Rigger, flyman, electrician, carpenter, audio dunce, vidiot, entertainment production technician...

Aka: Roadie Aka: Stage Ninja

the comedian wrote:

whitey wrote:I thought I hated my job, until I read what others do.

What's to hate? The romance of the open road! The wind in your hair! Gorgeous women flinging themselves at you at every truck stop!

yea, you forgot to say virgins too...

But anyway, I'm still getting up there...26 currently

#1 Pushing carts in grocery store next to a Country club (full of republicans) where I got my first seed of hate towards rich racist inconsiderate people, I'd load 10 x 40lbs bags of dirt in a back of someones Range rover at 120degree heat, and all they say is "thank you". not even $1 so I can buy coke, I've also helped people who drive Bentleys, and the same story with them..

2. Cleaning tables at Mexican restaurant, decent money (or so I thought ($350/week) but had to work 12 hour days sometimes

3. Worked with my dad at a Industrial Electric motor Repair shop thingamajigy,.. didnt work out, everyone was dragging the work out, so they get more money per hour, I couldnt do that, I work per job, I fix your brakes in 1 hour, you give me $60, done deal.... but I cant sit there for 8 hours and polish your wheels...so I got into an argument with my dad and left, like some people tell me, "sometimes its hard to work with family"...

In between this I went to college hoping to become a Herpetologist one day (study snakes and reptiles in the Amazon) got half way thru, then dropped out, got tired of writing essays on Charles Dickens books, and watching "The graduate".... no snakes whatsoever, I had all A's and B's too, but just dont have the patience for essays, I like hands on... then..

4. KIA dealership, worked about 6 months, used to park new and used cars, wash and take all the factory plastic off the new cars when people buy them, sometimes voluntarily worked 3-4 hours overtime, boss thanked me, but never gave me a raise. Then one day I asked him for ONE freaking day off so I can go to Florida with my friends and get some pussy, he refused, I went anyway, told him to shove it...

5. Clean tables at Greek/Lebanese restaurant, worked for whole 22 minutes, then left, had $6/hour

Then I quit everything, stayed at the parents house, watched the stars, read some books, and tought about what I want to be, .... never really figured it out, but I figured I like doing things with my hands, but not too interested in boats or Electric motors, so maybe cars?, so I went to a Techical College for a Auto Tech, went 2 years, hands on work, I was always the guy who volunteered for work, everyone else was outside smoking weed, and talking about pussy. The school found me a job before I even graduated, This is my current job,...all I had to do was get tools and bring my hands and knowledge

3 1/2 so far Auto mechanic, work on Chevy/Ford trucks Every single day, and get a decent amount of cars too, all makes, besides Mercedes,BMW,Subaru, not cause they're good, but cause everyone here is a redneck or a contractor, and rednecks dont drive Subarus.... they're "country boys". I do everything besides engine swaps, we have no Aligment rack either. I mostly concentrate on Check engine lights, Abs lights, pretty much any light that pops on your dash, as well as tires,brakes,water pumps, timing belt, serpentine belt,......

Currently still trying to figure out how to make more money without kissing ass or robbing people,.. I've lived here long enough to understand how this country works, especially with Republicans leadership (including Democrats) There aint no such thing as "Honest work". Honest guys are underground shit scrapers, who cant afford to buy hot dogs for lunch, there may have ONCE been an American dream, maybe in the 45's-70's where a mechanic could actually buy a new car and not have to pay out of his rectum..

But anyway, I've realized that the only way you can really make money in this country, also happens to be Mitt Romney's American dream,... is to have your own bossiness, and if you really want to make money and not just live, you have to fuck people over as much as you can get away with. Eventually, as a business owner you will realize that it aint very profitable to hire Americans, so instead you have to either hire Illegal Mexicans to pick your strawberries in 130 degree heat, or depending on the type of business you got, go to China, pay someone .36 cents/hour and do what all of these so called "American" companies are doing, put a sticker on a tool that says "Designed in America, produced in China". And thats how you make money,.... being a plumber??? you might as well be a hobo, at least you have more free time...and booze

I'm a lifelong lab rat, with what I do now (research tech/lab manager) being the most developed. I worked in radiopharmeceuticals for 6 years and also worked as a vet tech and vet assistant as well as other stints in neuro research labs while I was in college. I have no real skills outside a laboratory.

Oh, I was also a bike messenger when I was in college and before that was a in the army. Again, no real skills (unless risking my life in traffic on a bike counts).

The light is at the end of the tunnel when the kid graduates high school and I can join the circus or be a holy begger or continue the art trend and actually get paid to do my thing, even if it's just a few bucks.

