Talk about chutzpah!!!

". . . I do hold free events.

"Many professional musicians of late have found nothing but excuses instead of attending. We still get plenty of folk turning up but they are so into the money making greed that they attend oft goofy commercial activities instead."

You know, that is so over the top that it slid right by me at first.

Conrad, singing and entertaining people, and if possible, educating them a bit about folk music is my job. That's how I make my living. Some people are plumbers, some carpenters, some people are doctors, lawyers, nurses, janitors, welders, architects, draftsmen, flight attendants, pilot tug boats. . . . You get the idea. (You do get the idea, don't you!??)

Let's say I'm singing regularly on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at a local coffeehouse, and getting paid to do so (as I have done off and on for many years—it's my job!) And you invite me to some free event that you are throwing on a Saturday night, and I tell you, "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't make it. I'm working that night."

This makes me "greedy!??"

My job is a "goofy commercial activity?"

Man, you are a piece of work!!

The person who owns and runs the coffeehouse expects me to be there. The audiences expect me to be there. And getting paid for singing there is what allows me to pay the bills so I can keep singing there.

And you get all bent out of shape because I won't duck out on my job, disappoint a whole bunch of people who come there to hear me sing, lose a night's pay, and possible tick off my employer enough to fire me for being unrelable, and hiring someone else? Is this what you want, Conrad?

Sorry. Ain't gonna happen. And if this makes me "greedy" and "mercenary," then so be it!

"In addition to being a folk musician and storyteller at professional level I am also an artcar artist. I drive them daily and dont expect any money."

Yeah, I've seen pictures of your "art," Conrad. A couple of legs off a department store manikin stuffed into a garbage can with the feet sticking up so it looks like someone has been tossed into the garbage, and this is your idea of "visionary art?"

Jayzuz, man, gimme a break!!

Bloody hopeless. . . .

Don Firth