Age 43, Male
Joined on 3/19/09
That's some pretty crazy part-time occupation! Sounds dangerous... and so it is. People get hurt as in: subjected to radiation? More mechanical stuff, falls, etc? Curious how you got into this biz in the first place? Hope it pays for the risk.
And stay safe!
We are exposed to radiation sometimes, but not much. We where cards that tell us when we've been hit with too much. Most of our risks our explosion risks from gases, poisonous gas, and general chemical exposure. I worked in an acid plant once too, that was a circus, tons of burns on everyone all the time. I've seen so many injuries, but only one fatality.
Be careful.
Always am! I'm my favorite person. :P I'm also my worst enemy though... hrmmmmm
Hyptosis: Artist. Game creator. Macho manly construction man.
Haha, I have to do stuff like this, so it's okay for my to cry at chick flicks and stay up eating rocky road in my pjs.
The pictures look cool though
I do seem some cool shit. Wish I could have photos of all of them.
Ah man, acid too. And not the visionary kind hmm. Do you have similar suits for those kind of gigs? Suits for everything (none in the picture above though)? One's still one too much though! :/
We have different suits for different things, but sometimes the companies don't want to pay for them, so we don't have enough, etc. Or we're being rushed to much and don't have time to use them, hence the injuries. Chem suits vary, radiation suits are pretty specific. And there are dozens of different kinds of breathing masks we use.
We also have a nuclear power plant not so far away. They occasionally get interviews, but in a nutshell and without the bullcrap, they're basically saying this:
"It's all good, no danger whatsoever because we have very good security. Except when it comes to radioactive waste, we just dump that shit underground and hope it doesn't cause an epidemic."
Yeah, I know I've worried a LOT less about the impact me and my family have on the environment, after seeing the damage a single plant does in a one hour period. No way three lifetimes of my entire family could live up to that.
Dude, I remember when I was in middle school and you'd upload regularly. My favorite game maker too because you always made something fresh and original. I still remember staying up playing guild dungeons back when I was 11. Shit man, I'm in uni now... and newgrounds isn't what it used to be because all the good content creators left and went on with their lives like you.
I still check your profile every couple of months or when I feel like playing some Sagittarian. Always disappointed to see the last game you put up was that collab you did a couple years back :( . But for real, I started work too recently. It's actually the first job I ever had and it's exhausting as shit... for me atleast. I work 8.5 hours so I wouldn't say I know your pain, especially with no days off. That's just bullshit.
Hope you're not tied down to this job cause you've got mouths to feed or put someone through uni or what not and you're saving up money and leave that shitty job. Maybe you won't come back to newgrounds and make flashes but atleast do something that's better for your health (physically and mentally).
That being said, hope life is good at home and you aren't staying in construction for long and do something else that doesn't bust your ass. It was good hearing from you, knowing you're still alive <3.
Hey, that means a LOT to me. It really does. I am currently tied to the job, but I'm saving my money and trying to find as new job all the time. I only keep going back because of the pay. I really, really miss making flash games. Those were the glory days for me, haha. Sometimes I got upset about all the cranky negative reviews, etc, but I tried to never let it show. It was all about the creativity. Thanks again or the kind words.
With that kind of shifty regulation/limitations you wonder about the quality of all the maintenance too. So ironic that work at the most dangerous places seems to be all the more budgeted; rushed, whereas for example if you look at server hall maintenance, there's nothing cleaner/safer/more regulated. Maybe there'd be a minor risk of electrocution if you don't know what you're doing but otherwise it's all so meticulous and safe... or at least that's what the blogs I read seem to showcase. XD Maybe someone could shed a new light on that too...
Hope you get out of this shizzle in good time anyway; move onto more profitable and practical a prerogative. Or that creative greatness. But twas an interesting glimpse!
The maintenance, well, that is mostly what we do. Every 8 years or so, we tear it all apart and rebuild it, replace broken stuff, etc. But yeah, it's ALL about money, that is all it is about. I've tried and tried and tried to get into software, but no one will give me a chance. I'm about done trying. That market is probably getting over saturated anyway, and the cost of living in those places is too damn high.
