talking to dad

paddy

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Oct 4, 2003
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I was talking to my Dad about current events the other night.
I asked him what he thought about the shootings at schools,
our immoral President,
the computer age
and just things in general.

He replied:
"Gee, let me think a minute...........
I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, frisbees
and the pill.
There weren't things like radar,
credit cards,
laser beams or ball-point pens.
Man had not invented
pantyhose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners
and he hadn't walked on the moon."

"Your Mom and I got married first
then lived together.
Every family had a father and a mother, and every kid
over 14 had a rifle that his dad taught him how to use and respect.
Until I was 25, I called every man older than me 'sir'."

"Sunday was set aside for going to
church as a family, helping those in need, and just
visiting with your neighbors."

"We were before gay-rights,
computer dating, dual careers,
day-care centers, and group therapy.
Our lives were governed by the
Ten Commandments,
good judgment and common sense.
We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong, and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Serving your country was a privilege, living here was a bigger privilege."

"We thought fast food was what you ate during Lent.
Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors
when the evening breeze started.
And time sharing meant time
the family spent together
-not condominiums-."

"We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, CD's, electric typewriters,
artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt or guys wearing ear rings.
We listened to the 'big bands',
Jack Benny
and the President's speeches on the radio.
I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to
Tommy Dorsey."

"If you saw anything with
'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk!
The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.
Pizza's, McDonald's and instant coffee were unheard of."

"We had 5 and 10 cent stores where you could actually buy things
for 5 and 10 cents.
Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a street car, and a cola were all a nickel.
And if you didn't want to 'splurge,' you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail a letter and two postcards."

"You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, but who could afford one.
Too bad,
because gas was only 11 cents!"

"In my day 'grass' was mowed, 'coke' was a cold drink, 'pot' was something your mother cooked in, and 'rock music' was your grandmother's lullaby.
'Aids' were helpers in the Principal's office, a 'chip' meant a piece of wood, 'hardware' was found in a hardware store and software wasn't even a word."

"We were not before the difference between the sexes was discovered,
but we were surely before:
the sex change,
And we were the last generation that was so dumb as to think you needed a husband to have a baby.
No wonder people today call us old and confused, there is such a generation gap......
and I'm ONLY 53!"
"Did you get all that Son?"
 

Don Tomas

New member
Jun 22, 2004
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You need to seriously update your story here...I didn't look up costs, but I would bet that a new Chevy in 1952 was more then $600.

A "few" mistakes:

If the man is 53 that means he was born in 1952/53.

The presidents of the 50s/60s were pretty immoral. (Kennedy and his affairs, etc.)

the computer age
The computer age started in 1943 when ENIAC was built.

I was born before television (1923)
penicillin (1928, production 1945)
polio shots (1952)
frozen foods (1952)
Xerox (1949)
contact lenses (1948)
frisbees (1950)
the pill (1961)
radar (1942)
credit cards (1950)
laser beams (1960)
ball-point pens (1945)
pantyhose (1959)
dishwashers (1850)
clothes dryers (1915 electric)
electric blankets (1936)
air conditioners (1902)
and he hadn't walked on the moon (1969)
day-care centers (1951)
FM radio (1933)
tape decks (1962)
electric typewriters (1872)
artificial hearts (1952)
word processors (1963)
yogurt (8000 BC!) (talk about being way off on this one)
Pizza's (1916)
McDonald's (1948)
instant coffee (1901)

The only correct item was "hadn't walked on the moon" (1969) everything else was invented before 1953 or before he was going to use it.
 

AtlantaBob

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Jan 2, 2002
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Don T,

Maybe some of those things were invented earlier on, but they were certainly not available to the general public, and at a reasonable price. Computers in business were not widely used until the early '80's. Contact lenses were very expensive, about $400 for a pair in the late sixties. Credit cards?? I remember them on the network news showing them first used at Macy's in NY in the early seventies. But hopefully you get the guys point...
 

Don Tomas

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Jun 22, 2004
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AtlantaBob said:
Maybe some of those things were invented earlier on, but they were certainly not available to the general public, and at a reasonable price. Computers in business were not widely used until the early '80's. Contact lenses were very expensive, about $400 for a pair in the late sixties. Credit cards?? I remember them on the network news showing them first used at Macy's in NY in the early seventies. But hopefully you get the guys point...

You mention a couple exceptions, but most of the items were indeed available to the general public. Sure computers & contact lenses were expensive but instant coffee, pizza, frisbees, ball-point pens, frozen foods, McDonald's, etc. were cheap. Also I am sure the dishwasher, electric typewriter, clothes dryer, penicillin, polio shots, etc. were all cheaper then a Chevy!

Also even today some of the items are out of reach of the general public: Radar, Artifical Heart, etc.

Yes I get the point even if it was grossly incorrect with the referrences.

PS. Macy's was very late and might have been the first department store cc. But Diner's Club (still around) issued 200 cards in 1951.
 

paddy

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Oct 4, 2003
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when was nitpicking invented?? if you think that i research every little post that i put into the clown bin..you're mistaken. i thought it was interesting and i passed it on.
 

Don Tomas

New member
Jun 22, 2004
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paddy said:
when was nitpicking invented?? if you think that i research every little post that i put into the clown bin..you're mistaken. i thought it was interesting and i passed it on.

If I go by what my Mother use to say, nitpicking was invented by the Irish, but she never mentioned the year. ;)

FYI. 100% here with dual citizenship (Irish/US)
 

paddy

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Oct 4, 2003
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my mother was born in 1909..in ireland..and she was nitpicker that drove me crazy.. so i guess your mom was right..it was the irish ...the year 1909. lol