The Good Ole Days, Were they good?

[solo1]

Have you noticed, especially at this time, the lack of responsibility, the insults from the presidential debates on down, the game of PC going Fubar, and the dishonesty in our country today.?
We seem to have just about everything we want or need today but still.......................

I was thinking about that the other day and looked up this little story of things that I remembered back in the 'Good Ole Days"   IMO, those were better times in many respects.

Here's the story.



                                           An Old Geezer Remembering


Sometimes I get lost trying to follow posts here on the VRCC, especially the music .  It’s all Greek to me..  I’m  not suffering from ‘Old Timers Disease’ either.  I thought that I’d throw out a few things that I remember that might be strange to you’all. Let’s go back a few.

I remember, in 1934, the first load of coal down the chute that my Dad could afford after burning scrap wood in a small stove in the kitchen, during the Great Depression, to heat the house.

I remember his first car in 1936, a very much used ’27 Chrysler and all the problems keeping it running.   He graduated to a new 1941 Plymouth as times got better only to sell it at the beginning of WWII.

I remember rationing  The “A’ card in the windshield allowing us to get 3 gallons of gas/ week. Sugar rationing, shortages, Hershey bars under the counter and given out to favorite customers.  Working in a Defense plant after school when I was 16.  D Day  June 6th, 1944 proclaimed in three inch letters on the front page of the paper that I was delivering.  Music of the day was Big Bands like Glenn Miller and the Dorsey brothers. 

I remember the dancing in downtown streets in Ft. Wayne on VE and VJ Day.  My first powered two wheels, a Whizzer motor crammed into my Schwinn bicycle. I remember that 500 cc was considered a BIG bike if it was British but not so big if it was a HD or Indian.  I remember most of us wanting a HRD but couldn’t afford one.

I remember coming home from Korea and meeting my’best friend’ by accident.  A short conversation . “I’m back”  and his reply “You were gone”   I found a new best friend.

I remember watching our first television station on a 10 inch console TV set.  Only one TV channel but it was a marvel.

I remember my first ‘real’ motorcycle, a 1946 Matchless 500,    I remember our trip, in 1949, to the BRP before it was finished. I remember cost for the 1600 mile trip. $9.60 for gas.

I remember courting and marrying my Phyllis on November 5, 1955, a date that would become famous some years later in the movie “Back to The Future”.

I remember all the good and sometimes bad times of married life and raising a family.  I remember all the memories of riding that helped me through the  rough times and better memories of perfect riding experiences

And finally I remember losing my wife in 2002.  I remember that all of my VRCC friends helped me to adjust.  I remember the solo rides on the Valkyrie to help me think and reminisce about my times with my wife.

Memories are like gold, they never lose their value.

Solo1 

[BnB Tom]

Yes.

  I can still remember when "common sense", "common courtesy" and "common decency" was.. well.. more COMMON 

[cookiedough]

makes you wonder if the good old days were really better.  In many ways,  I feel they were.

Todays society is more about ME and not needs, but wants. 

I never knew they made a 10 inch TV?  I use to have a 12 inch black and white made in the 70's but that when wy dad got a 25 inch console color Zenith TV,  we were in heaven.  Then when cable came out it was like WOW, glued to the TV.  Remotes were awesome even if we still had while growing up to get up and adjust the rotor box to move the antenna on top of our house to get in the 5 channels we got at first. 

I do not know which age generation bracket would have a tougher time growing up?  The kids nowadays growing up in the 70's or us middle agers in the 40/50's growing up in the 40's mostly?  One thing is for certain,  the basic necessities to keep living were much harder in those earlier years for sure. 

[Gryphon Rider]

I do not know which age generation bracket would have a tougher time growing up?

I think it totally depends on the family and surrounding circumstances the kids are born into.  It has more to do with conflict and security than financial circumstances, except if the parents telegraph their stress about finances to the kids.  I think our kids are just as happy as I was growing up.  Their struggles are different in some ways and similar in others.  Financially, my parents did better than I am doing now, with a noticeable result being that my dad took us kids skiing quite regularly, probably 8 or 10 times a year, while my kids have gone skiing fewer times than that their whole lives.  Similarly, with summer vacations, my parents took us on camping vacations every summer, while we've done it with our kids only three times.

