Homeless: Just to be sure I am clear, I agree with almost everything you said, It IS annoying that you can't get away from it if you want to. Where we part ways is when we talk about things like "intentional, unnecessary sensory stimulus". I understand and appreciate that that's your opinion....but it is not universal. I've heard folks talk about how they dance in the grocery store, or they tune it out, or that it doesn't bother them at all. If I have a business, and for pennies I can pump in music that studies shows will help my business, I would do it in a heartbeat and I would consider it a necessary sesory stimulus for my business.

I guess the thing that gets to me is the overall feeling here that if somethng bothers me a little, I will just avoid it, if it bothers me a lot, THEY'LL have to change. That's my perception anyway.....I'll give you an example. There are a lot of TV commercials that I think are in poor taste or just stupid. I try to ignore them. Lately the United Way has been running a commercial that has a child calling 911 crying that, "Daddy is hurting my Mommy!!!" It ends with the announcer saying, "Go ahead, do nothing...." or something along those lines. Clearly the implication is that this kid will have to see his Mommy beaten unless I pledge money to the United Way, or if not that exactly, it is all about guilt. I hate that commercial. I've contributed to other funds that exist for battered women and children but I still felt guilty. I wish the commercial will go off the air and that they'll stop. But i do feel that they have every right to run it. For me, until they stop, I simply won't give to the United Way. And finally, Don'tcha think, "no music" IS a musical preference?

Frank