You've gotta eat gruel to be kind
Is the rising cost of living leaving you penny-pinching? Not enough money to put food on the table? Not enough money to warm your hovel? Well, stop thinking only of yourself, you selfish bastard! (furious)
Because if you think you have it bad, British musicians have it far, far worse. They can't even afford to tour the US.
That's right, pop pickers. Bands who want to earn the big bucks are finding the costs of US visas have escalated, and it's making it difficult for them to travel to the land of the free and mucho moolah.
But [The Last Dinner Party's] bassist Georgia Davies says it's "becoming increasingly impossible for independent and indie label artists to get out to America, which is an absolute travesty". "There should be more funding of arts in this country to enable artists be able to do that."
Andrew Rogers and Riyah Collins, BBC Newsbeat
So, there you have it, music lovers. It's an absolute travesty
that musicians can't get out to America, and more funding is needed for them to realise their dreams. Of course, that means higher taxes or cuts in other services for you. But their happiness should be reward enough in itself.
Now, back to your bowl of gruel, and throwing another family member on the fire to keep warm.
The price of US visas has more than doubled, to over $1000 in some cases, excluding additional legal and processing fees. If that's a deal-breaker for artists, however, one has to question the financial validity of their enterprise in the first place.