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mahatmakanejeeves

(70,854 posts)
Wed May 20, 2026, 10:41 AM Wednesday

"I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work."

Reposted by Kevin M. Kruse
https://bsky.app/profile/kevinmkruse.bsky.social

Jess Calarco
‪@jessicacalarco.com‬

I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work.

US Department of Education Facebook post saying SKILLS THAT PAY OFF, showing an AI image of a White man and a brown-skinned woman wearing blue coveralls and tool belts. He's pointing off into the distance and she's working on a sink that has way too many exposed copper pipes in all the wrong places
ALT
7:57 AM · May 20, 2026

I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work.

Jess Calarco (@jessicacalarco.com) 2026-05-20T11:57:06.791Z
56 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"I'm not a plumber. But I'm pretty sure that's not how sinks work." (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Wednesday OP
Maybe it's a still? displacedvermoter Wednesday #1
Hey DOE, those copper thingies are not pipes, they're conduits for the wiring! RedWhiteBlueIsRacist Wednesday #2
Made me laugh gab13by13 Wednesday #9
A Plumbing We Will Go!!! pdxflyboy Wednesday #13
There's a Three Stooges episode about this. C_U_L8R Wednesday #3
GMTA - I was riffing on The Three Stooges, too Brother Buzz Wednesday #29
Hahaha Thank you for posting this awesomerwb1 Wednesday #32
Tennessee Tuxedo, too RazorbackExpat Thursday #56
Pretty sure the "tool" the woman is holding doesn't exist.. LeftinOH Wednesday #4
It's an Eicher wrench - haele Wednesday #39
I'd Call It A Basin Wrench ProfessorGAC Wednesday #40
Beryllium is used on spark free tools rickford66 Thursday #41
I Saw Brass ProfessorGAC Thursday #43
Two reasons I said beryllium rickford66 Thursday #46
I Looked It Up ProfessorGAC Thursday #47
Makes sense rickford66 Thursday #48
Your government on generative AI. highplainsdem Wednesday #5
It's a fitting wrench - part wrench and part fittings underpants Wednesday #36
They could have made a better image Johonny Thursday #53
Gotta love AI slop. Ocelot II Wednesday #6
The handle is a wrench and then it becomes fittings, probably brass underpants Wednesday #35
AI has a sense of humor?!?? Attilatheblond Thursday #54
Did Linda make that with A1? blogslug Wednesday #7
😂😂😂😂😂 underpants Wednesday #34
WTAF!!! Wuddles440 Wednesday #8
Yeah, so? Hugin Wednesday #10
Just title it "Trump Admin at Work" Nittersing Wednesday #11
...need someone stealing all the copper leftstreet Wednesday #22
Skills, like the ability to draw a sink? Iggo Wednesday #12
AI strikes again. Biophilic Wednesday #14
What idiot uses a monkey wrench on copper pipes?? lastlib Wednesday #15
That blue wrench in the woman's tool belt is a classic plumbing tool ornotna Wednesday #16
Looks like a 6 inch adjustable wrench gab13by13 Wednesday #17
It's a scissor wrench. Not scissorS, scissor. underpants Wednesday #37
Do they have to use this AI slop because no artists will work for the Federal government anymore? sboatcar Wednesday #18
Trump's lackeys are dumb enough to think this is good. Or good enough. highplainsdem Wednesday #19
I think the bigger message is the DOE wants to turn places of higher learning into trade schools. sop Wednesday #20
THAT'S A BINGO! 👍💯 And Work On Multi-Generational Assembly.... ColoringFool Wednesday #31
Needs more pipe BaronChocula Wednesday #21
Why are there copper pipes installed in the front of the sink? Ray Bruns Wednesday #23
Looks like rolls of wire above sink? Devilsun Wednesday #24
I think it's supposed to be solder. Ray Bruns Wednesday #33
I would hire these guys before the ones in the photo. Ray Bruns Wednesday #25
I was waiting for someone to post this. maveric Wednesday #28
Not going to hire these plumbers (pipes to nowhere). waterwatcher123 Wednesday #26
Making a $150 plumbing job into an $850 plumbing job. bucolic_frolic Wednesday #27
Comedy Gold spanone Wednesday #30
Yes BUT I'd bet that nondescript windowless van is already paid off underpants Wednesday #38
"SKILLS THAT PAY OFF" Straw Man Thursday #42
There are times I desperately need a plumber, but not desperate enough for that pair! Vinca Thursday #44
why does he get all onethatcares Thursday #45
They figured one of them pipes must be the supply line Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Thursday #49
AI "art" BlueWaveNeverEnd Thursday #50
Ai slop SheltieLover Thursday #51
He's white, but she's brown? luv2fly Thursday #52
I was a contractor Timewas Thursday #55

gab13by13

(32,806 posts)
9. Made me laugh
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:03 AM
Wednesday

Should have used the shark bite conduit.😊

Must not have had a bender for the conduit.

