Writing Forums dot com Is Down

Since writingforums.com is down (which leaves several thousand people temporarily displaced, myself included), and since I stumbled upon the site Writing Discussions: Forums for Writers (please see the link in my "Must Reads"), not to take away from other sites listed in my 'Must Reads' mind you, I thought I'd point Writing Discussions: Forums for Writers out as being another either temporary or perhaps permanent first or second (third, forth, twelfth) home.

Posted right at the top of Writing Discussions: Forums for Writers (in News & Announcements) is the topic "Writing Forums is Down..." by Selorian. That post reads as follows:

"It appears that writingforums.com is down. If you're a member there looking for someplace to hang out until the problem is resolved, feel free to sign up and use Writing Discussions.

"Abide by the same rules you would there and enjoy.

"I'll try to update the status of WF as the information becomes available to me."

Thank you so much for your kindness, Selorian. WD is truly a lovely writing forum, and one I'm proud to have joined.

Might I also recommend for the writingforums.com displaced another lovely writing forum called Literary Mary (please see the link in my "Must Reads"). There you'll find many familiar faces, an excellent staff, mad-skills talent and enough forums to satisfy any writer.

As for writingforums.com. No—I have no idea why it's down, nor can I guess when it'll be back up. Like Selorian, I'll also try to update the status of WF (here) as the information becomes available to me. Knock on wood it'll be up soon. Meanwhile, write on!

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To All...

Hugs, love and happiness,
Hawke

Christmas Song Quiz

Try to identify the carol from the clues. Some are pretty tricky! The answers are at the bottom... don't peek if you want to try it for yourself.








1. The apartment of 2 psychiatrists.
2. The lad is a diminutive percussionist.
3. Decorate the entry-ways .
4. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.
5. A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.
6. Present me naught but dual incisors for this festive Yuletide.
7. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.
8. Exuberation to this orb.
9. 288 Yuletide hours.
10. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs.
11. The red-suited pa is due in this burg.
12. Stepping on the pad cover.
13. Uncouth dolt has his beezer in the booze and thinks he is a Dark Cloud's boyfriend.
14. Far back in a hay bin.
15. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.
16. That exiguous hamlet south of the holy city.
17. Behold! I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.
18. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.
19. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.
20. As the guardians of little woolly animal's protected their charges in the shadows of the earth.
21. Frozen precipitation commence
22. Monarchial triad
23. Oh, member of the round table with missing areas
24. Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres
25. Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling
26. Wanted in December: top forward incisors
27. We are Kong, Lear, and Nat Cole
28. Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element
29. Oh small Israel urban center
30. Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your yuletide season
31. Parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster
32. May the Deity bestow an absence of fatigue to mild male humans
33. Natal celebration devoid of color, rather albino, as a hallucinatory phenomenon for me.
34. Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.
35. Tranquiltiy upon the terrestrial sphere.
36. Have hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief.

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And the answers are:

1. The Nutcracker Suite
2. Little Drummer Boy
3. Deck The Halls
4. Silent Night
5. Noel (No L)
6. All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
7. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
8. Joy To The World
9. 12 Days Of Christmas
10. Do You Hear What I Hear?
11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
12. Up On the Housetop
13. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
14. Away In A Manger
15. Go Tell It On The Mountain
16. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
17. I Saw Three Ships
18. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
19. Jingle Bells
20. As Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
21. Let It Snow
22. We Three Kings
23. O Holy Night
24. O Christmas Tree
25. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
26. All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth (again)
27. We Three Kings (again)
28. Silver Bells
29. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem (again)
30. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
31. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
32. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
33. I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas (or Walkin’ In a Winter Wonderland ?)
34. Frosty The Snowman
35. Peace On Earth
36. O Come All Ye Faithful

Christmas Video Chuckles

Since we’re doing the Christmas video thing (aren’t we?), I thought I’d post a couple of chuckles for you. I know I could sure use a good giggle at this time of year, but anyway...

Hope you enjoy.



And for my fellow Canadians...



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Traditions (Or How To Avoid Buying Into The Commercial Christmas) again

Thought I'd drag this one out of last year's mothballs, dust it off and repost it.


Can someone please tell me when we went from the true meaning and joy of Christmas, to commercialism and hype? When peace, love thy fellow man, “Merry Christmas” wishing, cease-firing (during wartime, no less), warm and fuzzy feelings and family and traditions were replaced with camping out in front of stores, fist fights in lineups, “Seasons Greetings” wishing (if we say anything at all) lest we offend someone, bitching each other out, paying double on e-bay, Christmas tree dismantling in airports, and walking over each other's dead bodies if necessary for a chance at that elusive, must-have-no-matter-what, whatever-the-hell-it-is piece of what’s-it at what-ever-the-hell price?

And after all that, after we've warmly and fuzzily beat some line-jumper nearly to death and/or drove ourselves into depression, the very kids we did it for (depending on their age, of course) will either play with said “must-have” once or twice and then play with the box or bow instead, or, if older, snub their noses at the (for example) $100 plus IPod as though you’ve just handed them slug guts in a box, utterly disgusted that you didn’t get them the $300 “black” number they only told you a bazillion times to get—the status symbol everyone has. Pul-ease.

And we do this... why?

The kids won’t remember everything they get (and from whom) this year, anymore than they remember everything they got (and from whom) last year.

Go ahead—ask them. I can wait.

What they will remember is the cat knocking over the Christmas tree. Or Grandpa taking out his dentures and making funny faces. Or Aunty Deb baking Nanaimo squares. Or the Christmas meal, in menu-like detail, including their first sip of wine. Or dad throwing everyone out of the kitchen to make his famous potato dressing. In other words, you can’t buy memories, but you can make them.

Gee, what a concept.

Christmas Sing-Along!

Ah, Christmas. Are your stockings hung, your credit cards maxed out, the mall's a madhouse, and you've decided you're gonna take up heavy drinking if you don’t find a good Christmas sing-along to pick up your spirits? Then you've come to the right place!

Oh come on. You know you wanna.

Enjoy.

It's That Time...