The internets have been the scene of much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the recent court ruling smacking down the FCC's efforts to enforce net neutrality through the back door. The immediate reaction from the netroots was horror: Now the providers could have their way, and make us use Bing instead of Google; Hotmail instead of GMail or worse...Yahoo. (I'm kidding, truly.)

After reading the ruling and some pretty wonky policy blogs, the story is more interesting than that. The court didn't deny FCC the right to penalize Comcast. It only denied the FCC the right to penalize Comcast under the current self-imposed (and weak) regulatory classification for broadband providers.

This LA Times article is a pretty clear explanation of where the FCC should go next:

One option is for the FCC to reverse its previous decisions and classify broadband as a communications service. It wouldn't be far-fetched -- the Internet is a more sophisticated and powerful communications medium than traditional telephony. In fact, phone service is just one of many communications applications the Internet supports. Considering how much has changed since Congress overhauled telecommunications law in 1996, however, it would be better to have lawmakers give the FCC specific powers to safeguard the Net than to have the commission stuff broadband providers into the same regulatory category as last century's Bell system.

And this is, more or less, what the court challenged the FCC to do. It ruled that under the current classification, the FCC lacked authority to fine Comcast or require it to remain neutral. In fact, it more or less ruled that as things stand, the FCC lacks authority to do much of anything. However, the court also clearly stated (more than once) that if broadband is classified as a communications service, FCC regulatory authority expands significantly.

All is not lost and net neutrality isn't dead. There are many reasons for the FCC to move ahead and properly classify broadband services as a communication service. In fact, I'm surprised they ever chose to limit their authority the way they did, though it is what I've come to expect from regulators under Republican administrations.

Shorter appeals court to FCC: Use the authority granted to you under the proper statute, or lose it. In the long run, the loser may be Comcast.

What is up with GMAIL? I was locked out all day yesterday because...? I don't know. I usually have my e-mail program open on a couple of computers at the same time almost everyday and have been doing that ever since Gmail started, because I move around my house/office so much.

Why was I suddenly locked out? In their lockout notice, it says that might have caused it, even though they also listed a few other possible reasons that don't apply to me.

I'm working on a chapter for a book -- which is insane all by itself -- so I'm not posting as much this week, but not being able to at least scan my Inbox is a big problem and it feels like I'm partially blogospheric blind.

It's working now, but when you have no access to it I have to say it's very, very weird. And you can't get to GMAIL to find out why this stuff happens. It's like, well, it'll be back in the next 24 hours or so.

If I haven't responded to something I apologize. Now I'll be digging through a thousand emails to catch up. Has this happened to you?

Thanks, GMAIL guys.

Perrspectives: The WSJ's "liberal hatemongering" scam.

Online Blogintegrity: Spocko's Saga, one year ago today.

Street Prophets: Huckabee and the Christianists, some who play the race card but some others are just crooks.

Ice Station Tango: It's amazing to watch Harry Reid operate when he has two different, powerful politicians forcing him to cave in at the same time.

Blogged by Blue Gal for one more day. Send tips to bluegalsblog AT gmail for tomorrow's roundup, and to finnsagain @ aol after that. Thanks.

Prose before Hos: Average Assets of Americans compared to Presidential Candidates.

Al Qaeda in Albuquerque: Run on W's record, or run on the Constitution

pm carpenter's commentary: Mitt Romney -- a greased slab of elaborate demagoguery in motion"

Edicts of Nancy (satire): Dinosaurs had teen pregnancies, too, which proves to white trash "Christianists" that the earth is 6,000 years old.

Debate Tracker has clips from all the debates thus far.

If this isn't enough links for you, by pure coincidence my own humble blog is hosting Carnival of the Liberals today. Ten more great liberal blogs to choose from. I'll be here all week try the veal and send tips to bluegalsblog AT gmail DOT com .

I'm Manila Ryce from The Largest Minority. We have a week together so let's make the most of it.

I don't know about you, but I turn to Bill O'Reilly when I feel the need to brush up on the New Testament . After all, who else knows theology better than a political pundit?

The French are revolting. Sorry, there's no bad punchline there. Steve from COA News treats us to a Real News video about the workers of France rejecting Sarkozy's anti-labor agenda.

Robert Stein has a crystal ball which told him over a year ago that Lou Dobbs would be running for something. It wasn't the border.

And though our "immigration crisis" is a side effect of NAFTA locking Mexico's economy into foreign exploitation, Hillary's only account of the 1993 debate over the trade agreement is that it contained charts and stuff. Would Senator Obama like to weigh in on that? Nope? Um…okay.

Finally, Emily of KABOBfest reminds us that protecting human rights might be just a bit more important than strict adherence to certain laws. The rights of real people supersede imaginary borders? Crazy concept, I know.

Got a link you'd like to submit for the Round-Up? Email me at John (dot) William (dot) Harrison (at) Gmail (dot) com

Happy Saturday, rascals and rogues. Melissa McEwan of Shakesville, coming to you one last time with bits and baubles from around the blogosphere. Thanks so much to Mike for giving me the opportunity to spend some time with you, and thanks to Nicole for her help and patience. I had an absolute blast, and I hope to see some of you at Shakesville in the future! Off we go…
David Kurtz, on the subject of McCain's "How do we beat the bitch?" incident, wonders How do Republicans get away with it?

