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For Dragoneer
Posted a year agoI've only just learned of Dragoneer's untimely death. 44 is far too young, and it's a sin that anyone should die because health care is financially out of reach for anyone but the wealthy.
I didn't know Dragoneer, but I owe him a debt of gratitude, just by the sheer fact that anyone is even reading these words right now. FurAffinity may not be a huge part of my life anymore, but there was a time when I was here every single day, and so many good things that happened to me over the last 20 years might never have happened if this site hadn't been here.
FurAffinity has had and still has its drawbacks-- but the fact remains that for who knows how many thousands of people, this site has been the place where they've shared their artistic talents for the first time. Grown followings. Made friends. Fell in love. Gained confidence. Found themselves.
Felt less alone.
Thank you, Dragoneer. We never met, but you made a difference in my life all the same.
Rest in peace.
I didn't know Dragoneer, but I owe him a debt of gratitude, just by the sheer fact that anyone is even reading these words right now. FurAffinity may not be a huge part of my life anymore, but there was a time when I was here every single day, and so many good things that happened to me over the last 20 years might never have happened if this site hadn't been here.
FurAffinity has had and still has its drawbacks-- but the fact remains that for who knows how many thousands of people, this site has been the place where they've shared their artistic talents for the first time. Grown followings. Made friends. Fell in love. Gained confidence. Found themselves.
Felt less alone.
Thank you, Dragoneer. We never met, but you made a difference in my life all the same.
Rest in peace.
Bluesky invites available
Posted 2 years agoDon't know who's still looking for them, but I have a few Bluesky invitations to hand out to mutuals. Alt-right whack-jobs need not apply; all other whack-jobs considered.
Drop me a private note if you're interested.
Drop me a private note if you're interested.
My 'Top 10' (updated for 2023)
Posted 2 years agoBack in 2009, I compiled a 'Top 10' list of my songs for the benefit of any new watchers who might be curious to delve into my gallery, but who might not have the time to wade through the 21 years of new and old material to find the songs that were (arguably) better than the others. Well, it's 2023 now, and there are 35 years of songs in my gallery. And with some of my more recent songs being among my favorites, it seemed like time to update the Top 10 list. Your mileage may vary, of course, but these are the 10 songs I'd like to steer people towards if they only have a limited amount of time to check out my stuff.
In alphabetical order...
1) Dinosaurs (2022) - This song is a love letter to the stretch of Route 1 that runs through my current hometown of Saugus, Massachusetts. It's sung from the point of view of a locally-famous orange dinosaur that used to stand guard at a now-demolished miniature golf course. The orange dinosaur is still there, but he's now dwarfed by an adjacent condominium building and can only watch as all the other old roadside attractions along the highway disappear with the passage of time. This song goes over really well at local open mics, where people tend to recognize all the geographic references (the Kowloon Restaurant may mean nothing to you, but trust me, around these parts, it's legendary).
2) Easter Sunday (2023) - My other 'local interest' song, and one that tells a much sadder story. "Easter Sunday" is about the murder of a young girl that took place in my original hometown when I was 9 years old. Though I didn't know her personally, I look back at it as a 'loss-of-innocence' event for myself, and in many ways for the town itself, which was the kind of place where people would have said "That couldn't happen here". But it did, and the song examines the collective sense of shock that something like that induces in a town. It's one of the songs I'm proudest of having written, and also the one that I wish I'd never had to write. This song may be triggering for some, and I've rated it 'mature' on account of the darkness of the subject matter.
3) I'll Drown The World (2008) - In 2008, I hadn't made any new music in over a decade. And then, I wrote and recorded two songs in one day... and the gypsy's curse was broken lol. Those two songs, of which this is one, kicked off what I call the 'second era' of my musical career ('career' feels like a weird word to use about something you don't make any money off of doing, but I couldn't think of anything that fits better). This song only has 8 lines of lyrics, but they're some of my favorites, about someone watching the rain fall outside and musing that their tears could put the storm to shame and 'drown the world'.
4) I'll Play Along (2023) - My most recent FA upload (as of this writing), this one was recorded early in 2023, but held back for a while. It's not based on a true story, but it's sung from the perspective of a 'glass half-empty person', which is definitely a viewpoint I understand. There's nothing wrong with optimism, and in fact, I wish I had a little more of it. However, there's a point at which optimism becomes full-on delusion. But hey, those people are happier than me, so maybe there's something to be said for delusion lol. This song has become one of my favorites to sing in front of an audience, and I'm glad to finally bring it to FA.
5) Learning To Let Go (1993) - This is one of my older songs, and as such has some sound quality issues, being sourced from an old cassette tape. When I wrote it, I knew it was a guitar song. I don't play guitar, so I recruited a friend to play guitar on it. It wasn't meant to end up sounding kind of like a country song, but that's what happened. I love it anyway lol. It's one of the early songs on which I felt like I really leveled up with my lyrics, which are based on a true story, and to which I brought a lot of honesty-- and just a touch of dishonesty. What's the dishonest part? The letting go. It proved harder to do than I bargained for, and in some ways, 30 years later, I'm still trying to move on from that relationship.
6) Nightdrive (2022) - An instrumental that I'm just in love with. When I started writing and recording again in 2020, I ran into a tech problem while trying to get my keyboard instruments connected to my computer through an audio interface. Left with no way to record backing tracks, I started using Online Sequencer to record demos. I soon found that I was happy enough with the results to use them as finished versions, instead of just demos. "Nightdrive" is perhaps the pinnacle of that experiment, at least so far. I never could have made this song without the use of a sequencer. Composition-wise, it's all me... but the ease with which the sequencer allowed me to add, remove and switch out sounds led me to come up with things I doubt I ever would have on my own.
7) Survivor's Guilt (2022) - Back to harsh truths, this time centering on my decades-long battle with depression. I'm still here, so I figure I'm winning the battle... but sometimes I can't help thinking about how different my life could have been, and what I might have been able to accomplish, if I wasn't always waging the war. The phrase "survivor's guilt" is twisted here from its original meaning to describe the feeling of surviving depression, only to feel like you're often a burden on those who love you and on whom you need to lean on for support. Obviously some touchy subject matter here, but I think that subjects like this need to be examined. Writing this song was like self-therapy, and was very helpful. My hope is that it might also help other people suffering from depression to know that they're not alone in the battle.
8) The Witching Hour (2023) - The most recent recording on this list, this is the result of a 50/90 skirmish. What? You don't know what that is? Oh, OK. 50/90 is an annual online event in which songwriters attempt to write 50 songs in 90 days (personally, I can't keep up with that pace; I'm lucky if I can make it to 3 or 4 songs). A 'skirmish' is when people are given one hour in which to write a song based on a specific given prompt. The prompt here was 'the witching hour', and instead of black cats and cauldrons, I had a vision of a person holed up in a house, waiting for the arrival of an unwelcome visitor (perhaps an otherworldly one) coming to collect on an old debt. It doen't sound like anything I've done before, and I think that's why I like it so much.
9) Walking Away (2008) - Another favorite from the 'Second Era', this was basically an attempt to channel the Pet Shop Boys, via arpeggiated synths and falsetto vocals. Lyrically, it's kind of my version of "I Will Survive". There are no gender-identifying pronouns in this song, and I always felt that it could just as easily be sung by a woman. Out of all the songs I've written, this is one of the ones that I've always harbored a secret hope that some professional singer out there might somehow hear and want to record. 15 years later, I'm still waiting, and not holding my breath.
10) Winter (1994) - The bones of this song go back to 1992, which makes it the oldest song on this list (even though "Learning To Let Go" pre-dates this particular version by a year). For a long time, this seemed to be regarded by most people as my 'greatest hit', or 'signature song', if you will. The bulk of the backing track was made when I snuck a Walkman-sized tape recorder into a department store, and recorded myself playing on one of their display keyboards (at times, muffled PA announcements can be heard in the background). Later, I added the vocals and some other stuff back at home. The resulting recording is very lo-fi, but the consensus seems to be that the somewhat grainy sound quality actually works in this particular song's favor. It's a song about the innocence we lose when we grow up, and the things that help us sometimes recapture it, however briefly.
And that's it! I hope this list gets a couple of people to listen to something they haven't heard yet, and hopefully, something that they like. See you in another 14 years.
(Also, if you're in the mood for some music with a comedic slant, don't forget my side project,
dramaarmada-- I'd advise people to start with our first upload, Nobody's Watching Me, and work their way forward through the gallery.)
In alphabetical order...
1) Dinosaurs (2022) - This song is a love letter to the stretch of Route 1 that runs through my current hometown of Saugus, Massachusetts. It's sung from the point of view of a locally-famous orange dinosaur that used to stand guard at a now-demolished miniature golf course. The orange dinosaur is still there, but he's now dwarfed by an adjacent condominium building and can only watch as all the other old roadside attractions along the highway disappear with the passage of time. This song goes over really well at local open mics, where people tend to recognize all the geographic references (the Kowloon Restaurant may mean nothing to you, but trust me, around these parts, it's legendary).
2) Easter Sunday (2023) - My other 'local interest' song, and one that tells a much sadder story. "Easter Sunday" is about the murder of a young girl that took place in my original hometown when I was 9 years old. Though I didn't know her personally, I look back at it as a 'loss-of-innocence' event for myself, and in many ways for the town itself, which was the kind of place where people would have said "That couldn't happen here". But it did, and the song examines the collective sense of shock that something like that induces in a town. It's one of the songs I'm proudest of having written, and also the one that I wish I'd never had to write. This song may be triggering for some, and I've rated it 'mature' on account of the darkness of the subject matter.
