Debbie Goldsmith @dgoldsmith@mastodon.social

"Can you find north without stars?" Liot asked.
Rumf tilted his head.
"Mrm!"
"Great! Let's go find out what's going on."
#AdvenTale 6/25

I am forced to conclude that abusing children is how you get rich and/or job security.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/06/its-good-to-be-the-cia-or-rich/

Do your job when it matters, journalists, don't wait to beat your breasts when it's too late.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/06/it-took-journalists-this-long-to-figure-that-out/

"I've been thinking," the princess said.
The dragon looked at the piles of books borrowed from her hoard. "Yes?"
"I've had a privileged life."
"Yes, you have."
"I haven't done anything good."
"Hm. Go on."
"Have I earned love?"
The dragon kissed her.
"It's not a transaction."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

Could it be clouds? There had not been any before sunset. Liot stared at the dark sky, and saw a star fall in the north.
#AdvenTale 5/25

The knob proves that she is a knob.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/05/how-stupid-can-a-congressperson-be/

I can laugh at TERFs because they're not after me personally.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/04/its-been-terf-time/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd4tDYHUBg0

The dog was looking at the sky. Only a few faint stars could be seen. The bright ones, even the North star, were all gone.
#AdvenTale 4/25

The torch flickered and faltered in the wind.
"We'd better go," Liot sighed. "We won't see much by starlight."
Rumf whined.
#AdvenTale 3/25

Joel Obscene sure sucks in a lot of cash.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/03/who-was-the-thief-here/

"How did you find us? Radio?"
"Radio dissipates," the alien ambassador said, "telepathy doesn't."
"You heard our thoughts?"
"When enough of you focus on the same words, with passion, we sense it."
"So a prayer or anthem?"
"We don't know. It begins with: 'Is this the real life?'."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

His augmented reality specs scanned and tagged everyone at the reception. Not that he needed their names - they were all celebrities - but correct form of address was a different matter.
"Isn't she a 'your richness'?" he muttered.
"It's 'your wealthiness', after her latest deal."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

After a while, Rumf, his father's large dog, came to join him.
"Hrrmpf?"
"I don't know," Liot said. "He should be back now."
#AdvenTale 2/25

So many failings by the Democratic party, and I didn't even mention their tepid response to COVID-19 or their abandonment of American labor.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/02/despair/

In the early evening, just after sunset, Liot lit a torch on the hearth and went to the pier.
He waited, but no ship came.
#AdvenTale 1/25

** The 2021 #AdvenTale starts now. A Christmas story in 25 short (half-tweet, because I started this tradition long before we got 280 characters over there) episodes, posted daily at 5pm GMT. (With any luck - I've only just started writing it.) **

Sorry, bros, I will definitely hang you out to dry if you do unethical shit.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/01/sorry-fam-count-me-out/

It's OK, Satan, I'm willing to abide by the contract as intended.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/12/01/i-do-make-a-pretty-good-soup/