As I might have said I do genealogical research, and I've had my genes sequenced btw and jumped on that research early on so I am seeing it unfolding. If you go back to the dawn of humankind, there have always been migrations for at least the last 65K years. Entirely too early to have assigned any particular traits to any particular country. Not only have the groups with similar genetic sequence clusters moved around, and left individuals with the same genetic fingerprints in every place they ever roamed, but their offspring mutated and added new sequences to the mix. It would be a stretch to even think that any particular 'country' hasn't been mixed since antiquity. That is not a new phenomenon. My particular sequencing has been pegged as originating in the Middle East, but is now found most heavily in the area where Europe meets Asia in the far north and in every other population on earth in very small numbers. That's because my maternal line has been 'everywhere' in the last 65K years and given birth to many of the mutations of the 'modern' genetic lines. This is why it's simplistic to say any 'country' anywhere has genetic traits expressed in occupations or skills. Add to that that I am not the expression of just this sequence, but have had untold generations of other lines mixed into the pool with their own unique differences. It supersedes any modern 'country'.

I'd reassure you regarding your choices. I have been so totally happy with my MA experience and I'd hope you have the same. Several comments: Yes, MA just resells blowers. I chose a Fantech inline blower over the Hy Ex which was their initial recommendation, mainly because my contractor and HVAC guy were not enthused about going out on our steep roof for the install. I suggested an Fantech instead and they were completely happy with that decision. When I made the decision, Jeff Herman, my MA contact, said that they could sell it to me, but likely I could save a few hundred $$ on price and shipping by finding the blower online. After looking around I was getting totally stressed out by having to figure out if the websites were legit, if I was ordering the right backflow damper, duct adapter, rheostat etc etc. I finally contacted Jeff and said hey, I know it will cost more, but can you just send me whatever it is that I need and just take this off my list of worries. The small markup was totally worth it for the peace of mind of knowing that someone who knew what they were doing was doing to make the order. Jeff was totally willing for me to buy it on my own, so adding to their profit was clearly not the motivation. Regarding the decision of internal vs external blower: I think the logic is somewhat different given your short duct run. Normally I'm a huge fan of remote blowers. However, a big reason that this has worked so well for me was the ability to use the Fantech LD10 silencer along with our FKD 10XL blower. The silencer does a great job of eliminating any motor noise tracking down the ductwork. Without it, I suspect a significant part of the advantage of a remote blower might be lost, expecially if the blower was only 9 feet from the hood. Absent the silencer, the advantage of the external blower without a silencer may not justify the cost. I totally found that MA was focused on the best product for me, not squeezing a few hundred dollars more out of me. I'd tend to trust their advice, although if it were me, I'd ask for Jeff Herman's opinion, who I think is the gospel when it comes to ventilation. If Jeff says go wtih the internal blower, I'd do it. But, no matter what, I think you'll love the MA hood. It's neck and neck with the Lacanche range as the favorite part of my new kitchen. I cannot imagine a better ventilation choice based on my experience.

Well, we live in a mid-19th c farmhouse with most of its original details intact, so I am somewhat constrained by that. I want a plain, workman-like space for the kitchen essentials, with nothing pretending to be something it isn't. (No faux wear marks or fly-specking details on my cabs for instance - at least none applied at the factory; we're not talking about what will happen naturally if someone leaves the doggone screen door open again! For those I've got my Spic 'n Span bucket ready.) I know this sounds drab and dull, but that's not the case since I have details like 14" tall skirting boards with deeply curved moldings; an open staircase with a second-floor gallery and the underlying (also rigid) balance and symmetry of a full-on Greek Revival building. With such strong elements never out of the picture, I have just had to learn to get out of the way. Since almost all our stuff is passed down from our families, (some period antiques and but mostly just old pieces, approaching legal antique status of their own, but not period, IYKWIM) my "style" of decorating is pretty much "what we found in the attic", combined, now, with what we've inherited from our parents. I can't really imagine what it is like to choose to decorate in a defined "style" or go out intending to purchase stuff to go with a particular style. When I read or see pictures here of what people are working on, I often wonder how you ever decided which one to choose. Seems like a lot of energy is expended working out those details. I just concentrate on 1) What do I need to make this room work for how we want to use it? 2) What do I have that will do the job? 3)(If I have more than one option for #2) Which piece looks best (mostly scale) with the other stuff in the room? 4) What can I/do I have to do with it (or to it) to spiff it up enough so make it presentable, if necessary? (If I can't find a suitable piece for some use, then we usually do without until a solution appears.) In general I find that my old stuff tends to look well with my other old stuff, providing the scale of the piece is right, particularly in the context of it all being old stuff, in an old house. And to some degree, after attending to comfort and practicality/feasability and cleanliness (which can include cleaning up a wood finish or redoing upholstery), I really don't care to do more. The only place where I can fall in with the forum's decorating mania, is color. That really lights my fire! I can spend weeks and months thinking about, testing and generally feeding the decorating part of my brain while contemplating which color to put on my walls. L

Welcome, Sabrinaflorida Dave in Idaho, Jannie, Patty Cakes. So good to see so many folks coming in. I have been slightly MIA because of my job. Going to be a busy week. Dave which end of Idaho are you? Hope you get to see the northern lights tonight. Supposed to be a good show the further north you are. We are only about mid Idaho so might not get to see them. My husband has thrown a wrench in the shelf project for a bit. He informed me we will be getting a pellet stove or Monitor stove or some other form of back up heat soon.He has not decided which. It will have to go in the living room which means something has to give. And it might have to give towards my studio. WWWWAAAAHHHHH Why not into his garage??? Heheheh Wish the gun cabinet which is a monster would go away. Would make a perfect china cabinet but I already have two of them and do not have a space for it in the dinning room. So it might become the shelving in my studio. NOT my idea of a good idea so you all keep good thoughts some one will buy it. Dang as I had that shelf system all worked out even some down on paper and it would be so perfect in my room. Not giving up on the idea yet. Just depends on which stove he decides on. Chris