3) I'll Drown The World (2008) - In 2008, I hadn't made any new music in over a decade. And then, I wrote and recorded two songs in one day... and the gypsy's curse was broken lol. Those two songs, of which this is one, kicked off what I call the 'second era' of my musical career ('career' feels like a weird word to use about something you don't make any money off of doing, but I couldn't think of anything that fits better). This song only has 8 lines of lyrics, but they're some of my favorites, about someone watching the rain fall outside and musing that their tears could put the storm to shame and 'drown the world'.
4) I'll Play Along (2023) - My most recent FA upload (as of this writing), this one was recorded early in 2023, but held back for a while. It's not based on a true story, but it's sung from the perspective of a 'glass half-empty person', which is definitely a viewpoint I understand. There's nothing wrong with optimism, and in fact, I wish I had a little more of it. However, there's a point at which optimism becomes full-on delusion. But hey, those people are happier than me, so maybe there's something to be said for delusion lol. This song has become one of my favorites to sing in front of an audience, and I'm glad to finally bring it to FA.
5) Learning To Let Go (1993) - This is one of my older songs, and as such has some sound quality issues, being sourced from an old cassette tape. When I wrote it, I knew it was a guitar song. I don't play guitar, so I recruited a friend to play guitar on it. It wasn't meant to end up sounding kind of like a country song, but that's what happened. I love it anyway lol. It's one of the early songs on which I felt like I really leveled up with my lyrics, which are based on a true story, and to which I brought a lot of honesty-- and just a touch of dishonesty. What's the dishonest part? The letting go. It proved harder to do than I bargained for, and in some ways, 30 years later, I'm still trying to move on from that relationship.
6) Nightdrive (2022) - An instrumental that I'm just in love with. When I started writing and recording again in 2020, I ran into a tech problem while trying to get my keyboard instruments connected to my computer through an audio interface. Left with no way to record backing tracks, I started using Online Sequencer to record demos. I soon found that I was happy enough with the results to use them as finished versions, instead of just demos. "Nightdrive" is perhaps the pinnacle of that experiment, at least so far. I never could have made this song without the use of a sequencer. Composition-wise, it's all me... but the ease with which the sequencer allowed me to add, remove and switch out sounds led me to come up with things I doubt I ever would have on my own.
7) Survivor's Guilt (2022) - Back to harsh truths, this time centering on my decades-long battle with depression. I'm still here, so I figure I'm winning the battle... but sometimes I can't help thinking about how different my life could have been, and what I might have been able to accomplish, if I wasn't always waging the war. The phrase "survivor's guilt" is twisted here from its original meaning to describe the feeling of surviving depression, only to feel like you're often a burden on those who love you and on whom you need to lean on for support. Obviously some touchy subject matter here, but I think that subjects like this need to be examined. Writing this song was like self-therapy, and was very helpful. My hope is that it might also help other people suffering from depression to know that they're not alone in the battle.
8) The Witching Hour (2023) - The most recent recording on this list, this is the result of a 50/90 skirmish. What? You don't know what that is? Oh, OK. 50/90 is an annual online event in which songwriters attempt to write 50 songs in 90 days (personally, I can't keep up with that pace; I'm lucky if I can make it to 3 or 4 songs). A 'skirmish' is when people are given one hour in which to write a song based on a specific given prompt. The prompt here was 'the witching hour', and instead of black cats and cauldrons, I had a vision of a person holed up in a house, waiting for the arrival of an unwelcome visitor (perhaps an otherworldly one) coming to collect on an old debt. It doen't sound like anything I've done before, and I think that's why I like it so much.
9) Walking Away (2008) - Another favorite from the 'Second Era', this was basically an attempt to channel the Pet Shop Boys, via arpeggiated synths and falsetto vocals. Lyrically, it's kind of my version of "I Will Survive". There are no gender-identifying pronouns in this song, and I always felt that it could just as easily be sung by a woman. Out of all the songs I've written, this is one of the ones that I've always harbored a secret hope that some professional singer out there might somehow hear and want to record. 15 years later, I'm still waiting, and not holding my breath.
10) Winter (1994) - The bones of this song go back to 1992, which makes it the oldest song on this list (even though "Learning To Let Go" pre-dates this particular version by a year). For a long time, this seemed to be regarded by most people as my 'greatest hit', or 'signature song', if you will. The bulk of the backing track was made when I snuck a Walkman-sized tape recorder into a department store, and recorded myself playing on one of their display keyboards (at times, muffled PA announcements can be heard in the background). Later, I added the vocals and some other stuff back at home. The resulting recording is very lo-fi, but the consensus seems to be that the somewhat grainy sound quality actually works in this particular song's favor. It's a song about the innocence we lose when we grow up, and the things that help us sometimes recapture it, however briefly.
And that's it! I hope this list gets a couple of people to listen to something they haven't heard yet, and hopefully, something that they like. See you in another 14 years.
(Also, if you're in the mood for some music with a comedic slant, don't forget my side project,
dramaarmada-- I'd advise people to start with our first upload, Nobody's Watching Me, and work their way forward through the gallery.)Mr. Blue Sky
Posted 2 years agoThanks to a generous invitation donor (I'm not sure whether you want to be mentioned or not, but feel free to out yourself in the comments if you'd like!), I'm now on Bluesky. Thank you, you-know-who-you-are!
It should be a good place to keep up with me, if you're so inclined. It looks a little easier to use than Mastodon, so it will likely become my primary social media platform, as I continue to try to wean myself off the toXic former bird site.
Don't have any invitations of my own to hand out yet, but when I have 'em, I'll let people know.
It should be a good place to keep up with me, if you're so inclined. It looks a little easier to use than Mastodon, so it will likely become my primary social media platform, as I continue to try to wean myself off the toXic former bird site.
Don't have any invitations of my own to hand out yet, but when I have 'em, I'll let people know.
Things that happen at IHOP at 2 AM
Posted 2 years agoI was at an IHOP last night and overheard a 20-something girl at the next table say to her friends something along the lines of "Give me a break, I spent the morning hanging out with a bunch of furries". I was hoping that she would expound upon this, but I gathered that it was a callback to a conversation that had already taken place, as no further information was given. I couldn't help but wonder if she was talking about anyone I knew, but then I remembered that I haven't been to a furry gathering in like 10 years, and that the face of local furry population has undoubtedly changed drastically. Surely this girl was hanging out with people her own age, and not obsolete greymuzzles.
Briefly I considered approaching the table with the old "I couldn't help but overhear" line and ask her about the event she'd been to, but it was a table of 5 young ladies and I didn't want to come off like a creep who was trying to hit on anyone. As if I'd had the confidence to do that even when I was young lol.
Briefly I considered approaching the table with the old "I couldn't help but overhear" line and ask her about the event she'd been to, but it was a table of 5 young ladies and I didn't want to come off like a creep who was trying to hit on anyone. As if I'd had the confidence to do that even when I was young lol.
Return To Now ('duranfurs' group revival)
Posted 2 years agoHey, kids.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of Duran Duran and have been pretty much since the moment they appeared on my radar in 1983. In 2012, I created an FA group called
duranfurs, in an attempt to unite Duranies within the furry fandom. After a few years, I let it go dormant, because there wasn't a whole lot of member interaction.
A month ago, a fur named Lee (aka
seventhstranger) got in touch with me and asked me if he could revive the group, and I said "Why not?". So I've handed over the reins, but with Lee's kind consent, I will still be involved on some level going forward. It's nice to see someone else who is passionate about the band, and who wants to share that with other furs. Lee has done some cool Duran-related furry artwork, too, which can be seen at his FA page.
So for those who are interested (and if you aren't, I mean... come on), check out duranfurs, now under new management!
(That reminds me, I gotta think about doing a cover of one of their songs one of these days...)
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of Duran Duran and have been pretty much since the moment they appeared on my radar in 1983. In 2012, I created an FA group called
duranfurs, in an attempt to unite Duranies within the furry fandom. After a few years, I let it go dormant, because there wasn't a whole lot of member interaction.A month ago, a fur named Lee (aka
seventhstranger) got in touch with me and asked me if he could revive the group, and I said "Why not?". So I've handed over the reins, but with Lee's kind consent, I will still be involved on some level going forward. It's nice to see someone else who is passionate about the band, and who wants to share that with other furs. Lee has done some cool Duran-related furry artwork, too, which can be seen at his FA page.So for those who are interested (and if you aren't, I mean... come on), check out
duranfurs, now under new management!(That reminds me, I gotta think about doing a cover of one of their songs one of these days...)
Where I'm at in 2023
Posted 2 years agoHello, FA. We don't talk as often as we used to, but I haven't forgotten you.
February Album Writing Month (FAWM), the online songwriting exercise I take part in each year, just wrapped up, and I'm kind of riding high on my accomplishments. Did I write an album? Hell, no. I didn't come anywhere close to the total of 14 songs that participants are challenged to complete. But I know my work pace, and for me, speedwriting doesn't yield the kind of results that I'm looking for. I don't want to write as many songs as I can, I want to write songs that I still want to listen to when I'm done with them. And in that regard, my 3-song FAWM was a resounding success. I wrote one song that makes me cry, one song that makes me laugh, and one song that I think sounds too cool to have come from me lol. And I got a lot of good feedback from other songwriters. What more can I ask for?
A while back, I made a decision to stop posting most of my music on FA. My songs used to get a modest but decent amount of attention, and that was OK. Then they started to get almost no attention, and that wasn't great, but it was OK. And I kind of figured that that was where it was going to end up. And then, last February, I posted a new song called "Dinosaurs". I was absolutely in love with this song. It was unlike anything else I'd done before, and I felt that it was a big step forward for me. My comments from fellow songwriters on FAWM included phrases like "Super arrangement", "This is amazing!", and "The build in the song is beautifully done". But when I posted it to FA, a comment that it received here referred to the arrangement as "repetitive" and "annoying" (this from someone who claimed to be a musician, but who didn't want to post any of their music on FA... probably because of people like themself). The worst part was that it was the first comment the song received... the only review that the next visitors to the song would read. I ended up getting a couple of nice comments from friends and acquaintances later, but at that time, that was it-- "repetitive", and "annoying".
