I remember when.....

[AtomicEraTom]

I remember when cars had carburetors.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

For reference I grew up in Los Angeles county..

I remember when TVs and stereos were furniture and changing the channel manually too.

I remember 'digital' clocks with numbers on little plastic squares that flipped when the time changed.

I remember when cartoons were only on Saturday mornings.

I remember when the Star Spangled Banner played before the TV went to rainbow bars.

I remember when cable came out and going from 3 channels to 6.

I remember when MTV came out. I was almost twelve and all my friends came over for the big event.

I remember Johnny Carson.

I remember when video games first came out.

I remember having a milkman.

I remember having rotary phones.

Me too. Though I was a bit older when MTV first came out. The MTV I remember was wall-to-wall music videos and few commercials. And not only do I remember the rainbow bars when the TV stations concluded their broadcast day but I also remember test patterns, including the one with the Native American on it.

How about early digital watches and calculators with the LED display?

 

[rue]

Me too. Though I was a bit older when MTV first came out. The MTV I remember was wall-to-wall music videos and few commercials. And not only do I remember the rainbow bars when the TV stations concluded their broadcast day but I also remember test patterns, including the one with the Native American on it.

How about early digital watches and calculators with the LED display?

It's funny you said that, because when I told my fifteen year old daughter that it was all they used to play she looked very confused lol

I remember the other things you mentioned too.

 

[Big Man]

... Gasoline was less than $1.00 a gallon ...

I remember being on vacation one summer down near Wilmington, NC. My Dad pulled our 1966 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser station wagon into an Esso station (that "Exxon" for you younger folks). Gas at that station was a shocking .50 cents a gallon. I recall my Dad saying (as he pulled out of the station to look for another), "I'll never pay .50 for a damn gallon of gas!"

 

[Harp]

Around 1974 I got a 12" black and white TV with a digital clock in it. It had an alarm clock, and a timer so it would go off by itself...I was free to watch whatever of seven channels I wanted with no interference from anyone! Hot stuff!

Around 1975, I got a M109 field radio that cost Uncle Sam $14,000,
which was bolted onto my jeep, which was also brand-spanking new;
and, like the radio, I had to sign for. We ran radio ambushes up near
the Yugoslav border, and during break times I could switch dials and pick
up ships travelling through the Panama Canal which bounced Chicago AM
stations WLS and WCFL (the Rock of Chicago) signals.
Music and Notre Dame football broadcasts.
Radio Free Europe, something the Soviets tried to block, also played music.
That M109 was a helluva radio.

 

[scottyrocks]

Around 1975, I got a M109 field radio that cost Uncle Sam $14,000,
which was bolted onto my jeep, which was also brand-spanking new;
and, like the radio, I had to sign for. We ran radio ambushes up near
the Yugoslav border, and during break times I could switch dials and pick
up ships travelling through the Panama Canal which bounced Chicago AM
stations WLS and WCFL (the Rock of Chicago) signals.
Music and Notre Dame football broadcasts.
Radio Free Europe, something the Soviets tried to block, also played music.
That M109 was a helluva radio.

Around 1975 I was 15. All that kind of fun stuff would have to wait.

 

[scottyrocks]

I remember being on vacation one summer down near Wilmington, NC. My Dad pulled our 1966 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser station wagon into an Esso station (that "Exxon" for you younger folks). Gas at that station was a shocking .50 cents a gallon. I recall my Dad saying (as he pulled out of the station to look for another), "I'll never pay .50 for a damn gallon of gas!"

My earliest recollection of gas prices was when it was 29.9 for regular. On Foster Ave, near E80th St and Ralph Ave, there was an Esso, a Sinclair (remember the dinosaur?), a Shell, and an American (pre-Amoco). Price wars, with a difference of one penny, could keep cars out of one station and in another.

 

[scottyrocks]

How about early digital watches and calculators with the LED display?

Yes, I bought one in about 1977, I think. I thought it was really cool. A round red screen where nothing was visible until you pushed a button.

After a couple of days of that I thought, what a pain in the patoot to need two hands to see the time. I took it off and went back to my analog.

 

[Widebrim]

...Gas stations (I think 76) gave out coins with the likenesses of presidents on them, which you would collect to win some big cash prizes. (Oh, and gas was 29 cents a gallon).

Disneyland sold different different books of tickets that you could use at the park. (I think that the highest cost $5.)

Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios were free.

Saturday matinee shows for kids, where the admittance was a few bottle caps, and where door prizes were given out.

Seeing my first color TV broadcast.

When the Armed Forces used khaki for summer uniforms, and we still drove jeeps and used the WWII-era helmets with liners.

Our family receiving the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.

The Beatles would appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, and I would wonder whether they would be on live, or on tape.

I went to see the movie Help! with my father.

Watching The Lloyd Thaxton dance show on KCOP-13.

