Skype.......

Skype, MSN, Facebook and other places that have video chat - to me, are fantastic!
Internet is more affordable than long distance calls...and if the other person isn't there- no big deal!  You didn't waste anything more than time.
Internet chatting with a web cam is fabulous for a variety of reasons:

• You can have a very long-distance interview! (Even celebrities do it!)
• You can meet new people!
• You can be at the event without being there in person (if you're un-able to make it or you're ill) - like a Baptism party (my friends have done it) or other private ceremony.
• You have a business meeting of sorts...
• You can see the other person(s) - which is nice because you can't do that on a phone really...some phones you can - and I'm sure in the future it's possible to have video phones....
• You can teach things via webcam!
• You can craft or work together via internet video chatting (I am planning a card-kit exchange with a friend and we'll do the card kits together and open them together via Skype!! I'm so excited!)...think literally "stitch and bitch" just many countries apart!

Now we get to the point of this post...

There's a mall in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) that now offers Skype with Santa.

You can meet him and see him and his elves hard at work in the North Pole (a Finn would scream "LAPLAND!!!!" right about now) via a huge TV screen.  Lovely.

NOT.

How do you get your photo taken with him??
How do you whisper your deepest secrets and wishes into his ear via Skype?!

How does your child, who's been gathering courage and a list a mile long for about 360/365 days of the year SIT ON HIS LAP?!


I can understand from Santa's point of view some things like:

• His lap gets pretty sore from all kinds of children of various sizes sitting on him all day long for a month and a half... or so...
• His ears ringing with screams of babies and children....
• His face hurting when children yank on his facial hair or beard to see if it's real....
• His face hurting from smiling all day...
• His fear of having a child who might recognize him and wrecking it for their friends and other people in line....
• His worries of getting sick from one of those kids who dragged their parents to see him and having to go to work the next day anyway - because that's what pays the bills...and let's face it - Santa has to shop too you know!
• His need to use the bathroom or eat when there's a massive line up of kids dying to see him...

But SKYPE WITH SANTA?! Seriously?!

(Some parents were interviewed in the above clip and I agree with them...it takes the fun and magic out of Christmas if your kid has to Skype Santa...and I'm thinking  - what happens when they get home and see that blue button with a white "S" on the computer screen (or your cell phone)...they'll be wanting to call Santa 24/7!  But for the parent who complained that she came to Toronto and was mad about the Skyping Santa bit...listen lady.  I'm pretty sure you're IN Toronto and that Toronto has at least 3 other malls with real-live-in-person Santas available for your kid to sit on....okay I'm done.)