Posted in Uncategorized

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER

ImageThis used to be on once a Christmas season when I was a child, like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Frosty The Snowman, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Now it’s on many times a season, of course the season is now almost 3 months long. Also available on DVD, download, streamed, etc.

But there was something special in knowing it was only on one night a year. My parents would be on their way out to a Christmas party, in fancy clothes and smelling so good as they leaned down to kiss my brother and me good night. In theory we were supposed to be asleep when they got home. We had pizza made from the box mix, after all, it was a special occasion. We had pop which was rare threat. We made popcorn in the air popper with its special butter tray. My crazy cat would run and sit on the back on my Dad’s chair and beg for some of the melted butter. The fire was crackling. Or other nights with the same scene except my parents were home and we’d be laughing, joking around, watching the Christmas specials, it was fun because they only came on once a year. I wonder if our abundance or even overabundance has made things less special in some ways. christmas60

Rudolph, Santa’s 9th reindeer was a simple story of accepting others for their differences, embracing diversity. Rudolph was bullied for his differences until they realized different doesn’t mean bad. They added a few characters to this stop animation classic, adding to 1939 poem written by Robert L. May. And of course, The Island of Misfit Toys which was 2001 sorta sequel.

I hope Christmas can still have special moments for young and young at heart…christmas62

Posted in Books, Movies, Televison, Uncategorized

Bully For You

Hel-lo McFly! Apparently we now throw parties to celebrate people lying, cheating, slandering, and manipulating. We love it. We tell our children not to bully. However, we love it. Mixed messages, no, try diametrically opposed.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/08/14/bully-for-you/

  • Gordon Ramsey spewing out enough spittle to drown most of NY –  don’t yell at people.

  • Honey Boo Boo – don’t tease or call people names.

  • Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Fox News, and Sun News – don’t spread gossip, rumours, lies, false ‘news’, propaganda, BS, innuendo, and slander.

  • Apprentice – don’t backstab, lie, cheat, harass, intimidate.

  • Real Housewives – don’t hit, yell, lie, spread rumours, harass, and abuse.

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It’s embedded in our culture; all of society seems to feed off bullying. We pretend to value people, but really we value drama, electronics, money, power, and more drama.

Bullying is not only acceptable, it’s rewarded. This makes schools and social situations a developmentally deranged breeding ground of bullying.

As if the bullying in school wasn’t bad enough, now the latest tool – cyberbullying.  No sanctuary, no escape, and oh so public humiliation.

Bosses destroying you as you’re just trying to make a living; parents screaming, frothing, hurting instructors, coaches, teachers, refs, players, and other parents; governments with hate laws, calling citizens terrorists and radicals, lying, stealing, attacking – home isn’t even safe for some people.

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This isn’t good-natured teasing or joking around. The victims are traumatized and even kill themselves to get away.

Certain characters, TV shows, etc. were supposed to be extreme examples of people conducting themselves poorly.  Now aggressive images penetrate so deeply into children, adults and society in general that we can’t remember that so instead we worship that bad behaviour.

We cheer when contestants scheme, lie, and manipulate to win.  We buy products to emulate spoiled, narcissistic meanies.  We hold parties to celebrate bad guys.  Our own governments bully and cater to bullies. Then tell our children not to be bullies.  Can you see their confusion?  The ultimate do as I say, not as I do.

Ways to stop bullying. Puppet shows? Lectures? Selective policies? Non-enforced laws? Ummm, waste of time.

Here’s a simple way – stop promoting bullying as glamorous and cool.

Stop celebrating it.

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Stop electing it.

Stop buying it.

Stop showing it.

Most of all, stop watching it.