<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4728.2300" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Agree with both of you.  There is = common ground, in my opinion.  Ayn Rand's writings, "Atlas Shrugged" = in particular, spoke to me both about excellence and about not being = ashamed of making money.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Flame suit ready, but hope I don't need = it.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Smith</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SW FL</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=tune4u@earthlink.net href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">tune4u@earthlink.net</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 13, = 2003 1:47 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Philosophy</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=826494206-13022003><FONT color=#0000ff = size=2>Well, to quote the late, great Joe E. Brown: "Zowee." That doesn't make a great deal = of sense, I know, but it was the first thing that popped into my poor = little head when I read your post. Don't know what else I COULD say. Zowee!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=826494206-13022003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=826494206-13022003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>Alan</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>KENNETH FINLAYSON<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, February 13, 2003 12:28 = AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Philosophy<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV>You said "...our primary reason for existance is not to make = money." To<BR>which I say, with respect, bullmuffins. The primary function = of any business<BR>is to make a profit. The primary purpose of any = employment is to make money.<BR>Can we do that with integrity and honesty? = Absolutely. But I'm not in<BR>business to be noble: it's my livelyhood. This is NOT = a personal critisiscm<BR>of you or your operating philosophy, but = making money is a good thing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Alan: </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My philosophy is something like the = following. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you are an artist, and paint oil = paintings, you sell them - not to make money, but for the sake of the = art. Sometimes you make it big. Most of the time you suffer. Do you call = this a business? I don't. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I am an artist of sound.  = Every tuning is like selling an oil painting. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The primary purpose of any service = is to serve the public. The drudgery of having money, survival, employment, a = new car, income tax, are only sidelines - that take up far too much of my = time, and I wish I didn't have to bother with it. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Can we do it without honesty and = integrity? Absolutely not. Can we tune six pianos a day and put the money in = the bank? Absolutely not. Why? We must think of nobler things if we are to = survive. It is not for naught piano tuning is deemed 'the noblest of = trades.'  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kenny Finlayson, RPT</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>