The kids nowadays growing up in the 70's or us middle agers in the 40/50's growing up in the 40's mostly?

This confuses me.

[hubcapsc]

I remember being a teenager, staying out till midnight or
one. We weren't in any danger, and we didn't cause
any trouble. That seems like good old days...

-Mike

[dreamaker]

Yes.

  I can still remember when "common sense", "common courtesy" and "common decency" was.. well.. more COMMON 

For me, nothing has changed with me, I still practice those common curtsies, I try an set an example.


Far as the TV, I remember my dad having a black n white TV, don't remember the size of the screen I know it was small, but I do remember a big magnifying lens in front of the screen on a stand.  Remember those!!

[sleepngbear]

"We seem to have just about everything we want or need today but still......................."

And therein lies the problem. Every new generation gets farther and farther away from the ones that had to fight and give their lives in order for us to have everything we have today. And every generation more and more takes those things for granted. As appreciation for those things contines to diminish, the conversation increasingly becomes about 'what's in it for me and dammit I want it now'. Little by little this permeates each generation, and in the process traditional values are going to hell.

[cookiedough]

The kids nowadays growing up in the 70's or us middle agers in the 40/50's growing up in the 40's mostly?

This confuses me.

meant most of us being age 40 to 50's growing up in the 1940's or so.  sorry fo the confusion.

I do not think my kids if time traveled back into the 1970's could have survived would be bored to death without their computers, video games, and most importantly the darn cell phones.

[Oss]

did that tv have a blue screen
my first tv had one and a huge speaker below it

Great post Solo   

I would say yes and no to answer your question unless of course it was rhetorical

[therapist]

I miss the social graces/manners and a person being only as good as his/her word.

Trying to get repairs done to my home show me that, for the most part, there is no longer professionalism, treating the customer with respect and having pride in workmanship. For example, I have tried to get a tree cut down, and have contacted 3 separate business that either don't return my calls or say they are going to show up on a particular day, and are no shows/no calls (one did it to me twice).

A blase attitude, in general, toward work. Now, part of that may be where I am living (northern Michigan is slow moving. Sometimes, I am surprised workers don't take siestas).

[Ice]

We seem to have just about everything we want or need today but still.......................

 

Wayne, I think you hit it right on the head with that comment, I believe life is too easy for most now a days, everything is reachable via the internet, cellular device (cant even call it a phone anymore) etc. or if all else fails use the news media.
It seems no one has to work to achieve anything, everyone is to be equal, if little Jimmy sucks at football, basketball or whatever he still makes the team, don't want to hurt his feelings.
The standards we grew up with have been thrown out the window, no need to hold a door, say good morning to a stranger, be polite, courteous, have morals and work hard.

[TallRider]

Aahh yes, howdy dudey, Buck Roger's and the guy with a rocket pack on a faded bw  blurry TV. And radio,"the shadow"  listening late in the evening in bed with your parents. And at 15  Yrs of age walking down the street with you best friend both carrying rifles  or shot guns and neighbors driving by waving high instead of sirens and a swat team coming down the street.  

[solo1]

!4 years old and riding my balloon tired Schwinn through Ft. Wayne with my .22 rifle slung over my shoulder on my way to squirrel hunt.

[Gryphon Rider]

meant most of us being age 40 to 50's growing up in the 1940's or so.  sorry fo the confusion.

I do not think my kids if time traveled back into the 1970's could have survived would be bored to death without their computers, video games, and most importantly the darn cell phones.

Well, I am in my forties, so someone must have erased my memories of growing up in the 1940s and replaced them with memories of the 1970s and 1980s, hearing the BeeGees, Bay City Rollers, Kiss, Survivor, Journey, Pat Benatar, etc., on the radio.  Memories of getting my (cloth) diapers changed and of most of the Carpenters' hits are either unrecoverable or were never implanted.

