At this point, saying that "times are hard, right now," is the understatement of understatements. Already my friends who work in the local and regional music industry are telling us that life is getting challenging. To be honest, I have often wondered about the fragile nature of this particular economic system. My step-daughter works as a server, bartender, and all-purpose laborer at our local brewery, and more than once I contemplated how easily the house of cards she sits on could tumble. That it happened not long after the ink dried on the bill of sale which created a monthly car payment is not a cruel irony that's lost on me.