For the past fifteen years I've been a teacher currently at an inner city school on the west side of Chicago. I have a masters in admin just too lazy to pursue it. I have been a few other things but next to infantry this is what I like best.


I would love to become a cheese maker so I may need to speak with another member. Fuck everything move to the pacific northwest and make cheese.

US Navy, '72 - '81.
US Army Reserve, '95 - '12. (Just retired, got an early drop for time mobilized "in country.")
Ten years as a volunteer C-EMT in there ('81 - '91).
IT geek as a civilian job since leaving the Navy. Currently working for the Federal government, high enough up the food chain after all these years I really don't wanna go into more detail.

IT pays the bills. All that other stuff was for "fun."

Whitey and others, if you want to gain a new appreciation for your current job, read Working by Studs Terkel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working:_P ... at_They_Do

It's also a great book to give to a young people to encourage them to stay in school and/or learn a trade.

G&G, yes that was me with the tin whistle in the Lou Grant clip. You were very fortunate to have met and played with John Bilezikjian. He was justly famous back when I was playing, and is even more famous now. I believe he is still alive and playing, although he must be quite old now.

Fun with language: the Arabic word Oud, preceded by the definite article, l'Oud, became "lute" in European languages.

After high school joined the US Air Force and became an F-16 crew chief... worked my way up to aircraft maintenance production superintendent. Had 200 people under me when I retired 21 years later. Saw a lot of history being made. Spent most of my time in Europe during the last decade of the cold war... RAF (Red Army Faction - supported by communist East Germany) constantly trying to blow us up, and sometimes succeeding. Was there when Reagan built up the nuke arsenal ... after a while we didn't have enough training bombs, so had to use live nukes (load-outs, etc... never flew with them). Was drinking beer with former East Germans when the Berlin wall fell... tears streaming down their faces like a river - I'll never forget that. Traveled with them to former East Germany shortly thereafter. Being in the military I wasn't supposed to go... but couldn't miss it. Russians were still there - dressed in their sharp green uniforms with red trim driving their shiny green trucks with red stars - just like in the movies. Russian soldiers were still in Estonia when I visited in '94, but were rebuilding the streets for cigarette money - they didn't look so sharp anymore.

A year or so later found myself on the Arabian peninsula getting ready to start a war. Spent six months there despite the war only lasting 40 days. Scud missiles are scary when they land close by. Almost shot someone - glad I didn't have to. Spent the next 9 years constantly going back and forth to the middle east.

When Bush Jr. started rattling the war sabre for Iraq I knew it was bullshit. Put in for retirement in 2002.

Worked as a school bus driver for a year, then went back to school. Four years later with a geology degree in hand I went to work for a science and engineering consulting firm. Did environmental and engineering work - everything from collecting groundwater samples, to putting in large well fields, to drilling into burning coal mine fires. Traveled all over the country. Interesting work for the 4 years that I did it. The recession gutted the industry and I was one of the last to leave.

Now back to being a student, I'm working on a master of water resources degree. Half way through the program.

Currently bouncing around. The new petition job has been an utter GOD SEND for so many reasons, more money than the machinist and now i have time to prepare for the GACE and become a high school physics teacher, among other things. Which if all goes well i'll be starting in either August or january.

Before all this I was a full time student and buried my nose into a my school work and a few other subjects just for fun, which is how I became a socialist.

larrymod wrote:Whitey and others, if you want to gain a new appreciation for your current job, read Working by Studs Terkel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working:_P ... at_They_Do

Thanks for the suggestion, I just bought it on my Nook.

Just to be clear, I have a love/hate relationship with my job. I've seen more of this country and Canada then most people would in two lifetimes. When you get paid to drive all over the place it can't be all that bad. I've hauled everything from tanks to copiers, specialty foods and wine. The stuff I currently haul is IBM main frames to data centers throughout the country. I imagine its only a matter of time till I run into a fellow member that's an IT geek. I just think that as I near 40 (January) that I'm now realizing that I'm living that Eddie Rabbit song, "driving my life away". I'm ready for a change, I just don't know what or how I could handle it.

I am a studio potter. Apprenticed in Japan and lived there for 9 years. Just got back from 33 days in Japan and 11 days in S. Korea (was a guest artists at a pottery festival in Mungyeong S. Korea.)
I am an active Scottish Rite Mason. Was just Raised a little over a year ago. Becoming Tyler of our lodge tomorrow.

Simmer down wrote:Repo man has to be high risk.

I hated it. I was working with my uncle. We were doing major appliances and higher end audiovisual equipment. The tension wasn't as bad as the stories and the misery it caused. I could only bring myself to do it for a couple of summers.

