St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 55

ST. LOUIS POST-DiSFATCH FRIDAY, MAY 1J, 195? THE EVERYDAY MAGAZINE Television in Revev Taking Electronic Brain Down a Peg It's Fine Computer, but It Can't Think and Lee Wilcox Won't 'Humanize' It More for Your Money By Lawrence Galton By John Keasler Satire Well Done On TV Playhouse By John Crosby NEW YORK, May 13. SATIRE, as George Kaufman used to say, is what' closes Saturday night. It's a difficult business, satire, and It has to be extremely well done to come off at all Gore Vldal's "Visit to a Small Planet" IF you're building, check whether a new packaged kitchen might give you what you want, save money, too. Package marvelous electronic 0.

brain, you weren't hired to think! We have this on the IS consists ot range, dishwasher, garbage disposal, sink, washer dryer, all Internally plumbed and wired. It comes In six colors, needs only simple water and drain connections, one 240-volt electrical connection, sav ft- 1 I iM I I I Galton workshop jobs as building furni-ture, toys, models, cabinets. You can attach it to one-fourth-inch electric drill, flexible shaft or drill press and It makes hundreds of different cuts with its three cutters flute, singlebed and v. Useful on any kind of work from one-fourth-inch to two and one-half-inch thickness, it cuts intricate forms, gets into tight coiners and Inside curves. It cuts clean, smooth edges on hard and soft woods.

Add Inrenuities: Folding but terfly chairs and stools that have rubber-tipped metal legs, Saran or canvas seats, store quickly In little space. A kit for building your own 30-inch horizontal type attic fan. Containing fan spider, masonite blates, pulleys, belt, bolts, it costs about $15. You furnish a few dollars worth of lumber and new or used one-fourth or horsepower motor. A golfer's barometer, calibrated to indicate what playing conditions will be, clothing to wear, etc.

For teaching kids to count and add, a little scale and set of numbers designed so the scale arm balances only when combination of numbers on one side equals combination on other side. If you'd like further Information on any of the above items, write Lawrence Galton In care of the Post-Dispatch, giving date of appearance and enclosing stamped and self-addressed ff. Vj .1 on uooayear i-lay-house Sunday night passed the test with great wit and style, though. In fact, a good many of 1 a 1 a thrusts at our current American attitudes were so sharp and pungent that I'm a little surprised that It got on the air at alL "Visit to a Small Tlanet" Is the story of a visitor from outer space dropping In on a stuffy TV news commentator and his family. The visitor, marvelously played by that fine English actor Cyril Ritchard, word of Lee Wilcox, a gentleman who is a trifle weary of all the attempts to "humanize" Type 702.

"As we get It you're sort of a head nurse to this electronic brain, eh what?" we inquired brightly of Wilcox the other day over at Monsanto Chemical where the famous new electronic brain was doing long division or something. He winced visibly. He tightened his lips as If to Indicate we couldn't put words like that In his mouth. Finally he replied. What ht said was, "No." "No?" "No." "Oh." Hm.

We couldn't think of anything to take notes on. Well, it developed that "nurse" gambit was precisely the wrong approach. It's just the sort Of thing Wilcox is tired of. He has been swamped with questions from reporters, many of whom decided the thing to do was human-interest up this Type 702 electronic brain. (We hold here in our hand a press release which announced, "An electronic brain held a press conference here Well, by the time we got around to Type 702, Wilcox had had enough "humanizing," thank you.

He's not any nurse. He's a product field engineer with International Business Machines, which rents the brain to Monsanto, and as far as he's concerned it's not a brain, anyhow. It's a giant, high-speed, digital computer that's what it is, and he's the man in charge of seeing to It that installation and Opera- ing $100 to $200 in on-site labor costs. In addition, it has built-in circuit breaker panel assuring adequate wiring and protection for convenience outlets and lighting receptacles throughout house, thus further cuts house cost by lowering electrical subcontractor's bill. Trends and Tip-Offs: You can now use oak flooring on concrete slabs without sub-flooring, as previously needed.

Oak floor makers have found a way, FHA accepted, to embed staggered 2x4-inch screeds in mastic, providing nailing surface for finish flooring. If your builder doesn't know about this, this column will provide source for illustrated pamphlet showing how. NEW PRODUCTS. Do-It-Yoursclf Aid: An Inexpensive new portable shaping tool will simplify such home LEE WILCOX AT THE CONSOLE OF IBM MACHINE TYPE 702. JOHN CROSBY derful machine," he said.

"Why does everybody keep trying to make a human of it?" That seemed an excellent point. We said we were sorry we tried to call him a head nurse to a marvelous, electronic brain. He said that was all right, and told a story. "A computer rented to a customer in Japan didn't seem to be producing results fast enough," he said. "Nobody could understand It.

