After about a month and a half, it appears that FA is functioning a lot better than it was a while ago, therefore I have decided to start posting new stories to FA once again (beginning with two that have already been posted elsewhere later today). In addition to that, I've also decided that I'm going to delay going through my gallery for awhile, however it will likely happen at some point in the future. When that day comes I will make sure to give you guys advance warning before I do it.

I intend on keeping my FA account active for as long as I feel like I'm able to. However, if the site should experience the same kind of stuff that it did late last year before I went on my hiatus, I may have to leave FA...for real this time. Hopefully that will never happen, but we'll see.

As some of you are aware, about a month ago I decided to go on a hiatus from FurAffinity due to it's performance issues. However, since that time I've noticed that the site has been behaving a lot better than it had been and I've decided to return to posting stuff on FA beginning next month. However...there is a catch.

When I return to FA, I will be going through my gallery and begin deleting some of the stories and other stuff I have on there (mostly stuff I've moved to Inkbunny or will be moving elsewhere as well as other story ideas that I no longer feel like I'm going to be able to get to for some reason). With that being said, if there are any stories of mine that you want to keep for yourselves from my FA page...download them NOW! Starting on February 1, I'll begin deleting stuff from here that I no longer wish to keep on FA, so you have about 2 weeks of advance warning.

NOTE: Not all of the deleted stories will be posted on other sites. Some will be put into storage to be used as part of a collection of stories that I'll release at a later time. So, make sure you get any stories you wish to keep while you can!

Given the recent performance issues with this site as well as some other issues, I've decided that effective immediately that I'm going to be going on partial hiatus from FurAffinity for awhile.

By this, I mean that I won't be adding any new stories to my FA account (at least for the foreseeable future) and I'll be focusing more attention on my other pages. (Sorry, but I just can't deal with these issues any longer). Now, for those who I owe stories to that are already started, those will be finished and will be posted on FA when I get them done. I have not forgotten about you and I want to get those done. However, as far as the long-term future goes, I need some time to think.

NOTE: Just because I'm not going to be adding stories here doesn't mean I won't still be around. I will keep this account open for others to view the stuff I've already posted. I'll also be lurking around from time-to-time, so I'm not leaving for good. Also, there is a possibility that I'll come back if things improve here, but not for awhile.

In the meantime, in case you're interested, you can always check out my Inkbunny and/or SoFurry accounts. I will continue to be active on both of those, including posting new stories on each site whenever I get the chance.

I have updated my terms for regular commissions (ones that do not currently apply to the special that's being offered). If anyone is interested in a regular commission, please read this

Commission Information
(as of 3/14/2013)

"Why are you taking commissions"

>: There are a couple of reasons actually. The main reason is to help me earn extra cash to make it easier for me to pay for living expenses (while I do have a regular job, it sometimes isn't enough to fit the bill on it's own...especially during the fall and winter months). In addition to that, I'm also hoping to earn money to achieve my ultimate goal of moving to Albuquerque so I can be a lot closer to my girlfriend than I currently am.

"What kind of commissions do you offer?"

>: There are several types of story options you can choose, ranging from single story, to two-parters, to mini-series, to a continuous series. Feel free to choose whichever one that suits your needs and your budget.

"What do I get from a certain type of commission?"

>: Depends on the type, but here's a general guideline...

Single Story: up to 3 characters* and up to 2 sex scenes
Two-Parter: up to 4 characters* (combined) and up to 2 sex scenes (per part)
3-Part Mini-series: up to 4 characters* (combined) and up to 2 sex scenes (per part)
5-Part Mini-series: up to 5 characters* (combined) and up to 2 sex scenes (per part)
Continuous Series (minimum: 3 parts): up to 10 characters* (total) and up to 2 sex scenes (per part)

*: Major characters, I reserve the right to add additional characters to a story if I feel it's necessary, but you will not be charged extra for any characters that I put in.

"Can I add more scenes/characters to a story (or stories)?"

>: Yes, for an additional fee, you can add up to 1 extra major character and 1 extra sex scene per story or story series (not eligible for the continuous series)

"Can I use your major characters in a commissioned story?"

>: Yes, in fact, there is a $2 discount for using my characters as a part of your commission if you wish to have them a part of your story (discount only applies when my characters are used in a sex scene...if I add them myself, then the discount does not apply).
Eligible Characters include: Myself (all forms...females only), Charlene (all forms...females only), Eva (Two-tailed fox form only), Melissa (all forms...males only), Hope (any of her non-anthro forms**)
NOTE: There is a limit of one $2 discount per story, even if you ask for more than one of my characters.

**: In addition to her non-anthro eevee form, Hope can also change into any of the other eevolutions...except Sylveon, she has not been programmed for that transformation...yet.

"Can I use other people's characters in a story?"

>: Depends...if it's another artist's character and I have their permission, then yes I will allow it. If not, then it is not allowed. NOTE: If the character you're asking to use happens to be your real-life love interest then the answer will always be "yes" unless circumstances change between you two.

"Can I use stuff like Pokemon, Digimon, Sonic Characters, etc. in a story?"

>: Well, I'll take that on a case-by-case basis. Pokemorphs and the like I won't have a problem with, but other characters may be an issue. Your best bet is to ask me about the character first and see whether or not I'll allow it.

"I have a particular fetish that I'd like to have done in a story? Can you do it for me?"

>: Depends on what it is...if it's something that I've done before in my normal stories then the answer is yes.

"What fetishes won't you do in a story?"

>: "Bathroom Antics" are definitely out (also known as "piss and shit"), I don't do vore (of any kind), and I won't do anything that involves someone getting brutalized (also known as "gore"), I also don't like BDSM (light bondage is OK in most cases), and I don't want to do anything that is non-consentual. There may be others I can't think of right now, so if I haven't mentioned it and you're not sure, ask first.

"Is there anything else that's off-limits?"

>: Depends on which site you're asking me from. Commissioned pieces will be placed on the site they are commissioned from and that site only (unless you ask me to keep it private). For example, any commissions from FA would have to also abide by FA's rules and so on.

"What sexual pairings do you allow?"