Anyway, which do you think stuck in my head more-- the many positive comments I'd gotten from other proven songwriters on FAWM, or the one negative one that I got from some yahoo on FA? Good guess lol. I don't want to be this way. I don't want to be so thin-skinned, to the point that posting my work on FA, or anywhere, is a risk to my mental well-being. But I don't know how to not care about it. Some people can let criticism roll off their backs. That's not one of my strengths. The funny thing is that that old music that I used to post here, the stuff that people responded positively to, was largely weird no-fi stuff with barely a shred of musical merit that I recorded in my bedroom with a hand-held tape recorder when I was a teenager. Then I started to become more serious about writing music, and people were like, "Meh". And now, there's not a doubt in my mind that I could put up a bunch of electronic instrumental drivel that meant absolutely nothing to me, and it would go over far better than the stuff that I've put my heart and soul into.
I'm excited about the new music I've made. I want to share it with people. I'm thinking about lifting my FA embargo, but there's this little voice in my head that's saying, Don't do it. You'll regret it. But you know... that little voice hasn't always done right by me. It's stopped me from saying 'yes' to a lot of things that I probably should have said 'yes' to.
So... I think I'm gonna give it another try. How it'll go, I have no idea. What I do know is that I don't ever expect to be 'popular' on FA again (if I ever was in the first place). If things go well, it'll only be mildly well, which means that the potential risk here is probably significantly higher than the potential reward. But, whatever. If things go south, I'll just... take my ball and go home again lol.
February Album Writing Month (FAWM), the online songwriting exercise I take part in each year, just wrapped up, and I'm kind of riding high on my accomplishments. Did I write an album? Hell, no. I didn't come anywhere close to the total of 14 songs that participants are challenged to complete. But I know my work pace, and for me, speedwriting doesn't yield the kind of results that I'm looking for. I don't want to write as many songs as I can, I want to write songs that I still want to listen to when I'm done with them. And in that regard, my 3-song FAWM was a resounding success. I wrote one song that makes me cry, one song that makes me laugh, and one song that I think sounds too cool to have come from me lol. And I got a lot of good feedback from other songwriters. What more can I ask for?
A while back, I made a decision to stop posting most of my music on FA. My songs used to get a modest but decent amount of attention, and that was OK. Then they started to get almost no attention, and that wasn't great, but it was OK. And I kind of figured that that was where it was going to end up. And then, last February, I posted a new song called "Dinosaurs". I was absolutely in love with this song. It was unlike anything else I'd done before, and I felt that it was a big step forward for me. My comments from fellow songwriters on FAWM included phrases like "Super arrangement", "This is amazing!", and "The build in the song is beautifully done". But when I posted it to FA, a comment that it received here referred to the arrangement as "repetitive" and "annoying" (this from someone who claimed to be a musician, but who didn't want to post any of their music on FA... probably because of people like themself). The worst part was that it was the first comment the song received... the only review that the next visitors to the song would read. I ended up getting a couple of nice comments from friends and acquaintances later, but at that time, that was it-- "repetitive", and "annoying".
Anyway, which do you think stuck in my head more-- the many positive comments I'd gotten from other proven songwriters on FAWM, or the one negative one that I got from some yahoo on FA? Good guess lol. I don't want to be this way. I don't want to be so thin-skinned, to the point that posting my work on FA, or anywhere, is a risk to my mental well-being. But I don't know how to not care about it. Some people can let criticism roll off their backs. That's not one of my strengths. The funny thing is that that old music that I used to post here, the stuff that people responded positively to, was largely weird no-fi stuff with barely a shred of musical merit that I recorded in my bedroom with a hand-held tape recorder when I was a teenager. Then I started to become more serious about writing music, and people were like, "Meh". And now, there's not a doubt in my mind that I could put up a bunch of electronic instrumental drivel that meant absolutely nothing to me, and it would go over far better than the stuff that I've put my heart and soul into.
I'm excited about the new music I've made. I want to share it with people. I'm thinking about lifting my FA embargo, but there's this little voice in my head that's saying, Don't do it. You'll regret it. But you know... that little voice hasn't always done right by me. It's stopped me from saying 'yes' to a lot of things that I probably should have said 'yes' to.
So... I think I'm gonna give it another try. How it'll go, I have no idea. What I do know is that I don't ever expect to be 'popular' on FA again (if I ever was in the first place). If things go well, it'll only be mildly well, which means that the potential risk here is probably significantly higher than the potential reward. But, whatever. If things go south, I'll just... take my ball and go home again lol.
New song: "Easter Sunday" (Soundcloud link)
Posted 2 years agoOK, I think this might be the final stop on my 'promotional tour'...
I've made a demo for my first song of FAWM (February Album Writing Month) 2023. It's called "Easter Sunday", and it tells the true story of a girl who was killed in my hometown when I was young. I'm happy with the accomplishment, but be forewarned: it's a pretty heartbreaking story, and may not be for everyone. I'm not sure I want to upload it here, so if you're interested, please click on the link below to be taken to Soundcloud. Thanks very much.
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/e.....-sunday-demo-1
I've made a demo for my first song of FAWM (February Album Writing Month) 2023. It's called "Easter Sunday", and it tells the true story of a girl who was killed in my hometown when I was young. I'm happy with the accomplishment, but be forewarned: it's a pretty heartbreaking story, and may not be for everyone. I'm not sure I want to upload it here, so if you're interested, please click on the link below to be taken to Soundcloud. Thanks very much.
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/e.....-sunday-demo-1
A nice bit of recognition! (Furry Musicians' Spotlight)
Posted 3 years agoI just found out that my most recent song, "Nightdrive", has been selected as one of the 6 songs appearing in the newest edition of the Furry Musicians' Spotlight! I think I've only ever appeared in the Spotlight as a part of dramaarmada, so it's a proud moment for me. Now to try to get on there with a song with lyrics/vocals!
The episode featuring "Nightdrive" can be heard here; my track is first up and plays under the intro before getting its 'spotlight moment'.
dramaarmada, so it's a proud moment for me. Now to try to get on there with a song with lyrics/vocals!The episode featuring "Nightdrive" can be heard here; my track is first up and plays under the intro before getting its 'spotlight moment'.
My first time playing live! (with links to audio)
Posted 3 years agoI had a bit of a milestone moment on Sunday, as I performed a couple of my songs live for an audience for the first time ever. Sure, I've done karaoke a hundred times, and performed comedy songs at conventions as part of dramaarmada, but until now I've never sang any of my original, serious songs in public-- which is crazy, because I've been writing songs for 35 years. As someone who isn't a performance-level musician, playing live is just something that I've always told myself I couldn't really do. But after the last couple of year's February Album Writing Month challenges, I've gotten such a boost of confidence from other songwriters that I started to think that maybe I should at least dip my toe in the water and see how it feels. Well, this past Sunday, I dipped my toe in... and it felt good lol.
My long-time partner-in-rhyme
sedge graciously took the time to help me translate three of my songs into acoustic guitar renditions, and trekked up to Nashua to play at the open mic with me. We ended up having to cut one of our songs for time, but we played my recent song "Dinosaurs", and an older personal favorite, 2008's "Walking Away". They both went over well, but it was "Dinosaurs" that was the clear crowd favorite. I had a half-dozen other performers come to me and tell me how much they enjoyed it, including one of the event organizers, who insisted that I come back for future open mics and said, "You belong here". All in all, it went better than I could have hoped for. And my mom, my brother and my sister-in-law came to support me.
My hope going into this was to just be able to cross something off my bucket list... to be able to say, "At least I did it once in my life". But now, it's possible that this is the start of something. The one downside is that I don't want to have to prevail upon friends for assistance every time I want to do this. I don't know how to get around that, though. The woman who urged me to come back said that I could come back and sing along to a pre-recorded backing track if necessary, but I would feel very weird doing that when nobody else was performing that way. I'm starting to wonder how difficult it would be to start learning how to play the guitar at 51 lol.
Anyway, if anyone's interested, here are links to the audio from the show. They were recorded with my ancient phone, so apologies for the less-than-stellar sound quality.
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/d.....nh-june-5-2022
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/w.....nh-june-5-2022
dramaarmada, but until now I've never sang any of my original, serious songs in public-- which is crazy, because I've been writing songs for 35 years. As someone who isn't a performance-level musician, playing live is just something that I've always told myself I couldn't really do. But after the last couple of year's February Album Writing Month challenges, I've gotten such a boost of confidence from other songwriters that I started to think that maybe I should at least dip my toe in the water and see how it feels. Well, this past Sunday, I dipped my toe in... and it felt good lol.My long-time partner-in-rhyme
sedge graciously took the time to help me translate three of my songs into acoustic guitar renditions, and trekked up to Nashua to play at the open mic with me. We ended up having to cut one of our songs for time, but we played my recent song "Dinosaurs", and an older personal favorite, 2008's "Walking Away". They both went over well, but it was "Dinosaurs" that was the clear crowd favorite. I had a half-dozen other performers come to me and tell me how much they enjoyed it, including one of the event organizers, who insisted that I come back for future open mics and said, "You belong here". All in all, it went better than I could have hoped for. And my mom, my brother and my sister-in-law came to support me.My hope going into this was to just be able to cross something off my bucket list... to be able to say, "At least I did it once in my life". But now, it's possible that this is the start of something. The one downside is that I don't want to have to prevail upon friends for assistance every time I want to do this. I don't know how to get around that, though. The woman who urged me to come back said that I could come back and sing along to a pre-recorded backing track if necessary, but I would feel very weird doing that when nobody else was performing that way. I'm starting to wonder how difficult it would be to start learning how to play the guitar at 51 lol.
