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"Never, ever leave home without it." No, not your American Express card, your sidearm.This morning, I woke up about 4:15 and was hungry, so I decided to drive to the local 24-hour beanery. The only other customers were a table of 10, intoxicated 20-somethings making alot of noise.There were 7 muscular young men and three loud-mouthed young women. After listening to their raucous laughter for 10 minutes, I politely asked the waitress to ask them to hold down the noise. All I wanted to do was eat my breakfast in relative peace.Her request for quiet lasted about 45 seconds, then...

Backyard shooter muzzled By Liz Chretien EPPING - An Epping man is at odds with town officials, claiming they are squashing his constitutional rights by not allowing him to target-shoot in his backyard. Timothy Hannagan of 20 Norris Court said he bought the property specifically because, as he understood it, state law permitted him to shoot there. According to New Hampshire RSA 644:13, "A person is guilty of a violation if, within the compact part of a town or city, such person fires or discharges any cannon, gun, pistol, or other firearm, except by written permission of the chief of...

Judge Dismisses 'Fowl' Noise Petition Tue Mar 15, 5:46 PM ET Strange News - AP FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Four roosters have something new to crow about. A Williamson County judge dismissed a civil petition by Richard Milardo that sought to force his neighbors to get rid of their roosters because they disturbed his peace by crowing throughout the day. "I know how annoying things can be to people, but I really don't believe there is anything I can do," General Sessions Court Judge Al Nations said at a hearing on Monday. The neighbors, Jon Jackson and Kimberly Roberts, said they...

When he began his quest for a quieter, cleaner city months ago, little did Stephen Rueff know he'd run into throngs of people who believe they have a right to bear leaf blowers. But oh, they're out there, legions who think that the roar of the leaf blower is the sound of liberty. "It's pretty interesting," Rueff said. "There are people who don't accept the notion of a greater good. They don't see that what happens on their own property impacts their neighbor." He's still on his quest, saying the more people learn about leaf blowers, the less they defend...

NEW YORK - Rappers 50 Cent and former protege The Game are calling a truce. The Game has a foundation, Black Wall Street, which empowers the community through business development. 50 Cent said he's launching a new foundation, G-Unity, to help people overcome obstacles. The two will donate to the Harlem Boys Choir and Compton Unified School District Music Program. "I realized that if I'm going to be effective at that, I have to overcome some of my own. Game and I need to set an example in the community," 50 Cent said in a statement. It comes a week...

RALEIGH, N.C. - In rural California, neighbors want the mules to stop braying. In New York City, the ice cream man has to turn off the jingle on his truck, at least while he's handing out fudgesicles. Here in Raleigh, N.C., it's essentially one shout and you're out as the city council increases noise fines aimed in part at rowdy renters. • Crime along border pushes Mexicans into the US • Calm before the Chechen storm? • Unveiling 'Deep Throat': Is he better left unknown? • Theaters get 'em while they're young • About the Christian Science Monitor Reuters Photo...

A year ago, Stephen Rueff was sitting in his south Minneapolis back yard, reading a book and savoring one of those last, lovely autumn days. "Ah yes," Rueff was saying to himself. "This is why we live in Minnesota." But suddenly, serenity was blown away. One neighbor had fired up a leaf blower. Then, another. Noise, ear-piercing, peace-robbing noise, was all around him. Sad, disgusted and perplexed, Rueff retreated inside his home. "I asked myself, 'Why is it that people are in love with loud machines?' " he said.

The shooting range at Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Island Lake State Recreation Area must comply with Green Oak Township's noise ordinance, a judge has ruled. Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Burress Thursday signed a preliminary injunction ordering the DNR to comply with the ordinance, which limits noise to 65 decibels. "We're very, very happy the judge took that stance with it, we really think he's for the people," said Marilyn Carr, a nearby resident who has been one of the most vocal in complaining about the noise levels. If the state does not comply, a court hearing will...

The City Council of Hamtramck, Michigan approved an amendment to the city's noise ordinance to allow the Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers 5 times daily, from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. The new ordinance takes effect May 26. Nonie Darwish writes the following:

<p>HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — Long known for pierogi and polka, this bustling city is now debating whether to add an amplified Arabic chant to the local sights and sounds.</p> <p>In a sign of the deep changes in this once-predominantly Polish town, the City Council is expected today to pass a noise-ordinance amendment that would permit mosques to issue the traditional Islamic call to prayer over loudspeakers.</p>

You struggle up to consciousness. What’s wrong? What time is it?PYEW PYEW PYEW PYEW OOOOOOO? OOOOOOO?Your heart’s racing, blood pressure spiking up. Adrenaline-charged, you’re bolt awake. It’s 4:00 AM. That $!@# car alarm!WOMP! WOMP! WOMP! WOMP!OOOOEEEE; OOOOEEEE; OOOO.In imagination, you become bazooka-wielding Arnold Schwarzenegger and blast the wretched car to Kingdom Come, alarm and all.WEEEUWEEEUWEEEUWEEEU.Why do we have to have these damned $!@# things? We don’t. New York City should entirely ban their use within its five boroughs. Car alarms don’t do a nickel’s worth of good, the evidence overwhelmingly shows. But they do plenty of bad. Not only do...