March 11, 2013

The Friday Cat Blogging Origin Story—Part 2

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The origin story of Friday Cat Blogging is a three-part epic. Four days ago was the 10th anniversary of Part 1: the day I first posted a picture of one of my cats. Today is the 10th anniversary of Part 2: the day I first posted pictures of both of my cats and promised to do more of this in the future. “Thanks to the miracle of digital photography,” I explained, “I can take literally endless pictures of my cats and it costs me absolutely nothing. You, of course, are the beneficiaries of this technological wizardry.”

And it’s true: you have been the beneficiaries of endless cat blogging ever since. Still, this isn’t yet Friday Cat Blogging, merely a promise to post more pictures of cats. The 10th anniversary of that fateful decision comes on Thursday. You are all atingle over this, aren’t you?

NOTE: Yes, the 10th anniversary of Friday Cat Blogging comes on a Thursday. It’s annoying. But what can you do?

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DECEMBER IS MAKE OR BREAK

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With only days left until December 31, we've raised about half of our $400,000 goal—but we need a huge surge in reader support to close the remaining gap. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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