On Oct 23, 11:09*pm, "Robert Green"
wrote:
"Jim Elbrecht" wrote in message

...



DerbyDad03 wrote:

On Oct 22, 11:04 pm, wrote:
wrote:
-sip-

Have you ever noticed how few younguns there are around here? I wonder
if
it means that the new generation isn't interested in home repair.

Most of the younuns aren't interested in anything but ipods, video
games, and skate-boards, gettin' high or gettin' laid. The only "fix"
they have in their lexicon is the one that makes them (or their
friends) high.

You know, there's a number of items in your list that many of us
"olduns" are still interested in.

I like my 'skateboards' with bucket seats, have a Sansa Fuze instead
of an ipod, do Usenet for my 'video fix', like to sip a good bourbon
in the evening, and still enjoy 'gettin' laid'-- so with adjustments
for a thing or two, I guess I'm a young 'un.

It's those adjustments that are killing me. *Long ago I realized I could
have about 10 perfectly serviceable MP3 players for the price of an Ipod -
ones that take AAA batteries so that you can carry spares. *I bought a
couple of units with built-in USB rechargeable batteries and they all have
failed to deliver music at critical moments becuase the batteries were dead.
I have a huge DVD collection, so I guess that makes me a video nut but I've
never been to any on-line video sites because I refuse to use Flash, which I
think is good move since now websites have started using Flash cookies that
can't be wiped through typical browsers. *I won't buy a Blu-ray player
because I don't like the idea of the manufacturer being able to revoke my
player by just playing a disc. *My friend's Blu-ray unit totally locked up
after only three month's use. *DVD is good enough for me.

My thought is that younger folks are the exception here because;
1. it's Usenet fer god's sake!
2. youngsters are more likely to rent than buy
3. those who buy are
* *a. hiring somebody to do their repairs
* *b. are too damn smart to wade through all the off topic crap here
for the occasional nugget.

3b. *You mean like this thread (couldn't resist, sorry!)

OTOH-- I do recall a few pretty smart 'young 'uns' dropping by over
the years. * *And by smart I mean that they knew how to ask a question
and 'work the room' for the most information out there.

They are as rare as women are here, as far as I can tell. *I blame lawyers
for that. *There have been so many schools sued for injuries kids sustain in
shop class that many schools have just eliminated them from their programs.
I, on the other hand, went to a technical high school that had a machine
shop with lathes, milling machines, a metallurgy shop and a foundry. *The
lathes were powered by an overhead belt and pulley system that were labeled
"Dept. of War" - that's how old they were. *We started by creating a drawing
of a tool (a spanner wrench) freehand, then we learned to make mechanical
drawings from which we made a wooden pattern of the wrench, cast it in green
sand in the foundry and then machined it in machine shop. *It was a great
way to learn engineering and I doubt very many students get their "hands
wet" like we did anymore.

--
Bobby G.

"There have been so many schools sued for injuries kids sustain in
shop class that many schools have just eliminated them from their
programs."

hmm...I wonder if that's why so many Art and Music classes have been
cut too.

You know, I'm leaning towards budget cuts as opposed to lawsuits.

My high school still has all three because we keep voting to have them
funded.

Besides, I thought it was the parent's job to ensure that their kid's
learned these types of life skills. My kids boys both took shop, but
the vast majority of what they learned about taking care of their cars
and houses either came from me or was introduced by me and then they
took it the next few steps.

I once showed my youngest son how to change his brake pads and the
next thing I knew he was doing a full brake job - rotors, calipers and
pads - on a junker that his older brother bought.

Sometimes they just need to be introduced to the subject matter and I
think that that introduction is my responsibility.