. Google said they would bid $4.6 billion for the 700 megahertz band wireless spectrum, if the FCC approved their proposal. Why? Google said they want to put their money where their "principles are," by making a bid at "giving abundant access to this rich resource" on "a global scale." More coverage at Techmeme. Postscript from Greg: A larger context in which to see this is net neutrality. Google is clearly interested in expanding its mobile services and this undoubtedly...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- When Microsoft Corp. delivers a mysterious prototype for government testing this coming week, it will mark a crucial juncture for a high-stakes bid to change the way consumers get their Internet access. That bid has cast Microsoft and a group of powerful allies from Silicon Valley in the relatively unfamiliar role of Washington policy players. Microsoft's prototype, delivered on behalf of the group, is a wireless device that could provide the public with free and more widespread access to the Web instead of relying on networks owned by big telecom and cable firms. That breakthrough,...

Excerpt - Companies participating in an auction of wireless licenses increased their bids to almost $10.3 billion on Wednesday, with cable providers bidding against cellphone companies as rising prices prompted satellite broadcasters to drop out. The Federal Communications Commission is auctioning off 1,122 licenses for spectrum that can be used to provide wireless services. The spectrum, currently used by the military and law enforcement, will help wireless carriers upgrade their services and other companies to get into new business lines. ~ snip ~

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...