Jeez, the war

By ctacker (****)

Date 11-08-2007 03:25

work for quality fab in anchorage? now alaskan petroleum contractors?

By ZCat

Date 11-08-2007 03:40

I worked in the APC fab shop from '94 to '97. They eventually bought out QFI. Did you work there , ctacker?

By ctacker (****)

Date 11-08-2007 06:22

yes i worked there, '92 '93 was QFI then, Rich metzger was the shop foreman then, I talked to him about a year ago, he is the plant super now i think. he offered me a job if i come back up, but i wont head back until me and the woman get us a motorhome and start traveling in a few years!

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-08-2007 04:04

Don't rightly know what it is nowadays..... haven't been back in years..

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-08-2007 04:08

Quality fab, on the industrial loop - off of Elmendorf? Had many friends that worked there.....wonder what the're doing now?

By ZCat

Date 11-08-2007 04:41 Edited 11-08-2007 04:46

Quality Fab was in the APC shop, just south of Dimond at the corner of King street and 110th(?)....right across from the recycling place. they may have moved from by Elmendorf, though. when did you leave The Great Land, sourdough?

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-10-2007 03:07

Late 90's I came down her in search of a million bucks - maybe in a few years I'll be on the right track, lol.....

By ctacker (****)

Date 11-08-2007 06:29

talk about a small world, My best friend in phoenix, grew up in billings montana, we did everything together for years. when i moved to anchorage, Rich and I became good friends, he was from billings also, come to find out he was best friends with my best friend in az,they grew up together in montana! they were both after the same woman,lol rich lost that one and went north!

By fbrieden (***)

Date 11-08-2007 05:10

[deleted]

By Kix

Date 11-08-2007 13:24

Well, if you travel a lot by air it sure didn't do anyone much good. I sure do miss being able to sit with family at the gate before you get on the plane. Anyway, I thought the topic of this thread was jeez, the war. Whats that suppose to mean? I'm just curious and not trying to get all political and stuff. ;-)

By MDG Custom Weld (***)

Date 11-08-2007 14:33

I agree with you Kix, what does the title have to do with the discussion that SD has spawned.
Let's get back to the "war", and what it has given us...$3.15+ gas, $3.45+ diesel, monster national debt, rising unemployment (at least here in Michigan). I'm sure there are some positives, but the media is only focused on the negatives.

By Kix

Date 11-08-2007 14:43

Yeah man diesel is killing me right now!!!! $50.00 a week and thats only driving to and from work. I drive the Mrs. car everywhere else because my other car is premium fuel only so i'm getting nailed there as well.

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-10-2007 02:28

200 miles a day.......try that on for size!

By RANDER

Date 11-10-2007 06:17

200 miles a day in So. Cal. traffic! 1.5 hr for the morning, 2.5-4+ hr coming home. God help you if there is a little coastal fog much less the occasional "Rain"! Freeways turn into pinball machines and you just turn around and camp in the truck at work.

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-11-2007 02:18

Last time I went from L.A. to san fran I couldn't believe it. I pulled into the first liquor store and had my wife drive from there..........holy crap, how do you do it?

By sparkin (*)

Date 11-08-2007 15:25

"You tell me if I would have ever made a life like this if it hadn't been for some ragheads crashing into our trade center???"

I can't let this one go by....

Sourdough, you make more money every year because you are aggressive, you like to work and you live in the United States.......simple as that.
Associating your successes with terrorism is a strange outlook to say the least.
Thousands of Americans were slaughtered on 9-11-01 resulting in billions of dollars lost, thousands of orphaned children, thousands of widowed wives and husbands and countless businesses vanished in a matter of seconds. Hundreds of thousands of lives around the globe have been lost due to the terroristic acts of a few and you really want to attribute that to your success?
Next time your out and about, swing by a VA Hospital, park out front and watch the 18-24 year old amputees, now stuck in the lowest tax bracket, that are being wheeled into sub par medical care by their 19 year old wife.
They come home by the plane load every week. Maybe all that money has landed in your lap for something besides cows and backhoes.
Find a young veteran in your area that gave an arm or a leg for that last trailer load of goats you bought and give him a job preheating for you. He will be the best employee you ever had and besides, he earned the job.
We would all be speaking German, Japanese or Arabic today if it wasn't for our soldiers giving their lives for us to be able to grow our businesses.
I don't mean to get on a soapbox here but I am a disabled vet and this is a touchy topic to me.

