Is anyone else sick and tired of commercials that are 3 times louder than the shows?!!! There has to be something Verizon can do about this. I'm thinking about switching back to Comcast or going to Direct TV.
OMG, I thought it was just me. My wife and I are getting really upset the volume difference between the show and the commercial. We watch our TV on volume level 3-4 which is not that loud but when the commercial comes on we have to grab the remote quickly and turn it down to 1. Our kids are sleeping so its very disruptive.
Anyone have thoughts on this would be appreciated, and quickly.....
Just Google "Commercials TOO Loud"
It has been an ongoing "complaint" for like 30 years....
But there was a recent article that the FCC may finally do something about it
It is not a Verizon thing
I will agree that it comes back to the broadcasters but having recently switched from DirecTV, the loudness is much more noticeable with FIOS vs. DirecTV. We never had to turn down the volume as much as we do now.
Oh wow, I thought it was just at our house! This happens to our VerizonFiOS programming everyday, but here's an example:
City Sarasota
State FL
Date 10/03/09
Channel Speed 83
Specific Commercial Barrett Jackson's Auctions & the following commercial
Time 9:45am
Well Verizon could do something about it but they likely will not. This was a major selling point for Verizon. Verizon is the only company out right now that does not alter the audio and video from the broadcaster (or as little as possible for conversion and compression needs). Most companies (Direct TV, Comcast, Time Warner, etc) all take the signal sent to them by the broadcaster then alter the audio and video for their own needs. Verizon advertised and has stuck to that promise of not altering the signal and sending it to the customer in the way that the broadcaster intended. This is both good and bad. For those of us that want unaltered signals so that we can get the best possible clarity and performance this is perfect. However the downside is that the commercials come in loud because the channels purposely turn the commercial volumes up. They are actually paid by many commercial companies to do this. Supposedly to get your attention. You'll notice that even the companies like Direct TV that do try and moderate the volume, wont do so during special events. Like the Superbowl. During these special events the broadcasters require that the cable companies not turn down the commercials. But during standard broadcasting, they still require the volume on the commercials to be louder but the cable companies are able to turn it down to the point that it is almost not noticeable. Verizon on the other hand, when they were getting into the TV business did focus groups and polls to cable customers for what they liked and didnt like from the cable companies and one of the major complaints was that the cable companies would alter the signal and that the customers were not getting the true broadcast. So Verizon decided to not alter the signal. Now it would be nice if they could alter only the commercials but that really isn't possible, its either all or nothing. So in order to get unaltered programming and movies, we also have to deal with unaltered commercials.
There is nothing you can do about this problem. The guys who do the commercials know that you will probibly leave the room when the commercials come on so what do they do? They crank up the volume on their commercial so you will hear it from the other room. It isn't fios' fault, the guys who make the commercials just set the volume louder for the video and fios can't fix every commercial (And even if they wanted to the channels have control over the commercials)
Actually there are somethings people can do about this.
Write and file a complaint with:
FCC
Service providers (cable company, network stations, etc.)
Use the Auto Volume Level capability built into many A/V products (TVs, Receivers, etc.).
From this time forward REFUSE to purchase any A/V product not having good Auto Volume Level capability.
http://bly.com/blog/general/are-tv-commercials-too-loud/
For those that dont want to click
Are TV Commercials TOO LOUD?
September 28th, 2009 by Bob Bly
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., CA) seems to think so.
According to an article in Parade (9/27/09, p. 6), Eshoo recently introduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Migitation Act (CALM) — I kid you not.
If CALM passes, the FCC would be required to set new limits requiring lower volume on TV commercials.
Consumer advocates support CALM, arguing that “Advertisers simply do not have a right to scream at consumers in their living rooms,” says Joel Kelsey of Consumers Union.
Advertisers and the FCC point out that if consumers want less volume on TV commercials, they can simply use their remotes to turn down the sound.
"Advertisers and the FCC point out that if consumers want less volume on TV commercials, they can simply use their remotes to turn down the sound."
Which just shows how little they really comprehend the issue.
1) They are assuming people are always setting there with the remote in hand/reach.
2) Their excessive irritatingly loud commercials actually lose viewership. Myself and may other don't simple use the volume control to turn them down. We mute, change channels, or skip them with our DVRs.
