There comes a time when some one needs validation and acceptance in something they enjoy that no one else around them does. It's things like this the Internet seems built around... somebody has some weird fascination with ramming their head through drywall, so they inevitably start some kind of website dedicated to videos of people slamming themselves head first into the walls of their home. Now all the “drywall divers” (a name I just made up) have some kind of kinship through the Internet dedicated to their love of self-inflicted injury and personal humiliation.

Technically sites like “failblog” and “YouTube” already exist with that intention in mind, but now I'm getting off message.

All Internet subcultures have this phenomenon and furry is no different. I've lurked my share of forums dedicated to this specific subculture and have found that this need for acceptance comes up quite frequently. There was even a discussion in “Fchan” involving someones desire to write a book explaining the subculture and its idiosyncrasies.

The end conclusion was that this would not have been a good idea. Explaining why everyone is into anything can never be done, because humans by nature are free willed and will always have personal reasons for doing such things. Furry, being one of the more obscure subcultures of the Internet, doesn't have any set “rules” as to why anyone would be appealed to it outside of artistic expression. It would make far more sense for anyone enthused into such a project to write there own personal reasons as to why they are into the subculture.

I'm not sure if this book idea by the OP of the discussion in question ever realized their dream or not, but the point I'm trying to reach is that everyone has there own reason as to why they like “furry”. I would like to think that this is a question that everyone has been asked (or asked themselves) and it is one I would like to answer... for no better reason than I love writing up shit in this journal thing.

The first and most obvious reason I like furry is for the pornography. I have no shame in admitting that I am a deviant and that I love to childishly giggle at art depicting strange fetishes. I also love some of these fetishes myself, but without getting this journal entry too perverse I won't mention any. I'm not exactly sure if there is a content filter on this thing or not.

I actually like furry a little more than the similar Hentai, which I do enjoy but not as often as furry. This has more to do with variation that a preferred art style. Hentai, to me, is largely populated with female characters (presumably underage) from anime and manga I've never seen/read and don't care to watch/read, all similarly looking and posed in similar ways. This trend in Hentai is only occasionally broken by male characters I do know, but don't care to see in the nude, and some of the female characters drawn with cocks.

Furry is more varied with tons of different art styles/species depictions, with a larger array of poses and combinations, only occasionally broken by a few characters that are the fantasy persona of some real life person I've never met. Though these fantasy persona are the only reoccurring theme (outside of what few poses/positions actually work for good erotic art) that populate furry art, they are still varied by the number of different artists that draw them.

Despite what some /b/tard might think, furry is different from Hentai, and not just in the gay to straight ratio.

The other, less deviant reason is for artistic expression. This isn't about art specifically, but anything with a creative flare to it. Art, writing, music, sculptor, sewing... all of these things are fascinating when something “furry” is applied right. I do love furry art that isn't pornographic at all, which is a wonderful treat when I find it (and it's good). My favorite books involving “furry” are the Chronicles of Narnia everyone is familiar with... I also loved the Dragonbard series, although I am certain I am the only person in existence that has read that. I wonder sometimes if I read the said mentioned series at all, or if it wasn't just some elaborate hallucination I had.

The last reason that I am into furry is vaguely related to mysticism and other forms of spirituality. I feel the need to make some blatant statements now just to ease some potential confusion:

1) I do not believe that I was an animal in a past life. I may have been, but there wouldn't be much to remember or anything really that profound. Depending on which reincarnation tradition you follow, being reincarnated as an animal (a lesser being to humans) could be considered a punishment.

2) I do not believe I am really an animal... well humans are all animals by definition... but I don't believe I'm a real anthropomorphic or anything like that.

3) I do not belong to any sort of “church of furry”, assuming anything like that really exists. I wouldn't be surprised, as far as I know a “church of Star Trek” still exists so anything is possible.

I am a pagan, nothing at all special, I follow a more “Norse” tradition with a splash of “Greek” which in of itself is fairly common pagan stuff outside of Wiccan practices. I believe that humans do have the potential for “transformation” but I've never seen this applied literally. Yes, a personality change is possible (such as possession), outside of that people can behave less like “human” and more like certain animal species.

Mostly transformation occurs in dreams. While I am aware that some dreams are just dreams, I do believe that “otherworldly” travel is possible via dreams. I have seen many things and been many animals/objects, including some really bizarre things like a tank (the kind with a gun) and even “ghostly apparitions”. I've even been many places (weird places) and occasionally I will “astral project”.

