I suppose it's a combination of the rise of the "information economy" and the pussifying of America. (Although this could also apply to most other rich countries).<br>Folks are encouraged to specialize more and more, and taught to avoid taking hands-on risk and responsibility for things.<br>
<br>One of my old Popular Mechanics has on the cover "Build an electric arc furnace and melt asbestos!" Not likely to happen now. Might burn down someone's house or something.<br><br>I cringe every time I see a man with a flat tire standing on the side of the road talking into a cell phone instead of fixing it.<br>
<br>Arclight<br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 9:09 AM, Philippe Langlois <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:philippe.langlois@gmail.com">philippe.langlois@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
They moved to software ;-)<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On 03 Mar 2010, at 17:55, Hank The Curmudgeon wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Go and find the "Popular Mechanics" issues from around 1930 (Google<br>
"page" 31 at the bottom of the main search page, linked below) and<br>
move forward. Grab a random issue and check the index. I am<br>
specifically referring to the project pages. Though the ads and<br>
feature articles are fun toothey are not the subject of my mini rant.<br>
Look at the stuff that we built in our home shops. What the hell<br>
happened to us? Where did we, as a nation of inventors, dreamers,<br>
builders and makers, go astray??? Why was this knowledge, these tips<br>
and tricks, ever allowed to be lost? Today our schools teach the kids<br>
garbage and your average condo dwelling urban moron has no freaking<br>
what they are looking at when they go to a hardware store...I see it<br>
every time I'm at Ace or Home Depot. Sad...<br>
<br>
<a href="http://books.google.com/books/serial/ISSN:00324558?rview=1&lr=&output=html&sa=N&start=900" target="_blank">http://books.google.com/books/serial/ISSN:00324558?rview=1&lr=&output=html&sa=N&start=900</a><br>
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<br></div></div><font color="#888888">
--<br>
Philippe Langlois<br>
Email: Philippe.Langlois@Gmail.com<br>
PGP Key: 8DAEE244</font><div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
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