<html> <body> David, Very well said. It is sufficiently difficult to do things in a truly professional way.  Taking pokes and jabs in the ether is scarcely the way to promote the overall health and well-being of the profession.  No one goes into truly artistic piano servicing to "make money"...a reasonable living, perhaps, if one is lucky...but, "money" in the sense that so many businesses operate?  Feh!  Please - let's everyone dial it back a few notches and try to remember that we are, first and foremost, human beings...there is too much to lose other wise. Best. Horace At 04:37 PM 5/9/2005, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> <dl> <dd>I would like to state here and now, that it was NEVER EVER my intention to make any money on anyone on this list <dd>I perfectly understand that it could easily be read the other way, but in this case it is purely my enthusiasm that has driven me the last years to write about my experiences with the felt I have written so much about. <dd>Does anybody here think for one single moment that big money is to be made out of some silly front punchings? HAH.... <dd>Come on folks, I have had a great time finding out about the result with my tiny felt thingees. Heck, it was fun and that's about it. <dd>The suggestion the other day of one of the list subscribers that I "should tone down my posts in respect to promoting my product" was actually a major hurtful insult. That was not just a respectful and ethical remark, but just a filthy kick below my belt, and I will never ever forget that. <dd>Fortunately, I have the ability to partially neutralize this destructive influence, so I will try to continue to behave the way I have before, and with an open mind, although it will never be the same as before, for obvious reasons. <dd>If one wants to kill and erase honest enthusiasm, for whatever sick reason... that's the way to do it. <dd>André Oorebeek </dl> Andre----Please understand that the subtext of your antagonizer’s post was crystal clear for those with eyes to see; I guess it’s time for me to say this again: We have such a small, small world of high-end artisans; there are so many upsides to checking your ego and your rage and emotional issues at the door, BEFORE you step in. If you can’t be here without respect, and collegiality, if you always have to be taking that little “shot,” making that offhand disparaging comment, doing that passive-aggressive thing, then you are, unfortunately still an emotional teenager, and don’t really deserve to frolic among the adults. This means you, David Stanwood; you should watch your Freudian slips. I truly respect the work you’ve done over the years;  please, in your postings, try to be worthy of that same respect. Let’s face reality; we’re all in business; we all have a profit motive; if we were obsessed and driven by money, we’d never in a million years work on pianos, but we all need and want and like to get paid. Andre, or Jurgen Goering, will never make more than chump change on punching sales. They’re doing it for love first, money second; if that doesn’t make sense, then just hit delete right now. With my best for you, David Andersen</blockquote></body> </html>