[dreamaker]

Keep in mind the fun is not over yet, as long as you have a breath in your body you will make more memories. Things have got a little tougher and the rules have changed a little, but it's not time to cash your chips in yet, so enjoy it!!

[John Schmidt]

Yes Wayne, life has changed for all of us, especially for the younger set who have everything at their finger tips. Many today would have trouble living in the days of the 40's or even the 50's. I recall our first TV, a B&W and the entire thing was smaller than the screen on our bedroom unit today. I remember a lot about WWII, listening to the war news by HV Kaltenborn, blackout practice, rationing. Then there was being quarantined if you had the mumps, measles, or chicken pox. Recall the Victory Gardens? We had a huge one, my favorite part was the watermelon and strawberry section....mostly the melons.    We had outdoor plumbing....the half moon on the door ventilated type. Also had running water; mom wanted water you would run out to get it from the well. We did have a large water heater, it was the tank on one end of the kitchen stove....which operated off wood you chopped up. All our furnaces until 1951 were gravity flow....hot air rose through the huge grates and cold fell down the returns. My dad found a large source of corncobs for burning, used them in place of coal quite often. One place we lived in the mid 40's had a small barn and he'd get enough to darn near fill the garage section. We even had five acres of pasture so dad bought a good milk cow and put her out there, the cow, 3 hens and one rooster lived in the barn and were my responsibility. The furnace had to be stoked and you made sure it had enough to go most of the night during winter. Then it was me that got up before sunup and went to the basement to get the furnace going again. Got mighty cold in my room during winter, didn't pay to take a glass of water up with you 'cuz it froze anyway. I do remember our first car, the folks were stuck with it during the war and dad kept it for quite a few years....was an old '34 Ford. When my mother took sick with cancer, dad was driving over 100 miles each way on weekends to go see her, so the town folk got together and bought him a new engine, a neighbor installed it for free.

I remember the 15 minute radio programs, especially on Sunday afternoon. We'd get home from church, get through lunch and I'd head up to my room. I'd spend the afternoon with my ear glued to the radio, listening to Jack Armstrong...The All American Boy, Hop Along Cassidy, Lash Larue, Roy Rogers/Dale, Lone Ranger.....and on and on, 15 minutes of imaginary action at a time. How about Bobby Benson and the B BAR B riders, or Sky King.

My first very own motorized contraption was an old balloon tired bicycle that my uncle and I mounted a single cyl. Johnson motor to. I got the motor from an aunt when she finally got electricity on their farm, it was mounted to her washing machine. She hired a guy to mount an electric motor kit on it made especially for changing over to electric from a gas engine, sold the motor to me for $5. I rode that thing all over the country side, learned to ride on gravel....also learned to watch the fuel level.   I was around 8-9 yrs. old. That same uncle let me have an old '27 Model T truck engine & transmission, along with the coil box and radiator. Took it apart, put it back together and it ran. Dad was blown away by that, I was too dumb to know any better I guess. My thinking was....it's back together so let's start it. Dad's thinking was.....that sucker is going to come unglued. Never did!

Telephones were one per house and usually in the country the party line was shared by a half dozen or more people. The phone was the only electric thing in the house for years, we used pressurized white gas lamps with 2-4 mantles burning. Strange....we didn't know we had it rough. We worked and lived by the fruit of our labor....hard labor. I'd love to take some of these politicians that grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth and put them in the economy of the 40's. Guarantee there would be some changes made.

[Karen]

Thanks, Wayne and John, wasn't born till '42, but have some of the same memories in a more urban setting. I cherish the values that were in vogue when I was growing up.

[BF]

The thing about the good ole days is that we didn't know that they were all that great until we could look back on them to compare them to what we have now. 

[dreamaker]

You know my Mother gave me the best gift I could have ever received.  When I was young teenager, my mother took me to the clothing store to get clothes for school, which some were jeans and tennis shoes.  I said to her I didn’t want that brand of jeans, I wanted Levi’s, and for tennis shoes, I wanted Red Ball Jets.  She said Yes!  I can have anything I want! I just have to go and get a job and you can choose anything I want. SO!! That is what I did, and have been working ever since.  She taught me to be responsible, and work for what I want.

