Oh I don't know JAB, people in real life also make inflamatory, tongue in cheek, mischievous remarks. The trouble with the web is that we can't 'see' when someone is just teasing us.

So I have this rule. If the remark could possibly be a joke then accept it as one.

So could 'Why are Americans so fat?' be a joke? - of course it could. Why I even once defined an American as "someone who has a power lawnmower, an electric drill, an electric toothbrush and an exercise machine".

Sure the guy was stirring it a bit and trying to get our goats but he was just having fun.

Bert.