Now that we are into the season...

[bloke]

Who are some said to be the favorites - this year - for the National Sousaphone Championship?

What are the wagering sites saying at this early date, in regards to the spread?.

[gocsick]

I think these FAMU cats are heavy favorites

[York-aholic]

Just think @bloke… those will be in your shop soon.

“What on earth happened to this sousaphone?”

“Well it’s a long story, but it involves two of the football team’s mascots and a bad landing.”

[bloke]

King...
weird current-generation steampunk bracing system...too thin...still: one of the easiest to get back up-and-running

[catgrowlB]

^ I think with many of those type of schools, theatrics take priority over good sound production/playing

[russiantuba]

The Ohio State University has my vote for the winner. #GoBuckeyes

[tubanh84]

Who are some said to be the favorites - this year - for the National Sousaphone Championship?

What are the wagering sites saying at this early date, in regards to the spread?.

Not gonna lie. I was hoping for a passionate post about pumpkin spice lattes.

[Colby Fahrenbacher]

Would a ChatGPT facsimile do the trick? It's still definitely not quite right...

"Alright, listen up, because I’m not gonna say this again. What in the bloody hell has happened to coffee these days? Now every time I turn around, it’s pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that. You can’t even walk down the street without seeing some young fool with their fancy $7 latte, pretending it’s some kind of religious experience. I’ve had enough of it, I tell ya.

When I was young, we didn’t need to cover our coffee in whipped cream and cinnamon just to make it drinkable. A cup of coffee was a cup of coffee. Simple, strong, to the point. No gimmicks, no fads, just something that would wake you up and get you through the day. But now? Now it’s all this sugary nonsense that doesn’t even taste like coffee anymore. It’s like these people are afraid of what real coffee tastes like. It’s not special, it’s a sham. A bloody disgrace to the word "coffee."

Let’s call it like it is—these pumpkin spice lattes are just another way for these so-called "cultured" city folk to make something simple into some sort of big, important thing. They’ve turned a drink into a lifestyle, and I’ll tell ya, that’s the kind of nonsense that ruins everything. Back in my day, you went to the local café for a decent brew, and you didn’t have to listen to some barista giving you a lecture on what “autumnal flavors” are. Autumn meant going out, not sitting in some overpriced café talking about “craft coffee.” We didn’t need 10 different types of milk or an extra shot of caramel drizzle to enjoy a hot drink. It was coffee. End of story.

But no, now we’ve got a whole generation of people who think drinking a pumpkin-flavored milkshake with a shot of espresso is some sort of ritual. And don't get me started on how these city folk are all "oh, it’s so cozy!" I mean, cozy my backside! You can’t even taste the bloody coffee! Just sugar and cinnamon, it’s more like a dessert you drink while you scroll through your Instagram. It’s ridiculous, is what it is.

You ask these people why they like it, and it’s always the same answer: “It’s fall, you know? It’s tradition!” Tradition? Tradition?! What a load of bollocks. There’s nothing traditional about it. It’s just another urban fad that’s as fleeting as the leaves on the trees. Give it five years, and they’ll all be onto something else. Meanwhile, the real coffee drinkers are left wondering how we got to this point.

So here’s my advice: if you want a drink that actually tastes like coffee, stop hiding behind pumpkin-flavored nonsense. Get yourself a proper cup of black coffee or an espresso, and for the love of all that’s good, leave the frothy pumpkin junk to the urbanites and their ridiculous fall “traditions.”"

[Three Valves]

Now do beer.

[gocsick]

I am going to nominate my local high school section for sousa player of the year..

[prodigal]

I am going to nominate my local high school section for sousa player of the year..

IDK, that kid's pose looks like he could be the subject of a bloke repair thread in the future.

[prodigal]

Would a ChatGPT facsimile do the trick? It's still definitely not quite right...

"Alright, listen up, because I’m not gonna say this again. What in the bloody hell has happened to coffee these days? Now every time I turn around, it’s pumpkin spice this and pumpkin spice that. You can’t even walk down the street without seeing some young fool with their fancy $7 latte, pretending it’s some kind of religious experience. I’ve had enough of it, I tell ya.

When I was young, we didn’t need to cover our coffee in whipped cream and cinnamon just to make it drinkable. A cup of coffee was a cup of coffee. Simple, strong, to the point. No gimmicks, no fads, just something that would wake you up and get you through the day. But now? Now it’s all this sugary nonsense that doesn’t even taste like coffee anymore. It’s like these people are afraid of what real coffee tastes like. It’s not special, it’s a sham. A bloody disgrace to the word "coffee."

Let’s call it like it is—these pumpkin spice lattes are just another way for these so-called "cultured" city folk to make something simple into some sort of big, important thing. They’ve turned a drink into a lifestyle, and I’ll tell ya, that’s the kind of nonsense that ruins everything. Back in my day, you went to the local café for a decent brew, and you didn’t have to listen to some barista giving you a lecture on what “autumnal flavors” are. Autumn meant going out, not sitting in some overpriced café talking about “craft coffee.” We didn’t need 10 different types of milk or an extra shot of caramel drizzle to enjoy a hot drink. It was coffee. End of story.

But no, now we’ve got a whole generation of people who think drinking a pumpkin-flavored milkshake with a shot of espresso is some sort of ritual. And don't get me started on how these city folk are all "oh, it’s so cozy!" I mean, cozy my backside! You can’t even taste the bloody coffee! Just sugar and cinnamon, it’s more like a dessert you drink while you scroll through your Instagram. It’s ridiculous, is what it is.

You ask these people why they like it, and it’s always the same answer: “It’s fall, you know? It’s tradition!” Tradition? Tradition?! What a load of bollocks. There’s nothing traditional about it. It’s just another urban fad that’s as fleeting as the leaves on the trees. Give it five years, and they’ll all be onto something else. Meanwhile, the real coffee drinkers are left wondering how we got to this point.

So here’s my advice: if you want a drink that actually tastes like coffee, stop hiding behind pumpkin-flavored nonsense. Get yourself a proper cup of black coffee or an espresso, and for the love of all that’s good, leave the frothy pumpkin junk to the urbanites and their ridiculous fall “traditions.”"

I'm with you, I don't think coffee should taste like anything except coffee! Black and hot.

I do think a nice, malty lager is appropriate for the fall, though. Especially after playing tuba!

[Jim Williams]

Rumor has it that Jakob Misthaufen, the Bavarian contender, was banned from the competition for using performance-enhancing valve oil.