Woman gets 20-months for loud music

[Parrot]

A Japanese woman charged with inflicting injury on her neighbor by blasting rock music at her house for more than two years was given a 20-month prison term Tuesday, a court official said.

Miyoko Kawahara, 59, was sentenced by the Osaka High Court, revoking an initial ruling that had given her a one-year prison term, court spokesman Takanao Kawasaki said.

Kawahara in Heguri, Nara Prefecture (state) in western Japan,
was accused of causing insomnia and headaches to her next-door neighbor
by playing loud dance music almost 24 hours a day on a portable stereo
she had pointed at her neighbor's house, 20 feet away.

She was arrested on April 11, 2005. The two women had had a number of disagreements that police did not elaborate on.

"The defendant ignored calls by local authorities and continuously
played music at a high volume for some 29 months," Kyodo News agency
quoted presiding Judge Hiroshi Furukawa as telling the court.

In handing down a longer prison term than a local court ruling in
April, this year, Furukawa told the court that the defendant "still
maintains a hostile attitude toward the victim and it is highly likely
she will commit the crime again," Kyodo said.

Doctors had diagnosed the neighbor as having insomnia and headaches
they attributed to the noise. Kawahara started blasting the music in
November 2002 and continued until her arrest.

Under Japanese law,
those convicted of inflicting injury on another person face up to 10
years in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 yen ($2,520).

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/26/D8M8P5Q00.html

[oldtimer]

It's still awfully close to Dec. 7th, and after watching Tora, Tora, Tora, all I can say is at least it wasn't a sneak attack.

[wuzzzer]

Good thing she used a portable stereo and not a pair of Klipsch. She probably would have received the death penalty!

On a side note, more than a few times I've come home early or unexpectedly only to find my wife listening to music so loud I can hear it outside with all the windows closed and my system is in the basement! Funny how she won't let me listen to music as loudly as that when I'm home with her.

[garyrc]

The Japanese case had elements of a feud, obviously. Too bad it was Rock. It could have been a never-ending fugue feud.

Laws concerning music levels are a legitimate concern to music lovers and audiophiles, however.

In my view, if it is during the day, and if it is no louder than one of those annoying leaf blowers -- more annoying than any music anytime -- all is O.K.

Rumor has it that some idiotic local laws specify a decibel level, without specifying duration (are we talking average, or peaks?) and without specifying time of day, or night, or day of the week, or distance. Obviously, SPL measurements taken by the police should be taken at least as far away as the property line! I have often heard 80 or 85 dB as being the highest permissible level on the sidewalk, or on someone else's property. What have you folks heard?

I feel I do my part by having walls with low sound transmission (high transmission loss) and standard double glazed windows in most of the house, with heavier duty custom made ones soon to go into the music/movie room. There are no other houses really close to ours (I can't imagine ever again living in an apartment, although if they are built right ...... ).

In return, I think I have a right to realistic orchestra levels, with very occasional brief peaks sometimes reading 115 dB ("fast" "C" wt), on my Vu meter (needle type). As PWK pointed out to readers of The Dope from Hope, there may also be unread peaks as high as 13 dB higher, or 128 dB, unread due to needle ballistics. Average loud levels are, of course, far lower. Maybe in the '80s. I cut back the level a bit after 11 at night, unless a movie is just ending.

But the end of Beethoven's 7th, the last minutes of which are as emotionally close to the last minutes of the sex act as music can get, at least for men, absolutely needs those 115 dB peaks. That is what I'll tell the judge, if I'm ever hauled in on a loud music charge.

[Parrot]

In return, I think I have a right to realistic orchestra levels, with very occasional brief peaks sometimes reading 115 dB ("fast" "C" wt), on my Vu meter (needle type). As PWK pointed out to readers of The Dope from Hope, there may also be unread peaks as high as 13 dB higher, or 128 dB, unread due to needle ballistics. Average loud levels are, of course, far lower. Maybe in the '80s. I cut back the level a bit after 11 at night, unless a movie is just ending.

