Saturday, March 29, 2008

Sounds of silence

Amber finds the city noisy, Mike is exhausted after shopping.

...

Amber: She was attacked when she politely asked some youngsters to turn down their karaoke amplifier.

Mike: Technology can amplify the useful, & the good. But it can also amplify nonsense and thuggish behavior.

Amber: Noise can drive people to desperate measures. I read in the Post that a doctor in Songkhla was among 7 people shot dead when they were drinking & playing music loudly after midnight.

Mike: And it can cause anything from ringing in the ears to mental breakdown.

Amber: It’s nice we agree about this at least. Silence is good. Pity there aren't places to go where it is quiet instead of you having to buy me noise canceling headphones.

_____________

Voiceover

Mike’s point about technology amplifying both good and bad behavior strikes a chord. A music system that can broadcast Bach is equally capable of generating a woofer-driven boom to houses a kilometer away.

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