<HTML>In a message dated 6/11/02 7:41:09 AM Central Daylight Time, mkurta@adelphia.net (Mike Kurta) writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">It would be interesting to poll PTG members (both associates and RPT) as to why they don't attend national conventions.  After going to seven, I seem to see the same faces year after year.  Curious...... My picks for reasons folks don't attend conventions.    1.  Not interested</BLOCKQUOTE> You got it right with the very first one.  There may be some great opportunities for newer people in the business and those interested in rebuilding but for those interested in advances in tuning, this year's line up is the absolute PITS!  I have far better things to do than go listen to the same old thing over and over. What's more, there seems to be a prohibition against making such a criticism just as there is for daring to think that there may be better ways to tune than what the good ol' boys running PTG want the membership to know about.  There is the right of free speech, however and knowing full well that using that right can bring on backlash, I still prefer to say what's on my mind. I'll go to the Convention again when there is something on the schedule worth going for.  Please skip all the "hurt feelings" comments about all the unpaid, volunteer time the Convention planners put in.  Also, don't bother writing any public demands that I quit posting to this List.  I think there has been some concerted negative energy put into what *not* to allow and what *not* to offer.  If that same energy were channeled more positively, it would be a far different picture. I'm not going because I'm just plain NOT INTERESTED! Bill Bremmer RPT Madison, Wisconsin <A HREF="http://www.billbremmer.com/">Click here: -=w w w . b i l l b r e m m e r . c o m =-</A> </HTML>