The zen finally subsumed the negative energy. Now that I've put yesterday into perspective, I understand that there's a market for single bass strings. Sets cost about $40 and sure that's wasteful if you just want one. I'll concede that it would be a good idea. But in order for me not to take a loss I have to buy them that way and single bass strings are not yet on my list. Tomorrow may be different. I'll have to shop around and see if I can find people to sell them to me that way. In the meantime I've got sets. That's better than having nothing. Well to some people anyway...

Some of my repair tools started arriving. It could take years before I'm good at woodwinds but I've got enough skills and tools to take care of a lot of common guitar problems, violin and cello; and now trumpet. I've started to notice that the repair income for the shop is substantial - maybe 10% of gross receipts; and I'm giving around 80% of it to Tony the elder. I want him to be happy and make money as well, but we're talking a lot of cash flow and I'd like to see just a bit more of it flow my way.

Come again? That little flight school in Florida is in the news again. They just received student visas from the INS for Mohamed Otta and one of the other hijackers six months ago, and that were requested in mid 2000. I hope an INS official gets fired. Wish it could be the pencil-pusher that ultimately let this happen. Do you see the magnitude of the challenges to our new homeland security czar? The government needs to matrix - something it has never done before.