Anyway, if anyone's interested, here are links to the audio from the show. They were recorded with my ancient phone, so apologies for the less-than-stellar sound quality.
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/d.....nh-june-5-2022
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/w.....nh-june-5-2022
New song: "Devil's Advocate" (SoundCloud link)
Posted 3 years agoHeyo! Here's my third (and almost certainly final) demo for FAWM 2022. Like its predecessors, I had to record all vocals on my phone, which resulted in not being able to get the sound I would've liked to, especially in the "let the lightning strike" section (you'll see what I mean when you get there). I'm still debating whether or not to leave that in the final version. I like it, but it's a little more 'over the top' than I usually go.
This song was inspired by my relationship with my brother. We're about as close as can be, yet I often feel like he'll take the contrary side in almost any conflict I find myself in, and I just want to say, "Dude, you can't really think I'm in the wrong all the time". What it mostly boils down to is that he hates conflict. I don't love it, but I like it more than staying silent when I think something needs to be addressed. So I'll get into a disagreement (non-physical, of course), and my brother just wants to talk me down. But what he doesn't get is that the way to make me less upset is not to make me feel like I'm in the wrong, when I might not be. Every once in a while, it'd just be nice to hear "Yeah, you have a point". Anyway, enough venting. He's my best friend, and I love him more than anything on earth. Now go listen to me bitch about him in song lol.
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/d.....-advocate-demo
(Alternate version without the wall-of-vocals section: https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/d.....ernate-version )
This song was inspired by my relationship with my brother. We're about as close as can be, yet I often feel like he'll take the contrary side in almost any conflict I find myself in, and I just want to say, "Dude, you can't really think I'm in the wrong all the time". What it mostly boils down to is that he hates conflict. I don't love it, but I like it more than staying silent when I think something needs to be addressed. So I'll get into a disagreement (non-physical, of course), and my brother just wants to talk me down. But what he doesn't get is that the way to make me less upset is not to make me feel like I'm in the wrong, when I might not be. Every once in a while, it'd just be nice to hear "Yeah, you have a point". Anyway, enough venting. He's my best friend, and I love him more than anything on earth. Now go listen to me bitch about him in song lol.
https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/d.....-advocate-demo
(Alternate version without the wall-of-vocals section: https://soundcloud.com/i_am_kiffa/d.....ernate-version )
New song: "Survivor's Guilt" (not on FA)
Posted 3 years agoHey. I've got another new song I'd like to share with those who are interested... but I've come to realize that FA just isn't the place to share my music anymore.
I've never been a professional or even a proficient musician, and I'm never going to be. There was a time when FA had a musical community that accepted this, so long as you were trying to do your best with what you had. That time is past. I don't post much, but when I do, it's pretty much crickets for a response. And if I do get an encouraging comment or favorite here or there (which, I assure, you, I do appreciate), it's from an old friend or acquaintance. I'm not complaining about that, I'm just saying that I'm not generating any new interest here, and I'm not going to. This place is not a home for me anymore.
So here's what I'm gonna do. From now on, if I have a song that I want to share with the few people who might actually give a shit, I'm not going to upload the song to FA. I'll put it on my Soundcloud page, and make a journal entry that links to it. That way, the people who are already following me can still be notified about it, but hopefully I won't have to deal with people who don't know the first thing about me but still want to tell me all the ways I should change what I'm doing. I may not gain any new followers this way, but like I said, that's already the way it is now.
First up is a demo for "Survivor's Guilt", a song about the nasty ways in which early-life emotional trauma can affect the adult that you become. Sounds like fun!
And if you haven't heard it yet, check out my other recent upload "Dinosaurs", a nostalgic little musical visit to the wonderfully tacky old roadside attractions of Route 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts.
I've never been a professional or even a proficient musician, and I'm never going to be. There was a time when FA had a musical community that accepted this, so long as you were trying to do your best with what you had. That time is past. I don't post much, but when I do, it's pretty much crickets for a response. And if I do get an encouraging comment or favorite here or there (which, I assure, you, I do appreciate), it's from an old friend or acquaintance. I'm not complaining about that, I'm just saying that I'm not generating any new interest here, and I'm not going to. This place is not a home for me anymore.
So here's what I'm gonna do. From now on, if I have a song that I want to share with the few people who might actually give a shit, I'm not going to upload the song to FA. I'll put it on my Soundcloud page, and make a journal entry that links to it. That way, the people who are already following me can still be notified about it, but hopefully I won't have to deal with people who don't know the first thing about me but still want to tell me all the ways I should change what I'm doing. I may not gain any new followers this way, but like I said, that's already the way it is now.
First up is a demo for "Survivor's Guilt", a song about the nasty ways in which early-life emotional trauma can affect the adult that you become. Sounds like fun!
And if you haven't heard it yet, check out my other recent upload "Dinosaurs", a nostalgic little musical visit to the wonderfully tacky old roadside attractions of Route 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts.
...And one step back
Posted 4 years agoWell, that didn't take long.
So far, I have not been able to figure out how to use the audio interface I have to hook my instruments up to my computer. I did what I thought made sense, tried some test recordings, and no sound went through to either of the recording programs I tried. I don't know whether it's a hardware issue, or something like some simple option isn't ticked in the program settings. But the net result is, I can't record. I won't lie and say that I've put in a ton of time into trying to figure this problem out, but I have taken about as much time as I feel I'm able to. It takes so much for me to get motivated about doing something, and takes so frustratingly little to kill that motivation.
I don't really think I'm going to be able to get this sorted out until I can get one of my more tech-knowledgeable friends here to show me what I'm doing wrong, but that probably isn't going to happen until after we're no longer living in Covidland, so... probably no FAWM this year after all. I shouldn't have opened my mouth until I knew I was going to be able to participate, but during those oh-so-brief moments when my motivation exists, I tend to get excited, and I can't help but share my hopes.
Which usually ends up biting me in the ass when they get shot down lol.
So far, I have not been able to figure out how to use the audio interface I have to hook my instruments up to my computer. I did what I thought made sense, tried some test recordings, and no sound went through to either of the recording programs I tried. I don't know whether it's a hardware issue, or something like some simple option isn't ticked in the program settings. But the net result is, I can't record. I won't lie and say that I've put in a ton of time into trying to figure this problem out, but I have taken about as much time as I feel I'm able to. It takes so much for me to get motivated about doing something, and takes so frustratingly little to kill that motivation.
I don't really think I'm going to be able to get this sorted out until I can get one of my more tech-knowledgeable friends here to show me what I'm doing wrong, but that probably isn't going to happen until after we're no longer living in Covidland, so... probably no FAWM this year after all. I shouldn't have opened my mouth until I knew I was going to be able to participate, but during those oh-so-brief moments when my motivation exists, I tend to get excited, and I can't help but share my hopes.
Which usually ends up biting me in the ass when they get shot down lol.
One step closer
Posted 4 years agoFor a long time, I've hemmed and hawed and said that "at some point, I'll start recording again, but I don't think this is the right time". Well, screw that. This is the right time-- even if it isn't lol.
Inspired by the approach of another February Album Writing Month (https://fawm.org), I have resolved to spend part of February trying to write (and hopefully record) some new songs. In the semi-recent past, I have begun to familiarize myself with the basics of Reaper, and have finally hooked up an audio interface that I've had lying around for several years. So, for the first time, I should have the ability to record and edit digitally. I know, took me long enough, right?
I don't expect it to result in any kind of earth-shaking shift in how my music sounds. After all, I'm just as inexperienced with this technology as I was with the 8-track recorder I employed in my last FAWM recordings, back in 2008. But that in itself is kind of exciting. I feel like not really knowing what you're doing opens the door to all kinds of 'happy accidents'-- the kind that only come when you're wandering around in unfamiliar territory. If I come up with anything I like enough, I'll post it here.
And to other songwriters-- if you're unfamiliar with FAWM, you might want to consider participating. It's a really chill, encouraging community of people who are keen on sharing their ideas for musical inspiration and productivity.
Wish me luck!
Inspired by the approach of another February Album Writing Month (https://fawm.org), I have resolved to spend part of February trying to write (and hopefully record) some new songs. In the semi-recent past, I have begun to familiarize myself with the basics of Reaper, and have finally hooked up an audio interface that I've had lying around for several years. So, for the first time, I should have the ability to record and edit digitally. I know, took me long enough, right?
I don't expect it to result in any kind of earth-shaking shift in how my music sounds. After all, I'm just as inexperienced with this technology as I was with the 8-track recorder I employed in my last FAWM recordings, back in 2008. But that in itself is kind of exciting. I feel like not really knowing what you're doing opens the door to all kinds of 'happy accidents'-- the kind that only come when you're wandering around in unfamiliar territory. If I come up with anything I like enough, I'll post it here.
And to other songwriters-- if you're unfamiliar with FAWM, you might want to consider participating. It's a really chill, encouraging community of people who are keen on sharing their ideas for musical inspiration and productivity.
Wish me luck!
New Drama Armada song: "Cats In The Fable"
Posted 5 years agoI don't know if there's anyone still following this virtually-dead account who isn't also following the slightly-less-dead Drama Armada account, but just in case...
Sedge and I have a new song out to coincide with this weekend's big movie-related event-- no, we're not talking about the Oscars. Yesterday, the nominations for the 2020 Golden Raspberry Awards were revealed, and "Cats" was one of the big... uh, winners?... with 8 nominations. Well, we went to see it, and the result is "Cats In The Fable", a parody of Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle". It's rated mature for some dark themes and coarse language. Sounds like comedy to me!
