So, which year was better- 1963 or 2006????

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with a rifle in his truck's gun rack.

1963 - Vice Principal comes over, and notices Jack's rifle. He goes to his car and gets his rifle to show Jack. They exchange hunting tips.
2006 - School goes into lockdown, the FBI called, and young Jack gets hauled off to jail - never to see his family again. Counselors get called in for traumatized students and teachers. Vice Principal, in an attempt to hide his true feelings, claims that Jack is a deviant.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Jerry and Ben get into a fist fight after school.

1963 - Crowd gathers. Ben wins. Jerry and Ben shake hands and end up best friends. In the future, they open a national ice cream chain.
2006 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, Jerry and Ben get arrested - charged with assault. Both are expelled from school, even though Jerryy started it. Their feud never ends, and 18 months later Ben shoots and kills Jerry outside of a Baskin-Robbins.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1963 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. From this, he learns to sit still in class. He becomes a computer programmer, and enjoys posting on an audio internet site for old, fat guys.
2006 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Jeffrey gets labeled as having a disability, and from this, he comes to the conclusion he is a freak, and drops out of school at 16. At the age of 19, becomes homeless on the streets of New York City.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car, and his Dad gives him a whipping.

1963 - Billy is more careful next time, and comes to understand there are consequences to his actions. He grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2006 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. State psychologist has an affair with Billy's sister, and later with Billy's mother.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine while at school.

1963 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal, who also has a headache.
2006 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons. Parents get ostracized. Principal's headache gets worse.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1963: Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2006: Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum, and the English teacher is blackballed from ever teaching again. Pedro given diploma anyway, but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he never learned how to speak English.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, and blows up a red ant bed.

1963 - Ants die.
2006 - BATF, Homeland Security, and FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism. FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated. Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1963 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2006 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny becomes much more popular in school.

1963 was the year after my mother stopped compulsively masturbating me (and, consequently, never tried again to make a failed attempt to drown me in the bathtub or burn me to cover her guilt).

No one knew that stuff went on then. So excuse me if I think that "honest, aware now" is better than "clueless then."

I thought stuff that happened 23 years ago was irrelevent.

1963 was 43 years ago.

What's irrelevant got to do with anything? The question is which era is better.

Scenario:

1963: Jimmy wants to try out for the baseball team. The coach calls him a stupid negro and the team jumps him by the bus barn after practice.

2006: Jimmy wants to try out for the baseball team. He's elected team captain for the first game and throws a 1 hitter as a pro scout watches from the bleachers.


1963: 16 year old Tommy has just lost his virginity. Dad celebrates with a pat on the back, buys him a pack of Lucky Strikes and they share beers on the back porch while listening to the game. Tommy lives another 25 years with the clap before dying of lung cancer.

2006: 16 year old Tommy has just lost his virginity. His dad gives him some rubbers and makes him go to the free clinic to get tested. They catch his STD early, Antibiotics treat his disease and he lives until 80 with 3 great grandchildren.


1963: Teddy gets drunk and picks up a chick before jumping in his car to weave all over the road and get back to his house. He crashes into a lake and lets his ladyfriend drown. He goes onto inherit the family business and live a long life on public paychecks.

2006: Teddy gets drunk and picks up a chick before jumping in his car to weave all over the road. He slams into a cop car, the press is notified and his political career is utterly ruined as the scandal reaches worldwide proportions in under 5 minutes due to the internet. He is no longer allowed to live guilt-free off the money of taxpayers due to the controversy.


Seems to kinda balance out a lil every now and again. Yes, modern society is annoying with all it's pointless rounded edges and hermetically sealed cushioning, but looking to the past with rose-colored glasses isn't exactly the panacea people think it is, either.

"The question is which era is better."

I guess the answer depends on who you are.

1963 was better for me.
I was 6 and having all my needs met by my parents.

Since I did not exist in 1963, I'd have to say 2006 is better. :-)

Andrew

you cannot compare the two. society has changed as to almost completely eliminate the ability for the wife to be a stay at home Mom. With things the way they are today most are DI homes. I would much prefer the simplar lifestyle of then and the respect children showed adults over today but back then instead of dealing with issues they were not discussed and locked in the family closet. Today every issue is in plain view for everyone to see, sometimes for the good and sometimes not. Was it better....no....just different. Women were still ignored in the work environment unless it was fashion or homemaker related.