If they want my eyes and ears they have to make commercials worthy of my time. That applies to all aspects of the commercial; video and audio content, presentation, audio level, etc. The more irritating, the less viewed. Irritating people, potential customers, is not good business.
Yes there are some commercials I actually watch. If fact some of them I even look forward too, and have even turn up the volume for. Hint: "So easy a caveman can/could do it."
From a technical standpoint I think this is something pretty difficult to legislate/regulate/enforce.
For example, lets say a company produces a commercial and compresses and normalizes the audio (in simple terms, squash the dynamic range, and set volume to max before clip).
You’re watching a movie which has a wide dynamic range so that soft sounds (like whispers, distant speech, distant gun fire, distant fighter jet, distant explosion, etc.) are soft and loud sounds (like close gun fire, fighter jet fly-by, in your face explosion, etc. are loud. So you have the volume set to a decent level to allow you to hear the soft sounds, and on comes this commercial with compressed and normalized audio, and it blows you out of your chair/bed and everyone runs for the doors.
On the other hand some else is watching a program with compressed and normalized audio when the commercial comes on, so the volume seems to match that of the program they are watching. But then when a commercial comes on that is not compressed and normalized it seems abnormally quite in comparison to the program being watched.
So how is the commercial makers, legislators and regulators to know what volume level should be used and how to specify it in a way that not only solves the issue but is enforceable?
From a commercial producers point of view perhaps it is the program material audio that is too soft? How would you feel about legislating movie audio levels so that the better matched the commercials?
As much as I hate the excessively loud commercials, I prefer carriers to leave the feed unaltered. That goes for both audio and video.
I’ll just keep using my A.L.C (auto level control), mute button, channel button, and DVR skip button, except for the commercials that are not irritating, and worthy of my time, eyes and ears.
http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/06/14/television-commercials-are-too-loud-declares-california-politician/
a potential bill to address the problem. also the networks are looking into it. the problem affects every provider to some degree or another.
Thats one of the reasons we have a Mute Button on the remote!
Sounds like that thing I saw on Johnny Carson a number of years ago.
It went like this...
Elderly woman calls the cable company to complain about the content being carried. She was upset over all the sex and violence being carried on several channels. The cable companies response was "That is what the power button is for."
Hopefully CALM will pass. I dont think its too much to ask for that all the shows and commercials have a standard level and allow the USER to determine how loud they want it. Seems like common sence to me. But what do we know. WE have brains but we are talking to the monkeys with typewriters.
It does it on direct TV too. so don't go there to avoid it. I still have Direct, waiting for fios, and today is cloudy and no Direct signal. it is terrible
We had direcTV for about 5 years and I can honestly tell you that I can count on one hand the number of times we lost signal for more than 5 minutes due to the weather. We were very pleased with DirecTV but liked what FIOS had to offer, the reason we switched.
Verizon customer service is and has always been abominable. Don't hold your breath about new attempts to legislate the blaring volume issue during commercials. Though a major source of irritation, Verizon has no stomach for advocating its customers preferences over the wishes of the sponsors who pay for the commercials. Legislators will likely side with the interests of electronics manufacturers who can and do incorporate volume limiting features into products that you may purchase. This is a win-win situation for legislators who directly benefit from these manufacturers and the sponsors who pay for airtime. The consumer currently has no consolidated voice to influence these negotiations. Hopefully, at some point a clever, motivated group will find a way to strengthen the consumer position and force change.
Its nice to know I'm not the only one. Every time I have to turn down the volume on a comercial. I live in a townhouse and tend to watch TV late and there's just no way to control the volume for comercials. Thank God for DVR I can fast forward through most of them.
City: RestonState: VADate: All DatesChannel: WGN, NBC4, ABC, CMT, NICK, DISNEYSpecific commercial: ALL of themTime (within 30 minutes): Anytime watch them.
Dolby has a product that will even out the audio.Use the mute.Don't buy the products with loud commercials.Watch only movies on CDs from Netflixs. Read a book.Switch TV service, cell phone, internet, land line phone.This problem can be fixed if the powers to be want to....When our contract is up we are swiching, TV service, Internet, 5 cell phones, 3 phone lines..Unless it is fixed.If you do not like the load commercials... Cast your vote with your dollars or many hundreds of dollars.Remember: We can use an antenna for HDTV, Magic Jack for land line phone, cheaper cell phone and internet service other than Verizon.Don't get me wrong I like Verizon but they have refused to fix this problem.Wait a minute....Think of all the money I can save...Maybe verizon is doing me a favor.If I invest this money now and every month, instead of giving it to Verizon, I will be rich.
