Sitting outside in summertime – wishing that the AirDisplay feature linking my Mac to my iPad would work on the porch as well as in the office – it strikes me that "dysfunctional" is the operative word for our times.

I mean, take Washington D.C.  I know you don't want to (and more power to you) but seriously ... Have you watched the parade of lawmakers rushing forward to demand an investigation into Rupert Murdoch's business practices?  Yes, those practices appear to have been extremely sleazy (to say nothing of illegal) but hey folks!  We're about to hit a national debt ceiling, we've got nearly 1 out of 10 folks unemployed and an income disparity worse than China and Brazil, our infrastructure has more holes than Rebekah Brooks' denials ... and you want us to know that you are firmly opposed to phone hacking?  Oooookay.

Then there's Google which appears to be determined own all the businesses on the internet.  (Amazon, Pandora, Facebook ... they're targeted by "new" Google businesses.)  And now comes word that you better play nice with Google or you'll get kicked off the net.  Even if you're only 10.  

According to The Business Insider, a 10-year-old Netherlands boy fibbed about his age in order to get a Google+ account.  The online giant responded by giving the the kid 29 days to prove his (non-existent) over-13 age or it's curtains for the kid on Google.  That (apparently) is ALL things Google which is kind of like denying your dog water for peeing in the house.

And finally, in further proof of the "you can't fool all the people all the time" theorem, studios continue to undermine potentially game-changing 3D technologies by using them primarily as ticket price enhancers.  It's backfiring, of course.  As pointed out by SNL Kagan's Sarah Barry James four of of nine 3D movies released thus far this year, four (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Kung Fu Panda 2, Green Lantern and Cars 2) received less than half of their opening gross from 3D tickets.   Notes James (here), "There seems to be an increasing sentiment among U.S. moviegoers that studios are using the format just to give their films a lift at the box office."  Gee.  Ya think?

And now, if I could just get this AirDisplay to work ....•

Blockbuster Gigs Netflix

In typically Ergen opportunistic fashion, Blockbuster (newly owned by DISH) jumped on an upset-customer bandwagon offering a limited time, nationwide promotion for customers upset with Netflix's fee hikes.   Netflix customers who sign up to Blockbuster's two most popular Total Access plans get a 30-day free trial and, after the trial, "a new everyday price of only $9.99 per month for “1 Disc” at a time or $14.99 per month for “2 Discs” at a time."

Meanwhile, in more OTT news, Netflix's streaming service has officially come to Nintendo 3DS hand-held systems.  That makes the second game/TV crossover for Netflix which is already available on the Wii. --- BBC.com says it is now profitable ... two years ahead of schedule.•

Etc: Spectrum Wars – In Memorium – AT&T Snags Sony S2

Analyze This:  Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast notes that a House Republican draft bill "would extend the FCC’s authority to auction off spectrum for wireless broadband -- including voluntarily returned broadcast-TV channels -- while prohibiting the agency from attaching eligibility restrictions, network neutrality duties, or wholesale requirements to the licenses."  It would also mandate an auction of D-block spectrum, thereby leaving public safety groups without the spectrum they say they need for a national network.  --- In a separate note, Arbogast judges any threat to News Corp. FCC licenses from the U.K. phone hacking scandal "unlikely" but worth monitoring.  With the FBI now looking into that matter, that monitoring might be a definite. --- Don't hold your breath for a DISH or Comcast-led SpectrumCo integration with Sprint, says BTIG Research's Walter Piecyk.  That might be good for Sprint, he notes, "but it is less clear why those companies would be interested in joining Sprint at this point."  Besides, he adds, DISH's Charlie Ergen will likely hold his cards close to the vest until after the "FCC actually transfers the spectrum licenses of DBSD and TerreStar (S-Band) to Dish."  For more, go here (and don't forget to register.) --- Google reported operating expenses up about $1B ... but blew past expectations posting $9.03B in revenues (+32%).

In Memorium:  We are sad to report that all-round satellite good guy – and one of the originators of the Local System Operator concept and of B.E.S.T. Service and Standards program – Kevin Leslie passed away earlier this week.  Mr. Leslie served as the chairman of the SBCA Retail Council from 1997 to 2000.  In 1998 he was recognized as the SBCA Business Leader of the Year; a year later he received the Gordon D. Main Retailer of the Year Award.  Mr. Leslie's many friends will be greeted at Nales Funeral Home on Friday evening, July 15th; the funeral will be Saturday morning.

Deals – Real & Rumored:  In a deal estimated at around $16M, investors led by Criterion Capital Partners (the current $ behind Bebo) propped up U.K. online TV service SeeSaw. --- Nexstar Broadcasting Group has acquired the assets of Internet technology provider GoLocal.Biz.  The service provides local business directory, coupon, movie and entertainment listings to markets including all 35 of Nexstar’s community portal web sites.

At Retail:  AT&T will be the exclusive mobile broadband provider for Sony's soon-to-appear S2 two-screen tablet.  

Folks:  Jennifer Nicholson-Salke has officially moved from Twentieth TV to a new job as president of NBC Entertainment. – Matthew Zelesko is new SVP of web services and technology at Time Warner Cable.

Gov't:  Wealth TV has filed a petition asking the FCC to reopen its program carriage complaint against Comcast, TWC, Cox and Bright House.  

Tech:  The SCTE will unveil drafts of its first two energy management and power reliability standards at its Sept. 15 meeting. 

Catch up with the markets this afternoon in The Evening BRIDGE.•