I'll indulge in a bit of video choir preaching.

[gunfun 3,931]

 

The video states it pretty clearly. If anything, by the spectrum of boys, I was more along the lines of what they try to make boys into with my interests, skills and personality.

But we boys all stagnate under pointless or futile activities. And sitting still for long periods listening to things that I already knew did not work for me at all. For me it was reading childish stuff, and repeating lessons I had learned years before, simply because the other students hadn't. Yeah I was the kid who hated P.E. Except when we got to do stuff like climb ropes. Team sports suck, and weren't fun well baseball was. But as a 6 year old, knocking my friends down by chucking a 35 lb medicine ball at them, and receiving the same was the highlight of weeks. If we had javelin or archery at P.e. I would have been hooked. If there had been a bow and arrow set at recess that kids could use once for every lap around the playground, I would have been a triathalete, rather than whatever you want to call what I was. (second to last picked for dodge ball about covers it though.) Reading books where things happened got me into reading. I went from remedial to advanced over the course of a year in which a teacher let me read calvin and hobbbes and tintin, etc, rather than little house on the dreary. Beverly cleary was boring as hell to me, but Roald Dahl gruesome stuff, and later "the Hatchet" really sucked me in.

 

They took out all the "dangerous" playground equipment between me and my younger brothers. It's gotten worse since then.

 

I have been looking for ways as long as I can remember to inject danger into my eventual children's lives, and trust them with choices. My children will not encounter the world through a layer of bubble wrap, and I won't try to make them fit a mold either. They might be entrusted with a pocket knife at seven or eight, or maybe not until 15, depending on responsibility and coordination, etc. The point is they will be given freedoms along their interests, according to what they have earned, plus a little extra.

 

I guess I have to start saving for private school, or homeschool or something. But I want to fix the public schools too. My kids should be there some too, and it does no good to rescue my kids and not their neighbors who will populate their world.

[Sim_Player 1,939]

I bought my son a pocket knife, a bb gun, and a slingshot all at about 7.

 

Those were all the things kept away from me, as a boy.

 

He bought a Zippo in his early teens because, all his friends had one (it was a fad). I did tell him that I would kick his ass if he burnt the house down.

 

He'll be 21 soon and still alive.

[HB of CJ 1,263]

Public Education?  My grandkids are 100% home schooled.  My one grandson enjoys the martial arts, heavy truck driving including having no problems driving and shifting our old Freightliner 10 wheeler 10 yard dump truck with a Big Cam Cummins engine with a Super 13 Fuller Roadranger, (yep!)  horse riding, motorcycle riding, hunting, fishing, swimming, hiking, camping, shooting including automatic weapons, survival woods training, go kart racing, READING, all the usual nasty non politically correct kid subjects.   Now he wants to fly an airplane.  Maybe a little bit early.  He is only 14. 

 

Edited by HB.  I forgot to state the legal disclaimer.  All US Code Laws And NFA Rules Apply.  This means automatic weapons including the non aforementioned M2 Carbine light automatic rifle are legal for us up here in SW OR USA.  Your gun laws may differ.  Sorry about that if true.

Edited October 13, 2015 by HB of CJ

[Lone Star Arms 2,047]

Kids need to be kids. Boys need to be boys, and girls need to be girls (a simple concept unless you come from a "progressive" mindset, and then god help you attempting to figure out all the angles). Public schools have become failed environments where academics, having fun, and growing up are subjugated and subordinated to intensive social indoctrination.

 

God bless our children.

 

Mike

[gunfun 3,931]

HB- I did some of the homeschooling, and a bit of all of the above. I've seen all of the above work for people and fail others. Not every parent is a good teacher, and there are things that you won't learn well at home. Not all kids are wired to self educate well. I was. My brothers and a lot of my friends weren't. I didn't really learn to be good at socializing until my 20s, and I have helped out hordes who had a greater degree of that to over come. IMO some mix of the above is valuable. I would be inclined to homeschool for a bit, then public or private about half way through middle school on.