So please check it out! And if this message doesn't give the song any extra exposure, at least it gets rid of the journal message that's been on my front page for the last 3 years.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/34973412/
Sedge and I have a new song out to coincide with this weekend's big movie-related event-- no, we're not talking about the Oscars. Yesterday, the nominations for the 2020 Golden Raspberry Awards were revealed, and "Cats" was one of the big... uh, winners?... with 8 nominations. Well, we went to see it, and the result is "Cats In The Fable", a parody of Harry Chapin's "Cat's In The Cradle". It's rated mature for some dark themes and coarse language. Sounds like comedy to me!
So please check it out! And if this message doesn't give the song any extra exposure, at least it gets rid of the journal message that's been on my front page for the last 3 years.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/34973412/
Trying something out on Twitter ('80s music fans take note)
Posted 8 years agoHey everyone, hope you had a good holiday season.
I just started a little thing on my Twitter account (@kiffa_kitmouse) where every day I'm featuring a song from the '80s that I really like. Some will be familiar to most, others may very likely not be. I started off today with Thomas Dolby's "One Of Our Submarines"-- a fantastic song, but one that I feel that not enough people are aware of. What'll tomorrow's 80s Gem Of The Day be? Follow my account and find out! (As a hint and perhaps an enticement, I'll tell you that tomorrow's video has pseudo-fursuits in it lol)
I'm doing this for a few reasons: One, because I love to share the music I love, and two, because I just felt like doing something project-y. The hope is that doing this will spark a little conversation, keep me a little more active on social media than I have been, and maybe even prompt me to get the ball rolling on some other projects I've been neglecting.
So if you're interested, I'd love to see you there!
https://twitter.com/kiffa_kitmouse
I just started a little thing on my Twitter account (@kiffa_kitmouse) where every day I'm featuring a song from the '80s that I really like. Some will be familiar to most, others may very likely not be. I started off today with Thomas Dolby's "One Of Our Submarines"-- a fantastic song, but one that I feel that not enough people are aware of. What'll tomorrow's 80s Gem Of The Day be? Follow my account and find out! (As a hint and perhaps an enticement, I'll tell you that tomorrow's video has pseudo-fursuits in it lol)
I'm doing this for a few reasons: One, because I love to share the music I love, and two, because I just felt like doing something project-y. The hope is that doing this will spark a little conversation, keep me a little more active on social media than I have been, and maybe even prompt me to get the ball rolling on some other projects I've been neglecting.
So if you're interested, I'd love to see you there!
https://twitter.com/kiffa_kitmouse
Long time no anything.
Posted 9 years agoHey. I've been putting off posting a journal for a while, because I wanted to post something very lengthy which would probably take at least a couple of hours to write. But instead, I'm going to try to keep it somewhat brief and see if I can get through it fairly quickly. This will probably be to everyone's benefit.
There is a very good chance that I will be disabling, or at the very least clearing out, this account in the near future. This is not a snap decision based solely on the recent attack on FA. It's something I've been considering for quite a while, probably even a couple of years. There are many reasons, and while it isn't really necessary for me to detail what those reasons are, they include a feeling of disconnect from the community, general depression, lack of musical activity, and yes, site issues.
Honestly, it's been a long time since I've felt any real connection to the furry community. Again, several reasons for this. I'm still interested in furry as a genre, but I need more than that to connect with other people. Music used to be the vehicle for that, but as my productivity has declined, so has the connection.
Recent site issues are a factor, but only one of many-- the last straw, so to speak. Seeing as how before these events, I was already considering this, I've now reached a point where I'm not sure if being here isn't more of a liability than an asset.
It'd be different if people were still discovering and enjoying my music, but I honestly can't remember the last time anyone favorited or commented on anything I've done. Any time I log in and see that I have a new favorite, it's invariably on a piece of gift art that somebody else did for me. And frankly, a couple of years of that happening over and over is a real kick in the teeth.
So that might be happening as soon as I save everything I want to from the account. Just a heads up to anyone who might be concerned.
[One last thing-- if you are interested in keeping up with me, the only place I'm currently active on is Twitter. https://twitter.com/kiffa_kitmouse ]
There is a very good chance that I will be disabling, or at the very least clearing out, this account in the near future. This is not a snap decision based solely on the recent attack on FA. It's something I've been considering for quite a while, probably even a couple of years. There are many reasons, and while it isn't really necessary for me to detail what those reasons are, they include a feeling of disconnect from the community, general depression, lack of musical activity, and yes, site issues.
Honestly, it's been a long time since I've felt any real connection to the furry community. Again, several reasons for this. I'm still interested in furry as a genre, but I need more than that to connect with other people. Music used to be the vehicle for that, but as my productivity has declined, so has the connection.
Recent site issues are a factor, but only one of many-- the last straw, so to speak. Seeing as how before these events, I was already considering this, I've now reached a point where I'm not sure if being here isn't more of a liability than an asset.
It'd be different if people were still discovering and enjoying my music, but I honestly can't remember the last time anyone favorited or commented on anything I've done. Any time I log in and see that I have a new favorite, it's invariably on a piece of gift art that somebody else did for me. And frankly, a couple of years of that happening over and over is a real kick in the teeth.
So that might be happening as soon as I save everything I want to from the account. Just a heads up to anyone who might be concerned.
[One last thing-- if you are interested in keeping up with me, the only place I'm currently active on is Twitter. https://twitter.com/kiffa_kitmouse ]
Kiffa's Anthro New England CON REPORT (already?)
Posted 10 years agoHey, gang! (tip of the hat to Joe Machi) It's time for my full con report of Anthro New England 2015! What, you ask? How can there be a full con report on Friday, the first day of the con? Well just sit tight, kiddies. I will tell you.
Seeing as how I live fairly close to the venue, my plan was to commute from home each day. Last night, I decided at the last minute (~9:30 PM) to go in and hang out for a bit. I knew there wouldn't be anything going on, but I like the anticipatory vibe of Thursday night at a con, and thought that it would go a long way towards making me feel more like I was really getting the full con experience, even though I wasn't staying at the hotel. I drove to the hotel in Cambridge, found a parking spot on the street, and went in. Unfortunately, the only person I really knew at all was leaving just as I was arriving (literally-- I ran into him just outside the hotel as I was going in). No matter. I wandered a bit, checked out the layout of the con, and then found a nice spot by a window overlooking the Charles River and the city. I sat for a while, did a crossword puzzle, and relaxed. I wasn't doing anything I couldn't have been doing at home, but it was a nice setting. I enjoyed the view out the window for a while, then went home.
This morning, I went back ready to enjoy my first non-working con since 2006. The first sign of trouble was when I pulled up to the hotel and there was an orange pylon in front of the entrance to the parking garage. A man whom I guessed (from his dress and demeanor) was from the hotel told me that the parking garage was closed, but that there was an MIT parking facility three-quarters of a mile down Vassar Street where I could park. "You can't miss it", he told me. I wasn't thrilled, but if I hustled I could park, walk back to the hotel and get registered before Opening Ceremonies started.
So I head back down Vassar Street. On my left, there are a couple of open parking lots. Did the hotel guy mean one of these lots? I couldn't be sure; his description was a little vague. But it didn't feel like I'd gone three-quarters of a mile, so I kept going until I came to a four-leveled parking garage with white letters over the entrance which read: "MIT WEST GARAGE". Was this the place? I wasn't sure. Yes, it said "MIT", but the other lots I passed could have been MIT lots as well. And when it comes to the possibility of my car getting towed or getting a hefty parking ticket, I don't like to take chances. So I decide that I need more information.
I drive back down Vassar Street to the hotel. I ask the guy I spoke to before for clarification: am I looking for an open parking lot, or a multi-tiered parking garage, like the one at the hotel? This question seems to throw him. I'm not sure English is his first language, and it doesn't seem like the word "multi-tiered" registers with him. Again he tells me, "You can't miss it." So now I'm an idiot, I guess.
I drive back down Vassar Street, past the open lots, back to the garage that says "MIT WEST GARAGE". It's a big building, big enough for someone to say "You can't miss it", so I decide that this must be the place, and pull in. There's a sign that says "PERMIT PARKING ONLY", but this is a special circumstance, and if I'm being directed here, it must be copacetic.
When I get to the ticket dispenser, the readout over the button says "CLOSED". I push the button anyway, just in case. No ticket, and the little arm that blocks vehicles from entering does not raise. Push the button again. Nothing. This can't be the place. Either that, or so many other people have already been re-directed here that now this garage is full too. And what with the recent snowpocalypse, street parking is somewhere between improbable and impossible.
So it's back down Vassar Street yet again. I tell the guy that I went to the big parking garage that says "MIT" on it, and I couldn't get in. He acts like this can't be possible. "Well, you're the first person who's said that", he tells me, and deciding that he's done with me, directs me to a second person, whom I vaguely recognize as being with the con. I pull up to him and he tells me I have to keep moving. "Drive around again if you want to talk to me", he says. Because I have to keep moving right now, but apparently, ten seconds later, I can stop and have a chat. I pull into a fire zone or something and put my parking lights on flash, because I have got to get this situation sorted out before I go driving back down Vassar again. I get out, talk to the con guy. He tells me that spaces in the parking garage will become available as people check out of the hotel. "So basically, I'm going to miss Opening Ceremonies, then?" I ask, the tacit implication being, because you guys picked a hotel that can't get their shit together parking-wise. "There's nothing I can do for you", he tells me. Man, when I was working for FurFright, I can't remember how many times we were told to give this as a response to con-goers. Oh, that's right-- none. None times. What we were told was, "If you can't help someone, find somebody who can".
So, as I'm driving back down Vassar Street for what seems like the 100th time, I make a decision: I don't need this. I didn't pre-register, I'm not in the Masquerade, I have no obligations to anyone. And the prospect of having to potentially go through this again tomorrow or Sunday? No thank you. Neither the convention nor the hotel have one red cent of my money, and they're not going to. Screw you guys, I'm going home.