Remember, This is NOT a Verizon issue. Not really. This is a broadcaster issue (the channel itself). Verizon only relays the signal to you and provides a means of getting the channels.
Verizon could alter the signal being sent to them and moderate the sound but they will not do that. They can't please everyone and most people will put up with loud commercials in order to get unaltered movies and shows. The movies and shows are why we pay for cable service after all. If Verizon were to alter the signal in order to mediate the commercials we would loose the superior sound quality that we enjoy with the programs. And since Verizon has made a reputation for having the superior sound and picture quality, they are not going to jeopardize that. Not that we would really want them to either.
My biggest complaint is the commercials for FIOS on FIOS. Those commercials are louder than any others, I can be accross the house and it is very loud. But I would say about 40% of the commercials have a higher volume than the show.
City: Apple Valley
State: CA
Date: every day
Channel: all channels that run Verizon FIOS commercials
Specific commercial: see above
Time: all times
Possible good news on this subject: http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/ATSC/TV/ATSC_Agrees_–_No_More_Loud_Commercials/3694
A perfect example of this is the current Hess holiday racecar commercial. Man that is loud when it comes on during the football games.
@Reaper wrote: Possible good news on this subject: http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/ATSC/TV/ATSC_Agrees_–_No_More_Loud_Commercials/3694
Thanks for posting a link to that article. Glad to know that someone is listening to the people and doing something about it!
Thank goodness I am not alone. This has become a real problem when we want to watch TV while our twins sleep (they are now a little over a year). We have to quickly turn the TV down to prevent the commercials from startling them awake!
"The ATSC will require that all programming be submitted at -24dB, plus or minus 2dB."
-24dB as measured by what?
MAX Peak Level?
Average Level? Over what period interval?
RMS? Again over what period interval?
There are all sorts of technical means around such a simplistic requirement, and some day they will be exploited.
This is easy to solve if Verizon wants to take a 3 pronged attack to the problem.
1. Verizon should take a 24 hour sampling of the audio levels for each channel. Note the .7 of peak dBvu value during that period for each channel.2. Attenuate the peak values so that they all match to -24 dB vu.3. Send a software update to all the STB's to brick wall limit all signal that exceeds -24 dB vu threshold at an infinity : 1 ratio with a 1 ms attack and 1000 ms release.
1. Verizon should take a 24 hour sampling of the audio levels for each channel. Note the .7 of peak dBvu value during that period for each channel.
2. Attenuate the peak values so that they all match to -24 dB vu.
3. Send a software update to all the STB's to brick wall limit all signal that exceeds -24 dB vu threshold at an infinity : 1 ratio with a 1 ms attack and 1000 ms release.
That would make any commercial that exceeds the the threshold sound like utter crap and dissuade channels and advertisers from pumping up the volume.
If Verizon will not do this, I would suggest users getting a digital or analog stereo limiter (depending upon your set up/audioconnections) and doing the same. The way the STB limiters are programmed, they do not control the volume differentials verywell.
This problem is out of control on Verizon. The worst offender is not other companies, its Verizon itself and Im sick and tired of this nonsense. Who (edit) needs this kind of crap. My TV volume is perfectly set... to a comfortable level, then a (edit) Verizon Fios commercial comes on and it wakes up my (edit) neighborhood.
Guess what Verizon? You are NOT the only game in town. My contract is up very soon and I just might kick you to the curb. IMO the phone and internet service are IDENTICAL with Comcast, I like Fios TV better, but if you feel the need to play childish games like waking up my (edit) neighbors with your **bleep**, I will drop you {please keep your posts courteous}ike a hot potatoe!
And Verizon seems to wait till late at night to air the REALLY LOUD COMMERCIALS. Which makes it even more of a slap in the face to subscribers.
Im swtiching back to Comcast. I never had this problem when I got my TV through them.
I have had the same problem myself.
Glad to see I'm not the only one. Some of these commercials are so loud relative to the TV programming that it literally sends me running for the remote to turn it down. I had Comcast before, and I do recognize the commercials might be louder in general, but the FIOS service is digusting. It will cause me to prepend my recommendation of their amazingly fast internet service with how obnoxiously loud their programming's commercials are over other providers I've experienced. In a multi-family home, it makes it very difficult to enjoy the TV while trying to be mindful of neighbors having to listen to blaring commercials.
