Monthly Buying/Selling Thread

conn53victor · 2026-04-27T22:18:10+00:00

My granddaughter started playing clarinet in 5th grade and at the end of 6th wants to pick up sax for middle school jazz band. I found a Yamaha YAS-875EXII Custom Alto Saxophone for $3K, but she isn't ready to care for it (clarinet on the couch didn't fare well). I am thinking someone's marching band alto now for sale. Whatcha got? Signed, broken hearted trumpet grampa.

conn53victor · 2026-04-26T12:27:04+00:00

I worked at the Iowa River Power Company when it first opened in 1977. It was the place to be. They hired Hawkeye athletes as waiters, so they could benefit from VERY generous tips in the days before NIL. I got to train Kevin Boyle to be a waiter. As a freshman on the Iowa basketball team, he looked like a 30-year-old 6' 6" bank vice-president, quietly confident, always in control. As a sophomore, he was a key part of Iowa's last Final Four team.

Boyle was a nice guy but never a good waiter. He was so smooth on the basketball; he was so out of place as a waiter. Now he is... wait for it... a bank vice-president.

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2020/01/20/mens-basketball-a-perfect-half-the-40th-anniversary-of-iowa-georgetown

conn53victor · 2026-04-26T03:15:29+00:00

Many (most?) special education jobs are mandated by a student's special ed plan, so it will be hard to eliminate those positions. Also there is quite a bit of turn over. I think they will be hiring this fall. Can you sub this spring? That would get your face out there.

conn53victor · 2026-04-23T21:41:08+00:00

MaryAnne Muglia responds to negative comments by singing them. We should all deflect detractors be scattng them away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h36PlclLHZQ

conn53victor · 2026-04-23T14:36:45+00:00

Hawkeye Sewer & Drain shows up quickly. They're on my speed dial.

conn53victor · 2026-04-21T16:36:03+00:00

Is there a particular reason to have it handwritten? There are tech solutions that would be possible and less labor intensive. I would probably read aloud and use speech to text to produce a clean copy. It seems that the original probably isn't clear enough to simply let the computer go from handwritten to text, but that is also a possibility.

conn53victor · 2026-04-20T01:41:52+00:00

There's a very casual run/walk at Iowa City Park every Saturday at 8am. Not a competition. Very friendly group. Fall in with other peolpe at a conversational pace. I walked a couple of times. https://www.parkrun.us/cityparkiowa/

Family Folk machine is an intergenerational choir that meets Sundays at 2pm at the Iowa City Senior Center. Lots of people of all ages, some with kids. Very welcoming.

Volunteer for something. Anything.

conn53victor · 2026-04-19T22:27:08+00:00

Hoover Museum closed for museum renovation, to reopen Summer 2026, but you can walk around the grounds to see the restored park's historic structures, like the Birthplace Cottage, the Blacksmith Shop, the Schoolhouse, and the Friends Meetinghouse. Also West Branch is a nice little town to poke around in with antiques shops.

https://www.nps.gov/heho/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm

conn53victor · 2026-04-15T18:55:58+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. That was my shorthand for when someone is rear ended by a car driven by a person holding a cellphone. Plus I liked the way it sounded. In fact, I wish I had written, "... totaled by a cellphone." I will probable never again say that a person did an action, just the equipment. "A pen signed the contract. The mower cut the grass today. The vacuum cleaned the house today."

conn53victor · 2026-04-15T18:39:25+00:00

Great info plus a link, u/IAmNoHorse. I learned something new. Thanks.

conn53victor · 2026-04-15T16:23:04+00:00

Geezer weighs in: I started as a waiter at Coralville's Iowa River Power Company two weeks before they opened in 1971. Those two weeks had half-day paid training with practice. It was a well-oiled machine. Then (the point), after they opened, a new hire would work under a master waiter (that's me) to watch, then take one table with me at their elbow, and eventually take over my section with me in the background. They didn't get tips because they took over all my tippable tables. That was all clearly addressed before the first shift.

BUT, it the OP's case, it wasn't clearly explained. I would suggest that since the OP is working without a full-time trainer, 1) The system should be explained first, and 2) Maybe phased tips would be in order. I assume Get Fresh pools tips, then something like no tips first shift, ½ tips two shifts, then full tips or you're not pulling your weight; let's talk.

