It wasn’t, but everything here is supposed to be at least glancingly car related, so I have to ask all your help on that.
Neither. They were sister shows, which means they existed in the same fictional universe and had occasional crossovers. Fun fact: Technically, Webster and Star Trek are sister shows, because there was one (bad!) episode where Worf beamed down and hung out with the little guy.
Google “Tommy Westphall universe” if you really want to go down a rabbit hole of sister shows.
Same here. My high school years were in the (incredibly short-sighted and stupid) era where the wide perception was that if you didn’t go to college and instead went to a trade school, it must be because you’re a moron or a loser. Or both.
My high school had a good auto shop as well as other industrial tech labs, and now in middle age I wish I’d taken advantage of those instead of cramming one more AP chem class in. I had to mostly teach myself how to work on cars, mainly out of desperation from being a broke college student who couldn’t afford mechanics, and I still use those skills a lot today whereas I hardly ever mess with chemistry anymore and I’ve forgotten so much that I couldn’t tell you how to balance an equation to save my life.
The State of NJ–in addition to very stringent graduation requirements in both math and science–also requires that a student complete at least one year of “fine, practical, or performing arts”, and that requirement can be satisfied by taking visual art, auto shop, wood shop, drafting, graphic arts, cooking, sewing, vocal music, instrumental music, or drama. Thus, every student is “broadened” to at least some extent, and many have discovered a liking for a career area that they would never have considered if not for having to take one of those classes.
I had that happen to me when I was an instructor at the Navy’s advanced electronic course. He was a young Marine who had struggled all the way through the course, barley passing each phase. I taught in the last phase which was a hands on training device. The first lesson was on the power supply’s. During this lesson, I would break down each circuit into a series of voltage dividers, then go through the configuration of the tube or transistor in that circuit.
Somewhere in this lecture, I saw his face light up. He told me later during the lab portion that he finally got it, the one fact that he had missed early on now made every thing he learned since fall into place. He aced the final phase and did every lab faster than everyone else in that class. He also aced the comprehensive final exam for the school and went on to be one of the top technicians in the fleet.
I “helped” my dad check oil, coolant, brake fluid, and tire pressure of our usual 2 cars every Saturday from age 4. I now check oil and brake fluid weekly. Tire pressure and coolant monthly. I took high school auto shop my junior and senior years. I was also mentored by my Father’s good friend who had a one man little auto repair shop. He was a WW2 Marine veteran serving as the maintenance sergeant for an F4U Corsair fighter squadron in the Pacific theater. Like most actual combat veterans I have known he did not talk about the horrors of war. Only a few amusing things that happened. The 90% fictional ‘Baa Baa Black sheep’ was a popular TV show. He reminded me of the “crusty” maintenance sergeant in the show. I asked if he served in VMF 214? He said no but knew a few of the members. He said that fortunately he never met Greg (Pappy) Boyington as he was a confirmed A-hole.
I am quite familiar with military technical user, maintenance, and repair courses. They tend to spend far to much time on the academics/science (physics), and theory of how something works. Brief classroom instruction concerning these subjects does have some value. The user needs to know how to safely operate the equipment within it’s limitations and know basic troubleshooting if it fails. A maintainer needs to know how to correctly perform scheduled maintenance. A repairer needs to know how to correctly diagnose and repair the equipment. They really don’t have to know how to design/invent it. Hands on training experience is of course essential.
Heh heh. I hadn’t had a shop class since junior high, and no class in electricity since 6th grade, so it was a little tough with a business degree, being thrown into an Army teletype repair program. Some of my friends had been into radio and electronics as a hobby but not me. I really didn’t know anything about circuits, transistors, etc. Luckily one of my room mates was just out of engineering school and could tutor some of us along so at least we passed and could go home. Luckily I never had to use it.
Sorry I brought up the whole food thing but I just believe kids need to have a well rounded experience in public schools. We did provide some of this in Scouts though even if school didn’t. I just remember a couple of issues with having to survive when the wife was traveling for a few weeks. I wanted to make corn on the cob but couldn’t find in any cook book how long the corn should be boiled. Ha ha. This was before Google. Just basic stuff. In the grocery story I bought all the stuff we made in Scouts and the clerk said “hey, ya going camping?”. And I spent three years in the restaurant as a short order cook, so I can make burgers on the grill. But really I worked in three different manufacturing plants and just learned a whole lot that I have used now my whole life.
Yeah, we had the same thing. All the college-bound kids took band or choir. I don’t regret being in band even though I haven’t played my euphonium for the better part of 20 years now (maybe when I retire and actually have something called free time I’ll pick it back up). But I think that verbiage is problematic because getting exposure to the arts is important, and so is getting exposure to working with your hands. I don’t think schools should allow you to choose between one or the other. Do both.
Retire? Spare time? Heck, you’re on here so much I figured you were retired! 
In a weeks worth of time that you spend on here you could build your own euphonium and “pick it back up”! 
At least many of you gentlemen had the opportunity for hands on shop classes in school. When I was in school, back in the age of the dinosaurs, girls were not allowed to take mechanical or woodworking shop classes. And my father firmly believed all basic handyman around the house tasks such as changing out a faucet washer, building storage shelves, rebuilding the outside deck and stairs, etc. were strictly man’s work and would never teach me or allow me to help.
I highly admire how a good friend had his daughter always help him from very early age with tasks such as changing the oil on the car, sharpening lawnmower blades, basic plumbing, rewiring lamps, etc. She grew up to be very self-sufficient. Not surprisingly, she became an engineer like her dad.
I learned for myself over the years how to handle some basics to the extent my early severe arthritis has allowed but I must rely on the kindness of neighbors or pay profesdionals for many things. For example, when I serviced the lawnmower this spring I simply could not get the old blade off because the bolt was both rusted and torqued on too tightly for me to budge. My strong neighbor managed it finally with a longer handled socket wrench than my socket set has.
Yes. We learn best by actually doing. I have been utilized as a teachers aid from 1st grade (1958) through military training (2008). Why? I had academic qualification plus hands on experience.
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Corn on the cob is easy peasy. Do not shuck it! Trim the pointy end which has most of the corn silk. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Cut off the stem end and let cool for a minute or 2. Remove husks and any remaining silk. Of course this does not work when camping.
Sure it does!
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Would you rea’ly call that camping?
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Camping Definition - Spending thousands of dollars to live like a Homeless Person.
I hang that sign up on my camper when we go camping.
There’s a real term for it. Glamping.
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I actually ran across Green Acres last night and watched most of the program. There was a legal issue with the pet pig and someone’s debts and the plot really meandered all over the homestead and the community. It was right up there with Gilligan’s Island and Beverly Hillbillies in entertainment value. I guess Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez set the bar kind of low for half hour situation comedies on television and no one wanted to break out of the winning strategy. Mr Bean put the BBC worlds ahead of US television comedy but no one airs BBC reruns in my neighborhood.
M.A.S.H. and All in the Family started the year after Green Acres ended. They were KINGS of comedy back then. Seinfeld, then Friends…until the current king - Big-Bang Theory.
Heh heh heh. Ya gotta remember there is a whole new breed of writers out there now writing stuff that fits their own world view and that they think is predominant in the general population. Yeah so maybe those old shows were pretty lame but still entertaining without having to cringe or explain the double meanings of things. Kinda wonder what producers like Danny Thomas would say now.
We’ll just see what the future brings on the tube with the Chinese having a larger part of Hollyweed now. Still I like to see the old cars that are brand new.
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