So Target didn't bite on Lil Pete's product design. She took it well, her prof loves the thing and the company she did the work for still likes it and wants to pitch it to others. One positive is that she can now put it in her portfolio. As excited as she was, the kid is durable, this didn't break her. I think her fencing helped make her tough like that.

Looks like your product design was a goodun, though ;)

congratulations to all

I'd love to see the product. Probably a secret for now, but maybe someday. It's cool that the prof is so enthusiastic and there is still some interest out there.


So my son has another massive study guide to go over for this same social studies class. There's a test next week. It's clearly just memorizing shit for the state standardized test. The concepts behind this one 10 page study sheet would fill an entire introductory macroeconomics class in college. But he has two weeks to memorize the definitions of each item on the 10 pages. There's no way he can understand the underlying concepts that quickly. Pisses me off. This entire subject is a waste of everyone's time. He will learn nothing from it but be in agony the entire time.

But this is the proud thread, so let me tell you about Monday of last week. They do a career shadowing day, where the student spends the day with an adult at their job so they get a sense of what kind of work is out there. Glatt Jr. is a builder and tinkerer, so we wound up arranging for him to shadow our electrician friend. He absolutely loved it. Our friend gave him real jobs to do all day long. He was using a right angle drill to drill through the studs the entire length of a wall. He was pulling wire and making connections with wire nuts. He was nailing outlet boxes to studs, after measuring the proper distance from the floor. Cutting holes in drywall and fishing wires through. And he loved every minute of it. Our friend told him that the helpers he normally hires need to have things explained to them a few times, but the boy did everything right the first time. He promised our son that once he turned 14, if the business has enough work lined up and is busy, he would hire him for summer jobs. And then our electrician friend went home and was talking to his wife, saying that if it all worked out, he could see selling the business to our son one day and retiring. The boy is really smart, but hates academics. I think he would make an awesome electrician, and this business has provided a good life for our friend. So who knows? But he got a job offer at age 12!

I love it when adults are able/willing to see the potential in a kid. Mr. Clod got his first computer job at 16 because he was working the checkout line at the grocery store, and some dude was complaining about his printer not working as he went through the line, and Mr. Clod gave him several suggestions on how to maybe fix it. The dude said "come work for me then" and the rest is history. I think there are a ton of industries that are missing out on real talent because we're all too focused on pure academics and not the reality of a satisfying (and still intellectually stimulating) career.

I think being from tough stock helps.

He will learn the terms and their definitions, though. There are lots of articles online and in the news which refer to those terms, so he'll have a head start there if he remembers them. But being an electrician will assure he can support you comfortably, in your golden years. :lol:

Yes, I've been seeing articles about companies not being able hire experienced machine shop people.
My mother had the choice of three high schools; Classical, for college prep; Technical, for business prep, and Trade, to learn a trade.
I had two choices, Trade or Regular. Now the trade schools have disappeared.
The high schools are geared to everybody must go to college or fuck you. Unless you have a connection with somebody to get into a business or trade, you have to settle for managing daddy's portfolio. :rolleyes:

:)
When I get the go ahead I'll post.


Push back is coming. Lil Pete's friends Dad has done a documentary on it. Kids are spending an absurd amount of time prepping for and taking these nonsensical exams.

https://www.facebook.com/STANDARDIZEDtheMOVIE
Awesome! Do you realize how rare these kind of skills are now that education is focused on making cogs?

Brilliant. There needs to be more of this.
My neighbor can verify this. He's talking about downsizing his shop to the point where he does all the work.

Mav has graduated high school and has been accepted ti university. :). Very pleased that he's finally finished. Cant wait to so how he handles tertiary education. :)

Huzzah!

Congrats to Mav!

Griff - Probably just figuring out how to use the design without paying for it. CYA.

Congrats Ali. That is awesome. A job well done under some extremely difficult circumstances.

That would be mildly irritating.

I wonder if there aren't some NDAs involved to protect both parties.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

One down, three to go!

I believe that's the deal.