Random Nuclear Strikes

Sealed Shut

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Phil Kadath

What do you get when you give Phil a full sheet of 1/8″ hot rolled plate steel and two 20′ sticks of 2″x2″ square tubing?

Whatever you want. In this case, the guy who bought those will get a light vault door. I was given the measurements and materials on Thursday while I was told to stay away from campus, so I used the day to make the door.

Of course, it would have helped if the measurements given to me were correct. Sadly, these ones weren’t. As I was putting it together I noticed something “awry” and called the customer to verify the numbers. They did, so I finished putting it together. I was still suspicious, so I only tacked the plate steel to the frame.

Which was smart, because it no fit.

I took my own measurements and now I have a weekend project. After my forklift certification class today. And hopefully not all of tomorrow. Pics Monday.

Posted in Color me confused | 8 Comments

No Joy in Weldsville

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Phil Kadath

My classmates and I were informed yesterday morning that Vice President Joe Biden will be visiting our school today.

Because our building contains enough flammable materials to level half of the campus (it IS a welding shop, after all) no one is allowed to occupy the building while he is visiting from mid-morning to early afternoon. Since that is most of our class time, and since we cannot weld or even enter the building, we have been given the day off.

After this announcement was made, there was silence. There were no cheers, no “wow!” or “cool!” or other positive responses towards the veep’s visit. In fact, over half of the class expressed disbelief that we were going to be held back from our welding practice so that a politician could make a campaign stop. A half-dozen guys were actually pissed off about it because they had chosen this particular day to either take a certification test or prep for one tomorrow.

While our class is short in the “female” demographic” (we only have one in a class of 40), we are pretty well rounded in every other demographic (age, race, economic background, etc.).

When you can piss off a “diverse” group of 39 males and one female with a single photo-op, you know you’re doing something wrong.

Myself, I’m not very upset about it. I am testing for a 3/8″ plate TIG certification next week. I practiced the first three days of this week so far and will continue on Friday.

Additionally, I’ll be going out for a dry run job interview today. It’ll involve a fabrication test, so I get to weld either way.

Plus, when I get home later today, I can turn on the TV and see Sheriff Joe make his daily gaffe. Then, on my lunch break tomorrow, I can go and stand in that exact spot and laugh about it some more.

Posted in Dare To Be Stupid | 6 Comments

It’s bad to punish them

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Phil Kadath

If you want folks to stay under your control

Despite law, Colorado doesnâ€™t block welfare withdrawals at liquor stores, casinos

For nearly two decades, Colorado law has prohibited the use of welfare cards at casinos and liquor store ATMs, and in 2012 federal law also required states to have policies prohibiting the withdrawals. But in the past two years at least $489,000 in taxpayer money has been withdrawn in exactly those Colorado locations, Watchdog.org found.

The Colorado Department of Human Services, which manages the program, knows about the withdrawals but hasnâ€™t punished recipients who violate the law or blocked the use of cards at casino and liquor store ATMs.

…..

State Rep. Tim Dore, R-Elizabeth, said CDHS needs to enforce the laws.

â€œThey are thumbing their nose at Colorado citizens who pay taxes,â€ he said. â€œThey say, â€˜We arenâ€™t going to enforce it and make sure the cards are used for intended purpose â€” to make sure there is food on the table.â€™â€

Levetta Love, director of the CDHS Office of Economic Security, said the department recently wrote rules for the federal government on how to stem the prohibited withdrawals and have contacted â€” though not punished â€” people who used the cards in prohibited locations. Welfare recipients must agree not to use the card at casinos and liquor stores when they receive the cards, she said.

â€œNo one lost benefits at this time,â€ she said. â€œThe number of recipients accessing benefits in these locations is statistically insignificant.â€

When $500K worth of taxpayer dollars is “statistically insignificant” there is something wrong.

I, too, can think of something that is statistically insignificant: Her job.

Posted in Order of the imperial upraised middle finger. | 1 Comment

Sunday Funnies

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Phil Kadath

Nothing again this week. So today we have a couple of new women’s magazines followed by a couple of the reasons modern feminism is so popular on college campuses. All are clickable so you can read them.

Posted in Kewel! | 1 Comment

Live Free or Die, Episode 1: “Pack Rats Are Good!”

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Alaska

National Geographic TV’s primitive-living reality show “Live Free or Die” featuring my son-in-law Gabriel (with an unexpected but delightful cameo appearance by my daughter Luna) “dropped” this week, and so far it looks great!

