’Tis once more the season, and I’m downing tools for the holidays. Except that I plan to have a new story up Thursday, so hope and watch for that Christmas miracle.
Catsignal will be back the first full week of 2014. Have a merry or blessed holiday or holidays of your choice.
Today, cuts take effect that slash the amount of help more than 47 million needy Americans receive in nutritional assistance each month. The Congress, in its finite wisdom, is debating how much more to cut: The Democrats want to cut only “some,” and the Republicans want to cut through the bone and out the other side.
This is the real-world scenario that yesterday’s story is allegory to.
I’ll leave it to you to make the connections and will say nothing further save this: If our government accurately reflects who we are as a people, then we are a heartless, amoral bunch of bastards.
As you can see, I’ve jumped the gun for Catsignal’s fifth anniversary (March 23) and have already given it a spiffy new suit of clothing. I hope you like it; I like that it doesn’t look like every other site on the WWW.
Even if I never did another thing, there’s a lot to read here. Over these five years, I have built quite a collection of haiku, short stories, articles, and flash fiction. I not-so-humbly think this makes me a small publisher of some note. That is why I have added the patronage link (or “tip jar,” as it is commonly called) in the sidebar. If you enjoy what you read here, your show of financial support would be most appreciated, and it will help keep all the stuff you like to read coming. (Yeah, I’ve seen a PBS pledge drive or two in my day.)
Another way to show your interest in this site is to comment. I’d love to know what you think about the poems and stories I write.
As always, thank you for reading Catsignal.
Catsignal is taking its usual holiday hiatus. We’ll be back the week of January 6, 2013. In the meanwhile, check out the archives. There are both Christmas and New Year’s stories here, in addition to everything else.
We’re doing things just a little differently this week. The haiku will be posted Friday rather than Tuesday, and the #quikfic will be posted Tuesday rather than Friday. There is a reason for this.
Also, there will be a new short story Thursday.
Catsignal is four years old today. Things have been a little lean this calendar year, but this is still very much a going concern. Thanks to those of you who stop by to read and enjoy and comment and critique. Invite a friend or two to join you; there’s plenty of room.
No story today, but an extra haiku for the week:
crow moon –
home again after
grandmother’s funeral
I know I sound like a broken record (for the young, this refers to a scratched vinyl disc on which music has been recorded, and the needle gets stuck in the same part of the groove rather than moving on to the rest of the song and record), but there’s no new story today.
Here’s the story from Catsignal’s first March. Enjoy it again.
Sorry, friends. Nothing new today. It’s been one of those weeks.
Try this one on for size, from Catsignal’s first February, whether it’s the first read or a subsequent one.
Spoilers below. Please read the story first.