LeftinOH

(5,677 posts)
4. Pretty sure the "tool" the woman is holding doesn't exist..
Wed May 20, 2026, 10:59 AM
Wednesday

..outside of an AI prompt for "plumbing tool."

haele

(15,609 posts)
39. It's an Eicher wrench -
Wed May 20, 2026, 03:25 PM
Wednesday

The hand grips are aligned in one direction, and the tool head is aligned to an offset dimension.
I've used tools like that in dreams ..

ProfessorGAC

(77,318 posts)
40. I'd Call It A Basin Wrench
Wed May 20, 2026, 05:37 PM
Wednesday

Any wrench that use a circle of semicircle that reverses is an Eicher wrench.
An oil filter wrench, a jar lid removal wrench, a basin wrench; all forms of Eicher Wrench.
But, that contraption she has also has what appears to be a ratchet head above the jaws which would render those useless.
Also, for most applications, why would it be made of brass? Brass is usually used on wrenches to assure spark-free uses. I've seen them used on railcar domes where the contents are highly flammable as on, for instance, and ethylene oxide railcar.
Don't think a plumber needs brass which wears out sooner.

ProfessorGAC

(77,318 posts)
43. I Saw Brass
Thu May 21, 2026, 06:57 AM
Thursday

But, if beryllium was alloyed with copper it might look like brass., so I could have been fooled.

rickford66

(6,099 posts)
46. Two reasons I said beryllium
Thu May 21, 2026, 09:10 AM
Thursday

In the service (1969) I had to do some work close to fuel bladders full of AV gas and was required to use a beryllium hammer. You do what Uncle Sam says. Several years later (mid 70's), I worked at a resort that had held conferences and one was KBI. One of the products they had was beryllium tools, touted as spark-free. I remember this well, because I was unhappy because the corporation was known to be poisoning the environment with their processes. Brass may be in the alloy though.

ProfessorGAC

(77,318 posts)
47. I Looked It Up
Thu May 21, 2026, 11:07 AM
Thursday

Berrylium is, of course, a reactive metal.
So, it coordinates with copper. Making a stable alloy.
Brass is copper & zinc. If these tools are copper & berrylium, they'd look just like brass, or at least bronze.
Probably why I thought it was straight brass.

Johonny

(26,643 posts)
53. They could have made a better image
Thu May 21, 2026, 08:35 PM
Thursday

But they're too fucking stupid to even use Ai well.

Ocelot II

(131,280 posts)
6. Gotta love AI slop.
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:02 AM
Wednesday

Just apart from the fact that nobody's bathroom anywhere on Earth has plumbing like that, it looks like one of the copper pipes goes right into a pocket of the guy's tool belt, and another one into his butt. And what is that weird tool the woman is holding?

underpants

(197,246 posts)
35. The handle is a wrench and then it becomes fittings, probably brass
Wed May 20, 2026, 02:18 PM
Wednesday

Are we sure that he’s just in the way and one of those copper pipes connects with the nondescript windowless van? 👀

lastlib

(28,655 posts)
15. What idiot uses a monkey wrench on copper pipes??
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:21 AM
Wednesday

And the pipe going down to the left side of the sink looks like an optical illusion--I've never seen a connector that turns a pipe through two axes. (Pretty sure they don't sell that at Home Depot.....)

ornotna

(11,565 posts)
16. That blue wrench in the woman's tool belt is a classic plumbing tool
Wed May 20, 2026, 11:34 AM
Wednesday

For when you want to do a halfassed job.

sboatcar

(871 posts)
18. Do they have to use this AI slop because no artists will work for the Federal government anymore?
Wed May 20, 2026, 12:06 PM
Wednesday

sop

(19,378 posts)
20. I think the bigger message is the DOE wants to turn places of higher learning into trade schools.
Wed May 20, 2026, 01:33 PM
Wednesday

No more woke STEM shit, everyone has to take shop and home economics.

BaronChocula

(4,783 posts)
21. Needs more pipe
Wed May 20, 2026, 01:36 PM
Wednesday

And another one of those mystery gadgets the woman is holding. Haven't seen those at Lowe's.

bucolic_frolic

(55,888 posts)
27. Making a $150 plumbing job into an $850 plumbing job.
Wed May 20, 2026, 01:51 PM
Wednesday

That's what contractors do these days. Upsell.

underpants

(197,246 posts)
38. Yes BUT I'd bet that nondescript windowless van is already paid off
Wed May 20, 2026, 03:14 PM
Wednesday

Nondescript….windowless….van 🍭🤡 👀

Vinca

(54,352 posts)
44. There are times I desperately need a plumber, but not desperate enough for that pair!
Thu May 21, 2026, 07:12 AM
Thursday

That's one weird plumbing job.

luv2fly

(2,718 posts)
52. He's white, but she's brown?
Thu May 21, 2026, 08:33 PM
Thursday

It might be my old eyes failing me, but they sure do look to be the same color.

Timewas

(2,782 posts)
55. I was a contractor
Thu May 21, 2026, 09:10 PM
Thursday

For 30+ years and if I saw that I would fire them immediately........ That is a joke

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