Well, for me, I was 16 when Katrina hit down here. We didn't have power for ~2 and a half months, and my school was closed for so long it effectively ended my high school career. Thanks to my new found free time and the situation at hand, I worked for about a year doing roofing, cutting trees off of houses, gutting houses, shoveling mud out of houses, etc.

After the next year rolled around and I got my diploma I started college, stayed for two years, then left. For some reason I just cant sit around for too long anymore, and being in a dorm room studying, or a class room being lectured, etc. wasn't enough for me. I guess I don't feel fulfilled unless I'm sweating. Anyways, I was offered a job by and land surveying company to run a survey crew and total station. It was a small little company doing mostly middle of nowhere work, so in effect I spent 18 months walking around the swamp in hip boots sweating, being eaten by mosquitoes, but still seeing some of the most beautiful areas of nature. Ended that job rather abruptly when I caught my good friend(and the bosses grandson), doing ecstasy while we were working. The boss wouldn't fire him, I wouldn't work with him, so there you have it.

Moved from there to brinks home security, doing residential and small business intrusion systems, and a bit of cameras. Brinks changed its name to broadview, broadview got bought out by ADT, and as such I now work for ADT. Other than people who I've trained, I have the shortest time on the job in SE louisiana, and I'm only one of 3 people doing the full home automation systems. I like the job and because of my care in doing my job, I usually get the higher end jobs/celebrities, etc. Did Marques Colston's house about a month and a half ago, tyson jackson's last year, did the rapper juvenile's house, and so on.

If anyone here needs any advise on that type of thing, let me know.

NolaJack wrote:Well, for me, I was 16 when Katrina hit down here. We didn't have power for ~2 and a half months, and my school was closed for so long it effectively ended my high school career. Thanks to my new found free time and the situation at hand, I worked for about a year doing roofing, cutting trees off of houses, gutting houses, shoveling mud out of houses, etc.

After the next year rolled around and I got my diploma I started college, stayed for two years, then left. For some reason I just cant sit around for too long anymore, and being in a dorm room studying, or a class room being lectured, etc. wasn't enough for me. I guess I don't feel fulfilled unless I'm sweating. Anyways, I was offered a job by and land surveying company to run a survey crew and total station. It was a small little company doing mostly middle of nowhere work, so in effect I spent 18 months walking around the swamp in hip boots sweating, being eaten by mosquitoes, but still seeing some of the most beautiful areas of nature. Ended that job rather abruptly when I caught my good friend(and the bosses grandson), doing ecstasy while we were working. The boss wouldn't fire him, I wouldn't work with him, so there you have it.

Moved from there to brinks home security, doing residential and small business intrusion systems, and a bit of cameras. Brinks changed its name to broadview, broadview got bought out by ADT, and as such I now work for ADT. Other than people who I've trained, I have the shortest time on the job in SE louisiana, and I'm only one of 3 people doing the full home automation systems. I like the job and because of my care in doing my job, I usually get the higher end jobs/celebrities, etc. Did Marques Colston's house about a month and a half ago, tyson jackson's last year, did the rapper juvenile's house, and so on.

If anyone here needs any advise on that type of thing, let me know.

Have any extra adt signs laying around?

What I do for a living:

After HS (1981) I went to Drafting School and then was a mechanical designer (not an engineer, no degree) for 18 years, mostly designing plastic injection molds using CAD and pencil and paper - vacuum cleaner housings, copier machine panels, stuff like that.

After 18 years of that I decided I liked troubleshooting and fixing the computers better than using them to design stuff so I changed professions to IT Geek and have been doing that for the past 13 years, the past 12 of them at the same company. My title is "Sr. Systems Administrator" but I do it all from replacing server hardware to writing Perl code.

What I do in my spare time - I have too many hobbies, all of them expensive:

Repair my old house - 21 years ago I got married and we bought a house built in 1893. We are very slowly repairing it as funds and spare time allow. Luckily it has not caused (much of) a strain on the marriage. I know people who split up over restoring an old house.

Woodworking - I have a pretty complete shop in my basement. This one has actually started paying for my firearms hobby - I sell grips and cartridge boxes and such and buy guns, reloading gear and casting stuff with the proceeds.

Motorcycles - I own too many motorcycles though I'm currently down to four, with one for sale. Since I own older bikes, I also wrench on them. And I do repairs on my cars.

Phototography - I used to have some nice film cameras and decent lenses. Not super good stuff, but I like taking photos. Now I have a Canon Digital Rebel xti and wish I could afford better glass for it.

Firearms - of course. I used to shoot at our cabin in MT when I was a teenager, then I just kind of stopped. About a year ago some friends started getting into shooting and roped me in. I guess I got hooked since I have since aquired three pistols, a rifle, reloading gear and now casting gear. Sheesh. I guess I just like acquiring new skills and new toys...

