iPod People

Sasseroni asks:

I hate that my husband wears his IPOD everywhere: when he walks to to the store a few blocks away, or rides public transport and even falls asleep. I am so afraid something will happen to him and he's unaware of his surroundings. He thinks I am overreacting. Am I???

Maybe a little bit. I'd be more concerned about long-term hearing loss than the likelihood of his getting mugged. For a quick walk to the store in a well-trafficked area, or his regular morning/afternoon commute it's not unreasonable for him to want to listen to music, especially if it helps the time pass faster. On the other hand, if he's wearing earphones while he's driving, or while in unpopulated, poorly lit, or unfamiliar territory, you do have cause for concern.

You may want to try to compromise here. Tell him you'd feel more comfortable if he left the iPod at home when he's traveling at night or going somewhere he's never been. Or, if the two of you are going somewhere together, tell him you'd rather him spend the time talking with you.

When he does use the iPod, ask him to make sure the volume is kept do a level that doesn't completely drown out ambient noise. He should still be able to speak with someone sitting next to him, and the people around him should not be able to hear what he's listening to.

Featuring "Nights In White Satin" And Other Great Hits!

Edmund Fitzgerald writes:

First of all, to the reader who had a problem with flies I would suggest a security door or screen door. That would let the air in and the keep the flies out.

Onto my question though: I recently proposed to my girlfriend and she said yes. We'll be marrying in February and all is great except for one thing: she doesn't like Gordon Lightfoot. Even worse is that she doesn't like Christopher Cross either. I've known for a while that she doesn't like Cat Stevens and I've made peace with that and Christopher Cross isn't a big deal because she doesn't mind Ambrosia. But I don't know what to do about Gordon Lightfoot, I mean she even explicitly said that she doesn't like the song "Sundown" which is a friggin' great song. It's not a problem in our relationship or anything because we're solid as a rock. But how do I show her that Gordon Lightfoot is totally bad ass?

Edmund, thanks for helping our other reader. Now onto your problem.

While it might seem insurmountable to a young lad freshly in love, let me assure you that differing musical tastes are really not that big a deal. After all, married couples do need to have differing interests, and music can be one of those areas where divergence can only strengthen you. I can tell you that my own husband's irrational love of The Moody Blues has not contributed to any fights, and certainly would never be cited in divorce documents. I like to believe he feels the same about my unfortunate Britney Spears habit - though the fact that I can admit my taste is awful probably helps him along. I have to look past not only his bad taste, but also his insistence that it isn't bad taste.

As long as you two can agree on what to play in the car on long trips, I'm sure you'll be fine. Perhaps you two could contribute to a shared station on Pandora radio, and by combining your tastes, come up with some songs and artists that you'll both enjoy.