Then somebody found out what was causing the delay-before releasing the figures the customer was having them checked with an abacus." tion went off all right, which It did. Newspaper and magazine writers and photographers have been in and out over at Monsanto and flash bulbs have been popping at the machine which is quite photogenic and all sorts of questions have been flung at Wilcox like the everlasting, "How does it think?" It doesn't think. It can store, retain and recall information. "Why try to inject something into it that doesn't exist?" inquired Wilcox. If anybody has been vaguely disturbed by the eerie connotations of the phrase "mechanical brain," Wilcox is just the man to talk to he puts it In its place; it's a computer, a marvelous ons, which does accounting assignments in a fraction of the time people can, but, after all, just a computer.

(It rents for $20,000 a month.) PHRASES like "nervous breakdown" applied to machines leave Wilcox cold. Imaginative accounts of the human aspects of machines leave him colder. He patted it. "This is a won Is garbed In nineteenth century costume under the mistaken assumption that he Is arriving in 1860, which for some reason ii his favorite year. RIGHT FROM THE OUTSET, Ritchard treats his unwilling hosts the commentator, his wife, daughter, daughter's suitor, and eventually the United States Army -much as Margaret Mead views a South Sea islander.

In short, as savages. "Everyone travels In space," he tells them gaily. "But no one wants to" visit you." I know of no actor who can make condescension so charming as Ritchard. When he said: "None of my people would dream of Invading you," the earth and its people become a mighty unattractive place. It is Vldal's conceit that The Child and His Art By Angelo.Patri Some Hints Disney's True Life Adventures On Baking A Potato mmv Mm mnmhi Primarily intenpep as camouflage for what he sees and has tried to show on paper.

See what he has there, praise the effort and so keep alive the child's impulse to create. This we should do, not to train artists as such but to encourage the children to enjoy pleasant ways of living. The creative mind and hands offer rich fields of usefulness and enjoyment. Needlework, weaving, modelling in clay, carving wood and stone, painting, drawing, writing, lead to rewarding experiences. When a child has made the effort to do a bit of work, when he has felt the joy of accomplishment, then he too is ready to appreciate the work of others.

An amateur painter looks with awe, even reverence, on the work of the masters. "Just look at that line see that shadow. However did he get it means a keen appreciation of an artist's work, an enrichment of mind that only the initiated ran know. HEK CREATURES, NATURE'S PATTERNS Ay By Edith M. Barber ALSO PE STRIKINGLY HANCSOMS.

ifrr a i Aim South America kJ ANY healthy child has the impulse to create something beautiful. As soon as a little one can hold a crayon he swings it in season or out, on the first flat surface he meets. Don't waste breath and time telling him not to do this but give him big sheets of light colored wrapping paper, or a blackboard, a sheet of blackboard cloth tacked to a board or to the floor of his playroom, a supply of chalk or crayons, and launch him on his adventure in art. An audience, the more discerning and appreciative the better, is an essential in the progress of a child in the field of art. When he covers a wide area with scrawls and scribbles and says It is a letter to Daddy, let him read it to you, with helpful suggestions as needed.

When he reaches the place where a lopsided rectangular form with four hit and miss marks is the picture of a big black bear, admire the bear and be sure to listen to the story behind the bear. It may be very important to the child and to his mother. NEVER MAKE the mistake of saying, "A turkey? Where is the turkey? Doesn't look like any turkey I ever saw." To the young artist it is a fine drawing of a turkey and he will be hurt and discouraged to learn that his beloved auditor does not see the people from outer space, far from wanting to conquer the earth, can't stay far enough away from It. His own Interest, says Ritchard cheerily, is entirely eccentric. This gives him an opportunity to throw some mighty sharp barbs as some contemporary beliefs.

When the Army starts quizzing the space visitor about whether he's a spy, Ritchard remarks brightly: "Isn't that interesting that wonderfully primitive assumption that every visitor is hostile." SATIRIC FANTASY of this sort is mighty hard to sustain on a single level throughout, and I won't pretend that Vidal managed it altogether successfully. There were moments when his sermon' got a little ponderous. When the space visitor started to stir up a religious war to liven things they didn't have wars where he came from I began to fear that Vidal had gone overboard. Fortunately, a little man In a white coat (or the space equivalent of such a thing) came along and led Ritchard away, explaining that he wasn't supposed to be messing around with the destiny of the earth and the play ended on the light note on which, it started. IT WAS IN THE MAIN a very gay romp with some wonderfully witty lines.

