As we move through life, and add a few years to our experiences, it's only natural that we start losing friends along the way. We are all merely mortal. The last several months have been brutal. We lost Memphis'Ardent Studios stalwarts John Hampton and John Fry within a week of each other in December. Renowned Seedy Underbelly Studio owner, John Kuker, had just begun renovating Minnesota's legendary Pachyderm Studio before his unfortunate passing in February. On a note closer to home for me, Bill Gladfelter, one of my best intern/assistants ever (and later to become an ATR Services employee), passed away in November last year at 35 years old. All of this leaves me with a dark cloud hovering above, no matter how well other aspects of my life may be going. I'm not getting any younger either...