Archive for Monday, May, 5, 2008

More Pols get in on the XM-Sirius Merger Action…

Monday, May, 5, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

The longer the FCC  takes before either approving or denying the XM-Sirius merger, the more politicians will add their own two-cents to the deal.  The latest example being letters sent to the FCC by Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) and House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell  (D-MI).  Neither politician took a position on the merger but both wanted conditions attached to it which include “concrete steps to protect consumers” on pricing and the allowance of manufacturers to come up with widgets that can include HD  capability, iPod docks, Internet or other technology, etc., etc. - you get the picture…

If this thing drags on any longer, the XM-Sirius merger might even become an issue for Obama, Hil and McCain with Obama being pragmatic and conciliatory about it, Hillary offering to fight for the people’s rights to fair pricing and McCain promising to heal the economy and satellite pricing at the same time.  Since the merger was proposed, Google has offered to purchase and then takeover Yahoo and then finally pulled out.  Babies have been conceived, born and might even be taking their first steps in the time it has taken the FCC to decide on the merger.  Roger Clemens  has made headlines and major denials twice since the proposal was submitted to the FCC.  And on and on it goes.  Where it stops, nobody knows…

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1862]  Cinco de Mayo:  The Mexican militia defeats the French army in the Battle of Puebla, in Mexico.  Sounds like a good reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo  to me…
  2. 1891]  Practice man, practice:  The Music Hall opens in Manhattan.  It will later be renamed Carnegie Hall…
  3. 1900]  Bullets to follow:  ‘The Billboard’ which will later be changed to ‘Billboard Magazine’ starts publishing weekly after debuting as a monthly in 1894…
  4. 1904]  That’s why the award was named for him:  Pitching for the Boston Pilgrims, 37-year old pitcher Cy Young  completes the first perfect game in the modern era (when the pitching rubber was moved to 60′, 6″).  Young beats the Philadelphia A’s…
  5. 1925]  What’s the Scope?:  Dayton, Tennessee biology teacher John T. Scopes  is arrested for teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution.  83 years later it’s still being debated…
  6. 1955]  Rolling 5’s:  On 5/5/55, Boston and Detroit combine for 5 runs with the Tigers winning 3-2.  It is the only game scheduled in the American League…
  7. 1961]  Reporting from the back window:  Alan Shepard  makes a 15-minute sub-orbital flight from Cape Canaveral which I reported on when I worked at WKKO in Brevard County, Florida.  I did the report looking out of the studio window, a few miles from the launch for News Associates in Washington, D.C., which I probably helped put out of business with my report…
  8. 1973]  The greatest horse of our generation:  The great Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby  in record time (1:59:02).  The record still exists.  Of course Big Red would go on to win the Triple Crown in ‘73.  Read my Commentary on Saturday’s KD tragedy, which follows…
  9. 1978]  Joining the 3,000 hit club:  Pete Rose picks up his 3,000th hit as a member of the Reds…
  10. 1986]  R&RHOF approved:  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is approved for Cleveland.  Although he doesn’t get any credit for it, the world of music can thank Norm N. Nite for that approval.  No one worked harder to get the Hall built in Cleveland than Norm…

Music Memories:

Commentary:

To me, the most exciting two minutes in sports is the Kentucky Derby and what happened on Saturday defies explanation.  I have seen a lot of races over the years.  I have seen horses pulling up lame, even some that were destroyed in the process but the tragedy that befell Eight Belles was a first.  There was no sign of any distress in the great filly when she crossed the finish line second to the winning Big Brown but about a quarter mile later in her ‘cool down’ the horse collapsed.  Two snapped front ankles caused the vet at the track to put the horse down by injection.  What a tragedy.  I hope the owner of Eight Belles decides to bury the filly in the Churchill Downs infield and I also hope that CD allows it as a fitting tribute to a 3-year old filly with a world of promise unfulfilled…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

Brian Williams (49),  Reporter John Miller (50), Mary Hopkin (58), Bob Seger (63), Kurt Loder (63), Michael Palin (65), Pat Carroll (81) and Ann B. Davis (82)… 

Timeline Countdown:  5 days until Mother’s Day, 21 days until Memorial Day and 41 days until Father’s Day…

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