<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Richard B. wrote:</FONT></DIV> <DIV>> I find it just as meaningless to accuse this list of being = a<BR>> bunch of lonely heart socialites as I find just about any of<BR>> the = other irrational ravings about politics, OT humour, or<BR>> so called piano = related issues. Nor would I miss out for a<BR>> minute on all the = entertainment I get from reading some of<BR>> our more prolific humourists on this = list... Roger, Ron N,<BR>> Carl, and others.<BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>I'll go with that, except for = politics.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Richard B. added:</FONT></DIV> <DIV>> What an<BR>> unbearably boring bunch we would be if we cant = kid around,<BR>> throw a few broadsides at each other, leave the arena for<BR>> short interludes or the rest of it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Absolutely. I'm there 99%.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Richard B. went on though:</FONT></DIV> <DIV>> If we were to accept what apparenty Richards definition = of<BR>> garbage is in this, then what should we think of conventions<BR>> = where our community behaviour is nearly identical to what we<BR>> find on the = list ? We go in and out of pure piano technical<BR>> talk all the time and boy = am I gratefull we do. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Here is where I gotta depart from ya. = Yes, at conventions "<FONT color=#000000>We go in and out of pure piano = technical talk all the time</FONT></FONT><FONT color=#800080>...", but the difference = is that stuff we go public with is humorous or curious. It is not political or religious. Go to a Roger Jolly class. Humor abounds. Its great. = What Richard Snelson was focusing on is the political and = religious stuff that gets posted on the list. How he comes across a post that is either = inflammatory to the right or left and gets his day off on the wrong foot. I could not = agree more. And yes, we will talk political at the conventions. But not = often. And only one-on-one, or at most in a very small group.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Cute, curious, humorous off-topic stories, = yes. Political and/or religious? Please NO, not in THIS, piano-related public forum. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>I also find myself getting quite infuriated = that some people can think the way I read they do in some of these posts. I want = to scream back at their outrageously warped views. But I usually don't, because I = don't want to contribute to all this crud. Do it like we would do at the = convention - one-on-one in the hallway or bar - email privately. Like the cow thing.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Go to your next appointment with the = average Mrs. Jones. Is it proper, wise, polite, good business or funny to bring = up politics or religion in a manner that states your position and suggests = that other views are perhaps not as valid (or worse)? I can't imagine anyone = is terribly successful if they make a habit out of doing that. I think it = would be a good thing for all on this list to extend each other the same courtesy = on this list.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Why don't we post about sex? I like sex. I = like to talk about sex. Why don't we post about our personal preferences? This = subject seems to be rather taboo on this list. Why? For some reason, no one seems to = want to cross that boundary. Why? There are some very conservative views on this = list. How about homosexuality. There's a pretty hot topic that would be fun! Shouldn't we stir up the pot? Yes, we should. I think it would = be great - at the bar, in the hallway, on a sex-or-whatever related list. = Not on this piano-related list where it would be sure to hurt and infuriate. = Expressing personal views about sex, politics and religion on this list will only = serve to divide participants on this list. I just don't see where any good can come of it. Society does indeed have social norms and things that = are taboo. Some of these are good, and part of what make us = human. Let's just leave sex, politics and religion on this list as being = taboo.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>But cheap spinet bashing is not taboo. = That's OK. Even Steinway bashing is fair game (not that I would ever do that though)!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>This list is such a good thing. Political and = religious posts turn many, if not most, of us off. I suppose a few enjoy the = exchange. I suspect not many. I don't. Save it for the convention hallway. I = hate to see valuable contributors to this list get discouraged and = unsubscribe. It is simply everyone's loss. Especially newishbies like me!   :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#800080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: "Richard Brekne" <<A href="mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no">Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no</= A>></DIV> <DIV>To: "Pianotech" <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 5:44 AM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: Richard Oliver Snelsons Unhappiness</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>> I find it just as meaningless to accuse this list of = being a<BR>> bunch of lonely heart socialites as I find just about any = of<BR>> the other irrational ravings about politics, OT humour, or<BR>> so = called piano related issues. Nor would I miss out for a<BR>> minute on all = the entertainment I get from reading some of<BR>> our more prolific = humourists on this list... Roger, Ron N,<BR>> Carl, and others.<BR>> <BR>> If = we were to accept what apparenty Richards definition of<BR>> garbage is in = this, then what should we think of conventions<BR>> where our community = behaviour is nearly identical to what we<BR>> find on the list ? We go in and out = of pure piano technical<BR>> talk all the time and boy am I gratefull we do. = What an<BR>> unbearably boring bunch we would be if we cant kid = around,<BR>> throw a few broadsides at each other, leave the arena for<BR>> short interludes or the rest of it. Indeed and contrary to<BR>> what some = would claim, things have pretty much always been<BR>> the same here and a = short survey of archives will bear that<BR>> out.<BR>> <BR>> We = designate posts OT so folks can simply delete them, and<BR>> that should easily = go for the archives or digest. Nobody<BR>> likes all of what we see around = us... that doesnt mean we<BR>> simply call garbage on the human race and = decide to leave.<BR>> Turn the channel and spare us your personal condemnations.<BR>> <BR>> --<BR>> Richard Brekne<BR>> RPT, N.P.T.F.<BR>> UiB, Bergen, Norway<BR>> <A href="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A><BR>&= gt; <A href="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broad= park.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A><BR>> <BR>> </BODY></HTML>