[The emperor has no clothes]

You know my Mother gave me the best gift I could have ever received.  When I was young teenager, my mother took me to the clothing store to get clothes for school, which some were jeans and tennis shoes.  I said to her I didn’t want that brand of jeans, I wanted Levi’s, and for tennis shoes, I wanted Red Ball Jets.  She said Yes!  I can have anything I want! I just have to go and get a job and you can choose anything I want. SO!! That is what I did, and have been working ever since.  She taught me to be responsible, and work for what I want.

I'm glad I never really cared much about clothes or style. I got a job when I was 13 so I could buy a motorcycle . The beginning of it all, a Suzuki TC90. 

[old2soon]

First house I REALLY remember Mom and Dad bought in I believe 1950 or 1951. The first winter all we had was a floor furnace that was only warm right next to it. I remember riding on the package tray of Dads 40 Plymouth business coupe. Our neighbors Paul and Muriel Cross from Texas originally and the first T V in their house I could actually watch on weekends. Had one of those big bowl lens thingys that magnified the round screen fuzzy black and white picture. Whole damn thing was bout the size of a Buick. On Sundays at the Cross's Log Cabin syrup out of metal tins for the pancakes. Remember hearing the Armistice being signed for the Korean war on a radio a little smaller than a Buick. If I outgrew my shoes after we got out of school generally didn't get new leather shoes til the week before school started again. First pair of ice skates I got were bout 4 sizes too big but I played in them til they were too friggin tight-hockey skates B T W. Pick up games of Baseball Basketball Hockey Football hide and seek were normal. Riding our bikes everywhere. We had a problem with someone it was off to fist city and then went to the store and got a soda. Pitching pennies stealing watermelons and sweet corn. Bringing Mom wild flowers cuz She LOVED wild flowers. We could watch about an hour of T V on Saturday morning then chores then play. The one thing I had that I truly loved that was Mine was an old Zenith tube type radio. Strung antenna wire all over the upstairs and could ick up the B B C. Memories. RIDE SAFE.

[dreamaker]

You just reminded me of something. I remember saving my change and I back of one of the comic books they had a crystal set radio.  It finally came in, it was very simple set up, but you had to put it together, and Dad gave me a hand. I remember stinging the wire with the insulators on each end, between the cloths poles, that was the antenna, and it was in a clear plastic box.  I recall it was like a adjustable choak you would turn the screw and through a earphone you could pick up radio channels.  I don't recall we had a battery, I think it worked without one. That was really cool!!

[The emperor has no clothes]

You just reminded me of something. I remember saving my change and I back of one of the comic books they had a crystal set radio.  It finally came in, it was very simple set up, but you had to put it together, and Dad gave me a hand. I remember stinging the wire with the insulators on each end, between the cloths poles, that was the antenna, and it was in a clear plastic box.  I recall it was like a adjustable choak you would turn the screw and through a earphone you could pick up radio channels.  I don't recall we had a battery, I think it worked without one. That was really cool!!

I kind of remember making one using a toilet paper cardboard roll. You had to carefully wrap wire around it.

[dreamaker]

I think they call that a choke, don't quote me! and in the center is like a piece a carbon that adjusts. I am trying to think back about 63 years, so if I don't get it right.  Remember the the two juice cans, with the string in between.  Kids today wouldn't even have a clue, they would think it was magic on how it works.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I think they call that a choke, don't quote me! and in the center is like a piece a carbon that adjusts. I am trying to think back about 63 years, so if I don't get it right.  Remember the the two juice cans, with the string in between.  Kids today wouldn't even have a clue, they would think it was magic on how it works.

It was magic !

[old2soon]

Kids today would google it have a little look see and say-why bother-got tunes on my phone! Dad showed me how to make a rubber band powered "thing" with a large wooden thread spool-empty-a popsicle stick a tooth pick a rubber band and a small piece of soap. Needed a small pocket knife-had a knife Before I had my first bike-to notch the wood and groove the soap. Remember Mom darning our socks after we wore holes in them. Mom patched and repaired the clothes we wore out in addition to her full time job. Home made bread fresh out of the oven going for a hot end and smearing Real Butter all over it and watchin that butter melt into that fresh hot bread!  And THEN eatin it!  RIDE SAFE.

