>Subject: Re: pos versus piece of merde..Lord have mercy
>Sent: 11/23/97 21:22
>To: CheetoLD@aol.com
>
>>I know exactly what I said...it's called irony...and if I did offend someone,
>>sorry! :-)
Antares answers:
Well well...
Dear Colleagues,
Last night I noticed that another conflict started because of the use of "profanity and vulgar language".
As I am involved, I will certainly come forward and show my colors.
I <<<< reacted to Calebs post because I am :
a. always interested in language questions (that's why I wrote "Ah...I like that!)
and
b.because I immediately thought of the fairly new Parisian subscriber to the List.
So..I was really wondering if the French word "Merde" means the same as "shit" in English.
That's why I suggested that we could ask our French colleague, because *he* is French.... and *I* am not.
As a matter of fact, I intuitively felt that the words "Merde" and "shit" could cause an uproar among *certain* subscribers on this list , so, for that reason I decided to use "Lord have mercy" as a header for my post, and/but..also, meant as a jolly way of saying that these are "bad" words.....so, "Please...Lord, forgive me"!
Now...
of course....... everything went wrong.
And, that is how conflicts and wars start.
To avoid these kind of conflicts, I should not have reacted the way I did.
As I gave an explaination for the way I meant what I said (last night), I wish for those who feel insulted by my post that they will now have at least a better understanding how words can be "mistaken".
But...I have something else to say as well:
If we start a conflict because of a few words, then I am beginning to wonder about just one word:
What comes to my mind now, is the word "tolerance".......
If we would have the capacity for only a very tiny bit of tolerance, it is then not *immediately* necessary to jump up and crucify a "supposed offender and >insulting< person".
As I explained before in this here letter to those who feel insulted and hurt , I was actually really *only* interested in the language issue.
Ah! but! Hey!.....As the Pianotech list was, and is, meant for pianotech issues only, I was most wrong to react to Calebs >(final)< line about "pos versus piece of merde".
On the other hand, I take the liberty (although I sense that I should have been tortured, burned, and buried by now already) to imagine that I am allowed to say that my posts to the List usually refer to the Piano business only.
More over, during this past year, I have become more and more guarded about my participation on this "list". (Some subscribers even suggested I should take part on the list a little more frequently)
This has to do with the fact that not so long ago (in my sensitive memory) I was flamed by a considerable number of subscribers for venturing > my < ideas about the difference in treating hammerfelt in the USA and in Europe.
The fact that I seem to be in the doghouse once again makes me feel weary.
I sttill am a subscriber to "the List" and I still like to imagine myself being a *foreign* and distant member of the pianotech "family".
That's why I think I can say yet one more thing:
When robots are programmed very well, like smooth running computers, they will behave in a most perfect way, like real "Science Fiction robots" should.
I, on the other hand, I am a human being and *not* a robot.
Just like my antique computer (built by humans) , I have some flaws and sometimes my (human) behaviour becomes erratic.
When I'm being confronted with an error in my computer I sometimes have to crash or just shut it down, and start it all over again, hoping it will perform better the next time.
The same thing happens to me sometimes, I am a lesser example of Humankind, I make mistakes, I crash, but..... I start all over again.
Just let me remind you, offended colleagues, I am not the only human being on this world!
So....hey! have some mercy......(some of you should know all about that.)
PS.
I dared to come out and offer to you my version of this "POS" story.
If there is anybody who wishes that I should end my participation to "the List", let him or her *openly* announce this. If the number of objectors becomes sifnificant, I will > definitely < take the consequenses.
But I'll count to ten first
Have a wonderful day too......
Friendly greetings from :
CONCERT PIANO SERVICE
André Oorebeek
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
‰ where MUSIC is no harm can be ‰
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