It's like asking if the apple or the orange tastes better. Two different things and two different times.

The Television sure was a heck of a lot better in the old days.....Gilligans Island(hmmm..Ginger or Marianne), Bewitched, I Love Lucy, Honeymooners, etc. etc.

JFK was killed in 1963.

That year is hardly irrelevant.

Herb

1963: My grandpa calls em niggers. Everybody laughs, kids too.

2006: Grandpa says "nigger". People stare at him, parents herd their kids out of the room.

Socially, 2006 is better. 1963 was a simpler time, but more evil stuff was hidden and not talked about.
Racism was prevelant.

Technologically, 2006 is better. There are hundreds of examples how life has been made easier and more convenient due to technology.

Radiowise, I'll go back to '63. More fun, more talent, more localism.

Everybody knows Catholic Priests never molested children in 1963. That happened much later, Right?

1963:
http://www.web-cars.com/corvette/1963.php
2006:
http://www.web-cars.com/corvette/2006.php

Tough choice.

This thread is somewhat absurd. I'm reminded of the old Happy Days sitcom, where everything was portrayed as wonderful. Was it?

1963:

Cancer usually meant death.
The world came close to all-out nuclear war. (actually '62)
There were still seperate bathrooms for the races.
Automobile accidents and deaths were twice as high as today.
You had three, maybe four TV choices.
Homosexuality was never discussed, and if it was, in an extremely negative way.
Child abuse was probably just as high as today, but nobody admitted or talked about it.
Likewise, abused women were common, but not talked about.
Deane, with all due respect, I think you are living in a "Happy Days" world.

1963 (which was 11 years before my birth):

* Edward R. Murrow was diagnosed with lung cancer after 30+ years of heavy smoking. Removal of one lung, radiation therapy, and treatment for brain tumors would only keep him alive for 1 1/2 more years.

* The Surgeon General had not yet issued a warning that smoking is hazardous to health, and much of the population probably still thought that it was OK to smoke.

* X-Rays were the only tool that doctors had to non-invasively look in the body.

* The three over-the-air TV networks and AM radio ruled the entertainment landscape. Many markets had a top-40 radio station that enjoyed huge ratings. These limited entertainment options had the side effect of bringing people together by virtue of shared experience.

* The vast majority of people of faith belong to mainline Protestant churches or the Roman Catholic Church, organizations with an established structure, doctrine, and history.

2006:

* Health hazards of cigarette smoking have been widely publicized for some 40 years. Cigarette advertising is not present on radio, television, or billboards. Many smokers are not free to smoke at work, restaurants, or various public places because of anti-smoking laws.

* A significant portion of the population is overweight, and the problem only looks like it will intensify due to the high number of overweight children and teenagers.

* Over-the-air radio and TV broadcasting has taken a back seat to more niche-oriented entertainment options like satellite TV/Radio, Cable TV, and Internet streaming. Pre-recorded media is a much bigger contender against broadcast media due to the presence of CD/tape players in almost all automobiles, videotape and DVD players, and mp3 players. What remains of top-40 (now called CHR) music programming now appeals almost exclusively to people under 25.

* MRI and computer imaging tools allow doctors to examine internal pathology much more effectively than X-rays. However, some diseases like lung cancer still have a pretty low survival rate (in this case it is because patients don't show symptoms until significant damage has taken place).

* Internet discussion venues like PDXRADIO bring people together in a two-way dialogue that would not have been feasible before. However, the participants are a small, self-selected group.

* Evangelical (non-denominational) Protestant church membership outnumbers that of all individual mainline Protestant denominations as well as Roman Catholicism. Many of these churches and ministries have a very short history (<15 years), and they are generally autonomous organizations. Some lean theologically toward fundamentalism, condemning a variety of things generally accepted in industrialized societies (evolution, the existence of non-Christian religions, adult entertainment, legal abortions, cohabitation, homosexuality, etc.).

My point here is that it's a mixed bag. It all depends on what aspects you are comparing and on what you care about. For instance, in 1963, you probably wouldn't have known that those cigarettes were bad for you, but you had the *freedom* to smoke them in a variety of places. Today, you know that smoking is bad, but if decide to smoke anyway, you find that your freedom to enjoy a cigarette has been diminished by anti-smoking laws.

