"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
news:ljc20h$983$1@dont-

stuff snipped

I doubt very much whether there is anything to stop you sending signals
from your antenna to a bunch of neighbors by coaxial cable (transmitting
would require a license for a frequency allocated to you), but the
problem seems to be that Aereo is charging for the service, and CBS,
NBC, etc., aren't getting a cut, as they do from the satellite and cable
companies.

I find their position a little disingenuous because they are supported by
the ads interspersed with their broadcast content so they could actually
claim *more* users and raise their ad rates. Not sure if Aereo's DVR has a
commercial skip button (one of God's greatest gifts to mankind, IMHO) - that
might get their panties in a bunch. I am trusting the Supremes to royally
screw up this decision in the same way they've screwed up so many other
decision. Throughout the years, both left and right leaning courts have
shown remarkable ignorance when it comes to deciding technical issues. I've
watched them testify in Congress about the court's technical needs and so
far, only Justice Thomas seem to understand the basics of computers.

Justice Steven's new book really takes CJ Robert's to the woodshed:

Last month's decision in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission struck
down aggregate contribution limits, allowing rich people to make donations
to an unlimited number of federal candidates.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. started his controlling opinion with a
characteristically crisp and stirring opening sentence: "There is no right
more basic in our democracy than the right to participate in electing our
political leaders."

But that was misleading, Justice Stevens said. "The first sentence here," he
said, "is not really about what the case is about."

The plaintiff, Shaun McCutcheon, an Alabama businessman, had made
contributions to 15 candidates in the 2012 election. He sued so he could
give money to 12 more. None of the candidates in the second group was
running in Alabama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/us...direction.html

http://tinyurl.com/m8tpdfz

Ah, Alabama, leading the country backwards as fast as shi+ through a
canebrake. )-:

I think Stevens hit the nail squarely on the head in describing how national
"interest" (more like "pressure") groups are distorting American politics by
trying to influence so many local elections with outside money. I've
confident that just as the many decisions of the ultra-liberal Warren court
got neutered over the years, so shall it be with the decisions of the
ultra-conservative Robert's court in years to come.

Or, as my friend put so succinctly "If Roberts is right and corporations are
basically the same as people with free speech and freedom of religion
rights, why hasn't Governor Perry executed one yet?"

--

Bobby G.