Creepy Elf on the Shelf - Don't Do This!!

This is not a rant. I only have a few words to share. It's about this elf on the shelf motif used to get children involved in the spirit of Christmas. You know, the idea that Santa Claus is watching them so they better be good or else they won't get any presents? Yeah, that elf is a spy.

Some responsible parents like to get creative and spice it up here and there to keep there kids excited. I can imagine the awe in children as they discover the family elf has met a new friend and invited them over. Or maybe the family elf has decided to explore other areas of the home. After all, staying on the shelf in one position is just boring. This isn't an option in a family home where the parents are far from boring people, right? We can't have that!

Creative and well intentioned trends start off as simple competitions. I get that. But social media will be there to taunt folks into stepping it up a notch. Then we run into some serious issues. And you wonder why your millennial needs therapy.

Here are my ten inappropriate elf on the shelf displays and the reasons why I think they are inappropriate.

You think you're clever now, but one day they will be old enough to watch American Pie and they will never visit you again during the Christmas holidays. The grand kids will be off limits.

You would be better off to have the family elf kill off a giant stuffed spider or some other creepy victim. Never Elmo or any Sesame Street character for that matter. This is absolutely inappropriate. 

You know there is absolutely nothing wrong with this display, except for the fact that the family elf is capturing the scene for his own sick pleasure, further teaching your children that the objectification of young girls is okay. So inappropriate!

After the last three displays I shared, do you see how this is inappropriate?  

The family elf teams up with the infamous bad boy, Chucky. Together, they encourage children to commit cannibalism. Yes, Frosty the snowman came alive you ignoramus!

And you wonder why your kids seem to think everything belongs in the toilet. This, exactly this. Congratulations.

Suddenly little Johnny has stopped brushing his teeth? You don't say! Now he's a teenager and smells like shit all the time. You know they learn poor hygiene somewhere, right? Gee, I wonder where.

I'm all for encouraging kids to earn an allowance so they can buy themselves the things they want. But the family elf is sitting on a jar of baby food, so I think the kids are a little young for parents to start indoctrinating them into this sordid thing. They need to be old enough to actually work for their allowance, don't you think?

How to be Classy 101. Because a wine glass is commonly displayed with a roll of toilet paper and a can of Glade air freshener. The kid who grows up in this household is going to be a true romantic, I can almost guarantee it. 

Because breaking the law is so inappropriate. I don't know that this household has any children in it, but I'm guessing they didn't just go out and purchase a Barbie doll because this was just such a cool idea they had to spend upwards of $30.00 for that perfect display. No, they have children. And yes, this is inappropriate.

If you don't want to traumatize your kids, now or in the future, stay away from inappropriate displays with your family elf! Yes, kids are resilient. But they have memories like you wouldn't believe.

Do any of you have a favorite elf on the shelf display? Please share them in the comments below. I won't get onto you if it's inappropriate. There are no small children out here in the Blogosphere! 👀



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Raising a Nation - The Working Class

Charles C. Camosy is an associate professor at Fordham University. He wrote an article at The Washington Post to which I responded with a comment that turned into my own article.

This was Professor Camosy’s headline and lead:

Trump won because college-educated Americans are out of touch

Higher education is isolated, insular and liberal. Average voters aren't.

My comment:

Hello Professor Camosy,

I am an educated U.S citizen and I consider myself in the working class, not an elite with an Us vs. Them stance on everything, including political views. During my undergraduate studies, I recall having to complete some rather diverse courses that clearly were designed to make my educational experience a well-rounded one. I'm not sure how Fordham University designs its programs, so I will just explain my experience and how I've managed to change my point of view on many different topics throughout my life, based on my experiences, and not on any prejudices.

From my undergrad studies, the courses that remained with me throughout the years were those which taught me the different world views of others: American Social Problems, Ethnic Literature, and Western Civilization. These courses taught us how to think about and rationalize other viewpoints which were vastly different from our own.

American Social Problems required the student to argue debate topics which went against their personal beliefs, and their grades depended upon thorough research on the pros or cons of whatever topic they were given in their assignments. We had to debate controversial subjects like affirmative action, welfare, abortion, capital punishment, the legalization of marijuana, and the legalization of prostitution.

It was not difficult to make arguments for abortion one week and then two weeks later argue against capital punishment. In this manner, students were encouraged to research the other side of every issue in order to prepare themselves for rebuttal.  It was not difficult to argue one side while my husband played "devil's advocate" to try and make me falter on my assigned position. In this manner, students were encouraged to argue productively and without feeling like they were being personally attacked. After all, it was the professor who made the assignments.

Ethnic Literature provided many articles and essays written by people of all different cultures, including ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation. These stories were written by authors who tell of their own culture and from the perspective of one who experiences that culture on a daily basis. Through the lens of others, we as students could experience those same stories as we were encouraged to immerse ourselves in those roles.

I won't go into more, but my point is to share with you why I feel that my educational experience helped me to embrace differences of opinions and to respect those who do not experience the same as what I've had the privilege of learning - back before colleges became havens for sensitive elites. For this reason, when I see college protests such as those happening on campuses throughout our nation, where students are upset because of the outcome of our 2016 presidential election, it leaves me a bit concerned. Has academia been in such a decline that students have not been properly groomed to reason outside the boundaries of its institutions?