Jr_Tech, Not a tough choice(for me anyway); 1963.

If I was ever to buy a Corvette, the '63 split window would be my 'Vette of choice!

Although for the stuff I do, my 1989 Land Cruiser is better suited!

http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=40087&page=6

Scroll down to post #168

I like it now. There are elements of the past that are just great. In many ways simpler times.

I wake up each day forward looking. The only constant is change and that's a really great thing.

2006 hands down over 1963. Our family moved to Portland in 1963 from California.

The one conclusion that can be made is that there is always change, and this change creates challenges that people and society have to deal with. Consider, for instance, that in 1963, we still had the luxury of being one of very few industrialized nations. We could get away with paying higher wages to people that assembled electronics, cars, toys, etc. Then Taiwan started to become industrialized, and they figured out a way to make these consumer products more cheaply. Later, Singapore, the Philippines, and China followed suit. In the near future, there will be even more formerly agricultural countries that will compete in this arena. For America and Americans (as employees), this is bad because it means lost revenues and lost jobs. For Americans as consumers, this is good because it means cheap products. For the Chinese and other newly-industrialized countries, this is great because it means new revenue and new jobs.

I don't celebrate all change because some of it is for the worse (as far as I am concerned). However, it's there, and I have to do my best to deal with it.

All era's are different, with some pluses and minuses, its like living in foreign countries, you make the best of the good, and make the least of the bad.

I had some great times in the early 60's, and I have had some great times in 2006.

Plus I had some miserable times in the early 60's, and had some bad times in the 2006.

1963 (21 years before I was born):
The Beatles
Frank Sinatra
Rolling Stones
Ella Fitzgerald
Roy Orbison
Elvis
The Seekers
Mantovani
KISN

2006
The Shins
Justin Timberlake
Paris Hilton
Hanson
American Idle [sic]
Kelly Clarkston
Christina Aguileria
Brittney Spears
"Movin'"
......................................

Huh....tough choice. Lemme get back to you on this.........

More gems from '63:

TV: The Fugitive, Dick Van Dyke, Mr. Ed (well maybe a horse that could talk might not be considered a "gem".

MOVIES: Hitchcock's The Birds, Cleopatra, The Nutty Professor

MUSIC: Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Four Seasons, Ray Charles, Peter Paul & Mary (Beatles and Stones didn't hit US until after '63)

On a related subject, Dave Stone read a poem titled "Life looked better in black and white" (or something similar) on his show a few weeks ago. I think that one important element here was that the entertainment of the 1950s and early 1960s overall had a very gentle tone that celebrated idealized notions of how life should be.

Contemporary entertainment is often based on satirizing dysfunctional organizations and families (i.e. Dilbert, The War at Home, etc.)

don't forget McHales navy, Hogans Hero's (amazing they could make nazi's funny).

The early 60's were the start of the "wacky" sitcoms, those shows that were so off the wall you wondered what the writers were smoking. Mr. Ed may have been one of the first, ('61), followed by the likes of Hogan's Heros, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian, Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, and of course, the Munsters and one of the oddest, the Addams Family. I'm sure I'm missing a few. Most of the laughs still hold up well today. Some say it was a planned diversion from events like JFK and Viet Nam, but I personally think there were a few illegal substances influencing network tv down there in LA. Just a theory!

But, back on topic...

A discusssion like this is very complicated and is based on the realities and experiences of who is reading it. A 19-year old today cannot relate to 1963. A 50-year old today may have a hard time understanding and accepting where we are in 2007.

But, when you really think about it, I'm sure our 1930's era grandparents probably had the same issues with the children of the 60's. And I predict those retiring in 2030 will have the same issues with today's kids. The cycle continues, it always will, and that is what makes life the intriguing and fascinating thing it is.
And all this becomes more evident as one gets older!

Ahhh, take me back to the past, where worries were few:

http://www.whale.to/a/ddt.html

also back in the past when intelligence was not an requirement for ODOT applicants . . .

http://www.theexplodingwhale.com/

Heck in the early 60's, I had to steal my uncles playboys to see naked women, nowadays victoria secrets will send you a catalog, you gat the internet, and just ride tri met in the summer.

