More Sad News

Jesus, Is the Discovery Channel killing off all the gear-heads? Larry, Gary, now Roy? Or are we just a dying breed?

Rob

Fraser Competition Engines Chicago, IL.

We are an aging society. With a youth class that perfers to bolt crap on rice rockets along with Kanji decals (that say Owner is an idiot..lol), than do actual improvements and engineering.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the s*it out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Right on! :)

You guys seeing "British Biker Build-off" on Discovery in the US ? There are still folks making their own stuff.

Steve

Geez, Louise! Sometimes it just comes down to common sense and experience, something that is lacking in many of our yoots today. Not all, but many.

We went to our cabin outside Cedar City, Utah, this past weekend. Upon arising Saturday, we found we had a fresh 8" of snow and a very low car battery.

Jumper cables, but no second vehicle.

No automotive battery charger.

No one within seven miles of us.

Not on a hill to kick start.

Sooooooooo, I started looking around. I found a power supply to a 9" TV.

Cut the wire. Split and stripped it. Put it on the battery.

One hour later ............ hummmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Started up. A little weak, but, hey, it started.

I wonder if one of our yoots would have figgered it out. I think a couple of them would have, but most would still be there waiting in 8" of fresh snow.

Steve

PS: Bought a charger today to put at the cabin.

No, I have not seen it but if it merits the Brit's my bike is an Exile! (Made here in the states but the brains of the company is a brilliant designer from the UK.) is it on Satellite or cable TV? I'd like to watch it.

Rob

Fraser Competiti>

Im totally disheartened by so many kids...15-30....that simply are no good for much of anything.

A hardworking lady friend of mine..single mom btw.has a son who whimpers about hanging a medicine cabinet. Didnt have a clue how to proceed. The last one he had..he stuck up on 3/8 sheet rock (older home) with a couple of 3/4" wood screws (2) then loaded it up with all his toiletries. Of course it fell off about 2 days later, smashing it and everything in it to bits..lots of expensive aftershaves etc got splashed everywhere....

I had to go rehang a new one...and he didnt want to help, or even find out how I did it. Only instant gratification. And he knocks down $80k a year selling insurance, yet calls on his mom for help on this sort of thing.

While he may be a wizz selling insurance..he is absolutly helpless doing anything else. And he is a really pitifuly shity driver too. Brrrrr.

Way too many of his kind growing up to be in charge of this nation.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the s*it out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

I'll have to see what we can do....

Steve

There are several torrents of some episodes available on line, if you know how to use IsoHunt.com

Steve

"Gunner Asch" wrote

I'm 57. I don't give a big rat's ass. I got mine, and enough to last longer than I will.

But, still, it's fun to watch these morons cavort around. Just about the time you think you have heard and seen everything, they blow you away with some stunt.

Trouble is, they're fertile as hell.

And their seed is REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY scary!

Steve

So you give him a copy of the yellow pages and point out the "handyman" section. Actually doing the work for him ain't doing him (or his mother) any favors, and at 80k/year he should be able to afford it.

And who knows? Maybe he'll end up getting a good looking handy_girl_ who needs someone around with financial brains.

Real shame that, he's one of the nice guys - total character. :'-(

Yes he is on discovery but only on your (USA) "Biker build off". Sorry, I can't remember his name.

At least one of those Kanji letter sets _must_actually read: "Guess what some round-eye idiot paid for these letters?" Or maybe: "Caution: idiot driving!"

It's the not being willing to learn that aggravates me. (See Below)

Maybe that's why the local school board considered it an insult when I suggested they make it a graduation requirement to demonstrate minimal competence with tools and procedures to perform basic home and auto maintenance?

Can't bitch too loud: I spend way too much time helping my son and daughter-in-law with the same kinds of things. But I tell them I'll only do a given kind of task once. So observe and learn.

Gets to me. A lot of these kids can figure out any problem with computers, but can't apply the same kind of logical thinking to figuring out how to hang a light fixture.

Much like alot of old factory guys that can fix anything. Sit them down in front of a computer and they can't use the same logic they use to fix a multi-million dollar machine to set up their email. Different time, different priorities.

Nate

Probably so. I'd think it not too difficult to apply what works in one area to another, though.

Then I guess OFism is a state of mind. I guess anyone that is old, who has old values, old training, or old wisdom is welcome regardless of their age. Welcome to the club.

You are the kind of guy I would like to be marooned with. Not like the current SURVIVOR program. You notice they kill the worker bees, the organizers, the planners, and the ones who actually know how to survive in the wilderness first. From there it just goes into politics and personalities.

Just like in the real world.

I have been self employed, and own businesses. I have been a weekly paid worker bee. I am now officially fully retired due to injury. We are at the rehab point. I told my doctor the other day that I could never ever see myself going back to work for anyone.

Just leave me alone, and I will enjoy my retirement, take my pension payments, collect my checks from my first deeds, take my SS payments, AND make a good side cash flow doing specialty work. You could drop me off anywhere on this planet, and within a year, I'd be successful.

Life is a buffet, and some poor bastards won't get off their chair.

Thanks for the eloquent post. I had posted a much simpler version, but I like yours better.

And welcome to the Old Farts Club.

Steve

When I was teaching ESL (English as a second language) at a local Community College, we had a sign in the staff office. "Hukked on foniks werkd fer me!"