Random Thought Thread

Nathan the Machinist said:
The world needs more people who achieve recognizable excellence. It's cool that he complimented you on the work. It's cooler that you achieved it in the first place. I don't know, maybe it's just my jaded worldview now, but it doesn't seem like there's as much excellence in craftsmanship as there once was.
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Couldn't agree more ... never went to school for what I do ... I just naturally get things , and worked my way from scum through all the ranks...

But honestly I want to be known as some one who kicks ass at my profession... I've worked in custom and production shops... if there was more money for custom around here that's where I would be

My youngest once said "if I don't make money on what I want to do... I'll just do what you do.."

I told him he can't just walk into my job and be good... you have to earn it


The bewildered look on his face made me sad
 
My Dad taught me to never underestimate the power of gratitude, not so much in what he said to me, but just by watching him. He was one of those guys who did nice things or gave gifts just to sit there and revel in the reactions he received. I honestly think he enjoyed seeing the gratitude on folks' faces more than anything someone could've given him.

I'm not the greatest human on the planet, but ALWAYS try to express gratitude for a "job well done". I don't care who it is or what they do...a Craftsman, Waiter/Waitress, Customer Service person, etc. If someone makes my day easier or more enjoyable, I always go out of my way to let them know that they're an asset to their organization/craft and humanity in general.
 
Alone said:
My Dad taught me to never underestimate the power of gratitude, not so much in what he said to me, but just by watching him. He was one of those guys who did nice things or gave gifts just to sit there and revel in the reactions he received. I honestly think he enjoyed seeing the gratitude on folks' faces more than anything someone could've given him.

I'm not the greatest human on the planet, but ALWAYS try to express gratitude for a "job well done". I don't care who it is or what they do...a Craftsman, Waiter/Waitress, Customer Service person, etc. If someone makes my day easier or more enjoyable, I always go out of my way to let them know that they're an asset to their organization/craft and humanity in general.
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Agreed!


Plenty of bartenders like me lol
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
The world needs more people who achieve recognizable excellence. It's cool that he complimented you on the work. It's cooler that you achieved it in the first place. I don't know, maybe it's just my jaded worldview now, but it doesn't seem like there's as much excellence in craftsmanship as there once was.
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A couple years ago I started actually filling out those customer satisfaction surveys you get for literally everything or sending email replies that are the kind of thing particularly helpful customer service reps would be able to use in their year-end reviews: "So and so was both knowledgeable and personable and answered my question immediately. I was delighted with the level of service I received and will continue to use XYZ Company in the future." At worst it doesn't hurt anything, at best it helps people who are doing a good job get recognized for it.
 
yoko said:
Couldn't agree more ... never went to school for what I do ... I just naturally get things , and worked my way from scum through all the ranks...

But honestly I want to be known as some one who kicks ass at my profession... I've worked in custom and production shops... if there was more money for custom around here that's where I would be

My youngest once said "if I don't make money on what I want to do... I'll just do what you do.."

I told him he can't just walk into my job and be good... you have to earn it


The bewildered look on his face made me sad
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I would tell kids to do what you love, then it won't feel like a job. Except for video games, they are a waste of time. I loved driving big trucks, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a bunch of times when I knew that my career was over.
 
000Robert said:
Except for video games, they are a waste of time.
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Capture.jpg
 
Burke said:
A couple years ago I started actually filling out those customer satisfaction surveys you get for literally everything or sending email replies that are the kind of thing particularly helpful customer service reps would be able to use in their year-end reviews: "So and so was both knowledgeable and personable and answered my question immediately. I was delighted with the level of service I received and will continue to use XYZ Company in the future." At worst it doesn't hurt anything, at best it helps people who are doing a good job get recognized for it.
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I often find myself calling customer/technical support hotlines for help with forms, software, etc. Since I realized that all of those calls were being recorded for "quality assurance purposes" I make sure to say something to the tune of "Thank you, you have been very helpful today" so that the employee has something positive in their files to counter balance all of the abuse they take on a regular basis. Obviously I don't go above and beyond if they were not helpful, but at least I remain cordial - there's no sport in berating someone just because I'm in a bad mood.
 
bluemax_1 said:
My dad used to say, "If something's worth doing, it should be worth doing well".