>: My personal preference is for M/F or F/F, but I will do stories involving Hermaphrodites and I will also consider M/M pairings on a case-by-case basis. I am a straight male and while I have no real desire for M/M sex, I have been thinking about trying to write some stories. NOTE: My allowing of M/M pairings is subject to change in the future, depending on how I feel about it after I've had some practice.

"OK, you've talked me into it...so, how much is it going to cost me?"

>: Again, the prices depend on commission type and whether or not any discounts or specials are applied. The following are listed prices for NORMAL commissions.

Available Permanent Discounts...
Using one of my characters in sex scene(s): $2 off (not eligible with the friendship/loyalty discount)
Friends and loyal customers (must purchase at least $25 worth of commissions to be eligible for the loyalty discount): See prices listed below.
Heart of Gold Discount (reserved for those who donate at least $25 to me): $2 off for $25-99 donated, $3-5 off for $100+ donated (depending on commission type...higher priced commissions will have larger discounts). Donation totals are aggregate, you do not have to donate it all at one time to be eligible for the discount.
NOTE: THESE DISCOUNTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMMISSION SPECIALS!!!
NOTE 2: THE FRIEND/LOYAL CUSTOMER DISCOUNT TRUMPS ALL OTHER DISCOUNTS!!! (This means that if you are on the friends/loyal customers list and you are also eligible for the other discounts, your friend/loyal customer discount will be the only one that is applied).

(Denotes Friend/Loyal Customer pricing)

Single Story: $5 ($3)
Two-Parter: $10 ($7)
3-Part Mini-series: $15 ($10)...INCLUDES $5 OF FREE STORY VALUE AFTER THE PAID COMMISSION IS COMPLETE!***
5-Part Mini-series: $25 ($18)...INCLUDES $10 OF FREE STORY VALUE AFTER THE PAID COMMISSION IS COMPLETE!***
Continuous Series: $15 for the first three parts and then $5 for each paid part afterwards ($10 for the first three parts and then $3 for each paid part thereafter). NOTE: After the first three paid parts, you get a fourth part for free and then afterwards you get every 3rd story in this series for free as long as the series continues. You can have as many parts as you wish with this option.

Extra Character: +$2 (limit one per story or series)
Extra Sex Scenes: +$2 (limit one scene per story)

***: Friend/Loyal customer rates DO NOT apply to freebies and no additional scenes/characters can be added to free stories!

NOTE: All individual PAID stories are backed by a 90-day guarantee. In which, if I do not complete an individual story within 90 days of receiving full payment, you receive $5 in free story value. (For multi-part stories, the guarantee is 90 days between each individual part, NOTE: The guarantee does NOT apply to the continuous series!)

"Where do I send the payments?"

>: Send them to my Paypal account at primefactor01[at]gmail.com

"When do you start working on the stories?"

>: As soon as I receive money...either a full payment or a down payment. NOTE: If you send me a partial payment I will hold the story until I receive full payment and the 90-day guarantee rule will not apply.

"How do I ask for a commission?"

> Either by replying to this journal or sending me a PM. I would recommend replying in the journal first to reserve a slot with what type of commission you want and then giving me the details via PM.

I just found out that my step-brother IS moving out towards the end of next month and when that happens, I'll be on my own which means I'll have to cover my financial obligations as well as all other expenses that I did not have to worry about for the last decade or so. As a result, I'm going to have to find ways to come up with money without overworking myself at the same time. I've started a commission special that lasts through the end of next month, if you're interested, please check that out. I'll also start having auctions for story packages and revamping my commission terms to make things a little more user-friendly. Right now, any help is appreciated and the more money I'm able to have on hand by the time he does move, the better off I'll be.

I posted this on Inkbunny and I'm posting it here too in case anyone on FA is interested.

I'm offering a special to anyone who wants to commission me for stories between now and the end of March. Here's how it will work...

Do you have a love interest in your life that you'd like me to write about, or maybe you have a crush on a character and want me to write a story with you in it with them. Well, now is your chance to do just that. For $5 you will get TWO commissioned stories. With these stories you have two options.

Option 1: If you use it for a real-life love interest, I will create stories from both perspectives (from the one who's giving and the one who's receiving)
Option 2: If you choose some other character, you will receive two stories featuring yourself paired up with that character. (By the way, I WILL allow characters such as Tails, Pokemon, or most any other character that would normally be off-limits for this*)

All other normal commission rules will apply. No "bathroom antics" (piss and shit), vore, gore, or anything else I'd find too bizarre or disgusting (if you're not sure, ask first). M/M pairings are allowed for this in addition to M/F and F/F pairings.

If you choose Option 1, you'll get to choose the setting you want the story to take place in as well as ONE sex scene (I will also include a bit of foreplay in the story at no extra charge). If you choose Option 2, you'll get to choose the setting (for each story) and ONE sex scene (for each story). Again, no extra charge for foreplay. If you really want to add an additional scene in a story, I'll allow you to add one extra scene at $2...per story (which means if you choose option 1, it'll be $4 since the extra scene will be included in both stories)

This offer is valid through March 31 and is not valid with any other discount or offer. It is also backed by the 90-day guarantee (whereas if I do not complete your commission within 90 days of me accepting payment of it, you get a free $5 commission!)

*: Original characters who are not a real-life love interest to you that are created by other artists are still off-limits to use unless the artist who owns said character gives me permission to use that character!

P.S.: I should know pretty soon whether or not my step-brother plans of moving this spring or not, when I know more I will let you know.

As many of you are probably already aware, FA has been acting a little slow lately and to be honest I'm starting to get sick of it. Which means I'm starting to seriously consider focusing more on my Inkbunny and SoFurry accounts when posting new stories and whatnot.

Now, does this mean that I'm going to abandon FA completely?...No, at least not at this time. I will still post stories here for a while and see if conditions on FA improve. If things continue to go south here, however, that is when I will seriously consider following Kitsuneyoukai's lead and focusing all of my attention on Inkbunny and SoFurry.

For now though, I will be staying on FA, I just might not post stories here as often as I have in the past.

