Postal Governors To Small Publishers: Drop Dead

Whenever postage rates go up, people most immediately think of the impact of the new price of a 1st class stamp. Actually, the cost of mailing in many categories increases, such as packages, credit card solicitations, catalogs, and invoices. Newspapers and magazines also have to pay more, and for 215 years, they have paid the same rates regardless of circulation size, frequency, or corporate parent.

Until now, that is.

In March, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors rejected a recommended Postal Service plan for modest, across-the-board increases for all periodicals. Instead, without Congressional oversight or public imput, it accepted a modified version of a lengthy, complicated plan put forth by Time Warner (the publisher of Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and over 100 other magazines), for smaller increases (under 10%) for the country's largest publishers, while dramatically raising rates (up to 30% or more) for smaller, independent publishers.

From one free-market perspective, it doesn't seem all that unfair. Megapublishers have the economies of scale through their sorting, bundling, and delivery systems to get their stuff to and through the USPS faster, so maybe they should pay less. Except that this flies in the face of the principle of its universal service mandate. Regardless of whether one is mailing a letter across town or across the country, the cost of 1 ounce 1st class delivery is 41 cents. For over 200 years, periodical rates have been equal because Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, et al., wanted to ensure that there would be a wide and open exchange of ideas and opinions. This principle is now at risk of being seriously degraded.

If there were a variety of choices for delivering periodical mail, there would likely be less argument. But, under the law, the USPS is a monopoly. It can have no competition; legally, it owns the mailbox outside your door. So much for free enterprise in the USA. At the same time, it is mandated by Congress to be self-sustaining, and to honor its enormous pension obligations. Hence, the vicious cycle of regular rate increases depressing mail volume, which, in turn, leads to more rate increases.

A broad coalition, including such strange bedfellows as National Review, The Nation, Mother Jones, American Conservative, and many others, has mobilized to fight this.

Congress needs to intervene, if the Board of Governors won't overturn this whole scheme.

Please contact Free Press's Stop Postal Rate Hikes for more information, petitions, etc.
The effect on a small record company and a music magazine publisher by this proposal

Delta 5-I Finally Got It!

Back in the late '70s and early '80s, I was a little aware of what was happening in the worlds of punk, post-punk, and New Wave music. I knew the Clash, of course, and Gang of Four, but it wasn't until almost the mid-'80s, when listening to the late, great WHFS-FM that I first heard Delta 5. The brief-lived post-punk group out of Leeds, England was unique not only for its two bass rhythm section but also its female leadership.

After success with songs like "Mind Your Own Business", "You", and "Try", they broke up after releasing a single full-length album. Late last year, Kill Rock Stars released a compilation of their early material, Singles & Sessions 1979-81, which also includes Peel sessions. It's just a shame it took until now for this to come out! And for me to buy it at Philly's AKA Records!

How To Remember Flight 93?

Here we are, going on six years since the 9/11 attacks on America, and two of the crash sites are mired in controversy. It took years to reach agreement on a memorial at the World Trade Center site in New York, and every time new remains are found, new questions are raised..

Near Schwenksville in Pennsylvania's Somerset County, where United Flight 93 crashed after a battle between the hijackers and the passengers, a temporary memorial was established. Thousands of visitors since 9/11 have left items which have become part of a larger display. Chaotic, unplanned, yes, but also reflecting a truer measure of how many Americans choose to deal with their grief and to honor the fallen heroes.

In The New Republic, Jonathan Last describes the lengthy "sausage-making" process that produced the abstract "Crescent of Embrace" design for the "official" memorial. After many people, including me, found it objectionable because of its similarity to the Islamic symbol, it was heavily modified, and is now truly an empty, bland proposal. As he writes:

It won't have any of the sentimentality of left-behind crosses or rosaries, motorcycle jackets or matchbox cars. Neither will it have any elements of the heroic or the classical--no obelisks or domes or statuary. Instead it will, as the NPS Flight 93 Memorial newsletter soothingly explains, offer the visitor "space for reflection, learning, social interaction, and healing." Not to mention wind chimes. And a spacious visitors' center, too.

