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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 08/12/2007 : 02:13:27
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I 'Shopped the following out of images found on the Web. I was about the age of the kid shown, in the late 1950's.
The 1950's were indeed a fairly happy time in much of America, but they also were years shadowed by the threat of nuclear war. We used to practice the "duck-and-cover" drill in elementary school, every couple of weeks or so.
The Happy-Got-Lucky '50's.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/12/2007 02:20:21
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 03:32:33 [Permalink]
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Then came the Sixties...
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 03:43:48 [Permalink]
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That illustration brings back a lot of memories -- jeeze, how smarmy can you get?
It was indeed a relatively happy decade. The WW II troops were home and still being lionized, except for shitty prothetics worn by amputee vets, many of whom opted for homemade peg legs. Korea of course, was a boiling pot of frustration but few complained about it.
Ike was President and it has turned out that he was the last respectable Republican to hold the office. | "Beware the military-industrial complex!" |
Words that we have made the error of forgetting
The popular music was as bland and fully as smarmy as the illustration, until you started listning to the black stations and jazz. Then you heard the good chops.
The KKK was in something of a decline, but was still a force in southern politics and lynching, and other terrorist acts, were far from unknown.
Hot-rodding and drag racing became very popular, aquiring a mostly underserved, hoodlum's reputation. The Duece Coupe ('32 Ford two-seater) was considered the the cream of autos to customize, and the '39 & '40 Ford Coupes were equally in demand. You could buy a Model A in decent shape for a couple hundred bucks and a brand new Plymoth for $1,600. And Hitler's brainchild, the VW Beetle, made the scene.
Everybody claimed to be scared to death of the Soviet union and the described 'duck & cover' drills were indeed done on a regular basis. Bomb shelters were also considered a good investment.
Hard drugs were relativly uncommon except in black neighborhoods, although there was some reefer floating around, here & there. Gangs, notably the Pachucos, were gaining members and various families of the Mafia was were settling their differences in resturants and barber shops.
J. Edgar Hoover was at the peak of his power and authority, and according to him, the Mafia didn't exist. Go figger.
Senator Joe McCarthy was still a'huntin' them commies. He didn't catch many, but he got everybody scared some more and fucked up a lot of innocent people's shit. In the early days, he was aided & abetted by a future president of the US. Walt Kelly drew the superb Pogo comic strip and Loathsome Joe, in the persona of Wile E. Cat was featured in it upon occasion.
The '50s... Don't get me started...
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 08/12/2007 03:49:18 |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 05:59:16 [Permalink]
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That was a fine short essay, Filthy. Thanks.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 08/12/2007 06:02:19 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 08/12/2007 : 07:03:53 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
That was a fine short essay, Filthy. Thanks.
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De nada....
Just keepin' it real, bro. Just keepin' it real. The '50s were a time of transition, and as in all such, it was not all sweetness and shish-de-blobs on the 'que. That illustration though, was right out of '50s advertising: squeeky-clean, white family grinning mindlessly, not a decayed tooth nor even a zit in the bunch, and you can just feel the prosperity.
Y'know, it has been said that if you remember the '60s, you didn't really live through them..... more philosophical bullshit to excuse excessive drug use.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 07:16:04 [Permalink]
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It makes my face sore just to look at all those smiles.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 08/12/2007 : 08:38:41 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Got lucky? Am I missing some of the humor?
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Yeh. 'Mooner is imitating a caricature of an oriential accent. Again, right out of '50s movies.
Pretty clever...
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 08/12/2007 08:40:19 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 08:40:51 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
Originally posted by Dave W.
Got lucky? Am I missing some of the humor?
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Yeh. 'Mooner is imitating a caricature of an oriential accent. Again, right out of '50s movies. |
Wouldn't that be "Hahppy-Goh-Rucky?" |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 08:52:31 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Got lucky? Am I missing some of the humor?
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The '50's got lucky in not having a nuclear war.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 08:56:18 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dave W.
Originally posted by filthy
Originally posted by Dave W.
Got lucky? Am I missing some of the humor?
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Yeh. 'Mooner is imitating a caricature of an oriential accent. Again, right out of '50s movies. |
Wouldn't that be "Hahppy-Goh-Rucky?"
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I never said he was good at it.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 09:21:05 [Permalink]
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I also grew up in the fifties, which probably explains mine and a whole lot of other kids behavior in the sixties. All was great except for the fact that we were almost convinced that we would be vaporized at any moment.
Anyhow, our next-door neighbor installed a fallout shelter under his driveway. We kids used to go down there and camp out. Because of the total darkness down there when the lights were out it seemed only natural to us kids to light our farts, to great effect, in the pitch blackness of the shelter. I do believe that we kids made the most worthwhile use of that fallout shelter.
Anyhow, Hal Feldman, our neighbor, bragged to my father about how his family would survive the inevitable nuclear holocaust. He bragged that he bought a gun to keep his neighbors out in case of panic over our sure demise. My father just smiled and said “Hal, you go ahead. No problem. I'm a bit claustrophobic anyhow. And who wants to live in an unlivable world? But here's the thing. I plan to park my car with a tire on the shelters trap door in your driveway. Have a nice post nuclear annihilation existence.”
Hal turned white and asked, “you wouldn't really do that would you?” My Dad told him he probably wouldn't have even considered it until Hal, bragging, had threatened to shoot him…
I miss my Dad…
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 10:18:55 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Kil
I also grew up in the fifties, which probably explains mine and a whole lot of other kids behavior in the sixties. All was great except for the fact that we were almost convinced that we would be vaporized at any moment.
Anyhow, our next-door neighbor installed a fallout shelter under his driveway. We kids used to go down there and camp out. Because of the total darkness down there when the lights were out it seemed only natural to us kids to light our farts, to great effect, in the pitch blackness of the shelter. I do believe that we kids made the most worthwhile use of that fallout shelter.
Anyhow, Hal Feldman, our neighbor, bragged to my father about how his family would survive the inevitable nuclear holocaust. He bragged that he bought a gun to keep his neighbors out in case of panic over our sure demise. My father just smiled and said “Hal, you go ahead. No problem. I'm a bit claustrophobic anyhow. And who wants to live in an unlivable world? But here's the thing. I plan to park my car with a tire on the shelters trap door in your driveway. Have a nice post nuclear annihilation existence.”
Hal turned white and asked, “you wouldn't really do that would you?” My Dad told him he probably wouldn't have even considered it until Hal, bragging, had threatened to shoot him…
I miss my Dad…
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Cool story, cool dad, Kil.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 15:17:41 [Permalink]
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| ... sorry, I was busy being an egg in my mother's ovary back then ;p A good thirty years before I was conceived. Nonetheless, it's always fun to see what other people have to say about the good ol' days... |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
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| Edited by - Siberia on 08/12/2007 15:19:19 |
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Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 08/12/2007 : 15:36:05 [Permalink]
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Don't forget the cars. One of my favorites:
'57 Studebaker
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Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.
"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.) |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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The Happy-Got-Lucky '50's