 

There's no magic bullet, you have to know yourselves and each kid as an individual. Each person needs to be challenged just short of the limit of their abilities to do well. Each one needs progressively increasing responsibility and a variety of experiences. You can't learn how to get along with strangers, by spending all your time with mom and dad. I'll say that kids from each group are prone to wrongly look down on the other groups, when I think they each have some real advantages. 

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

I earned my fair share of bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes growing up on a farm with bunches of siblings. Never doubted my masculinity. Now I'm one of those nuts people who are feared. It's not a complete lost case yet (but getting there).

Edited October 13, 2015 by Heartbreaker

[HB of CJ 1,263]

GunFun;  exactly correct and thank you.  We completely understand the safety leap between putting around the acres with the dump truck and trying to safely fly a Cessna.  I think the FAA has good rules regarding this.  Thanks.

[Long Shot 1,287]

GF,

Powerful message.

I have two boys in school, one five, one thirteen.

 

Home schooled the older boy for a few years. Now their both enrolled in private school. It's much better than any public indoctrination center around but they still suffer some of the same trends as discrbed in the vid.

 

Il be sharing this video with the principle.

 

Thanks for posting this.

[Sim_Player 1,939]

I've said it for at least 10 years now.

 

PC behavior is all about controlling people's free speech and behavior.

 

When I talk to older folks, they just say, "I'm glad I'll be gone soon. It's not good."

 

I know a lot of people who watched Obama's election and were petrified. They were immigrants from Germany and, as kids, saw what he did.

 

They walk around my neighborhood still, in their late 80's.

 

One guy calls himself, "Herman the German".

 

They watched my kids getting on the bus going to elementary school, many years ago, hoping for a better future.

 

I'm speechless, really.

 

Almost 20 years of watching the political manipulating the masses takes a toll.

 

I hope the breaking-point comes in my lifetime.

 

Obama is lucky to be where he is, when he is. 250 years ago things would have been much different. People like him were thrown out by mobs of people.

 

Obama, and people of his ilk, owe their lives to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 

Sorry for the rant.

 

God Bless our souls!

Edited October 13, 2015 by Sim_Player

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

BB gun wars, tree climbing, playing with rocks, dirt, mud and sticks are all frowned upon now. Local paintball went down six years ago after a kid took his mask off and somebody hit him in the forehead, lawsuit.

 

The safety aspect is completely out of hand. Little johnny needs to know that being stupid causes pain. Many life lessons are being lost in making sure nobody has to use a band aid.

 

Kids went through some private schooling, made them go to HS in public school to get them acclimated to the real world.

 

The government needs to let the states handle education. Every program they have put forth fails (Duh). 

 

Good post GF

[David Mark 2,452]

One of the things that really bothers me about public schools today is the elimination of shop classes.

 

In elementary school I had wood shop every day. Working with table saws, drills, sanders and the like.

 

In middle school (back then it was called junior high) I had both wood shop and metal shop.

Cutting torches, lathes and a variety of other "scary" devices.

 

These were my favorite classes.

 

We are raising a generation of boys who are incapable of doing any kind of manual labor.

[G O B 3,516]

All part of the pussification process.

[james lambert 3,059]

I cant imagine what would have happened to a kid if seen wearing a dick head helmet while riding a bicycle when I was young.

 

 

bad things happen when natural selection is thwarted  

[gunfun 3,931]

I have nothing against helmets, etc. They make sense. Requiring them is another thing. Making fun of people for wearing them is pretty stupid IMO.

 

I wear helmets when I do things that warrant them. The point is doing things that warrant them is more fun than not.