Some teen boys were still wearing flat-tops, crew cuts, and pomps.

Girls wore formals to proms, and didn't get their first heels until they were about 16.

Spanish-American War veterans were still alive, and there were many WWI vets still around and kicking.

Confederate widows were still listed on the federal list of dependents receiving pensions.

Looking at a customer's driver's license, and seeing that it listed D.O.B. as 1895.

Listening to the song, Surfer Joe, on my sister's portable record player.

Watching the Beatles cartoon show, and the Monkees show on TV.

Hearing about a place called Vietnam, where my cousin was serving with the Army.

Seeing the first black woman have a non-stereotypical role in her own TV show (Diahann Carroll in Julia).

Seeing my first black student in college.

Cigarettes were 25 cents a pack, and were sold to kids to bring home to their parents.

Going to a theater to see one of the last movies made in black and white due to budget constraints (Harlow with Carol Lynley).

First class stamps were 5 cents.

Making $1.60 an hour at my first "real" job.

Almost all women wore nylons or panty hose in the winter.

Seeing my first Polaroid camera.

J.C. Penney's still sold felt fedora hats.

Listening to Light My Fire on my cousins' record player--The Summer of Love--Seeing a love-in at Griffith Park in L.A.

Watching a TV newsman announce the shooting of President Kennedy... Hearing about the shooting of his brother, Robert, on the radio...

 

[I Adore Film Noir]

I remember being on vacation one summer down near Wilmington, NC. My Dad pulled our 1966 Oldsmobile Vista-Cruiser station wagon into an Esso station (that "Exxon" for you younger folks). Gas at that station was a shocking .50 cents a gallon. I recall my Dad saying (as he pulled out of the station to look for another), "I'll never pay .50 for a damn gallon of gas!"

I believe it . Unfortunately, we will never AGAIN pay .50 for a damn gallon of gas.

 

[rue]

Disneyland sold different different books of tickets that you could use at the park. (I think that the highest cost $5.)

Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios were free.

Knott's Berry Farm was FREE?? Now that is amazing. My aunt is friends with the last living Knott sister.
I do remember E ticket rides at Disneyland though

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I remember when the last Confederate widow died.
Gas going over 99 cents a gallon and my dad going ballistic.

Dad talks about riding his mini-bike up to Blystones, up the road from our house, which no longer sells gas, but still tows, and filling his gallon can for a quarter.
He says the first time he saw color TV was at their neighbor's house in 1966. Batman.
Mom lived by the Starlite Drive-in in Menomonee Falls and watched the movies, without sound, from her window.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Knott's Berry Farm was FREE?? Now that is amazing. My aunt is friends with the last living Knott sister.
I do remember E ticket rides at Disneyland though

Knott's Berry Farm WAS free, but that was in the 30s when it WAS a berry farm and then they added the restaurant, and then to occupy the patrons' time while waiting for their table, they added a ride, then another, etc. but the rides were never free.

 

[Widebrim]

Knott's Berry Farm WAS free, but that was in the 30s when it WAS a berry farm and then they added the restaurant, and then to occupy the patrons' time while waiting for their table, they added a ride, then another, etc. but the rides were never free.

It was free in the 1960s, at least to enter.

 

[150719541]

I remember when visited USA first time, 1971 in Austín, Tx., I carried 100 dollars bill, made all my shopings in cash, I could bought a radio cassete recorder in $ 39.00, 3 Levi´s made in USA $6.95 each, 5 shirts from "National shirt shop" also made in USA $ 3.95 each, socks $ 1.00 pair, the drinks cost $ 0.15 in machines, a wool western hat in $ 7.95 (I have it yet), went a amusement park, (this there were not in México in that time), bought some clothes in the US ARMY store in San Antonio, Tx. ooohhh¡¡¡ What a time ¡¡¡

 

[Widebrim]

^^Yeah, I remember soda being 15 cents at that time, but were Levis that cheap then? Wow!

 

[rue]

^ I think they're 60 bucks now. I wish they were still that cheap.

 

[Lincsong]

Ice Cream at Thrifty's; Single 5 cents, double 10 cents and triple 15 cents. Going to Ensenada and being scared out of my wits as a 5 year old.

 

[fluteplayer07]

A friend of mine sent me this email today. I thought it was rather funny.

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1960 vs. 2010
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1960 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2010 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1960 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2010 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1960 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2010 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability..

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:
Pedro fails high school English.
1960 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2010 - Pedro's cause is taken up by the state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 6:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1960 - Ants die.
2010 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 7:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1960 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2010 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

No politics intended, and I don't want any debate on how things are better then/now. Just a funny email...

Cheers,

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Very, very, very much enjoyed this.

A friend of mine sent me this email today. I thought it was rather funny.




No politics intended, and I don't want any debate on how things are better then/now. Just a funny email...

Cheers,