Grad student lives 1950s lifestyle for project

Newhouse News ^ | 2/21/2007 | Tracy Davis

[red irish]

Remember that show on tv a few years ago that had a family living in the 1500's I think it was. It was a very hard life but very simple and family time was very important. Life was very hard on the wife when it came to cleaning and cooking. Afterwards the women felt truly liberated but learned how very lucky they were before the show.

[Paradox]

Ya know whats real cool, those exact same rotary phones STILL WORK on the modern telephone system. Anybody else use to dial phone numbers by pulsing the "hang up button" quickly?

[Alouette]

I wonder how many types of shampoo, toothpaste, and soap were available.

Shampoo: Breck

Toothpaste: Colgate, Ipana

Soap: Ivory, Camay

[RockinRight]

They didn't have sex in 1950. ;)

[arthurus]

Read it again. It says TVs existed but usage was not widespread. My dad got us our first one in 1952 and it was not new.

[radiohead]

she'll soon start writing up her project. But on what? Typewriter or computer?
"I haven't decided yet,'' she said with a laugh.

I just finished my dissertaion. Trust me, she does not want to do even the masters thesis on a typewriter. I have the utmost respect for people who did it that way, but with 20+ pages of citations alone, I cannot imagine doing it by typewriter - and I have years of experience w/the manuals and selectrics.

[Kimmers]

Fun....I used to hate that style of decorating but now I love it. I like the clean lines and the colors I hope it all turns out well for you.....

Rent BLAST FROM THE PAST, if you haven't already seen it

[Lijahsbubbe]

[GreenLanternCorps]

"Her looks." Personally, I thinks she kind of cute, in sexy librarian kind of way...

[camle]

they had TV's inthe 50's. otherwise where did all those annoying "leave it to beaver" come from?

[Minutemen]

PLEASE STAND BY..................

[arthurus]

That wouldn't be any sort of bargain if she had to do it with 1950s income.

[radiohead]

I rarely write anything anymore beyond signing the odd check; I pay almost all my bills on line.

Same here. Right now I'm correcting homework and I should have made them all submit it electronically. My arm aches after handwriting just a few sentences. A lot of profs in my field say the same thing - they can hardly write a legible sentence anymore due to constant computer use.

[DeerfieldObserver]

I hope she eats Wonder Bread, builds strong bodies twelve ways.


Is that stuff still around?

[Old Professer]

Mirror?

[The Great RJ]

We all may be living like that if St. Algore and the global warming inquisition convince Congress to pass a carbon tax.

[untenured]

I hope she doesn't get cancer, tuberculosis or polio.

[jude24]

To the ire of some of her students, Wall, a graduate student instructor at EMU, is not available via e-mail and is not posting her lectures online. Now, students have to phone Wall or go to her office hours to talk to her.

Sure. Inconvenience your students for a stunt like this.

I didn't pay $20k/yr. tuition so that my teachers can play 1950's. Email is the standard means of communication on a college campus. I expect a reply when I email a professor or TA about an academic matter. That's what she's paid for.

[PUGACHEV]

"[i]My mom was telling me how when "I Love Lucy" came on in the 50's she and many others would all go over to the house of the one neighbor on their block who had a TV.[/i]"[p]

Back in the '50s there were department stores, TV repair shops, and appliance stores that used to have TVs running in their windows. Because so few people had TVs of their own, it wasn't uncomon to see a small crowd on a sidewalk gathered around the display window to watch their favorite program.

[aruanan]

In this pre-1950 land, there are no frozen dinners, no non-stick skillets and no fast food franchises.

Give me a break. There was plenty of fast food. There were the automats as well as White Castle (1921) and Steak and Shake (1934), to name just two, not to mention lots of hot dog stands and sandwich places and street vendors.