Warning to live in 1950's not for wimps

gregory mgregory m Posts: 99
edited December 1969 in The Commons

I like Daz's new product line that dealing with 1950's life style so simple of life style in thyose rendings. Wonderful work those.
For those who today belive that a child's should be band if have gram of lead in its paint or Japan's nuclear reactors problems is causing a health problem on US west coast the 1950's is end of the earth as we know it today. Those live back these was very day common things that you live with out a second thought. Sear Christmas catalogs was selling kits that make your own lead solders in child's bed room. All the can food use lead in making the can's there is the lead gas for V8 engine in you car. Above ground nuclear tests of lastest a-bomb in Neveda or goverment vaporing islands in south Pacific for thier latest H-bombs or Russian H-bombs tests in arctic strotmium-90 was common one milk. Nuclear missiles in New England or lossing A-bomb of coast of NewJesery. So those who back in 1950's super people to our wimps of today.

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Comments

  • ledheadledhead Posts: 1,586
    edited December 1969

    Sounds to me like they were a bunch of idiots. LOL

  • gregory mgregory m Posts: 99
    edited October 2012

    Back then was way of life we trust the goverment and science we just came off a world war that millions died, the people who hate this goverment and science was in the minorty. Just remember just using lead in canning been around little less a centry old no one lead poising from the canning. Lead gasoline been use for thrity years aready. Lead toys been in use for more than cenntry ownly one got hurt those got being burnt. And we major oil exporter in the world, major oil production in middle just starting, the British and French still have colonies those middle east contries then. Just one US bomber cashed in S Carolina carring a 24mt nuclear bomb just one out six saftey switches worked if that one fail too one third of S Carolia would have destory that wa in early 1960's

    Post edited by gregory m on
  • Joe CotterJoe Cotter Posts: 3,258
    edited October 2012

    Sorry, sometimes it's just better to ignore some things.

    Post edited by Joe Cotter on
  • pwiecekpwiecek Posts: 1,537
    edited December 1969

    Gedd said:

    EVERYTHING is "just radioactive enough" to register on a geiger counter.

  • frogdotfrogdot Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    As one who was born and lived in the 1950s, I feel I have an advantage over the younger generations in surviving any nuclear attack, because we where taught how to "Duck And Cover" in elementary school.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,563
    edited December 1969

    Childhood mortality rate was ten times as high. It's easy to say "we survived all these dangerous things that are banned now" because the only ones around to say it are the ones who did survive.

  • TheCastellanTheCastellan Posts: 697
    edited December 1969

    And don't forget the big chunk of religion and racism, either. Plus the fun the folks, looking around every corner, spying on their neighbors and looking under their beds, in fear of finding a communist ready to get them. :P

  • ledheadledhead Posts: 1,586
    edited December 1969

    frogdot said:
    As one who was born and lived in the 1950s, I feel I have an advantage over the younger generations in surviving any nuclear attack, because we where taught how to "Duck And Cover" in elementary school.

    We still did that in the 60's and yes I would feel completely safe hiding under my pc desk in case of a nuclear attack.

  • McGyverMcGyver Posts: 6,992
    edited December 1969

    Let us not forget the giant prehistoric reptiles, tarantulas, ants and other assorted giant fire breathing radioactive mutant creatures that plagued our major cities back then. Those were crazy times... not really as crazy as the 70s with all that Boogie Fever killing everyone, or the 80s with... whatever it was that caused people to dress that way back then, but yeah, the 50s were rough.

    Nice cars though...

  • edited October 2012

    Aaahhh... yes! I remember the 1950's... though somewhat... more vaguely, now.

    But, I do seem to recall that there were some things, perhaps even many things, that you could count on.

    Like, oh... say, the weather ( of which certain "important" folks have recently been dodging the discussion of ).

    Interesting, now, that out here in California we have just passed from record-breaking early-mid-and late-October 90's and 100's temperatures to cold and rain in a matter of... days. Records that have held since the early 1900's... back when they were burning super-abundant coal like crazy. That is to say, more and more rapidly accelerating instances of "extreme-weather".

    And let's not even talk about the current state of the oceans...

    Folks... such patterns are the indicators of a dynamic system under stress... they are the cracks in the edifice of climate. And the one thing that science teaches you is that when things start to crack... they then, sometimes, go......*SNAP*!

    So, don't worry kids!... You, too, may yet have the opportunity to live in... interesting times!

    Post edited by douglas442_7a74d4adca on
  • AscaniaAscania Posts: 1,838
    edited December 1969

    And don't forget the big chunk of religion and racism, either. Plus the fun the folks, looking around every corner, spying on their neighbors and looking under their beds, in fear of finding a communist ready to get them. :P

    Please don't ignore sexism either. God help you if you wanted to something with your life besides cleaning the kitchen, popping out kids and turning alcoholic in the suburbs.

