I have had my disagreements with President Obama (mainly concerning the wars and lack of action on global climate change), but he has made some tremendous steps forward for the LGBT community.

http://www.care2.com/causes/obamas-.....fographic.html

Tiger love triangle has deadly outcome. Follow the link.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/09/.....YS4V0.facebook

Your Boy Side

[X] You love hoodies.
[X] You love jeans.
[ ] Dogs are better than cats.
[ ] It's hilarious when people get hurt.
[X] You've played with/against boys on a team.
[ ] Shopping is torture.
[ ] Sad movies suck.
[X] You own an X-Box.
[X] Played with Hotwheels cars as a kid.
[ ] At some point in time you wanted to be a firefighter.
[ ] You own a DS, PS2 or Sega.
[ ] You used to be obsessed with Power Rangers.
[X] You watch sports on TV.
[ ] Gory movies are cool.
[ ] You go to your dad for advice.
[ ] You own like a trillion baseball caps.
[ ] You like going to football games.
[X] You used to/do collect baseball cards.
[X] Baggy pants are cool to wear.
[ ] It's kinda weird to have sleepovers with a bunch of people.
[X] Green, black, red, blue, or silver are one of your favorite colors.
[X] You love to go crazy and not care what people think.
[X] Sports are fun.
[ ] Talk with food in your mouth.

Total: 11


Your Girl Side

[X] You wear lip gloss.
[ ] You love to shop.
[X] You wear eyeliner.
[X] You have some of the same shirts in different colors.
[X] You wear the color pink.
[ ] You consider cheerleading a sport.
[ ] You hate wearing the color black.
[ ] You like hanging out at the mall.
[X] You like getting manicures and/or pedicures.
[X] You like wearing jewelry.
[X] Skirts are a big part of your wardrobe.
[ ] Shopping is one of your favorite hobbies.
[ ] You don't like the movie Star Wars.
[ ] You are/were in cheerleading, gymnastics or dance.
[X] It takes you around 1 hour to shower, get dressed,/ and put on make-up and accessories
[ ] You smile a lot more than you should.
[X] You have more than 10 pairs of shoes.
[X] You care about what you look like.
[ ] You like wearing dresses when you can.
[X] You like wearing body spray/perfume/cologne.
[X] Used to play with dolls as little kid.
[X] Like putting make-up on someone else for the joy of it.

Total: 13

Thought the articles on this site were exceptional and very eye-opening! This one, in particular, could explain why people who hide behind pseudonyms and "anonymous" feel free to troll. It also explains why people riot.

http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/02.....individuation/

[X] you meow/bark to get attention
[ ] you find pets toys amusing
[ ] you get hyper by the smell of catnip
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone gets too close to your food
[ ] you growl/hiss when someone you dislike is too close to you
[X] you purr/shake your leg when someone shows you affection
[ ] if someone tosses a ball, you chase it and brings it back
Total: 2

[ ] you love to be scratched behind the ear
[X] you love fish/meat
[ ] you like to stick your head out trough the window of a moving car
[ ] you like when people pet your head (actually, I HATE that)
[ ] people can make you stop doing stuff by hitting you on the nose with a newspaper
[X] you think feathers are fun to play with
Total: 2

[ ] you sleep a lot during daytime
[ ] you enjoy scaring birds
[ ] you lick peoples faces to show you like them
[ ] you bite people if they annoy you
[ ] you tend to steal food from your friends/family's plate when you have eaten all of yours
[ ] milk or water is your favorite drink
Total: 0

[ ] you own a collar and you enjoy wearing it
[ ] you own a leash and enjoy wearing it
[X] you own animal ears/tail/paws or a fursuit
[X] you enjoy long walks in the park
[X] you meow/bark when you see something you want (I pant and beg when I see something I want)
Total: 3

[ ] you call your hands and feet "paws"
[ ] you tilt your head when you do not understand what someone is talking about
[ ] you run to the door when someone mentions a walk
[X] you really enjoy cuddling
[X] you stretch your body and whimper a bit every morning when you wake up
[X] you can wake up and go back to sleep right away after looking around
Total: 3


