Haiku: Summer Vacation

May 26, 2012 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette

The hot summer wind

Blows through the empty campus

He feels young again

*****

Hello, everyone!  It’s the Old Soldier here feeling nostalgic after a nice long walk earlier this afternoon through the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

The campus was like a ghost town.  Well, school is out for the summer and it is Saturday and it is the Memorial Day weekend.  And Memorial Day brings back memories, too, for the Old Soldier, of a nineteen-year-old kid on his way to the Vietnam War.

English: University of Pittsburgh. Cathedral o...

English: University of Pittsburgh. Cathedral of Learning in the background (center, Heinz Memorial Chapel to the left). This photo is edited from the original by Piotrus. Original photo available here: :Image:University of Pittsburgh tablet.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But that’s all behind me.  Now I’m retired and the editor/publisher of the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette.  And if you like my little blog, why don’t you click the follow button so that you won’t miss a single issue of the most dynamic flash fiction magazine on the Internet.

Read.  Study.  Write.  Submit.

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Pepsi Wild Cherry, A Fish Fry And Rent Rebates For Seniors

February 23, 2012 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette

It’s not even 8:00 AM in Pittsburgh and the Old Soldier is already on duty.  Hello hello hello my brother and sister bloggers, readers, writers and Flash Fiction Fanatics.

This morning the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette had over 5,300 hits as it closes in on its target of 6,000 hits for February.  The Old Soldier has Pepsi Wild Cherry and cans of an energy drink in the refrigerator and a package of fish fillets thawing out in the sink.

I have to go across the street to the CVS to get some extra virgin olive oil, but once I fix myself a hearty fish sandwich it’s off to the Senior Citizens Center in Lawrenceville to pick up the Pennsylvania Property Tax or Rent Rebate Program form for 2011.

That will be a nice long walk, but the high will be in the 50s with off and on sunshine.  So I picked a good day for some outside maneuvers.

This is the Old Soldier reporting from Oakland near the main campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

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35 Cent Wings, Rent Rebates For Seniors And More

January 16, 2012 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette

The Old Soldier has drawn up a new plan of attack to get a rent rebate.  Citizens who are at least 65 years old are eligible for a rent rebate in the State of Pennsylvania.  The Old Soldier tried to get a form to apply for the rebate from the nearest Senior Citizens Center last week but when he arrived at the address the building was being torn down.

Plan B: I found out about another Senior Citizens Center which is a few blocks beyond the old center.  It is also a few blocks beyond Del’s Bar and Italian Restaurant in Bloomfield (Little Italy).  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Del’s has a wings special.  And tomorrow the high will be around 47 with the possibility of scattered showers.

Tomorrow seems to be a good time to take a nice long walk, have some wings and to get the form that I need for a rent rebate, too.

****

Seeds of Lima beans during a seed quality insp...

Image via Wikipedia

The Old Soldier had a good weekend.  He sung karaoke at Sonny’s Tavern and Del’s.  He cooked up a crock pot of lima beans and ham hocks and he published the flash fiction story “Waiting On The Riverbank” by Susan Dale.

 

You can’t beat that with a stick!

Keep reading and keep writing that flash fiction and send me something.  This is the Old Soldier reporting from Pittsburgh near the main campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

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Hot New Flash Fiction Story On The Front Page

January 11, 2012 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette

The Old Soldier has done enough celebrating because of his new-found financial stability built on Social Security, a pension from Giant Eagle and a new pension from the Veterans Administration.  Now it’s time to live within a budget and to get back to a productive blogging routine.

How’s everyone doing?

It’s around 9:30 AM in Pittsburgh.  I’m making out checks for bills, balancing my check book, drinking a few beers and blogging.  Don’t worry.  The Old Soldier has everything under control.

The high will be in the 40s today in Pittsburgh.  And right now there is plenty of sunshine pouring through my windows.  I’m going to go for a nice walk down to the public library near the campus of the University of Pittsburgh and renew two books, one book on the life of Otto von Bismarck and the other on Hunter S. Thompson.  Then I’ll come back to do some serious blogging.

*****

A couple of days ago, the Old Soldier finally got the monkey off his back for a month or two.  I wrote a completely new flash fiction short story and stuck it to the Front Page of the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette.  I’ve been tinkering with the story for the past two days; but I think it is now in its final form.  If you read an earlier version, go back and read it now.  It is definitely a better story.

The story is not for everyone.  It contains explicit sex; but it is an excellent example of Compressionism, the “show don’t tell” method of writing that uses words to paint a picture that tells a story.  If you are not on the Front Page go to the Front Page and check it out.

The title is, “The $2,000 Payday”.

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Serious Writing, Brazen Sexuality And Over 4,000 Hits

December 21, 2011 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette

It’s official.  As of this morning the Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette has received 4,037 visits for this month and it’s just December 21.  You can’t beat that with a stick!  Not bad for a little niche blog.

And the Old Soldier has come up with a new slogan to describe why people are reading this magazine: serious writing and brazen sexuality.  This does not mean that this magazine is for everyone.  It just means that it’s for people who enjoy serious writing and brazen sexuality.