  • SnowSultanSnowSultan Posts: 3,495
    edited October 2012

    Please don’t ignore sexism either. God help you if you wanted to something with your life besides cleaning the kitchen, popping out kids and turning alcoholic in the suburbs.

    Exactly, and it bothers me that so many today look at those days as a model to one day return to.


    The 50's - awesome if you were a white male! Not so great if you were anything else.

    Post edited by SnowSultan on
  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 37,667
    edited December 1969

    Ascania said:
    And don't forget the big chunk of religion and racism, either. Plus the fun the folks, looking around every corner, spying on their neighbors and looking under their beds, in fear of finding a communist ready to get them. :P

    Please don't ignore sexism either. God help you if you wanted to something with your life besides cleaning the kitchen, popping out kids and turning alcoholic in the suburbs.
    I would not be here!

    my Mum though she loved us was a career woman by choice, she only married in 1950 at 24yo rather late! because it was expected, studied by correspondence as a teen when the other 7 siblings all left school at about 12, then boarded in Adelaide and went to teachers college, she was a teacher. After I was unexpectedly born 12 years after she married and my brother 18months later (she thought she was barren) she went on the pill, which was still new and contraversial!! yes and she went back to work when I started school.

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,123
    edited October 2012

    Ah the 50's (*nostalgic sigh*)

    I was at my wonderful boyness best between 8 and 12. Small town upstate NY. Safely wandered the streets at night. Nobody locked their doors (the dogs were cheaply paid alarms). Firecrackers and cow poop,... great fun! Wandered alone up the old stone quarry gathering polywogs and looking for fossils. Today the mothers would have panic attacks at the potential danger and you couldn't do it anyway because the land owners would most strongly object because they don't have insurance covering you. I don't think the modern kids in this town even know that there is an old stone quarry still there starting just behind old Mrs. *********'s house on Langdon St.

    We weren't rich. My dad owned a small gas station and gas sold for around 30 cents per gallon, but we had new kitchen appliances, a new car every 4 or 5 years, and trips to Florida a few times. We could afford lobster dinners and the lobsters were HUGE back then, available even in small country taverns.

    Kids played outside and we waited for the school bus outside in -40F temperatures. Nobody had to carry school books so no kid had a backback. Of course no kid had anything on them that was worth stealing, no cell phone or e-game. Although you could get your lunch money (a quarter) stolen by the bully but all you had to do was kick him in the shins once and he left you alone. No kid wore designer clothes.

    However, I do not miss the greasy goop you were expected to slick down your hair with each morning. Brylcreem! Yuk! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brylcreem

    I'm afraid to ask what part of a Bryl creature you get the "creem" from. 8-o

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • gregory mgregory m Posts: 99
    edited December 1969

    Today we take telephone every were, back then one is tied to telephone by a ten foot cord, when my sister talked on the phone at home I listen in on the other house phone and she did not know that. The fun part going to school next day tell others about her boy friend when she get home that she chased me around the house wanting pound living crap out me because I teld about her boy friend. It. My father made a television set from kit from Radio Shack and we used for many years after that, he was one make his own gasets for the engine of family car. Big thing in record instudy was 45 rpm records back the. After WWII ended he work with microwaves he thought useing it to cook food back then, I rember going thru his pocket change those silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars back I kept a small part of them they would with hundreds of dollars now. The silver dollar my uncle gave me back then I still have now worth hundred dollars now. I love pizzas my father bring home once a month for the family that guy who made them came Naples Itlay I never find place that ever make like again

  • luci45luci45 Posts: 2,641
    edited December 1969

    Besides racism, sexism, anti-commununism, there was the rising corporatocracy and "Madison Avenue" pushing the good life of consumerism and conformity. White male megalomania was rampant - Bing Crosby was going strong and Arthur Godfrey had two or three TV shows going. Happy Days? It was a relief when the 60s came.

    There were good things too, but I love grumbling about the 50s. Thanks, Greg. :-)

  • SylvanSylvan Posts: 2,681
    edited October 2012

    Oh dear, I also ran into some homosexual warning commercials XD
    "Look out when he's too friendly, he might be homosexual!"

    I always knew that being friendly was something to be suspicious about!
    ROFL

    Post edited by Sylvan on
  • SlimerJSpudSlimerJSpud Posts: 1,453
    edited December 1969

    Ah, yes, the marvelous 50's. Let's not forget that the Nevada test site fallout possibly killed John Wayne. Of the 220 cast and crew of the Howard Hughes epic "The Conqueror" filmed in Utah, no less than 91 developed some form of cancer. For many, the 50's were a time of suffering and struggle to end that suffering. I have personal stories to tell about the Civil Rights Movement, even though I was just a kid at the time. But, Hey! If it wasn't for the 50's we wouldn't have Rock & Roll! :-)

  • DoricDoric Posts: 80
    edited December 1969

    Graduating high school in '59, I remember a lot of things. But, the biggest danger then was as it still is, getting on the highway and meeting a drunk behind the wheel. No less fatal then than now.

