Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
If we do, we'll be sure to retire to a safe distance ...
If we do, we'll be sure to retire to a safe distance ...
Discussing the Writing Challenges -- November and December 2010
- Thread starter Teresa Edgerton
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Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Is Mouse furnished with blue touch paper?
Actually, knowing her propensities, the "blue" part is probably a given...
Is Mouse furnished with blue touch paper?
Actually, knowing her propensities, the "blue" part is probably a given...
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
I left England before trick or treating became popular there, and it tried for a few years to gain a foothold here, then fizzled out against soupe à la courge (traditionally eaten out of the pumpkin shell, so you can't go around cutting faces into them, and the stuff is thick enough the candles don't work too well either), and Calvin. I've never been in the States at this time of year (though close enough to see the witch-disrupted stores), so I've missed out on the tradition.
Here in Geneva, the speciality ( couple of weeks later is "escalade" – a sort of fusion of halloween with carol singing, but (being good little Swiss) they expect cold cash rather than warm cookies. You can be beset by five or six small bands in the course of a walk, who will each sing one verse of an ancient song in an incomprehensible dialect, celebrating the fact that when the King of Savoie (or was he a duke at that time? No matter) was besieging the walled city, his men were driven back by hot soup. That's French culinary snobbery for you.
I left England before trick or treating became popular there, and it tried for a few years to gain a foothold here, then fizzled out against soupe à la courge (traditionally eaten out of the pumpkin shell, so you can't go around cutting faces into them, and the stuff is thick enough the candles don't work too well either), and Calvin. I've never been in the States at this time of year (though close enough to see the witch-disrupted stores), so I've missed out on the tradition.
Here in Geneva, the speciality ( couple of weeks later is "escalade" – a sort of fusion of halloween with carol singing, but (being good little Swiss) they expect cold cash rather than warm cookies. You can be beset by five or six small bands in the course of a walk, who will each sing one verse of an ancient song in an incomprehensible dialect, celebrating the fact that when the King of Savoie (or was he a duke at that time? No matter) was besieging the walled city, his men were driven back by hot soup. That's French culinary snobbery for you.
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Did they throw it at him, a la burning oil, or make him eat it?
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Right, I'm not good at this battle stuff but, according to legend, La mère Royame served her soup to the visiting soldiers complete with cauldron, which was a bit hard to chew. See Geneva Escalade
Means you now tell your kids; don't waste that good, nourishing soup; go and throw it at a Frenchman (Savoyards are now officially French, though they don't like it much.)
Right, I'm not good at this battle stuff but, according to legend, La mère Royame served her soup to the visiting soldiers complete with cauldron, which was a bit hard to chew. See Geneva Escalade
Means you now tell your kids; don't waste that good, nourishing soup; go and throw it at a Frenchman (Savoyards are now officially French, though they don't like it much.)
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
* Doubts if vegetable soup is the Savoy Hotel's signature dish. *
And marmite...?
Who'd've thunk it....
* Doubts if vegetable soup is the Savoy Hotel's signature dish. *
And marmite...?
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
That's right; marmite here is a cooking pot (except for the chocolate marmite which the youngest smashes, declaiming "And so perish the enemies of the republic." (the trend started before Geneva was part of the confederation.
A pressure cooker is a "marmite à vapeur", a steam marmite, with the accent on the peur.
You often wondered what they spread on dwarf bread, didn't you?
That's right; marmite here is a cooking pot (except for the chocolate marmite which the youngest smashes, declaiming "And so perish the enemies of the republic." (the trend started before Geneva was part of the confederation.
A pressure cooker is a "marmite à vapeur", a steam marmite, with the accent on the peur.
You often wondered what they spread on dwarf bread, didn't you?
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Must be a Midwestern thing, because they don't do that here. When I was a little girl, some of the older kids would spray some whip cream around and scribble a little graffiti on sidewalks or walls with chalk. By the time I was older, that was passé. Besides, there are too many people on the streets, too many witnesses, to allow anyone to think they could get away with any mischief. When my father was a boy, they used to tip over outhouses, which does sound like malicious mischief ... but that was in Missouri, which, again, made it not a West Coast thing.
As for drinking too much, around here (after New Years) that would be Saint Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo.
