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<font face="Arial">Perhaps I watched the video with a certain
"baggage". I will come to that in a moment.<br>
<br>
I do not think I agree that "we should refrain from any posts that
don't have at least music involved". We are a nice little
community here, and although 99% of what we post is piano
technology related, there is surely scope for the little extras
from time to time, as amusement or information shared among
friends.<br>
<br>
I for one am glad that Del posted the fascinating table animation,
as an example of craftsmanship in wood (and in animation) and in
design and its execution.<br>
<br>
Especially where a list member has been a regular contributor over
years, posting relevant and interesting information, and contributing
usefully to discussion threads, there must surely be some leeway
for such persons to occasionally send things to ths list which are
not directly about music. <br>
<br>
What seems less permissible to me, however, would be for any who
don't make regular useful contributions, to post off-topic things
about, say, religion or politics which others, who may have
strongly different views, feel constrained by good manners and
respect for the list, not to reply to.<br>
<br>
Regarding the particular martial arts video with the toddlers,
perhaps I reacted with a particular distaste because a couple of
years ago the media here in the UK covered the story of two young
pre-school children forced by their disgusting slatternly mothers
to fight, and filmed on a cellphone for adult amusement. I don't
mean martial arts fighting in a training setting. I mean a
punch-up at home. The mothers wre arrested and the children, as
far as I recall, taken into care.<br>
<br>
In trying to find this story online, I have discovered that there
appears to be a plethora of such cases, in various different
countries. I could post links here, but you can Google it. One
such case in the UK - not the one I was seeking, gives us these
charming details, as reported in The Daily Mail:<br>
<br>
"</font><font style="font-size: 1.2em;">A cruel couple who were
captured on tape forcing two little children aged under eight to
have an armed fight have been jailed.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;">Ian Barclay, 20, and Gemma Mattinson,
26, made the boy and girl brawl then laughed and cheered as the
youngsters cried in pain and through fear.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;"> The shocking incident was captured on
a mobile phone at a house in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, and showed
the girl, wearing a pink dress, being ordered to kick, punch and
hit the boy with a broom, which is much bigger than her. </font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;">Both children could be heard sobbing as
the boy tried to hide behind a sofa but was dragged across the
floor and banged into a radiator by Barclay.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;">Several distressed people left the
public gallery at Newcastle Crown Court in tears yesterday as the
three-minute film was played.</font><font style="font-size:
1.2em;"> Prosecutor Glenda Turnbull told the court: 'The
defendants encouraged the children to fight each other.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;">'They were both instructing the girl how
to attack the boy, telling her what to do, bringing the children
together, providing her with plastic sticks and a broom to use
against him.</font><font style="font-size: 1.2em;"> 'The video
footage is distressing, the children are crying.'</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;"> Miss Turnbull said it is unclear what
injuries the children suffered.</font> <font style="font-size:
1.2em;">Barclay can be heard shouting 'punch him, kick him, nut
him' on the tape and the girl is given sticks and a broom to use
as a weapons.</font><font style="font-size: 1.2em;"> When the
children tried to separate they were pushed back together and
goaded into fighting more, despite them screaming in terror.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;"> The pair were arrested when the person
who taped the cruelty showed the footage to a relative of one of
the children.</font><font style="font-size: 1.2em;"> Mattinson,
from Gateshead, told police she didn’t realise what went on was
'quite as bad' until she saw the footage.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;">Barclay, from Gateshead, said it was a
'joke that had gone too far'.</font><font style="font-size:
1.2em;"> Both of them admitted child cruelty charges and have
previous convictions for violence, though not against children.</font><font
style="font-size: 1.2em;"> Judge Roger Thorn jailed them both for
eight months each". </font><br>
<br>
Cases from the USA and other countries can also be found.<br>
<br>
It struck me forcibly, watching the video from the link on this
list, that the young children were dancing about in that manner
because they did not want to tackle or fight each other. I could be
wrong. I see that their movements could be construed as amusing,
but I thought the whole thing, including the laughter, very
distasteful. I am as entitled as a list member responding to an
item posted to the list, to my view, as others are to theirs. To
my mind it is a pity, in a world filled with strife, to see toddlers
trained in combat.<br>
<br>
Best regards,<br>
<br>
David.<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 28/11/2012 23:39,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pianotech-request@ptg.org">pianotech-request@ptg.org</a> wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:mailman.4102.1354145956.4133.pianotech@ptg.org"
type="cite"><br>
<div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-western">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<div>Although I don't usually like Duaine's posts, I thought
this was rather cute. Even if it didn't having to do with
pianos or even music at all! </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>We should refrain from any posts that don't have at least
music involved however. It's getting a bit out of hand. Let's
stick to the topic please!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I liked the littler (is that a word?) kid trying to back
kick, though. Pretty funny.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Paul</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
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