Well, here we are again. Thanks to an unending torrent of lies, disinformation and stupidity, a fascist, convicted felon, racist, misogynist, sexual predator, and all around stain on humanity has ascended to president-elect of the United States.

I am angry as hell, and I'm ashamed to call myself and American. And I'm here to tell you to not give up the fight.

Volunteer for and support advocacy groups. Vote in the midterms and special elections kick as many members of his personality cult as possible to the curb. Participate in protests, if safe to do so. Boycott his business interests and those of his major donors.

Band together, hold onto each other, and stay strong. That fucker may have won this battle but he WILL NOT win the war.

I don't know if anyone is still watching this page, but I'm still alive. I have been in recent years afflicted by health issues including vicious anxiety which I am still trying to combat, and I'm working my way through trying figure out how to meet people, have relationships, relax and enjoy things, and generally try to make my thirties a better decade than my twenties.

have fun guys

Starts on Friday. Have to decide if I'm going to make an appearance or not. I'm no better at talking to people than I was last year, and I'd of course be going alone.

Summer classes are overloading me with work but hopefully I'll be able to spend some time there. See if I can manage to talk to people for a change. Let me know if you're going.

My tumbler is about halfway done with my first batch of stones and I'll have my Inland Swap Top fixed soon. Expect to start seeing more rock and gemstone stuff up here, I may even be offering a few for sale.

I don't know when it is for the rest of you, but for me, spring break starts next week (March 9-13). What sorts of plans do you guys have?

I'd hoped to visit  djdragonboi in Florida, but his break was earlier than mine. And there are no local meets scheduled this week. I currently anticipate my spring break will involve little but studying and chores, followed by getting dragged to a family reunion in the middle of nowhere.

So, to put my earlier question more selfishly, does anyone have plans which could be altered to include me in them?

For those I haven't already told, tomorrow I move to Arlington, VA!

I'd love to go, but really would be great if I knew some of my friends would be there. Don't want to end up spending the whole night by myself. If you're coming let me know!

Information: http://thefurststate.com/newyears/

I've heard that there is a New Years Furry Ball somewhere nearby, and I'd love to be able to go! Unfortunately, I literally know nothing about it. Where is it? When is it? Will anyone I know be going?

If you can give me any help I'd really be grateful.

FOOOOOD.

Enyhoo. Merry Christmas and happy new year to all. I love you all so much, and I wish you were here.

-Chammy

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6324247/

For those too lazy to click the link:

When: Saturday, 13 December, 4:00 PM
Location: AMF Centreville Lanes
Address: 13814 Lee Hwy, Centreville, VA 20120
Cost: $22.19 per person for 2 hours and this includes rental shoes.
Meetup Page: http://www.meetup.com/NOVAfurs/events/218387942/

I really hope this'll be a good opportunity for me to meet and socialize with local furs, maybe make some new friends. Let me know if you're going too, the more people I know there, the less weird I'll feel!

In an attempt to escape the monotony of daily life and force myself to get more used to interacting with real people, I drove up to Pennsylvania this weekend in order to spend some time with fellow balloon furs  ceiliguliminix and  sieo. We only met for dinner on Saturday, and the gin & tonic I had with it wasn't nearly enough to calm my nerves. But they were both really nice to me, told me a lot of fun stories. Today we met in the center city of Philadelphia, did some shopping, got cheesesteaks, and went to a theater to see "Interstellar", which was really good. I was still very quiet around them but I was a lot less nervous and had a really good time. While I wish I could have opened up a bit more, I don't regret the trip for a second and I wish it could have lasted longer. They were really amazing people to meet and spend time with, and I really hope we can do it again sometime.

Tomorrow morning I will head back down to Virginia, return to the daily grind. It's going to suck. But I will keep looking for more people I can meet.

MFF is off. I'm going to have brutal finals right in the middle of it, or I'd be there in a heartbeat.

With any luck I'll be spending this coming weekend with  Ceiliguliminix and  sieo in and around Philadelphia. I'm really scared as I've never done a meet quite like this before but I hope it will be fun.

Have a few thousand things in classwork, career, chores, and other life things all crushing me beneath their weight. Sleep is rare. Can't wait for this semester to be over but then I still have three more before I graduate. If I'm lucky.