[X] you have your favorite spot besides your bed where you like to sleep
[X] you meow or bark very often
[X] you hide when you get scared
[ ] you run to the door to see who it is every time someone comes in to the house
[ ] you like to chase flying insects and try to catch them with your bare hand
[X] you tend to chew on stuff a lot
[ ] you like to do tricks to get a treat
Total: 4

[X] you own a wearable item/tag with your name on it
[X] you refer to your self as an animal
[ ] your username has something to do with animals
[ ] your e-mail has something to do with animals
[ ] if you get a bleeding wound, you lick it to make it feel better
[ ] you look for edible stuff often
Total: 2

[X] you often find yourself looking through the window for a long time
[X] you like to say hi to strangers
[ ] you like to be petted when you have done something good
[ ] people think you act like a pet
[X] you growl/hiss at stuff you do not like
[ ] you like to eat grass
[X] if you get wet, you shake to get rid of the water
Total: 4

Final Total: 20

Take your score and multiply it by 2 - 40% Furry! I guess this means I am 60% bald.

I am in support of this whole-heartedly! I found it interesting in the text from this article (ran on Care2's blog) how different states address the issue. I am all for government staying out of people's bedrooms, but beastiality is rape. These animals are not consenting individuals. I believe it to be equivalent to sex with a child. If you feel the same way, you may wish to follow the links in the article. A lot of people view us furries as a bunch of animal f*ckers, but I know that we are not. Let us show that in support for this law.

When do you decide enough is enough?

We all have different points at which that conclusion is reached. A thirty year veteran in animal rescue and North Carolina native, Beth McDuffie, 53, reached it last year when she was called by her local shelter to help with three Pit bull puppies that wouldn't eat. The why is unspeakable but will be addressed later in this post.

Suffice it to say, this was a turning point for McDuffie. And the turn she took is to start stepping away from rescuing so she can dedicate her efforts to getting laws changed. Her goal, ultimately, is for a federal law to be passed making bestiality a felony throughout the U.S. Adding to the fact McDuffie suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and her husband is 20 years her senior, she admits it is time to let her best efforts be directed by what her limitations will allow.

McDuffie knows just how difficult a battle she has chosen as evidenced by the negative response she is receiving from those in her community. But she is determined. She has spent the past year researching laws throughout the different states and discovered only 17 states make bestiality a felony. They are: Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

Fourteen states consider it a misdemeanor, those being: Arkansas, California, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin.

The remaining states do not address bestiality as a crime against animals. They are: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Montana, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. Some of those states do consider it a misdemeanor if pornography or a minor child is involved.

Evidently, the fact that animals are possessions under the law does not allow for compassion toward the actual abuse victim -- the animal -- regarding bestiality.

McDuffie's plan is to gather enough momentum from the public to get a law put before the North Carolina legislature. Once she succeeds in getting it passed, she plans on lobbying for a federal law addressing the issue and making it a felony. She will need to find volunteers in each of the 50 states to work with her on contacting legislators and initiating the legal process for introduction of Charity's Law.

Charity's Law

McDuffie is calling her quest "Charity’s Law" in honor of one of the three little Pit bull puppies she took into her rescue, Eagle's Animal Haven and Den Rescue, Inc. in March of 2010. The shelter staff didn't know why the three pups wouldn't eat. They were fearful -- especially of men and older boys -- and sat huddled together with obvious fear on their little faces. It turns out Charity and her sister siblings, Faith and Hope would not eat due to intestinal perforations.

The photo above shows Charity, Faith and Hope in their self-protective habit – a ritual they performed daily. Doesn't the look on their faces make you think they are trying to alienate themselves from the outside world? No puppy should have to endure the abuse they have suffered.

"So if you want to help, if you want it to stop ... there is only one way. Make it illegal all over the United States. Make uniform laws so that all animal abuse carries mandatory sentences" said McDuffie on Facebook.

