But who is playing the prank--and on whom? Methinks Cary is the author of at least 80, 90, 98% of these ridiculous letters.

And to the author of the letter (Cary? You there?) re: "The only thing that could make me happier would be if, say, my guy wins the nomination of his party and then becomes president," please go here, listen to the broadcast, and educate yourself about the puppet:

http://www.gcnlive.com/Programs/WorldCrisisRadio/On_Demand.html

What are they using for protection? Condoms? The rhythm method? A combination of the two? Always having to wear a condom (which some men absolutely loathe!) or to pull out before ejaculating, can, over time, seriously weaken a man's excitement around lovemaking. Combined with stress, depression, and meds, I'm sure it could kill it completely.

(Can you guess who I'm voting for?)

-- natesmith124

B. Hussein Obama? Hope not!

Check out Obama - The Postmodern Coup: Making of a Manchurian Candidate on Amazon.

Well, it comes as no surprise that so many good citizens of "the land of the free" (aka the land of rocknroll/hiphop, testosterone-driven competitive sports, and the motorized vehicle), whose elected (as well as unelected) officials and agents, year after year and decade after decade, either overtly or covertly infringe upon the sovereignty and peaceful existence of their neighbors in the world community, should manifest such insensitivity to the right of the LW to peaceful enjoyment of his own domain (which includes not only actual land but also sonic airspace).

I wonder if you all would be as dismissive of the rights of this imposed-upon individual if the sonic/vibratory aggressor was not engaging in the "All-American" and "community-approved" act of throwing/bouncing/kicking a ball around, but intoning, at decibel levels reaching those of the impacting basketball (perhaps with a megaphone or other amplification device), say, some Persian mystical poetry or Baudelaire's Les fleurs du mal for several hours each day.

I myself live in a very quiet building, so quiet that often I wonder if there is anyone actually living in the suites around me. Of the many forms of music I enjoy, one happens to be the very bass-heavy dub techno, with a steady and relentless 4/4 beat. This music is best enjoyed loud. But I have never played this music loudly over the speakers in my home, out of consideration for my neighbors. (I have fantastic headphones through which I can absolutely blast the music, even at 3 a.m.) Even the harpsichord music to which I am now listening is playing quietly. This is simply manners and respectful consideration of those among whom I live, whose interests, tastes, and sensitivities may not coincide with my own. I prefer not to be infringed upon by unwelcome noise from my neighbors (who doesn't?), so I offer the same courtesy to them, unasked.

One of my chief pleasures in life has been playing a variety of woodwind instruments (saxophone, etc.). When I have lived in houses where I could play these without disturbing anyone, I did so. Now, however, I live in a small suite surrounded by quiet people, some of whom are probably around most of the day. It would be exceedingly selfish and uncommunity-oriented of me not to consider their right to quiet enjoyment of their home, and to simply go ahead and blow my horn whenever I damn felt like it ("3 or 4 hours a day? No problem -- they could easily manage to go out, wear earplugs, rearrange their schedule, etc.").

According to your "logic," my sensitive neighbors' right to quiet does not trump my rights and desires (playing the sax). "Just realizing that they have ways to mitigate the annoyance of my saxophone, while the only way that I can play sax is to play sax. Clearly that's what I desire." Do you see what's wrong with that statement? They are not interfering with ME, I am interfering with THEM! While it's true that the only way to play sax is to play sax, it can be done in a rented studio in a warehouse somewhere, or on a lonely hillside, instead of in my home, within earshot of neighbors.

IF any rearranging of schedules or incurring of expenses needs to be done, it needs to be done by ME! If I want to play my sax here in my suite, then I should invest in a soundproof room so that I do not bother anyone else. Or are you seriously suggesting that my neighbors need to go to the trouble and expense of soundproofing THEIR suite so that I can enjoy playing MY sax? Or go out for a few hours a day while I play?

(And, BTW, there are the occasional noisy kids, power tools, and twenty-somethings with loud stereos nearby whose noise goes on for an hour or two from time to time, and whose noise I accept as part of living in an urban setting, but 3 or 4 hours of loud, repetitive impact noise day after day after day, would, I'm afraid, be another matter altogether.)