You cannot be sad or anxious when you hear "Lola" live, from '79. One of the greatest songs from one of the greatest bands. Ever.

My daughter's:

I am sure there are things that you do that speak directly to your sense of humanity. Ones that appeal so strongly to you that you cannot understand how others can fail to be absorbed by them. Activities that make you who you are as a human. It's entirely possible you cannot fathom why others don't feel that way. It's…

This is a sincere reply, no disrespect intended: love without love of music would be a kind of death for me. I'd struggle on, but would be diminished. Music is part of what makes us human. I have no friends or family members who don't like it, including a half-deaf parent. I don't get how you feel that way. But people…

Dear God. That is appalling.

A better response than any I've made. The great stuff is out there these days, for sure. But I think fans aren't what they once were.

I know about the history of jazz in America, about how many of the instruments, rhythms and sound today originated in Africa. I recognize that the African diaspora as well as the Irish and Jewish ones have has enormous influence on the popular music of the US, as did the Civil War and both World Wars. I know that…

I find that US bashing is huge on any Gawker site. But it's all just a form of turning the conversation back to the US. Americans who bash the US are the flip side of the condescending crowd you are writing about, which, sadly, is out in force.

You've made good points here.

It takes little time, over the years of raising a child, to expose him or her to a variety of music. It can be done in the car on the way to a practice.

Depends on what you mean by "kids." Fifteen year olds might not be expected to know (although, as a parent, it would shame me if my kid didn't know about the Beatles or Elvis or Aretha).

I adore being irrelevant and invisible. I no longer am a focal point for sex pest men and judgey women.

The red hat thing has been over for years. The writer looks like many mature women I work with at a university.

She likes bright clothes and feels good about herself and her looks.

We had a fenced back yard, all secure for our old hound. Those bastards still got in, so we couldn't let her hang out there unattended,

I don't know. I will ask my husband. An interesting question.

They will attack a dog on a leash or in the yard.

They are cool looking, but they really are nasty, vicious animals. My husband, and animal lover, keeps a BB gun for only one reason: to shoo off raccoons. They'll tear you to shreds as soon as look at you.

Dies this dress look as cheap and ugly to other people as it does to me? it looks like a prom dress left on the fire sale rack.

He died the year my dad was born! Freaky, because my dad is old.