#GBE2: Slippery Slope

Would you say, "Yes" to a friend invite from a stranger who looks like this?

Let me rephrase the question, if you hadn't been married since before this kid was born . . . would you?

My daughter got the random invite, but she told handsome, "No" because after a reverse google search (however you do that), she found the photo to be a fake. When I google searched the name of the person seeking new friends, I found the photo below.

I have a feeling this is not the guy looking to hook up with young college girls, but I may be wrong. 

Yep. My daughter went down the slippery slope of engaging in conversation with a stranger on the internet. Of course, I've met all of you blog visitors personally, right? At least that's what I'd like to tell my kid. Anyway, she's definitely mine. Here is a transcript of her conversation with the stranger.

1:51am Erica: Hi Jack! I just wanted to say that whoever you are that you should not hide it. Embrace yourself and actually use a real account instead of creating a fake one. Hopefully you will learn to have better self esteem in the future. I wish you the best of luck in life! -Erica

2:02am Jack: how do you know that's actually not me

2:03am Erica: You just changed the picture. But I did a reverse image search because the profile picture looked unreal.

2:06am Jack: you shouldnt care that much

2:08am Erica: well you shouldn't friend people that you don't actually know.

2:08am Jack: well you should just ignore it

2:09am Erica: I did. notice that we are not actually friends.

2:09am Jack: but you are talking to me so that is not ignoring but okay

2:10am Erica: yea you do make a fantastic point but at the same time I am distracting myself from doing homework and trying to teach a stranger a valuable lesson so I feel that it is a win win for me.

2:11am Jack: thanks mom. you shouldnt put your nose in other peoples sh*t. and do your homework. its important

2:12am Erica: Well thanks for trying to teach me a valuable lesson as well! Now why don't you go back to creepily friending people that you don't know. It was a pleasure talking to you. And by friending me you made it my business btw! Good night!

2:12am Jack: nice chattin with ya

2:13am Erica: Nice chatting with you as well!

I think he chatted with her just to see her beautiful face over and over again. Below is my response to her after she shared the chat and hoped I wasn't mad at her for making a blog worthy post with a stranger:

• Joyce:  Quit stalling with the homework.
  
  Notice the time stamp on the conversation. Yep, proof! It was definitely the older gentleman in the second picture. 
  
  BTW, is it weird to want to correct the spelling, grammar, and capitalization of her conversation before posting? I left it as is, however, I did edit the curse word. :)

#GBE2: Stranger

From Bush 41
 parachuting?

This week's GBE2 topic Stranger made me think of our local newspaper.  

The Commercial Appeal posts many strange stories, like the  article about Bush Senior parachuting out of an airplane on his eightieth birthday. Next to the article was a photo similar to the one above with the headline: The Aftermath! Apparently that wasn't stranger than other photos because Jay Leno never used it for headline news. So, in order to find something stranger, I searched the internet for bizarre news stories. Are they any "stranger" than what I found in the Commercial Appeal?

Man robs a Dollar General and post pictures on Facebook with his loot. Or maybe the story about a hiker who was attacked by a lion and was then saved by a bear that loosened its grip. I read another story about a man who lived with a bullet in his head for ninety-five years. Hmm. All these weird stories involve the male gender.

So tell me, did I successfully cover the GBE2 topic of "Stranger?" Oh, stranger. You meant someone I don't know! 

:p

Writer's Post: Celebrate Seeson & Seedaughter

It's December, which means one more week of controlling overly excited grade schoolers who don't wholeheartedly believe in that jolly dude wearing a color that only makes him look fatter. Maybe St. Nicholas should switch his costume to black, since it's slenderizing.    

See how slender Santa looks in black!

The fat guy has been down our chimney once in twenty plus years. He dropped off three Christmas gifts that were addressed to kids with names we didn't recognize. Since we didn't know who these kids were, where to find them, or how to get in touch with the fat man, our kids kept the presents. I hope that was okay.

Santa doesn't celebrate at our house because we're Jewish. Someone once asked how we explained to our kids that Santa is anti-Semitic. However, the kids never saw it that way because we have our own celebration-- Hannukkah, Hanuka, Channakkah, Chanukah. No one knows how to spell it, and many don't know how to pronounce it either.

It's not too different from the other Jewish holidays: They tried to kill us. We survived. Let's eat. Chanukkah also means gift giving. My daughter sent me the following e-mail, which I posted on my Facebook page.

 Subject: if someone needs a hanukkah gift for me....

Vintage Sterling Silver Necklace Gold Charm by GiRLStreetVintage

www.etsy.com

In response, my other daughter sent me the following message:

If someone needs a hannukkah gift for me......
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13740099/ns/business-small_business/t/sale-hot-red-ferrari-seller-included/

Notice they each spelled the holiday in a different way.

When it comes to the holidays, I'm happy to see my kids! After all, it's the seeson... and seedaughter! Here's Adam Sandler's take on our holiday.

Wilberfoss #AtoZ

No. My son's name is not really Wilberfoss. At least that's not the name we gave him at birth.

Not his Birth Name/ Not his Actual Photo

It all started when Facebook circulated a "Rate Your Parents" app that was good for a few laughs. By clicking the allow button, Facebook would analyze your name, tally how many folks from the year you were born were given the same name, and give your parents a score (A-F) on how creative they were in the naming process. So Daniel, the child with the eighth most popular name from the year he was born, decided to rate his parents, AKA us.

Next I knew, he participated then sent me a Facebook message, "Mama! You got an F."

I replied, "Studies show that kids with more common names are better accepted in society."

"Studies show you got an F."

Fine. Daniel wants a creative name, I'd find him one. I searched name sites to see what I could discover. Then I added my own unique twist to the name "Wilbur." Viola, Wilberfoss!

"You want a creative name. Okay, son. From now on your name is Wilberfoss."

Daniel, err Wilberfoss, changed his Facebook name and we received an A+! All would be great except Facebook refused to allow him to change his name back to Daniel. So, almost two years later, my son is still named Wilberfoss. Even some of his friends have started to call him by that A+ name.

That should teach him to complain.

Tune in tomorrow for the letter X. Now what am I supposed to do with the letter X?