As a kid I looked up to the old timers for advice and guidance. This younger generation can’t fix nothing, just replace not repair, don’t change oil or fix a flat. They don’t steal gas in the age of high price fuel. They don’t need or take any advice.
Being “Poor” made us Handy, Thrifty, Non-wasteful, Hardworking, Friendly, Helpful and Faithful.
Is there any teenagers or 20 year olds who Love Breaktime or see any value here?
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Do you want them stealing gas???
Most of us "siphoned" gas. I know most old timers who tasted gas. Don't worry some cars have locking gas cap covers or obstruction in the filler tube. There has been no run on locking gas caps like in the 70's.
Main question is Beaktime ignored by youngsters?
made us Handy, Thrifty, Non-wasteful, Hardworking, Friendly, Helpful and Faithful.
On my honor I will do my best.............?
Well, Sun, ;0), (how's that for an opening?) they are not the ones who set the tone. They are simply following what previous generations (yours and mine) have set up for them. Maybe we haven't insisted on better values because we lack a few. Hold on everyone, I mean "we" in an overall, generic way. Not you individual, upstanding, BTers. "We", there's that term again, have devised, invented, encouraged all of what you have said in the name of progress, haven't "we"? Just IMHO....bum
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Edited 5/1/2007 12:52 pm by oldbeachbum
Actually it goes "helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obediant, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent"
just one of those useless pieces of information that litters my mind
Actually, it goes:
Trustworthy, Loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obediant, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
And I bet it's not useless info to you, Shep. Perhaps more than you are aware, those "words" that have been rattling around in your head for all these years have probably subtly shaped who you are.
Be Prepared!
actually from oldbeach's #3 post it would end with to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
just being persnickety
In the large towns and cities, where civilization especially prevails, the number of those who own a shelter is a very small fraction of the whole. The rest pay an annual tax for this outside garment of all, become indispensable summer and winter, which would buy a village of Indian wigwams, but now helps to keep them poor as long as they live.
Parolee # 53804
So? Being , lewd, crude and socially unacceptable is not good enuff? Anymore?Parolee # 40835
Trustworthy, Loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obediant, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
My scoutmaster often said that the thirteent was "and hungry" ;-)
I don't know how I missed that. Thanks! I can recite it, I just can't get it down on paper ( or whatever this is)
I guess I am getting old. Its been about 40 years since I was in Scouts.
Oh yeah, and "useless" was my lame attempt at humor.
<G>
Yeah, I know. Many years with them from Cubbies all the way through adult advisors. It just struck me as having the sound of.....
end of hijac
..being paged, gotta go do some "honeydo s"...."yes dear"....
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Edited 5/1/2007 1:14 pm by oldbeachbum
yur prepared and that's not useless information...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
On my honor I will do my best -
To help the Girl Scouts get undressed . . .
Forrest
I'm 21 and regularly check breaktime several times a day. I don't post very often, mostly just lurk around trying to soak up as much info as possible. I'm a Fine Homebuiling and JLC subscriber and recognize the value contained both in those magazines, and in this forum. Maybe I'm something of an anachronism among my peers, but I was raised to respect those older than me, not just for their age, but for their knowledge and experience. So, to answer your question, yes I see this forum as an extremely valuable resource. Thanks to you all for posting and sharing your knowledge with a young blood like myself.
I would bring tears to my eyes if 50 (maybe 20) were like you.
Common sense is hard to teach, but I will tell you if my advice is good or bad.
Sungod, I know a lot of young guys like Bullrider.
Unfortunately I think you are correct in your overall analysis, because as a percentage of the population guys like that are becoming rarer and rarer.
John Ratzenberger (Made in America) was being interviewed on the radio the other day and I heard him say when he repairs something for a younger person these days they look at him "like he's a sorcerer" or something.
One factor I think is things are not being made to be repaired anymore. It's a throwaway society these days. Might actually be cheaper in the long run, but it's creating a society of the mechanically inept.
And you can spell, I'm astonished at that alone.
Joe H
I've been hanging around Breaktime and reading JLC and Fine Homebuilding since '98. So I was 24 when I came around, so to speak. I got my first job when I was 14 washing dishes in the local diner. I worked there until I graduated high school. Went to college and worked for the 5 years I spent partying at various colleges. Gave up on college and joined the Marines. Moved around for awhile getting my bearings and after that I went to work for a framer. Ran a crew for him after 8 months on the job. Started my own business at 29 years old. I'll be 34 next week.
Soooooooo.... put yer broad brush away brother. I'm betting every generation since the cavemen have thought that the generation coming up behind them were slackers. The concrete guy blames the excavator. The framer blames the concrete guy. And everyone else blames the framer. :) It's the cycle of life my friend.
