What did we used to say?

This has been rolling around in my head for a week now, ever since the 40th anniversary of the first moonwalk on July 20.

Ever since July 20, 1969, when someone was frustrated when a simple thing didn't work or wonder why there was no obviously better way to do something, what was said?

"We can put a man on the moon, but we can't (fill in the blank)..."

"...invent a popsicle that won't run down your arm."

"...have a no-drip faucet."

"...make doorways wide enough to get furniture through."

But what did people say before that when they were similarly frustrated? I was only 11 in 1969, so do any old-timers remember?

We can build a horseless carriage, but we can't...

We can fly non-stop across the Atlantic, but we can't...

We can detonate an atomic bomb, but we can't...

And isn't the "man on the moon" thing a little dated now? After all, it's been 40 year. Some newer possibilities:

We can google anything known to man, but we can't...

We can put "War and Peace" on a Kindle, but we can't...

We can twitter from from a village in North Korea, but we can't...

Well, maybe "man on the moon" is one of those that stand the test of time.