I'm in a club where they're having a benefit for a friend of mine. The band takes a break. The piped-in music is turned on. During the band's break, a co-worker wants to interview the guest of honor, so to speak, but she's worried about whether he can be heard even with her microphone right under his chin. I ask a waitress if she can have it turned down or off for a minute. She checks and comes back and tells me no.
No biggie.
Then the owner comes by and says: "I got a club full of people, so the music's staying on. She wants to do an interview, she can go outside."
I find that to be a very interesting comment. It's not about musical tastes or style, or even age groups. Because I have observed in several venues, whether the typical fare is blues, rock, country or current hits, patrons talk incessantly. Some on their cell phones. Many of them can't seem to shut up even when the band is playing. And I've been among people in these situations who actually want the music turned down because they can't hear their conversations.
But the owner said there was no way he was turning his down or off.
I don't disagree with his decision. He's a businessman, and he did what he thought was best for his customers.
And to be fair, there was a moment when it seemed like more people were dancing to the piped-in music than to the band.
Still, I find it curious that a minute or so of no music would be a problem for a lot of people who weren't even listening to it.

........NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law

I wonder how his partners feel about wearing helmets now.

Smart guy, no?

The leader of the group stated that the incident didn't change his views on helmet laws. Another group member resented the "guv' mint" interfering with his rights to not wear a helmet.

I don't know how smart the guy was but he is a dead guy after his head hit the pavement.

What's with people who think it's a good idea to have these things as pets and then don't keep them?

Snakes threaten Hawaiian paradise

They treat their snakes like children. The bring them into their homes; feed and care for them until they are big and unmanageable; and then release them on the public. But they are so cute when they are little.

So I was driving along saw some odd movement at the back of a pickup in the next lane. At first, I thought it was a small animal that got caught napping on the bumper. When we came to a red light, I got a better look.
Mounted on the trailer hitch ball was one of those Billy Bass singing fish. It was wired into the brake lights, so that whenever the driver stopped, the fish's tail wagged.

Just experienced an earthquake here in Alexandria, VA!

There's a distinction between, "What's the address?" and "How do I get there?"
That distinction is important to recognize if you're dependent on a GPS device and get easily confused and/or irritated when someone gives you visual cues - simple things like specific landmarks you will pass, traffic signals and, oh, the shape and color of the building you're looking for.
In short: Ask somebody else.

I don't know if Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene fits the category of this thread, but if it does I have a link to share: my Irene experience.