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Yesterday, it was $5.94 (but you had to buy this much to get it for only $5.94...I was in there yesterday).C J wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 12:12 pm This is what I love about tubaforum: because Bloke posts regularly, we and Europe get a glimpse into the life of a US resident, unfiltered by the press.
Is minced meat really that expensive? In the Netherlands, we pay about $4.00 for 1 lb, and that includes 9% VAT.
Somebody is being ripped of I think.
The Texas drought during COVID didn't help the beef prices with the rapid selloff and slow replenishment of aged steers. Here at the Mason-Dixon line, pre-covid Holstein bull calves were about $50 each for day old calves. Now the demand is making them into the hundreds. We haven't raised steers since, but we still have beef from the last two, and plenty of venison, despite the absolute worst deer season I've ever had last year.bloke wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 1:09 pm SIDEBAR (though certainly some of my stuff in my previous response wandered off-topic as well)
Yesterday, it was $5.94 (but you had to buy this much to get it for only $5.94...I was in there yesterday).C J wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 12:12 pm This is what I love about tubaforum: because Bloke posts regularly, we and Europe get a glimpse into the life of a US resident, unfiltered by the press.
Is minced meat really that expensive? In the Netherlands, we pay about $4.00 for 1 lb, and that includes 9% VAT.
Somebody is being ripped of I think.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/73-Lean-27-F ... l/44001602
This is a sudden drop (again: 10 lbs. in a chub, where you can't see what you're buying) to $4.00...but we should never be paying as much for stuff as Europeans... Also, (though no knowledge) I suspect that - for the same fat content - this Walmart chub is lower quality that Dutch/Netherlands ground beef.
Reportedly there is a US beef shortage, but - all throughout the 2020 - 2024 economic shutdown - several processing major meat processing plants were shut down, several others "mysteriously" burned down, and now there are epic "wildfires" (grazing land, etc.) everywhere.
bloke is a conspiracy ̶t̶h̶e̶o̶r̶i̶s̶t̶ noticer.
Mrs. bloke and I aren't being ripped off, as we are fishing, pulling out frozen venison, and buying (77-cents-a-pound) ten pound bags of chicken thigh quarters. (I suppose once the water is drained from the bags of chicken and the bones are removed, that chicken MEAT is around $1/lb.)
Agriculture in the US is an insane industry that is self defeating in its size and scope. We need more small farmers to intentionally use smaller parcels of land more effectively, but people want their food as cheaply as possible, so big as always wins.C J wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 12:12 pm This is what I love about tubaforum: because Bloke posts regularly, we and Europe get a glimpse into the life of a US resident, unfiltered by the press.
Is minced meat really that expensive? In the Netherlands, we pay about $4.00 for 1 lb, and that includes 9% VAT.
Somebody is being ripped of I think.
If the Fed would quit printing money that doesn't represent any goods nor services, I think all of us would be paid what we're worth. I'm pretty sure that collecting trash already pays more - and rightfully so - than adjunct tuba instruction.JC2 wrote: Sat Aug 09, 2025 7:10 pm Unfortunately universities are run for profit, there’s an incentive to have as many students as possible regardless of job opportunity in the workforce.
There’s probably too many people going into higher education generally. Everyone is trying to live the dream, whatever they may be.
Society doesn’t seem to respect trade roles as much as your fancy pants professors, lawyers, investors etc. All of these ‘blue collar’ jobs are vital to make society function. Even the dude picking up the trash each week is performing an essential function for society. All jobs should be respected at all levels and you should live on a fair wage for your work.
We just had a buckling born yesterday afternoon, his dam rejected him, so another bottle baby aka truck goat.
Around here it pays better than being a public school teacher with a master's and extra.bloke wrote: Sat Aug 09, 2025 8:47 pmIf the Fed would quit printing money that doesn't represent any goods nor services, I think all of us would be paid what we're worth. I'm pretty sure that collecting trash already pays more - and rightfully so - than adjunct tuba instruction.JC2 wrote: Sat Aug 09, 2025 7:10 pm Unfortunately universities are run for profit, there’s an incentive to have as many students as possible regardless of job opportunity in the workforce.
There’s probably too many people going into higher education generally. Everyone is trying to live the dream, whatever they may be.
Society doesn’t seem to respect trade roles as much as your fancy pants professors, lawyers, investors etc. All of these ‘blue collar’ jobs are vital to make society function. Even the dude picking up the trash each week is performing an essential function for society. All jobs should be respected at all levels and you should live on a fair wage for your work.
This—as a sub for the group, I am frequently playing popular music in a tuba quartet, I’ve subbed for NOLA style brass bands, do quintet, orchestral, teach, etc. But “[my] model of tuba hasn’t won an orchestral job, so it’s not worth purchasing”.UncleBeer wrote: Sun Aug 10, 2025 8:03 am Take this worth a grain of salt from someone who has a (somewhat useless) doctorate in tuba performance. I'll just contribute my standard rant: to let tubaists graduate only being proficient in orchestral excerpts and concerti is plain ol' criminal. You're merely perpetuating the cycle of future teachers who only create more teachers, (ad nauseum). Make sure students learn to double on more marketable instruments, and are capable of navigating chord changes.