 

The whole extreme sport industry is based around kids who weren't trusted with risk as kids. So as adults they crave it and have an imbalanced perception of the consequences. I've read a number of interesting studies which pretty conclusively showed that kids who did things like broke their arms, take more measured risks as adults. I see that in my friends. I know a couple young men who were the type to climb the roof with a skateboard or roller blades. Both are still active and wired as ever, buy they think a little longer before they leap than my friends who didn't. An example of the latter is a guy I know who does MMA and gets something important broken about every 4 months. Then he loses work time, and gets lifetime injuries. It contrasts a lot with the kids who wrestled and hurt themselves. One of them fights and wrestles. He's good, but I never see him injured, and he wins a lot. I was talking about this with a friend who does MMA with the first guy, and trains him, and his explanation was "the difference between me and him, is I don't wanna get hit." (trust me he can take a hit, and is no coward) ... He'll still win the fight, but he will look for a way to do it that doesn't cost him a broken finger. He already knows he is a man, so he doesn't need to do something foolish to prove it to himself.

Edited October 13, 2015 by GunFun

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

Common sense should rule when trying new things. I have no problem with helmets or with people not wearing them. Should be their choice. Your MMA is a wise man. I see young millwrights try and pickup heavy stuff all the time. Us older folks will tell them to put it down and show them how to do it without having back issues for the rest of their lives.

 

DaveM mentioned shop class, that is where the kids should be learning about leverage.

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

Lack of money is a great motivator to do things yourself. When my older Ford blew a radiator, I bought one from NAPA, watched a YouTube vid and put the sonnabitch in. This was also where I gained an intense hatred for Ford engineers. Same with brake pads/rotors, shocks, starter, sway bar bolts, oil filter, etc. So I'm a decent car mechanic as a result.

[David Mark 2,452]

T

Lack of money is a great motivator to do things yourself. When my older Ford blew a radiator, I bought one from NAPA, watched a YouTube vid and put the sonnabitch in. This was also where I gained an intense hatred for Ford engineers. Same with brake pads/rotors, shocks, starter, sway bar bolts, oil filter, etc. So I'm a decent car mechanic as a result.

this is why websites like Angie's list and home adviser are doing so well. hey pussy boy, instead of calling a handy man how about buying some fucking tools and giving it a go yourself. or are you afraid you might cut yourself?

 

props to you Heartbreaker. You not only got the job done but you learned something in the process.

Edited October 14, 2015 by DaveM

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

This was also where I gained an intense hatred for Ford engineers.

Don't hate on Ford, hate the engineer who didnt give two shits about maintenance. This happens all of the time and in almost all products. If you ever get the chance to see a design before it becomes reality, ask the engineer how your supposed to replace parts or change the oil. If you get deer in the headlights looks, you might be able to steer it in the right direction and save all of us the headache......

 

Look at your AK, designed to be maintained................

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

No, the radiator in a Ford Explorer was deliberately designed to drive you screaming mad. You have to slide it sideways off 4 tabs to get it out, but there is a frame member that is 1/2" too close. That HAS to be deliberate. Also notice I said Ford engineers, not Ford.

[magsite20 1,664]

this type thing is related to only about 1 out of 4 American males (draft age) are physically fit enough to get into the military.

[gunfun 3,931]

 

This was also where I gained an intense hatred for Ford engineers.

Don't hate on Ford, hate the engineer who didnt give two shits about maintenance. This happens all of the time and in almost all products. If you ever get the chance to see a design before it becomes reality, ask the engineer how your supposed to replace parts or change the oil. If you get deer in the headlights looks, you might be able to steer it in the right direction and save all of us the headache......

 

Look at your AK, designed to be maintained................

 

 

But not for major service. Shot barrel? New gun...

[Heartbreaker 1,085]

That's where ARs come in. A little more complex, but near-infinitely customizable, interchangeable and replaceable. Huge selling point.

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

 

 

This was also where I gained an intense hatred for Ford engineers.

 

Don't hate on Ford, hate the engineer who didnt give two shits about maintenance. This happens all of the time and in almost all products. If you ever get the chance to see a design before it becomes reality, ask the engineer how your supposed to replace parts or change the oil. If you get deer in the headlights looks, you might be able to steer it in the right direction and save all of us the headache......

Look at your AK, designed to be maintained................

But not for major service. Shot barrel? New gun...

A barrel can be replaced possibly easier than a radiator in Ford Explorer .....

