I failed to clearly state my question, I guess, Golden. I'll keep trying to do better.

In order to interpret your message, I sought assurance that when you and Phillips refer to holding a rod at a specified number of degrees, you are assuming that if the rod is held horizontally then that is the same as holding the rod at 90 degrees.

To state it another way, if the rod is held exactly vertical would that be at an angle of 0.0 degrees?

Without know this, there is an ambivalence as to whether a rod which said to be held "at 20 degrees" is being held at 20 degrees lower than vertical or is being held at 20 degrees higher than horizontal.