Yes! Teach them to double on a marketable instrument, like euphonium! The instrument that makes people say “you WHAT?”UncleBeer wrote: Sun Aug 10, 2025 8:03 am Take this worth a grain of salt from someone who has a (somewhat useless) doctorate in tuba performance. I'll just contribute my standard rant: to let tubaists graduate only being proficient in orchestral excerpts and concerti is plain ol' criminal. You're merely perpetuating the cycle of future teachers who only create more teachers, (ad nauseum). Make sure students learn to double on more marketable instruments, and are capable of navigating chord changes.
He said “of course!” I got to the gig and I asked the group leader about music and he said “Music? Man, I just call the tune and we go!”. No rehearsal, it was just the gig, in front of people, and not only did I not know the tunes, he wouldn’t call the key either and I had to figure out what key we were in! Fortunately, he used a limited number of keys, and the chord changes were not particularly complicated, so I could make up the bass lines pretty well. He was impressed enough with me that I stayed with the group for a season. So yes, this is a good skill to have. Dixieland is very popular genre in certain circumstances (political rallies, riverboat tours, etc.) and an often overlooked opportunity for jobs playing our favorite instrument! The money was actually pretty decent!
Nah she’s not elitist - she's a realist. In her profession no amount of work is going to produce "the voice". If you don’t have that to begin with you are wasting your time and money if you think you will get one of the few spots in her profession. It’s like whenever I hear some bozo pontificating you can be whatever you want to be. A 4 foot midget is never going to be the starting center for an NBA team. There are many basic attributes one must have to begin with in order to then add the time and effort to get to a place to be a viable candidate for a position. True - talent alone won’t get you there - but it is a prerequisite in order to build on. For example If you can’t run a minimum 4.5 40 you’re not even in the “running” to be an NFL running back.DonO. wrote: Sun Aug 10, 2025 6:49 am I have some MAJOR disagreements with Ms. Fleming’s point of view. And with some of bloke’s as well.
Ms. Fleming comes off as very elitist and “diva-ish”. As well she might, since she does occupy the very tip top of her profession. I don’t know how she got started with singing, but I imagine at some point in her childhood, like most of us, she just opened her mouth and did it. What if someone at that point told her she had “no business” doing it? It’s true that some people are born with superior “pipes”, but most people can become very good singers with the proper training. The majority of us don’t get that, though. There is a common misconception among the general population (and even among instrumental musicians who should know better) that good singers are just born that way and are “talented”. That ignores the fact that truly great singers have to work VERY hard, practice endlessly, take lessons, etc.- just like instrumental musicians. Ms. Fleming should know that. She’s lived it. She must have gone through all of that to be where she is today.
A relative of mine, whom I know very well, is a voice professor at a university with a well known and respected music department. He does several things there, but his real forte is vocal coaching. He is intimately familiar with teaching techniques that bring out the best in his vocal students. And he goes beyond the world of classical and opera (which Ms. Fleming says is “what she knows”). For example, he gets crossover students from the theatre program. With theatre people, one of the things that gets them jobs is to be a “triple threat”- that is, they can act, sing, and dance. So they come to him to sharpen those skills. His students have a track record of success. One landed leading roles in two Broadway shows. Another was a finalist on “The Voice” and came damn close to winning. In my opinion, he should have won! But I digress.
As far as substituting “tuba” for “singer”, I can speak from personal experience. When I was in high school, I aspired to be a tuba major in college. That’s all I ever thought about. I auditioned at a state school with a very well known tuba teacher. You would certainly recognize his name if I cared to share it. I was rejected. Although everyone had told me I was the “best” tuba player ever in my school district, I had little experience outside of that environment. I had never had private lessons. I had no idea how to use a fourth valve. I was asked to transpose trombone music an octave down and had no idea how to do that either. So, maybe some people at that point would have told me I had “no business” majoring in tuba. My own band director advised me to “Give up!” (his exact words). But I was determined! In my mind, that famous teacher wanted students who were ALREADY good players. I wanted a teacher who would actually earn his salary and TEACH me how to be a good player. I finally was accepted at a small college and I like to think I ended up a pretty good player. Not the top of the heap, not the elite, but pretty good. I eventually realized that not everybody has to be the “top of the heap”, that “pretty good” can be satisfying too. I enjoyed a successful career as a music educator. I was able to pickup occasional playing gigs (Dixieland, German) and also community band and even a community orchestra. Look back, it was a very good life. Should I have listened to the people who tried to tell me to give up? I don’t think so.
One other point to share- when I first entered college, I was EXTREMELY impressed with the abilities displayed by my classmates. They ALL were very good pianists, vocalists, and instrumentalists. EVERYONE in my class, I discovered, was first chair, section leader, all county, all region, all state, yadda yadda. And yet, probably 3/4 of them didn’t make to to graduation. Many changed majors to something other than music. Some left school. The irony is, in most cases is was NOT their performance ability that made them stumble. It was the book work. Music theory, music history, form and analysis, etc. THOSE were their Waterloo, not performing ability. It seems our school systems do a pretty good job teaching performance, but little if anything to prepare aspiring music majors for the academic rigors that await them.