My favorite online radio station SOMAFM is in jeopardy once again.
It’s my favorite for Three reasons:

1. They keep the Jonn Nubian and ViceLounge tracks on the playlist,
2. I get inspired by the many other artist that they play, COMMERCIAL FREE!
3. I would have never read Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, if I wasnt curious about what SOMA was.

Here is a letter I received in my Inbox from Rusty Hodge, the General Manager/Program director.
Please read, forward and sign the online petition:

This doesnt just have an impact on this online radio station, but EVERY online radio station.

You may have heard, but once again internet radio is facing huge additional royalties for broadcasting music. These royalties are in addition to the ones that we pay to ASCAP and BMI, and are a royalty that is only paid by internet broadcasters. Over-the-air (AM/FM) broadcasters are explicitly exempt from this royalty; it only applies to internet broadcasters and subscription music services.

In the past, we paid royalties based on a percentage of our revenues, in our case 10% of our revenue. But the new royalties don’t allow that percentage of revenue factor, and instead charge us for each song we play times the number of people listening. This works out to about $8 per average concurrent listener per month. In 2006, we averaged over 6000 average concurrent listeners per month, and the royalties we will have to pay for 2006 is about $628,000, over 4 times the amount of money we brought in.

And these rates go up drastically each year, until 2010, where they are 2.5 times their initial rate: by then we will have to pay over $1 million dollars a year in royalties if we want to stay on the air.

So you can see that this puts us in an impossible position. And to make it even worse, the rates are retroactive to 2006.

It doesn’t seem fair that a small radio service like SomaFM has to pay all these additional royalties, when over-the-air stations who reach much larger audiences are exempted from paying them.

If you are in the USA, we would appreciate it if you could sign this online petition which will be presented to members of Congress.

It’s important for us to let Congress know that independent internet radio is about to be forced out of business.

We need to keep our existing “percentage of revenue” royalty rate structure, or better yet, have Congress extend the exemption to internet radio stations as well as terrestrial (over-the-air) stations.

http://www.petitiononline.com/SIR2007r/petition.html

Thanks for all of your support for SomaFM in the past. We will do what we need to do to keep SomaFM on the air and broadcasting. We love you!

Rusty Hodge,
General Manager and Program Director
SomaFM.com

A lot can happen in 2 weeks. I got a Tivo after a nearly successful failure of building my own PVR from an old computer , a tv capture card and some open source software.

It feels so good and do other things without being a slave to sit down and watch television at a particular time with all the commercials.

I even was able to catch the new Fantastic 4 cartoon, which at said time of braodcast I was sleeping.

I even have the unit hooked up to the web so if i think of something to record I can tell the tivo to do from my treo before getting on the subway or anywhere where I have access to the internet.

The Vice.Lounge free download “campaign” we started got us over 3,000 myspace friends and even MY myspace page got a little more friendly as well. All when didnt even need Internet marketing San Diego

I even plotted out the playlist for the podcast “Winter/Spring Collection” and this site (Me) got nominated for a Black Web Award the in Category of Best Personal Website by an Individual!

The awards celebrate African, African American and Caribbean excellence online in over 100 categories,and over 2,000 unique nominations from 24 countries.

To paraphrase one of my favorite rappers Murs, that means:
“I’m greater than your grandfathers’s father”

I hope they got the name spelled right by the time you all read this but still vote for me by clicking here:

Black Web Awards Lifestyles Ballot

Thank you for your support!!!!
Putting the finishing touches on our first music video for the song “Pillows” which has been getting much play online and also in Italy thank to RadioPellenera and features vocals from yours truly…lol

The video is actually a re-work of a scene where the instrumental of the song is actually used in the film “No Problema” directed by Rich Williams

Stay Tuned!

1..Go to www.Google.com

2..Type in Failure

3. Look at it the first listing and laugh at what comes up first

4. Tell other people before the people at Google Fix it

So I’m on the host committee for Kevin Powell’s run THIS YEAR, for a seat in the
United States Congress in the 10th Congressional District in Brooklyn.