*****

Hello hello hello, all my brother and sister bloggers, readers, writers and my Flash Fiction Fanatics.  The Old Soldier is in an excellent mood.  I hope all of you are doing well.  My computer is downloading updates which means it’s running slow.  Very frustrating.  So I think I’ll just get this post up, do my breathing and stretching exercises, take a nice hot shower, get dressed and take a nice walk to the public library down by the campus of the University of Pittsburgh and return my books by Anais Nin and maybe pick up something else to read.  (That last sentence is called a run-on sentence and one should not write run-on sentences unless one knows one is writing one.)  It’s just 11:00 AM.  Maybe by the time I get back the updates will all be downloaded and I can get back to blogging.

A light rain is falling but the temperature is supposed to be in the 50s, strange weather for Pittsburgh on the last day of Autumn.

Here’s another one of the Old Soldier’s favorite sayings: Read.  Study.  Write.

*****

The flash fiction Submissions tab is at the top of the page.  Send me something and let’s see if we can’t get you published in the most dynamic flash fiction publication on the internet.

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Inspiration: Searching For A Good Short Story Idea

September 24, 2011 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette
The Miller Gallery is located in the Purnell C...

Image via Wikipedia

The Old Soldier just came back from a walk in the neighborhood.  I walked down to the campus of Carnegie Mellon University.  It is a partly sunny, mild Autumn afternoon.  There were students walking about.  I stood in front of Warner Hall and looked around campus.  Some students threw a frisbee back and forth and on the arch of a building was a banner declaring: Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

There was a self-service newspaper stand with some issues of the student newspaper from the University of Pittsburgh.  So I got a copy thinking that something inside might give me an idea for a flash fiction short story.

When I got back to my apartment I scanned the paper and nothing triggered an idea.  So, I stretched out on the sofa with a couple of pillows behind my head and I watched Major League Baseball on television while munching on cold ham, hot peppers, green pepper, crackers and sipping on an energy herbal tonic drink in a can.

I’m still waiting for inspiration.

*****

Keep reading and writing that flash fiction.  And take a moment to make a donation to this site.  The donation button is at the top of the page.  Than you.

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Out And About The Neighborhood

September 21, 2011 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette
University of Pittsburgh, Forbes Avenue

Image by harry_nl via Flickr

The Old Soldier just came in from a long walk.  So far it is a beautiful, sunny day in the City of Pittsburgh.  The high will be in the mid 70s.  The Old Soldier kept his eyes and ears opened as he walked down to the intersection of South Craig and Forbes Avenue to pick up the City Paper and then he went on to walk around the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

Lots of students were out and about.  My neighborhood has often been called the cultural center of the city.  There are four or five universities in the neighborhood and the Carnegie Institute (Museum of Natural History and Museum of Art) is in the neighborhood just to mention a few things that the area has to offer.

Anyway, I strolled about soaking up the sights and the sounds.  Now I’m back in my apartment blogging away, wondering if I’m going to get together with my brother Lloyd today who is in from California because our mother was in the hospital and wondering if I will find the courage to make a phone call to find out if I can get another deferment or a forbearance on my student loan.  But it’s early afternoon and the day has started off well.

Keep reading and keep writing that flash fiction.  And if you are a writer, why don’t you send me something?  The Anything Goes tab at the top of the page is for non-fiction and the Submissions tab is for flash fiction.

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My Memory Of 9/11

September 4, 2011 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette
Cathedral of Learning

Image via Wikipedia

The Old Soldier slept on the sofa again last night.  I guess I’m going through a phase.  I wonder what it means.

I stopped in at Del’s Bar and Italian Restaurant yesterday.  Rick and Dianne were there.  They are probably the only people who I can claim as friends.  I have a lot of acquaintances, but no real friends.

So, this morning I’m stretched out on the sofa, sipping on a can of beer and wondering what I’m going to blog about.

On 9/11 I was a 54-year-old undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh.  I left my apartment and started walking to school.  I thought it seemed odd that there was an obvious flow of students away from campus.

Of course, there were no classes that day and I ended up in a packed bar, mainly of students much younger than I was, and I watched the planes on the televisions fly into the Twin Towers over and over and over and over and over and over…

As a Vietnam War veteran, I remember feeling responsible for the military not protecting the country.

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Welcome Back Carnegie Mellon And Pitt Students

August 22, 2011 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette
Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh

Image by szeke via Flickr

That greeting includes freshmen, too.  Actually, the Old Soldier doesn’t know exactly when school begins again on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, but if it hasn’t already started it’s got to be close.  I know CMU is back.

I hope everyone likes the new look of the blog.  I settled on a Home Page of 15 posts which will usually include commentaries, articles and two flash fiction stories.  If the stories are not new they are from the archives.  Oh, I almost forgot.  There will usually be at least three studies of the nude female form. 

You can’t beat that with a stick.

Yes, Hogan is my name and flash fiction is my game.  Keep reading and keep writing.  This is the Old Soldier blogging out of North Oakland.

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It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

July 6, 2011 — pittsburghflashfictiongazette
Pittsburgh18

Image via Wikipedia

The Old Soldier just came in from his walk.  It’s around 1:30 PM and man was it hot outside.  I walked down near the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.  There were a lot of people out, especially young people.  The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University are only a few blocks from my apartment.  And just to think that in 2006 I was a graduate student in the writing program at Pitt.  What good times.  I miss the academic life.

Well, so much for nostalgia.

Are you feeling nostalgic?  Why don’t you put that feeling in a flash fiction story and send it to me.  The submissions guidelines are at the top of the page.  I publish erotica, mainstream, literary and romance short stories.

Become a Guest Writer on the best flash fiction blog on the internet.  If you think I’m joking, look around at all this great content.  Be part of the excitement. 

Keep reading and keep writing.

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