What Happened

Once McDuffie took the girls to her veterinarian for an initial examination he informed her that the pups, in his opinion, had been sexually molested. The dogs were less than two months old at the time of the attack. Adding insult to injury was the findings during surgery that metal screws and other foreign objects had been inserted into their rectums causing intestinal perforations.

Performing her own inquiry into the alleged abuse, McDuffie found a witness who told her she saw a neighbor's 13 year old son "having sex" with the puppies. The witness will not come forward to testify for fear of reprisal. The boy's father apparently is a well known dog fighter and breeder of fight dogs in the area. McDuffie also told me that this boy's father was recently arrested and jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail and all of his children are under protective services with the state of North Carolina.

Sadly, Charity died of complications from her injuries when she was six months old. McDuffie and her husband, Jerry are currently fostering Hope and Faith along with caring for their own nine dogs. They report Faith is the most loving of the two and only wants to be hugged and petted. Hope is progressing but is still quite fearful of strangers, especially teenage boys.

The Cause

McDuffie understands the topic of bestiality is a tough one for people to hear and deal with. She is asking the public for help in getting laws passed. She does not want this to turn into a witch hunt for the alleged perpetrator or a call for punishment.

She believes the boy is also a victim of being born into a household and culture where dog fighting and the resultant violence is an accepted standard. She is also pragmatic enough to realize that putting any effort into bringing him to justice will do nothing for all the future animals who may become subjected to similar abuse.

Even though a police report was filed and evidence was collected, there was no forensic evidence with which to prosecute. More importantly, under present laws, the dogs would have been confiscated as evidence, sent to live in the shelter until the case came to court. That would have been a certain death sentence for all three dogs because they would not have had access to the multiple surgical procedures they required. To date, each pup has had four invasive surgeries.

Similar to Megan's Law -- the result of a grieving family trying to make positive change from tragedy -- McDuffie wants Charity's cruel death to result in something positive for other animals. She is calling her campaign Charity’s Law.

How You Can Help

The effort to actually get an animal welfare law presented to federal legislators is arduous in itself. If it does make it from committee to the floor, it will most likely take years to get it passed. Only by enough people working together and demanding new and more effective laws will animals be given some measure of protection.

Sign the Care2 petition. This will show legislators there are enough people who want bestiality made punishable as a felony.

Attend the fundraiser for Charity's Law on July 30, 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, Virginia. Several rock bands have been booked so far, with more to be announced.

Volunteer to help McDuffie get Charity's Law introduced and through the legislative process. Contact her at eaglesdenrescue@live.com.

Follow the Facebook page and spread the word of McDuffie's mission.

Four Jobs I've Had
-Graphic Artist
-Public Relations
-Journalist
-Instructor

Four Movies I Can Watch Over And Over
- Hedwig and the Angry Inch
- Harold and Maude
- Kick-Ass
- Muriel's Wedding

Four TV Shows I Love
- IT Crowd
- Doctor Who
- Supernatural
- Absolutely Fabulous

Four Places I've Vacationed
- Ely, MN
- South Central California
- New England Coast
- Mackinac Island, MI

Four Of My Favorite Dishes
- Gnocci
- Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding
- Baba Ghanouj
- Maple Mustard Pork Chops

Four Sites I Visit Daily
-Facebook
-Weather.com
-UWSP.edu
-NPR.org

Four things I like to do in my spare time
-Chalk sidewalks
-Play disc golf
-Read
-Play video games

This is from the ASPCA Web site... read on:

Missouri Senate Nixes Prop B; House Expected to Do the Same Next Week

As we informed readers last week, Missouri state legislators are moving quickly to weaken or fully repeal the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act (PMCPA), which was passed in November by the majority of their constituents. Completely disregarding the will of the people, on Thursday, March 10, the Missouri Senate passed Senate Bill 113—a bill to roll back every humane provision of the PMCPA—by a vote of 20 to 14. To add insult to injury, earlier this week senators rejected an amendment that would have referred their new, weak commercial breeding law back to the ballot for Missouri voters to weigh in on.

