Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings…and 10 of the Best Social Hangouts

This is not the season to be talking, or writing, all ho-hum... not when there is always someone, or something to appreciate. I mean, like who was it that said the Internet was going to siphon jobs and turn our physical world into ghost towns? Because whoever said it was talking nothing but ho-hum, and way off balance I must add.

All-righty, hopefully no one got too wasted off that little lead-in, especially since it shouldn't be too challenging figuring out it used to be me talking like that way back in the day. Please excuse the impulsive outburst. It's just that balancing our physical world with a virtual world seemed important back then...like the way to go. I mean people kept telling me about plan, plan, plan. Well, it would've been nice to have experienced a smoother transition with the Internet as well.

But enough of that ho-hum talk when I have some appreciations to share for the great gift(s) the Internet has given us. Seriously, forget having to gas up the car, or how about running out of gas, or buying a new dress, or hat, or worrying about such frivolous issues as not enjoying yourself, or no one laughing at all of your jokes when there are these virtual social hangouts to appreciate. (According to my preferences and opinions).

  

In no particular order, CNN is the place to catch around the clock, around the world news. It's not always the best news, and maybe not even the most accurate, but it does keep a pulse on happenings we couldn't get to if we had the fastest odometer ever built.

You Tube is your rock concert smack-dab in the center of your living room. No more long lines shoving and pushing waiting on those will-call tickets, or trying to get in and out of the building. You can even rewind parts of the concert you missed, and of course, fast-forward by the uninteresting parts.

Meetup is the real social outfitter, the place to be for anyone who enjoys adding a physical touch to what the virtual atmosphere provides. Now, I must warn, a penchant for physical type interactions can be involved, which means you may have to gas up the vehicle, get dressed, shave, bathe...you know, do the whole nine yards if you expect to get any fulfillment out of the network.

Goodreads is where you go for the meatiest social exchange on dialogues at every level possible on book-reading. From reading challenges, and dares...to popularizing famous author quotes, and so much more in between, book activists on any rung in the book crusade can join in and find a discussion thread to mellow into and feel right at home.

   

LinkedIn, at least initially (or last I checked), is a little more upscale, or should I venture out and say, a lot more serious than most networking hangouts. You don’t have to worry about hosiery, or making sure your shoes go with your outfit, or whether your tie has a piece of your lunch on it, (at least not right away), but you might want to be on your best social behavior because here's where serious 'employment type' social connections can happen.

Book Blogs is great for aspiring writers to share their new work, ask questions, and meet readers, other authors, bloggers, and those invested in book communities.

Blog Sites is another great social outlet. There can't be one anything not covered in the blogosphere hemispheres of the world. You dream it up and plug it into Google's search engine, and you'll find a blogger blogging about it. 

She Writes is the place to be for the serious writer. And when I say serious, I'm speaking of writers of any age, background, or experience, which includes men as I have come across a few posting there, who are very passionate about writing.  

Yahoo! is a shade and grade off from CNN, and has a search engine not quite as robust as Google, but its homepage is another top hangout to catch around the clock, around 'your local community,' PLUS world news. 

  

And though listed here last, Twitter is hardly last in harnessing the virtual social environment of our times. This is the spot that abridges all I've listed, plus more, to connect viewers with a world that you won't see if you just look out your window. And that's no matter how wide you open your eyes.

My Christmas wish to all is that we remember to count our blessings, 
and stay blessed.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Season's Greetings