I specially liked Ritchard, when asked whether he came from Mars, remark Brain Game ALASKA is the subject of today's quiz. Six correct answers is excellent 1. Do the people of Alaska elect a governor? 2. Does Alaska have a legislature? 3. Can you came Alaska's capital? 4.

What was the Alaska highway originally called? 5. Can you name the highway's northern terminus? 6. Dawson creek, southern end of the highway, is in what province of Canada? 7. Can you name the valley that holds Alaska's most fertile farmland? 8. Can you name the northernmost point of Alaska? Answers.

1. No. 2. Yes. 3.

Juneau. 4. Alcan highway. 5. Fairbanks; 6.

British Columbia. 7. Mata-nuska valley. 8. Point Barrow.

Want a fine trim for your one-crust pie? Cut the rolled-out pastry one-half inch (at least) larger than the top edges of the pie pan. After fitting the pastry into the pan, turn the hanging edge under and flute the edge. To flute, put your little finger TRY TO KEEP hands off the work of children. Let the crooked line stand; let the disproportion stay; let the color so distressing to the teacher be as it is for only so can the student, or the beginner, come to see his need for instruction, and to be himself rather than an imitation of someone else. 111 (III uBloSw ADMIRAL ir tv 12995 ing: "No one Jives on Mars at Jeast no one i Know.

-Even Ritchard playing with a couple of toy airplanes with an expression of manic glee is a pretty funny alght. This remarkable actor has now graced our icreens twice, to my knowledge, once before as Captain Hook in "Peter Pan," and done wonderfully well both times. I do hope we see more of him. It was not all his show, however. The whole cast Edward Andrews as the news commentator, Jill Kraft as his daughter, Alan Reed as a pouter pigeon of an Army general, and even in a very small part Bruce Klrby as the general's aide were all splendid and, what is even rarer, very well cast for their parts.

The director who got the most of this nonsense was Jack Smight. I SEEMS as if anybody I could bake potatoes. All you have to do is to light the oven, scrub the potatoes and put them on the rack. And yet there are lots of poor baked potatoes found on the table." There is a little more to baking a potato than the above comment indicates. The oven must not be too hot nor too low.

It should be medium hot, about 400 degrees F. if your oven has a regulator. The test for "done-ness" must be individual for each potato. It will be ready to take out of the oven when it is soft when pressed with the aid of a towel. Then each potato must be broken open to let out the steam that will otherwise condense as the potato cools.

This produces a sogginess. Unless you are ready to serve them at once, the potatoes should be wrapped in a towel to absorb the remaining steam. Often a pat of butter is placed on top of the broken-open potato. It may also be sprinkled with paprika or with minced chives or parsley. If you like cheese, crumbled blue cheese may be used as a topping.

If cheddar cheese is chosen, the potatoes may be put under the broiler heat just for a moment. If you like to eat the skin, it is a good idea "to grease the potato lightly before baking. In this case it Is usually better to choose those designed especially for this purpose. The size should be medium but need not be large. The time of baking depends largely upon this, although the final test should be given before removal from the oven.

Anyone should be able to produce a good baked potato. Special Stuffed Potatoes. Choose large baking potatoes and bake until soft. Cut in half and remove pulp carefully. Put pulp through ricer.

Add butter and hot milk and beat until fluffy. Add minced onion and under the edge and press the pastry on each side of it with the thumb and forefinger of Sarvlca AT rOtm VQV, A STORE op Aprica an your other hand. PA. 1-1400 SS37 DELMAR Until P.M. LOpn Friday Eva.

Fix It Yourself" By Hubbard Cobb MM Vestinghouse Value of Adult Talk By Dr. Paul Popenoe CHILDREN LEARN and develop intellectually through many experiences, not the least important of which is contact with adults. Listening to the conversation of their parents and other grownups feeds their curiosity and Mobilaire ITHRIS! Completely changti air Ir 4 or I rooms every 2 mlnttos, IDEAL FOR DAY OR NIGHT YOU I LESS I Dtaitr Ndwl Call ysur Canvas wlna i WHILE THEY LAST 79 Latex Paints for Masonry Walls. AS you may have found out for yourself, there are certain hazards involved in the use of ordinary oil base outside paints on masonry house siding such as stucco, concrete block, brick and asbestos shingles. The trouble was that if the masonry were the least bit damp when the paint was applied or if it became damp after the paint was on, you had troubles.

The troubles were caused by the action of the lime in the masonry upon the oils in the paint. The net effect was that the paint didn't last for very long and soon looked pretty beat-up. That was pretty much the way things were until someone invented paints especially designed for masonry that would do a good job of covering, not lose their opaqueness when wet and would not be damaged by the lime or other chemicals in the masonry. An excellent type of paint for all masonry siding is one with a latex base. This type of paint is made by a good many national manufacturers of exterior adds to their store of knowledge.