For sure. Not that I doubt your work ethic btw, but with that long shifts and lack of time there's always a risk of error. How about something like carpentry though? Totally different but a bit less toxic?
I dream a bit of running some webhosting service or similar on the side, and financing all my creative hobbies via that, but competition's tough everywhere. Seems only those who really chase their dream seem to make it though. Law of attraction. Believe in something strongly enough and you'll get it. Just gotta give it your all.
I'm always looking for a new job that pays even a third of what this does. I've been looking for 5 years now. I've been chasing my dreams for 20 years, and had some success a few times, but truth is, in my experience, 99% of people who make it have a support system the rest of us don't. Be it family, be it money, whatever. Hard work, and it is hard, and not being stupid will get you 20% of the way, luck and the cards you're dealt get you the rest. Hell, I'm LUCKY to have this shitty dangerous side job that I do. Lots of people would kill to do it. That's fucked up and sad. Everyone is too busy trying to survive to actually live.
Maybe we live in very different places, but over here it feels like most people just get stuck in regular office jobs, and don't need to put all that much effort into it to get by. They earn relatively well, work relatively little, and are moderately happy with the existence they lead. Of course there's tons of more practical occupations too, but the wages there are usually high, and the risk relatively low. Plumbing, for example, pays insanely well. There's a shortage of nurses, so they've been able to up their wages too. Carpentry/building work's in high demand. Teachers are the one group that really seem to be struggling. They're in short supply and yet their wages just don't go up. Some strange kind of imbalance there. Maybe there's a certain personality type tied to that particular profession that just struggles on for the students.
I'm not seeing the same kind of struggle here, though, overall. For the most part it's more so an occupational apathy than really hard work. But maybe I'm just lucky, and maybe the people I know are lucky people too. My perspective is lower/middle class, btw. imagine life's even easier for the layers above, up to that elite 1%, but a common denominator regardless of class seems to be apathy. People don't like the way the world's turning these days, not locally nor on a broader scale. Everything's wrong.
But, in regard to actually chasing a dream and making it: I hear more about the people who climbed out of poverty, who had immeasurable odds stacked against them, and persevered, and made it anyway. My theory's that if you just don't have anything to lose then that's when you're really able to push it further than the average Joe, and get to that level everyone strives to get to but so few do. Not impossible they still have a special kind of support system though. Family, if not money, with equally little to lose; all the better at encouraging and helping out because of it.
Should definitely appreciate what we have, though! But whether it's a total lack of things to lose, or family, or finances, that most people depend on to get places, I don't think it's impossible for anyone if only they have enough drive. And a little talent to maneuver the right way. The less I accomplish the more I feel like it's really all about priorities. You just need to do the things you need to do right away. Don't get stuck in routines or other trivial tasks. Promote yourself. Practice. Push. It's all too easy to get distracted. At least that's how it is with me.
Yeah, I appreciate that. I've been working so hard for so long, I really hope it pays off one day.
I didn't know you are a NG mutant. Oh noes, you will become a zombie!
I feel like a zombie half the time haha :P
You are such a great inspiration in whatever you do.
I remember when I was in primary school and sick in bed I would turn on my laptop and play Alice is dead. Your art had such a great impact on me that I just had to follow the rest of your work. It is beautiful and mesmerising. :)
I don't know you but after seeing this post I can tell you are a strong person with will power and passion. I hope you find something alternative that is safe and doesn't have these crazy conditions.
Thank you for posting this. I feel grateful and have so much respect for you and what you do!
Please Sir, never stop making games. Take care! ^^
I never responded to this before, and I am sorry. Thank you for your kind words and support, it means the world to me! You take care as well!
For sure. :) It's gotta.
How you been these last few months though? Hope all's alright?
TomFulp
Now that I've watched the Chernobyl miniseries I just picture all sorts of crazy shit going on.
Hyptosis
I've seen some shit, but obviously nothing as crazy as that. I can say, I have personally seen at least 10 scenarios where nearby civilians could have been hurt or killed. In surrounding cities and towns. And it was covered up every time. This is another reason we're not allowed to have phones. So we can record the illegal shit that plants do. And they ALL do it.