I don't know if there was some confusion about what I mentioned with the last journal, but I'd like to clarify that this is not yet confirmed. While my step-brother told me he was seriously considering moving out, it all depends on whether or not he gets a job that would require him to move out of state. I posted the last journal mostly to let everyone know what was happening to me and to brainstorm for possible ideas to raise money should it come down to that. I apologize if any of you were confused over what I told you previously.

Anyway, with that being said, I did get an idea that I think I might try here sometime in the not-too-distant future...putting together story packages available for auction. I'm still debating how I would go about doing this and waiting to see what happens with my step-brother, but I do have an idea for an auction package in my mind and once I feel that I'm ready to start it, I'll let you guys know and provide more information.

So, I got home from work today and I found out that my step-brother is thinking about moving to Texas (and for those of you who know me well enough, you'd know that I'm currently living with him). If this occurs, I will be left all alone and it'll probably torpedo any serious plans I have to move to Albuquerque...at least in the short-term future. To make matters worse, it means that I'll also have to pay for EVERYTHING here, which would make things even more difficult on me. Needless to say, I'm feeling very stressed out right now and I seriously need to think of ways to try and get extra cash to make my life easier if this happens.

I could ask for donations, but I'd rather not do it unless I was truly desperate, plus I'd rather do something for the cash. Another option I've been mulling over was to make some changes to commission rules, relaxing some of them to make it easier for you guys to ask me what you'd want me to do for you...but I don't know.

*sigh* If only I had enough artistic skill to do art commissions, I could do that to. Unfortunately, I'm not someone like Kitsuneyoukai, so that's not really an option for me.

I do have some advance warning about this, if this occurs it would not happen for a couple of months. However, I really need to think about what I can do about this. I'd probably say some more right now, but I'm feeling tired...I've been awake all day long and I need some rest. U.U

P.S.: I am DEAD FUCKING SERIOUS about this. This is not a hoax, this is not a joke of any kind, this is the honest to god truth as I know it.

Well, it's that time of the year again. Where I get another year older and have to update my profile (not to mention do other things that have nothing to do with FA) >_< Anyway, that's pretty much all I have to say about that.

However, there is one other thing I did want to mention. I'm still looking for ideas for how to celebrate my 5th year of being on FA. So far I have one idea under serious consideration, but I'd like to see more. As such, I'm extending the deadline for any suggestions for how to celebrate my 5th FA anniversary until the end of January. If you have an idea for something that I could do, let me know and I will think about it.

...AND IT'S MY 5TH FA ANNIVERSARY *starts setting off fireworks while playing the intro to SSBB a la Linkara*

That's right, it's been five years since I started this account and it's time to celebrate. Only problem is, I'm not exactly sure what I want to do to celebrate this year. I did the "anniversary" story series last year for the 5th SF Anniversary, but I'm not sure what to do here. =\

However, perhaps you guys can help me out with that. From now until I post my next journal, I'll be taking suggestions on what you want to see me do for my 5th FA anniversary. Any realistic suggestions will be considered and there is no limit to the number of suggestions you can give me (as long as you don't write a novel's worth of suggestions, that is).

Also, I should mention that this year will also be my 10th anniversary of writing adult stories publicly (but I'll get to that more when April comes around).

UPDATE (12/31/2012): I just got back home a little bit ago, expect to see new stories added here later today!

I just got back from Albuquerque a little while ago, however I'm still away from home. I will be getting back home on Monday and when I do arrive, I'll have new stuff to post.

As of right now, there will be (at least) 2 stories added here when I get home, so keep an eye out for them on Monday.

As I mentioned before in a previous journal, I'm going to be leaving for Albuquerque tomorrow morning and I will be away from home all of this upcoming week. However, as I also mentioned previously, I will be able to have internet access while I'm gone, but I won't be able to add anything new to any sites from the time I leave tomorrow until I get back to my home computer on New Year's Eve. Hopefully by then, I'll have something new to add here...but we'll see.

Well, it's almost that time of year again. The time where I go out of town for Christmas. However, things are going to be a bit different this year. Unlike past years when I've done this, I'm not going to my parents' house to spend the holiday with them. Instead, I'm going to Albuquerque to spend time with my sweetheart. Because of this, I'll be staying at a hotel in Albuquerque, which means I will have internet access while I'm gone. However, I won't be around all that much to use it in all likelihood, and there will be no new stories published (assuming I finish any while I'm away from home) until I actually get home.

I will be leaving a week from today and I'll be in Albuquerque until Saturday Afternoon (12/29). HOWEVER, when I do get back to Minnesota, I do not plan on going straight home since it'll be late when I get back and there's a Vikings game the next day. Therefore, I won't actually get home until New Year's Eve. Since I'll be staying at a hotel when I get back in town for a couple nights, I'll still have internet access, but like I said, I do not intend on uploading anything until I get back to my regular computer.

Anyway, with all that out of the way, let's get to the Top 10 list...

Top 10 List #29 (C-PRIME's Christmas Wish List)

This list contains the 10 items that I would most want to get for a Christmas present as of December 2012. It's possible that future incarnations of this list could change, but this is what I'd want if I could have anything I asked for.

10. A new MP3 player: Although my current MP3 player has served me well for the last 3 1/2 years, I feel it is about time for a replacement (and probably an upgrade to an Ipod).

9. A (lifesize) Tails plushie (new): I know I've seen 'em before and I've wanted one for years!

8. Adobe Flash/Shockwave (not the player, the thing to make flash videos and whatnot): This is another thing I've wanted ever since 2005, but has been too expensive for my budget.

7. Ca$h: To help me build a happier future.

6. A new DVD recorder: So I would be able to record my own gameplay footage and whatnot so I can use them for movies.

5. A new laptop computer (with a built-in wireless modem): Last year I learned an important lesson...don't buy a used netbook from a pawn shop. From the moment I bought the thing it was loaded with all sorts of useless shit and was as slow as molasses in January, although it having a built-in wireless modem helped out a bit. This time though, I would want something newer and faster, with the wireless modem built-in.

4. A Jowee plushie (at least huggable in size, and preferably with #2 along with it): Though I don't feel the same way about him as I do a certain rapogirl (see #2 on this list), I still like him enough to want and be able to hug him.

