26 Sep
2010
26 Sep
'10
1:48 p.m.
I think I've mentioend before that these days my
parents would probably
be guilty of child cruelty or something. My 8th (I think) birthday
prsennt consisted of things like a woodworking tenon saw, a junior
hacksaw, a set of twist drills, a wheelbrace (hand drill) to use them in,
a small vice, and so on. Yes, I ahve cut myslef with them over the years.
But no, I have had no serious injuries from tools ever... And I do thank
my parents for encouraging my hackish tendencies.
Children are become more and more stupid everyday! Things like lego,
mecano, educational kits and good junior tools are almost nonexistent as
gifts. Children prefer a brand new PS3 :oP
I certianly think there are fewer constructional toys
around now than
there were perhaps 30 or 40 eyars ago. I must have over a dozen
different educational electronics systems, and none of them are Heathkit
:-). As I've said before, I think the Philips EE kits were the most fun,
but teher were others.
Lucky you, because we had almost nothing of it in Brazil
(although some lucky guys in Sao Paulo had it, don't know why)
And there were many more electronic kits (as in solder
a device together)
around back then than there are now. It's dubious how mucyh electronics
you learnt by assembling a Heathkit, say, but you did certianly get
practice with tools, and you might be inpsired to find out more about
what you were doing and why.
At least you're having some "hands-on" with REAL electronics, and
don't
think there is a bunch of chineses painting the screen on the television
(they must be real thin in newer flat-panel televisions). So you get
interested into subject and learn about it.
So bad we live in the age of information, and children lives in the age
of stupidity :(