[art]

I too remember those days,staying out late at night riding our bikes. I was talking to my neighbor last week and the neighbor kids were out riding their bikes up an down the street. He asked me it it bothered me I said hell no ,I like seeing them having fun outside riding and playing cops and robbers out front. It brings back pots of memories. We have about six to eight boys around ten years old out playing about half the week around here. Small town Oregon, love it.

[hubcapsc]

You know my Mother gave me the best gift I could have ever received.  When I was young teenager, my mother took me to the clothing store to get clothes for school, which some were jeans and tennis shoes.  I said to her I didn’t want that brand of jeans, I wanted Levi’s, and for tennis shoes, I wanted Red Ball Jets.  She said Yes!  I can have anything I want! I just have to go and get a job and you can choose anything I want. SO!! That is what I did, and have been working ever since.  She taught me to be responsible, and work for what I want.

I'm glad I never really cared much about clothes or style. I got a job when I was 13 so I could buy a motorcycle . The beginning of it all, a Suzuki TC90. 

TC90 - was that the one with the dual-range transmission?

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

You know my Mother gave me the best gift I could have ever received.  When I was young teenager, my mother took me to the clothing store to get clothes for school, which some were jeans and tennis shoes.  I said to her I didn’t want that brand of jeans, I wanted Levi’s, and for tennis shoes, I wanted Red Ball Jets.  She said Yes!  I can have anything I want! I just have to go and get a job and you can choose anything I want. SO!! That is what I did, and have been working ever since.  She taught me to be responsible, and work for what I want.

I'm glad I never really cared much about clothes or style. I got a job when I was 13 so I could buy a motorcycle . The beginning of it all, a Suzuki TC90. 

TC90 - was that the one with the dual-range transmission?

-Mike

Yep, although I rarely used the low range. It was good for popping instant wheelies. I would bring that bike in in our downstairs family room for the winter. Learned how engines worked by taking it apart and examining it dozens of times. The rotary valve was hard to understand as a 14 year old.

[Robert]

NIce to remember some of the same things, but I really enjoy many of the modern things we have today. AC in a car was rare today you may not buy one without. Many of the appliances and even motorcycles are so much better or actually convenient, but sometimes with less style. I still like Credence Cleerwater and Beep Beep, Beethoven and Brahms, Fred Astaire and so much about the times when growing up. Even Red Skelton finishing each show with good night and may God bless.

But what I think is different today is the line that is blurred between evil and good, innocence and self centered desires. It gets harder and harder to keep the innocence we had back then, when only certain elected officials would know the evils of society and be the ones we trusted to handle the situations. In government we looked at leaders with awe as we thought many to be God sent.

 Instead of sex today being a hookup and dating sites being one night stand meat markets, virginity was priceless and it meant something to have sex or really the idea of making love with someone was the idea behind sex.

 I miss common experiences that most of society shared like the idea of church and being good and helping your fellow man. Where the differences between a dirt bag and a good man was known and applauded.

 I dont want to see games that are so real you can think your killing people, or zombies on tv, images we deal with on a daily basis now. Where B rated movies used to scared the hell out of you with funky special effects and now we can be in on the morphing of a human to a monster with such realism it makes you gag. Sad really people like Kane and Kim are accepted and looked up to without accomplishing anything for the good of society. Where hip hop cracker dead MF this and that, bling bling big booty is the norm in music.

Where terrorism was fought straight forward and considered terrorism. A fight was a fight and if you got into one you were spoken to by the local police and not charged. Where the rules meant something and you had society criticizing you if you broke them. Not its ok to do if I can get away with it.

