# Essential skills our children won't need. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706 "2011-10-25T03:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cryptic\_C62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cryptic\_C62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptic_C62)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/21 "2011-10-25T14:16:06Z")
Focus lighting instruments by hand. Choose templates and gels. With the soaring popularity of moving LED units, the only thing that tomorrow’s stagehands will need to know how to do is tighten the C-clamps and hook up the DMX cables 😕 But on a slightly more general note: basic navigation. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/22 "2011-10-25T14:18:12Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Starting a campfire with only one match. > > Cleaning fish and/or small game. Why? Will boxes of matches be never-ending in the future, or fish self-cleaning? ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/23 "2011-10-25T14:30:12Z")
A lot of people use small “jet” cigar lighters to light campfires. I did the last time I needed to. On a semi-related note, where can you buy strike anywhere matches? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/24 "2011-10-25T14:35:13Z")
Comparing small pox vaccine scars. Using a can opener. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/25 "2011-10-25T14:35:10Z")
> [@randomface](#): > > A lot of people use small “jet” cigar lighters to light campfires. I did the last time I needed to. On a semi-related note, where can you buy strike anywhere matches? Either the supermarket or a hardware store, although I’m afraid the ones I shop at are a bit far from you. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/26 "2011-10-25T14:35:50Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Why? Will boxes of matches be never-ending in the future, or fish self-cleaning? No, but that sort of thing is becoming a lost art. How many kids today spend much time hunting, fishing, or camping anymore? And the ones that do will go in RVs the size of a Greyhound bus, with electricity, internet, microwaves, and satellite TV. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/27 "2011-10-25T14:41:11Z")
I’m in my mid 20’s, and half of the things people have listed _I_ didn’t need growing up. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/28 "2011-10-25T14:41:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Adjust rabbit ears. Don’t forget the lost art of adding aluminum foil and adjusting it just right. Or even better standing there “just right” holding the ears with your hand, making yourself a human antenna so your dad can see the important football game with a minimum of snow 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/29 "2011-10-25T14:44:22Z")
> [@randomface](#): > > A lot of people use small “jet” cigar lighters to light campfires. I did the last time I needed to. On a semi-related note, where can you buy strike anywhere matches? Me, for two. Strike anywhere matches are usually available at the grocery store, or at Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/30 "2011-10-25T14:46:48Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > I’m in my mid 20’s, and half of the things people have listed _I_ didn’t need growing up. Especially cursive, as I believe we’ve discussed on the Dope before. I learned it _only_ because my elementary school teachers insisted on teaching it, and the only times I’ve ever used it were on the SAT and LSAT, when I had to copy some absurd phrase out in cursive indicating I understood the ethics rules. Oh, and my signature, of course - though that’s so far from legible it shouldn’t really count. ---
**Author:** ![raskolnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e47c2d/32.png) [@raskolnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raskolnik)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/31 "2011-10-25T14:55:18Z")
I handwrite and post several letters a year. usually internationally at that. STAMPS! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/32 "2011-10-25T15:09:56Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > Don’t forget the lost art of adding aluminum foil and adjusting it just right. Or even better standing there “just right” holding the ears with your hand, making yourself a human antenna so your dad can see the important football game with a minimum of snow 🙂 I was thinking about that. And “fixing” the reception by hitting the TV on the side. Why did ever think that that would work? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/33 "2011-10-25T15:40:33Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] I was thinking about that. And “fixing” the reception by hitting the TV on the side. Why did ever think that that would work? [/QUOTE] Because with old sets with tubes, dozens of contacts in the tuner, and yards and yards of hand-wired connections, a good thwack often did set things right for a while. In today’s TVs, the only physical contacts in the set are probably where the HDMI cable plugs in. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/34 "2011-10-25T16:05:12Z")
Knowing how to fill out a check. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/35 "2011-10-25T16:15:11Z")
Using a crayon to allow you to record over a commercial cassette tape. There was a hole near the top corner of the tape and you could smash a crayon into it (to fill it w/ the wax) and you’d then be able to record over that Slippery When Wet tape that seemed like a good purchase at the time (and make no mistake, it \*was \*a good purchase.) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/36 "2011-10-25T16:16:57Z")
A crayon, really? I just used scotch tape. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/37 "2011-10-25T16:19:43Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Using a crayon to allow you to record over a commercial cassette tape. There was a hole near the top corner of the tape and you could smash a crayon into it (to fill it w/ the wax) and you’d then be able to record over that Slippery When Wet tape that seemed like a good purchase at the time (and make no mistake, it \*was \*a good purchase.) A small piece of scotch tape worked perfectly for that, and was more accessible and less messy than smashing a crayon into it. But I concur with the main point. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/38 "2011-10-25T16:19:56Z")
Manners. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/39 "2011-10-25T16:30:41Z")
Use a bulb from a flash cube and a scavenged magneto to improvise a detonator. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706/40 "2011-10-25T16:31:18Z")
Churning butter. Cranking a Model T. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-skills-our-children-wont-need/600706.md?page=3)