It is not all commercials, only some. They are all louder in general, but some go well above the typical volume bump.
Zip 02907 Providence, RI
I used a VCR for 15 or so years to avoid commercials. I had one that could auto-skip commercials! Now I use the DVR for almost everything I watch. The 30 second skip is great, but not as good as the VCR.
I would not mind the commercials so much if the volume was normal. So, if you want me to watch them, fix them!
NVM, I like skipping them. Can watch a 1 hour show in about 45 minutes.
I also like watching stuff on my schedule.
oh, i agree with you about the dvr...i do record a lot of programs or watch them live on time delay ... unfortunately, because of the limited space on the dvr, I can't record everything!
Comcast or DirectTV have the same loud commercal problems. No channel provider attenuates the average peak audio levels between channels so that they are all uniform.
As a solution, I humbly suggest using a receiver that has a built in dynamics control in its amp set up section. The one I use is Model Sony STR-DH500 5.1-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) . Other receivers may also have this capability.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/backgroundnoise.html
@joesgirl wrote: Is anyone else sick and tired of commercials that are 3 times louder than the shows?!!! There has to be something Verizon can do about this. I'm thinking about switching back to Comcast or going to Direct TV.
http://forums.directv.com/pe/action/forums/displaythread?rootPostID=10500267
I wouldn't do that if I Were you. if you take a look at that thread, there are a couple of engineers that give reasonably ok answers to the problem. cool if you're bored and or want to do some homework. But bottom line is that problem happens everywhere.
Because directv and fios are such better quality, the loud commercial sound is much more noticeable.
It is a shame there couldn't be a volume leveling feature added to STBs. You know sort of what you can do when you have a bunch of MP3s. I know there could be. Key word could.
there certainly could be, but it's a matter of convenience over quality at that point, users that take advantage of that type of a feature will suffer when watching live TV and especially movies and sporting events. at the same time though that increases the costs of the hardware and at this point we all are thinking these stb's may cost too much as it is. so idk
I agree. I had the problem with Time Warner, but it is much more noticeable with Verizon. MUCH
I've only noticed it when watching On Demand ABC TV so far. It's a huge difference! You'd think On Demand something could be done.
I had DirecTV and they have the same commercial volume issues.
OM(ph)G This is the easiest thing in the world to address, but the TV manufacturers, the content providers and the producers all rely on advertising revenue, so it will likely never change.
All they need to do is include a compresser/limiter in the audio feed. The consumer can choose to have it running or not, just like they choose stereo or mono, adjust the EQ, what have you.
The fact that anyone has to even talk about this anymore is asinine.
Silly us to think that once we started paying for a product, we would obviate the advertising. Oh well.
Sorry if this idea was already posted. After 4 pages of whining, I couldn't read anymore... lol.
The ads are too loud no matter how you get your tv signal. I myself bought an AudioVox limiter/compressor for 25 dollars at a retailer on line. It works well and in stereo in Stereo!!
I can confirm that here in the D.C. metro area the commercial volume is also WAY too loud ... on the LOCAL OVER THE AIR tv as well.
I can't imagine that marketing research would show that the majority of viewers DON'T either turn the volume down or mute it completely.. thereby negating any theoretical advantage of making it louder in the first place. Personally I completely avoid watching the programs/networks that do this (raise the volume).
By the way, the ATSC is only making it a recommendation in the hope of avoiding legislation... this is one of the few cases where I support legislation since self-regulation CLEARLY hasn't worked for 30+ years.
.. sorry about shouting.
There seems to be a general consensus in this forum that nothing can be done by the end user about the annoying volume level fluctuations in FIOS. This may not be the case. Although Verizon may not be responsive to the problem the solution may be fairly simple to some (if not most) end users. Look carefully through the audio settings of your LCD/TV. For example, many sets made by Vizio have an audio setting selection called AVC. (On/Off selectable) It stands for Automatic Volume Control and I can say first hand it works very well when turned on and completely eliminates the annoying volume level changes. Look through the documentation of your LCD/TV for a possible similar feature in other brands. I am told the commercials are louder by automatic design. The advertisers want their commercials heard even if you go to another room during intermissions. I can't verify or even care if this is really true (it may be a false rumor) since the solution in most cases is fairly simple and effective. Good luck to all.....