By Kix

Date 11-08-2007 16:11

Amen to that!! My family is constantly sending goody boxes to our troops and what makes it worth while is they love it and deserve it. Everyone should be very proud and appreciative for what those guys are going through over there witch I'm sure all of you are. I wish we could get these MRAP (mine resistant armored personnel carriers) over to them sooner. I don't know what the hell they're waiting on right now.

By Jim Hughes (***)

Date 11-08-2007 16:46

I agree. I made good money in the 80's in th Nuclear industry, when that went away, made good money in the Petro-Chem industry in the 90's, and now making good money in the power industry building Coal and Gas power plants. The main reason is because of where I live. This great country the USA. Contrary to what the media and hollywood says this is a great country. To keep it great we need to keep making sure planes don't fly into huge buildings again.

Jim

By johnnyh (***)

Date 11-08-2007 18:41

Yeah I never correlated the money that we make with those planes. That is different perspective. I know I would trade a couple dollars an hour for that day to have never happened because this war has hit my small community hard. We lost 3 very young soldiers in less than 3 months earlier this year. These fellas never got a chance to make the money that you speak of.

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 11-09-2007 05:40

I don't follow SD's logic either, but maybee He is just "stirring the pot". I was living pretty well from investment income untill things started going down hill in the fall of 2000. The markets were starting to recover, but 9-11 put Us even farther behind than We were from the market "ajustment". Again recovery started, but was derailled by the Enron situation and the distrust that followed. Anything that makes investors panic screws up the entire economy anymore. Some of Us remember the market crash of '87. It was fast and deep, but recovery followed shortly. I suspect that without 9-11 We would all be farther ahead now than where We are.

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-10-2007 03:00

Please understand that I am a patriotic American.....

When I go out into the oilfield everyday and hook up the wells that are sprouting up in record numbers, it is because of our war overseas, period. I have always worked circles around my counterparts because I enjoyed work, but I never would have come up like I did if it weren't for oil shortages.

While our young Americans are getting shot at, I am out there making a 1000 bucks a day just on my welding rig alone. It doesn't seem right, but it is what it is. My dad was in vietnam, both my my grandads are vets from both Korea, and ww2 - they saw action the whole time.....my dad's dad was a gunner on a b-26.

Don't even try and make me out as a scumbag yuppy that doesn't have a clue what has been sacrificed by our loved ones FOR our country.

BEFORE 9-11, was the oilfield being exploited by every tom dick and harry in the nation with the initiative to go and git er done? NO, it wasn't! The oilfield was full of "company men", that said yes sir, and no sir all day because they knew that the company really didn't need them that much. If they got out of line, the next guy was waiting to take his place. Now, more than ever the oilfield needs competant welders with the moxy to tackle more than say a union welder. Nowadays a cowboy like me is in HIGH demand!

While this "energy crisis" is happening I will be here exploiting the living daylights out of these corporations, and our current energy situation. Anyone who doesn't is an idiot......

-AND- when the war is over and real estate plumets, and everyone faces financial hard times - I will go back to work for one yuppy after another that wants a custom handrail in their 4 million dollar home......

Dave, the ONLY pot I'm stirring has a simple recipe: 1 part reallity..............................................! Oh, and my parents are millionaires because of the 87 crash.

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 11-10-2007 04:47

SD: Domestic real estate crashed 22 months ago in many parts of the East. In My opinion tapping domestic reserves of oil & gas, and building new refineries and nuke plants should have been going on right along, not waiting untill now and trying to play "catchup". Much of the delay is due to domestic politics and environmental concerns, some is due to Our own companies holding out for higher prices. High crude prices are definatley giving You lots of work. Large drops in the stock market do make for buying oportunities, but it isn't as much fun when You wait 5 years for the prices to go back up. Lots of people did well with the rapid recovery following the "Fall of '87". You are young and able, You SHOULD be taking advantage of the work available. MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.