Very sad ... but does it have to be this way?

Don't Pull The Plug On Internet Radio!

I don't stream radio over the Internet very often, maybe three or four times a week, for about two hours (at most). But I was still outraged by the decision in March by the Copyright Royalty Board (part of the Library of Congress) to order a new royalty payment formula. The new fees, made retroactive to 1 January 2006, will require huge increases in payments (in some cases, 1000%!) by webcasters & radio stations with Internet streaming. Since most cannot pay, they will have to cease operations.

SoundExchange, the industry board set up the record industry (read: the RIAA) to collect and distribute royalties to artists and record companies claims that the new fees are for the good of the artists, but this claim is highly dubious. Artists should be fairly compensated, but Internet radio provides important exposure, build audiences, and sell CDs. Besides, as an article in the Houston Press shows, SoundExchange hasn't exactly been killing itself to find all of the musicians who it says are entitled to receive royalties. Instead, it pockets the money. What a disgrace!

Shutting down webcasting will be also bad for non-profit radio stations, some of which, like WXPN, have a large, out-of-market audience. It will further kill off any interest in some music formats, like jazz, blues, classical, and world music, which have carved out a small niche on the Web.

The new fees are scheduled to take effect on 15 July. There is legislation before Congress to overturn the CRB decision, and instead, establish a royalty payment of 7.5% of revenues. Next week, I'll be writing and emailing my U.S. Representatives & Senators to support the Internet Radio Equality Act. In the House, the bill is called H.R. 2060, and in the Senate, it's S. 1353. Over the last 10 years, Congresses under the control of both major parties have avoided taxing Internet sales, access, etc., because they know its importance to future of the U.S. economy.

This bill must be passed.

Progress of this legislation in the U.S. Congress can be tracked here

Savenetradio is probably the leading group looking to overturn the CRB decision.

Chavez & Putin: Birds Of A Feather

It's amazing what a nice little cash flow can do for one's dictatorship. When prices for a barrel of oil were just creeping into the double digits, the "leaders" of two of the biggest oil-producing nations were laying low. Russia's Vladimir Putin was dealing with Chechen terrorists in the Beslan school massacre, and building ties with the West and President G.W. Bush. Hugo Chavez survived a coup attempt when he attempted to nationalize part of Venezuela's economy.

Now, with revenues gushing into their coffers because of skyrocketing oil prices, both have been taking an increasingly strident stance on the regional and worldwide stage. Putin has been spending huge amounts of money in a military buildup, intimidated Ukraine and Estonia, shut down opposition media and anti-Kremlin political parties, consolidated key industries, and threatened a new arms race with the U.S. over possible depolyment of missile defense among NATO countries in Europe. Chavez has moved to take over key parts of his country's economy and shut down the broadcast operation of the oldest TV station, RCTV.

All of this is not good for the national security interests of the United States, especially in Latin America. But is anyone in Washington, D.C. listening?

In Vino Veritas

What's in that wine? You may not want to know. According to the L.A. Times, federal regulators are considering new rules requiring winemakers to list ingredients on labels, thanks to an allergen-disclosure law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2004. I'm usually in favor of truth-in-labelling, and being aware of what I consume, so how bad could this be? Ponder this:

It might be disenchanting if the label also listed the chicken, fish, milk and wheat products that are often used to process wine. And it would be hard to maintain the notion that wine is an ethereal elixir if, before uncorking, consumers read that their Pinot Noir or Syrah contained Mega Purple (a brand of concentrated wine color), oak chips or such additives as oak gall nuts, grape juice concentrate, tartaric acid, citric acid, dissolved oxygen, copper and water.

Well, whatever, I don't want to know what's in my Red Head Yard Dog Petit Verdot. Thanks, but no thanks!

What Is That?!?!

Well?

Any ideas?

