Terry wrote:
On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:56:29 -0700, Jim Stewart
wrote:

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
In an accompanying aritcle to the PM's list of 25 skills every man
should know!
a discussion of whether Americans are losing their DIY skills.

Are they or are the skills needed just changing?

Your thoughts?
Which generation are you talking about?

I have far more equipment and skills than
my dad did, and he was no slouch at DIY.

Jim,

Clearly there are some people who still have DIY skills... but my
experience with college students (several thousand over the last
mumble-mumble years) suggests that mechanical skills are lacking.
Very, very lacking.

A bunsen burner has but two controls, a needle valve for gas and an
air inlet. Last time I taught freshman chemistry students, not more
than a third could adjust the burner properly (instructions printed in
the lab manual) and not more than a few percent *understood* how to
adjust the burner.

That's from the class that will be doctors, dentists, etc....

The lower-level nursing chemistry class was much, much worse....

Don't scare me like that....