Drives me nuts, Norman. I'm on the district school board and it's useless fighting the changes. People who don't know how to use their hands other than to drive to a store or hold a cell phone are directing kids into total incapability. They fear manual work, and hope children will never have to sink to that level. I used to be angry, now I'm just sad. I see it's hopeless to change it at the school administration level.
To me a forum like this one preserves our skills, and our fascination and enjoyment in something well made. Problems overcome, design and execution, knowing how things work, what they are made of, and how they were made. People need that, and in fact want that. So here it is, a record of who we were, in this time, and what we made. In 20 years, most of us here will be gone. Remember what we did, if you're reading this then. And carry it on. You are as capable as you want to be.