But what about children from broken homes, of whom there are some 4,000,000 of school age In this country, and who have contact with few adults except their parents? These contacts are very likely to be on a mother-child level and, while not necessarily ol baby-talk nature, certainly it i iH NAT'L. ADV. i IRAND-NEW iy'' VACUUM CLEANERS WITH ATTACHMENTS PORTABLE! Moves eaiily oa whttls rnec homi demonstration Rtllabli Utilitiet fllOBt OL 2-771 1902-04 N. Grind NO fan can compare most all paint and hardware stores. It can be applied to any surface that is clean, dry and free of efflorescence the white crust that sometimes appears on masonry.

In the case of concrete that is powdery, the surface must be scrubbed down until it is firm. On previously painted surfaces, all loose paint and scale must be wire brushed off for any paint applied to such a surface will peel as the undercoat peels. Paints of this type can be applied with brush or spray gun but, of course, in the case of spraying, the manufacturer will often recommend that the paint be thinned down somewhat. aW minced pimiento or stuffed olives. Refill shells, dot with butter and bake in a hot oven (575 degrees three to four minutes until lightly browned.

Variation I. To the fluffy mashed potatoes stir in beaten egg yolk and fold in stiffly beaten egg white. Variation II. Add minced hard cooked eggs and grated cheese to the fluffy mashed potatoes. Variation III.

Add minced chives to the BABY CRIBS CHESTS CHIFFOROBES in breeze-making economy 3200 cu. ft. of aire minute! Sleep in comfort on the hottest night, move it where you want for daytime double duty! FULL PANEL CRIB LARGE t-YB. 8IU CRIB MATTRESS INNERSPRINQ WATER-REPELLENT 5 SHOP TO FREE PARKINS JUVENILE FURNITURE MANUFACTURING1 CO, 5067 DELMAR fluffy mashed potatoes, paints ana is available at ai flMTJfiM mm FO. 7-tU0 Osen Evn.

II 6501 CHIPPEWA I They'll Do It Every Time By jimmy Hatio OU-OU' IN THE GOLF VMS HELP CMS fuiTMvi i ii i ivi sw HdVE TO HELP THERE IS LIKE FIND- B4LLBUT GRUDGINGLY, yiy LIV1MSSTON W4D MENRY SEEKS TO DARKEST GIVES 0 -4FRIC4- a DR. PAUL POPENOE Mrs- H- reminds me, "You cited a book by some woman who was writing on these families and suggested that we mothers live together and combine our forces. I can see some benefit In that in some cases, but that won't give the youngsters the patterns that they should see In a father or some other man. What about that, Dr. Popenoe?" YOU ARE RIGHT, Mrs.

H. Sometimes it is hard to provide those patterns. It might not be any harder for two mothers living together to provide than for one to do so, however, and they might have some other benefits in the meanwhile. It has often been suggested that a married couple might offer a home to one of these mothers on her own. They could provide a background of normal family life which would be very valuable.

Sometimes relatives do this, of course, and with great success. I think the plan of having two mothers pool their Interests should be given some study. In addition to the economy of housekeeping and the like, it gives the children the chance to hear conversations between adults, which is one of the Important sources of their education. PERHAPS YOU HAVE NEVER stopped to think what children miss In this respect if their lose their father or mother and are brought up by one parent. All the conversation they hear in the home is the conversation between parent and, child.

They do not hear two adults talking things over as equals, raising different points of view and arguing over solution of problems. Even if the argument is sometimes heated it, nevertheless, gives children an lnsigltt Into the grown-up world which they greatly need. I think the lack of this In the broken home Is one of the factors that makes it so harmful in Its effects on the child. If you are bringing up children without a second parent, get as many other adults into the home as you can. Rent a room to someone and Invite older persons in on any sort of an excuse.

Give the children more opportunity to hear the give and take of conversation at an adult level. F.jisfe:; WERE SHOOTING 4 23 uears Come, help us celebrate RED DOT I FOUND A (ARE you SURE fcURS of i'me ke cream making. To make this a aahz 6REEN AH A BL4CK INT A YELLOW. AH A BLUE" BUT WIMPLE? HERE'S A r- event we have reduced prices aUthru the stores, HoWEVEftTJ-jE NEVER SEEM TO FIND ITwBuT THEySURE COME UP WITH PLENTY OTHERS BEdUTlFllL BR4ND RED DOT ONE FRIDAY SATURDAY VELVET FREEZE ICE CREAM i KIU, SATURDAY FREE CONES HALF GALLON TO ALL OUR GUESTS Children mutt be accompanied by adult. i REGULAR PRICE 85e I at all VELVET FREEZE ICE CREAM STORES.