sheltie dave

When I started in the workforce, the minimum wage was $2.23 an hour. Despite all the raises I have received over the years, I have never seen anyone laid off because I, or anyone else, had just received a raise. There is a strange dichotomy here that is the bottom end of the iceberg....what is a living wage? To me, it represents the money needed to be self sufficient in a bare bones apartment, with enough money to pay all your non frivolous bills, and have enough money to pay for needed insurance, save a couple hundred every paycheck, and have the money to advance your station by pursuing further education. The lack of a living wage ensures that we will always have an underclass in poverty, dependent on government handouts to survive life. You could flip this argument by waving a wand and suddenly putting 45% of the workforce back into unions, or back to the 10 hour a day, six or seven day workweek we had until the late 1800s. Every single change that has happened to better workforce life has been portrayed as the end of the business world as we know it, yet everything still is here. The question I ask is this - who has benefited the most in the last twenty years, executives or the common worker? If it is not hard to double the pay of management, why not the workers that actually produce the profit? Hmmm, let's see how much a board member of McDonald's and WalMart gets paid each year.. Wow, some of y'all should check out some of these figures.

Becoming an anecdote is great, but are you then willing to remember where you came from, and strive to build a stronger staircase, so others can follow you, or do you seek to strenuously hold onto everything you have gained and put a boot on everyone seeking to start up that skinny staircase to prosperity? In part, the ability to succeed is also determined by the presence of opportunity and abetted by mentors and available role models to follow. This is one reason the military is quite a successful avenue to those coming out of the projects and slums in our neck of the woods.

J, there are many answers, however, it is best to look at what worked historically here in the US. The period of time when we grew our middle class by leaps and bounds was when we were a nation of producers, with strong unions, and an extremely high level of wealth redistribution by the government. This triumvirate of circumstances created a stable and strong middle class. It is ironic that we now talk about eating the rich, when during my years growing up, my parents never paid less than 40% of their income. But they never ran around, calling themselves job creators, and demanding tax breaks left and right because they earned the right to be better represented than those making less. When the scales tip too far to benefiting the wealthy, let us remember that there is a finite amount of wealth and income created every year. Also, the vast majority of job creators are not the top 5% of income earners, but small businesses under 200 employees. Understanding production and consumption patterns, and where and why opportunities are created, will help us focus on the economic truths, rather than the political bromides that are a false front. I would have no problem losing my KHorns if we were in the top 1%, or the top 5%, of wage earners in the US. I could just go out and buy another five sets tomorrow.

There are not enough $15 an hour jobs to hire 10% of the workers who are minimum wage earners. There are not enough colleges and junior colleges with cheap enough annual tuition charges to allow people making $8/hr, $16,000 a year to attend full time college. There are not enough $400 a month rental apartments to house the working poor. And this cheap apartment kills off $5,000, so now the $16K is $11K. Electric is $60 a month, gas is $50 a month, water is $30 a month, food is $200 a month, so that kills off $4100. Now the $16K is $6.2K. Rental insurance is $80 a month, so that kills another grand, now the $16K is $5.2K. Health insurance, bare bones, is about $2k a year, so now the $16K is $3.2K. Carson's flat 15% tax would eat up $2.4K, so now you have $800 for the year to rub together in your pocket. But wait, there is one junior college that has tuition of $100 per credit hour, so you can take eight hours a year. Drop the health insurance, and now you can go full time. Drop the rental insurance, and you can even buy a snack while at school! Just don't plan on moving away from the apartment at the edge of the ghetto any time soon. PS...don't plan on a major inn MIS, because your favorite politicians are doing all they can to import cheap talent, or the companies are telexporting these slots overseas.

There is a reason the National Labor Relations Board, OSHA. MSHA, the EPA, and other federal agencies were created. There was a burning need for governmental agencies because many companies thought there was no moral. legal, nor business justification to provide for worker, environmental, and general public health and safety. There is a tremendous societal economic cost involved when businesses exist. Unfettered regulatory environments generally mean virtually all of the social, health, and economic costs are rolled over from businesses to consumers/society.

Heck, and all this time I thought a crossover was someone who acted and dressed of the opposite sex. Color me confused when I found out they hid in speakers!

