People in Lustron metal houses should only throw magnets

World War II was over, and millions of returning GI's were anxious to settle down and start families, only they wanted an immediate bite of the American Dream Pie, so they wanted a house and a white picket fence and a car in the car-port, instead of crammed in city living, which had been the norm for a century or so in the United States. With the same plan of attack that had factories that one day were producing automobiles retooling to make B-25 bombers, a few businessmen of the time went to work on the very real housing shortage of the time. One of the results of this massive but uncoordinated operations was the Lustron House, a unique marriage of metal and prefab that really seemed to take off in some parts of the country. Lustron Houses were the idea of  Illinois' businessman and inventor, Carl Strandlund's  and were built in Columbus, Ohio.  He looked around at the familiar White Castel and Fanny May Candy buildings and thought: why not?  Good enough for greasy burgers and fattening candy, good enough for a growing family.

Prefab houses had been around for a long time prior to Lustron.  Sears and Montgomery Wards and others were in the business of shipping houses ready to build, but for the most part they were all stick --that is, wood. The Lustron was the advance guard of what came out of the war effort--metal planes, tanks, jeeps, etc. -- with an eye towards the burgeoining rocket and space age. Here was a house that wouldn't be subject to termites or to wear and tear or painting.  Low maintenance and low cost.  And all metal.  The houses ranged, unassmebled, from $8000 to $15000.

Lustrons ended up from Venezuela to Alaska.  Today, there are 2553 known to exist, with some being in clusters, such as 12 in Lincolnshire, in Chicago and a whole bunch in Lombard, Illinois.  Finding a Lustron in original condition is rare, due to modifications over the years.

Lustron's star shone only briefly in the American history of pre-fab homes, with the first house rolling off the assembly line to the company's bankruptcy in 1950.

Owners of Lustron's often praise them for being ahead of their times, with spacious and open layouts, and with the maintenance-free aspect of the buildings.

The video takes you back to a time when if you wanted to hang something on the wall you got a magnet with a hook, and then you sat in the living room and ate a Swanson TV Dinner on a tray table while watching one of three channels on antennee TV.

Shout Out from Space --- "Sorry, Wrong Number"

"Connecting"

British astronaut, Tim Peake, dialed long distance from space.  More about that in a minute (or a few units in tele-talk).

It used to be there was one phone in the house, usually in either the kitchen or hallway or some other public space in the house.  Once upon a time extensions cost extra money, and you didn't even own your phone.  You rented it from Ma Bell, AT&T.

In my childhood home the phone was in the kitchen, and for privacy, the powder room near-bye became a make shift phone booth.  Phone what?  Yes, I know.  Those are gone too.

Local calls were billed by the unit, and long distance or "toll" calls were rare and usually only done around the holidays and special occassions. Toll calls were expensive, and the connections weren't always good, and in many cases you could not dial direct, even though the nation had mostly gone to ten digits for phone numbers, even if letters did disguise the first two numbers, such as "GA" for "Garden", an area of the Chicago metro region.

When you did get connected you talked, sometimes shouted.  Even if the connection was good.  It was the idea that it was a long way from Chicago, Illinois, to Miami, Florida, so it was human nature to shout.

Now, however, phones are used and not used.  Most often you get a text today, if the message is short.  Or somebody somehow "facebook's" you.

British astronaut, Tim Peake, dialed long distance from space.  Yes, the space they shoot rockets up onto and where the latest ideration of the International Space Station floats.   He dialed the wrong number, getting some unknown woman on the other end, whilst he said, "Hello, is this planet Earth".

Peake apologized for dialing wrong, a costly mistake some forty years ago.

I wonder if he was shouting?

It's a long way from England to the International Space Station.

"Amphacar" Ride... Half car, Half Boat!!

Next time you get frustrated with Chicago's Lake Shore Drive traffic, think of what could have been: a shortcut across the lake -- via your own Amphacar Model 770, first introduced by German car maker Quandt Group.

Quandt made 4000 or so of these not-quite-a-car and not-quite-a-boat, but the concept never became a mass market success.  However, at 4000 units sold, it was considered a popular success for a car that floats and goes.

In the 1960's, thanks to the space program and the Jetsons, cars were supposed to fly, too.  Certainly by the year 2000.  And some were built that did, but, alas, it seems drivers like to feel the rubber on the road and not in the water or in the friendly skies.  We may get to the flying car yet, as the FAA has approved Terrafugia to start testing prototypes.

So, the next time LSD floods or traffic is backed up, think of the possibililites had the Ampahacar become the new wave.

Here is look at a floating Chevy pick-up truck.  Hey, why not?

Who wins: Batman vs Superman?

It should be no contest -- Superman should win.

Fox TV's Gotham  is going to put the two superheros togehter to battle it out.

Why, I don't know.

I thought they were on the same side, but a lot has changed since I saw George Reeves launch himself into the air in black and white on my antennea TV set.  A lot has changed too since the campy Batman, played by the campy Adam West, took care of the Penquin and the Joker and the rest, with the help of the (gag) "Boy Wonder", Robin.  It was always "POW" and "BANG" and "SLAM" and the crooks got their due, until the next episode.

No matter what though: both superheros and Robin,  the Boy Wonder,  wore tights, way before it was okay to cross-dress in public.  When Batman finally came on in color it was almost embarassing to watch them wriggle around the Bat Cave like that, but I watched anyway. There were only three stations at the time, so choices were limited.

Flash forward many years and both Superman and Batman have changed.  No comment on Robin.  Hey, where is Robin, anyway? Batman is now a solo act, no? I've seen some of the Batman movies, and I don't recall Robin.  Well, boys have to grow up and get real jobs, I guess.  And sometimes bad things happen, too.

I confess I don't watch Gotham, so I'm probably going to miss the tease for what is going to be a major motion picture, but maybe that's a good thing.  Do I want to see the movie?  Do I really want to know who wins the cage match between Superman and Batman?

Superman has only two weaknesses. Yes, there is one more weakness beyond Kryptonite --Lois Lane.  But other than that, the dude can spin the earth around and change time.  I don't think Batman is up to that. True, Batman has lots of gadgets, and might be able to spin the earth a little faster -- but with his bare hands?  No.

What would be really fun is if some handicapper could match the George Reeves Superman against the Adam West Batman and see who wins at mortal combat.  Robin stays ringside and just blows some "Holy Smoke!" comments --sans tights, I hope.

Man of Steel or Caped Crusader.  Going at it.  Who do you think will win? 

Once upon a time they were buds, kind of.

On TV.

In black and white.

It's not Meat. It's not Potatoes. It's Really Not Dessert!

The first snow of the year.

Yeah.

Once upon a time it was a thrill.

Now it's...just vegtables.