I agree complety, And not only are commercials too loud but the overall volume level is totally inconsistent. Some commercials have a volume drop of 50%, others are twice as load as the regular programming. I am constantly adjusting the volume. Switching channels also has volume problems. There is no technical reason for this. What the devil are the sound engineers at verizon doing?
@robmyaeg wrote: I agree complety, And not only are commercials too loud but the overall volume level is totally inconsistent. Some commercials have a volume drop of 50%, others are twice as load as the regular programming. I am constantly adjusting the volume. Switching channels also has volume problems. There is no technical reason for this. What the devil are the sound engineers at verizon doing?
To reiterate a post I made earlier on this. Remember that Verizon is not controlling the volume. Verizon broadcasts unaltered audio from every channel. So you get what the channel broadcasts. Verizon does not alter it at all. That is why some commercials are louder than others. Many advertisers actually pay the channel to broadcast their commercials at certain volume levels. Some cable companies will try and filter out and modify the audio so that the customers dont hear the change, but that affects the quality of the audio. Verizon advertises and sticks to broadcasting unaltered audio so that you get the full quality that the programmers intend. The side affect is loud commercials.
Why in the world do I have to sit with the remote in my hand constantly adjusting the volume of the TV?
The AquaDri commercials scream at you and the Verizon FIOS commercials can be barely be heard. The overall inconsistency of volume is also a problem when switching channels. There is no reason for this considering compression/limiters. What are the audio engineers getting paid for at FIOS? Can FIOS please fix this?
Have you tried going into the audio settings on the STB and turning on "compression" (heavy) to see if that helps?
This is really a complaint for the broadcaster. They should be better controller (or requiring their advertisers to control) the volume levels. This has in fact been a topic of conversation about making it an FCC or other regulation the regulate the level of sound variation --- specifically targetted at this practice by advertisers.
Just as you're complaining that Verizon should do the compression for you at the central office, there would be someone in line complaining if Verizon tampered with the volume levels thru compress because it affected their enjoyment of a movie, etc. A no win situation for the provider -- the only fix is to correct it at the source.
The problem with loud commercials got worse with the switch to HD and digital sound. It is much more difficult to control the volume with 5 channels or more of sound in the program, so most services don't try much. Try setting the sound compression to a different value on both your TV and cable box. I fought with this issue for months before stumbling on a solution that works for me. My TV has one component input and 2 HDMI inputs. I found quite by accident that the sound levels are much more even when using the second HDMI input of my set. Don't ask me why or how. Perhaps the sound leveling only works on HDMI-2 on my Panasonic LCD TV.
Oh, I should add this too:
Just after having Verizon Fios Tv installed, I ran a 3-way comparison regarding the varying volume issue. For 2 weeks I was able to switch, with the push of a remote button, between Verizon, Brighthouse, and antenna while watching the broadcast network shows. I could compare, for instance, the issues (especially with CBS, one of the worst) with regard to which supplier was being used (again..VZ, BH, OTA). They were ALL the same! They ALL had the loud (or soft) commercials. No differences!
What an apologist. Do you work for Verizon? Or own stock in the company? I dont buy the line that "Verizon cant do anything". I pay Verizon for my viewing experience. . There are thousands of subscribers who DONT post here who feel the same way about the sudden, loud, obnixious noise emanating from the Verizon-provided programing that we pay for. If the video signal was poor, they would have to fix it. If the programming selection was poor, they would have to fix it. Vote with your dollars. Tell Verizon to shut down the noise, or pull your business. That is what I am going to do. There are too many other providers out there offering cheap deals to sign with them.
What you have obviously missed in the posts here is that this problem is pervasive across the industry -- it has nothing to do with Verizon. It exists on Verizon, Comcast, and every other provider who takes a channel from a provider and rebroadcasts it on their system (and by most every account are obligated to do so WITHOUT changing the content as provided to them which includes the level of volume -- they are prohibited by copyright and other terms from altering a content producers feed).
This has been a topic of conversation at many levels and has even gotten government attention who are trying to get the FCC to step in and mandate that content producers properly manage the volume levels.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/15/politics/main5982822.shtml
The point being made is that complaining to Verizon will get you no where. Complaining to the FCC about any content producer (channel) which is engaging in volume wars would be an appropriate measure.