    Standing across the street in my senior year, watching the people going into the gym for the prom, thinking I was glad I wasn't one of them.

    The draft, and I enlisted in the Navy three days before I was drafted.

    A-bomb drills, now we know they would have done exactly squat, big deal. Joe McCarthy and his panic approach, the black lists, almost everything coming out of congress then was the panic approach, none justified, which we now know.

    Real slate blackboards, standing by the teacher with a wet sponge, real sponge, not celulose. wet the board, then she'd write on the wet board so it wouldn't rub off, how many remember that? One room schools, I went to one fourth through eighth grade.

    I survived.

    D.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited December 1969

    How different it was this side of the pond. After years of rationing, rationing was taken off the final products in 1953. Oh the joy of being taken down to the sweet shop by my big brother, and being able to choose my own sweets without Mum having to hand over a precious ration coupon.

    And we had fun places to play, OK the grown ups called them bomb sites and said we should stay off them, but all the rubble was intriguing to kids, as were the municipal bomb shelters when people had broken the door locks, scary places to play hide and seek in, but kids like scary sometimes.

    very few cars around, as petrol still was in quite short supply.

    I vaguely remember the storm of 1953, when there was the highest spring tide coupled with a storm surge from the North Sea. (We lived in SE England then, not far from the river estuary) People rowing boats up the streets from the river, and we couldn't go to school as it was flooded. But we did get to see the queen, as she came to visit, see how bad it was. I do remember seeing the queen, and being given a little flag to wave,

    And then of course there was the Coronation. Only one or 2 people in our road had TV sets, so imagine 20 or 30 people in one small front room, watching a little flickering B&W TV.. And of course, being the UK, it was raining, so the street Party after had to be held in the Corinthian hall instead.

    Mostly though it was a much more laid back way of life then, and everyone was just happy the war was over, and life was getting back to normal.

  • DraagonStormDraagonStorm Posts: 748
    edited December 1969

    Ah the 50's (*nostalgic sigh*)

    I was at my wonderful boyness best between 8 and 12. Small town upstate NY. Safely wandered the streets at night. Nobody locked their doors (the dogs were cheaply paid alarms). Firecrackers and cow poop,... great fun! Wandered alone up the old stone quarry gathering polywogs and looking for fossils. Today the mothers would have panic attacks at the potential danger and you couldn't do it anyway because the land owners would most strongly object because they don't have insurance covering you. I don't think the modern kids in this town even know that there is an old stone quarry still there starting just behind old Mrs. *********'s house on Langdon St.

    We weren't rich. My dad owned a small gas station and gas sold for around 30 cents per gallon, but we had new kitchen appliances, a new car every 4 or 5 years, and trips to Florida a few times. We could afford lobster dinners and the lobsters were HUGE back then, available even in small country taverns.

    Kids played outside and we waited for the school bus outside in -40F temperatures. Nobody had to carry school books so no kid had a backback. Of course no kid had anything on them that was worth stealing, no cell phone or e-game. Although you could get your lunch money (a quarter) stolen by the bully but all you had to do was kick him in the shins once and he left you alone. No kid wore designer clothes.

    However, I do not miss the greasy goop you were expected to slick down your hair with each morning. Brylcreem! Yuk! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brylcreem

    I'm afraid to ask what part of a Bryl creature you get the "creem" from. 8-o

    In an interesting aside from what you've posted. Because of the computers and high speed internet of the 21 century. After over 25 years of living in the big cities because that's where the computer programming jobs are, I now work for a company that let's me write code 100% from home.

    So my husband and I find our dream home in a small city in Nevada called Yerington, with a population of a little over 3000, and move away from the lights, gangs, sirens, and helicopter lights from above, of Las Vegas, NV.

    The town I've just moved to is like the best of the 50's and 60's with the best of the 21st century.

    The house is two stories and 2800 sq ft of living space, on an acre of land, with another acre next door of unimproved land, just outside of the town proper. Big enough for us and my daughter and two grandchildren, and fruit trees, garden, yard, cars (which includes a 1964 Corvair and a 1966 Chevy pickup).... Don't need to lock our doors; not one bit of graffiti on any of the buildings or fences.. (and no sign of painted over graffiti). Personally ran businesses. (OK, it is Nevada and there is a small Casino in town)... Not one signal light in a 50 mile radius... Just two stop signs down main street, and couple more stop signs around the side streets. Basically, I've stepped thru a time machine and was able to take the technology with me.....

    BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

  • JOdelJOdel Posts: 6,242
    edited December 1969

    Seat belts? What are those?

