Can America be fixed?

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
The local farmer let us build a kick arse BMX track in the paddock next to my primary school in the 80s. Broke a few pairs of forks on the affectionally named Super Jump. Apparently the school took out the track in later years citing liability or something :(
Interesting that Hill 'n Dale jumps park in Melbs is three frikken concrete tabletops in progressively bigger sizes. The medium and large one wouldn't tickle if one stacked on them.
 

fjohn860

Alice in diaperland
When I was in school in the late Cretaceous period we were allowed access to the wood lathe and table saw and metal lathe before and after school. Similarly at uni the whole floor that was machine tools was available after the first year subject showing how these things worked and getting some operation time. Just had to demonstrate proficiency after that and your name was on a list and the key made available. We made a lot of stuff in four years. #2 went to the same uni 30 years later, floor of equipment reduced to maybe a quarter and no access at all.
This is why I'm loath to leave my current job. After hours access to the lathes and milling machine (even though the mill is ancient).

I will need to have my own in the shed before I change jobs I fear.

No so hard. One group managed to get a cube that was 20x24x16. Swarf was the winner that day.
LOLZ
 

Stredda

Runs naked through virgin scrub
When I was in school in the late Cretaceous period we were allowed access to the wood lathe and table saw and metal lathe before and after school. Similarly at uni the whole floor that was machine tools was available after the first year subject showing how these things worked and getting some operation time. Just had to demonstrate proficiency after that and your name was on a list and the key made available. We made a lot of stuff in four years. #2 went to the same uni 30 years later, floor of equipment reduced to maybe a quarter and no access at all. Tools were demonstrated by techs and that was it. No hands on.

Sadness but indicative of the times. My favourite exercise in the first year subject was we were given a chunk of steel about 80mm cube and had to use the shaper to get it to a 75mm cube within a tolerance of 0.5mm. No so hard. One group managed to get a cube that was 20x24x16. Swarf was the winner that day.
Yes, I do think that a lot of hands on training is lacking these days. No wonder we have a trade shortage.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
I actually restored an old hammer shotgun at school in year 8. Made the stock and all, braised ? a new trigger on it.
When finished I was allowed to test fire on school property.
Different times and a Mallee school. You city slickers had no idea what you missed out on
When I was in year 10 we built a go kart...the design and tech (or whatever it is/was called) teacher was a bit of a loose unit and we got on reasonably well. he usually got stuck with or chose to take me when I was on detention etc and we'd do random bloke stuff like wash the buses, burn stuff in our makeshift incinerator (was just a large fire we built behind the workshop), and dig holes. He got first drive and insisted that we hold the frame in a position so he could smoke it up quite a bit. As his favourite student I was ordained to be the first student to drive it.

The school had a cricket sized oval in the middle with a road around it and classrooms etc forming an outer ring to the road. There was also some gardens with a lot of mulch topped on. The school was fairly new at the time (but also a really old school that had just moved to this new location a few months prior) so the side of the oval we were on was just gardens and scrub. He says something like "just stay this side of the gate..."

I get in, plant it, and I'm off! Side ways here, side ways there, donuts, wood chips flying...and of course a glory lap through the k-6 classrooms followed by a glory lap past the principal's office that lead to a glory lap past the 7-12 classrooms all featuring a lot of revs and as much nonconventional driving as I could. Then of course why would I follow the road back to the start? Oh no...hooked a u-bone and blasted back past the classrooms again to my adoring fans.

When I had enough I cruised back to the starting point. My class were all in stitches and there was beaker...with a very disappointed look on his face. "I should have seen the coming."

According to friends who were a few grades behind and completed their schooling there the kart was never driven again. I managed about 1 year of schooling there.



MOAR GUNS!!!





Fuck me.
 

safreek

*******
Just the fuckwits allowing abortion to be illegal. If the right to life protesters also protested death penalty I could understand.

On one hand you can now carry a concealed weapon to protect your life but can't have a medical procedure to save your life. All this generally in the name of God.
I think we all know this sort of shit only affects the poor. How would you like to be a minority who wishes to carry a firearm, can only see more shootings by the pig monsters.
 

rockmoose

his flabber is totally gastered
It is the epitome of civilization perfection that the Supreme court can one day rule that the Federal must overrule the States, because the States can't be trusted to make their own decisions. Then the very next day, rule that the States must be allowed to make their own decisions, because the Federal cannot usurp their rights.

USA USA USA
 

safreek

*******
It is the epitome of civilization perfection that the Supreme court can one day rule that the Federal must overrule the States, because the States can't be trusted to make their own decisions. Then the very next day, rule that the States must be allowed to make their own decisions, because the Federal cannot usurp their rights.

USA USA USA
That hypocrisy that changed my mind from one of optimism to "fuckem, let them drown"

I'm choosing number 1 flag as their new one, that change should happen soon.
Not sure but I think the top one was original so they can go back a couple hundred years instead of 50 years back.
390622
 

rockmoose

his flabber is totally gastered
Serious question. Will China wait for the US civil war, before they attack Taiwan? Or will they do it before, and that will, in some way bring it about?
 

safreek

*******
Serious question. Will China wait for the US civil war, before they attack Taiwan? Or will they do it before, and that will, in some way bring it about?
Well I'm hoping for the civil war first. One can only keep up with so many wars at 1 time
 

Asininedrivel

caviar connoisseur
Just the fuckwits allowing abortion to be illegal. If the right to life protesters also protested death penalty I could understand.
IMO it's never been about right to life, just subjugating women and ensuring they remain second class citizens so the good god fearing white MAN will forever hold the strings.

Only good thing to come out of this is it should be a lightning rod for all the disaffected progressives over there coming into the mid-terms to redouble their efforts and fight for everything they stand for. If they don't they're f***ed.
 
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