PBS. PBS. I didn't know about PBS. Thank you to Kaycie for the suggestion. It has helped. PBS kids' tv (for those of you who share my recently-enlightened ignorance) is a decent mix of British buy-ins (hurrah), and other shows which are (a) not cartoons and (b) not interspersed with commercials. There is Reading Rainbow, which is a bit like the old Playdays, and Mister Roger's Neighborhood which is downright odd, but harmless, imaginative, liked by 3-yo, and a huge step up from Nick and Disney. Thank you Kaycie.
I didn't know about PBS. This makes me wonder what else I don't know. I mean, there are things I know I don't know, but what about all those things I don't know I don't know? I can't ask anyone about those. There must be lots of things that are just so obvious to everyone, that no-one thinks to enlighten me. Perhaps my dishwasher unloads itself and puts the clean stuff away in the correct cupboards, but I just haven't used the right programme. Perhaps it's rude to wear yellow on Mondays. Perhaps I can be fined for not having a clean enough car. Perhaps you all dance naked to the sound of bagpipes every third full moon in the Wal-Mart parking lots.
Who knows?
once you get more familiar with mr. rogers' neighborhood (which, as you say, is rather odd) you'll have to watch eddie murphy doing his parody ("mr robinson's neighborhood).
ReplyDeletego here.
So glad I could help. I love PBS. When I lived in Kansas, the channel was broadcast from Washburn University, but I imagine you're watching a channel from one of your local universities. If you have digital cable, be sure to check to see if there are digital versions. We have THREE different PBS channels. You can't even imagine how happy that makes me.
ReplyDeleteIf you like PBS, check out NPR (National Public Radio). It is also usually broadcast from a university. It's about the only radio station I listen to in the car.
How'd you find out about the Wal-Mart thing? ;)
enidd thinks that you probably don't know that on labor day it's customary to wear stars-and-stripes underwear and greet everyone you meet with a song. your choice of song, but enidd recommends avoiding rap, if you want to stay friends with your neighbours.
ReplyDeleteWow - Reading Rainbow and Mr Rogers are still on? I was watching those shows when I was a kid. I hope they're making new episodes and not just re-running the 80s versions.
ReplyDeleteWe do PBS for Sesame Street, which is my daughter's favourite right now.
ReplyDeleteI must have missed the memo about dancing at Walmart. I always get left out of the loop on these things!
And Katie, it would be tough for them to make new episodes of Mr. Rogers, since he's been dead for a few years now. But Reading Rainbow is still in production as far as I know
We hosted an exchange student one year, and then we visited him. He proudly served us Lima beans, stating we didn't have them in the states. I told yes, we did, but I never bought them because I hate them. He wanted to know what else didn't we tell him? What else did we hide? uh, brussels sprouts, turnips, and eggplant?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know about the Walmart dances, I'm a Target girl.
Do you know about TiVo? You may know all about it and have decided not to spend the money on it, which is a perfectly fine position. But in case you don't know -- TiVo is a box that you can purchase and attach to your television, to record shows. You also purchase a subscription to the TiVo service.
ReplyDeleteThe two best things about TiVo, from my parental perspective, are:
1. You can program it to skip the commercials. Really, it's a something-second skip, so you push a button for each commercial to skip, but how lovely to be freed from the tyranny of ads. TiVo no longer includes the instructions on how to do this (the advertisers complained), but it's easily googleable.
2. You can set up a KidZone and have that include only the shows you want your children to access. You type in a code to exit the KidZone and watch grown-up shows.
ah, poor you! It's rough when you feel like that. Is the 3 month holiday over yet?
ReplyDeleteHi Iota
ReplyDelete3 months = 100 days or so, most Presidents/Prime Miniters/Présidents are allowed to analyse where they've got to by then so you're way ahead.
I had a couple of things the english excell at for you
1. teenage pregnancies
2. mini-roundabouts (although it looks like Brussels bureaucrats are now imposing these on most of Yurrup)
FYI our beloved "Bonnie-Purple" had an amazing cup of Earl Grey tea with a side-order of crème liquide (shudder), within sight of the Eiffel tower so consider your MacDo's experience to be matched.
Chin up and keep us laughing
Twiddldee-diddledee-dee
This is fun. Have tried to come up with some other things to add to your list of things you don't know, but of course I don't know what they are...
ReplyDeleteSo here are some of mine;
1. I don't know if other people's kids eat their greens without bribery and corruption making an appearance at the table (in the form of an extra hour of c-beebies). Do they? And how on earth does that work?
2. Do other stay-at-home mums living in ex-pat-ville, London, ever get tired of being asked by perfectly put-together American / French / Italian / German mothers how they manage without a full-time nanny - as they pick baked beans out of their hair? I don't know the answer to that one because I never get time to ask...
And so on...
There are so many things I don't know about and no doubt never will & do you know, would it surprise you to know that I don't give a flying *!
ReplyDeleteLizzie x
Isn't Mr. Rogers dead? I always thought he was kind of creepy. Bring back Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans (I'm showing my age because I think they're dead too). I'm new here, by the way. I found you through others who have commented here.
ReplyDeleteHey, you sound more cheerful than the other day! Hoorah! I have an award for you over at my blog - come and get it!
ReplyDeleteMya x
I have lived in several different countries at various times in my life and always found the english speaking ones the most difficult - just because you speak (basically) the same language you expect and are expected to understand everything. Atleast with my school girl french and less than polished appearance I was very obviously foreigner in Paris. I loved living in America but God was it fustrating and embarrassing at times. Lets just say I only used the word fag in stead of cigarette once and my lovely amercian friend in London soon stopped saying fanny when refering to her bottom.
ReplyDeletePS Iota - sorry but I have tagged you to talk about why you like blogging - see my site for details.
I heard that it is customary in the states to sprinkle porridge oats over your head every 3rd Tuesday on the month and walk around with one trouser leg rolled up to the knee and a carrot sticking out of your ear.
ReplyDeleteI mean, it might not be true, but I'd check...you wouldn't want to look silly would you??
Oh my goodness you hadn't heard of PBS? Well, it is a must for commercial-free television, although I am anti-Sesame Street, having hated the show as a child. And I know there are studies showing that Sesame Street actually shortens children's attention spans. But is beats Power Rangers.
ReplyDeleteOh, and don't forget to listen to NPR radio station - the voice of civilized America.
ReplyDelete