I check out Linda Moulton Howe's excellent website, Earthfiles, from time-to-time. She reports on all kinds of things - from environmental issues, odd weather, and crop circles to flying saucers and medical news. This report says people have been seeing and photographing these aerial drones for years. Is it some kind of secret Defense Department "black project"? Alien spacecraft? What?!?

British Soldier's Heroism "Too Positive"?!?!?!?

The Iraq "war" has been nearly as divisive in Britain as it has been in the United States. As the only major ally to commit a large number of troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom, there have been great acts of sacrifice and heroism by British troops (just as there have been many by U.S. soldiers and marines). But a film based on the story of one of them, Pte. Johnson Beharry, the first winner of the Victoria Cross in over 40 years, has been rejected by BBC as too positive(!)

He was cited for "valour of the highest order" after he drove a Warrior tracked armoured vehicle through heavy enemy fire in May 2004 to come to the rescue of a foot patrol that had been caught in a series of ambushes. The 30-ton Warrior was hit by multiple rocket-propelled grenades, causing damage and resulting in the loss of radio communications. Pte Beharry drove through the ambush, taking his own injured crew and leading five other Warriors to safety. He then extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle, all the time exposed to further enemy fire.

The following month, Pte Beharry was again driving the lead Warrior vehicle of his platoon through al-Amarah when his vehicle was ambushed. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the vehicle and Pte Beharry received serious head injuries. Other rockets hit the vehicle incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew.Despite his very serious injuries, Pte Beharry then took control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries and he was still recovering when he received the VC from the Queen in June last year.

Unfortunately, the BBC decided not to back the project because it didn't want to offend those in the audience opposed to the war. What utter bullsh**. It's one thing to oppose this "war" because of its rationale, or its conduct. But, to denigrate the service of a man who put the lives of his fellow soldiers above his own - twice - is truly terrible. It's basically saying that those who are killing U.S. and British soldiers-whether al-Qaeda, Sunni, Shiite, Baathists, Sadaam loyalists, whoever-are justified in their killing. Maybe ... probably, we shouldn't be there, at least without a formal declaration of war (which hasn't happened since 1941). But this guy is a hero.

The BBC's cowardice is bloody awful, really, and another example of its decline.

The Bad Signs Are Everywhere!

For years, I had a Saturday morning ritual: visiting yard sales. Most of the time, I'd plan my route out on a map, then make a list of every garage sale, estate sale, moving sale or flea market within a three-mile radius that I had seen advertised in the newspaper. I wouldn't often buy anything unless I came across an exceptional bargain, like the time I bought the entire catalog of The Smiths on CD for $8.

One of the surest indications that Spring, and "Spring Cleaning" season has arrived, is the growing number of signs appearing everywhere. Tacked on or taped to trees, or telephone pools, these signs are almost without exception, the worst possible way to advertise a yard sale.

Take for example, the sign in the photo at right. Thin lettering on fluorescent paper? You can't read the address at all until you're practically standing next to it, totally useless if you're driving around. Another common sin is using cheap paper or even ripped up cardboard as a sign, which blows away if it isn't secured right.

Maybe it's the marketer and advertiser in me thinking, but I just cringe when I see bad signs. No wonder so much eventually winds up out on the curb for trash pickup!

Take Me Out ... For Some Food on The Road

Singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos is the frontman for Franz Ferdinand, one of the best (and most successful) new bands of the decade. He is also something of a gourmand. In September of 2005, he began writing a column for The Guardian newspaper about the food he was eating while touring the world. His observations have just been published in Sound Bites.

It's an interesting read, filled with stories about friends and meals, from Milan to Melbourne. One of the best passages describes an interlude in Wigtown, Scotland. Kapranos has been recommended to visit Reading Lasses, a women's studies bookstore & cafe. There, he basks in the simple pleasure of two great loves: eating & reading:

I am brought a thick plank of wood stacked with Galloway cheeses, chutneys and homemade bread dense with seeds. I open my book and flick through it, comforted by the reassuring flavors.

You can buy Sound Bites at your local bookshop, or here.

Franz Ferdinand is at work on its next album.