So, that's my full con report of Anthro New England 2015. Right now, it seems unlikely that I will be particularly eager to attend any future ANE. For certain, I will not attend any future ANE that takes place at the Hyatt Regency.
Seeing as how I live fairly close to the venue, my plan was to commute from home each day. Last night, I decided at the last minute (~9:30 PM) to go in and hang out for a bit. I knew there wouldn't be anything going on, but I like the anticipatory vibe of Thursday night at a con, and thought that it would go a long way towards making me feel more like I was really getting the full con experience, even though I wasn't staying at the hotel. I drove to the hotel in Cambridge, found a parking spot on the street, and went in. Unfortunately, the only person I really knew at all was leaving just as I was arriving (literally-- I ran into him just outside the hotel as I was going in). No matter. I wandered a bit, checked out the layout of the con, and then found a nice spot by a window overlooking the Charles River and the city. I sat for a while, did a crossword puzzle, and relaxed. I wasn't doing anything I couldn't have been doing at home, but it was a nice setting. I enjoyed the view out the window for a while, then went home.
This morning, I went back ready to enjoy my first non-working con since 2006. The first sign of trouble was when I pulled up to the hotel and there was an orange pylon in front of the entrance to the parking garage. A man whom I guessed (from his dress and demeanor) was from the hotel told me that the parking garage was closed, but that there was an MIT parking facility three-quarters of a mile down Vassar Street where I could park. "You can't miss it", he told me. I wasn't thrilled, but if I hustled I could park, walk back to the hotel and get registered before Opening Ceremonies started.
So I head back down Vassar Street. On my left, there are a couple of open parking lots. Did the hotel guy mean one of these lots? I couldn't be sure; his description was a little vague. But it didn't feel like I'd gone three-quarters of a mile, so I kept going until I came to a four-leveled parking garage with white letters over the entrance which read: "MIT WEST GARAGE". Was this the place? I wasn't sure. Yes, it said "MIT", but the other lots I passed could have been MIT lots as well. And when it comes to the possibility of my car getting towed or getting a hefty parking ticket, I don't like to take chances. So I decide that I need more information.
I drive back down Vassar Street to the hotel. I ask the guy I spoke to before for clarification: am I looking for an open parking lot, or a multi-tiered parking garage, like the one at the hotel? This question seems to throw him. I'm not sure English is his first language, and it doesn't seem like the word "multi-tiered" registers with him. Again he tells me, "You can't miss it." So now I'm an idiot, I guess.
I drive back down Vassar Street, past the open lots, back to the garage that says "MIT WEST GARAGE". It's a big building, big enough for someone to say "You can't miss it", so I decide that this must be the place, and pull in. There's a sign that says "PERMIT PARKING ONLY", but this is a special circumstance, and if I'm being directed here, it must be copacetic.
When I get to the ticket dispenser, the readout over the button says "CLOSED". I push the button anyway, just in case. No ticket, and the little arm that blocks vehicles from entering does not raise. Push the button again. Nothing. This can't be the place. Either that, or so many other people have already been re-directed here that now this garage is full too. And what with the recent snowpocalypse, street parking is somewhere between improbable and impossible.
So it's back down Vassar Street yet again. I tell the guy that I went to the big parking garage that says "MIT" on it, and I couldn't get in. He acts like this can't be possible. "Well, you're the first person who's said that", he tells me, and deciding that he's done with me, directs me to a second person, whom I vaguely recognize as being with the con. I pull up to him and he tells me I have to keep moving. "Drive around again if you want to talk to me", he says. Because I have to keep moving right now, but apparently, ten seconds later, I can stop and have a chat. I pull into a fire zone or something and put my parking lights on flash, because I have got to get this situation sorted out before I go driving back down Vassar again. I get out, talk to the con guy. He tells me that spaces in the parking garage will become available as people check out of the hotel. "So basically, I'm going to miss Opening Ceremonies, then?" I ask, the tacit implication being, because you guys picked a hotel that can't get their shit together parking-wise. "There's nothing I can do for you", he tells me. Man, when I was working for FurFright, I can't remember how many times we were told to give this as a response to con-goers. Oh, that's right-- none. None times. What we were told was, "If you can't help someone, find somebody who can".
So, as I'm driving back down Vassar Street for what seems like the 100th time, I make a decision: I don't need this. I didn't pre-register, I'm not in the Masquerade, I have no obligations to anyone. And the prospect of having to potentially go through this again tomorrow or Sunday? No thank you. Neither the convention nor the hotel have one red cent of my money, and they're not going to. Screw you guys, I'm going home.
So, that's my full con report of Anthro New England 2015. Right now, it seems unlikely that I will be particularly eager to attend any future ANE. For certain, I will not attend any future ANE that takes place at the Hyatt Regency.
Kiffa's Anthro New England meme
Posted 10 years agoWhere are you staying?
At home! I live close enough to this one to commute.
Means of transportation?
My car (I'm sorry, but please, don't ask me for rides-- I'm kind of intent on coming and going as I please).
How long are you going to stay?
I plan on being there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Considering coming in to hang out on Thursday night, but I don't really know if I feel like enough people I know will be around to warrant that.
Are you working/volunteering?
Nope! I staffed FurFright for seven years and it was amazing, but this will be my first non-working con since 2006, so I'm going to enjoy the lack of responsibilities. And Drama Armada are taking a rest from con performances for now.
What is your gender/sexuality?
Male, straight.
Relationship status?
Perpetually single.
How old are you?
Forty-thr-- uh, thirty-fo-- uh, twenty-nine. Yeahhh, that's the ticket.
Which languages do you speak?
Failure. And English.
Where will you be most of the time during the day?
Wandering around, looking for people I know well enough to feel comfortable talking to.
Who will you be with?
Whoever I run into.
Do you do free art?
If I did any art at all, I highly doubt that I could get anyone to pay for it.
Do you do trades?
Ooh, I've always wanted to say this-- "Interesting trades considered". No, I have no idea what that means either.
Do you do commissions?
I guess if someone wanted to commission Drama Armada to do a song, we might consider it.
What suit(s) will you have?
Not my bag, baby.
Are you cliquey?
I don't think so. If I appear to be, it's because I'm just more comfortable with people I know fairly well.
Can I talk to you?
Absolutely.
Can we hang out?
Most likely, if you're not a douchebag! :D
Can I dance with you?
Hey, if you think you can actually convince me to get out on a dance floor, more power to you.
Can I touch you?
In an appropriate manner, yes.
Can I hug you?
Probably, if it's not aggressive and from out of nowhere.
Can I snuggle with you?
That depends-- how well do you know me? The answer is: not well enough.
Can I take photos of you/with you?
I suppose, but since I don't do fursuits, you probably won't want to.
May I kidnap you to my room?
You can try.
Do you drink alcohol/smoke?
No/no.
Are you nice?
Yes. Until I'm not.
Attending any events?
Hopefully, opening ceremonies, improv games, Meet A Police Dog, Masquerade, closing ceremonies.
How can I find you at the con?
Go into any one of the hotel rest rooms, look into the mirror and recite my full name three times. When you hear the sound of faint crying, you'll know I'm near.
Are you buying art?
Probably not. I don't commission artists very often, due to a chronic lack of cash and an underdeveloped fursona.
What do I have to watch out for when I am meeting you?
Snakes.
What is the best way to contact you?
Dude, I don't even own a cell phone. I'm assuming this will be a relatively small con. As long as you don't spend the entire weekend in the video gaming room, I'm sure you'll run into me. :)
At home! I live close enough to this one to commute.
Means of transportation?
My car (I'm sorry, but please, don't ask me for rides-- I'm kind of intent on coming and going as I please).
How long are you going to stay?
I plan on being there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Considering coming in to hang out on Thursday night, but I don't really know if I feel like enough people I know will be around to warrant that.
Are you working/volunteering?
Nope! I staffed FurFright for seven years and it was amazing, but this will be my first non-working con since 2006, so I'm going to enjoy the lack of responsibilities. And Drama Armada are taking a rest from con performances for now.
What is your gender/sexuality?
Male, straight.
Relationship status?
Perpetually single.
How old are you?
Forty-thr-- uh, thirty-fo-- uh, twenty-nine. Yeahhh, that's the ticket.
Which languages do you speak?
Failure. And English.
Where will you be most of the time during the day?
Wandering around, looking for people I know well enough to feel comfortable talking to.
Who will you be with?
Whoever I run into.
Do you do free art?
If I did any art at all, I highly doubt that I could get anyone to pay for it.
Do you do trades?
Ooh, I've always wanted to say this-- "Interesting trades considered". No, I have no idea what that means either.
Do you do commissions?
I guess if someone wanted to commission Drama Armada to do a song, we might consider it.
What suit(s) will you have?
Not my bag, baby.
Are you cliquey?
I don't think so. If I appear to be, it's because I'm just more comfortable with people I know fairly well.
Can I talk to you?
Absolutely.
Can we hang out?
Most likely, if you're not a douchebag! :D
Can I dance with you?
Hey, if you think you can actually convince me to get out on a dance floor, more power to you.
Can I touch you?
In an appropriate manner, yes.
Can I hug you?
Probably, if it's not aggressive and from out of nowhere.
Can I snuggle with you?
That depends-- how well do you know me? The answer is: not well enough.
Can I take photos of you/with you?
I suppose, but since I don't do fursuits, you probably won't want to.
May I kidnap you to my room?
You can try.
Do you drink alcohol/smoke?
No/no.
Are you nice?
Yes. Until I'm not.
Attending any events?
Hopefully, opening ceremonies, improv games, Meet A Police Dog, Masquerade, closing ceremonies.
How can I find you at the con?
