I have to give Fort Lupton Municipal Judge Paul Sacco a lot of credit for trying a novel approach at deterrence -- Barry Manilow's "I Write the Songs" may begin with the line, "I've been alive forever,'" for noise ordinance violators. Wow. According to Rocky Mountain News,

Fort Lupton Municipal Judge Paul Sacco says his novel punishment of forcing noise violators to listen to music they don't like for one hour has cut down on the number of repeat offenders in this northwestern Colorado prairie town.

About four times a year, those guilty of noise ordinance violations are required to sit in a room and listen to music from the likes of Manilow, Barney the Dinosaur, and The Platters' crooning "Only You." "These people should have to listen to music they don't like," said Judge Paul Sacco for a segment about the program that aired Friday on Denver's KUSA-TV.

Sacco began the program years ago when he noticed that many of the repeat offenders simply showed up at his courtroom to pay their fine with cash."Most kids don't want to hear somebody like Glenn Close trying to sing opera," he said.

Our young people today have no idea who Barry Manilow is and they certainly won't like his music, considering what we have today. I saw Barry Manilow on "Entertainment Tonight," plugging his latest album, a compilation of the same songs he sang eons ago. I remarked out loud that how many ways does he think he can repackage the same songs over and over. Well, I guess I found the answer--Judge Sacco's novel idea. It may gain some traction. I can see it now in courts across the country, with more singers joining the line up -- Pat Boone, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, need I go on? Hah, this is too funny!

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