# WEIRD little boys! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016 "2002-07-26T22:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SUPERKARLENE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@SUPERKARLENE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUPERKARLENE)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/1 "2002-07-26T22:16:01Z")
I have some _bizarre_ babysitting experiences that I felt like sharing. 😃 The first had to have been at least a year ago. I was babysitting for two little boys overnight. We had just woken up that Saturday morning and were watching TV. They didn’t have cable (their parents were afraid their boys would be corrupted by the evils of 100+ channels), and instead of watch the Saturday morning cartoons on ABC, they wanted to watch instead - get this - _the Yankee Carpenter!_ :rolleyes: The 11-year-old sat in rapt attention as the guy on TV demonstrated how to make a chair. Then he gripped the arms of his seat and said **"OH MY GOSH! I think he’s going to use the** _LATHE!_ :eek: It was the highlight of his day. Another time (at the same house), I put the boys to bed (they shared a room). After they’d been in bed for 45 minutes, I suddenly heard _terrible_ screaming. I mean, someone had to be losing an eye in there! :eek: I ran up the stairs, threw open the door, and demanded “WHAT HAPPENED?” The little one looked at me, and said “We just found out that I can’t make my foot go **behind** my head!” :smack: They’re sweet little boys. Just had too much free time, though. ---
**Author:** ![p\_cific\_812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@p\_cific\_812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/p_cific_812)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/2 "2002-07-26T22:24:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SUPERKARLENE \* > **Then he gripped the arms of his seat and said "OH MY GOSH! I think he’s going to use the _LATHE!_ :eek:** I’m guessing you have some sort of problem with this? The lathe is a beautiful piece of hardware. You like cool banisters and stylish chair/table legs? Don’t knock the lathe! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/3 "2002-07-26T22:24:31Z")
Don’t you be dissin’ The Yankee Carpenter little missy! ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/4 "2002-07-26T22:31:08Z")
It’s _The New Yankee Workshop_, you troglodytes. Norm Abram is indeed the Second Coming. Bow down with me and worship the mighty Biscuit Joiner! ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/5 "2002-07-26T22:45:01Z")
My son (seven y.o.) had an odd fixation on those building shows for a time. He also enjoyed cooking shows and infomercials. 😕 But he seems to be over it now. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/6 "2002-07-26T22:56:20Z")
While I may have issues with his cabinet jontery, master carpenter Norm Abram is the man. He’s the real deal and he knows his work. Apparently the two wee lads you babysat knew it too. On a side note I’ve had to make clear to my bride to be that when she jokingly calls me “Tim Taylor” whenever I’m using power tools she’ll get a stern scowl at best but if she ever calls me \ Bob Vila, I’m walking out the door and she’ll never see me again. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/7 "2002-07-26T22:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kamandi \* > \*\*It’s _The New Yankee Workshop_, you troglodytes. > > Norm Abram is indeed the Second Coming. Bow down with me and worship the mighty Biscuit Joiner! \*\* And, for the love of the Wondrous Joiner, get thine Safety Glasses on!! ---
**Author:** ![SUPERKARLENE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@SUPERKARLENE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUPERKARLENE)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/8 "2002-07-26T23:00:59Z")
Strange as it might sound coming from a girl, I kinda like tools. At the office I work in, I’m the one who puts together the new office furniture. A while back, Mom came to pick me up when I was busy at work inserting the screws for the last shelf in a bookcase I had constructed. “Come on Karlene! Time to go!” “NO! Not til I’m done screwing!” I really didn’t know why she was laughing at first. :smack: 😃 I forgot to mention another weird experience I had while babysitting. It was just me and lil Robert - he was about 4. He asked if we could dress up like cowboys and Indians. I said “OK.” So he went upstairs and showed me where his Indian costume was. I thought I’d get to see some leather vest, or something. Instead, he put on A. SEQUINED. PURPLE. TUTU. :eek: He then found a feather boa of his sister’s and pranced around the house with it. When he grows up, I think he might join the Village People. ---
**Author:** ![Romola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e36b37/32.png) [@Romola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Romola)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/9 "2002-07-26T23:10:54Z")
I guess my family is bizarre then, because around my house PBS was mandatory Saturday morning viewing. Yan Can Cook, The Frugal Gourmet, Victory Garden, This Old House: my younger sister and I loved these shows. They were the only reasonable alternatives to the horror that was Muppet Babies and the Snorks (this was the mid-80’s). The kids you baby-sit seem really interesting, even factoring in an enjoyment of tutus. P.S. Norm Abram is God. The way he caresses every scrap of wood he comes by is incredibly…stimulating. ---
**Author:** ![Squish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Squish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squish)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/10 "2002-07-26T23:31:45Z")
Power tools–feh! Give me a good selection of planes, some saws, and a hand drill! ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/11 "2002-07-26T23:42:15Z")
Mmmm… Japanese dovetail saw… mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![SUPERKARLENE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@SUPERKARLENE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUPERKARLENE)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/12 "2002-07-27T00:40:51Z")
Any of y’all out there got your own babysitting horror stories to share? 😃 I was born in 1983, so I remember a few of those old cartoons. Whatever happened to He-Man? What about Gem? And Gundam Wing? And what the heck is a Japanese dovetail saw? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/13 "2002-07-27T01:13:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Whatever happened to He-Man? He-man will be back on cartoon network with all new episodes soon. Gem had a power failure on stage that caused all her hologram clothes to disappear, the resulting pictures were plastered all over the Web, and she has since become a recluse. Gundam Wing is still around, not sure when the next import will show up. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/14 "2002-07-27T01:15:51Z")
