Hi, I'm late. Seems to me that he's genuinely apologetic and that what we have here is a language barrier for the most part. I spent a year in Germany and I know one thing (Stereotype coming, brace yourselves...) German people come across as being less-than-sensitive when percieved by Americans (and possibly the British.) In Germany, their particular phrasing and accentuation and choice of words are totally normal and convey the spirit of the emotions behind them properly. However, to our ears it sounds harsh, patronizing, cold, or what have you. I see German people at the restaraunt all the time, and what is funny is that the more they try to adjust for this with their intonations and word choices, the more it looks like overcompensating :) That's not meant to be a dig, just an observation. As for being sensitive about one's work, I can totally relate. It's nice to see people supporting someone whose feelings have been compromized. What say we all shake hands and, wave the UN banner and call it a match? -WTB