Apocalypse: A Primer, part II of V

[Eater of Clowns]

The lack of people entering trades has been disturbing me for a few years now.  So much language is oriented at trade work being for dumb people, so many stereotypes about bodies beaten from years of hard labor.  How many positive things do we see about it?  That it's good, honest work?  That it has the potential to pay significantly higher than a lot of middle management jobs the college crowd will fall into?

I grew up in a family of carpenters, builders.  They built the homes a lot of my friends are living in and they made good lives for their children that are now being pissed away on frivolity and self absorbtion.

[Adios]

The lack of people entering trades has been disturbing me for a few years now.  So much language is oriented at trade work being for dumb people, so many stereotypes about bodies beaten from years of hard labor.  How many positive things do we see about it?  That it's good, honest work?  That it has the potential to pay significantly higher than a lot of middle management jobs the college crowd will fall into?

I grew up in a family of carpenters, builders.  They built the homes a lot of my friends are living in and they made good lives for their children that are now being pissed away on frivolity and self absorbtion.

Of all the things I can no longer do that I miss, being a carpenter is second on my list.

[Requia ☣]

I know trade people here in Utah.  The hourly pay is damned good (the lowest payed guy I've met made 19 an hour).  But I don't know any who actually have a 20 hour work week, let alone a 40 hour one.  High hourly wages don't mean much if you don't have any hours.  Such things don't really encourage people to go into the trade.

[Aucoq]

"Things fall apart, it's scientific."
- The Talking Heads

The purpose of maintenance is to forestall entropy.  It is our job to make sure that the lights stay on, water comes out of the tap when you want it, that your car will function.  All the little things you never think about - if we're doing our job correctly - that are absolutely essential to your survival.

Entropy always wins, of course.  For example, less and less people go into the trades every year, and the huge gains in industrial technology mean that the older, more experienced people become obsolete as the new tech diverges from their skill set on a daily basis.

It is, like all other things, a battle which we will eventually lose, though I suspect the battle won't be lost due to our efforts...Left long enough, it would, but I doubt we have that much time.

You'll know it when we fail.  Just saying.

It's already started, out here.  Experienced linemen are required to keep the lights on...But there's a shortage of them.  All their high school buddies went on to either meth or college, and in college all they wanted to learn was how to get filthy rich without actually doing any work (JP Morgan geeks, I'm talking to you).

It's worse than it looks, really.  Ask me anything.

Or rather, ask me for anything besides time.

Or Kill Me.

[Don Coyote]

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I know trade people here in Utah.  The hourly pay is damned good (the lowest payed guy I've met made 19 an hour).  But I don't know any who actually have a 20 hour work week, let alone a 40 hour one.  High hourly wages don't mean much if you don't have any hours.  Such things don't really encourage people to go into the trade.

My dad was a construction worker. It was great when he had work but there would be times where he wouldn't have anything to do. Then we'd have a lot less money.