Perhaps if I lived where you do, Parson, I would think unkindly of Halloween, too, but around here it is a time for little children, for dressing up, and for mildly spooky fun. I still remember fondly the Halloween parties we had at our house when I was a little girl: bobbing for apples (that's considered too dangerous now), parlor games, and my older brother and sister playing spin-the-bottle with their friends. What an innocent time that was, when teenagers could still blush while exchanging a chaste kiss before a room full of witnesses!
Must be a Midwestern thing, because they don't do that here. When I was a little girl, some of the older kids would spray some whip cream around and scribble a little graffiti on sidewalks or walls with chalk. By the time I was older, that was passé. Besides, there are too many people on the streets, too many witnesses, to allow anyone to think they could get away with any mischief. When my father was a boy, they used to tip over outhouses, which does sound like malicious mischief ... but that was in Missouri, which, again, made it not a West Coast thing.
As for drinking too much, around here (after New Years) that would be Saint Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo.
Perhaps if I lived where you do, Parson, I would think unkindly of Halloween, too, but around here it is a time for little children, for dressing up, and for mildly spooky fun. I still remember fondly the Halloween parties we had at our house when I was a little girl: bobbing for apples (that's considered too dangerous now), parlor games, and my older brother and sister playing spin-the-bottle with their friends. What an innocent time that was, when teenagers could still blush while exchanging a chaste kiss before a room full of witnesses!
Precise Calibre
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Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
I would never use Detroit as the epitome of purity on the most bland of days. Just because "Devil's Night" gave people an "out" to do what they want to do on any other day doesn't mean anything against the holiday itself. It just means that those people are simpleminded insects who cannot use common sense or decency.
A similar occurrence took place when they (foolishly) allowed people in Philadelphia to celebrate Mardis Gras... yeah they're not allowed to do that anymore, if you catch my meaning. Doesn't mean that MArdis Gras is bad. The people are....
I grow weary of idiots with their inner city mentality ruining what your average logical person would be able to enjoy without so much as knocking over a chair. The festival of the harvest, demonized by christian influences and imbeciles with war in their guts... what a sad fate for such an ancient tradition.
I would never use Detroit as the epitome of purity on the most bland of days. Just because "Devil's Night" gave people an "out" to do what they want to do on any other day doesn't mean anything against the holiday itself. It just means that those people are simpleminded insects who cannot use common sense or decency.
A similar occurrence took place when they (foolishly) allowed people in Philadelphia to celebrate Mardis Gras... yeah they're not allowed to do that anymore, if you catch my meaning. Doesn't mean that MArdis Gras is bad. The people are....
I grow weary of idiots with their inner city mentality ruining what your average logical person would be able to enjoy without so much as knocking over a chair. The festival of the harvest, demonized by christian influences and imbeciles with war in their guts... what a sad fate for such an ancient tradition.
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
I looked for the statistic I heard/read and could not find it easily. I did find several localities including some West Coast Ones which talked about cracking down on drinking during Halloween.
Ah, blushing, I remember mentioning to my wife a year or two ago when a country song talked about a young wife blushing at a speaking a profanity, and I said "I would love to see someone blush at something like that again. I can't remember someone blushing for something like that in years." I think that we are too urbane to be embarrassed by some of the things which should embarrass us.
Precise Calibre wrote:
I looked for the statistic I heard/read and could not find it easily. I did find several localities including some West Coast Ones which talked about cracking down on drinking during Halloween.
Ah, blushing, I remember mentioning to my wife a year or two ago when a country song talked about a young wife blushing at a speaking a profanity, and I said "I would love to see someone blush at something like that again. I can't remember someone blushing for something like that in years." I think that we are too urbane to be embarrassed by some of the things which should embarrass us.
Precise Calibre wrote:
I would point out that every "pagan" religion in the West that I have any knowledge of sees Halloween a the or a chief festival in their year. So I don't think that the Christians should receive too much blame for "demonizing" the holiday. Also, as far as I am concerned "the festival of harvest" is without question Thanksgiving. A holiday that has almost been erased because of the insane commercialization of Christmas. If we could limit the feasting, and promote more of the giving of thanks to God and those who have been our aid during the past year what a wonderful festival that would be.
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
I think you must mean every Western pagan religion, as opposed to every pagan religion in the West, Parson. Because there are a lot of polytheistic Hindus around here who don't consider Halloween one of their festivals.
And PC, I think it would be nice if we could discuss these things without demonizing anyone, including Christians.
