Follow me on Twitter!

I have 4 people following me on Twitter, so you can imagine I'd like to bring along a lot more. If you wanna get the scoop on what's going on with the magazine, scooter gossip, or my yen for cold drinks, then check me out on Twitter! I've been using Twitterrific from the Iconfactory on my iPhone.

And if you have a cool scooter-related Twitter feed, let me know.

Twitter me this...twitter me that...

So, I finally got on board and joined Twitter.

Is this a mistake?

I'm going to try it out. I have the iPhone which makes all this communication so simple, but I have the el cheapo plan, so I must limit my SMS. As I said, I'm just getting started, but if you wanna follow me, check me out. And if you Twitter, let me know so I can check out your feed.

New Gwen Stefani Video with Scooters

All-around likable performer, Gwen Stefani, had included some scooters in her new video, "Now That You Got It" which features Damian Marley. The Jamaican theme has Stefani and her crew racing around the island on scooters. It makes me think about the olden days when No Doubt was playing scooter rallies.

New International Vespa Lifestyle Store

Piaggio has launched an online shopping destination for the Vespa brand. Vespa Shopping is a one-stop shop for Vespa fans, offering the lifestyle items that one sees in boutiques. Clothing, accessories, die-cast models, Vespa Technica books, and crazy-cool stuff such as the clock that looks light a fenderlight and a thermometer that is shaped like a speedo.

Since this is an international site, the prices are in Euros, which puts US buyers at a disadvantage because of the poor exchange rate. Yet, the site gives a good starting point for collectors. I'd suggest looking at it for ideas and then contacting your local Vespa dealer to see if they can get you the item at a better price.

Save Internet Radio!

If you are like me, you spend LOTS of time in front of your computer. Working on the magazine late into the night is lonely work made better by the Internet Radio stations that I listen to while working. Here are some of my faves:
Indie Pop Rocks!
Radio Paradise
Kink FM

Unfortunately, the music industry and commercial radio are incestuously intertwined and have ganged up on Internet stations to charge them HUGE royalty fees. They want to charge them based on *possible* listeners. As you know almost anyone in the world can connect to an Internet radio station, so you do the math on the royalty fees! In order to limit the industry to reasonable royalties some groups are appealing to congress to pass some sane legislation. One site involved in the fight is Savenetradio.org:

The future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. Royalty rates for webcasters have been drastically increased by a recent ruling and are due to go into effect on July 15 (retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!). If the increased rates remain unchanged, the majority of webcasters will go bankrupt and silent on this date. Internet radio needs your help! The Internet Radio Equality Act has recently been introduced in both the House (H.R. 2060) and Senate (S. 1353) to save the Internet radio industry. Please call your senators and your representative to ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act

Time is of the essence as the deadline is next month. Please contact your representative and ask them to get on board and stand up to the music industry bullies. If you aren't a political person or think your opinion doesn't count, don't be discouraged. If a small percentage of the people who felt the same took a stand our country would be a far better place. You've got to start somewhere, why not with the expression of musical freedom?

Find your congressional or senate rep here.

There are several bands that I would never have found had it not been for Internet Radio. Through the Internet I heard obscure bands from other countries whose music isn't even sold in this country. How can Slayer sell out a venue with no commercial radio play in their career? Because of word of mouth. Look to your record collection and think of the bands that you heard of from friends who aren't played on the radio. The Internet now makes it possible for you to hear of more diverse music than ever before. Don't let the possibility be squashed.

Funky Scooter Fonts

I've always had a thing for fonts since I dated a typographer in the waaay back. The inspired use of fonts can make a page come to life. If you are a scooter fanatic, you may enjoy the fonts I've got in this entry.


I found this Lambretta-inspired font pack at Chank an online font foundry. I've been a big fan of their free fonts, but this font pack is quite affordable at $39. While it is probably best for headings or titles, it can jazz up invitations, posters and the like. May be great for patch design or rally fliers.



If you are interested in getting the font that is used on the Vespa Primavera, you can download it from Smallframes.com.

Favorite Internet Radio Station

Lots of my time is spent in a dark room in front of a computer working on Scoot! content. It's made much better by Internet radio, my favorite station: KinkFM out of the Netherlands. Damned if I can understand about 5% of what they are saying (they pepper their speech with English terms now & again), but they play some excellent music. Luckily, can get a great connection via iTunes. Kink has exposed me to some great, diverse music like Pete Philly and Perquisite, Electrelane, Vive la Fete and many more bands that I have had a hard time finding in the states. Often, I hear of bands on Kink way before they make it to the US and most of them will never make it to the boring and unimaginative US broadcast radio.

This afternoon, as I was finishing up some articles, I was listening to DJ Dr. Ska who was playing some great classic and contemporary ska as well as some vintage soul. I was so enthralled, I had to send him a congratulatory email. Not 5 minutes later, he gave me a shout out! I may have never made it to the Holland, but some late night Netherlanders have heard my name!
Give them a listen!