He made the official announcement at his birthday party last month.
This was right after I was “back in effect”.
(there is a pic of me floating around the internet with drink in hand)
I remember I first met Kevin in 1998 (in my television days) and shot an interview of him after he did a speaking engagement @ Mount Holyoke college.
If you don’t know who Kevin Powell is he has published six books, including his current title,
Who’s Gonna Take The Weight? Manhood, Race, and Power in America, which is an Essence magazine bestseller.
He is best known as a cast member on the first season of MTV’s
“The Real World”. It just got me thinking of what a reality show it would be to follow his campaign run from start to finish?
Before you steal MY idea to include in your Reality TV Show pitch,
Join Kevin for cocktails, conversations, and to kick-off the summer at the . . .
KEVIN POWELL FOR CONGRESS FUNDRAISER
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
CANAL ROOM
285 West Broadway (at Canal Street)
New York City
www.canalroom.com
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
DJ REBORN (Ubiquita NYC) &
J. PERIOD (producer of Kevin Powell for Congress, The Soundtrack) (????)
$25.00 (guests may pay at the door)
(100% of the cover charge will be donated to Kevin Powell for Congress campaign)
Or if you can’t make it to the event, you can contribute by;

Please make all checks payable to:
Friends of Kevin Powell
P.O. Box 24810
Brooklyn, NY 11202-4810

or Via Pay Pal

I THANK YOU in advance for your support.
Respectfully,
Kevin Powell
Event Committee:
Lea Byrd, LEABYRD PR ~ Joules Del Fino ~ Ed Friedberg ~ Gary Grant ~ Lamarr Jones, GFC Entertainment ~ Munira Khapra ~ The Kimberly Group* ~ KYA Entertainment ~ The Persaud Brothers ~ Pam Pickens, Black Diamonds ~ April Silver, AKILA WORKSONGS ~ Troy White

Host Committee:
Daoud Abeid, Coup D Etat ~ Tracy Alexander ~ Charles Anthony, Hustlemode ~ Lisa Babb ~ asha bandele ~ Ras Baraka ~ Mo Beasley ~ Jasmine & Spencer Bellamy ~ Sherry Bitting, Complex ~ Fiona Bloom ~ DJ Beverly Bond ~ Leonard E. Burnett, Jr., Vibe ~ Aaron Burrison ~ Lashan Browning ~ Anita Bryant ~ Yvonne Botchey ~ John Campbell ~ Keith Clinkscales ~ Sherrese Clarke ~ Michael Cohen ~ Jamie Daves ~ Renaldo Davidson ~ Cherise Davis ~ Eisa Davis ~ Rick Davy ~ Doug E. Fresh ~ Dove ~ Desmond Eaddy, Producer’s Advantage ~ Greg Eaton, Kenneth Cole ~ Leora Edut ~ Bobbito Garcia ~ Cheryl Gentry, GLOW Media ~ Bruce George ~ Kenard Gibbs, Vibe ~ Jill Gordon ~ Kayinde Harris ~ Cecil Henry ~ Lovett Hines ~ Byron Hurt ~ Erica Hutchinson, Addy & Ferro ~ Chris Jackson ~ Jennifer James ~ Alissa Jenkins, Spike DDB ~ Rasu Jilani, Coup D Etat ~ Gail Johnson ~ Doug Jones ~ Michael Jones ~ Fatima Kafele ~ Keith Kinch ~ Kimberly Knox, Sourcebox Media ~ Raymond Lewis ~ Sarah Lewis, Museum of Mo dern Art ~ Corey “CL” Llewellyn ~ Peggy Jean-Louis ~ Sonya Magett ~ John McGregor ~ Paloma McGregor ~ Merv Mercano ~ Tracey Moore Marable, Theo Moore Movement Marketing ~ MaryKay Penn ~ DJ J. Period ~ Delissa Reynolds ~ Rhonda Ridley ~ Robyn Rodgers (DJ Reborn) ~ Tresa Sanders ~ Santrice Simon, CAMBA ~ Taigi Smith ~ Vanese Smith, Addy & Ferro ~ Toyia Taylor ~ Mechel Thompson ~ A kanke Washington
~ Erich Williams ~ Ghana Wilson and yours truly Jonn Nubian.

Screened “V for Vendetta” last night at the DGA. The director JAMES McTEIGUE, gave a brief introduction , with “hopes” that the film will make you think or discuss it afterwards, and it does.

I’m sure 98% of the audience did not know it was based on a comic book.
The fact that is stars Natalie Portman was enough.

Here is a synopsis:
Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (NATALIE PORTMAN) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (HUGO WEAVING) known only as “V.” Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression

I remember the comic book published in 1988 by Alan Moore, which looking at it again had so much texture and symbolism. The film makes the polictical themes MUCH more relevant to the times we are living in now.

You don’t have to read the comic to appreciate the movie, its an overall good experience.
It is written by THE WACHOWSKI BROTHERS who created (?) the Matrix Trilogy, and “V” is played by “Agent Smith” of those films.

In theatres March 17th.

The actor Damon Wayans has been engaged in a 14-month fight to trademark the term “Nigga” for a clothing line and retail store, a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s online database reveals.

