<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1458" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004><FONT face=Arial = color=#0000ff>I agree. The "It" person is one of God's creature just like you.  I = give the original writer the benefit of the doubt that he was exaggerating to = make funny the actual situation.  However, if I thought he was = actually contemplating bashing a gentle, if different, one of God's creatures who respects his piano enough to have it tuned and then actually = tips the tuner I would be insensed.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2> <SPAN class=437110604-16082004> = In over thirty years, I can count my monetary tips on one hand.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004>I = think you will find that at least 10% or more of your clientele is GLBT (Gay, Lesbian = Bisexual, Transgendered) already.  You simply have not been made = aware of it.  That goes for every tuner/tech here.  I have many = customers of the GLBT community and they have their pianos tuned WAY more often = than the hetero community as a rule.  They also appreciate my good work = and send me more business.  They are the church, university, and = school musicians and performers of all kinds.  I also know a sizable = number of GLBT tuners and technicians.  I even know a technician who is an = M to F post-op transsexual.  I dare say there is a sizable number here = on this group that you may have insulted if they took your comical post in a = different way from me.  By the way if a person is dressed as a man refer to = him as "HE" and if dressed as a woman, refer to her as "SHE".  The word = "It" can be used for farm animals and pets or inanimate objects.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004>D.L. Bullock</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004><A = href="http://www.thepianoworld.com">www.thepianoworld.com</A></SPAN></F= ONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma><FONT size=2><SPAN class=437110604-16082004> </SPAN>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Ryan Sowers [mailto:pianorye@yahoo.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 12, 2004 = 1:38 AM<BR><B>To:</B> Rob Goodale; Pianotech<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Tuning "It"<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT> <DIV>The "it" is a human being and I challenge you to have a more open = mind about people. One of my best clients is a transgender person. I was a = bit shocked at first, but this person turned out to be one of the kindest, = and most reliable clients. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I find that the variety of people and situations that I get to = meet is one of the best parts of the job!<BR><BR><B><I>Rob Goodale <rrg@unlv.nevada.edu></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px = solid"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> <DIV><FONT size=2>This morning I went to one of the most bizarre = tuning appointments of my career.  </FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>