pappythom: "For crying out loud,give the guy a break! He has been a credible poster here for a very long time.His posts about early trading in Germany have been appreciated.No holding the info with this guy.His acumen and corporate experience go well beyond climbing hills."

Well, shucks, no good deed goes unpunished! My reply was to PTSCwillWIN.

I didn't start the thread, but I was trying to end it by pointing to a well-worded explanation of the intricacies of languages.

I should have just let usual PTSC Agoracom protocol prevail and endured endless back and forth banter until something else came up to start a new chain of back and forth banter.

I do converse in at least three languages, albeit at different levels, and I am generally pleased to have someone explain the nuances if I err. My desires to learn and to communicate have yet to diminish.

But then, when I see the pathetic grammar, vocabulary and spelling ability of many posters here, I do indeed concur that our participants from Germany seem to be far better at their (presumed) second language skills than many of those here who would claim as primary the English language (whether of the Queen's or the American flavo[u]r)

I whole-heartedly apologize to "mikesmark" if he or she was in any way offended, but not to those who continue to post in flagrant disrespect of fundamentals of the English language yet have been (allegedly) educated in the same.