<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>Ha! Ha!<br /> I've lately (exasperatedly) witnessed SEVERAL examples (in the massive Men's Rooms at the University) of young men exiting stalls or stand-ups, after "handling themselves" and flushing with hand ( or handling latch on stall interior) and then extensively meddling with their faces and hair in front of mirror with said hands BEFORE washing them! (Or not washing at all.) Sadly, they all had terrible acne, and I WAS moved to suggest that they might wisely try washing their hands BEFORE touching their faces, etc........ but got in trouble for (politely) asking someone to wash after relieving themselves 2 years ago. (Was charged with "Harassing a Student" -- even though signs were all over the bathroom requesting the same! Sheesh!!! ) So won't do that again. <br /><br /> And then, of course, such students go and bang on the big "Boston" I'm fond of playing after lunch --- leaving something tangibly grimly on the keys that does nothing for my "reverie" (I wipe the keyboard area down each day with damp paper towels which show filth) and imparts a bad smell.<br /><br />!PIANO RELATED QUESTION! Could someone make a nice little sign ( "Pressure-Sensitive"-- no glue required ) that sticks on the key cover interior reading: "Musicians: please wash your hands immediately prior to playing this costly instrument." or some such? I'd like to hear some suggestions in this regard, and may just make and sell ---or give away--- such stickers myself! (Joe ---you're a master of subtlety--- ideas???)<br /><br /><br />Thumpe<br /><br />P.S. And how about a simple little sign that could go on pianos ( especially in practice rooms) or walls explaining that hands should be washed, strings should not be plucked, piano should not be placed in direct sunlight,<br />how to open a grand (I've seen MANY opened without folding back the front part lately!) and etc.. Just a little "How to not abuse a piano." thing that desribes the very basics, and why they're so important.</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif:font-size:10pt"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Joseph Giandalone <rufy@rcn.com>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">To:</span> </b> <pianotech@ptg.org>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] FW: Re: metro vac and blow (a little OT) <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Tue, Jun 19, 2012 2:11:22 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><div><br></div>Gentlepersons,<div><br></div><div>I realize this may be a TEENY TINY BIT off-topic but, as I'm amazed, every time I sample some of the discourse herein displayed, by the astounding breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, astute analysis and trenchant commentary put forth here by all y'all, I hoped that perhaps someone could explain to me why, in Men's Rooms, guys wash their hands after flushing, instead of just using their (clothed) elbow to flush the urinal (or their foot to flush the commode) ????? Never mind that the vast majority of them only PRETEND to wash their hands (dribbling some cold water on them, no soap) and then proceed to grab the exit door handle in their full manly grip (bare handed) ???? Is it just that the internalized Mommy is watching? Is it all a charade? And to what end??</div><div><br></div><div>(P.S. I use the elbow/foot method and grab the door handle with something other than a bare hand. Is there a flaw in my logic? Am I just as bad as the rest of you??)</div><div><br></div><div>(P.P.S. I understand that the worst germs by far are on the handles of supermarket shopping carts.)</div><div><br></div><div>(P.P.P.S. to the illustrious Mr. Thumpe: Some people will just never get over it, will ya? Still jealous of "The Hippies" for their few years of glorious fun, way back when. How sad.)</div><div><br></div><div>Joseph Giandalone</div><div>Conway, MA</div><div><br></div><div> <br><div><div>On Jun 18, 2012, at 11:36 PM, Euphonious Thumpe wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;font-family:Times;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;orphans:2;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;font-size:medium;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><div>I heard that stuff (described as "one theory") on NPR, too, and don't buy it. I've spoken face-to-face with "scientists" who hold this view ( that it would be better if we all went around filthy) and have found that each and every one of them is an "old hippie". (Still concocting excuses not to bathe.) And their houses can be just as disgusting as anyone's! (What kind of a "civilization" would we have, if everyone agreed with them? Not one I'd want to live in! Ever been in a crowd full of "Deadheads"?!?) A better theory, I believe, is that all of our immune systems are badly stressed by the (aforementioned) man-made toxins in the environment, many of which are cumulative; so it takes very little of an additional "nudge" to push many people "over the brink", into illness.<br>And the reason those "farm kids" ( mentioned on NPR) are healthier is NOT because they're "exposed to more dirt": IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE BREATHING VASTLY CLEANER AIR, most of the time! (Sheesh!!! I sometimes suspect that these "scientists" get paid to think far too much!!!)<br><br>Fun Factoid:<br>I read that an epidemiologist combed his hair in a public Men's Room mirorr all day, secretly tabulating the percentage of users of the facility who didn't wash their hands after "doing their business". I don't remember the results, but believe it was about 60%. (!) He then took his findings to an epidemiologists' convention at the CDC, and secretly performed the same experiment in a Men's Room there, where the percentage of "not washers" rose by about 20. (!!!) Proving, in my humble opinion, that many "scientists" consider themselves "above" the rest of us!</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div id="_origMsg_"><div><br><div style="font-family:times, serif;font-size:12pt;"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"></font></div></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></blockquote></div><br></div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>