The first episode, which aired this past Tuesday, showcased obtaining meat by hunting, trapping, or scavenging. Interestingly, it’s the first TV show I’ve seen that showed the process of skinning carcasses and prepping the meat without blurring the images or hiding the blood and gore. Which I think bodes well for taking the subject seriously.

As I’ve said before, we who know and love Gabriel were worried about how the producers/director would depict him through the editing process, but so far it looks like National Geographic’s doing this the right way and “respecting the material,” so to speak.

I mean, you can just imagine how they could have mocked this topic.

Tuesdays at 10pm, check it out.

And yes, this wasn’t his first pack rat. As he sings, Pack Rats Are GOOD! (TM)

Posted in By Ourselves, For Ourselves, Kewel! | 3 Comments

You Don’t Say

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Phil Kadath

Self-acclaimed “man of the people”, super-proud communist, and guitarist for the band Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave decided he was going to be-clown himself this weekend in Seattle.

Tom Morello Slams Seattle Restaurant After Being Denied Service

Hit the link for all the juicy tweets, but it boils down to Morello and his entourage show up when the place is packed and gets denied entry, because the place is packed. He then demands a private room for himself and his entourage, and gets denied again, because the place is packed. He then goes on a twitter rant about the how the place sucks and the owner is “anti-worker”.

Owner of the place responds by whipping out his cred as a crusader for the $15 an hour minimum wage and points out that he voluntarily offers his employees healthcare and a retirement plan, in addition to the “livable wage”.

Morello can’t stop stepping on his own pecker long enough to see he looks like every other spoiled asshole rockstar with money falling out his ass. He then refuses to eat crow.

Loving it. Especially the quote from the doorman who denied him twice.

Posted in Dare To Be Stupid | 3 Comments

RNS Quote of the Day: 10/01/14

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Phil Kadath

In the current political vocabulary, â€˜needâ€™ means wanting to get someone elseâ€™s money. â€˜Greed,â€™ which used to mean what â€œneedâ€ now means, has come to mean wanting to keep your own. â€˜Compassionâ€™ means the politicianâ€™s willingness to arrange the transfer.

Joseph Sobran – The Economics of Liberty (1990)

Posted in Quote of the Day | 1 Comment

Welcome to my world

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Phil Kadath

I’ve been living here for years. Even got me some property here.

Protesters called for the firing of New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton at an anti-police-brutality rally Saturday in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Sunset Park.

“I have a 3-year-old daughter and I don’t feel safe calling the police,â€ Claudia Galicia, president of Sunset Park Latino Democrats, told The Huffington Post.

The rally was sparked largely by footage released Tuesday that appears to show NYPD officers slamming 5-months-pregnant Sandra Amezquita belly-first into the pavement.

What unicorn infested, purple hued sky world have you been living on, Ms. Galicia?

Posted in The Government is Not Your Friend | 2 Comments

Let me explain

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Phil Kadath

Yes, I know it is my third day of posting funny pictures and that the blogging has gotten really light as of late.

My excuse is that I am so damn busy welding, a mortal man would cry.

Last week was my first week of my last quarter in class. In the next 11 weeks I have to finish learning to TIG weld 3/8 plate steel vertically and overhead, learn to weld 10″ diameter pipe in a fixed position (I am not allowed to rotate it), as well as learn to use the TIG welding process on Stainless Steel and Aluminum.

After that, I have to attempt to earn as many structural certifications as possible so that I can go out and get the best paying job I can find. I know for certain that I’ll be attempting a certification in both GTAW (TIG) sheet metal and heavy plate steel, an FCAW (Dual Shield Wire Feed) heavy plate certification, a GMAW (MIG) heavy plate certification, a SAW (Sub Arc Welding) heavy plate certification and, if I can sneak it in, maybe a SMAW (Stick) heavy plate certification.

Because of material costs, the school does nto offer certifications in anything stainless or aluminum in any process. If I want the chance to do that as a job, I have to show I am certifiable in many other types of welding and hope someone who can certify me notices.

In addition to spending my days doing that, a few weeks ago I left one of my tables and some business cards at one of the local rifle ranges in the hope of selling it. I did not. But even better, a local General Contractor saw it and has called me up to do some fabrication work on a home he is rebuilding.

Also, I have other folks wanting things like Headache Racks built for their trucks. They are willing to pay me $40 an hour for the work. I love y’all, but I love money more.

And lastly, now that the Dean is back on campus, I was hired by the school to work a few hours after class a couple days a week.

I guess you could sum it up by saying, “Mo money, less bloggin'”.

I will make every effort to post something every day. But it may just be funny pics.

Posted in Life in the Atomic Age, Phil Goes to College | 3 Comments