Does Glenn Beck have TMS?

"As for the living, our slaves will do that for us!"

- Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
Axel

They're learning, Walt, that a new technologically illiterate unter class is emerging to perform all those nasty, dirty practical chores while they're busy manipulating intangible abstractions (like money & power) in cyber space. That's why I changed the shocks on my old 1969 Ford van last week and installed a new vent on top myself (with a hand-held screw driver). That's also why I lubed the fan and motor in my home heater and am going to do a front brake job on the van soon too. I did get the car parts cheap and home delivered off the the net though. The best of both worlds, labor intensive and cyber smart. Why? Because if you don't conserve and perform a few of these labor-intensive chores, the furnace repair man and the mechanic will rip you off big time. The assumption being that if you live in my neighborhood you better make at least $200K per annum, or get the heck out of here.

 

Now, that's a whole 'nother conversation, Walt! When I was homeschooling my kids my priorities were: 1. Relationships (from getting along with sibs to how to give a good handshake) 2. Skills (home/repairs/finances, etc) and yup…last.. 3. Academics.

Now that my kids are adults or nearly adult, I have no regrets on how I did it. Of course, I can see my short comings and their's, but by golly, they all know how to do their laundry and cook a meal.

 

Bruce, I didn't see your post until after I posted. We often joke that our oldest boy should have been born in the 40s. He loves old phone technology and can pretty much fix anything….provided it doesn't have a computer module.

It is only lately that he will relent a little bit and use the internet.

 

Knowledge of the electro-mechanical world has the distinct advantage, North Star, of saving on countless home and car repair bills. Labor-intensive and not necessarily 'fun' chores though. Next step - buy a leaf blower and a hedge trimmer! Interesting how when the US had the most developed industrial infrastructure in the world, everyone knew the difference between a 3/8" socket and a 7/16" socket by sight. Now, people hardly know how to screw in a light bulb without calling in a repair person. Lost practical knowledge as the industrial paradigm shifts into cyber space. Remember that Ray Bradbury science fiction story about a whole race that had become brains in jars waited on by attendants? Yikes! Scary bananas. I want my body back!