By darren

Date 11-10-2007 06:08

sourdough
have you been drinking whiskey and typing?
your a "smart dog" but it sure seems like your crapping in the house here.
just my opinion
darren

By yorkiepap (***)

Date 11-10-2007 17:19

Hey SD,
Your post really sums it up as far as those of us who work hard to have a good and comfortable life...especially raising a family. And I don't believe your patriotism could be challenged as you have family who have experienced war and lived thru it to talk to you about it. You have a great work ethic and your success is because you "hunger" for success, not one of those who constantly look for gov't. handouts or cry because there are those who earn mega-bucks or have become millionaires. You get out of life what you are willing to put into it.

To darren: I don't understand your post regarding SD "crapping" in the house. I believe his post was quite self-explanatory as to his reasons and his work ethics. It read like pure honest expression to me and nothing written would dictate alcohol was involved. Would you be so kind as to explain your comment in detail so we all may understand your reasoning to make such a comment and basis of opinion?......Denny

By darren

Date 11-10-2007 20:05

to me it seems this forum is about welding and not about stirring the patriot pot.
referring to a group of people as ragheads, assuming that is who actually did cause the tragic events on sept 11
i would never question his skill level, his beliefs his hard work ethic or whether he is entitled to his opinion.
it just seems to me and that is why i used the disclaimer of in my "opinion", that the comment would create caucus and not at all advance the knowledge of welding.
perhaps it would have been best to have posted it in the off topic part of the forum,
i think that it would be offensive to many who frequent this forum and i am interested in welding not nationalistic pride and class based discrimination.
as for politics. as the top of the page says,
"the strength of welding", not whats your political stance on poverty or a "war" that is much more than it seems.
i have read the fifth amendment and find it to be one of the most profound and beautiful pieces of legislation i have ever read. i wholly accept its principles and did not suggest that anyone was not entitled to the expression of their opinion. i personally found it in poor judgment to bring these topics to this forum that is my opinion.
respectfully
darren
p.s. i think sourdough is a great addition to this forum and i would assume that with the personality that has shown through on this forum i don't think that one man disagreeing with him would have any great effect on him, in fact i think he likes it because he's said so, and thats why he posted what he did

By makeithot (***)

Date 11-11-2007 19:01

SD go right ahead and capitalize all you want as I am sure there are many others who do as well. Difference being they don't site around bragging about it. To listen to you talk I'm amazed that there is any work left for the rest of us as you single handenly seem to be able to solve all the welding proplems every where. I was once told by an old hand "that self praise is no praise".

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-12-2007 02:41

And so you, makeithot, do not capitalize on things that are at your fingertips as far as making money. What a shame, your family must be proud to have an underachiever like you carrying on the family name. Some people are just bred like that. Some families just don't have the gumption or know how to raise their children to be winners/leaders. Some are destined to follow till they get that gold plated watch, and a pat on the back. Meanwhile they live on a budget that most people would commit suicide on.....guess you must be born into it?

By Joseph P. Kane (****)

Date 11-12-2007 03:22

Hey Sourdough

You started this to stir the pot. You asked for it-you got it. This reply sounds like you are taking it personally?!?!?! What did you expect?

You even got Al Moore fired up. Now he has withdrawn / deleted his reply.

By the way, I believe you are right!

Joe Kane

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-12-2007 03:59

I just can't believe the response I have received over this one. Seems to me everyone is looking to attack anyone that has an opinion, pretty much like ol george bush himself. Well, wait just a damn minute.....attack yourselves. I am going out and getting what our bull sh## government has put on the table. That is half the reason for this war, do you not see it? If yo think that you are being patriotic by sitting down and not participating, you are an idiot! This is war. This is what war has always meant in the past. Our boys go over and die for a cause that is about "my dad can kick your dad's a##, and so on and so forth. In every war it has also meant JOBS!