Matt, Matt is right. This is a journey, and every person has a favorite amp, favored topologies, and a favored speaker, or speakers, or a type of speakers. Same thing with varied brands of tubes. You never know what might lead you or catch your ear, but once you start down the rabbit hole, you soon realize you have entered a different world. The Genesis 6 has some stunning graphics, a great case, and was stocked with some real nice Teles, which is always a great base for any tube amp. The rest is up to you, getting your ears dialed in to what sounds best for you for your La Scalas. I know it sounded pretty tasty pretty tasty on the Model 19s, although I only caught two songs in the room while the Genesis was rolling. Matt and the kitchen gang were flexing the amp's muscles a little, so we mainly heard the bass bleeding through the closed door into the main rec room. Kudos to Matt for driving down for the afternoon from Milwaukee. I think he was a little stunned at the diversity, quality, and historical spread of what we had on display and in rotation for the gathering. It was a lot of fun watching it all unfold. The kitchen gang really enjoyed Mark and Matt's amps, so I think you will soon have a winner in your house. The other Mark brought a tube neophyte friend, so his Yamamoto stayed home. His friend fell in love with the Sun Audio integrated. Another fell in love with Mark's 6BG4 push pull amp. Willie fell in love with the IMF speakers. Adrian, our first chair violinist from the Bach Society, fell in love with a pair of Acoustic Zen 1m cables and took them home, and really loved the way the Ming Da preamp and the WE421 SET amp drove the IMFs. Dave loved the power the Opera Consonance 211s SET had to flog the RF7s. I really liked the jambalaya that Liam made. Everyone mowed through the cheeses that Ken brought, and the Schlafly beer growlers were emptied in a business like manner - with dispatch. Erik and Mike's amps stayed on the bench, as I didn't want them to be pawed at or dropped once the proceedings started getting frisky, and volumes levels crept up, and then went to well up for SET amps.

It's not that far, Mike! In the main gallery downstairs, AKA the mancave, we used the modded Klipsch RF7s with the Sun Audio SV2A3, the the HandMade Electronics WE91A replicas, and finally the Opera Consonance 211s with the Juicy Music Merlin linestage. We had a few folks who had never really heard tube amps before, so they were wearing their drool bibs. Here is the view from the comfy chair...

Wolfbane, we have a set of TJ Fullmusic 211s in them. The original Chinese tubes were, to be frank, quite horrible. If I hadn't heard these amps with a pair of 1937 Amperex, I never would have purchased them. We only have the amp; I did not care for the pre at all. The TJ are a good blend of performance and economy; cheap enough to afford and yet good enough to be happy with the level of performance. The Amperex are superior - almost holographic- but their price is currently stratospheric as well. Bruce, one of these days you will be back and happen to be around St. Louis. We would love to host you for some good listening and food.

In the downstairs kitchen, we ran a pair of Altec Model 19s with a Juicy Music Merlin linestage through a custom push pull 6BG4 based stereo amp, and then later a ToolShed Audio Genesis 6 tube amp with some neat pressed hieroglyphics and gold plating.

In the living room we ran a Ming Da 6SN7/6DJ8/EL34 voltage regulated/2A3 final stage bling bling preamp with a custom Sean Casper WE 421 triode based SET amp though a pair of IMF Reference 80MKII speakers, or Grant Fidelity LS3/5A speakers. Most of the attendees were quite enthusiastic about the sound, especially when the IMFs were in rotation.

Marty, I'll check on a used Otari 5050 here in the Lou. That Ampex will have a real nice amp section if it comes with a speaker. Many gut the amps and build monoblocs that are respectible. I'll do a little research.

I know, Bruce. Time for last call for rsvps.

We have a 1500 sq ft house. The vinyl was given away 15 years ago. Between cooking, eating, hosting, swapping out ten amps in three systems, sampling microbrews and a single malt or two, cleaning up, and being music director, I won't generate comments. This is why I invited folks over, tho there arent any klipschsters at this point. I already know how these amps sound, the goal here is to get others over. We will have about twenty locals, was just hoping to pick a few more visitors up here.

Mike, I'm building it up big...hand selected parts....built by a Buddhist in the eastern high desert land of Washington state...using only 9 zeros silver solder....with a select hardwoood sourced for specific frequency tuned response. What's the frequency, Kenneth?

Nothing other than let you do your magic, Dean. I'll edit it. There you go!