The only thing constant is change, I cherish the days I am allowed to be on this earth. I have learned to love God because of the truth of what He has spoken and done for me. I see the things He spoke of operating in this world just the way He said they would. So I see a bit differently these days. Would I want to go back, not really, did I enjoy those days, Yes. But I look forward to the adventures and see where life goes. I thank Him that everyday I was allowed to grow up in a time that allowed me just to create things and to have enough to be comfortable, yet feel the need to go out and work and try things to get what I want. Where I was not over protected and saw possibilities everywhere. I actually still do, I also see possibilities in people more than ever. We are the same people we always were, we are just taught different lessons and different restraints and accepted norms. All the other stuff will go away one day. But we are still us one person trying to figure out how to make this life work. We came into this world alone and we will go out alone and everything we do in the middle is a great ride. Kind of like motorcycle riding we know the possibilities but the exploration is awesome.

Thank You God for being born in a time you decided for me. That you knew me even before I was born and you chose me for this time. Thanks for the enjoyment thanks for those cherished souls you have put around me and thank you for the blessing of things. I only hope that one day that when I stand before you you say well done my good and faithful servant.

[solo1]

John and all of you.  You opened up more memories.

I, too, made a 'crystal set"  The crystal was the diode that rectified the rf signal. A 'cat's whisker' was used to find the most sensitive spot on the crystal.  The coil was part of what is called a tuned circuit which amplified the weak AM signal for the headphones.  No batteries were used, the radio station's power was enough.  No, I didn't know that until I took up radio circuits for my ham radio license.

Late in the Great Depression, my dad could finally afford a radio, a GE console.  It needed a good ground to work.  A good ground was in the basement water pipes.  Dad had no hand drill to drill a hole in the floor so he first checked out the basement for obstacles, then got out his Colt .25 semiautomatic, and shot a hole through the floor to run the ground wire.  I thought that was really COOL!

John, my memories were somewhat different than yours since I lived in the city. During the War, I was a messenger for Civil defense.  At an early age, I got to run around the neighborhood with a flashlight and an arm band designating me as an honest to god real member of Civil defense.  That too, was COOL!

My dad became sick in 1942 and couldn't work. My mother didn't work.  I helped support the family along with two of my sisters, it wasn't easy.  That's why, after the Whizzer motorbike, all that I could afford was my first motorcycle a 1935 HD flat head.  It was junk, All of my buddies were buying the latest in British bikes.  Later on, I bought the used Matchless but only because the lady was willing to make out a chattel mortgage (I think that was what it was called) for $250.  My payments were 12bucks/month.

I thikn that, besides my father's illness, the second most worse thing about the era was the thought of contracting 'infantile paralysis' (polio).   I'm glad the Salk took care of that.

Still, overall, it wasn't a bad time to be around, the '30's and 40's.   

The 50's were different when I got married.

[dreamaker]

NIce to remember some of the same things, but I really enjoy many of the modern things we have today. AC in a car was rare today you may not buy one without. Many of the appliances and even motorcycles are so much better or actually convenient, but sometimes with less style. I still like Credence Cleerwater and Beep Beep, Beethoven and Brahms, Fred Astaire and so much about the times when growing up. Even Red Skelton finishing each show with good night and may God bless.

But what I think is different today is the line that is blurred between evil and good, innocence and self centered desires. It gets harder and harder to keep the innocence we had back then, when only certain elected officials would know the evils of society and be the ones we trusted to handle the situations. In government we looked at leaders with awe as we thought many to be God sent.

 Instead of sex today being a hookup and dating sites being one night stand meat markets, virginity was priceless and it meant something to have sex or really the idea of making love with someone was the idea behind sex.

 I miss common experiences that most of society shared like the idea of church and being good and helping your fellow man. Where the differences between a dirt bag and a good man was known and applauded.

 I dont want to see games that are so real you can think your killing people, or zombies on tv, images we deal with on a daily basis now. Where B rated movies used to scared the hell out of you with funky special effects and now we can be in on the morphing of a human to a monster with such realism it makes you gag. Sad really people like Kane and Kim are accepted and looked up to without accomplishing anything for the good of society. Where hip hop cracker dead MF this and that, bling bling big booty is the norm in music.