Nowadays, the standard motto for the majority appears to be, "Do the minimum to get by"
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Oh crap........ an eye opening moment that i know that I will be Judged for the advice and talks I give the kid........
In my defense, (I) think i am a good father. 🤣
Yet she has already started talking about the "trauma" of some of the instances, remembering and bringing up old stories....... The kid doesn't know how Good they had it!!!
 
benchrest308 said:
"While many people enjoy playing team-based games online, some competitive eSports players take home impressive winnings.

In fact, a new study finds that the highest-earning eSports player in Canada has raked in over $2.2 million."
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/here-is-how-much-the-top-4-esports-players-from-vancouver-make-3661185#:~:text=While many people enjoy playing,raked in over $2.2 million.
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Yeah, but the majority won't make much money and expect dad and mom to feed them while they waste their lives away. Learning a trade or a hobby that can be monetized is a smarter move imho.
 
000Robert said:
Yeah, but the majority won't make much money and expect dad and mom to feed them while they waste their lives away. Learning a trade or a hobby that can be monetized is a smarter move imho.
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Or, you know, maybe don't disparage other peoples' hobbies? Most people would say the same thing about our knife hobby. "Why do you participate in that stuff? 99% of you won't make a dime. Why don't you go get a job?"

Also, the vast majority of gamers are adults who likely aren't relying on their parents:
1667399886439.png
(https://www.statista.com/statistics/189582/age-of-us-video-game-players/)
 
benchrest308 said:
"While many people enjoy playing team-based games online, some competitive eSports players take home impressive winnings.

In fact, a new study finds that the highest-earning eSports player in Canada has raked in over $2.2 million."
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/here-is-how-much-the-top-4-esports-players-from-vancouver-make-3661185#:~:text=While many people enjoy playing,raked in over $2.2 million.
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Yeah, I saw a documentary about this...probably a decade ago, now. It was about kids/people playing videogames for a living, and how universities began offering majors in playing videogames.

You read that correctly; not a college major in designing/making videogames, but playing videogames. Classes on how to play XXX, how to generate revenue. Tactics, techniques, strategies...

Apparently, there have also been foreign videogame (oh, right... eSports) players who've qualified for the same visas that exceptional athletes do.

The documentary went on to interview a few people who dropped out of college to focus on their 'careers' in playing videogames.

Several of these folks were earning 6-figures just playing videogames (one of them was an Asian guy, who was doing well in college in an Engineering program, and convinced his parents to support him dropping out in his senior year to focus on gaming, after showing them what he was earning. An Asian kid convincing his parents to let him drop out of a degree in Engineering... to play videogames. That's an even bigger feat than earning 6-figures playing the videogames).

One of the things that boggled my mind, was that a lot of their income was not just from sponsorships, but people paying to watch them play whatever particular game online. For hours.
 
fatfrog said:
Or, you know, maybe don't disparage other peoples' hobbies? Most people would say the same thing about our knife hobby. "Why do you participate in that stuff? 99% of you won't make a dime. Why don't you go get a job?"
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I'm retired, so they wouldn't say that to me. Also, my knives are tangible and actually in my hands, whereas video games are a fantasy land.
fatfrog said:
Also, the vast majority of gamers are adults who likely aren't relying on their parents:
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Yeah, but there's a lot of lazy kids that just want to play video games. I have a friend in Malaysia that says the problem isn't just an American problem. He has friends in China and other countries that say the same thing.
 
I dunno...I do remember, speaking only for myself, that choosing an intended career path was very difficult as a young man. At first I thought I wanted to pursue astronomy and astrophysics, and that's what I got scholarships for, initially. Then, (it was the 60's and 70's after all), I got interested in "social justice" and the larger events of the times.

To be honest, I just didn't know which avenue to go down...and good jobs were in short supply when I left the university in 1974. (I drove a taxi for a month or two, and took a couple of other jobs here and there to make ends meet.)

But the actual turning point for me was when a former girlfriend got mugged and beaten in Brooklyn. When I went to Kings County Hospital and saw what they did to her, I was devastated and wanted revenge.

I took her to the precinct handling the matter and she looked through mug book after mug book until every possible suspect looked alike.

She pointed out one character she thought might be the guy and I slipped the picture and ID info into a pocket. As we were leaving, a detective called me over and asked me what I thought I was doing. I asked what he meant. He said he saw what I did and that if I went out for revenge, that I would be the one who paid the price, not the perp. He took the mug book picture and info back from me.

He went on to say, "If you want to do something about it and make a difference, join us" or words to that effect.

I hadn't thought of a career in law enforcement (realistically) before that day...but after that, it became my mission.

You just never know when that moment that defines one's future will show up.
 
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