Thanks, Mike-san! Welcome back from the Symposium! I hope you had a pleasant time, and will tell us about some of what you learned and saw. Didn't most of the Chinese cultural influnece on Japan have to travel there through Korea? Looking at the map, the Tsushima Straits look small compared to the open ocean between the Shan Dong(sp?) peninsula & Japan, and those seem to be the two most logical ways to get to Japan from China. Here's a question for everyone: When I try to understand this, I sometimes wonder if the realtionship between Korea and Japan has parallels to the relationship between France and Britain: Culture travels from the continent largely through the country just across the straits/channel, resulting in the highest fashions in art,craft, clothing, decor, etc. often being Korean/French. There's a similarity on the flip side too, in that familiarity breeds contempt, and proximity historically bred war, frequently between Korea and Japan, and seemingly incessantly between France and England. And I understand that the general social reputation of Koreans in Japan is not much better than that of the French in England. There are dissimilarites, of course: there was never a Korean Conquerer taking the Japanese throne in 1066, and so there is no intermingled language as with Norman French and Anglo-Saxon, and none (or very, very little?) of the royal houses holding lands and alliances on both sides of the water which seem to be at the root of so many of the Anglo-French wars. While I'm playing this game, I compare the role of classical China in Japan to that of Ancient Rome and Greece in England. Speaking Chinese/Latin & Greek was the trademark of the highly educated, art and architecture were widely copied and used for inspiration, certain classic Chinese poems (which I wish I could name:) might hold the same place in Japanese culture as the Iliad and the Odyssey. I've even read in a couple different places that Japanese people really like Chinese food (one Japanese-American author described it as being considered "the height of gourmandism".) And of the three finest restaurants here in Salem, two are Italian :) So, how about it? Is this a useful idea, or am I way out in left field? - Evelyn

The best thing you can do is stop advising people to use your suggestions of herbal treatments for all kinds of medical problems and preventing medical problems. You are not a doctor, nor do you have any understanding of the risks involved in people taking your advise, using herbal supplements in combination with prescription meds or not seeking medical advise for a problem. Recently you where seeking advise for yourself on medical problems that probably have occured from taking all these herbal supplements that you are posting about. Wasn't it something about black vomit? The best thing anyone can do that sees and reads your posts is to ignore any and all advise. By the way, chronic back pain can be the symptom of very serious medical conditions that your advise, if it where followed, could lead to even further serious medical conditions and even death. I hope everyone just ignores your continued posts and the dangers that they pose.

Got to say yes to some of the Virchand Gandhi quotes and really like the William Feather statements. Thank you, Don.

Clearly this is a McMansion, but what do you consider the most egregious sins? They forgot shudders. I mean, at this point, you really have to embrace McMansionhood. Totally offended that Tudor got the shaft in the Style Title, despite (at least) three prominent Jerkinheads. Must be the pits to build such a house and run out of money before getting the chance to install light bulbs in the second-story-high entry coach lights. Sorry. Couldn't analyze the floorplan. My vision went blurry and my glasses cracked while skimming it.