Wayans wants to dress customers in 14 kinds of attire from tops to bottoms, and use the controversial mark on “clothing, books, music and general merchandise,” as well as movies, TV and the internet, according to his applications.

But, so far, his applications have been unsuccessful. Trademark examiner Kelly Boulton rejected the registration dated Dec. 22, citing a law that prohibits marks that are “immoral or scandalous.” A previous attempt by Wayans was turned down on identical grounds six months earlier.

“While debate exists about in-group uses of the term, ‘nigga’ is almost universally understood to be derogatory,” Boulton wrote to Wayans’ attorney, William H. Cox, according to the application.

Continue Reading

Courtesy of The Boondocks television series on AdultSwim.

Let me be the one to say that I had HIGH expectations for the show.
I’ve had the comic strip running daily on my site since the beginning.

The animation is excellent, but I think it is geared towards another audience OR assumes that you never read the comic strip.

The writing is horrible and I think the casting for the voices is wrong. It’s not even funny.
You have John Witherspoon, (the father in FRIDAY) doing the voice as the grandfather, doing jokes from his role in FRIDAY. 7 out of 10 times the cartoon isnt even funny.

But THIS episode “Return of the King” is a gem. See this final scence for yourself

If for some reason you cant see the video and big PLAY button,
you can click here to view it.

All the talk has been about VP Dick Cheney’s shooting incident.
If the were using Paintball Gunsmight not have been a big deal. But to wait 18 hours and not report it???
Then the guy has a heart attack from the buckshot lodged in his chest…whoa.

Also a total of 26.9 inches fell in Central Park, the most since record-keeping began in 1869.
Definitely time to start looking into florida vacation rentals

I was talking to a friend on IM, and she tells me how she needs
some auto insurance quotes since her insurance is about to expire.( or has already), as fate would have it the next day she gets into a car accident.

I was saying to myself how I miss the commercial office chairs from my old job.
Wouldn’t you know I see this homeless guy wheeling one down the street that was almost the same in good condition and I bought it from him for $4.

This came up during the Superbowl party where I met Steve Fulop who is a councilman in Jersey City.
He called for the resignation of the Chief of Police for the 39 murders in 2005.
(and I thought Newark was bad)
He mentioned to me he had a Google based “crime” map on his site to back him up.
Check it out by clicking here

Tonight is:
The Grammys
The Knicks vs. The Nets
Sergio Mendes release party…
What to do what to do?

I got the email from my main man Darryl Hell, I was going to FORWARD this along, but figured I’d post it for all to see, plus you can hit his site for more 411.

Many Americans, even liberals, have stated that the economy is mostly doing okay except in certain areas; ghettos, rural areas and such.
This flies in the face of any factual accounting…even from the unaffected government officials themselves.

Most of the economic indicators quoted in the mainstream media focus on Gross Domestic Product [G.D.P.] and the National Unemployment Rate.
We believe that neither of these prove to be accurate indicators.

The most accurate and egalitarian forecasting devices, to us, are the National Foreclosure Rate and the National Personal Savings Rate. Both of these describe people on many sides of the economic scale.

Foreclosures [having to forfeit your home because you can no longer afford it] are escalating at a dangerous rate and the US has a negative National Personal Savings Rate [the amount of money you have left over after expenses]. Both of these indicators are exasterbated by the growth of personal debt and the ever rising trend of layoffs, downsizing and forced retirement.

None of the promises you will hear during the “State of the Union”
speech will address these issues head on. They may be mentioned as mere economic speed bumps… but not serious national issues that demand immediate attention.

Below are 3 links that illustrate in detail what our true State of the Union is. If you take a bit of time to check these out [they're very digestible exposes'], you’ll be armed for the discussions you will most certainly have at the worksite, in the office, the breakroom and the bedroom.

—> Americans Saving Less than Nothing:
Spending could outstrip income in 2005, which hasn’t happened since the Depression

—> Personal Savings rate graph

—> A Bane Amid The Housing Boom: Rising Foreclosures

sektor 6 kommunikations is dedicated to providing you with thoughtful, egalitarian perspectives without “liberal” or “conservative’ biases.
We are extreme lovers of independently verifiable documention. We believe that we would be a disservice to you if we were to provide our opinion and just ask you to believe us. Our only mission is to find and expose the truth as we, and you, can verify it.

Please feel free to scrutinize, provide us with alternative information and the like. We are only as strong as the information network we share with you. We thank you for your time and continued support.

Peaceness and Sledgehammers,
Darryl Hell
President and Founder of sektor 6 kommunikations www.s6k.com