Michelangelo sibyl from the Sistine Chapel

 

simple living myths

It seems that PBS is giving their personal spin on reality television and I have to admit that I like what I have seen so far. Yes, I suppose that the animal documentaries could be considered reality television, but I am talking more about people being filmed in a house doing everyday things. Instead of setting a family up in a hip modern environment, they are having them live in a house made to resemble one that would exist in the year 1900.

In the first episode the creators of the show retrofitted the house by removing electrical outlets and other modern devices and replacing them with gas lamps and a coal stove. To complete the illusion all of them have to wear clothes from that period and use whatever household technology there was available at the time.

I guess the basic idea is to realize that maybe things weren't so quaint in the good old days, but it still makes for fun viewing.

...

Someone asked me what my impressions of Europe were before I go and what I hope or expect to get from the trip. I can't come up with a quick and easy answer for this one and I may need to think about it for another day or two before I can come up with what I think is a good response. I mean I do have some preconceived ideas about what I'll see, but at the same time I don't want to sound like a dumb American.

...

Despite the return of the rain once again to Milwaukee, I went about my business as usual and had a really good day in the process.

 
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