<html><body> <DIV>HI Bob,</DIV> <DIV>I don't have any gripes against our techs here personally. I simply said that our area is too saturated. I'm just stating fact, and no I'm not giving up on the list. I enjoy it and reading the posts.  I'm just not e-mailing much anymore, been too busy in all honesty. Our basset got out of the yard on Friday, and I've been a bit edgy all weekend, even more than usual. So if my posts come across wrong, I do apologize seriously, but I'm hurting a little. We've had that dog for going on 8 years in June, so my observations might have a little more spice to them. When you get to meet me hopefully if I can attend that convention, you'll see I'm not all that bad.</DIV> <DIV>Marshall</DIV> <DIV>ps again sorry guys if Ive been edgy. I sure loved that basset.  </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message -------------- <BR>From: BobDavis88@aol.com <BR> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Marshall,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Time out ! Time out ! You are about to squander a PRICELESS opportunity ! Just don your flamesuit over your thickest skin, and stay with us a litle longer. Technical and business advice of enormous value has been offered to you here, and what you see as a beating is actually the best of that advice. John Stroup's beautifully written post was in response to the beating YOU gave your area and its tuners. He obviously took quite a bit of time thinking about that sincere, respectful letter, and you didn't read even the first line accurately. You say:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>"Johns letter was a private letter, or suposed to be anyway. " </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">No, what he actually said was, "I WOULD make this a private e-mail to Marshall, but he has been very public in his comments:" <BR></FONT> </FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>Nothing was ever offered in terms of mentoring apprenticship etc by him to my knowledge. </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Exactly what he said. And what have you offered? Rough tuning for free ahead of a college or dealer floor tuner in exchange for a little criticism? Helping to break down a piano for rebuilding? Trading cleaning services for advice? No, just complaints that you can't break into the business overnight.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">This is the most satisfying profession I can imagine. If you are serious and pay your [figurative] dues, you will find the most helpful and generous colleagues you can imagine. After 35 years in the trade, I can not begin to acknowledge my debt to them. This is the time for REALLY thick skin. Don't take offense; try to recognize the value in these recent posts that may seem harsh at first reading. My advice:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Re-read John Stroup's, Debbie Legg's, and David Andersen's posts ten times each. Word by word. Humbly. Earnestly. Maybe even read this one more than once. Then get back to us. As John said, "Still available for consultation and question answering,"<BR></FONT><FONT face="Bookman Old Style"></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style">Bob Davis, RPT</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></body></html>