Senate Bill 113 now moves to the Missouri House of Representatives, which is expected to pass it in a matter of days. (The House is also considering a slightly different version of the bill, HB 131, but the Senate bill has more momentum and will likely be the first to pass both chambers of the General Assembly.) This is extremely bad news for animal advocates and the hundreds of thousands of dogs languishing in Missouri’s more than 3,000 puppy mills, which supply approximately 40 percent of all puppies sold in pet stores nationwide.

If SB 113, HB 131 or any other bill that guts or repeals the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act passes the full General Assembly, the ASPCA plans to appeal to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon for a veto. Since the governor is elected by popular vote and Governor Nixon will be up for reelection in 2012, we are hopeful that he, unlike his colleagues in the legislative branch, will respect the will of the voters, which was clearly expressed last year when they passed Proposition B by a margin of 60,000 votes.

In the meantime, the ASPCA is asking Missouri citizens to contact their state representatives immediately to express their opposition to SB 113, HB 131 and any effort to weaken or repeal the PMCPA. We know the rest of the country is keeping a close eye on Missouri, as what happens there will likely set the stage for puppy mill reform nationwide. If you don’t live in Missouri but want to help, please share this article via Facebook and Twitter

I am no longer friending just any furry on Facebook. In fact, if I have no clue who you really are, I likely have since unfriended you. You should not take this personally, as I have only done so to ensure that I am only sharing certain information with people who I have at least met in person.

A couple of days ago, I posted a picture of a T-shirt design I came up with as protest to Governor Walker. Subsequently, I have had people who do not live in this state post comments, not about the art, but in response to my disapproval of my state's governor. One poster, felt this is was an opportunity to repeatedly bully and harass me, and even made some comment about being reported for terrorist activity in the past, which seemed a little bit like a threat of physical violence to me.

I have not removed said posts as I believe in the freedom of speech, a value that the governor of my home state does not seem to share, despite running on a platform that was supposed to be based on the U.S. constitution. I posted a link to an article pertaining to this in the comments section of the T-shirt post. Here is a separate link that reinforces this statement:

http://www.progressive.org/wx0301b11.html

I am an artist. I have left some other furry forums based on being bullied and harassed. I stayed on FA because I wanted to share my art with others. Most of the art in my gallery here is of a furry nature, but since I do political cartooning, caricatures and T-shirt designs, I occasionally post some of those things also.

I see several users on here who violate the AUP and TOS, by posting only pictures of their "haul," random stuff they bought. This is not Flickr or Photobucket, but these users treat it as though it is. I have always used FA for its intended purpose, and plan to continue to do so.

As much as I enjoy the art of others and many classic comics of a furry nature, I sometimes have to wonder if this fandom just promotes idiocy. I know there are many of you who watch me on here who are decent, respectful people, but others out there just seem to be self-absorbed trolls. I have been bullied and bullied, by a group that likes to tout its tolerance towards others and is quick to point out any intolerance this group is subject to. I find the whole thing terribly ironic.

What I really want to say here is that, while I respect other's freedom of speech, I have had too many in this fandom who have tried to squelch mine. If a group is going to hold up an ideal, then they best acknowledge that ideal for everyone. If you do not, you are a hypocrite.

Oh, about the subject line, while what happens in Wisconsin doesn't necessarily stay in Wisconsin, it is Wisconsinites that are the ones that this is happening to right now.

Fur Affinity... it is like "SitOnMyFacebook"

I need to burst some bubbles here people. So, here are some common myths in the furry community:

1) Zoos treat animals humanely.

This is seldom the case. Some of the largest zoos in the U.S. are the worst. Look up Milwaukee Zoo and the story of Lotta the elephant. Many of you may know about the atrocious ways in which animals are treated by circuses, but still see zoos and marine parks as okay. Think again. There are other options. Consider wildlife refuges such as the International Wolf Foundation in Ely, MN, the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI or Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. All are reputable.

2) The dogs used in sled dog racing are properly cared for and treated with respect.

