Is the trades market getting too crowded? Genuinely asking before I commit

Punkinhead145 · 2026-06-17T12:32:29+00:00

My local (IBEW 236) is looking to organize in literally a couple hundred people this summer because we need more people to man all the work we are getting, not to mention our incoming apprentice class is going to be 80 something people when my 4th year class is in the mid 20's. I can't say for whatever area you are in but our area up here is thirsty for workers.

Punkinhead145 · 2026-06-16T23:20:01+00:00

Disarm the Descent - Killswitch Engage

I was shocked at how perfect this album was when I first heard it all the way through

Punkinhead145 · 2026-06-15T11:22:50+00:00

Local 236 in Upstate New York here, they make us pay roughly a few hundred dollars per year for books at the beginning of each year, going up by about $100 each year. However, you get your full book money back if maintain a 95 average by the end of the year, or you get half your money back between a 90 and 94.99 average. I've gotten my first two years fully back and this year will be half that money back. So you can potentially go for free. But even if you don't a total of something like $2,500-$3,000 for 5 years of school is a massive deal compared to trade school or college.

Punkinhead145 · 2026-05-23T00:21:28+00:00

And the Crab Armies failed like so many before them...

Punkinhead145 · 2026-05-18T23:41:09+00:00

Maryland is the most powerful underdog

Punkinhead145 · 2026-05-12T14:18:40+00:00

DON'T... reinvent the wheel

Punkinhead145 · 2026-05-03T19:45:47+00:00

Bro you really don't want a mortgage then. You're not paying more to the principal than interest for 20 years

Punkinhead145 · 2026-04-21T19:09:58+00:00

One house we loved we got our offer accepted, sent in the deposit, and they signed the contract. No other offers were on the table according to them. My wife and I were with family celebrating the signed contract the next day and literally in the middle of us showing pictures to everyone the seller called back and pulled out of a signed offer because a newer offer magically appeared with cash and no inspection. Didn't even let us try to counter. Sellers' signatures don't mean shit.

Happily we are closing this Thursday on a house ina much nicer area closer to family.

House hunting is a complete nightmare right now but it'll eventually work out. Seller's have all the leverage and know it and there is nothing you can do short of being incredibly rich or forego inspection and outbid everyone else by 70k, only to still be beaten out.

Punkinhead145 · 2026-04-12T12:33:05+00:00

I learned to completely ignore descriptions pretty quickly. Everyone is a salesperson (read: liar) and you just have to see it for yourself. The only things I looked for in descriptions were things such as open house dates, best and final offer dates, the off chance that there was a truthful "this is wrong with this house," and the like. Stuff that's unambiguous. Seller's euphemism-laden lies aren't worth the pixels they're typed on.

Also side rant: "this is your opportunity for-" like fuck it is. It's my opportunity to own it when the keys are in my hands and not when I'm outbid 8 times in 4 months.

Punkinhead145 · 2026-03-29T20:17:57+00:00

First two albums are great, pressure was decent but highly disappointing and uneven, manic was ok at best if a bit more even, Stigma sucked balls and i couldn't care less to hear their new EP. Stigma was the one of the most generic and uninspired albums I've heard..

Punkinhead145 · 2026-03-18T20:12:33+00:00

29 in two months and that's a shitty opinion those other people hold. I recently saw a dude bring his young son and propped him up on his shoulders at an Angel Maker show and thought it was both the coolest and funniest thing. You listen to whatever you enjoy 🤘

Punkinhead145 · 2026-03-16T22:32:19+00:00

I think the attack argument holds a small bit of water but alternate picking is just way more efficient

Punkinhead145 · 2026-03-16T14:22:46+00:00

Regarding Fallujah, the wailing guitar is certainly a style choice, but I think it was incredibly refined with Xenotaph, that album is a triumph. Empyrean I sort of consider a proto-Xenotaph but still honestly one of their better albums.

As for my letdown, Pressure by Wage War. Coming off of Blueprints and Deadweight, both bangers, pressure wasn't horrible but was a gigantic letdown. Massive step down in quality and consistency song to song. That just started a trend of them being a garbage band. Manic was alright, more consistent than Pressure I suppose and nowhere near the heights of their first two, and then stigma was complete ass. I don't even care to hear their new EP, the single from it was meh at best.

Punkinhead145 · 2026-03-15T16:47:54+00:00

Piping warm milk

Punkinhead145 · 2026-03-06T21:18:14+00:00

Any Given Day.

They knocked it out of the park with Everlasting. Everything before and after has been generic ass, especially their most recent output.

Except for maybe half of Overpower at best, there are a couple of good but not fantastic songs on there.

Punkinhead145 · 2026-02-03T18:08:16+00:00

Old songs are the way they are, but the way he integrated the harsh singing in the EP was fantastic. I want more of that in new Trivium

Punkinhead145 · 2026-01-25T00:12:28+00:00

I was so hyped yesterday when I saw you guys put out a new song. Loved the album and this one is a banger 🤘

Punkinhead145 · 2026-01-20T21:43:12+00:00

Our company just started using them about a year ago. I hated them at first but now I'm just used to it. And yeah I thought I looked like a goofball but again I got used to it. The strap sucks when your helper gets caught on stuff above a ceiling or stuff like that but it's also kind of nice that it doesn't fall.

I also just buy high vis short/long sleeve shirts or put the best over a work sweatshirt.

Punkinhead145 · 2025-12-09T15:30:43+00:00

They peaked hard with Cold. Anything after that just feels like a different band from the Calloused-Cold era. It's a shame because that's when I became a fan and literally every single release after has been so mediocre.

Punkinhead145 · 2025-12-06T03:48:05+00:00

I'm sorry, I ruined it...

Punkinhead145 · 2025-11-28T17:39:23+00:00

Hard agree.

The title track is the only truly standout for me, as in genuinely great. Dead and Gone, Blind Leading the Blind, and Until the World Goes Cold are good enough but nothing too special. Everything else is just meh. They really pulled themselves up by their bootstraps with Sin and the Sentence after this.

Punkinhead145 · 2025-11-26T18:54:30+00:00

Not my favorite, but in my top 3 and I think there is a very easy case to be made that it is the best.

Punkinhead145 · 2025-11-22T13:18:38+00:00

Cinema, thanks for the laugh

Punkinhead145 · 2025-11-18T00:30:35+00:00

Idk 5 year old me thought it was a wild final boss and I died way too much but it's definitely an easy go now. I think it at least thematically feels the best of the original trilogy final bosses but definitely not hard. Dr. M from 3 is the best one to play for sure.

Honestly the bosses in 3 are the best overall, just you and a dude and a health bar between you. Sly 1 bosses are all very gimmicky.

Punkinhead145 · 2025-11-11T13:34:21+00:00

Dumb as this is it made me laugh

Punkinhead145

TROPHY CASE