Last Sunday (August 5) I went with my Dad, Mom and sister to see a late afternoon showing of Ratatouille in Columbus. My Mom and I like to sit near the back, but most of the seats were already taken, so we settled into the third row from the front. Several times while I was enjoying the movie, I noticed my sister turn and whisper in excited tones to my Mom. I was too engrossed in the film to pay much attention.

A lot's been happening in Washington recently, so you may have forgotten about this week's Senate obscenity hearings. Apparently, in light of widespread corruption, civil liberties violations and the recent threats of terrorism, our Congress has decided that they have time to spend investigating pornography. Our government, ladies and gentlemen.

There are four bills waiting for approval, including one which would boost the penalty from $32,500 to $500,000. Yes, half a million dollars per offense. Needless to say, I got curious, so I decided to check out the FCC's website and find out what they define as a potentially $500k offense.

This post is strictly a primer on FCC regulations. (The raw information is here) It's a bit dry, but if you read to the end, I'll tell a dirty joke - the kind that we won't be able to hear on cable if this legislation passes.