The problem with pilots is the understanding of critical angle of attack. To people everything is a relation to what they know, people relate everything back to the horizon. What pilots need to talk about is relative wind, angle of attack, and flight path. All are very different animals. And in talking stall recovery it should be in terms of decreasing angle of attack.
Angle of attack as related to relative wind as related to flight path.
Many pilots see it as angle of attack as related flight path, without the understanding of relative wind. My jeppeson book didn't talk about relative wind, only angle of attack and the critical angle of attack. Took my aerodynamics one book to get the relative wing concept.
Inveted or upright you have to understand relative wind and the angle of attack as a function of relative wind. Having the aopa at a negative angle could work inverted providing the lift in the aero foil, much like and extra 300 with a near symetirical aero foil.
HiTech I think that is where your friend is missing a concept.
If you stall while flying inverted: It no longer matters, your wing is through flying and you really don't have any control until the wing recovers flying speed!
Earl you too are missing the point it's about how the critical angle of attack is defined, it's got nothing to do with speed. But the angle between relative wind, and angle of attack. Speed just works on the relative wind. You need to work all those variables to get the desired flight path.