Via the Rock and Rap Confidential listserv

Listen to this story on NPR’s Day to Day

Last week, I asked you to send in your favorite examples of incongruous advertising soundtracks. (This was in response to GE’s use of the mining folk song “Sixteen Tons”—in an ad that touts the wonders of coal.) Your response has been overwhelming.

The big winner, submitted by dozens and dozens of you, is Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which used Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” in a series of spots. As my reader Andrei put it, “Nothing says maritime comfort like a song about shooting up junk.”

Maybe they could also use the Velvet Underground’s “Heroin” - “I don’t care/just where I’m going” to convey an image of drifting happily at sea? They would need to axe the “And it makes me feel like I’m a man/When I put a spike into my vein” unless, of course, rich junkies are their target demographic something which, given the current sleazy state of US advertising, is not out of the question.

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From a listserv:

As you all know, the Governor wants to hold a special election this fall - and spend over $80 million of our money on it. What a waste. Well, I finally found a website where you can sign a petition and oppose this wasteful use of our money. Phil Angelides, CA State Treasurer, sponsors this petition. Click here to sign it.

Schwarzenegger has done a few (very few) progressive things like liberalizing prison policy and backing global warming plans, but on the whole, his policies are reactionary, slashing budgets, breaking promises he swore to keep, openly backing racist groups like the Minutemen, etc.

Here in L.A. he will speak at the Santa Monica College commencement this Tuesday. There will be a protest starting at 5 pm, assemble at 17th and Pico. ANSWER LA called the protest and we’ve gotten more endorsers and interest than we sometimes get for major antiwar demos. Details here.

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Read the book. Check out the blog. More later when I’ve finished the book.

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Bolivia will slide into civil war unless immediate elections are held, President Carlos Mesa has warned, a day after he offered to resign from office.

The main city La Paz has seen violent clashes between security forces and protesters calling for economic reform and more rights for indigenous people.

As with many countries in Latin America,the people have grown tired of neo-liberal globalization plans, aided and abetted by the US, which do nothing but impoverish them further, while making the tiny elite wealthier.

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Apple’s announcement earlier this week that it will add built-in podcast support to the next version of its iTunes software could be just what the world of downloadable-and-go audio programs needs to move from a quick fad to an every day occurrence

Chris Pirillo, who is organizing the upcoming Gnomedex blog/podcasting convention, emails me that he “hopes to have more things to announce for it soon” followed by a smiley - so stay tuned!

Given the huge buzz already happening for Gnomedex with the event still 15 days away, this could be the event that injects podcasting into the mainstream for keeps.

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He’s nearly 40, makes good money in his skilled profession when he’s clean. Trouble is, he can’t stay clean. A few months ago he disappeared down the crack pipe again. This time was much worse than usual. A friend finally tracked him down, he’d been put on a mandatory 72 hour psychiatric hold in a local hospital and then signed on to stay longer. All the belongings and car are probably gone (again.) Is his brain and personality still intact? We don’t know. Damn man, what’s it going to take? I really don’t want to go to your funeral …

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