First, sorry for the double journal post, but I didn't feel the previous one was appropriate for this content.

So, as I detailed in the last journal, despite everything, this has been a good year for my fursona/characters development and I've even achieved the core workings of a story plot for them. The story is heavily fantasy based, and will likely take me a good while to write it all out.

Firstly, I'll be putting together cohesive character sheets detailing the characters' appearance, bio, and an accompanying text post detailing their skills, abilities, personality, and other such related information. I'll be starting with Aureus and Rapidus as they are present from the start of my story; the other 2 will appear later. I'm not the greatest at art, so if I ABSOLUTELY CAN'T get a commission done for a character's bio, I'll scribble something awful together for the sake of a reference point and hopefully get it done proper later. Anything new (abilities, items) that the characters gain during the story will be detailed with a (potentially sloppy) art post. The story will be primarily text as I'm not made of cash and can't afford to commission a comic of this size, and my art skills are mediocre at best; I'd rather not slow the production further than I already have.

Second, once I get started, and I'm comfortable with my writing, I will likely post a journal asking if people would like their (fur?)sonas to cameo in the story. I won't be terribly picky about what gets added, but there's only so much detail that I'll be willing to cover for a cameo, and while I don't mean to be selfish, I don't really want any super-powerful RP cameos in the story as it would render the plot sort of moot. No one character will be legendary powerful such that they can hold their own against an army. That said, I won't kill a cameo in the story (there will be much conflict and tragedy) unless the owner explicitly states it's OK. Mostly it'll help me cut down on minor character development and overall speed up production, so if you like how I'm doing, consider asking for a cameo. Unless I get a lot of them, scalies may be reserved for story arc 3 as that entire story arc will take place in a lizaradman/draconian territory, and anything else would be somewhat out of place aside from a very small number non-scalies (like I said, I've got some framework laid out)

I'm not sure what my production speed will be, so I wont promise anything, but my plan is to put aside a specific amount of time each day to work on this. It's been flopping about in my mind for literal years and I've just now hammered down the major points. I still have a lot of work to do with smaller sub plots that will drive the main ideas, but thinking about how much I've done with it recently is super encouraging. Even now I've just excited myself again!

Hoooly crap what a trash year for getting my life together. Working retail night shift is an absolute slog that eats more time than you'd think it does. What's worse is no one remembers you're a night shift worker (even after a year people still try to call me during my sleep hours which haven't changed in a year) and tries to get you to do things during your sleep hours. I've gotten absolutely nothing accomplished that I had on my list for this year: which has never happened before.

As of the new year, I'll be bailing this job and taking a loan to finish my degree: a whole 8 courses. I'll be treating it like a 9-to-5, so even if I'm done with my coursework, I'll be working on my professional portfolio in the spare time, be it building a program or learning another coding language/a current one better. I have no desire to return to this "hell" again, and I'll be doing everything I can to ensure it, having experienced it. I'd love to say it was the worst decision I ever made, try to work and finish my tuition without taking a loan, but I learned just how bullshit service sector really is firsthand, and that's spurring me on to really commit to my profession.

The other good thing about all this is during my brainless night shift work, I've developed my fursona more, and also developed 3 others; I just never really put any of it down anywhere, my hands are busy at work but my mind is idle, a crime; as usual, everything is in my head! After I quit my work at the end of the month, I will get my courses sorted, my numbers straight, and loan all settled, and then I'll be making a serious effort to put all 4 - that's right, 4, of my characters into cohesive character sheets detailing everything about them with text write-ups. I think they're finally developed enough for legitimate RP.

In the process of this, developing their appearance, backstory, skills, and personalities, I unwittingly made the internal workings of a story and plot involving these 4. I'll post a separate journal for all this so it doesn't potentially get lost in what may look to some people as a "pass" journal.

So while I got very little done to progress my real life, the job kept me away from grind-heavy games long enough for me to finally develop my furry life better. Let's be optimistic and call that a win? More to come on that, like I said, in another journal.

Well, it seems the PC's Motherboard has finally bitten it. I am currently without my primary gaming system. I am now left with the computer I am calling "Old Faithful", My first personal computer, a laptop from 2004. Running Windows XP SP3, it has a whopping 2GB RAM, 60GB HDD space, and a modest 32MB integrated video memory!

This is a short-term loss. I will be getting a new motherboard this weekend hopefully, and have it installed in short order,

As the title suggests, I'm hosting a Minecraft server running in Adventure mode. Adventure mode means you can't mine anything without the right tool. Since I don't want people mining throgh walls as it would negate the challenge, I have command blocks set up on a clock to remove shovels, pickaxes, and axes from all players inventories. Only 6 players are allowed on a one time, and one slot is reserved for me.

