Todd,

First of all, Todd, it is odd that you never answered my much simpler post below which was asking you why you inquired about strike versus thrust. You never answered, so I assumed you asked that question for no particular reason. Now you choose this sort of topic to answer in detail. Hmmmmm.

"this type of crap in the work place"

What exactly "type of crap"? Sounds "negative" to me, Todd. Do not involve me.

"a good excercise in setting the record straight."

OK, I will answer to my full ability then.

"anyone that labels a follow up topic as"tension in the air" or whatever is trying to stir something. Do you honestly deny this?"

Of course. I was just giving my assessment, which is that a misunderstanding occurred, similar to the one before. I did not say it was a momentous misunderstanding, or one that boded ill for anyone. Maybe you think it is nothing, but I think it is something. So? Why am I the "negative" one and you are "positive"?

"You do suggest in writing in a very forward way that the misunderstanding that was represented was a tort in some way and had damaged both parties in some way."

Very very wild interpretation IMO. I write in a forward way because I am a forward person. That did not occur to you?

"How can a misunderstanding be "dangerous"..."

I did not say that the misunderstanding was dangerous. I said that posting was dangerous.

... "if it pushes both parties to explain their respective sides in greater detail?"

You mean, like, your misunderstanding of me?

Though I have not yet seen any "greater detail" coming out yet between Chris & Petra on eartones, I will look for it.

"First PEtra posts nonstop about them weekly if not daily."

You are wrong. Re-read the loads of recent posts. Almost nothing about eartones. A lot of shmaltzy personal stuff. (I'm not complaining, just responding to your point)

"I'm content to sit back, read what others have to say"

Oh, really? Then maybe you should just sit back and read what I have to say too, without heaving a bunch of negativistic nonsense my way concerning "over-analyzing" and so forth. Like I said at the outset, you did not even respond to my earlier simple post, but now you come out full force just because I gave Chris, whose posts I enjoy, a little ribbing regarding telling other people what kind of posts to make. (That point you obviously missed, but never mind)

"But in our culture wheather you speak it verbally or write it on a discussion board, any time you drop key buzz words like, "dangerous, tension, etc" it puts people on the defensive."

Thanks for the lecture on American Culture, but to me in Japan it just looks like another example of American cultural depth. BTW, what do Americans think of buzz phrases such as "Please don't post...", "negative", "over-analyze"...? Overall, you give me the impression of typical American intolerance. You can't even tolerate my style, let alone what I might have to say.

Todd, it looks to me like you are on the warpath at work, or elsewhere, and are already on the defensive before you read my posts. If they bother you too much, just skip them. You probably don't need to learn anything about what people in Japan think anyway.