On Sun, Jun 20, 2004 at 08:53:25PM -0400, der Mouse wrote:
> Me too. Who nowadays can knap a stone knife? hunt and kill game with
> no weapon but a spear? make a bow, and arrows to go with it? make a
> fire with a wood drill, or even flint and steel?
I own flint and steel. I know how to use them, but I don't get the
chance but once or twice a year. I own a bow, but I have never
bow hunted (only straw and foam targets)... I did take a class on
Equestrian Archery once (shooting _from_ the horse, not _at_ it).
> Or if you want skills less thoroughly lost, who can harness a yoke of
> oxen for plowing? forge a plow? forge a sword?
I have forged knives, but not swords (you need a bigger forge ;-). I
know many people who can, but then, I'm in a club where such skills are
taught and cherished.
> Or even less so, who can ride a horse? do arithmetic on an abacus? use
> the English subjunctive correctly?
3 for 3 this time. :-)
> ...design vacuum-tube circuits?
Nope... 'though I did have a tube experimenters kit when I was about 11.
It was an aluminum chassis, several sockets, and a fistful of misc passives.
Something like a Radio Shack X-in-one, but with tubes. I think the only
bit of knowledge that I carried away from it was the use and importance
of 6.3VAC.
-ethan
--
Ethan Dicks, A-130-S Current South Pole Weather at 21-Jun-2004 01:30 Z
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400 Temp -59.9 F (-51.1 C) Windchill -86.09 F (-65.7 C)
APO AP 96598 Wind 6.4 kts Grid 082 Barometer 688.9 mb (10293. ft)
Ethan.Dicks_at_amanda.spole.gov http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html
Received on Sun Jun 20 2004 - 20:36:00 BST