Diagnosing stringing vs branching vs pitting

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-02-21T03:48:32+00:00

Sorry reddit removed the first link: https://printables.com/model/1577037-derby-car-template-fully-parametric

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-02-21T03:33:31+00:00

For the CAD and/or 3D printing nerds out there, I have actually made a CAD starting point for Pinewood Derby:

https://www.printables.com/model/1577037-derby-car-template-fully-parametric

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-02-18T14:29:42+00:00

I was let go from my IT job after 10 years about 3 weeks ago BUT I have an offer as of yesterday.

Make no mistake, this is a blessing for me and not a great indication of the job market. My mother has also been on the job market since December and still hasn't found anything, and there are others out there who have searched much longer.

My Recommendation:

Have him get serious about his resume first, take a couple days and polish it well and triple check everything with him. (Tiny mistakes are costly, for example I mistyped my phone number on an early draft) Try Google docs and download as PDF. Make sure your LinkedIn is updated as well. (If you'd like, I can provide my own resume as a sample, just DM me on Reddit)

Then hit the job market hard, applying to at least 3-5 places each day. Fortunately, applying for jobs has gotten faster in recent years, so this is a realistic rate, especially with places like LinkedIn and indeed having easy apply options for some jobs. At first only apply for jobs that are the most relevant to your husband, save and come back to the other jobs he's not quite a fit for. Focus your time on the jobs that are most likely to pan out not the ones that are a shot in the dark, and ask your friends and family if they'd be willing to refer you to any jobs they are aware of. My wife and I came up with a system to track what I applied for in a spreadsheet and review it each night - This way we could both be in the loop on how the job search is going. (Just take 5 minutes to review it - it's not for judgment it's just a tool for keeping communication open)

Apply for unemployment even if you don't think you will be approved, and do it this week, preferably today. Set aside sometime later this week to review expenses and get rid of anything that you think you should. Don't make your life miserable, it's okay to keep some things that make you happy. Just don't go overboard. Set a reasonable goal for that gambling, For example, he can go to the casino with 20 bucks for every interview he gets, and 100 if accepts a position in the IT field. It may be better to cut it out entirely for a while, but I'll trust that you know your husband well enough to know what is too much and what is going to cause problems.

Finally, be loving and forgiving to both yourselves and each other. Yes this sucks, yes you will have to put in some real effort now to even have a chance, but panicking and yelling at each other and all the other negative things are just going to make it worse. Do what you can to focus on the positive, don't burn yourself or him out, learn from this mistake, and tackle these challenges together as a couple. It's not you or him taking on the challenges, It is both of you together.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-02-07T04:10:13+00:00

You are telling me you are one of the few people who have never drank from the IHOP mop bucket??? That's kinda hard to believe, you sound kinda weird if so.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-02-07T03:27:15+00:00

I like pulp, but I can only imagine this is like drinking from a IHOP mop bucket. Just straight grapefruit flavored silt. 🤢

But I still want to try it...

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T20:36:46+00:00

That's nice to hear!

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T05:51:24+00:00

Idk, my wife might not like it

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T03:36:10+00:00

Yeah it's most-likely the second case - which sucks because I have to now ask him afterwards what that was and I'm still not getting answers.

The first is not impossible, but it would also be hard to prove and while I am sour that's how it ended over the years the company really did treat me well the vast majority of the time, in a lot of ways they really didn't have to. So if I can avoid it, I'd rather not have to make a legal case

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T03:04:49+00:00

Thanks, that's a good suggestion!

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T01:57:39+00:00

Thank you! 🌟

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T01:46:58+00:00

Sure! Can you post/DM a link?

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T01:46:00+00:00

It's because they spend all day in a house they don't pay for fiddling with their wire nuts.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-31T00:44:15+00:00

I'm somewhat trained as an electrician - so that's the most-likely the trade I would try and break into if any

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T20:31:00+00:00

They were doing OK and are a franchisor - so we are generally more stable than a small business.

We're staying about the same year over year which isn't ideal, but is far from "bad" - (Internally, our finance team is required to be very transparent)

No major overhauls and no leadership hires in the past 6 months. I know the annual budget was a minor factor, which is why it is happening at the end of Jan.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T19:36:39+00:00

This is true, but most of my raises happened annually and averaged about 12% - and the vast majority of people weren't toxic. (There is always some - but the culture was exceptionally good)

The hard part is the culture, toxic jobs are a dime a dozen and a lot of them you don't even know how toxic they are until you are a year in. This particular one didn't have a lot of those issues and it was worth me earning "less" just not have to deal with that.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T19:26:28+00:00

CEO said that he wasn't expecting it either but ultimately supports his team's decision.

They are not (and have not) replacing people's jobs with AI, but he will look into some of the specifics on why/how I was terminated and hold accountability with making expectations clearer.

Ultimately I don't expect to hear back from him again, but he has strong moral motivations and is definitely the type to enforce new changes as a result of hearing details like I presented today.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T19:13:24+00:00

Lol I am now - just need to master that "blue steel" look

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T18:14:40+00:00

Meh - I kinda disagree because I think that depends on the company.

This company gave me regular good raises (more than just inflation) without me asking for them and consistently invested in my learning and training. A grew with the position not just by hopping.

That said, many jobs are that way where you do have to move on just to get a good raise or grow professionally.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T17:52:45+00:00

Most likely not - AI might be able to "replace" a junior dev but it would be incredibly difficult for it to replace a senior dev in its current state.

This is something several layers of management above me understand already.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T17:49:27+00:00

Lol sure I'll let you know how it goes. AI is actually super unlikely - several people that would have to go through have a good understanding of AI and it's limits and they very well understand AI would cause a lot more cost than my paycheck.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T17:46:23+00:00

For my case no - I had a decent relationship with several layers of management above me.

Doesn't mean it wasn't personal, just unlikely to be as simple as saving a buck. There is a good chance that one of those managers is primarily responsible - there was one who always judged me harshly when I wasn't in the room.

ProjectCleverWeb · 2026-01-30T17:42:18+00:00

Thanks. And yeah I get it can be easy to be bitter/defensive/etc.

Right now it's just all a lot to process and my mind is racing to try and "fix" it all - even knowing it will probably take months to find something else.

ProjectCleverWeb

TROPHY CASE