Edited October 14, 2015 by Dad2142Dad

[HB of CJ 1,263]

We as kids a long time ago had bean shooter wars on foot and bicycle, climbed big tall trees and fell out of them, raided wild bee hives for the great tasting comb and honey while picking stingers our of our skin, shot off small (mostly)  firecrackers blowing up green tiny army men in the course sand pile, fell down climbing big rocks, crashed many a bike at speed, raced go karts, (much fun) nursed and laughed about our ouchies and big scabs, played murder dodge ball in grade school, also had a Junior High not middle school and passed life guard lifesaving at age 16.

 

Also had wood, metal and auto shop in Junior High and High School.  Had a rifle club.  Brought all our guns to school once a month during spring semester for after school high power shooting.  I bought my first car at age 16 for $100 bucks and slowly rebuilt it myself including carb, radiator, hoses, belts, major tune up, brakes, shocks, U joints, tires, etc.  1955 Buick Roadmaster one speed slush a matic V8.  Dad kept many loaded guns in the house, never a problem.  I was working full time by age 17.  Earned my way to top position at the gas station in Anaheim CA.

 

Worked also at a gas dock for boats until I got blown off the dock twice.  Stupid drunk pleasure boaters.  No common sense.  Twice was enough.  Non proper gasoline boat refueling procedures and alcohol do not mix.  Got a few hours right seating in a Cessna 160.  Kids today are just not being raised correctly.  But ... we try as grandparents to try to pass forward the important stuff.  Sometimes we succeed.  I see so many young fat dumb pussy kids today.  They are NOT getting the correct education to succeed at life.  My opinion only.  Rant completed.

 

About 10 years ago we did see a smart 12 year old girl land and take off in a nice Cessaa 210.  She was a natural stick.  Had a very good Dad right along side her.  Said she wanted to be an Astronaut.  I wonder what happened to her.  He was an airline pilot and also with his wife home schooled their kids.

[netpackrat 566]

 

 

Look at your AK, designed to be maintained................

 

But not for major service. Shot barrel? New gun...

 

 

I dunno.  I've done two full barrel replacements so far, and they aren't that bad if you have a little skill.  The most recent one with the 4150 nitride barrel was a bit of a bitch though; I went through a bunch of 3mm and 4mm drill bits.

GunFun;  exactly correct and thank you.  We completely understand the safety leap between putting around the acres with the dump truck and trying to safely fly a Cessna.  I think the FAA has good rules regarding this.  Thanks.

 

Other than almost entirely killing off General Aviation, and making flying such a PITA, that most people won't bother, their rules are great.  Fuck the FAA sideways with a rusty chainsaw.

 

-Netpackrat

PP-ASEL

A&P Mechanic

[gunfun 3,931]

But you couldn't exactly call that "designed to be serviced."

[netpackrat 566]

Compared to nearly every bolt action rifle there is (except Savage), they are.

[G O B 3,516]

No, the radiator in a Ford Explorer was deliberately designed to drive you screaming mad. You have to slide it sideways off 4 tabs to get it out, but there is a frame member that is 1/2" too close. That HAS to be deliberate. Also notice I said Ford engineers, not Ford.

I once had an Escort, to change the timing belt, you had to pull the engine, as the frame was in the way of getting to the crank pully bolt. I said FUCK THAT, and used a hole saw to make an access hole. Why couldn't the factory do that?

[gunfun 3,931]

I once changed a serpentine on a friend's escort ZX2. It was indeed needlessly exasperating. I had to make a custom tool to hold it in place. Not enough clearance to even reach in and feel how it was routed or check for twists. The only way to do was push it around the approximately 10billion pulleys with two tools at once and roll the engine over to see if it had a twist. Once in, it took about 40 minutes to retrieve the wrench which was holding slack on the belt tensioner. I think I showed up around 6 pm and left after midnight. I almost think it would have been easier to drop the engine on a lift, change the belt and put the engine back up in. That engine was never meant to be in that car. My mom had a normal escort of the same year with a different engine of roughly the same displacement and the same task was a straightforward 30 minutes.

[Long Shot 1,287]

Me thinks you fellas may be spending to much time with escorts.