Exhausted and lonely. So many online friends, I wish more of them were close.

Will be moving from Fairfax to Arlington in January. Will still be living with my parents. Ugh.

No luck yet getting an internship for spring.

Think that's all for now.

Trying to decide if I should go. If I do, I'd want someone or several someones I already know there to help me break out of my shell and not spend the whole time hiding in my room.

Having to quit my job for insurance reasons. Not going to FAU because I have no one to go with. Will be taking Database Technology, Software Engineering, Computer Networking, and Business Ethics classes this fall.

I need to find some real life friends I can actually do things with. So tired of being too lonely to be happy and too shy to do anything about it....

That's all, I think....

So, it's summer now. Has been for nearly a month, but I'm a lazy journal-er.

Grades for the spring weren't spectacular, but I passed everything, so I don't need to take any of those useless classes over again.

Still working as a driver for the bagel place, about 8-10 hours a week. Beyond that, I don't really know what I'll be doing this summer. Don't really plan on attending any cons or meets. Will likely be spending a few weekends down in Williamsburg with family, doing odd jobs and possibly squeezing in a little fun at Busch Gardens or someplace. Will spend time looking for a second job or internship, something with more resume value than bagels. May end up taking summer courses at a community college or someplace else.

Recently I've developed an interest in aviation, so much so that I'm considering changing my career path. Hopefully time will tell if it's something I'm truly passionate about, or just something that appeals to me but I end up abandoning when it gets too hard. (like my art)

Nearly done with the semester. Just need to wrap up a few things and somehow get through my exams in one piece.

Also I need $280,000 so I can buy myself a Terrafugia Transition, a fully driveable and street legal folding-wing aircraft which should be made available to the public within the next year or two and I can't get over how awesome it is http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft/transition

it's an airplane that gets better gas mileage than my toyota wtf

Well, I've returned from my second Fur The 'More. Overall my experience was similar to last year's in that I found the convention to be informative and entertaining, and spent most of my time in panels, wandering the halls aimlessly, or just hiding in my room. My antisocial tenancies got in the way of me really enjoying myself, though...in same ways even more than they did in my first year. While I was no longer completely overwhelmed by the new experiences, neither was I able to find someone I could relax, hang out and talk with. Even those dozen or so people whom I recognized from last year's con didn't get much more out of me than a cursory "hi", if I said anything at all.

The furs I've run into so far are some of the most fun-loving, kind-hearted and accepting people I'm ever likely to meet. I have to stop acting like an outsider among them, or there isn't much point in my continuing to attend cons at all. I'll be trying hard to reach out more often with those of you I already have contact information for, and I hope to hear from those I handed my FA name out to this year. That way, the next time I feel like attending a furry convention, there just might be a few folks I feel comfortable opening up to and whom might introduce me to others. I'll also be trying to join a few more local groups here on FA, maybe even attend a meet once in a while.

So, as I go back to my world of 6 A.M. bagel deliveries and studying for classes I could really give a rat's ass about...Arle, Aryia, Amaretto, Ren, Uro, Cobalt, Tech, Kenku, Tyger, Sigh, Iron Gut, Santeria, Medusa, Dakota, Liam, LittleWolf, FreeNode, Majik, and anyone else whose name I've forgotten or simply never learned...help me make my life a little more warm and fuzzy.

Figured I might as well do this. *shrugs*


Where are you staying?
The main hotel

What day are you getting there?
Friday the 14th

Who will you be rooming with?
possibly  realwolf12

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Depends who I run into. Will be keeping my eyes open for a few people I met at Fur The 'More 1 or am just interested in meeting:
 kenku  realwolf12  aryia  renashe  mylordslover  tygerstkuan  free-node-5  techwolf  amarettokitten  cobaltthefox

What is the best way to find you?
Track me down at one of the panels I'll be attending, or look for me at the bar or just wandering aimlessly. Will be wearing this badge http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12881294/. May be wearing one of those big cone-shaped Asian straw hats, haven't decided yet.

Are there any panels you might be attending?
I'll probably be spending a lot of time at panels. Am still looking over the schedule, but Friday will probably include "How to Build a Fursuit Head", "Tips on Being Social at a Con", "Figure Drawing", and "Art Basics: Hands & Feet",

What do you look like?
Medium-tallish, slightly chubby. Pale skin, longish messy dark brown hair. Beard and mustache, both trimmed to about 1/4 inch.

