Save Internet Radio

You know, I'm VERY jaded when it comes to politics. I've always done my part...I've been a voting citizen for about as long as I can remember, but in my heart I'm not sure my vote has ever really made any difference.

BOTH times I'm actually proud to say I voted against having Bush in office. Yet that idiot is still there. Don't get me wrong, when it comes down to someone else in another country talking smack about America I'll still defend the country and his position on office vehemently, but he is what he is...

And then in my last job at a local ISP, we had a period where we were participating some kind of bill preventing companies like Oceanic from monopolizing their cable broadband network. Yet...big business won in the end. It's really deflating when you're working your hardest as a small business to provide a good service to people, only to be ultimately blocked at all sides.

So...suffice to say I only participate in politics as a principle nowadays. I think it's all bullshit at some point.

Here's another cause I want to bring up because I care somewhat about this. Remember a few months back I brought up one of my favorite sites called Somafm.com? I've been listening to streaming music from them for years now. Good stuff....material most you and I would never hear otherwise beyond just the crap you hear doled out on normal radio sung by a half dozen American Idol castaways.

Apparently now they're being targetted by insane royalty hikes which will drive them and just about every internet radio station out of business. It reminds me so much about our experiences back in the ISP. Just more corporate greed and indifference out there squashing the little guys.

Honestly, I'm not expecting anyone to do much. Like I said, I'm very jaded about politicians actually doing anything in the public's interest. But if you could spare some time, you can at least do what I did and write a small letter or email to your state Senators to support The Internet Radio Equality Act that has recently been introduced in both the House (H.R. 2060) and Senate (S. 1353) to save the Internet radio industry.

I wrote to State Representative Ambercrombie because I met and helped him once back when I was working at Hungry Ear Music. He was genuinely nice back then...which to me is a surprise given that he's a politician and I was just some young music store salesperson.

In the end, if SomaFM disappears...I really don't know where I'm going to hear independent music anymore. So saaaaaaaaaaaaaad.