So what?? shall we sit at our house in the evenings, talking 9 kinds of crap about the war,(everyone has a golden opinion), or should we go out and exploit the crap out of it?????

Anyone that says that we shouldn't is living a romantic pipe dream. I think it's an excuse to sit on our fat a##es and not do a damn thing about the war in Iraq.....

I for one will be retired at age 40......

By makeithot (***)

Date 11-13-2007 23:36

SD,You seem to be a tad touching on this topic, guess I must have struck a nerve.As an underachiever I,ve been around the world three times all expences paid and have an accountant that worries about how much I have to pay the government each year so I don't have to, and at the risk of bragging myself just a little have most likely laid more pipe in the bar then you ever will in the field. You might consider changing your handle to Toot toot, that way when your blowing your horn you can feel good about it or so that the rest of us know where your commeing from. One more piece of wisdom I have picked up over the years is "It is always best to be silent and thought a fool then to speak up and remove all doupt." So from one underachiever to another touche'. Thats one of those fancy french words.

By 803056

Date 11-10-2007 17:06

[deleted]

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-11-2007 02:09

As I said, " serious enough topic". Think I'll start it on off topic........

By CWI555

Date 11-12-2007 03:09

Been thinking on this one. To me it doesn't matter what the circumstances are in the world, The cream will always rise to the relativistic top.
I can't say as I fault a man for doing well, thats generally what happens when you apply yourself.
However; To maintain that supply of cream, something has to be given back to the cows. A man that starts to thinking they only have to take, is setting himself up to have those cows die off eventually, or in the best case dry up.

There is nothing wrong with being successful, but in my humble opinion, it should be taken with a dose of humility, thoughtfulness and help to others, and thanks to God who granted it to begin with.

The terrorist attack of 911 had nothing to do with your success in the long run. Careful that you don't tempt fate to kill the cow that feeds you.

My two cents worth,
Gerald

By litchko (*)

Date 11-12-2007 03:28

There's dreamers and there's doers ,dreamers dream about it ,doers make it happen.

By litchko (*)

Date 11-12-2007 03:29

There's dreamers and there's doers ,dreamers dream about it ,doers make it happen.(I mean hustling work)

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-12-2007 03:46

Alright, riddle me this: Who paid 64 grand this year in taxes? Me, I did!

Sooo, who helps fund the entire war? I DO! Everyone is down on me, calling me unpatriotic, a braggart, and spitefull.

Wait just a damn minute.....Look at yourselves.....

YOU - fascillitate the war by buying the rediculously inflated fuel to go to work every day.

YOU - do not recycle your paper and/or aluminum - those of you that don't drive, and do recycle - my apology!

YOU - have a hot tub and pay 60-100 bucks a month to heat it, and sit your fat bones in it!

YOU - buy your kids, or grand kids way too many things, because "you can"!

YOU - don't change your own oil, because you THINK it is cheaper - everyone knows that the waste from those oil change places is phenominal.

YOU - pay some company to take out your garbage, because if you think about it, you throw WAY too much stuff away. "You probably feel bad everytime you take your own garbage to the dump", have you ever been there? It's depressing!

Ye who has not commited SIN - cast the first stone........wake up - we are all guilty of something........................................!

When this boom is over I will go back to the tradesman I am. I will say yes sir and create a decorative handrail or horse arena, But now I am exploiting what is there for the taking. I want you all to consider this......when you go through my neck of the woods at night, and you look out the window to see something that looks to be a small city, remember this: the city lights you see are gas rig derricks, and somewhere among them you will see the floodlights of my welding rig shining back to the tail of my truck while I am fitting something up to help boom our economy!

I guarantee I pay more taxes than any of you!!!!!!!

By downhandonly (***)

Date 11-12-2007 04:08

you have no idea.

By downhandonly (***)

Date 11-12-2007 04:14

p.s. you only make $1000 a day and you pay that much tax? run off your accountant.

