-=> Sean Dennis wrote to Gamgee <=-

 Ga> Agreed.  I'm old enough to have learned cursive writing in school.  I
 Ga> will have to say that I have *VERY* rarely ever wanted/needed to use
 Ga> it, though.  Other than signatures of course.  I'm kinda on the fence
 Ga> on whether it's worth taking all that time to teach a kid how to do it.
 Ga> Would that class time be better spent on teaching them how to balance a
 Ga> checkbook/debit account, do basic income tax preparation, basic cooking
 Ga> skills, etc etc...?  I never took it as a kid, but I remember some kind
 Ga> of elective course called "home economics" being offered.  Seems like
 Ga> kids today don't know much about how to actually operate in the real
 Ga> world.

 SD> I took both personal finance and home ec in middle and high
 SD> school as well as having parents who care enough to teach me at
 SD> home.  My mother taught me how to cook and bake; read a recipe as
 SD> well as how to double, triple, and halve a recipe; sew and mend;
 SD> and many other sundry skills.  My stepfather taught me about
 SD> "shadetree mechanics" as well as keeping a toolkit in your
 SD> vehicle to help yourself or others in a tight spot.

I had similar experiences.  I guess a key ingredient in getting that 
type of education is having family that cares enough to try to get you 
that information.  Unfortunately some don't have that situation.

 SD> Kids these days are absolutely clueless and obtuse through no
 SD> fault of their own (well, the desire to learn is not there so
 SD> perhaps a smidgen of blame). It's pitiful and frightening to
 SD> realize these are the future of civilization in 20-30 years.

Indeed it is.  They're also (generally) soft and unable to cope with 
extreme situations, either physical or mental.  Easily manipulated and 
easily eliminated if they don't suit their masters' purposes.



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