The second mentioned thing about “humans acting like animals” is also something I do. It's not uncommon for some people to act (what myself and others have called) “feral”. A feral human acts just like that, they have some vague or obvious thing about them that relates to how animals act. I know this guy, that one time I offered him some chocolate, upon taking the said mentioned chocolate he actually started sniffing it, because the chocolate (being fruit-coated chocolate) was unfamiliar to him.

That's not a good example but the only one I can think of.

Most humans have something about their personality or silhouette that resembles animals as well. This has nothing to do with furry/paganism, but typical psychology. It's the same thing as referencing someones personality via the Zodiac or numerology, some ( not all) humans fall into a category that makes them easily identifiable by some archaic traditions.

I'm not talking about what kind of animal people identify with, that would be closer to a Familiar than an animal likeness. A Familiar is just an animal or animals that a person is not afraid of (usually a pet). If you asked any random person what animals they identify with, they would either tell you to go away or they would probably say one of the top five: Tiger; lion; wolf; snake; dragon.

Seriously, you can't have a dragon as a Familiar, they don't exist on the physical plain. That's like saying elves and gnomes can be Familiar.

Someone's animal likeness is derived from their personality. Using myself, I'm a ferret or a similar weasel type creature. I'm not a big guy and I have personality characteristics that place me somewhere between “cat” and “rat” so I shoot the difference... so to speak. I'd explain more, but it's hard considering I'm not an expert on this kind of thing.

Here's another example of what I'm talking about. I knew this guy who I had marked as a canine, specifically a hound. He was a pleasant, incredibly loyal friend once he got to know you. His only character flaws were is inability to “hold back” whenever he was physically challenged, along with occasional mood swings that he was quick to apologize for. Essentially he was loyal, but moody. I told him this made him a “hound” and he got all moody. He wanted to be something “cool” like one of the top five I listed.

My last good example was of a former co-worker who was so obviously a rooster that he might as well have worn a t-shirt stating this. Being very attractive (and straight) he even wore his hair in a “Sweptback spike” look which I swear didn't change my opinion of his likeness. What made him specifically this was his outright male tenancy to challenge everyone (male) during anything just to prove he was smarter/stronger/faster than whatever everyone else was talking/doing. His attitude towards the opposite sex was to drop whatever he was doing just to run over an introduce himself and brag a little bit. He might have well been flapping his elbows, “clucking” while doing a little “pimp strut” whenever he was at this “rooster-like” behavior.

There is an end point to this discussion I am having with myself and anyone that bothers to read to the end, is that everyone has something they like about furry, whether or not they are into the subculture. Seriously, it's like how some comedian (whos name I can't remember) once said: “everyone is gay, just depends on how much”.

Everyone likes furry, even if it's just the old “bugs bunny” cartoons.

Well... that and: “nobody gets to have a dragon as a Familiar."

So I've been here for a week and I think I'm finally getting the hang of this "social networking thing".

Despite what I just called this site, I have been told that it technically isn't for "social networking" but "just sharing things about yourself". I fail to see a difference.

Now I'm not sure that how this will come across, or even if anyone cares what I have to say; anything literary around here seems far harder to accomplish than anything else artistic.

From reading the forum, it came to my attention that in order to gain readers one must do several things to attempt their story (or stories) to stand out:

1) use .txt files so the story appears as text in a browser window

Thats fine, I'm down with that, but I've still noticed a lot of authors not doing this and it doesn't seem to change how many readers they have.

2) use proper grammer/spelling ect.

Again, I'm down with that, that's what I do constantly. Achieving perfection is impossible, but attempting it is far more therapeutic than jumping into TF2 and fragging the hell out of somone for hours on end (at least to me).

Once again I see some authors not doing this. Some are obviously trying, so I'm not holding this against anyone. But some are obviously not trying, which doesn't seem to change the "OMG great story" comments others have left them.

3) using thumbnails/keywords/tags to properly identify story content

Again, I have done this and I see the need for them, so I will add them in the future. But this at times seems needless, partly because I still have no idea if tags even work on this site, but mostly because it doesn't seem to change anything.

I didn't make these rules, I'm simply applying them to see if they make a difference. So far it seems that I am "par" with most of the authors around here overall, so I should just shut my mouth and give it a month to see what happens.

I'm not making a big deal about this, really I'm just kiling time and taking advantage of this awesome journal thing I can rant in. If I were making a "big deal", I'd bring this up in the forum and whine like some internet-folk do. So instead I'm whining in this journal, because it doesn't make a difference what does and doesn't work for authors... most everyone comes here for the art.

I sure as hell do ;)

If there is one thing I hate, it's gnomes. It's not so much there proud gnome heritage, more that I hate their stupid gnome beards and their stupid pointy hats. I also hate the way they sit so innocently on my neighbor's lawn, acting all “inanimate” when I know they're laughing at me whenever my back is turned. Who buys lawn gnomes these days anyway?