But the end of Beethoven's 7th, the last minutes of which are as emotionally close to the last minutes of the sex act as music can get, at least for men, absolutely needs those 115 dB peaks. That is what I'll tell the judge, if I'm ever hauled in on a loud music charge.

Amen. That's why PWK recommended 20 Watts as MINIMUM for amplification, because otherwise there would be unnecessary compromise on realism. It should be a crime to restrict such an effortlessly dynamic loudspeaker as Klipsch with a flea-powered amp.

But what's this about "the last minutes of the sex act"? Isn't sex measured in seconds?

[coda]

I watched this. Turns out sentencing for Ms. Noisy wasn't based as much on the crimes against her neighbor, as it was for imposing a 20 Watt minimum requirement on the neighborhood with her portable stereo. The sentence ran 20 months concurrently for each watt. Aware that this requirement had not been universally accepted, she became irreconcilable after being confronted with information that the founding originator of the alleged requirement had owned a favorite 10-watter that he operated mostly in the milliwatt regions. Eventually she unraveled and went over the edge. I hope she finds a compatible cell mate.

[djk]

"What have you folks heard?"

I was told by police to knock it off at about 11PM at a big outdoor party. The city ordinance was for 55dBA (fifty-five) at the property edge after 9PM.

It was 85dB in the front yard of the complaining party (a half-mile away).

This implies 133dB at 10 feet.

It probably was that loud as there were 8 LaScala bass cabinets, another pair used as mids, 6 high frequency horns, 10 tweeters, and a pair of LaScala industrial as side fill monitors (and 4 Cerwin Vega floor monitors. About 2KW in tri-amp for the mains.

[3dzapper]

"What have you folks heard?"

I was told by police to knock it off at about 11PM at a big outdoor party. The city ordinance was for 55dBA (fifty-five) at the property edge after 9PM.

It was 85dB in the front yard of the complaining party (a half-mile away).

This implies 133dB at 10 feet.

It probably was that loud as there were 8 LaScala bass cabinets, another pair used as mids, 6 high frequency horns, 10 tweeters, and a pair of LaScala industrial as side fill monitors (and 4 Cerwin Vega floor monitors. About 2KW in tri-amp for the mains.

[IndyKlipschFan]

So much for the song played over n over to drive her nuts..LOL .......<<< ????

Your guess that would drive you nuts, over n over again?

I love the song, cranked up, but 24/7 would kill me too... "The Beautiful People" aka Marylin Manson. THAT would drive anyone nuts..... hahahaha

So your choice? And you can't choose, "The Rose," "You Light Up My Life," or "Elvira" either... hehehehehehehehehehe

[IndyKlipschFan]

Paul said, "But what's this about "the last minutes of the sex act"? Isn't sex measured in seconds?

Wow.... Not if you do it right.... hahahahaha Some things in life, need to be enjoyed sometimes over a LONG period with peaks, valleys, and crescendos to the ultimate climax in expression Paul.... hahahahahahaha Were talking music here right??? This is 2 channel audio.

[neo33]

In return, I think I have a right to realistic orchestra levels, with very occasional brief peaks sometimes reading 115 dB ("fast" "C" wt), on my Vu meter (needle type). As PWK pointed out to readers of The Dope from Hope, there may also be unread peaks as high as 13 dB higher, or 128 dB, unread due to needle ballistics. Average loud levels are, of course, far lower. Maybe in the '80s. I cut back the level a bit after 11 at night, unless a movie is just ending.

But the end of Beethoven's 7th, the last minutes of which are as emotionally close to the last minutes of the sex act as music can get, at least for men, absolutely needs those 115 dB peaks. That is what I'll tell the judge, if I'm ever hauled in on a loud music charge.

Amen. That's why PWK recommended 20 Watts as MINIMUM for amplification, because otherwise there would be unnecessary compromise on realism. It should be a crime to restrict such an effortlessly dynamic loudspeaker as Klipsch with a flea-powered amp.

But what's this about "the last minutes of the sex act"? Isn't sex measured in seconds?

It should be a crime to torture your ear with 115dB at 3 feet. All amps with more the 5W should be outlawed!