Model Railroading - I used to do this when I was a kid, and I have tons of models in boxes still. I just need to clear some space in the attic...

I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades, master of none. I can usually learn enough by doing to get a decent job done.

Well after 2 years of public high school, then 2 years in a Baptist Non-Sectarian private school(The Peddie School), I then went to a socialist liberal arts college(Goddard in Plainfield Vt)for 2 years (during a work study break took some courses at The Art Student's League)told I needed time off to socially mature(still haven't done that)so joined the Marines('62 - '65), then unemployed living in NYC on Van Dam St with a friend. Made money loading and unloading packages of The New York Times, smoked a lot of dope, had a lot of unprotected sex, tried a few courses at The New School, Moved back with parents briefly, worked as a lab tech, then married, GI Bill and finished college at Rutgers(it took me from 1958 - 1972 to finish college) did mu student teaching but could not see being a teacher, then moved to Vermont, worked 28 years with the Vermont Department of Social Welfare ending up as a District Director, retired, divorced, moved to FL and play with my motorcycle, do lots of smoke, play house with my SO and generally be a lazy SOB!

paul

Paladin wrote:
Have any extra adt signs laying around?

PM sent

I've been a full-time stay-at-home dad for more than five years. Managed to moonlight as a professional photographer shooting primarily college hockey during the time. Been published everywhere from NHL.com to several colleges and the odd hockey blog/webzine. Also got into some little rag called Sports Illustrated.

Prior to it, I schlepped boxes off a truck at Babies-R-Us; worked as a customer service rep, team leader, and brand ambassador for Delta Airlines; did signage for a Sears; worked at Gamestop; spent time as a simulator operator at the US Space & Rocket Center, counselor at US Space Camp (and all it's programs), assistant dive instructor and dive tender at the Underwater Astronaut Trainer at US Space Camp. Before that, Indirectfire Infantryman. Much before that ain't worth mentioning.

Just got my degree. I'm essentially working as an underpaid paralegal. Law school in the fall.

BMW technitian, here.

Trying to claw my way up the ladder, though. I can't do this shit forever.

Hippie. Then started working for a living. I've been in manufacturing almost exclusively, starting in quality control, veering into being a tool and die maker, then aerospace machining and back to quality control. Currently I run a high dollar inspection and test lab specializing in gears.

Worked on Shuttle projects in CA and FL, built pieces for comsats and the Hubble, watched Challenger fireball from Orlando (perfectly viewable and huge) then worked on inspecting parts for it the next year, and nearly gave a United Space Booster representative a heart attack when I showed him a part that would have failed and taken out another shuttle. Spent several years as a Quality Engineer in a bomb fuse plant, interesting work. been working as a Metrologist (measurement expert, nothing to do with the weather) since 91. Have done a lot of reverse engineering at times.

Raised 6 daughters, married a nice woman who raised 4 of her own in my second go round (still friends with the 1st wife), and between us have 24 grandkids.

I had a few jobs as a kid, throwing papers early every morning, then working at a grocery store, but I had most fun working at a veterinary hospital. The first time I saw a dog opened up, I fainted, but then it wasn't a problem.

In my adult life, I helped run a youth program on the west side of Chicago, then later worked in a psych hospital. Somewhere along the way, I also picked up some trade skills and I've been a maintenance man in The Netherlands and some other places in between travelling the world, and later taught English at a university in China.

Eventually I returned, and worked as a counselor at group home for adolescents, and then later a vocational program for disabled adults before getting burned out. Then I went to law school but hung out in North Beach (SF) drinking coffee in between doing motorcycle escorts for funerals from North Beach out to Colma.

Now I am an attorney, primarily criminal defense, but I prefer being at home with my girls.

Graduated college about a year back with a degree in computer animation. Trying to find a job in video game development. My profile website is my portfolio page. Haven't had much luck as it has now been a year and I am working in a warehouse

Dish Washer - Ram's Head Inn - Started when I was 14
Lawn Service - On the side with my Dad - Starting when I could walk
Navy - Norfolk - USS America CV66 - 4years 2 Med Cruises 1 Shellback 1 Blue Nose Desert Shield/Storm
Plumber/Pipe Fitter - Local 72
Controls/Mechanical Service - Local 72
Construction/Heavy Equipment Operator
Truck Driver Class B - Primarica
Local Shellfishing - Seasonal
Reach Truck Driver - PetCo.
Shipping & Receiving Manager - Chateau Elan Hotel & Winery
Now - Janitor - No raise last 4 years and happy

Porn star.