By Sourdough (****)

Date 11-12-2007 23:56 Edited 11-13-2007 00:23

On just my rig, dough head. That doesn't include my singlehand, hotshot, or swab rig. Read the rest of the post......

Oh, I just gotta ask out of curiosity - what do you think the percentage is of pipeliners that can "actually" run lh uphill? It's astounding how many pipeliners that are way more experienced at pipe than me who cannot even strike an arc with LH.................let alone run it uphill and pass a test..HA HA

By downhandonly (***)

Date 11-14-2007 02:14

I've worked my fair share of fab shops and vessel shops. and you still have no idea.

By JescoPressure (**)

Date 12-16-2007 17:38

this guy is retarded, hey downhand you said you were fabbin rigs ? you in stonehamms yard i heard everybody else is pretty much dead right now

By downhandonly (***)

Date 12-16-2007 19:51

By downhandonly (***)

Date 12-16-2007 19:51

were just about done too, gettin ready for zama

By JescoPressure (**)

Date 12-17-2007 16:25

just a heads up if interested propak in airdrie is hiring tig rigs they just hired my buddy lookin for 40 more. carbon tig root then hi lo all the way out $85 an hour dont know the shifts though. Who you pipelining with this winter?

By downhandonly (***)

Date 12-18-2007 00:27

chief. been with em for a couple years. yeah a friend told me about propak but I don't have my tig ticket. let the pros do it.

By JescoPressure (**)

Date 12-18-2007 14:31

lots of pipeliners down at grb gettin the tig skills . I hadnt tigged since college but 3 days there and passed my carbon . Hawk at GRB is an awesome tig welder. Not that ive got any work with the stupid thing. I got a call today to go up to Red Earth to weld casing bowls so im outa here this morn if my old lady doesnt shoot me first .just pulled in from Ft. mac last nite i said to her " no worries i "should" be back for christmas

By Sourdough (****)

Date 12-19-2007 05:35

Jessco - what a solid man you are, calling me a retard. I gotta give you props.
You are probably the guy that got run off of so many pipelines that you started rig work cause you were starving so bad that you couldn't afford to fix the hole in your roof that your wifes pot was under. I can probably say that you go from pipeline to pipeline to pipeline, because when there is an 1104 xray, your ass is down the road.............am I right???

By JescoPressure (**)

Date 12-20-2007 05:59

retards a touchy word with you hey is that what the teachers called you in school? I would have never commented except your stupid thread makes it so easy. Braggin about your money from this war while your countrymen are dying from it. Bashin solid guys that really pipeline like downhand and make it hot . I bet you couldnt even hang with us up here . Pipelining off a nodwell in -40 weather. Look at you braggin like your god " I pay more taxes than you" , wow im so impressed i probably payed less tax

By CWI555

Date 11-12-2007 06:17 Edited 11-12-2007 06:22

Sourdough, I don't think you will ever find a post of mine that said you were unpatriotic, and the intent of my post was not to say your a braggart, or spitfull.

Yes I buy gas, everyone does who owns a vehicle

Yes I do in fact recycle, paper, aluminum, glass, and every damn thing else that can be recycled

Don't own a hot tub, my solar panels and other devices pay what would have been 3/4 of my power bill when I am home long enough to turn the lights on. (haven't seen home in 2 years, thankfully my family travels with me)

I don't spoil my child, he gets what he needs but not everything he wants even though I can afford it

I do change my own oil as well as brakes, tranny fluid, tune ups, and every other maintenance item on my vehicles, I also properly dispose of the used fluids (and yes your correct, the waste from the jiffy lubes of the world are phenomenal), old batteries etc.

For the garbage comment, see the recycle comment

Every one is guilty of something, and I cast no stone, nor did many of the other posters

As a suggestion, it might not be a bad idea to go back and re-read the post on this thread in the helpful manner in which they were intended. Granted a few of them were of a harsher nature, speaking for mine, it was not intended that way.

"Wait just a damn minute......Look at yourselves....." with all due respect, and speaking for myself, I would suggest a revised look at your assumptions when you say "yourselves" and include me in it.