3. A digital camcorder (preferably with built-in memory): So I can record my own videos and whatnot...not much else to say about that.

2. A Mari plushie (preferably lifesize, but at least a huggable size): If you know me well enough, you'll know why this is on the list...'nuff said.

1. High Quality video editing software: In the last few years, I've gotten interested in making my own movies and while I do have some editing software, I'd like something better so I can create movies of good quality instead of mostly having to rely on Windows Live Movie Maker.

Of course, this is just a wish list. I know that none of this stuff is likely to happen this year or any year in the near future, it's just some stuff that I'd want if I could have anything my heart desired.

I have come back from being out of town and things are gradually getting back to normal. Of course, in a few weeks, I'll be going out of town again, but I'll discuss that when Christmas gets a little closer.

Oh, and by the way, if you're interested in asking me for a commission, you may want to go check something out on my Inkbunny account! ;3

It's almost Thanksgiving again, which means I will not be at home for a few days next week. I am going to be spending Thanksgiving at my parent's house, which means I will be gone from Wednesday until around early Sunday afternoon. In addition, since my parents have shitty internet up there, I will not be able to go online at all while I am gone.

Furthermore, this is an advance notice (and I'll mention it again as it gets closer), but I'm going to Albuquerque for Christmas and I'll be gone most of that week. Unlike when I visit my parents, I should have reliable internet access there, but I probably won't be around as much as I normally am. Expect more details on this in a few weeks.

Now then...as I promised last time, here's the second episode of Independent Thoughts...

Independent Thoughts #2: Why Hollywood continues to make shitty movies

Just over 100 years ago, the first motion picture cameras were first invented and were put into use to document things such as the aftermath of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and the San Francisco earthquake/fire of 1906. Along the line, people got the idea of telling stories through motion pictures while entertaining the masses and making a living while doing so. Thus, the first true motion pictures were born. However, it really wasn't until motion pictures with sound hit the big screen that the movie market took off.

Today, motion pictures are a multi-billion dollar industry, with many of the most popular films easily eclipsing sales figures that seemed be record-breaking about 30 to 40 years ago. As for the quality of the movies produced, ever since the advent of the feature film, the quality has been mixed. Some movies were good, some were not as good, and some of the older movies didn't age well with time as the world became more politically correct and less judgmental over things such as race, religion, or sexual preference (however, there's still work to be done in these areas). However, one of the biggest changes to occur in the movie industry that began close to the same time where TV became common in households were the way the movies were used as advertising vehicles. Furthermore, as children's programming (mostly in the form of cartoons) became more popular, so did the need for movie makers to adapt said shows into movie form. The video game industry also factored into this as well, using the silver screen to adapt a video game into reality.

Adapting such things into movies has been met with mixed results in the past. Adaptations made from books tend to be the most faithful examples and often do a decent job of adapting the story into a screenplay. Movies such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series are good examples of movie adaptations done right. Other areas where film adaptations have some success are when they are based off comic book characters, such as the case with the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan Batman movies, the Iron Man movies, and The Avengers just to name a few of them.

However, for every good movie adaptation, there's about 800 shitty ones...things such as EITHER of the Power Rangers movies, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and ugh...the Super Mario Brothers movie, just to name a few. Reasons why movies are poorly adapted are many and vary between either the screenwriters not giving a damn about the material they're supposed to be adapting, bad writing and/or acting, horrid CGI, thinking the audience coming to see the movies are complete morons, or all of the things I just mentioned combined. This is where the major problem begins...

In the past several years, it seems like Hollywood has been content at bombarding us with shitty movie adaptation, remake, pointless sequel, pointless prequel, or anything else they can pull out of their asses in the sake of "entertaining the people". When I watch a movie, I care about two things while doing so, is the movie entertaining (for the RIGHT reasons) and is the story engaging. A movie may be able to get away with having a shitty story if it's also entertaining as all hell (as in a "so bad it's good" way), but no movie can survive without being entertaining. The problem with a movie being entertaining is that there are three types of entertaining...the good kind where a movie is genuinely trying to entertain it's audience and succeeding because it treats them like human beings (I.E.: Aliens, A Christmas Story, just to name a few), the "guilty pleasure" which are movies that aren't necessarily "good" but can provide some entertainment value to certain audiences (In my case, that would include movies such as Howard the Duck, which I honestly don't think it's quite as bad as some reviews lead you to think. I already did a review about that though), and then there's the "bullshit" movie which is where Hollywood thinks that the audience coming to see the film are nothing but morons and pull just about every cliched, low-brow, and crude trick in the book to get people to flock to movies like sheep and keep feeding "the beast".

The following is a list of things that Hollywood has done wrong to the moviegoers in the last several years and are the reason why I'm taking the time I could be using to write some of my own damn stories to bitch about...

<linkarasuperboyprimevoice>"If the people give their money to us, it means they want to see more of this, no matter how shitty our movie is"</linkarasuperboyprimevoice>
This is the cardinal sin of the industry and unfortunately it's not just them that's to blame for it. The moviegoers of the world also share the blame by thinking that just because a movie is "hyped up" or is starring some big name actor or actress or it has a lot of action, it means it must be "good". The truth is, Hollywood's main goal is to sell tickets and make MONEY and the more people spend on a movie, the more they're gonna think that these types of movies are acceptable to the people who go see them. Most film writers, directors, etc, don't give a rat's ass about the people who see their films as they're more intent on turning in a profit rather than making quality products.

<linkarasuperboyprimevoice>"People seem to think jokes about farts and shit are funny, so we're gonna put that in our movies"</linkarasuperboyprimevoice>
No...no it is not funny, there is rarely an instance where these types of jokes are legitimately funny. For example, a lot of you know that I've been a fan of the Angry Video Game Nerd for a few years now and there are several instances where he's taken a "shit" on various games, console accesories, or even one case in a kid's halloween bag. Personally, while I do find most of what he says funny since he's describing what has happened to all of us in the past, whenever he does one of these stunts, I have to ask myself "what in the hell compelled him to do that?!!" However, in James' defense, he did do a couple of "shit jokes" that actually seemed to work fairly well, like during the second part of his Atari Jaguar review where he commented that when you put the Jaguar CD on the console and a game in the cartridge slot it resembled a toilet or during his second fight with "Bugs Bunny" where Bugs takes his own dump over the Nerd as retribution for the Nerd doing the same to Bugs in a previous episode (that particular incident actually made me turn AWAY from the screen when it was on after I had watched it the first time). However, in general, these types of jokes are usually not funny and only further Hollywood's thinking into the "people are morons" mindset.

