The Stranger Creek Band (of which I’m a member) is well received, every where we play we have people telling us how good we are and how much they enjoy the music and still it is not easy getting payed for our talents. CD sales are down although we have a new CD that everybody wanted to buy, donations to our kitty keeps going down, and dances have low attendance. Are times really that bad? Has outgo exceeded income, is there too much month at the end of the money? Or are people just afraid to spend anything on entertainment? are they waiting for the times to get better? If you think times are bad now you should take another look at the 1930s. I didn’t live through the depression but I heard stories from people who did and brother that was tough to say the least. So until the politicians who have the reins decide on what direction to go, I guess people will hold on to what they have for now and people who are in the business that I’m in will have to tighten their belts a little more. But we are not the only ones who are struggling to keep making music, it is almost across the board, unless you are one of the Nashville brats that have a major label pushing them to the front of the line for the younger crowd that lives for the moment; I know that’s what I did when I was young. So good luck to them and enjoy, it don’t last very long………