As for idiots who behave so irrationally that laws are changed, making it impossible for rational people to rationally enjoy a holiday celebration: One of the towns next door to the one where I live banned the sale of 4th of July fireworks, explaining their decision by saying that since they already had a big public display of fireworks every year at the park, everyone could just go to that. A few years later, they permanently cancelled the public celebration because it cost too much to police the event -- there were too many drunks who came to the park and behaved badly. It was a sort of bait and switch as far as I could see, because I rather doubt that the drunken revelers suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and were probably there all along. Anyway, the drunks made a good excuse.
I think you must mean every Western pagan religion, as opposed to every pagan religion in the West, Parson. Because there are a lot of polytheistic Hindus around here who don't consider Halloween one of their festivals.
And PC, I think it would be nice if we could discuss these things without demonizing anyone, including Christians.
As for idiots who behave so irrationally that laws are changed, making it impossible for rational people to rationally enjoy a holiday celebration: One of the towns next door to the one where I live banned the sale of 4th of July fireworks, explaining their decision by saying that since they already had a big public display of fireworks every year at the park, everyone could just go to that. A few years later, they permanently cancelled the public celebration because it cost too much to police the event -- there were too many drunks who came to the park and behaved badly. It was a sort of bait and switch as far as I could see, because I rather doubt that the drunken revelers suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and were probably there all along. Anyway, the drunks made a good excuse.
Karn Maeshalanadae
I'm a pineapple
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Oh, it sucks that there aren't anymore fireworks celebrations there, TE. We used to hold our own up here above your northern border, but we instead for the past two years have gone out to St. Helens where across the river Washington would hold a show for their southern citizens and our northern. Oregon bans most fireworks, but Washington has no bans and they throw a hell of a show. And where my family and I saw it, there was a tavern down the hill a ways from the spot, and they played nice music, in general it's just all good will and everything.
Though last year a rather funny incident happened, hehe. Some of our citizens in Oregon had their own fireworks, banned ones of course, and one of them lit off a rather nasty one just as a cop was turning the corner. Hehehe.
But back to the topic at hand, I think this is a popular month and we still have about two and a half weeks left. I think it might come close to record breaking and if not, we still have plenty of entries to choose from. Seph still stands high on my list, but I haven't gone through the entire round yet.
Oh, it sucks that there aren't anymore fireworks celebrations there, TE. We used to hold our own up here above your northern border, but we instead for the past two years have gone out to St. Helens where across the river Washington would hold a show for their southern citizens and our northern. Oregon bans most fireworks, but Washington has no bans and they throw a hell of a show. And where my family and I saw it, there was a tavern down the hill a ways from the spot, and they played nice music, in general it's just all good will and everything.
Though last year a rather funny incident happened, hehe. Some of our citizens in Oregon had their own fireworks, banned ones of course, and one of them lit off a rather nasty one just as a cop was turning the corner. Hehehe.
But back to the topic at hand, I think this is a popular month and we still have about two and a half weeks left. I think it might come close to record breaking and if not, we still have plenty of entries to choose from. Seph still stands high on my list, but I haven't gone through the entire round yet.
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Nothing major hidden this month, just a few puns (some more obvious than others**).
And at least no-one should be baffled about this month's story. I hope.
** - By the way, handy (or Handy) is the generic name given to mobile phones in Germany and Austria. It isn't (part of) a pun.
.
Nothing major hidden this month, just a few puns (some more obvious than others**).
And at least no-one should be baffled about this month's story. I hope.
** - By the way, handy (or Handy) is the generic name given to mobile phones in Germany and Austria. It isn't (part of) a pun.
.
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Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Ursa your reputation (probably not the right word) preceeds you.
I logged on to the Chrons, checked the Banks thread I started, then opened up the Workshop section and saw there was a new story in the 75 word comp thread. I literally groaned (although bearly audible) when I saw that the new story was Ursa's. Not because thought the story would be of low quality (far from it) It was a pre-pun groan. I hadn't even read it, my mind associates you so thoroughly with puns that I just have to read your name on a message and I start groaning. You should come with a warning!
I'm not even going to comment on the story which was typically punderful btw.
Ursa your reputation (probably not the right word) preceeds you.
I logged on to the Chrons, checked the Banks thread I started, then opened up the Workshop section and saw there was a new story in the 75 word comp thread. I literally groaned (although bearly audible) when I saw that the new story was Ursa's. Not because thought the story would be of low quality (far from it) It was a pre-pun groan. I hadn't even read it, my mind associates you so thoroughly with puns that I just have to read your name on a message and I start groaning. You should come with a warning!