<linkarasuperboyprimevoice>"Adapting this video game/board game/etc. is too difficult if we follow the original story, so we'll just make some shit up"</linkarasuperboyprimevoice>
Before I go into details, I have one word that can describe all that is wrong with this type of thinking...BATTLESHIP! (or as I prefer to call it...BattleSHIT!)

This kind of thinking is an almost certain recipe for failure. When you take something that people are familiar with and add unfamiliar and uninteresting elements to it, people will react with hostility to your product and therefore not watch it. There are other examples of movies that have done this, including The Super Mario Bros. movie as well as Double Dragon. These movies took well-established characters, themes, and plot devices and completely fucked them all up by doing things that were completely unlike the source material. Such was the case for Battleship. Admittedly though, even if they did follow the general plot of the game, it would've made for a weak story regardless, as there are many other sea battle movies out there with the same general plot as the board game. Adding aliens to it was just downright stupid and unnecessary, I mean, how many Independence Day clones do we really need?

Finally, there's the movie adaptations that DO try and follow the plot of the source material, such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat for example. While Street Fighter had significant problems with fitting in just about every character in the game, having a story line that was far too jumpy, and overall bad acting (no disrespect intended to Raul Julia), Mortal Kombat was a bit different. In my opinion, and in many others, Mortal Kombat was the closest thing to a "truthful" adaptation from video game to movie. It followed the basic plot of the game and didn't add anything stupid or unnecessary, the acting was decent enough and it had a few good jokes in it. Plus, the action sequences were decent as well. Some people have complained about how the movie wasn't violent enough (considering all of the fatalities that were in the game), but in all honesty, I didn't find this to be an issue when I watched it. Now, is Mortal Kombat a "good" video game-based movie, well...I wouldn't go THAT far. However, it is at least a "passable" one (unlike it's sequel, which I mentioned above).

<linkarasuperboyprimevoice>"People need to see a whole bunch of products place within the movie, no matter how stupid and shameful these plugs are"</linkarasuperboyprimevoice>
No, we do not...there is plenty of that on the TV as it is! For example, when I watch a movie like Transformers, I do NOT expect to see things like Furby or My Little Pony being plugged in the movie. I don't give a shit if Hasbro had a hand in making the movie and that those products are made by them, putting them in a movie about giant robots is absolutely dumb!

<linkarasuperboyprimevoice>"Our movie was such a success that we need to make a sequel to it, no matter how unnecessary it is"</linkarasuperboyprimevoice>
Before I go into details on this one, I have two words for everyone to think about..."Cars 2"

When the first Cars movie came out in 2006, I went to the movie theater and saw it for myself. Overall, I liked what I saw...granted it was a lot of the same pablum that we've all been fed storywise, but it was still an enjoyable experience for me. I never expected there to be a sequel to this, nor was there any real indication that there would be one. However, last year, Pixar produced Cars 2, which is to this date one of Pixar's biggest mistakes when it comes to making movies. It was bad enough that they made a sequel to a movie that really didn't need one. But to also make it a movie about cars as spies?!! Not only did that violate the "unnecessary sequel" bit, it also violates the "make shit up" one as well!!!

Pixar, you have made some great movies in the past two decades...and I mean those that are great for the RIGHT reasons, like Wall-E and Toy Story for example. These are the kinds of movies I expect from you, ones that are truly creative and interesting, not those that are made for the sake of popularity.

In conclusion...

We all need to do our part to stop these movies from continuing to be made and to get better quality and more interesting films back into our lives. There are several lines of defense that exist to help you decide if a movie is worth spending your hard-earned cash on. Such as the following...

> Sites like IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes (who take the averages of all the accredited reviewers who've viewed the movie and compiles a score that's easy to understand). I usually use Rotten Tomatoes, but either site will work just fine.
> Internet Reviewers (like Brad Jones for example), who are average human beings and a part of the general movie-going public and are generally less cynical than the most accredited film reviewers.
> Individual Film Critics (this can be a bit tricky though since one critic's opinion can vary from another and it's entirely possible that the critic has been "bought off" by a movie studio to say things that aren't true. It's also possible that they could be biased for or against a certain type of movie. Still, most honest critics will try and give a fair and unbiased review on what they thought of a movie)
> Your own instincts (find out all you can about a movie, read articles about it if available, watch previews and trailers of it. Decide for yourself if there is anything in the material you see that sets off warning signals in your head. If this is the case, avoid the movie like the plague!)
> See who's involved in making the movie (if the movie is made by known hacks, (I.E.: Michael Bay, Roland Emmerich, or Uwe Boll), the movies should be avoided given the past history of these people.

If people follow this advice and make more educated decisions about what they watch, perhaps the quality of movies will begin to improve and we'll get more truly entertaining material, rather than the same old slop over and over again.

As I mentioned in the last journal I posted, I said I'd have a major announcement coming up...and now it's time. Actually, I have two things I wanted to mention, but I'll get to the big one first.

I'm sure you guys all remember how I've repeatedly said that I wouldn't do M/M contact outside of what I've already done in a few previous stories. Well, I've done some thinking about that and I've actually come up with a couple of story ideas in my mind that I think I'd be interested in doing...

However, I want to make three things perfectly clear here...

1. THIS CHANGES NOTHING IN REGARDS TO MY SEXUAL PREFERENCE. I WANT TO DO THESE STORIES FOR THE SAKE OF WRITING THEM, NOT BECAUSE OF ANY CHANGE IN MY SEXUAL PREFERENCE...DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR HERE?!!

2. Because of what I've mentioned in statement #1, I'll probably be including a female in the first story I produce, but there is a strong possibility that I will do a story that is exclusively M/M.