Where terrorism was fought straight forward and considered terrorism. A fight was a fight and if you got into one you were spoken to by the local police and not charged. Where the rules meant something and you had society criticizing you if you broke them. Not its ok to do if I can get away with it.

The only thing constant is change, I cherish the days I am allowed to be on this earth. I have learned to love God because of the truth of what He has spoken and done for me. I see the things He spoke of operating in this world just the way He said they would. So I see a bit differently these days. Would I want to go back, not really, did I enjoy those days, Yes. But I look forward to the adventures and see where life goes. I thank Him that everyday I was allowed to grow up in a time that allowed me just to create things and to have enough to be comfortable, yet feel the need to go out and work and try things to get what I want. Where I was not over protected and saw possibilities everywhere. I actually still do, I also see possibilities in people more than ever. We are the same people we always were, we are just taught different lessons and different restraints and accepted norms. All the other stuff will go away one day. But we are still us one person trying to figure out how to make this life work. We came into this world alone and we will go out alone and everything we do in the middle is a great ride. Kind of like motorcycle riding we know the possibilities but the exploration is awesome.

Thank You God for being born in a time you decided for me. That you knew me even before I was born and you chose me for this time. Thanks for the enjoyment thanks for those cherished souls you have put around me and thank you for the blessing of things. I only hope that one day that when I stand before you you say well done my good and faithful servant.

To me, you sound like a Millennial, you make it sound like digging into our good memories is a bad thing, and we must only move forward. I have nothing against technology providing you treat it as a tool and not a necessity. See the thing is, we did thing basically with nothing and created something at our own levels, and enjoyed the things we did with honesty. We didn't walk around and say look at what I did, like they do today, we just had fun with what we did daily, and that is all that was important to us. I agree living in the past is not good, but learning from our past is good, and sometimes enjoying the Good Old Days memories reminds us of the positive times. Today, everything is about profit, selling you things you don't want and you don't need, and is so complex it is surprising people even smile anymore. The things we did were created from nothing basically, today I am surprise kids can tie their shoes, because they have been stripped of their ability to create simple things out of nothing. You want to talk about GOD, maybe you should think about Satan's toys.

[Wizzard]

I remember almost everything talked about here. I still think I have many good times ahead and if I don't, well I have had many good times and look forward to the next life because I know where I am going.
I think the latest song by Tim McGraw sums it up well, "always be humble and kind".  That's what we are missing now.

https://youtu.be/J5FfN0lOWj0

[solo1]

I agree Wizzard.  In the 40's Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" was similar.

We've come a long ways.  Now it's God damn America.

I won't mention the association between the one who said that and a current high visibility person.

And that is why our memories are so important to us. Times have changed.

[dreamaker]

I just got this email from one of the companies I buy from.  They send these memos of issues concerning food growth, here is a example of today's technology's results and blunders.  Just like the fire ants and killer bee's blunder.  When will they ever realize that they are not smarter than nature. It's a quick article, and people wonder why we enjoy thinking of the good old simple days.  What do you think!


http://healthytraditions.com/2016/10/05/gmo-canola-escapes-into-wild-new-mutant-plants-found/

[sleepngbear]

You just reminded me of something. I remember saving my change and I back of one of the comic books they had a crystal set radio.  It finally came in, it was very simple set up, but you had to put it together, and Dad gave me a hand. I remember stinging the wire with the insulators on each end, between the cloths poles, that was the antenna, and it was in a clear plastic box.  I recall it was like a adjustable choak you would turn the screw and through a earphone you could pick up radio channels.  I don't recall we had a battery, I think it worked without one. That was really cool!!

I kind of remember making one using a toilet paper cardboard roll. You had to carefully wrap wire around it.

Ha! My mother just moved out of her house and dug up (and passed along) a trove of old relics crap. Among the junk was a Christmas tree ornament that I made in Cub Scouts out of a toilet paper roll and foil wrapping papet, which means we're going back in time about 50 years. Of all the things to survive the years....