Go into any one of the hotel rest rooms, look into the mirror and recite my full name three times. When you hear the sound of faint crying, you'll know I'm near.
Are you buying art?
Probably not. I don't commission artists very often, due to a chronic lack of cash and an underdeveloped fursona.
What do I have to watch out for when I am meeting you?
Snakes.
What is the best way to contact you?
Dude, I don't even own a cell phone. I'm assuming this will be a relatively small con. As long as you don't spend the entire weekend in the video gaming room, I'm sure you'll run into me. :)
Furpocalypse = the new FurFright! (not)
Posted 11 years agoI have to be careful about how I write this, because I don't want to offend anyone, but sometimes you just feel like something has to be said.
I am getting really tired of seeing and hearing people refer to Furpocalypse as "the new FurFright". It's not the new FurFright, and referring to it as such is not doing a service to anyone involved with either endeavor.
Furpocalypse is a first-year con, plain and simple. Yes, much of the staff have prior con experience, many of them at FurFright. OK, that's a plus. But FurFright, while absolutely a team effort, was born of the vision of a small group of people who are not involved with the new con. It can't be the same. Surely, there will be people who don't detect any differences, but those will be the people for whom a con is a con is a con-- the ones who go through their weekend without a moment's thought to the fact that this event was put together for them by other people. To those who recognized that FurFright was always different from other cons, it will almost certainly be a different experience.
I'm not trying to put the new con down. I wish them good fortune and a long run. I'm just getting sick of people referring to Furpocalypse as "FurFright". It isn't fair to the people who built FurFright. If for some reason Furpocalypse doesn't live up to people's expectations, then as a former FurFright staff member, I don't want people talking about what a bad time they had at "FurFright". On the other hand, if the weekend is a huge success, then the staff of Furpocalypse deserve the credit for it. FurFright has its legacy. The staff of Furpocalypse have to build their own legacy and start their own traditions, and if they're lucky, and truly care about what they're doing, then they may develop the kind of loyal fanbase that FurFright had.
OK then, back to your regularly-scheduled porn browsing.
I am getting really tired of seeing and hearing people refer to Furpocalypse as "the new FurFright". It's not the new FurFright, and referring to it as such is not doing a service to anyone involved with either endeavor.
Furpocalypse is a first-year con, plain and simple. Yes, much of the staff have prior con experience, many of them at FurFright. OK, that's a plus. But FurFright, while absolutely a team effort, was born of the vision of a small group of people who are not involved with the new con. It can't be the same. Surely, there will be people who don't detect any differences, but those will be the people for whom a con is a con is a con-- the ones who go through their weekend without a moment's thought to the fact that this event was put together for them by other people. To those who recognized that FurFright was always different from other cons, it will almost certainly be a different experience.
I'm not trying to put the new con down. I wish them good fortune and a long run. I'm just getting sick of people referring to Furpocalypse as "FurFright". It isn't fair to the people who built FurFright. If for some reason Furpocalypse doesn't live up to people's expectations, then as a former FurFright staff member, I don't want people talking about what a bad time they had at "FurFright". On the other hand, if the weekend is a huge success, then the staff of Furpocalypse deserve the credit for it. FurFright has its legacy. The staff of Furpocalypse have to build their own legacy and start their own traditions, and if they're lucky, and truly care about what they're doing, then they may develop the kind of loyal fanbase that FurFright had.
OK then, back to your regularly-scheduled porn browsing.
Warning: real-life stuff
Posted 11 years agoThis is kind of a heavy post. Now's your chance to back out.
Today I went to visit an uncle in the hospital. For a long while he's had various medical issues, including diabetes. Recently he was going through a particularly rough patch, but I guess everyone chalked it up to his health problems that they were already aware of. But as things started to get worse, they did more tests, and it turns out that on top of everything else, he's got kidney cancer. By the time they figured this out, he was already in Stage 4 and the cancer had spread to his lungs.
I'm trying to be hopeful, but the outlook isn't great. For all I know, I might have seen him for the last time today, and it all has me feeling very fucked up. I haven't cried, which is weird, because I cry all the time. I get misty if there's a cute dog or cat in a commercial lol. But I have this weird way of detaching myself from the big things, probably as a defense mechanism against the feelings of depression I'm often prone to.
Mostly I'm mad. Mad at fate, the world, God(?), whatever. My uncle's a good guy-- better than most, and it seems like he's had more than his share of hardship. This is a guy who studied to become a priest, and even though he didn't continue on that path, he gave it up for no less noble a career than that of a teacher. In New York he taught inner city "trouble" children, and back here in Massachusetts he taught kids with disabilities. Not just anyone can do that. It takes a special kind of person. He and his wife tried for a child of their own, but after a lot of attempts, and one child who was born too weak to survive more than three days, they gave up on a biological child and adopted a little girl from China. She's a teenager now, and has to face the possibility of losing the only dad she's ever known. And it just doesn't seem fair.
Back in the late '80s, when I was a teenager, I developed an interest in playing the drums. My uncle had been a jazz drummer, but wasn't really playing much at the time, so he lent me his drum set indefinitely. Along with a couple of friends, I used it to record my first-ever official song in 1988. Is it a great song? No. It's a very crude lo-fi recording made by three kids with little (if any) true talent, and is arguably only of interest to the musically-masochistic. But do I love it in a weird way? Fuck yes, I do. It was my start in songwriting and recording, and it wouldn't have been possible without my Uncle Frank.
I used to see my uncle pretty regularly at family gatherings, but starting around the beginning of the '90s, two things happened that changed that. The first was my parents' divorce, which somewhat distanced me from my father, and by extension, the rest of his family. The second was when my grandmother started to go downhill mentally. My dad wanted her to continue living at home, under family supervision, while his siblings thought that it would be better for her to go to an assisted-living facility. My dad was outvoted, and it caused a rift between him and his brothers and sister. Between those two events, I was no longer going to most of the family gatherings, and so over the last 15-20 years, I've only seen my uncle a handful of times. This situation had started to improve some within the last few years, thanks to a cousin who has taken the initiative in getting everyone back together, but I still feel like I've been robbed of a lot of time with him.
I don't know what point I'm trying to make. Mostly I'm just venting, and while I feel like I could do that for a lot longer, I'd just be repeating variations on the same theme: I don't get it. I just don't get it.
Today I went to visit an uncle in the hospital. For a long while he's had various medical issues, including diabetes. Recently he was going through a particularly rough patch, but I guess everyone chalked it up to his health problems that they were already aware of. But as things started to get worse, they did more tests, and it turns out that on top of everything else, he's got kidney cancer. By the time they figured this out, he was already in Stage 4 and the cancer had spread to his lungs.
I'm trying to be hopeful, but the outlook isn't great. For all I know, I might have seen him for the last time today, and it all has me feeling very fucked up. I haven't cried, which is weird, because I cry all the time. I get misty if there's a cute dog or cat in a commercial lol. But I have this weird way of detaching myself from the big things, probably as a defense mechanism against the feelings of depression I'm often prone to.
Mostly I'm mad. Mad at fate, the world, God(?), whatever. My uncle's a good guy-- better than most, and it seems like he's had more than his share of hardship. This is a guy who studied to become a priest, and even though he didn't continue on that path, he gave it up for no less noble a career than that of a teacher. In New York he taught inner city "trouble" children, and back here in Massachusetts he taught kids with disabilities. Not just anyone can do that. It takes a special kind of person. He and his wife tried for a child of their own, but after a lot of attempts, and one child who was born too weak to survive more than three days, they gave up on a biological child and adopted a little girl from China. She's a teenager now, and has to face the possibility of losing the only dad she's ever known. And it just doesn't seem fair.
Back in the late '80s, when I was a teenager, I developed an interest in playing the drums. My uncle had been a jazz drummer, but wasn't really playing much at the time, so he lent me his drum set indefinitely. Along with a couple of friends, I used it to record my first-ever official song in 1988. Is it a great song? No. It's a very crude lo-fi recording made by three kids with little (if any) true talent, and is arguably only of interest to the musically-masochistic. But do I love it in a weird way? Fuck yes, I do. It was my start in songwriting and recording, and it wouldn't have been possible without my Uncle Frank.
I used to see my uncle pretty regularly at family gatherings, but starting around the beginning of the '90s, two things happened that changed that. The first was my parents' divorce, which somewhat distanced me from my father, and by extension, the rest of his family. The second was when my grandmother started to go downhill mentally. My dad wanted her to continue living at home, under family supervision, while his siblings thought that it would be better for her to go to an assisted-living facility. My dad was outvoted, and it caused a rift between him and his brothers and sister. Between those two events, I was no longer going to most of the family gatherings, and so over the last 15-20 years, I've only seen my uncle a handful of times. This situation had started to improve some within the last few years, thanks to a cousin who has taken the initiative in getting everyone back together, but I still feel like I've been robbed of a lot of time with him.
I don't know what point I'm trying to make. Mostly I'm just venting, and while I feel like I could do that for a lot longer, I'd just be repeating variations on the same theme: I don't get it. I just don't get it.
New Drama Armada song: "Five Nights At Freddy's"
Posted 11 years agoOur latest song is up, and it's our take on 1984's "One Night In Bangkok", transformed into an ode to the viral video game "Five Nights At Freddy's".
Grab a slice of pizza and check it out!
Grab a slice of pizza and check it out!
RIP, Jim Hardiman
Posted 11 years agoThe news going around is that Jim Hardiman, creator of Skunkworks, has passed away. Unfortunately, it seems to be more than just a rumor. It isn't the biggest shock in the world, as it's well-known that he'd been plagued with health problems going back several years, but it's very sad news indeed.
