2013- we hardly knew ye

2014 starts with me taking a few minutes off to write a blog post, when i should be finishing a conference paper for the Canadian Game Studies Association. I'm in year two of my doctoral studies, and can finally begin to define myself as a Philosopher who studies the aesthetics of digital games and the ontology of play.

The family are doing well, with the boy growing like a weed. The missus is still managing a research group at the MUHC and studying to specialise in human resource management. yes, kiddies, school never stops, training is the new normal. Its generally the fastest way to acquire new skills as the world changes.

What got me writing this morning was the elf-on-a-shelf phenomenon, which is a cute pseudo-tradition that supports a cynical marketing ploy. My wife and I amused ourselves with fun ways to subvert this. Don't buy the elves, make your own. Create stories about hiring unemployed elves that are looking for work after Santa moved his workshop off shore. Have your elf-on-a-shelf engage in anti-social, irresponsible or inappropriate behavior as he vies to become the NSA's "snitch of the year".