At 12:13 AM 1/15/99 -0500, you wrote: [...] When I was a kid (back before I learned that detectives didn't always escape to catch the bad guys like in the Hardy Boys) I had a book about a texas P.I. named (iirc) J.J.Armes. He was ironically named because as a boy he lost both hands while playing with dynamite. While I definitely understand the benefits of first-hand experience, I don't think I'd want any kids I know to have eyesight like mine just so they can learn for themselves. Part of the value of intelligence is that past experiences can be shared. Your 8-year-old doesn't need to get a soldering iron scar -- you can show her yours, and hopefully, that will be good enough for her. btw, something I find amusing is the idea that some folks have here that if it ain't the way it was done when they were kids, then by gummit, it just ain't no good. In some cases, that may very well be true. You won't find a vehicle available on the market today that can compare with my 40 year old Land Rover. But on the other hand, it's not stock either. It's got GPS, onboard laptop, wireless internet connection, dual batteries, chevy engine, overdrive, etc. Similarly, there's nothing wrong with books, but to say that's the only way to learn to read is like saying that newsletters should be hand-typed and reproduced on (what was it?) spiritusumdruckers! That guy on TV that builds things with only homemade tools is interesting, but I don't see too many contractors working that way. Why does this frighten me, Ward? 8^) --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/