I'm not talking about the gnomes in World of Warcraft... although they are part of my overall problem. Although I have to say I dislike all the Alliance races, maybe except for dwarves.

Dwarves have manly beards and are always doing manly things, like mining for gold and drinking. Elves I don't mind either (I'm fully aware elves are not strictly Alliance). Problem with elves is that I'd rather they just undress and dance for my amusement.

Anyway, gnomes really aren't the "cool" nocturnal creatures of pseudo-mythology and folklore, at least not where they're compared to things like ogres and trolls. In fact, if nocturnal creatures of pseudo-mythology and folklore where like the HBO series "Oz", then gnomes would be the whimpering little prison-bitches of the ogres and trolls.

Their really aren't even any good stories that involve gnomes in the grand scheme of things. Their is the one story about the lazy-ass shoe maker, who bribes gnomes with cookies (or some shit), rather than do any real work for himself. Karma then later biting him in the ass when he stops bribing the gnomes and they stop showing up to make shoes for him. I forgot how the story ended, presumably the old man died of a heart attack.

What does that say about gnomes? That you can use them as slave labor for the price of sugary treats. If life were like that, then surly I could pay my rent using rocks or shiny balls of aluminum foil.

Its almost like tricking sex out of a prostitute by shouting "look over there!", then having your way with her when she turns to bewilderedly stare in whatever direction you were pointing in.

Besides, the cookie bribes don't actually work, at least not in this modern time. Having destroyed a perfectly good pair of shoes at work one night, I tried it. The little bastards never showed up, and I was forced to shell out $30 for new work shoes.

I'm sure their is a perfectly good explanation for this... aside for their being no such things as gnomes, and that I'm a raving lunatic.

What I'd like to think it is, is a global conspiracy perpetrated by gnomes themselves. In this post industrial age it is far more profitable for gnomes to simply manufacture shoes, with their shoe magics, then sell them at an inflated profit. Thus eliminating the need to repair old shoes for cookies, or resort to slave labor for lazy-ass shoe makers.

I don't trust the "keebler elves" either.

This makes no bit of sense until you think about it (a little too much). After all, have you ever met someone that works in a shoe factory? Of course you haven't, pretty much every shoe factory on Earth runs out of some Third World country.

It's not because the heartless CEO's of Nike inc. run their manufacturing facilities in desolate regions of Earth that don't have the same child labor laws that other countries have. It's to hide the fact that all the workers are actually gnomes.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure gnomes actually are turning any kind of profit in this diabolical conspiracy. It's true perpetrators are probably trolls and ogres. Most likely the ugly brutes are the heartless CEO's running the shoe industry from behind the scene, reveling in the profit made on shoes and the money saved with forced gnome labor. Converting their capital into gold, so they can horde it in their cave as bait to lure would-be treasure hunters to an untimely death as a meal for an ogre or troll.

I'm not sure exactly how much text a journal entry can take, so I'm fairly certain I've ranted enough.

I'm not the kind of guy that usually "hangs out" on social networking sites. In fact, most of this stuff is pretty much uncharted territory for me.

"But hey," I thought to myself while signing up for this website "why not lurk around a website (specifically a "furry" one) that isn't a forum or an art archive?"

Well naturally I couldn't find such a thing. But to be honest I think that's all the internet is, so there's no reason for me to complain. Besides, this is pretty damn close, I can write random shit all over this journal just for the sake of doing so.

I really don't beleive anyone will take the time to read this... I wouldn't... I guess I'm not much of a "blog" kinda guy either.

I love to write all the same, I've written a few handfulls of droll internet fiction ranging from miniature games to sexual explicit fiction of "fur". For the most part if you've read one then you probably recognize the name... and for that I pitty you greatly.

I joke. I really wouldn't pitty you, but I'd be so amazed I'd probably have a stroke and die right in front of my computer. I've only written maybe fourteen stories over the past nine years, not a lot judging by the number some "internet authors" i've seen churn out.

I won't proclaim any of them to be "good" or "unique" at all, but I will say that I always try my best to double-check all of my spelling. Hell I've checked this journal entry at least thrice.

I'd write more, but there isn't a lot to say. As I've stated, I don't really think anyone reads journal entries, but I will rant just a little bit more for the sake of getting my fingers to flex: Yippy skippy, farts, fuck, holy mother mary, Yahtzee is a sexy beast, gnomes suck and are the reason my shoes keep falling apart on me.

Damn gnomes, I left them cookies and everything!