They've begun the evacuation of US citizens in India. A couple of million folks now hanging out with ak-47's in the kashmir. Pakistan is boosting missile production. A senator (I think) laments that we need to boost recruitment efforts. We've got troops now in 80 countries and they're spread a bit thin. Troops. In 80 countries. That's a few more than I remember counting. There are only somewhere around 100 countries in the world.

There's probably only one way out of the growing mess, and the likelihood of it happening is beginning to slip away. We have to somehow acknowledge that the lightning rod decisions by the UN in 1947 were flawed. And we've got to get all these people in a room and figure out how to fix it. No - not divide it. We already know that doesn't work. Fix it. Or do we just wait until the bodies pile up and they finally acknowledge that squabbling over it is really pointless?

Columbia changed hands last week. The new prez is vowing to root out the drug barons forever. There's a clear motive. He'll get stinking rich because the US will give him everything he wants - including plenty of guns and most importantly hard cash. But his life insurance policy is now gonna' cost him a bundle of that cash.

Saturdays can sure be brutal when the weather's good. During the week there's a natural business lull in the mid-afternoon in between the lunch and dinner crowds. On Saturdays it's full tilt boogie most of the day. I'm trying to explain the rental program to a family at the counter whilst a few kids are checking out all the expensive guitars. And then another family comes in to inquire about flutes. I've got a bunch of different kinds - that'll take some explaining. Then while they're all standing there somebody comes in that needs his guitar worked on. Then another family - cellos this time. Have to pull each one down and tune it for them. It all becomes a blur after a while.