RE: Cartalk, key stuck in my Audi

["James A. Desveaux" <desveaux@ucla.edu>]

Mike Arman just commented that he's only heard cartalk deal with Audi fixes
once or twice.  Not so.  They've had several people with Audis call, ranging
from a woman in Seattle with a 5000TQW with a zillion miles on it (she
wanted to keep it, but asked whether the car would sink her in repairs).
Some guy called this morning (a rebroadcast, since KCRW is doing their fund
drive), with an '88 5000 leaking Pentosin like a sieve.  Clack and clunk
told him to check the high pressure hoses before springing for a rack, and
told him they work on lots of Audis at their shop.  They've also highly
recommended Audis for people looking for vehicles with decent traction.  And
they've told folks to spring for an Audi rather than an suv.

THese guys have to appeal to a broad audience, and also they try to
entertain.  It's surprising to me how often they do get it right.  

As for NPR, I suppose the alternative is top 40 radio.  We don't have a CBC
or BBC in this country.  It strikes me as peculiar that those who own these
cars, which are hardly plain vanilla, and hardly accommodate the tastes of
those within a standard deviation of the distribution's mean, would rant
about one of the few alternatives to the limited range of music pushed on
the public by huge media conglomerates.  I suppose I'm sensitive to this,
after having volunteered to man phones for KCRW's pledge drive, realizing
that this is the ONLY radio station in all of Southern California with a
serious alternative music format.  Not to mention the fact that many many
bands/groups/soloists got their first break at this station.  Until a couple
of years ago, there was an alternative music commercial station, but it got
bought out, and they're back to mainstream.

- Jim