The purpose is to give players combat or puzzle challenges. This is constantly in development by me, though feedback is encouraged.

I will release the server's IP address once i deal with a few abnormalities.

So , I finally got around to buying Sonic 4 EP 2 last night for my PS3, and about 1 minute into playing the first stage, my game freezes and my PS3 shuts down on me. I was like "WTF?" so I reach up, and turn it back on, only to see it YELLOW LIGHT ON ME. (Go ahead and laugh, Xbox people.)

I was so mad, I ALMOST threw my controller across the room. For reference, that impulse has never occurred before.

Being that I have the Metal Gear Solid 4 Special Edition console, complete with 100% backwards compatibility and 4 USB ports..... no, I am not sending this in to Sony to fix. I'll get a damn PS3 slim back, with no PS2 compatibility. I'll be taking it to a reputable local repair shop to get it fixed. The bill? It'll be $85, but that's not only cheaper AND faster than Sony, but I'll also get my original PS3 back.

tl;dr version: My PS3 yellow lighted, and I wont be on PSN for about 2-3 weeks.

Has anyone else had issues with FA being absurdly slow loading? sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to load a page. I know it's not my connection because my games run perfectly fine, and I can load Google in .5 seconds. Anyone know what gives?

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/don.....gaysgetmarried

That is all.

Ok, so all these people who freaked out about the note system when the site got hacked and notes got leaked and they screamed that notes should be disablable... really people? Especially when you all should know that nothing on the internet is unhackable OR private. Not even your Facebook accounts or email accounts are totally "private" with all your security settings and whatnot. I wonder if these people react like this to every little problem that happens publicly...

OMG! Credit card fraud! I'm not using credit cards anymore!
OMG! Bank account theft! I'm not using bank accounts anymore!
OMG! Someone was robbed at gunpoint and their cash stolen! I'm not using cash anymore!

Sound stupid as sin, doesn't it? While I'm on the subject of stupid....

I love all these people leaving FA for these smaller sites like IB and SF and whatnot because "they're faster and their admin team always replies to troubletickets within a day". That's kind of expected when the site's userbase and submission count is barely 10% THE SIZE OF FA. Just wait untl it gets largerand closer to FA's size and I bet you'll all be complaining about them just as much.

Let's also not forget that FA is also an NPO whose funding is completely userbase driven through donations and ADs, which are all by, of, or for specifically furries, which I'm totally grateful for. I don't have to deal with the same garbage-ass corporate advertising that I see everywhere else. Can't say that about certain art sites...

/rant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQb8.....yer_embedded#!

Ever been playing an MMORPG and HATED a weapon because of its weapon type or appearance, but had to use it because it was "Best in Slot", or you couldnt be effective without it? Can the same be said of your armor? Look no further. This is by far the most comprehensive weapon crafting system I have ever seen in a game, and teh best part? It will likely also happen to the armor crafting system.

This game has no EXP system, so it's all on your gear! And gear doesn't drop from some 9001-man raid boss. It has to be made. By YOU or someone else. Never again will you be forced to wear some ugly-ass chestplate just because you needed the extra HP. Nor will you magic users be forced to wield some kinda wobbly looking shard of metal that looks like it would break if you stabbed something with it. You wont be forced to use anything you don't want to or like how it looks. Oh yeah, your character model is exactly the same way, with NO INFLUENCE ON STATS.

Many food service businesses are charging 3-5% on tips left via credit card. Leave cash if at all possible.

I got in!!!!

I'd share stuff, but they made me sign this non-disclosure agreement thingy.... meaning I get smashed with the banhammer if I do... but it kinda hurts.... so I don't wanna do that....

Anyway! Happy weeks ahead!

I haven't been using Facebook ever since NDAA passed, so I could care less, but I figured I would pass this along to anyone else who still does.

It is now LEGAL in the US for employers to require you to relinquish your Facebook account login information on grounds you may be hiding something from your employer. If you fail to do so upon request, it is also legal for them to refuse you employment. In an already crappy economy, this is terrible. Screwed financially if you don't do it, and personally violated if you do.

Supposedly, Facebook, Inc is fighting back on this, because it could easily destroy their entire company. I won't lie, I'd be mad as hell too. If you still use Facebook, I would suggest supporting your host and work on getting this law repealed. Many companies haven't caught on to this being legal yet, but a large number have, and most of them are making good(evil?) use of it.

There is no freedom in this country.

No, I have not gone brony on you all. This is a temporary change at the request of
I'll be changing it back within a week.

http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/

If this passes, FA will be taken out, due to the tremendous amount of fan art of copyrighted characters. Same goes for all the other art sites. Stop this law from passing NOW!