BTW, stealing gas ain't thrifty..... nor is it handy......it's....well.... it's stealing. So get off your high moral horse and come meet a few of the best and the brightest who'll be changing your diapers for you in another couple years. :)
Edited 5/1/2007 3:42 pm ET by dieselpig
Adult Diapers is what I will use. I really am glad I was born over 50 years ago. Kids now days have a harder time. How can they survive with a major college degree, less than $40,000 a year income in SoCal, $100,000 in student loans and the worst houses are $500,000. Take my comments in a more positive light. You will agree that with my broad brush, those here at Breaktime ARE above the Norm.
When anyone here points out the lack of workmanship that surrounds us we are met with no response at all.
Marine Corp Depot in San Diego would turn a lot of kids around it made life seem much easier for me.
No High Horse, just kicking #### around, hoping to find a diamond.
It's all good man. We all gotta vent. I hired a stream of college kids one summer and not one was worth 1/2 of what I was paying them and I wasn't looking for skills, mind you. If you had caught me that particular summer, I'd probably have agreed with you. But I'm having a good day... and trying to keep it that way.View Image
One day for all of you, I hope some young kid comes into your life and sucks all the knowledge out of you. You'll love him like a son and will make you proud.
He will say "I will work free for you, just so I can learn from You."
I am as guilty as the next in saying stuff about "the kids today". We have done it incrementally. We wonder why kids don't learn yet we don't give them too many hands on chances.
Many of our laws forbid you from hiring under a certain age. If you do they cannot work most equipment. You need this insurance or that. You are subject to this liability or that one. It goes on and on.
My grandson is now 15 1/2, not 16. He's trying to find summer work and I'm trying to help him, too. He can stay with us if we find him something here. But, see above.
When I was a kid I had a paper route, cut grass, raked leaves, shoveled snow, worked on a dairy farm, worked on a truck farm picking veggies, worked for the local vet, helped paint and do general labor and clean-up for local guys, helped in a lawnmower repair service. Many of us did that kind of stuff. Today, we won't let this happen for various reasons.
The results; illegals will do this stuff and get away with it because they are adults, we buy throw away stuff, for our own kids it is easier to give them cash and toys and they never learn the value of a buck. I know some of this is in generalities but for the most part I believe you know what I mean.
You can't be a kid and knock on a private door looking for odd jobs anymore because of laws, lawyers and overly protective litigious parents just waiting for someone to "screw up" so they can get someone's "insurance company" to pony up so it's like a lottery win.
How do we change it?
Even the schools discourage the trades and using your hands. We spend billions nationwide and what do we see for it? Not everyone is college material or wants to be. Take some of that money and expand trades training as in Europe.
Give these kids that seem "undecided" some choices that are realistic. Keep all young in some kind of mandatory program until they are 18. A college program, a trade program or a service/military oriented program (peace corps type or straight military). No exceptions.
Maybe that's too simple. Just IMO. Off my soapbox now.
bum...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
...aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
I'm 29 have been a subscriber to Fine Home Building since issue 90. Stopped last year. I regularly read through Breaktime and am a regular user of JLCOnline, I can not only syphon gas but hot wire the car or punch out the ignition.
Jason
Like bullrider, I'm young (just turned 25). I read the magazine cover to cover, lurk and glean as much information here as possible, and act like a sponge around my boss.FWIW, I can change the oil or a tire. And I have siphoned gas. It was from my own tank for my lawnmower, but still. *G*
27 here and I check BT every other day or so and I've had FHB script since I was 24 or so. More importantly I've found at work I don't much care to BS with the guys my age at work but love to tend and befriend those carpenters that are a year or two from retirement. No offense, but it's easier to keep ahead of 'em, (physically) but that more relaxed pace allows me to stand back, observe, figure things out, ask questions, learn, and of course be able to find where they left their pencil for them (behind the ear usually) or saw (in their hand). Plus they have way better stories to listen to than "man I drank so much last night". No kidding, I couldn't smell.
As for siphoning gas, never even tried. I watched some old timer get a mouth full once and figured out how an old bicycle pump would work better. So resourcefulness and know how isn't dead.
Gunner says you ROT..so there., gotta admit, it be beating sucking. LOLParolee # 40835
Not to be critical, but I wouldn't send anyone to MCRD San Diego. The weather is much nicer at Parris Island S.C.
Hey, I'm in my 20's and have been interestd in building since I was little.
My friends all thought my GF and I were crazy for buying an older fixer upper instead of a brand new townhouse like they all bought.. (OK i had to talk her into it)... but conservativley we have 150K in equity, that we have used to buy older triplex to fix up one apt at a time and jack up the rents. We are now getting 250 more a month on one unit that i have turned around.. (I had to spend 4k in materials, but the payback is coming).. another one got a paint job, some cheap bathroom fixtures and now 100 more a month..
