Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Hi James - I'm Elizabeth from Harp-L - oh hi I'm bill

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Bill Hines writes:
 
"I thought that stuff couldn't live outside the body for more than  24
hours or something. If this were an old, dry (no moisture for some  time)
hunk of metal and wood, what would the germs/bacteria feed on  while
waiting for a new human host? I think this is only an issue  for
recently-played harps, or maybe those who have been continuously  stored
in moist areas. 

Not that I want to re-invigorate the whole  germ-phobic medical advice
thread and huge pasted in articles that come with  it, it's pretty boring
to me, ha. But I wanted to be clear on this, for  future protection. 

PS New marketing idea, prolly been thought of before,  harp condom.
Ridges for extra pleasure/tone.
Bill"
_______________________________
 
....Notwithstanding the "cute/funny"? harp condom reference (just how would  
one get air through a material sealed against germs?...so, bad idea,  that).
 
The fact is that I've bought sufficient harmonicas off EBay described  as 
being in "like new" or "hardly played" condition that had what could only be  
described as huge build-ups of "crud" in the mouthpieces. I have no way at  all 
of telling what is "feeding" off of that material, nor of how recently those  
harps were played, have I?  Have you?
 
 I wouldn't touch these with my hands, let alone play them, until they  were 
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, regardless of whether YOU believe no  
germs/bacteria live in that material.  If you think it's so all-fired safe,  next 
time I buy one..I'll mail it off to you, you play it as is, and report back  
to us in 6 months whether or not you're still healthy, along with a doctor's  
report certifying as to such.  I think that'd be a reasonably fair  test.  Do 
we have a deal?  (I believe this is called putting your  money where your mouth 
is.)
 
In the meantime, I'll trust that via my cleaning ritual I'm  eliminating any 
possibility of picking up anything nasty as well as Hepatitis C  being 
transmitted to me "accidentally", since 30% of the people in the US who  have it have 
absolutely no idea how or when they got it or even that they do  have it. 
 
 I'm glad you find this all so amusing and boring...which begs the  question 
why you'd then waste your time adding to the thread by writing about  it, 
wouldn't it? 
 
 As well,  I DO believe that the list-owner is the only one who  has the 
right to decide whether or not "huge pasted-in articles" that you  complain about 
violate the list rules, is he not?   So why are  you making that your business 
to comment on once again (as you've done before  ...and specifically when it 
was in reference to a post of mine?)
 
Frankly, I'll continue to err on the side of caution despite what you  think 
and refer to as "germ-phobic", thank you.
 
Something you obviously have given absolutely NO thought to at all, is that  
I'm not only cleaning against germs/bacteria, but for what else a previous 
owner  may have used in their homes in or around their harmonicas.  I  have 
absolutely no way of knowing if they disinfected  their houses using strong 
chemicals....if they used  cleaning products on their harmonicas I can know nothing 
about but wouldn't  want to ingest....If their homes were overrun by vermin 
against which they had  to take precautions.  I'm doing what I do because it 
makes sense to me and  seems eminently logical.
 
 It would seem to me also logical for you to skip over posts/posters  you 
found so boring, n'est-ce-pas?
 
Elizabeth