Now hear this

Ok, right now I’m feeling pretty scared. I thought I’d write my research paper for English on too loud music thanks to the ipod and such and I since it’s a research paper, I actually had to do research instead of my usual bullshitting.

So I start poking around scientific journals on the internet and what sort of things am I finding?

At peak levels iPods can hit volumes close to 115 decibels, research has found -- a level that falls somewhere between a chainsaw and jackhammer -- but all MP3 players pose an equal theoretical risk.
~*~
Pete Townshend, the former guitarist for The Who. Mr. Townshend warned the iPod generation about the dangers of hearing damage, and said he blames his own severe hearing loss on years of using studio headphones. "Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired,"
~*~
And finally, we tested Beth Williams, who works out four times a week while listening to music. She cranks the volume about halfway.

Beth is 33 years old and not expecting what she hears.

“You are showing some signs of hearing loss,” John tells her.

A decibel meter will give us a better idea of how loud her music is. It measures 87 decibels.

We need some decibel perspective. A lawnmower is about 90 decibels, only three decibels louder than Beth’s iPod.
~*~
And even though you may be tempted to pump up the volume, our expert says resist and set the volume around a third of the maximum output, which is plenty loud and plenty safe.
~*~
Next time you're in your car, make this test. As you exit the car for the night, leave the radio volume control set to where you were listening to it at the end of the day. The next morning, as you get into the car, notice the sound level of the radio. Does the sound seem too loud, or is it OK? If you are like many working people, the sound is probably too loud in the morning, and you have to adjust the volume downward.

And as I’m writing this, the guy at the computer beside me is listening to his Ipod and I can hear it.

CHAINSAW AND JACKHAMMER DAMNIT!
*Goes screaming to the hills*

Feeling: ohmygodI’mgonnagodeafohmygodohmygodohmygod
Listening to: Dream a Dream – Charlotte Church
Word/ Phrase of the day: Stressed