3. PLEASE, do not ask me to write stories about a specific M/M couple, either as a request or as a commission/trade/freebie. I am not comfortable enough to do this as of yet and these stories will serve as an experiment to see if I am willing to expand these policies. Again, this decision will be based on how I feel about writing the stories, not because of fan reaction to them. So please don't be upset if I decide not to do any more stories after the experiment is over, ok.

Now, you might be wondering, "when will you be putting these stories online for us to see them"? Well, as of right now, not in the immediate future. I've got plenty on my plate to do as it is and until I get some of the stuff I want to do done, I'm not getting started on these stories. I will try to have the first experimental story done before the end of the year and to have both of them done before the 2013 Twins season starts in early April.

Speaking of stories...there's another (less important) announcement I would like to make, regarding that other raposa series I've been advertising for the better part of this year. Well, given all the work that I have to do as well as some issues with how exactly I want to start this series, it is unlikely that it will be started in 2012. At the same time, for those of you who are interested, Part 11 of Meeting Mari is under production (and has been for a while actually). However, once that is done, it will be posted on SoFurry along with the rest of the series that has been made up to that point (The rest of the series will be posted on SoFurry so I can have more freedom to do what I want with Heather). As for the episodes that have been posted here, they will remain here for the time-being, but could get removed at a later date if I should decide to do so.

Anyway, I think that's enough babbling for one journal. Next time, I'll (finally) be posting the second Independent Thoughts journal entry...for sure. (If I don't, you can use the clip from MST3K's riff of "I Accuse My Parents" on me...you know which one I mean) ;3

I saw a relationship meme on one of the pages of the people I watched and I figured I'd go ahead and do it for my girlfriend.

First, who's your GF/BF?
 sapphirethemewtwo

What's his/hers name?
Becky

How old is he/she?
Gentlemen don't tell the ages of their girlfriends! ;3 (Though I will say she's younger than me)

What state does he/she live in?
New Mexico, land of enchantment and the Triple-A Baseball club who's team name was inspired by The Simpsons.

Does he/she have any siblings?
She has an older brother and an older sister. I've met her brother, but I have yet to meet her sister.

Do you guys have matching icons?
We have two sets. This one here...
and one other that we got before this one.

Who made them?
The one who made the icons we use now were made by  sudanred and the other set was made by  teekay

Now tell me, what date was it when you first told him/her that you loved him/her?
I can't remember the date off the top of my head, but I do know it was sometime in 2007.

How long have you two been together?
We first met a little over 5 years ago.

Did you force him/her to love you?
Seriously, why would you include this in a relationship meme?!!

Did he/she change your life?
You'd better believe it...I was feeling quite miserable before she came along and brightened up my life.

Have you seen him/her in RL?
Yeah, I'm gonna have Raul Julia answer that one for me...

What do you guys have in common?
Well, we both share an interest in pokemon (although she's probably more into it than I am. I used to be more into collecting the cards back when I was around college-age, thinking that they'd be a future investment...I was wrong...very, VERY wrong!). In addition to that, we're both artists in our own unique ways. (She's mainly a sprite artist while I'm predominately a writer).

Now do you want kids someday?
Do I need to have Raul Julia say it again? (That means, "yes")

Did you guys agree on how many?
We're nowhere near ready to discuss that yet in depth.

What about the genders?
Personally, I would like to have one of each (preferably twins), but it doesn't really matter to me as long as I eventually have a family of my own with the one that I love.

Can he/she drive?
I don't know for sure, but I don't think so.

Does he/she love you for what's on the inside?
I sure hope so, because that's the reason why I love her.

Do you guys argue?
I don't really recall any moments when we've argued with each other. We've seemed pretty happy together since we first met.

Where do you guys want your wedding?
I'm not sure, we haven't really gotten to that stage in our lives yet.

Honeymoon?
Again, we haven't thought about this either.

Was it love at first sight?
Not necessarily...it all started (and mostly continues) online, we began to RP together and developed a strong friendship with one another, which eventually turned into a more romantic connection for us.

Now the main question is what do you love about him/her?
Before I met Becky, I never knew what true love felt like. I had been periodically trying to find dates for a few years after college only to get repeatedly fucked over, which depressed me quite a bit. Then, once I found out that there was someone out there who truly cared about me, I developed a stronger bond with her to the point where I had fallen in love once again. However, unlike the past, things are working between us and I know I have someone out there who loves and cares about me as much as I love and care about her.

Anyway, I think that covers everything. Oh, and before I forget, I'm going to be making another major announcement soon.

After thinking about this for awhile, I figured it was time to go back over my commission rules and revamp them.

In addition, I really would like to raise some money to help me get out to Albuquerque to stay and be closer to the one I love. I can do my part by saving up some cash, but that alone isn't going to cut it. So, in order to accomplish what I'd like to do, I would like to ask for your help in making my dream a reality. Of course, I'm not someone who would expect something for nothing, which is why I'm opening commissions back up.

Commission Information
(As of 10/14/2012)

Here are some basic rules for any type of story commissions (WARNING: If your suggestion violates any of the first three rules, I will not reply to your message!)...

> M/F or F/F sexual pairings only (I will do M/M pairings to some extent, but not without at least one female present. NOTE: This rule may be subject to change in the future!)

> Copyrighted Characters and/or characters belonging to other artists are not allowed! (exceptions: Pokemorphs, Fan Characters (I.E.: Sonic-style, MLP*), The character you want to use is a love interest of yours, or using other people's characters WITH their permission)

> There are certain types of kinks that I will never ever do (I.E.: Piss, Shit, Vomit, Guro (Mutilation), Vore, just to name a few). If you are unsure about whether or not your particular kink is among these, ask me first before you make your request.

> While I will try my best to get your story done as quickly as possible, please note that it can be hard for me to think at times and I'm operating on a limited schedule (which is why I'm only doing up to five commissions at a time). Therefore, it can take a while for me to complete your story.

*: Don't spam me with a whole bunch of MLP:FiM stuff, please! Just because I would be willing to do it doesn't mean I want to do just that, I want some variety in my story production, dammit! (Besides, I haven't watched the show nor do I care to. Plus, let's not forget that the Hasbro characters are NOT allowed in commissioned stories)

Now then, here are some of the things you can ask for.