While there are responsible dog owners who engage in dog sledding, no practice of animal racing is humane. Animals used for racing are often exploited, abused, and live short lives. How would you like to spend your life on a 4 foot chain, only being let off of it to be harnessed to a sled. Of course you would run if you lived this existence, and if you couldn't keep up, the rest of the team would be dragging your dead corpse. Throw in the very real problem of global warming and how much of the ice trail the Iditarod is ran on is less than stable, and the new problem of drowning dogs only makes this annual event into an even bigger blood bath.

3) Buying an animal from a pet shop is acceptable.

I could go on about drugging of puppies and kitties into complacency, puppy mills, and all of that, but let us look at small pets. The kind that many think are still "ok" to get from a pet store. When it comes to exotic birds, fish and reptiles, many are brought into this country illegally. Captured in the wild, their health compromised in transit, many don't make it through the journey. What is worse is what happens at many pet stores. The large chain Petco is perhaps the worst of all. Often times sick or injured animals are removed from public view but remain untreated. At one such Petco store, a sick parrot was moved to the store room and sat under an infrared light where it was literally cooked to death. Unlike reputable breeders, humane societies and rescues, pet stores operate strictly on a profit motive. It is best to find a reputable breeder that guarantees the health of the animal, or adopt an unwanted pet from a rescue.

Have you ever looked at the back view of someone's fur suit and felt the temptation to say, "yes, that fur suit does make your butt look big."

Some may wonder why I left Furtopia and made sure my account was removed. Aside from being too busy to really devote time to a furry forum (holding down three jobs, finishing a graduate thesis), I decided enough was enough. Why stick around somewhere where I was never really welcome. The thing that a lot of people in this fandom fail to understand is that respect is both earned and a two way street. If I am never treated with respect by a group of peers, then I can either choose to be as disrespectful to that group (which I am above that) or simply leave the group. I chose the latter. But because in my farewell, I stated, "you can consider this my dramatic leave," I was told I was disrespectful. I read my statement to my mate, and he agreed it was respectful and rather undramatic, considering what I could have said.

I am an artist who sometimes creates furry art, so you will still see me post something here from time to time. Will I ever attend another con? Highly unlikely. There are a lot of conventions that I would rather spend my time and money attending, most notably ones that are of a professional nature, such as Photoshop World, which is always a good time and never a drama fest.

My mate could probably say everything I said on the Furtopia forum and never suffer the slings and arrows I had, but then again, he had at one time had a romantic relationship with one of the founders. I could have taken things personally when I never received a link to my art site hosting despite numerous requests by Itico and myself. I gave the forum enough of a chance... three years in fact. What did I get? Hurt mostly. I had people think they could make me their sex slave. I had people who thought it was okay to personally attack me. There were some exceptions. There were a few, who while they may have disagreed with me from time to time, they would be respectful. There were a few who found my advice helpful, but others who simply took offense that I, a lowly woman who had only discovered the fandom in 2006, would even offer them advice.

I learned one thing from Furtopia. There is a lot of sexism in this fandom. There is also a lot of ageism. Overall, a fandom that is supposed to be about tolerance comes across as horrendously bigoted at times.

Thankfully, I have not had the same negative experience here or on Second Life.

Just finished watching The Cove. If you have not seen this film, rent it! Once you see it, vow to help stop both the slaughter of dolphins and the poisoning of the Japanese people. The dolphin slaughter and give away of toxic meat is funded by marine theme parks and swim with dolphin venues the world over. Boycott these! I am also vowing to boycott all Anheuser Busch products, as they own the largest chain of marine theme parks, SeaWorld. I feel terrible that my family took me to a SeaWorld as a child. We had no idea. If you love dolphins, don't support the slaughter.

So, on a recent shopping excursion, I discovered a new micro brew. I no longer drink beer (dietary restrictions), but Itico does, so I purchased some... Red Vixen by Horny Goat. He said it was rather tasty. Here is a link to their site (pretty entertaining)

http://www.hornygoatbrewing.com/site/index.html

Not only can you find where to get their products, but can also sign up to receive some free Horny Goat condoms. Go on, you know you want to whip those out at a fur con some time...