Heard something profoundly disturbing today (Vanity)

Self | Today | Self

[DuncanWaring]

Was talking to a recently-retired computer-science professor today; he said in the last few years he's been seeing students showing up in college who have literally

Never.

Used.

A.

Screwdriver.

He has been teaching a higher-level class in automating control of a train setup.

Part of the project is to assemble a train car from a kit.

These kids have no idea how to do it.

[JoeFromSidney]

Back in the 1990s I was a visiting professor at the Marmara University School of Engineering in Istanbul. My Department chairman had received his PhD at an American university. He said that the primary difference between Turkish and American engineering students was that American students were familiar with hand tools, whereas Turkish students were not.

Sounds like that's no longer true. Too bad.

[gop4lyf]

Not anymore.

[familyop]

"Some of us women do, too."

"Necessity is the mother of invention," and of informal, practical technical education.

I've taught a young woman to repair, plan, design and build many things. She's very capable, but she will not likely be given credit or fame for what she will accomplish except among others like herself (low-techs, for the time being unlicensed, unapproved and unauthorized by regulators and engineers).

But tomorrow, she'll be among those who will rule. The original meaning of "technocracy" (rule by the truly technically inclined) is not what is projected by propagandists today (projections against unemployed, true private sector, of their own socialism in practice in every level of current government).

[familyop]

Little correction:

...(projections against the unemployed, true private sector,...

[DuncanWaring]

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/6011-welding-rods.html

Hmmm.

Don’t see anything about server-wiping. :-P

[tacticalogic]

Don’t see anything about server-wiping. :-P

Probably didn't see anything about running a bead around the face of a pressed-in bearing race to get it out either, but it works ;).

[OftheOhio]

I so hope you are right. It has been my experience though the cream of the crop are the first ones gotten rid of. I’ve seen it time and time again. I saw one of the older greatest welders of his generation screwed over to make room for some young punk who had the prettiest welds you ever saw, but nothing was square with the world.

[GWfan]

You post is exactly right.

[tacticalogic]

had the prettiest welds you ever saw, but nothing was square with the world.

Didn't learn to stitch-weld first?

[DuncanWaring]

I’ll keep that in mind.

[familyop]

"I’m revamping my old Willys jeep dash and making several modifications and modernizing some. I do not want to pull the dash off again.

Some of what will be wired will be soldered. There is the usual crimping and heat shrinking too. I plan for my connections to hold."

I'm glad to see that! I was wondering what to do with a more recent vehicle with a circuit board under a plastic dash, when I saw some dashboards and other parts being made by owners with carbon fiber and other materials (web sites, YouTube, etc.). Yes! Even newer vehicles can be completely rebuilt with materials different from original materials! And yes, whole vehicles can be built at home with relatively low costs from the ground, up (examples, the Locost 7 and many others).

Next up for me, a stealth travel trailer built with space frame tech. and looks exactly like a utility (cargo) trailer. Very light weight and useful, regardless of regs against travel trailers.

[cyclotic]

My engineering student son is working this summer and last on a home remodeling crew. He was also on a competitive robotics team and has done lots of metal fab work. Knows his tools well.

[GunsAndBibles]

Lack of mechanical skills is a sad commentary on the state of the “can-do” American attitude. My son is 26 and there are just a couple of his friends who are totally helpless; the rest seem relatively competent. Don’t write off the entire generation.
He’s city street smart with outdoor skills and absolutely sees through the PC smokescreen along with it’s creeping loss of individual liberty. There still are solid young American men.

[tiki]

THIS IS NOT SHOCKING TO ME. I’m AMAZED at how many people can’t use tools.

[tacticalogic]

When the bead cools, it draws the bearing race in, and it just falls out of the hole.

[familyop]

"I so hope you are right. It has been my experience though the cream of the crop are the first ones gotten rid of. I’ve seen it time and time again. I saw one of the older greatest welders of his generation screwed over to make room for some young punk who had the prettiest welds you ever saw, but nothing was square with the world."

After the defaults and repudiations of debt in an idiocracy that is educated to speak in overly vague, generalizing terms contrary to our great language, people must eventually pay those who are truly capable, straight and sober, or they'll complete the process of starving themselves out of existence. Only for the time being, are they deluded by their monstrous and ill gotten salaries for making nothing but trouble (local regulators and their cronies in services).

[HotHunt]

I watched a pick up truck online I found that I was interested in buying but it was too expensive. Over almost a year, the truck remained on the dealers used car website, as I watched the price drop dramatically. I finally went across town to see the truck in person. It had relatively low mileage, great condition and the price finally was in my budget.

I test drove the truck, kicked the tires and finally asked the sales guy why such a nice truck hadn't sold over the last year. What was wrong with it?

His response: All of the customers who were interested, became uninterested as soon as they found out the truck had a standard transmission. Why? Because none of them knew how to drive a stick shit. I took advantage and made a deal and drove the truck home at about two-thirds the price I would normally expect to pay.

Back in my youth in learning to drive, a stick shift was all that was available for young folks to learn to drive in. I've been driving stick shifts every since.

[Chickensoup]

I knew how to use a screw driver when I was a little fart. Soldering came at about 12 and was welding better than the guys by 14.

---

You are talented. I do nothing but screw things.

[Tammy8]

The other sad thing is my daughter’s workplace just hired several hundred people to do basically data entry and most are only familiar with social media and games. They had keyboarding in high school but they are not really computer savvy either. They take a lot of training.

[wally_bert]

I’d love to have a new body for my Willys but a steel kit is pricey and that’s not counting body shop labor.

I’m using a replacement metal like the original but no holes except for the instrument cluster and glove box.

I’m amazed at what people come up with.