We are a large group of men and women with a vocation, avocation or hobby involving the collecting or archiving of recorded sound.  We are also members of society and I for one am glad Chris sent this message in this forum.  But we are NOT all British and it's troubling to see that this situation exists in Britain.  And it's not totally off topic - there are lots of recorded sounds connected with Hanukkah, Christmas and, although I haven't run across them, other holidays celebrated at this time of year.
I am saddened to see the traditions and symbols which gave me so much happiness at Christmas when I was young eroded to the point that one gets chastised for saying "Merry Christmas" where it might be overheard by someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas.  A few years ago I heard a father lecturing his son for wishing "Merry Christmas" to a friend IN A CHURCH!  He told his son that that greeting was offensive to some people and and should not be uttered.  I once got lectured by a Jewish producer who heard me wish "Merry Christmas" to an artist we were recording, (although this producer had a reputation for being an extremist).  He told me that that greeting was full of hatred and that by wishing it, I was no better than those who orchestrated the Holocaust.  
I could go on for pages on this soap box but, as Gary Galo pointed out, this is not the focus of this group but all of us either celebrate or emphatically avoid various holidays at this time of year so it's on our minds.  What next?  Will there be watchdogs prowling around groups gathered at the annual conferences to make sure nobody's discussing anything which has nothing to do with recorded sound?
db
P.S. I would like, in a friendly way, to take issue with the two quotes under Gary's signature.  I think great artists can be appreciated by a drowsy child with no artistic education whatsoever, (hence the success of Brahms' Lullaby).  Also I don't think creators of fiction, whether it's operas, plays or books expect or want to be believed, but do enjoy being admired.

 

    On Thursday, December 22, 2016 9:57 AM, Gary A. Galo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 

 I really don't think the ARSC Listserve is the appropriate forum for venting opinions like this. Wish people however you think appropriate, but don't get on the soapbox about what's appropriate for others, at least not on this venue. And, it's not "maybe Hanukkah" - it IS Hanukkah, from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1.

Merry Christmas,
Happy Hanukkah,
Happy Holidays,
Happy New Year,
and anything else I may have forgotten...

Festively yours,
Gary

____________________________

Gary Galo
Audio Engineer Emeritus
The Crane School of Music
SUNY at Potsdam, NY 13676

"Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener."
Arnold Schoenberg

"A true artist doesn't want to be admired, he wants to be believed."
Igor Markevitch

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of CJB
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2016 3:31 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] HAPPY HOIDAYS! HAPPY & HEALTHY 2017

Hello - its not 'holiday' or 'festive'  - its Christmas also maybe Hanukkah. In the UK we are sick of the authorities telling us that we are not allowed to have a Christian celebration in case we might offend a mere 4% of those who hate our culture and want to subjugate us. And right now our Cathedrals and nativity displays are being guarded by police with machine guns - FGS. Have a Happy Christmas.
Enough of this PC nonsense. CJB.

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