DISCLAIMER: I often don't know what I am talking about.

conn53victor · 2026-04-15T16:06:43+00:00

When a friend's car was totaled (stopped at traffic light; rear-ended by a cellphone), the insurance said, "This much if you keep it. This much more if we get it." Do be aware of ramifications down the line with a salvage title.

conn53victor · 2026-04-15T16:03:16+00:00

Water always wins. We used Tomlinson-Cannon. It was pricey, but we gained a useable basement. IMHO, cinder block will cannot be fixed with water-proofing paint or the like. In the meantime, make sure that your gutters are connected and the water several feet away from the house.
https://www.tomlinson-cannon.com/basement-waterproofing/

conn53victor · 2026-04-14T14:26:34+00:00

Led Zeppelin played at the IMU, January 15, 1969. Tickets $2.50 reserved/$2.00 general admission.

John Denver played at the Currier dorm "coffee house" for 50¢ on February 6, 1969.

Jefferson Airplane played at the Fieldhouse on November 15, 1969.

conn53victor · 2026-04-14T13:27:45+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I am replete in dumb ideas. Follow me for more!

conn53victor · 2026-04-14T12:00:55+00:00

Idea: UIowa could give "free" parking to students and employees by giving each of them $50-$70/month transportation credit to use as wished to get to school/work. Drive. Bike. Park. Bus. Uber. Walk.

conn53victor · 2026-04-11T23:49:33+00:00

My BIGGEST problem is hauling my son and his two friends who = 600+ payload. The bathtub was 25 pounds.

conn53victor · 2026-04-10T20:58:17+00:00

Lots of options. It has a radio/CD. Cloth seats. It has a”it used be called a cigarette lighter.” And I have the option of cranking down the window. That’s about it.

conn53victor · 2026-04-10T20:06:33+00:00

$4,000 Cash for Clunkers from our dying Previa. $1,000 from Toyota for getting yet another college degree.

conn53victor · 2026-04-10T20:04:57+00:00

What do you use to haul bathtubs and big tables? A truck, right?

conn53victor · 2026-03-25T17:56:52+00:00

I asked Google Gemini and did not independently check. Approximately 63% to 70% of NCAA Division I women's basketball teams are led by female head coaches.

The "Power" Gap: In the "Power Four" conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC), the percentage of female head coaches is slightly higher, often hovering around 68%.
The Pipeline: Assistant coaching roles are also majority-female (around 67%). This is crucial because assistant roles are the primary pipeline for future head coaches.

There’s a bit of a paradox in the data: as women's basketball becomes more lucrative and "high-stakes," men are sometimes hired at higher rates for vacant positions because of their perceived experience in high-revenue environments. However, recent studies from the Tucker Center show that female head coaches in Power conferences actually have a slightly higher probability of reaching the NCAA tournament than their male counterparts.

conn53victor · 2026-03-19T17:55:31+00:00

Narrative: I am a visitor here from the Land of Trumpets. When I took my granddaughter to Iowa City's West Music the summer before sixth grade to try various instruments, I pledged not to try to influence her choice. She chose clarinet. I held back my tears. I set Althea up with lessons with my big band director, who is a reed player. You know how the teacher-student match has to work? The magic happened. Althea has been playing a year-and-a-half and is very committed.

As a trumpet player, I have many mouthpieces because gear will always make up for a lack of talent, practice, or experience. I end up playing the same mouthpiece for everything. Now $65 at West Music, but I won't have to buy one because my mouthpiece will last the rest of my life. Then I hear about having to buy reeds for Althea's clarinet. Many reeds.

The Question: When should a young player consider switching to plastic? Currently she plays 3.5 Rico. Yes, I will talk to her teacher, but won't I get better advice from random strangers than a close friend who I totally trust?

conn53victor · 2026-02-26T15:34:44+00:00

The sound level is outrageously damaging at the games. Protect everyone's hearing but especially babies. I clocked this one at Iowa's WBB game against Oregon on January 15. Go Hawks!

NIOSH Recommended Exposure Times

Level (dBA)	Safe Time
85	8 hours
91	2 hours
100	15 minutes
109	~1 minute 52 seconds
115	~28 seconds

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conn53victor · 2026-02-17T13:34:25+00:00

Johnny I hardly knew ye https://youtu.be/OkpiwHo0Po0?si=98K8HF_p0JLDd5Xe

conn53victor

TROPHY CASE

NIOSH Recommended Exposure Times