Day to Day senior producer Steve Proffitt joins Alex Chadwick to share listener comments, including response to a story on a quiet war protest using toy soldiers, reaction to an essay on music CDs sold by retailers, and some strong opinions about our chat with retail analyst Howard Davidowitz.
ALEX CHADWICK, host: This is DAY TO DAY.  I'm Alex Chadwick.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: And back now with DAY TO DAY letters editor Steve Proffitt, here to share      some of your comments.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Steve, welcome again.</s>STEVE PROFFITT reporting: Thank you, Alex.</s>STEVE PROFFITT reporting: Howard Stern has just a few more shows until he moves to satellite radio,      but our listeners wrote us about another Howard.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: This has got to be Howard Davidowitz, the retail analyst.</s>Mr. HOWARD DAVIDOWITZ (Retail Analyst): So think about this.  Here are      these lunatics out there building more and more shopping centers, and      what are Americans doing?  They're buying online!</s>PROFFITT: Andrew Fedorowsky(ph) of Modesto, California, writes, `I don't      know who Mr. Davidowitz is, but he was great.'</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Well, Howard is the chairman of the retail consulting and      investment banking firm that is named after him, Davidowitz & Associates.      They're in New York.</s>PROFFITT: `Please, give us more of this man,' says Steve Gramm(ph) of      Seattle.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: He adds, `Make him a monthly guest.  Hell, make him a daily      guest.'</s>PROFFITT: But sadly, Alex, all is not love.  `Could you please never,      ever invite him back on the show?'  Brian Farnell(ph), Glens Falls, New      York.</s>Mr. HOWARD DAVIDOWITZ (Retail Analyst): Nothing make sense.</s>PROFFITT: Also last week, Alex, we ran a story about Sally Gratch.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: She is a retired woman in the Chicago area who leaves little      green plastic army soldiers in public places, and on the bottom of each      she puts a little sticker that reads, `Bring me home.'</s>PROFFITT: Typical of the comments we got, this one from Cathy Tiger(ph)      of Eugene, Oregon.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: `I intend to adopt this practice here and tell others about      it.'</s>PROFFITT: And finally, Alex, this.</s>Unidentified Woman: (Singing) Yeah, you, you drive me crazy...</s>Mr. BILLY STRAUS: I listened with great interest to your story last week      on branding musical taste, since it mentioned both my company and me by      name.</s>PROFFITT: Billy Straus sent us an audio file complete with music.  He's      the founder of Rock River Music, a leading provider of compilation      albums.  Those are the kind of CDs you might get at Pottery Barn or      Starbucks.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: I see them there, yeah.</s>PROFFITT: Our contributor David Was mentioned him in an essay last week      that poked bit of fun at this phenomenon.</s>Mr. BILLY STRAUS: In his good-natured rant against the pantheon of      corporations turned lifestyle marketers, how could Mr. Was possibly have      omitted that most formidable of news organizations, his erstwhile      employer National Public Radio?  Perhaps he has yet to pass through NPR's      lobby security with his own copy of National Public Radio's branded      holiday CD compilation which itself is being so effectively marketed over      these same airwaves.  Ah, the irony of it all.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Listener Bill Straus.  Thanks for that, Billy.  And thanks to      all of you who wrote us.</s>PROFFITT: You can write us, too.  Just navigate to our Web site,      npr.org, and click on the `contact us' link.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: And thanks to you again, NPR's Steve Proffitt.</s>PROFFITT: You're welcome, Alex.