Cara, meanwhile, notes that McCain is using The Bitch to make The Man some money. Watch for McCain on the next episode of Pimp My Ride, when he has the Straight Talk Express tricked out into the Straight Talk Pimpmobile.

Digby discusses what was the most embarrassing moment of the latest Dem debate, only to update with an even more embarrassing moment. Ezra notes the galling hypocrisy of a network having spent a week lambasting Hillary for planting a question about global warming themselves planting a question about jewelry.

Fixer has a great story about an animal rescue and the organization that made it possible. Mannion offers up a great puppy dog tale, too.

Madison Guy makes my blood run cold with a chilling hypothesis about Cheney's future. Robot overlords, indeed!

Portly Dyke writes a splendid post explaining how to f--k up.

And Kevin Hayden says Gag me with a Constitutional Protector!

That's all for me, folks! Your next cruise director will be Manila Ryce from The Largest Minority. You can send tips to him at john[dot]william[dot]harrison [at] gmail [dot] com. Toodles!

TS here. Goodbye, you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England! And a genuine thanks for all comments and tips, and -- most especially -- your tolerance. Anyway, here are a few keepers from round the Internetz.

“Around 1994, someone called me up to complain about being the victim of a stock fraud. Since representing such folk is my business, I asked him who he wanted to sue. He said he didn't know anyone's name. He explained there was this place called the "internet' where people promoted stocks. The client apparently wanted to sue the internet, or possibly usenet, itself.” -- Arthur

“What I do remember about the Bork hearings, since I was an adult at the time and not a doughy adolescent dreaming of icing those cinnamon buns on either side of Princess Leia's head, is that Bork was forced under oath to allow for "organic development" of that Constitutional text he insisted was inviolate, thereby giving up the game, something the last twenty years of utter failure to redefine the concept into something workable has double underlined.” – Doghouse Riley

“For all Bush has done right, tax cuts, Afghanistan, Iraq, Roberts and Alito, torturing Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, etc., his lack of discipline on domestic spending, especially the Medicare boondoggle are going to be a black mark on his presidency. Well, at least he tortured that guy. Nobody can take that away from him.” – Belle Waring

“All that work by those staff writers to advocate invading Iraq and Iran and now all they have to show for it is 3,800 dead Americans in Iraq rather than the key to the executive pisser.” -- Clif

“Heck, I didn't even know there was mule racing!” – John Hawks

“Guys, I don’t know what conservatarians did to you in your past, but clearly it’s affected you. I suggest yoga or tai chi or something. If that doesn’t work, go find a self-described “libertarian” blog where torture and detention without trial is enthusiastically supported, and go vent at them. But this isn’t one of those blogs.” -- Thoreau

You can get me at instaputzen [at] gmail [dot com].

TS here. Lassen Sie uns fortfahren, meine Freunde!

On balance, I’m not nostalgic for the university. The women were gorgeous and plentiful, the hockey team was in its heyday, but all was not bread and roses: the math classes were a real pain in the ass and the administration a mite autocratic. The latter two were the cause of sleepless nights and innumerable semesters on probation.

One in particular – a girlfriend, not an academic torment – was, let’s say, creative to a fault and an incurable Dylan fanatic. She even, to her everlasting credit, made a good case for Bob’s Christian period. I am grateful and tip the cap each time I listen to Saved.

Others were a source of frustration. C. was 23 and spoke French, which, since I was 20, seemed like surefire indicators of maturity. Not so. You’d think after x-number of years my college roommate might let me forget that C. once went through the motions of fellating a Star Market banana.

Good times.

That roommate, in fact, has returned to our undergrad city, and says that we had it pretty good. (He’s got lots of degrees, and is an erudite fellow, so I can’t contradict him without further evidence.) “What the hell happened to us?” he asked me recently. “If I knew,” I said, “I wouldn’t be on Jdate.” Anyway, we do agree that dry spells, which, as it happens, I’m experiencing as I write, are a fact of post-college years and should’ve been foreseen.

You can get me at instaputzen [at] gmail [dot com].

TS here. Vayamos, los amigos!

Y is for yawn –wingnut scandal beckons!

Z is for zzzzzzz, Drudge lasts only seconds.

1 is for 1 kick-ass, bitchin’ screed.

2 is for touché!, Dick Miniter can’t read.

3 is for three Youtubes, that quiz is darn tough.

4 is for forsooth, Mitt, please avoid off-the-cuff.

You can get me at instaputzen [at] gmail [dot com].

TS here. Let’s continue!

S is for Swift, who eviscerates an ass.

T is for Taibbi, smacking Romney with sass.

U is for unhinged Ms. Malkin, tossing a fit.

V is for veto, more anti-gay sh*t.

W is for the wonders of anatomical entertainment.

X is for (Mr.) X, can I haz some kontanemnt?

You can get me at instaputzen [at] gmail [dot com].