NOTE: If you wish to be in a story with me, Charlene, Melissa, Hope or Eva you will receive a $2 discount off of the total price. (The story will be told from my character's POV, unless you otherwise state it)
NOTE 2: If you wish to have the story told from your character's point of view (instead of 3rd Person which is the default)...add $2 to any base price

Basic Story (Non-linear): $5 for up to 2 scenes and up to 3 characters
add an extra character: add $2 to the base price (limit 2 extra characters)
add an extra scene: add $2 to the base price (limit 2 extra scenes). WARNING: If I feel that the story is getting too long, I will split it into multiple parts and if this happens I will add $2 to the base price due to extreme length. I will give you advance warning if I feel like this could be an issue.

Linked Story (2 parts...in case you feel like one isn't big enough): $10 for up to 2 scenes/part and up to 4 TOTAL characters
add an extra character: add $2 to the base price (limit 2 extra characters total)
add an extra scene: add $2 to the base price (limit one extra scene per part)

Mini-series Prices
3 Part Mini-series: $15 for up to 2 scenes/part and up to 5 TOTAL characters + BONUS $5 Story for free upon completion
5 Part Mini-series: $25 for up to 2 scenes/part and UNLIMITED characters** + BONUS $5 or $10 story for free upon completion
add a character (3 part series): add $2 per extra character (limit of 2 additional characters)
add a scene (either mini-series type): add $2 per extra scene (limit of one extra scene per part)
**: Don't go nuts with this, otherwise the story will become too complex for me to work on and I'll have to add $5 to the base price due to difficulty (plus I may also institute a limit in the future).

Mega Series (You can do as many parts to this story as you'd like me to do, as long as I keep getting paid, I'll do it for you!)
Minimum Investment: $15 for the first three parts then $5 for each story thereafter (every third story after the first three will be on the house!)

What you can choose: In each story you can have up to 2 sex scenes with an option to add a third to any story for $2 more

The Rules...

> You can have up to 5 characters in the first three parts and add up to three more in subsequent stories with no extra charge. If you wish to add a character over the three freebies, you can do so for an extra $2. (there is a cap of 10 characters total in this type of commission).

> Payment for the first three parts is requested at the time of purchase...after which, you can keep adding onto the series for $5 per part until you feel like you've had enough. You pay for individual parts one at a time, rather than in bunches.

> After the first three stories are completed, if there are any additional non-linear stories in my commission list that need to be done, those will get worked on first before I work on any additional parts to this series. So, if there's a line, you may want to wait a little while before you ask for more parts.

How do I make my request?!!

Send me a PM and I will read it when I get the chance. As long as it doesn't violate the first three rules I listed above, I will get back to you with more information to help find out what exactly you'd like and then send you an estimate of total cost. Then, once I receive your payment, I will get working on your request as soon as possible. Payments are accepted through Paypal and I will send you the address to deliver to once I send you the estimate.

One final note on all types of commissions...if I decide to go ahead an add characters to your story that aren't part of the original commission, I will not charge you extra for them. The extra character fee only applies to the characters that YOU ask for.

OK, I've thought about it for a little while, based on the five entries I received and here's what I've decided.

My decision was based on how much I liked the character, the amount of information I received, as well as how easy I felt it would be to translate the winning characters into a story with Charlene (which is what it ultimately came down to in this case).

In the end, I narrowed it down to three finalists...TyVulpine, Rayo_elgatubelo, and the one from Inkbunny. After analyzing the information I received even more, I came up with a decision that I think would be the easiest for me to translate into a story and now it's time to announce the winner.

The winner of the contest and who's characters will be appearing with Charlene will be... rayo_elgatubelo (Sorry TyVulpine, I really do like your characters and I thought it might have been interesting to pair Charlene up with two foxtaurs, but I felt it might be a little too difficult to translate them into the same kind of universe that Charlene and I share)

As for the others who participated in this contest, I appreciate your interest and support and I'm sorry things didn't work out for you. However, don't give up hope...I may do this again sometime in the future.

Also, before I finish up, I would like to also announce that I will be coming up with new information regarding story commissions soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Current Number of entries
FurAffinity: 4

 DragonTeufel
 TyVulpine
 RayO_Elgatubelo
 ainoko

Inkbunny: 1

As I was thinking about some ideas I wanted to do with future stories, I came up with one involving Charlene that paired her up with a random male and female character. At first, I was going to choose the pairing myself, but I figured that wouldn't be a whole lot of fun. So, I figured I'd go ahead and ask you guys if you wanted in on it.

Here's what you'll need to do to be eligible...

> You must have both a male and female character for this story (reference material is required and reference pix are strongly encouraged)
> The female character must be bisexual (since Charlene is)
> Your characters must be brother and sister (fraternal twins are preferred, but not required)
> You must be willing to have your characters involved in incest (since, as you can tell, I like to write that a lot)

I won't go into any major details into what the story is about other than the male character comes across Charlene, who flirts with him and makes him horny as hell for my sister. However, she at first tells him no, but suggests that if he could find a female partner that she might be willing to do a threesome. The story will involve two sex scenes (one M/F/F scene, and one featuring the winning brother/sister couple while Charlene watches).

In order to be eligible for this, you must submit your entry by either 6 AM CDT October 6 or by the time I post my next FA journal (whichever comes first*). NOTE: I will be posting this on Inkbunny as well since the story will be posted both there and here.

The winning couple will be chosen by me based on the types of entries I get...the more information and the more likable your characters are, the better your chance is of getting picked!

*: The deadline is subject to change if I see fit to do so.

Now that the year is half over, it's time to catch up once again on those resolutions I made at the beginning of the year and check to see how much progress has been made in them.

Grades are given out on a "Pass/Fail/Incomplete" basis and are my own personal opinions of how I think I'm doing thus far in each category, along with an explanation of some of the things that have happened in each department in the last three months.

1. Attempt to catch up on past requests: Still unchanged from the last update, other stories, work, and other projects are eating up my time and it's still a challenge to get to these. HOWEVER, since I'm running a little dry on new ideas and new motivation for existing ones, things my finally open up a bit to get some of these done.
Current Grade: FAIL!