Will you be suiting?
Nah...don't have a suit.

Do you do free art?
I'm such a beginner at art, I wouldn't ask you to pay for anything of mine. And I need to practice more, so the answer is yes, I do free art.

Do you do trades?
Yes

Do you do badges/commissions?
No

How old are you?
22

What is your gender?
Male

Orientation?
Bi, but with strong female preference.

How tall are you?
Don't remember exactly. Somewhere between 5'8" and 5'10"

Are you mated/in a relationship?
No

Can I talk to you?
Sure! Just don't be offended if I don't say much back, I'm shy and a bad conversationalist.

Can I touch you?
I...suppose if you ask first O.o

Can I visit your room?
Not unless I invite you.

Do you drink?
Yes. I like ciders, fruity cocktails, and other sweet drinks. Haven't yet found a beer I like.

Can I buy you drinks?
Absolutely.

Can I give you stuff?
Uuuh, sure. :P

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Open to hugs if you ask first. As for snuggling...kiiinda doubt I'll be doing any of that.

Are you nice?
Yah, I'm very nice, but very quiet. Again, don't be offended if I don't say much.

How long are you going?
Three days, two nights

Do you have an artist table?
No

Will you be going to parties?
Awwwr. Depends if the people I hang out with can convince me to go with them. I'm awkward at parties...mostly sit in the corner.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
I respond to "Chammy", "Joe", or "Joseph". The CH in "Chammy" is pronounced the same way as in "Chameleon"

Can I look in your sketchbook?
If you want to, but there's not really much of anything in it.

Can I draw in your sketchbook?
Be my guest.

Can I take your picture?
Sure, just let me know you're doing it.

Personality Type?
Shy, quiet, withdrawn.

How do I know if you're not looking to socialize (angry, busy or upset):
If something seems wrong, ask and I'll tell you. Even if I seem upset, I may just need to relax a bit.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
To spend more time socializing and less time hiding in my hotel room.

Under 3 weeks till FTM 2! My goal is to spend more time socializing and having fun and less time hiding in my hotel room. Who will be coming that I know from last time?

Hey everyone, Merry Christmas (or happy holiday season). It's been....wow, four months since I last said anything here. Well, a lot's happened since then. I had a semester of classes at my university and did quite well, finishing with a 3.557 average for the term. I finally got a real job, working as a delivery driver for a local bagel and coffee shop, the shift times for which resulted in my almost completely reversing my sleep schedule. And I fell in love with a wonderfully sweet male gray fox, causing me to reconsider everything I thought I knew about my sexuality. But none of those are why I'm writing this journal.

I'm looking for art advice. Primarily, I'd like to know if there are any tutorials tips, and/or references you've found particularly useful for helping improve your technique, especially in regards to anthro characters. I'm looking for things like a layout of the whole development process from simple shapes to the finished character, the basic elements of common anthro design as well as species-specific features, fur texturing and shading techniques, and so forth...pretty much anything you've found useful, whether you got it from an instruction book or somewhere online. (If it's from a book, tell me the name of the book.)

Also, I still need material to practice drawing with so feel free to make requests.

I really want to go to FA United. A number of the people I met at my last furry con will be there. and it looks like it'll be a great way to close out my summer.

The problem is that I can't afford to go alone. I need to either find someone to stay with or share the cost of a hotel room with, or I won't be able to go.

If you're going to FA United and would be interested in sharing a hotel room, or if you live in the area and would be willing to let me stay with you during the con, please let me know. Also, I'm looking for someone willing to split gas money.

Even if you don't have space for me, still let me know if you're going to the con. If by some miracle I actually manage to make it up there, I'd like to meet up. Cons are no fun alone.

Well, my next stop will be at FurAffinity United two weeks from now, if I can scrape together the cash for it. I know a bunch of you will be going, but anyone else who hasn't said so yet ought to!

While I'm not actually a brony, I'll be going to the convention to meet up with a friend I've wanted to meet in person for a long time, and to give her business partner a large box of electronics that would be prohibitively expensive to ship to them.

So while I'm there, I'm hoping I might run into one or two other familiar faces. Are any of you guys going?