WE are getting ready to rummmmmmmmbbbbbblllle. In one corner, we have Erik Mandeville's JFL Horus inspired 2A3s, joined by a pair of 211 based Opera Consonance 211s(duh), a pair of Handmade Audio WE 91A knockoffs with 300Bs, a Sean Casper 5998 amp with a WE 421 twin triode, a Sun Audio SA2A3, and a Flip's Stereo homebrew 2A3, VS Mike Stehr's Maggotbox EL84 SEP amp. To even the sides out, Willie will be bringing his old school 26/45 integrated SET stereo amp, Scott might show up with a pair of Welborne DRD300Bs, and Mark may drag over his Yamamoto AO8 stereo amp. They will join the Maggotbox. We will be listening to the victims on a pair of Altec 19s, DeanG modded RF7s, and some IMFs and LS3/5As upstairs. Cajan jambalaya and cornbread will be provided, along with some growlers from Schlafly's Micro brewery. We urge you to bring something as well, as all the battles create a powerful appetite. Please ring me at 314-651-9396 with any questions. Saturday 3 pm to 9 pm Sunday 12;30 pm to 6 pm Thanks, Dave

I have very sad but joyful news. Maron could not fight off the pnuemonia and his severely weakened state, and passed last Friday. While he was awake and alert, they found that his previous prostate cancer had returned. He realized that he was too tired to do any more circuits with us, and so he passed onto a far greater journey. We are the richer for his presence, and his cantankerous "old man" grouchiness led many an otherwise peaceful thread astray, much to his delight. Please continue with the prayers, both for his new journey and for his widow, Debbie. She has found comfort and solace knowing that his friends here hold him dear. Also, please pray for Bob Armbruster (Captn Bob,) who also just passed. Bob was the theater arts building manager at Principia College, and then the traffic/events manager and on air talent for KFUO Classic 99 FM in St. Louis for years. My teenage son listened to Bob's classical music show for eight years, falling asleep to a familiar loved voice every Sunday night. Tempus Fugit, gentlemen. Our two most prominent beloved Klipsch gurus and gray haired eminences in Missouri have departed. Bob is at the far back left, Maron is in the right side folding chair, appropriately kibbutzing with each other. They could each go for days telling stories about who they rubbed shoulders with, beginning with PWK!

Matt, I hope you still plan on coming over on the 7th or 8th. You won't have the chance to see and hear this many lower powered high quality tube amps in many a moon. Part of our hobby and passion is learning about new things, kinda like seeing the sights along the trip you are taking. We tend to cocoon a little at times. Don't be a stranger - we have about six folks dragging their amps in, so stop in!

Matt, cool your jets a little. You will be paying a $500 premium for the bling bling on that one.

Here is the main listening room, Matt. We usually run CDs, but we can have a Tt setup if you want.

I thought you would like that, Mike :-) And the last shall be first!

These are a pair of Eric Mandeville built JFL Horus inspired SET amps with a 5AR4/5687/2A3 tube palate. They are one of the most articulate and well balanced of the flock, and you will get to hear them early in the festivities. Along with the Welborne DRDs, the Opera Consonance 211s, the Yamamoto AO8, and the WE 91A, they reside at the top end of the SET amps we will have for sampling. And you won't be buying that single ended KT88 amp....poor build, poor iron, poor quality, and poor topology don't make a good amp, even when it is cheap, cheap. Your puppy won't let it in the house, even slathered with bacon grease! Willie will have his DHT 26-26 DC 45 featured at the gathering for $600, and he has a thread on it at the Gateway forum. I think we will have it up first on Saturday on the Altec Model 19s or RF7s. A word of warning - Willie and Mark love to talk about builds, and they will regale you for hours about tubes. They are as passionate about tube gear as anyone I have ever met, and they walk the walk.

And Jim, the Interelectronics, the old Mc 50Ws, and a couple other exotics have caught my eye and bewitched me. If you make it to the presale walkthrough, keep your eye open for a Fairchild amp...I need one. Thx

Well, you missed the Welborne DRD300Bs, the Shuguang LX10, the United Electric ST70, and a flock of seagulls on the other wall. I'll stick your name on the monoblocs. :-) At $600, there probably will be 6 to 10 amps. If you don't have a preamp, there should be three to five integrated amps. You can bypass the pre IF you have a two mV output cd player with a variable loudness remote, but you have to be anal about turning the volume down. We are an easy two hour cruise from BoCoMo. Dave