I'm not even going to comment on the story which was typically punderful btw.
Precise Calibre
Storywright
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Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Thanksgiving - The holiday to celebrate the momentary togetherness with people we met randomly, who helped us survive a time of great struggle, and who we would later betray and all but destroy.
Sorry if I sounded like I was blaming Christians for anything specifically. What I mean by the phrases "demonized" is the fact that many people who profess to be good "Christians" (the ones who beat their wives and perform adultery, expecting to be forgiven the next Sunday) are the type of people who will take a holiday such as Halloween(in layman's terms) and term it "The Devil's Birthday" or some-such foolishness, being fully unaware that the adaptation of Samhain into "All Hallow's Eve" was a machination of the invading people from the south of Britain in an attempt to indoctrinate the local "pagans" ("savages") into their newfangled religion.
Nothing like taking in a people by mutating their customs to fit your doctrines, no?
Anyway I won't comment further on the subject, I know it's off topic. I'm waitn for some more entries to comment on.
Thanksgiving - The holiday to celebrate the momentary togetherness with people we met randomly, who helped us survive a time of great struggle, and who we would later betray and all but destroy.
Sorry if I sounded like I was blaming Christians for anything specifically. What I mean by the phrases "demonized" is the fact that many people who profess to be good "Christians" (the ones who beat their wives and perform adultery, expecting to be forgiven the next Sunday) are the type of people who will take a holiday such as Halloween(in layman's terms) and term it "The Devil's Birthday" or some-such foolishness, being fully unaware that the adaptation of Samhain into "All Hallow's Eve" was a machination of the invading people from the south of Britain in an attempt to indoctrinate the local "pagans" ("savages") into their newfangled religion.
Nothing like taking in a people by mutating their customs to fit your doctrines, no?
Anyway I won't comment further on the subject, I know it's off topic. I'm waitn for some more entries to comment on.
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Exactly what I meant to say TE. And for the record, I would not consider Hinduism to be a "Pagan" religion. I equate "pagan religion" with animism, and not polytheism.
Precise Calibre:
But we are again far afield in this thread, and in no small degree that's my fault. I will try to keep on theme. I'm off to read Punster Majors, latest entry.
Exactly what I meant to say TE. And for the record, I would not consider Hinduism to be a "Pagan" religion. I equate "pagan religion" with animism, and not polytheism.
Precise Calibre:
You do know that the main reason for the first Thanksgiving was to give thanks to God, and incidentally to the Amerindians.?
But we are again far afield in this thread, and in no small degree that's my fault. I will try to keep on theme. I'm off to read Punster Majors, latest entry.
Precise Calibre
Storywright
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Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
On the note Ursa's entry, I'm awaiting the release of the highly anticipated Tree Core Treat™ Dryad™.
On the note Ursa's entry, I'm awaiting the release of the highly anticipated Tree Core Treat™ Dryad™.
HoopyFrood
It's me! Hurrah!
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Ah, just seen this.
Yes, to clarify, the stories most definitely do not have to be restricted to Hallowe'en, and I hope people aren't purely viewing the theme as such. Sure, the theme can swing that way, but if it were to be just Hallowe'en, I would've picked that instead. Nope, anything to do with Tricking, Treating, Trick and Treating, or even some other crafty way of interpreting the theme.
Ah, but what if the bivalve stories are about tricksy or treating mollusks? Surely that would be fine!
Ah, just seen this.
Yes, to clarify, the stories most definitely do not have to be restricted to Hallowe'en, and I hope people aren't purely viewing the theme as such. Sure, the theme can swing that way, but if it were to be just Hallowe'en, I would've picked that instead. Nope, anything to do with Tricking, Treating, Trick and Treating, or even some other crafty way of interpreting the theme.
Ah, but what if the bivalve stories are about tricksy or treating mollusks? Surely that would be fine!
Re: Discussing the Writing Challenges -- September and October
Just had another, more careful, read through them all, and DA's really stood out for me. Chilling, clever, and very well crafted: a dead cert for my shortlist.
Still three previous winners to post, by my reckoning, plus several other of the usual suspects, so we can still expect some more tricksy treats.
Just had another, more careful, read through them all, and DA's really stood out for me. Chilling, clever, and very well crafted: a dead cert for my shortlist.
Still three previous winners to post, by my reckoning, plus several other of the usual suspects, so we can still expect some more tricksy treats.
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