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Joined 5 months ago
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Cake day: May 5th, 2024

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  • Enlisting in the military.

    I was an insufferable piece of shit back in the day, constantly self sabotaging and blaming everyone else for the problems I caused. I was on the verge of homelessness due to my own stubbornness and bad attitude.

    The military gave me the swift kick in the ass that I desperately needed. Now I can self reflect and recognize when the problem is me, and I can admit when I’m wrong and course correct.

    Military isn’t for everyone, but for me it was exactly what I needed. I learned a ton of life skills and healthy coping mechanisms that my parents never taught me.



  • Job: Welder

    Customer: “Hey I need a welder to fix the railing at my business.”

    Me: “OK, I can start work after you close for the day.”

    Customer: “Oh no, I’m not staying late. I need you to fix it during business hours.”

    Me: “OK then, it’s dangerous work so I’ll need to rope off the area and erect screens to protect the general population from weld flash and grinder sparks.”

    Customer: “Oh no, this walkway needs to stay open for customers during business hours.”

    Me: “Again, this is dangerous work. Somebody is going to get hurt if they’re permitted to walk through the work area.”

    Customer: “I don’t know why you’re being so difficult, just zap zap and you’re done.”

    Me: “No, it’s going to take a lot of work. The railing is rusted through so entire sections need to be replaced. It also needs to be level, up to code, cleaned for safety reasons, support the weight of an average adult human, and painted to prevent corrosion. We’re talking multiple days of work and it’s not cheap.”

    Customer: “Repairs are not in the budget, but I can spread the word and tell all my friends about you. I have almost two hundred followers on Facebook.”

    Me: (silently gets up and walks away)

    Customer: “Look at that, another lazy Millennial who doesn’t want to work. Typical. No wonder this nation is going down the crapper.”





  • As a welder, quality doesn’t come cheap or fast. A lot of work goes into my work. Even if all I’m doing is welding Part A to Part B, a lot of research, prep, and planning goes into it.

    I need to know what the base material is, the base metal thickness, I need to clean the HAZ, I need to protect everything near the HAZ. I need to actually weld it and clean it for repaint.

    A good welder plans to have their welds last the lifespan of the thing being welded on. If I’m welding a car frame together, I’m going to make damn sure they’re good long-lasting welds that resist corrosion. Those welds will outlive the car itself.



  • Unfortunately this is everywhere. I work as a welder at a large shipyard, and we have the same drama.

    We have a female welder who steals tools and personal items from others, then cries “Christian persecution” when she experiences any consequences for her actions. Shockingly, it works and she’s never punished or arrested. They do make her give the items back, so that’s something.

    We have the MAGA crazies who vandalize company property with their dumb political / sexist / racist / homophobic crap. They just recently vandalized & destroyed one of the few female bathrooms with a sledgehammer. Shipyard police are still “*looking into it.” I now have to either use a gross porta-potty or walk a mile to use a real bathroom.

    We have a ton of anti-vaxxers who believe some of the most batshit crazy things. Though, the more hard-core ones were fired some time ago. The ones who complied and wore a mask got to stay.

    This is just human nature. This is what you get when you have two or more people together at one place.