Michael Todd eulogizes silence:
In 2008, The New York Times found it noteworthy that the average daytime volume in Cairo was 85 decibels, with gusts to 95. But today in India’s Rawalpindi, daytime averages are now 105 decibels (put your ear next to a leaf blower to replicate a visit). At that volume, if Rawalpindi were a U.S. workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would limit exposure to just an hour a day.
Update from a reader:
You might want to drop Michael Todd a note and tell him Rawalpindi is in Pakistan. They don't really like it when people forget things like that. What if India picks up the habit after all?
The Dish 