"The Big Lie" and self-deception.

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Billbrpt,

At 21:20 6/15/99 EDT, you wrote:
>Dear List,

I shall not come to the defense of those whose good names you have again
attacked.   They can, and probably will, defend themselves better than this
poor rural tuner ever could.  Some have sworn a vow of silence.  I have
not.  Your ethnic characterisation, however, leaves me very sad.

Story time for Billbrpt:

When I was growing up in Philadelphia in the 50's, there was a prevalent
attitude of racism and nationality bias with "jokes" being told which were,
at the very least, not complimentary of a person's ethnic derivation. 

I recall that some of my favorites were of the "Polack" variety. Secure in
my own Teutonic roots, I was guilty of having a large collection of them.
After all, my surname is obviously German and my maternal grandfather
always told me that he was "Prussian!" (his emphasis), and that he had
changed his name during WWI due to anti-German sentiment. (imagine that)

Fast forward to just a few years ago when my brother was (and still is)
doing geneological research.  Opa was right. He _was_ born in East Prussia
under Kaiser Wilhelm.  Guess where that is right now?  About 25 miles from
Gdansk, Poland.  Hurrah!! I can tell "Polack" jokes again! I AM ONE!	

My paternal grandmother's line has been traced back to 13th century France,
so I guess grenouille jokes are back, too. ...and my maternal grandmother's
roots are from Scotland, so I guess I can go back to eating Haggis, huh?

If it were possible in your case, Billbrpt, I wonder what you might find in
_your_ background.  Be careful what you wish for.


Question, oh Madison Maven of Meantone:

You make an allusion:

>I know a technician who tunes exclusively 1/7 Comma Meantone and has all of 
>the pianos for all of the performances in his showroom tuned that way for
all 
>kinds of music. .... 

You name names of those whose tuning practices you abhor.  Why don't you do
some advertising for those you like, such as Tim ???  Does he not wish to
be _that_ closely associated with you?

You have particular bones to pick with other members of the Piano
Technicians Guild.  Why don't you start a discussion on the ptg-l list with
those concerns.  Are you forgetting again that that list was formed for
just that reason?

You mention a series of articles in the Piano Technicians Journal.
Wouldn't that be the place to write concerns and/or rebuttals?  I don't
have an index handy, could you direct me to _your_ articles on historical
temperaments? (I have issues going back to 1978.) 

*For those new to THIS list - There was a great hue and cry on the open
pianotech list against a number of threads which were very obviously only
of interest to members of the guild.  Consequently, a separate list was
spun off which is open _only_ to PTG members.

Billbrpt, are you _afraid_ to discuss your concerns/accusations with _only_
other PTG members?

Conrad (flamesuit purveyor to the stars) Hoffsommer
(3 hours west.)