ItsMyMoney,
In case you were talking to me,
No I don't work for Verizon. I am a semi-retired Electrical Test Engineer running my own very small business.
No I have no stock in Verizon that I know of. I do have some 401k stock in various markets in a fund, but don't know what kind.
I am just as upset as you are about the loud commercials and other sound leveling issues, probably more so; almost enough to do an "Elvis" on my TV sometimes.
For the last few years I was extremely upset with BH for letting the sound problems persist and could not wait to switch to some other service. Lo and behold, when I did, to my dismay nothing changed.
Before I switched service to VZ I decided to keep the BH service for 2 weeks also so that I could compare directly both on several issues, mostly service interruptions, but also sound leveling. The results are what I described in the prior post. Sad but true.
Until a couple years ago, I had no HDTV, and had no problems with the sound on BH. When I switched to HD (new TV, new cable dvrs, new channels), the sound problem was the first thing I noticed. I could not believe that everyone else was putting up with that. I am not entirely sure why I had no prior problems. Maybe the old non-HD Panasonic TV had better AI sound, maybe the old non-HD converter boxes did a better job with the sound, maybe the problem is inherent to HD/digital. I don't know. I wish I did. My mute buttons on my remotes wear out way before they should.
If you check the user forums on all services, you will find many complaints about the loud commercials, like " I am dumping Directv unless they fix the commercials..", "Brighthouse really doesn't care about their customers if they let the commercials come so loud...", "Comcast can go **** themselves because they won't fix the sound leveling issues..."... Etc. I can only attribute this to a few reasons: 1) They are all in a conspiracy to damage our hearing, 2) There are contractual agreements like lasagna and others have mentioned., 3) The problem is systemic and inherent to HD and digital, 4) It is mass-hypnosis on a world-wide scale and the problem does not exist, or 5) some combination of the above.
I wish I knew. That is why I did my little comparison test and why I stated the results here.
P.S.. To ALL, if we are going to respond to individuals here, I think we should indicate to whom we are typing. That would simplify things a bit.
My wife and I have been struggling with the issue of loud commercials since we changed to FIOS 18 months ago. I understand from reading this thread that it's an industry wide issue. However, we were TIME WARNER customers of over 15 years and never experienced the literally deafening shifts of volume we do with FIOS.
Tonight is typical. Watching MSNBC
NYC
NY
August 2, 2010
MSNBC
FIOS SELF PROMOTIONS - at least 2x as loud as other commercials.
3- 5 FIOS promotions airing between 9 and 11PM
Like other posters, we notice it's especially bad in the evening, which means it not only bothers us ,but also our neighbors.
FIOS Self promotions have been the worst offenders for a few weeks, but the issue arises with all kinds of commercials, local and national
thank you
Yeah, just do a search on "loud commercials" and you will find posts all over about it on nearly every provider. Its actually been a complaint for over 30 years. Some channels are bigger offenders than others (SyFy is the one I notice most) but it is a industry issue that the providers have little to no control over. (other than their own commercials that is). There is actually a bill before congress called "calm" (I think I have the name right) that is still being debated that would require the commercials to be at the same level as the program. The question is will it do any good? In some cases, the commercials are not actually louder in volume. When your watching a tv program, there are variations in sound. From the very soft to the very loud. The volume itself doesnt change, just the way it was recorded. So Explosions 'sound' loud and whispers 'sound' quiet. All the time the actual volume has not changed. Many commercials are recorded on the 'loud' side of the range. So the commercial comes in at the explosion level of the spectrum. Making it 'sound' louder than it actually is. And then to top it all off, many channels then broadcast those loud recorded commercials, at the maximum output for the channel, making it sound even louder. I've actually started issuing complaints to the Syfy, TNT, and USA for the loud commercials. I decided to start with the biggest offenders that I actually watch. Now I have to wait and see if it will do any good. I'm not holding my breath however.
There may be some relief coming. As much as I hate to have any government entity get involved in my life, this may be an exception. The House just passed "CALM Act of 2009". It's up to the Senate now. Contact your Senators and this might finally get through. Meanwhile, just press mute. If it really annoys you, email the {please keep your posts courteous} advertisers and tell them you aren't listening, and more importantly, you're not going to buy their junk as long as they scream at you.
woooohooooo!!!!
Elections are coming up soon. Now where is the dang voter registration card...... I'm voting for the big guvmint this time...