Simply put, Jim was my gateway into the furry fandom. Even though I'd always loved anthropomorphic characters, I was completely unaware of the fandom until I stumbled across the Genus comic book anthology series in the mid-'90s (this was back when you could still find furry comics on the shelves of actual brick-and-mortar comic book shops). Jim's segments were my favorite, not just because of the artwork (which was amazing), but also because of the characters' personalities and the sense of humor that he injected into almost everything he wrote and drew.
At some point I e-mailed him about a technical issue I was having with his site (this will be a little embarrassing, but it will illustrate what a stand-up guy Jim was). This was in 1999, and at the time, my internet access was via WebTV lol. Yup, that was my introduction to the World Wide Web. It was good enough if you didn't know anything else, but there were drawbacks. One of which, if I'm remembering correctly, was that it didn't support Java, and I think that's where I ran into trouble on Jim's website. I e-mailed him, and not only did he respond quickly, but he saw to it that the parts of the page that used Java were re-written so that WebTV-using losers like me could access it. This began a series of occasional correspondences between us, and I was always appreciative that a popular furry artist-- probably the most popular one that I was aware of at the time-- took the time to write lengthy e-mails to a complete unknown. When it came to his renown in the fandom, he seemed to have absolutely no ego about it whatsoever. He was just a guy, and you could talk to him as just a guy.
Around the same time, I attended a comic book show here in Boston, and I picked up a few furry comics from one of the vendors. He asked me if I was a furry, and I paused, because I honestly didn't know how to answer the question. I liked the artwork, but at that point I'd never really thought of myself by that term before. I responded with some variety of "Kind of," and then he told me that I should check out Anthrocon in July. It may have been the first time I'd ever heard of it, or any furry convention, for that matter. I was still very much on the periphery of the fandom, and didn't personally know a single other furry, but I began to consider going. I mentioned it in my next e-mail to Jim, and asked him if he'd be there. The following is an excerpt from his response.
Yup, we'll be at Anthrocon, selling pretty much everything that's on the website... So if you get a chance, swing on by and introduce yourself... If my table looks really busy, try to stop by when it slows down. That's the only thing that really sucks about these conventions. I'd like to be able to really talk to all the folks that stop by, but it's frustrating when you've got, like, six people talking to you at once. And then, sometimes, folks will get their stuff and walk away, thinking I've better things to do than talk to them, which certainly isn't the case.
So emboldened by this encouragement, I made up my mind that come July, I would drive from Boston to Valley Forge to attend a convention I could hardly afford, for a fandom I was barely sure I was a part of yet.
Anthrocon was a lot smaller then-- under 900 attendees-- but it was still pretty overwhelming to me at the time. I pretty much kept to myself, viewing the proceedings with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. The overall feeling I took away from the weekend was, "I'm not sure whether this is for me or not." Perhaps the one conversation that I had the entire weekend was when I stopped by Jim's table. It was during a slow period, so I got to chat with him for a while, but at some point I got self-conscious, or worried (probably needlessly) that I was taking up too much of his time, and took my leave.
I never got to meet him in person again, but we continued to exchange e-mails every so often for a few years. I confessed to him that I'd felt kind of out-of-place at Anthrocon, and he helped me realize that the furry fandom is like a smorgasbord: not everything on the table is going to be to your liking, and you can pick and choose what you like and say "No, thank you" to what you don't. To this day, that philosophy is what guides me in this wonderful, fucked-up fandom. Once upon a time, I was worried that I'd never be accepted in this community, because I wasn't interested in fursuiting or role-playing or sharing every facet of my sexual identity with the world. But once I started to let go of the idea that I had to be like other furries I'd seen, I was able to start being myself. And that's when good things started to happen for me in the fandom.
So thank you for that, Jim. Even though it's been years since the last time we corresponded, I'll miss you very much. May your version of the afterlife be an eternity accompanied by a harem of Slappy Squirrels. :)
Simply put, Jim was my gateway into the furry fandom. Even though I'd always loved anthropomorphic characters, I was completely unaware of the fandom until I stumbled across the Genus comic book anthology series in the mid-'90s (this was back when you could still find furry comics on the shelves of actual brick-and-mortar comic book shops). Jim's segments were my favorite, not just because of the artwork (which was amazing), but also because of the characters' personalities and the sense of humor that he injected into almost everything he wrote and drew.
At some point I e-mailed him about a technical issue I was having with his site (this will be a little embarrassing, but it will illustrate what a stand-up guy Jim was). This was in 1999, and at the time, my internet access was via WebTV lol. Yup, that was my introduction to the World Wide Web. It was good enough if you didn't know anything else, but there were drawbacks. One of which, if I'm remembering correctly, was that it didn't support Java, and I think that's where I ran into trouble on Jim's website. I e-mailed him, and not only did he respond quickly, but he saw to it that the parts of the page that used Java were re-written so that WebTV-using losers like me could access it. This began a series of occasional correspondences between us, and I was always appreciative that a popular furry artist-- probably the most popular one that I was aware of at the time-- took the time to write lengthy e-mails to a complete unknown. When it came to his renown in the fandom, he seemed to have absolutely no ego about it whatsoever. He was just a guy, and you could talk to him as just a guy.
Around the same time, I attended a comic book show here in Boston, and I picked up a few furry comics from one of the vendors. He asked me if I was a furry, and I paused, because I honestly didn't know how to answer the question. I liked the artwork, but at that point I'd never really thought of myself by that term before. I responded with some variety of "Kind of," and then he told me that I should check out Anthrocon in July. It may have been the first time I'd ever heard of it, or any furry convention, for that matter. I was still very much on the periphery of the fandom, and didn't personally know a single other furry, but I began to consider going. I mentioned it in my next e-mail to Jim, and asked him if he'd be there. The following is an excerpt from his response.
Yup, we'll be at Anthrocon, selling pretty much everything that's on the website... So if you get a chance, swing on by and introduce yourself... If my table looks really busy, try to stop by when it slows down. That's the only thing that really sucks about these conventions. I'd like to be able to really talk to all the folks that stop by, but it's frustrating when you've got, like, six people talking to you at once. And then, sometimes, folks will get their stuff and walk away, thinking I've better things to do than talk to them, which certainly isn't the case.
So emboldened by this encouragement, I made up my mind that come July, I would drive from Boston to Valley Forge to attend a convention I could hardly afford, for a fandom I was barely sure I was a part of yet.
Anthrocon was a lot smaller then-- under 900 attendees-- but it was still pretty overwhelming to me at the time. I pretty much kept to myself, viewing the proceedings with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. The overall feeling I took away from the weekend was, "I'm not sure whether this is for me or not." Perhaps the one conversation that I had the entire weekend was when I stopped by Jim's table. It was during a slow period, so I got to chat with him for a while, but at some point I got self-conscious, or worried (probably needlessly) that I was taking up too much of his time, and took my leave.
I never got to meet him in person again, but we continued to exchange e-mails every so often for a few years. I confessed to him that I'd felt kind of out-of-place at Anthrocon, and he helped me realize that the furry fandom is like a smorgasbord: not everything on the table is going to be to your liking, and you can pick and choose what you like and say "No, thank you" to what you don't. To this day, that philosophy is what guides me in this wonderful, fucked-up fandom. Once upon a time, I was worried that I'd never be accepted in this community, because I wasn't interested in fursuiting or role-playing or sharing every facet of my sexual identity with the world. But once I started to let go of the idea that I had to be like other furries I'd seen, I was able to start being myself. And that's when good things started to happen for me in the fandom.
So thank you for that, Jim. Even though it's been years since the last time we corresponded, I'll miss you very much. May your version of the afterlife be an eternity accompanied by a harem of Slappy Squirrels. :)
New Drama Armada song and account (and a request!)
Posted 11 years agoHey everyone. For those of you who don't already know, sedge and I have a new song up at our dramaarmada account. It's a parody of David Bowie's "Fashion", and it's called "DashCon" (after the now-infamous convention that took place near Chicago earlier this month).
We've also set up a new account on tumblr, which brngs me to the request part of this message: Would those of you who are on tumblr please consider re-blogging our song there? As it's a brand new account, it turns out that our posts aren't showing up in tumblr tag searches, so we really could use some assistance in getting the song spread around. Thanks in advance.
One last thing, Sedge and I have another Drama Armada song that we've been working on. Hard to say right now exactly when it'll be finished, but I'm hoping for late summer/early fall. I'm really looking forward to it.
Hope things are going well for all of you!
sedge and I have a new song up at our dramaarmada account. It's a parody of David Bowie's "Fashion", and it's called "DashCon" (after the now-infamous convention that took place near Chicago earlier this month).We've also set up a new account on tumblr, which brngs me to the request part of this message: Would those of you who are on tumblr please consider re-blogging our song there? As it's a brand new account, it turns out that our posts aren't showing up in tumblr tag searches, so we really could use some assistance in getting the song spread around. Thanks in advance.
One last thing, Sedge and I have another Drama Armada song that we've been working on. Hard to say right now exactly when it'll be finished, but I'm hoping for late summer/early fall. I'm really looking forward to it.
Hope things are going well for all of you!
New SoFurry account(s)
Posted 12 years agohttps://dramaarmada.sofurry.com/
https://kiffakitmouse.sofurry.com/
Not leaving FA, just venturing out a bit.
I haven't yet decided whether or not I'm going to upload my solo stuff there, so for now, the Kiffa account is just for watching, commenting and the like (but you can always put me on your watchlist, so you'll know if that changes). The Drama Armada stuff will be going up on that account over the next little while, as time allows.
https://kiffakitmouse.sofurry.com/
Not leaving FA, just venturing out a bit.
I haven't yet decided whether or not I'm going to upload my solo stuff there, so for now, the Kiffa account is just for watching, commenting and the like (but you can always put me on your watchlist, so you'll know if that changes). The Drama Armada stuff will be going up on that account over the next little while, as time allows.