2. Add at least 2 new episodes of "Independent Thoughts": Episode 2 is nearly complete and will be posted when I make my next journal. As for episode 3, I haven't begun thinking about it yet, but I will once Episode 2 is posted.
Current Grade: Incomplete

3. Add some new Sex Fantasy stories: No changes in the one that I have already started, but ideas for new stories have popped up in the last few weeks, so hopefully I'll be able to get to at least one before the summer ends.
Current Grade: FAIL!

4. Add a little more variety to the stories I write: No change since the last update, while I still add raposa-themed stories on occasion, they're not as frequent as last year. In fact, there's a little something I'd like to mention about those, but I'll save it for the end.
Current Grade: PASS!

5. Begin a brand-new raposa related series: No change since the last update, this project is still on-hold for now...at least until I get some other work done.
Current Grade: FAIL! (for now)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: A little bit more progress has been made overall since March, but the big one still remains stuck in neutral. My hope is that since I'm in "summer vacation" mode, I can finally make progress on that one as well as some of the other projects.

...and now, for an announcement, regarding my Meeting Mari series...

After thinking about it for a little while, and factoring in what's been written for Part 11 thus far, I have decided that I'm going to move Meeting Mari to SoFurry...effective when I post Part 11. That means all parts of the series will be posted there and that all future parts of the series will be posted there as well. As for the ones already here, I will be leaving them here for now, but I may choose to remove them at a later time.

I'm also doing this to make room for another series based on Meeting Mari, but set in an altered timeline, which I hope to debut before the end of this year. (In case you're wondering, no...this is NOT the raposa-related series I mentioned in my resolution list).

Just so everyone knows, I'm still around...I've been busy with a lot of things the last couple of months and I know I haven't posted much (on FA anyway) in that time frame. However, hopefully I'll be able to change some of that in the coming weeks.

First of all, I think I'm getting close to finished with the second episode of Independent Thoughts, which I hope to get to before the end of the month. Secondly, I'm also trying to work on other stories for FA that I hope to get to posting within the next few weeks.

However, the biggest thing maybe what's to come in the future. Remember how I mentioned recently that I was beginning to tinker around with making my own videos. Well, I think I might be getting close to making some of those publicly available. Perhaps turning my "Independent Thoughts" series into somewhat of a video journal rather than just text, along with a few other things. As of right now, if I were to post videos publicly, my videos of where I bash the Irate "Gamer" will remain private for now, but eventually I may share those somehow as well.

Anyway, that's all I have to say for now.

Recently, I've been doing a bit of thinking about a certain pic I had  kitsuneyoukai do for me a few years back. A pic in which Charlene becomes pregnant from me and we have a set of twins of our own. I've come to realize that I haven't gone anywhere with that since and I'd like to change that.

Normally, I would ask Kit to do this for me, but he's been really busy over the last few months and I don't want to hold him back from doing things he needs to or wants to do. That is the reason why I'm creating this journal.

What I would like to do is have a reference picture created for the two kids that Charlene and I created together. More specific details will be given out on the two of them once I decide on an artist who I wish to commission from. However, there are a few ground rules I must mention first before anyone volunteers.

1. Must take payments via PayPal...it's the only avenue I have to pay you right now and it's the one I'm most familiar with
2. Must agree to do a "G-rated" reference pic...otherwise I would not be asking for this on FA
3. Samples of your art style would be appreciated so I can look over them...I want them to look good (artists who are on my watchlist are exempt from this rule since I already know you do a good job and I already know what your art styles are like)
4. Must be reasonably priced...I'm willing to spend some cash on a commission like this, but I'm not going to go nuts. My main objective here is to get good quality for a good price.
5. When the commission is complete, I'd like to post it on my Inkbunny account as a character reference since I'll be using the twins in future works. (Naturally, I'll give you the credit you deserve for drawing the picture. After all, I'm not some jackass like the Irate Gamer who borrows from other artists and doesn't credit them)
6. The twins do not have official names yet as I haven't thought of them, but I would appreciate it if they remained unnamed for the time-being. (I want to do a journal or something once the drawing is done where people can suggest names for the twins and I can choose which ones I think are the best)

Anyway, I think that's all I need to say about this. I'll also be posting this on my Inkbunny account in case some of you are on there.

Also, just a little bit of un-related FYI, I'm working on a story that will be posted on all three of my accounts and I hope to finish it before I go back to work on Tuesday.

Well, there hasn't really been much to report over the last few weeks. I know it's been a while since I last put anything up here and believe me, I've been trying to solve it. However, in the past month, one thing or another has been preventing me from making much progress on stories.

So...what have I been doing for the last month or so? Well...

> For starters, working my ASS of...This is the time of the year I hate the most because it seriously cuts in on my freetime. I have fewer days off from work during the baseball season and less freetime to write whenever I'm not at work, because I'm spending most of it trying to catch up on sleeping.
> Playing Angry Birds...I swear to god at times this game is addictive as heroin.
> Working on creating movies...yes, you heard that right, I've gotten started on trying to make my own films. So far, they're all about what a total rip-off artist/hack the Irate Gamer is, but maybe I'll eventually move on past that at some point. (No, none of the movies I've made have been published yet since I'm still working on getting my skills in editing and whatnot a little more refined. For now, all of the movies I create will be for my viewing only with maybe sharing them with a few closer friends)

Anyway, that is what I've been doing for the past month or so. However, there are a few positive signs that may lead to more story-writing time and production in the coming weeks.

> In addition to the aforementioned issues, I've also been dealing with a bit of a writer's block. However, that has since been chipped away a bit and I feel as if I'm finally starting to get somewhere again.
> More days off...it's getting to that point of the season where working 2 weeks straight in between off days is getting exhausting and as such, I'll be given some time off to reduce the amount of stress I go through.
> A mini-vacation later in June...while this will be more for MY enjoyment, I'll still find some time to work on stories while I'm relaxing.
> August...almost every weekend in August I will be off, so that will give me a lot more time to work on stories (as well as to recharge my batteries)