Also, using that equity bought a lot, to build a house for us to move to hopefully in the next few years.
Attached are some before and after's of the place i did up with my own 2 hands.. with the education i got for free from watching HomeTime / TOH / the new yankee workshop etc..
Hey Ravz, I just got done looking at your before and after photos and I feel the need to criticize your work...
One of the towels hanging on the oven door is crooked...
Seriously though, Nice work there dude! And nice design as well. You certainly look to be on the right track, I'm impressed both with your work and your progress in life.
I bet those "condo" friends of your's aren't in remotely as good shape financially as you are these days, are they?" If I were a carpenter"
Nice kitchen dude. Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
My oldest son just turned 18. He has been an avid FWW and FHB reader for a number of years (although breaktime is less often used by him). Between he and my middle son (14) they have done most of the interior work on my house (electric/plumbing rough in; finish electric: interior lights, recepticals, switches, ... ; kitchen cabinets; 3600 sq. ft. or hardwood flooring; trim; hanging doors; building knee wall doors; framing the back porch; ...). They both have learned so much from FHB and FWW and just plain experience, that I often turn to them for advice on methods of work ... .
They both honor the wisdom of older craftsmen, build on that, and bring to the table their own styles.
It's a joy to work with them.
Regards,
Roger <><
I'm in my 20's. I see the value of this place everyday.
From Gunners food posts that make me laugh and forget what a crappy day I had to Joe Carrolla's rants that sound like he wants to tear off your face but knows more about framing in one finger than I ever thought of knowing so I read everything he posts twice hoping to learn something. Dieselpigs down to earth approach on life in general, Piffins endless knowledge, as well as many others here that I take what they post seriously.
I have only been here a few years, but in that time I have learned more than I did in the previous 8 in the trade. My company went from being good to "this is the guy you want to call."
The value of this place is easily worth my monthly bill for internet. If I didn't coem here I wouldn't have the internet.
"If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball." Patches O'Hoolihan
I'm another in my 20s, getting closer to 30 now, but I've always been one of the younger guys on the crew. I've been reading FHB for about three years and reading this forum for a few months now. Every time I come here I learn something. That's why I keep coming back.
I change my oil but take flats to the tire place down the street. My mechanical skills aren't great - what can you expect growing up in the age of fuel injection and power everything - but I try to fix it first before scrapping it.
Since others are giving their stories, I'll do the same. I finished the basement with my dad in high school and worked on a few Habitat projects. First job was assitant janitor at church at age 16. Second job was working at a gas station. Worked both concurrently until college. Went through college studying history and education, working as a school bus driver during the school year and as a carpenter/roofer/laborer for a remodeling company during the summers. After graduation I went to work full time with the remodeling company and also maintained employment with the bus company as it was good for rain days and any slow times.
The remodeling company settled into the historic renovation niche and was consistently busy, but went out of business this January due to the boss's terminal cancer and financial problems related to his absence from the office. Now I'm working with one of the sales guys from that company that also had his own license and business and we're busy. Booked out 2-3 months and bidding projects all the time.
I've learned a lot from the veterans around me. I'll be so bold as to say that they've been more valuable to me than any trade school ever could have been. Remodeling is a completely different game than new construction and I owe the majority of my knowledge in the field to my senior co-workers and my boss, who plunked me down in the middle of it (or dropped us in it, as we often said.)
[edited for a typo]
Edited 5/1/2007 11:20 pm by ptp
I'm all of 21 as well, and have been lurking around Breaktime since before I got out of high school. I've been working in the trades since I was 14, trying to osmose as much as possible from the folks I worked with, but often was left to figure things out for myself. For as long as I can remember I have tried to hang around older people, because, frankly, they tend to know more, and can teach me, especially if I show a desire to learn it.
When something breaks, I do my damnedest to fix it. I save anything I deem useful, on the off chance I might need it someday (we all know it's the day after you throw it out). I do think that my generation doesn't generally have the same skill set as those previous (now they can fix computers--I'll leave that to them), but there are some out there who have retained the interest in the trades and recognize the opportunities previous generations (and fine places such as this) have to offer them.
What's the handle of that young guy out in Cal I think, that wears the pink sweats in his profile pic and carrys his tools in the tubs?
.An average house in this neighborhood costs perhaps eight hundred dollars, and to lay up this sum will take from ten to fifteen years of the laborer's life, even if he is not encumbered with a family — estimating the pecuniary value of every man's labor at one dollar a day, for if some receive more, others receive less; — so that he must have spent more than half his life commonly before his wigwam will be earned. Parolee # 53804
no clueLife is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I'm only 25 and I work for Fine Homebuilding. I love the forum (on most days).
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Remodelerator