Did the Pilgrims steal their ideas from the Flintstones?

Plimoth Plantation photo by Stuart Cahill, Boston Herald

Check out the cartoon-sized mallet they use at Plimoth Plantation to dismantle fences and split logs. Next activity on my Bucket List: operate one of those Brontosauruses to move boulders at the Flintstone quarry!

For my Boston Herald “Working Stiff” column, I just buckled up in a Pilgrim suit (actually the buckle thing is a lie) and toiled away at some old-fashioned 17th Century labor:

It’s a raw, drizzly morning and my first staff meeting is in the mud. The workers are huddled in a circle waiting for the man with the clipboard to go over the day’s assignments. I suppose it’s no different than the shift meetings at Home Depot or Wal-Mart. Except that instead of brightly colored aprons, we’re all wearing tightly buttoned vests, wide-brimmed hats and bonnets.

The man in charge is Gov. William Bradford, leader of Plimoth Plantation back in 1627, and he has two major agenda items. First, later this week is staff appreciation night, which includes a complimentary movie screening. And what’s more pressing: He points to a scampering rooster with a big red blotch on its head. See that bird? He was just pecked in the face by other roosters and may need medical attention if the blood continues to flow.

I’m here to sample life as a 17th-century “Working Stiff” just before Thanksgiving. I am now Anthony Annabel, a 35-year-old father of seven. All historical role players are required to speak in a Shakespearean English accent, but I don’t even try. I’m politely told to keep my mouth shut as much as possible to avoid tainting the authentic tourist experience.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the column!

As an aside, it is an absolute honor to share top billing today aside one of America’s most distinguished figures, socialite Paris Hilton:

Don't you think the Boston Herald should publish a coffee table book of their classic front pages?