<HTML>In a message dated 5/31/01 12:48:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, baldwin.piano@home.com writes: <Very large amount of venom and mental midgetry snipped> I would like to take this opportunity to say to all the technicians who just read the previous dealer's attempt to show how much he learned in his Dale Carnegie "How to win friends and influence people" class: That was but one example of what is wrong with the piano business today at the dealer level. Fortunately, not all dealers subscribe to such nonsense - some of us actually try to approach this business as professionals. So I would like to go on record as saying that I for one have not seen a single post regarding this topic that anyone should be ashamed of (except for the rantings of the previous dealer). Baldwin will not disappear into the sunset. If they can manage to weather the initial cash crunch long enough to get a little further along with their plan, they will likely emerge a better product for it. At the very least, the name will survive on different product. There is nothing wrong with an open discussion about it. The rant by the other dealer was an embarassment to me as a (not a Baldwin) piano dealer and a technician. I sit on both sides of this fence. It would have been better if *he* had kept his mouth shut, instead of blasting technicians for engaging in an open discussion, none of which was done with any malice or gloating over Baldwin's problems as far as I could tell. I don't post here much, but I read the list every day.  Posts like the last one damage relations between dealers and technicians and do harm to the piano business in general. That is a stupid thing to do. As a dealer it was embarassing. As a technician, it was insulting.  Carry on freely with your discussions, and accept my apologies on behalf all the professional dealers everywhere. Larry Fletcher Pianos Inc. Atlanta GA Dealer/technician PTG chapter 301 </HTML>