1963 I'm 12 years old working in my Dad's shoestore making $2.50/hr (min wage was 1.25, so I was doing great!)

2006 I'm self employed making about $1.00/hr.

What happened?

"2006 I'm self employed making about $1.00/hr.

What happened?"

It's called the Reagan Revolution.

Most of you like me, are to young to remember newspapers back in the 1940's 50's & 60's. While doing radio research, I've had a chance to take another look at the ads and the cheesecake model pictures published back then, in almost every issue and especially in Sunday editions. It amazes me the provocative images that were printed. I often stop just to drink it all in! It was a different time alright!

Probably because "caricatures" were treated much differently than real photos during this era. They were somehow OK, as long as they were "interpretations", not real photos. Is that the kind of stuff you are seeing, Craig?

Yes some were drawings but most were the real thing from Hollywood. Stars & lots of lovely Starlets in swimsuits, which I would guess were eager for press. A lot of beauty pageant pictures in swimsuits or what women were wearing that year, which was usually something skimpy in material. These photos would compare with magazines today like "The Star" or "The National Enquirer" but I would guess a lot of guys would have been subscribers to newspapers for this reason alone!

Yeah but that was before the time Playboy, Penthouse, Fluff girl, ect. hit the stands. Im more curious about when the first adult book shop opend. Id also be curious to know why portland became the city with the most strip clubs and adult book stores.
Maybe they should change the name from portland to Smutland.

Liberal cities tend to have more adult businesses than conservative cities. Who'd have thunk?

63 for me radio was better all around for the most part. I Started listening to short wave then loved those faint signals different languages,ect. And yes along with all that the smell of the radio.2oo6: Radio all around pretty much has lost it SW doesn't have the far away intrigue.Non radio things for me would be in 63 little if any hispanic population. 2006 growth in Hispanic population media, churches, businesses. 44yrs ago I never dreamed of say former KKEY radio one day being Spanish. 63 disability issues were'nt out there like today. For instance 63 no ramps on city buses trains ect. 2006 ramps are everywhere. 63 less main streaming.In 2006 it is the goal and the norm for the disabled community to be in the mainstream of society. Even though I think today is more complex I Wouldn't go back. Enjoy Internet plus I've studied 5 langs making radio and the internet more worth while.Love the memories though.

Even as late as the early 1990s, I remember the shortwave bands being a hubbub of activity with many signals, great and small (i.e. everything from multi-megawatt government owned broadcasters to 1kW CFRX and pirates). It seems that the end of the cold war eventually took the big signals off the air, and the smaller operators migrated to the Internet.

Alfredo~

I remember that too. My Grampa gave me a Realistic DX360 (still have that old rig in storage) when I was only about 5 years old. Used to listen to the BBC at night when I was only in Kid-ner-garden, not really even knowing what it was! (Used to get a lot of weird stares from the kids in class when I would talk about it.......)

(In fact, back in those days it seemed rather weird to hear somebody talking with an accent on my radio in PDX that sounded like he was "from Australia"! Didn't realise until much later that BBC was from London............)

I even remember hearing WWV on about 10000kHz, sometimes listening for hours trying to figure out what it was! (My best guess, at only 7 yrs. of age: "something from a flying saucer trying to call the dinosaurs! RRRAARRRRRR!!!")

This was all about the period of, I would say, 1989-about 1993, but time *has* had a way of getting away from me lately.....

Now it seems like all we have is RTTY's, Ham operators, Religious channels and a bunch of foreign stations (not many in English any more I have noticed recently) and sometimes VOA, but no more BBC......damn Satellites...............

No American presidents were assassinated in 2006!

Fun fact: 1963 was the year that the Post Office introduced ZIP codes. Before that, cities were subdivided into postal zones identified by two digit numbers. To make the transition from zones to ZIP codes easy, ZIP codes were originally assigned so that the last two digits of the ZIP code matched the old zone number.

Elvis is lucky that he wrote his song "Return to Sender" prior to this transition (the song hit the charts in 1962) because the lyric, "no such number, no such zone" would have been difficult to rewrite for the new ZIP code system!

My old address was

Route 1, box 192
street name
city, state

This was in the early to mid 70s