I read your comment and agree. I also agree it's difficult to properly articulate those benefits/interests some people have for handmade things vs machine-made things. Still just things though.
Who knows when robots take over every job, maybe all that will be left is jobs where there is some demand preferences for handmade over machine made. Art, "home-style cooking" etc...
Of course there are multiple ways to tweak pricing to add more discrimination and differential pricing. Interestingly art sales happen to be one of the few examples where a business can reach ~perfect price discrimination, don't see that too often outside of econ textbooks. I'm not going to suggest it to a business owner or anything, looks like he knows what he is doing, just wanted to share my experience.
My wife tries to make me dinner most nights. Honestly I feel better most times if I make it myself. I find it relaxing. I also enjoy driving a 7 speed manual transmission in my car (a 911). Most of them sold are PDK's. To me that makes it to easy, even if (as they argue) the performance is better. Most times I enjoy driving, not all of the time but I wouldn't consider it a benefit to have a self driving car except in certain situations it would be helpful.
I'm with you. I often write longhand with a fountain pen ($20 pen nothing fancy). And not just thank you notes, long research papers that I will eventually type up, I write it out first when I have time.
Writing slows things down and alters the thought process vs. typing. One downside is fountain pen ink seems to end up on your fingers no matter how careful.
Funny you mention a 911. I'm not really a car guy but I sit next one at work who claims the only legit Porsches are manual and just bought some special Porsche that only comes in manual, so I have been hearing a lot about this. I'd love to test drive it but haven't driven manual in years and am nervous to do so in someone else's brand new car.
Any suggestions on how one can practice driving manual without ruining someone else's clutch?
A lesson with a good driving instructor will pay great dividends. Book one that will do you a lesson on finding the biting point and clutch control. Maybe it'll take 2 or 3 lessons. Very worth it in skill and future clutch and gearbox health.
Here's what you need to learn:
Find quiet flat road. Maybe a carpark. Some space ahead of you in case of error.
Handbrake on.
Find biting point of clutch. You'll need a little accelerator for this too, but not too much. Trial and error for both. Fun times. Keep handbrake on to start with.
The biting point is this: left foot up until you feel some bite, the car gently trying to pull forwards.
In fact, the biting point is where the clutch is half-engaged so precisely that if you released handbrake you'd stay still, but could make tiny movements forward by letting in (foot up) the clutch a tiny bit more. Then stopping by letting it out again a tiny bit back to biting point.
The more clutch (left foot) you have in, the more accelerator (right foot) you need. But not too much. It's subtle, but very learnable. You'll stall a lot. That's why the handbrake is important. You'll use too much right foot to start with, but that's ok. You'll improve with practice.
So, when you have an idea that you've got the biting point, let out the handbrake carefully. You'll likely go forwards. Feel free to pull handbrake back on gently. And then try to get less bite. You're looking for an equilibrium.
Then iterate. Right foot nuance as well as left foot is good. Be able to creep forwards at will. Then get back to biting point, which will stop the car (from a slow creep).
After a while you'll be able to control the car with your left foot, start stop (with appropriate right foot). That's how to control the car to park too!
Brakes will be needed when you overdo it. Keep a hand on the handbrake while learning.
It's also the way hill starts work. With a hill start you just need proportionately more right foot. But learning it on the flat gives you space to learn your car's clutch characteristics and feel it.
As you get used to all this you will likely find you can make these alterations easily. But you might well stall in places. That's ok. Just don't panic. You'll be fine! I still stall sometimes, especially with unfamiliar cars. Everyone does. Better to be being near the right place than gunning things and ruining your clutch with a leaden right foot.
Basically, gentle in for clutches. They are more replaceable than gearboxes, and you'll not do harm to them learning this.
Who knows when robots take over every job, maybe all that will be left is jobs where there is some demand preferences for handmade over machine made. Art, "home-style cooking" etc...
Of course there are multiple ways to tweak pricing to add more discrimination and differential pricing. Interestingly art sales happen to be one of the few examples where a business can reach ~perfect price discrimination, don't see that too often outside of econ textbooks. I'm not going to suggest it to a business owner or anything, looks like he knows what he is doing, just wanted to share my experience.