On Wed, 14 Feb 1996, Chris Andersen wrote:

> ...I was appalled not only with Mr. Vila's cavalier attitude
> towards the furnishings and other artifacts in the museums he visited,
> but also with his often equally cavalier attitude towards the people who
> were showing him around.  He frequently cut them off in mid-sentence and
> generally made it readily apparent that he often wasn't listening to what
> they were saying.  This was particularly obvious in his treatment of the
> guides at the Ace of Spades house in Texarkana and at one of the houses
> in Natchez.  It was very clear that his tours were very rushed  - he
> often appeared to flit from one piece of furniture to the next - fondling
> everything in sight - with little or no focus to his activities or to his
> presentation.  He often acted like a spoiled kid let loose in a toy store
> who is so overcome by greed that he can't settle on any one toy....

     Somebody *finally* got to the point I've been waiting for. From
watching "This Old House" I developed the conviction that Vila is a boor
and a boob, which was confirmed by the circumstances under which he left
the show. The man is ignorant, arrogant and entirely self-centered.
Anyone who is foolish enough to get involved with him must pay the price.

      Hank Burchard * [log in to unmask] * Washington DC