Though I'm interested in language myself, I'd like to register
my objection to items such as this being included in the MMD.

Irregardless of how interesting they may be, I subscribe to the
Digest for it's mechanical music content, and don't want it to be
"contaminated" with irrelevant material.  If members wish to discuss
off-topic matters, they can do so privately.

I urge Jody and Robbie to discontinue inclusion of threads such as
these, and I'd like to know if other members agree or disagree.

Larry Lobel
Virtuoso Piano Service

 [ Gee, Larry, they don't take much space.  The hometown daily
 [ newspaper contains a lot of stuff which is irrelevant to most
 [ readers, but this 'contamination' is easily ignored, isn't it?!
 [
 [ Jody and I don't want to strictly limit the contents of MMD to
 [ mechanical music.  We wish, rather, to encourage letters which are
 [ interesting to most of the subscribers, most of the time.  We feel
 [ that MMDer's interests also include topics related to the Old Times;
 [ that includes the vocabulary of the times, and the trades.  We also
 [ believe that a little diversion -- and a laugh, now and then -- is
 [ fun, as in the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!"
 [
 [ Thanks for writing with your view, Larry; let's hear now from our
 [ subscribers!  -- Robbie