  • DraagonStormDraagonStorm Posts: 748
    edited December 1969

    JOdel said:
    Seat belts? What are those?

    Hee, Hee..... My 1964 Corvair doesn't have seat belts, they were optional.

  • ledheadledhead Posts: 1,586
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    How different it was this side of the pond. After years of rationing, rationing was taken off the final products in 1953. Oh the joy of being taken down to the sweet shop by my big brother, and being able to choose my own sweets without Mum having to hand over a precious ration coupon.

    And we had fun places to play, OK the grown ups called them bomb sites and said we should stay off them, but all the rubble was intriguing to kids, as were the municipal bomb shelters when people had broken the door locks, scary places to play hide and seek in, but kids like scary sometimes.

    very few cars around, as petrol still was in quite short supply.

    I vaguely remember the storm of 1953, when there was the highest spring tide coupled with a storm surge from the North Sea. (We lived in SE England then, not far from the river estuary) People rowing boats up the streets from the river, and we couldn't go to school as it was flooded. But we did get to see the queen, as she came to visit, see how bad it was. I do remember seeing the queen, and being given a little flag to wave,

    And then of course there was the Coronation. Only one or 2 people in our road had TV sets, so imagine 20 or 30 people in one small front room, watching a little flickering B&W TV.. And of course, being the UK, it was raining, so the street Party after had to be held in the Corinthian hall instead.

    Mostly though it was a much more laid back way of life then, and everyone was just happy the war was over, and life was getting back to normal.

    That was very interesting Chohole.

  • JasmineSkunkJasmineSkunk Posts: 1,862
    edited October 2012

    The 50's.... a bit before my time...

    But...

    I get the supreme privilege of living with someone who was "young" in the 50's (She's in her 80's now.) Personally, I think that generation is a little bit nuts!! LOL. Let me share a few things about how I feel generations have shaped differing opinions from a huge generationally gapped point of view... lol

    OK...first time this thought occurred to be was one day when she and I were looking out at the front yard. It was spring, dandelions were sprouting all over the place... and she says, " Oh! The dandelions are just dreadful! I wish they never had banned DDT! That stuff actually worked. You didn't have all this mess all over your yard. I'll tell you, back then, you got your money's worth when you bought something. Things did what they were supposed to do!"

    :ohh: *blink* :bug:

    I, of course, could NOT even think of a response...but in my mind, I was thinking, Did you see the limbless children that were born because of that stuff?


    Then, on another occasion, she had purchased some rat poison ( to get rid of mice, I presume) and she is instructing my boyfriend to "sprinkle it on the shelves in the fruit cellar"

    OK... there were like these HUGE red warnings on the box telling NOT to do that and to not have it around food and stuff, so my b/f was gently trying to explain to her that he couldn't do that.... she was sooo freaking MAD! She insisted she had been doing it this way for years!!

    :ohh: *blink* :bug:


    I'm surprised anyone survived that era now...lol

    Post edited by JasmineSkunk on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 95,997
    edited December 1969

    I thought DDT was a problem largely because it was affecting wildlife - Silent Spring and so on - while the missing or malformed limbs were Thalidomide.

  • JasmineSkunkJasmineSkunk Posts: 1,862
    edited October 2012

    I had always heard DDT was a problem... I don't know about Thalidomide. Here is the google scholar link on the topic:

    http://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=DDT+and+birth+defects&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=uL6JUOmLNMiU0QGnqYHoBA&ved=0CB4QgQMwAA

    LOL... this was before my time. I don't have actual "memories" I just vaguely remember a few documentaries in school... I can't actually quote anyone or anything...

    but, yeah...just for the record...

    I think if we survive our chemical experimentation on this planet...it will be a true miracle, indeed.

    Which brings me back around to my original point...

    Her generation: absolutely and without fear or trepidation, embraced all kinds of new chemical solutions.
    My generation: encouraged to use "natural" and "green" solutions.

    ....very very different

    edited: more on this thought...

    I suppose our grandchildren will hate us for the "genetic pollution" that is happening in my generation.

    Post edited by JasmineSkunk on
  • JOdelJOdel Posts: 6,242
    edited December 1969

    "Her generation: absolutely and without fear or trepidation, embraced all kinds of new chemical solutions."

    To the point that you will look near and far to find someone born post WWII who was breast fed. That was just so *primitive*, after all. Baby formula is so much more "scientific".

  • JasmineSkunkJasmineSkunk Posts: 1,862
    edited October 2012

    Wow...nobody came back? Weirdness abounds here lately...lol

    Anyway...yeah, Jodel, until about the 70's or so... I nursed mine for 13 months... but that was the 90's... And you know...it was that generation (those who are 80ish now) that really had an issue with my breastfeeding..lol See, I think my generation is so completely differently minded than that one...it's really hard sometimes to even just chat...but I do try. ;-)

    Post edited by JasmineSkunk on
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