I’m not stating these things to be negative. It’s when I see news about students being given therapy dogs because they are so traumatized by this outcome, it does beg the question. Does it not?

Are institutions of higher learning seriously insulating our college students from the real world and are they not preparing them for the larger world view they will need for their future?



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My Daughter in Thailand - Part III

Here they are. More pictures to share with you all. 

Chelsey is finally back at work and earning a paycheck, but as promised, I'm sharing the last of the photos from Thailand. Here's Part III from her Loop Abroad trip. I'll link Part I and Part II in case you missed them!

Some more touristy stuff for you. These two and the next two photos were taken in Doi Suthep - Chiang Mai. 

The one below is referred to as the Golden Spire. The real temple exists in Bangkok, but I'm not sure why. I'll need to do some research on that!

Here's Chelsey looking all thuggish and tatted up. Yantra tattoos are believed to be magical and they bestow mystical powers, protection, and good luck on to the bearer. The three main effects of a Yantra tattoo: to make the bearer more eloquent, to ward off evil and hardship, and to invoke fear in everyone around the bearer. The tattoo only confers its powers so long as the bearer observes certain rules and taboos, such as abstaining from a certain type of food. If that food happens to be cheeseburgers, then it wore off when she child stepped back onto US soil. 

In the voice of a thug, "PEACE!!"

There's no way you would guess what this is, no way! Seriously, give it a try. Um, Ruffles? Doritos? Gee, I'm so confused. Okay, so everything is written in this foreign language, but if you look closely, you'll discover that this company wants the consumer to know that it is the "original flavor". 

The gang is all here!

The girls get therapeutic massages after a long day working with big animals.

This looks like a rice field to me, but I could be wrong. It's beautiful either way, even though the water looks a bit murky.

Chelsey and her roommates hanging out and being lazy. And she said they were roughing it in Thailand. 

I received a lot of videos of the elephants, but I didn't know how to save the Snapchat videos to my phone. Here are the majority of the elephant pictures Chelsey sent via Snapchat.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you've enjoyed a taste of Thailand. Thanks to the Loop Abroad folks for keeping my daughter safe and making sure that she had a productive experience.

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My Daughter in Thailand - Part II

So many more pictures to share with you all. Chelsey is finally home in the United States, but I haven't even shared some of my most favorite photos from Thailand. Here's part II from her Loop Abroad trip, as promised. Here's Part I in case you missed it!


I can only guess that this is some sort of tea indigenous to Thailand, like Japan and their green tea called Sencha. Or Korea and their Ginseng tea. Whatever it is, I love the cup! 

Did you really make these?
Because I can't even roll that tight.

I think these are purple orchids.
Not sure what they did with these.

In Hinduism, Ganesha is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshiped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

This fountain is gorgeous and I love the Thai architecture and lights as the backdrop. This is almost like being there.

She looks so lovely and refreshed here.
I know the flight must have been a doozy!

Thai version of Mountain Dew. I would have guessed this one even if she hadn't given the hint.

Chelsey is enjoying the land, the people, and mostly the many animals she gets to hang out with in the village. 

One of the things I enjoy most about seeing photos of different countries is their culture. The most captivating pictures are those taken unencumbered by traditional media coverage. It looks like they are grinding corn or something.

I guess they are shopping for and donating to kids in the local area.

Making new friends in Thailand.

It's paint! No, she did not get this tattooed.

These fish eat the dead skin off your feet.
They are getting pedicures, maybe?

I'm so happy to have her home. I will post more photos in part III of Chelsey's Loop Abroad trip to Thailand soon enough. Stay tuned!
 


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My Daughter in Thailand - Part I

My daughter made some serious progress in her life this Summer. She is living in Thailand  for two weeks. 

She registered for a program with Loop Abroad to learn about big animal care on an elephant sanctuary. The trip serves two goals: learning to care for big animals and building memories. Part of learning is the experience you gain. The best part will be the cultural one of being in a country far unlike what she's accustomed. 

I like the Loop Abroad outlook on life and the reason they formed this organization. It is especially important for young adults.

How would our lives have been different if we'd traveled more, experienced more, known what was out there, and spent more time around people who truly love what they do before we'd tried to answer the question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?"

This is her picture story.  Don't forget to read the captions.

Chelsey is about to leave Tallahassee and head to JFK International Airport. She will then leave the United States with her Loop Abroad classmates and guide masters. Talk about a nervous mommy!

Smiles on the outside.
Nervous bundle of mess on the inside!

No longer traveling alone! *EXHALE* I'm going to be fine.

We'd just received the same text message
from Verizon.
"You've used up 90% of your 12 gigs."
The next cycle is 2 weeks! W...T...F??!

Learning about spirituality and Buddhism.

Yes, culture!

I can make the same thing out of red bell peppers.

Most beautiful smile!! =)

Learning art and culture.

Taking in the landscapes.

The food.

The food, part II.

Wildlife? That looks like a pretty pampered
and domesticated animal to me!

This is not the last of the photos. She's still in Thailand and I have enough for part II and part III, so stay tuned if you'd like to see more of Thailand and Chelsey's adventures abroad!

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