[John Schmidt]

SOLO1 QUOTE: "I, too, made a 'crystal set"  The crystal was the diode that rectified the rf signal. A 'cat's whisker' was used to find the most sensitive spot on the crystal.  The coil was part of what is called a tuned circuit which amplified the weak AM signal for the headphones.  No batteries were used, the radio station's power was enough."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Wow, I also made one of those with the whisker and crystal. I was only able to get one station at the time but as a kid that was a thrilling experience. At first my dad thought I was a little off my rocker, that made me more determined to get it working. Later on, they bought me one of the first chemistry sets to mess with but took it away from me in short order. Seems I was adding stuff in from dad's shop, or from the kitchen just to see if it had any effect on the outcome. After burning a hole in some kitchen linoleum, that set was gone. Mom got a little frustrated with me once when I wanted to see what happened to the pressure cooker if the little jiggler on top stuck. The lead safety plug actually did work....and so did I, cleaning up a mess most of the day.

Wayne, do you remember when white oleo first came out, seems like it was the early 40's? Recall that little pill of coloring you had to break and knead it in a bag so when you were done mixing it, it at least looked like butter. I told mom to throw away that crap and keep the bag, sure didn't taste like butter. In 1943 we finally got some indoor plumbing in the form of a commode. Low water pressure meant you had to flush more than once, it didn't come with a tank like today. It just allowed extra water to flow in kinda like flushing today's thrones by using a bucket of water in an emergency. When we got that commode, I asked dad what were we going to do with the old outhouse. He had a simple answer.....handed me a hammer, crowbar, and a shovel. Taught me to keep my mouth shut.    During the war it was nearly impossible to get new tires....or any kind of tire. No tubeless back then, so if your innertube was really shot you had to improvise. That meant stuffing your tires with rags, straw, remnants of old useless tires or tubes. Anything that helped the tire carcass maintain some of the original shape so you could drive on it. If you did drive on it, it was very slow since there wasn't any air pressure to hold the bead against the rim. Turning a corner slowly was the order of the day, or the outer tires just might roll off the rim.

Yeah, some of the "good old days" weren't so good, but we made it through all the hardships. Makes me wonder if we had to go to war today as we did back then, would our current population have the stomach or the will to do so. I like to think so but......  

[The emperor has no clothes]

You just reminded me of something. I remember saving my change and I back of one of the comic books they had a crystal set radio.  It finally came in, it was very simple set up, but you had to put it together, and Dad gave me a hand. I remember stinging the wire with the insulators on each end, between the cloths poles, that was the antenna, and it was in a clear plastic box.  I recall it was like a adjustable choak you would turn the screw and through a earphone you could pick up radio channels.  I don't recall we had a battery, I think it worked without one. That was really cool!!

I kind of remember making one using a toilet paper cardboard roll. You had to carefully wrap wire around it.

Ha! My mother just moved out of her house and dug up (and passed along) a trove of old relics crap. Among the junk was a Christmas tree ornament that I made in Cub Scouts out of a toilet paper roll and foil wrapping papet, which means we're going back in time about 50 years. Of all the things to survive the years....

well obviously it was built by a proficient Cub Scout.

[dreamaker]

Speaking of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies and Campfire Girls, was awesome groups to belong to.  Even the YMCA, before the girls infiltrated it, they had the YWCA, and also had the CYO. They built character  in people and taught them fun skills that they could apply in life and survival.

[solo1]

Yeah John, how well I remember the white oleo with the small yellow pill. After the pill was kneaded into the oleo, it kinda looked like butter but tasted like lard.

Also the cheese Velvetta brick came in a little wooden box.

 We bought live chickens, even in the city, and Dad would chop off their heads and give them a throw (chicken with its head cut off) I hated the smell of wet hot feathers when we dunked the chicken in boiling water so that we could pluck the feathers.

We had indoor plumbing so no problem there.

Dad sold his car in 1943 and got quite a bit for it because it had good tires.  Remember the wooden bumpers on the last of the 1942 new cars?

Remember that men dressed out in their 'Sunday Best" , suits and Federa hats, to hear the Word of God, and ladies wore hats and dresses.  If kids didn't behave in church they were 'tuned' when they got home.  Don't ask me how i know!