You had to bring up “He-Man.” That hyphen is important, you know. I was watching the neighbors’ kid once and he found a wiffleball bat in our garage. He proceded to stick the thing down the back of his t-shirt with the fat end stuck in the waistband of his pants. Then he’d grap the grip, haul the thing out over his shoulder and yell, “I have the POWER,” or some such thing, and whack eveything in sight. Repeat _ad infinitum_. This went on for about two hours. I had successfully supressed the memory until today. Thank you so much. * * * A Japanese dovetail saw is a small, broad-bladed, fine-toothed handsaw used to make delicate cuts in hardwood. As such, it’s perfect for cutting dovetails for joints, but there are about a thousand and one other applications for the thing. [continuing hijack] I agree with **Padeye** that Norm Abrams sometimes makes some questionable joinery decisions. However, I think that’s mostly because he always tries to faithfully reproduce the antique pieces he’s showcasing. I hope. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/15 "2002-07-27T01:35:35Z")
She was “Jem,” not Gem. We have a weird running gag at work about how the whole show was dedicated to Jem and the Holograms’ epic struggle against rival band The Misfits. No crime-solving, no environmental issues, just Jem vs. The Misfits. Every once in a while, out of nowhere, one of the guys will say “Wait, you’re sure they didn’t solve crimes on the way to the concert or something?” ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/16 "2002-07-27T01:52:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kamandi \* > \*\*It’s _The New Yankee Workshop_, you troglodytes. > > Norm Abram is indeed the Second Coming. Bow down with me and worship the mighty Biscuit Joiner! \*\* Always wondered what happened to old Normy after \* Cheers \*… Even before \* Home Improvement \* a friend and I used to watch Bob Vila and picture disasters. Bob: "Take your reciprocating saw " Us: “Doesn’t EVERYONE have a reciprocating saw…” Bob: “…and cut though the load-bearing wall…” Us: “and run like hell before the roof lands on your head…” ---
**Author:** ![SUPERKARLENE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@SUPERKARLENE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUPERKARLENE)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/17 "2002-07-27T03:25:24Z")
I seem to remember another PBS show with some bearded hippie guy painting. Is that still on the air? I remember being fairly little and seeing that… I think I watched it because Mom knew it would make me fall asleep! And also _Sewing with Nancy_. Mom was (and still is) an avid quilter, and got ideas, etc from her show. That crooked lip always freaked me out though. What ever happened to Fraggle Rock? David and the Gnomes? Mya the Bee? And go even further back - where are Sally Struthers and Jean Stapleton from _All in the Family_? Sally, I know, briefly slipped into infomercial-dom. :eek: Jean Stapleton disappeared though. Are she and Norm hanging out on a desert island somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/18 "2002-07-27T04:54:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SUPERKARLENE \* > \*\* The first had to have been at least a year ago. I was babysitting for two little boys overnight. We had just woken up that Saturday morning and were watching TV. They didn’t have cable (their parents were afraid their boys would be corrupted by the evils of 100+ channels), and instead of watch the Saturday morning cartoons on ABC, they wanted to watch instead - get this - _the Yankee Carpenter!_ :rolleyes: > > The 11-year-old sat in rapt attention as the guy on TV demonstrated how to make a chair. Then he gripped the arms of his seat and said **"OH MY GOSH! I think he’s going to use the** _LATHE!_ :eek: > > \*\* So…Had you been amongst my parent’s circle of friends when I was a preschooler (80ish) I bet you would have been one of the adults who was horrified that most of us adored Julia Childs, right? Our parents were all weirded out by that for some reason… After reading your experiences, I think those kids you watched inspired an episode of Daria. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dazzling\_White\_Diamonds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dazzling_White_Diamonds)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/19 "2002-07-27T05:23:51Z")
We get BBCAmerica on our dish, and do you know that our 3 y.o. grandson will sit and watch [Ground Force](http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/home_living/ground_force/ground_force.jsp) and [Changing Rooms](http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/home_living/changing_rooms/changing_rooms.jsp) with us? That in itself fascinates me. The painter in the PBS series is Bob Ross. He was kinda “far-out”, but you had to love him. You never made mistakes, just “happy accidents”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016/20 "2002-07-27T05:59:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SUPERKARLENE \* > \*\*I seem to remember another PBS show with some bearded hippie guy painting. Is that still on the air? I remember being fairly little and seeing that… > though. > > What ever happened to Fraggle Rock? David and the Gnomes? Mya the Bee? > > \*\* Are you talking about Bob Ross, of “Happy Little Trees” fame? He died a few years ago, but they say on certain rainy Saturdays, you can still catch his show in the early afternoon on obscure local channels. He used to paint the sort of crappy landscapes you find gracing the walls of waiting rooms and cheap hotels, but his show was strangely addictive due to the mellow and hypnotic tone of his voice. He kept up a running commentary while painting, and the soft, dreamy quality of his voice was guaranteed to put you in the same sort of pleasant sealed-ears-underwater trance you get from drinking cheap wine and wandering around all-night drugstores. Maya the Bee & David the Gnome both had brief stints on Nickelodeon in the early 90’s. After that, they disappeared to be replaced by more colorful, touchy-feely kids’ fare like 'Eureeka’s Castle". Their demise marked the onslaught of those puppet-centric shows you see so often nowadays. Interestingly, the voice of David was the same guy who played the dad on “Happy Days”- Tom Bosley, I think his name is. “Fraggle Rock”, on the other hand, was one of my favorite shows as a kid, used to be on HBO in the early to mid 80’s. Where it’s gone since, none can say, but there are those who claim to have seen it at odd hours on even odder channels. Damn, I miss Uncle Travelling Matt. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-little-boys/121016.md?page=2)