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FWA 2022
General | Posted 3 years agoWhat a con! I feel like this will be one will be one of the few that are long remembered by the fandom. Others have been faster to come back to operations after the terrible years of death and loss, but having the largest con in the south return from the pandemic is something else. After weathering three long years, they are back with a bittersweet bang.
It was almost more than I could handle at times. The old Carolina group held a funeral/memorial for a fur who recently passed from Covid. I didn't attend since I didn't personally know the person but I saw what was done for it and was deeply moved. This is truly a fandom that really cares about its people, and I was reminded quite powerfully of what a force that love can be. The heartache of watching the "In Memory" board fill up with names and well-wishes was tempered with the absolute celebration of life happening all around. It was truly inspiring.
It wasn't quite like picking right up where things left off, but it came damn close. A lot has changed. Everyone is older. People I expected to see where not there. The Carolina Furs group broke up again into "Old" and "New" factions. The new group is trying to start a con and seem to be coming closer than anyone else has in the past. I may yet get involved in that. Speaking of getting older, it's clear I cannot do linecon any more. I "lost" pretty much all of the first day of the con to standing in line, and the pain in my ankle was quite severe. I've noticed that I am slower physically, under greater duress while hauling around my backpack full of pins. Still, was able to get back into gear for the second and third day, picking some panels, sacrificing others to hangouts and food, the usual.
FWA's biggest problem is that it's too big! I love the energy this brings but it unfortunately means that you meet people in a "there and gone" fashion. Saw some old friends I had sort of lost touch with. Saw some I hadn't. Met some new folks; got an opportunity to do chaotic good. I bought waaaaay too much swag!
There was so much music this year it almost felt like a festival (newsflash: it was! at least one electro festival was happening at the con). It was so diverse! We had a group doing actual Chamber Music, and a grunge band from Arizona. Another guy was doing synthpop, and then we had Avian Invasion, who is just amazing live. Matt's singing fits real well with his new style of music.
It was interesting too to see FWA giving the adult side of the fandom more space for an outlet. There was a "moonlight festival" event where certain restrictions were more relaxed and alchohol was served in a kind of social mixer for adults thing. There was a general audience gala later on that served the same function. Adult vendors were given much more space than usual as well, while also being kept respectfully out of the way from those who aren't interested or not of age. FWA is a party con and the alchohol flowed, but this year there was an especially bad problem with roofie attempts. I gave some advice to the con admins that I hope will help fix the problem without necessitating restrictions on future "adult mixers". It's the first time they've done something like this and there were definitely wrinkles that needed smoothing out, but I feel like it'll be better prepared next year.
The artist situation was a bit disheartening. The artists filled up their available slots very quickly, and the ones who didn't were either so expensive as to be in-affordable or did their business in such a way that my commissioning rules excluded them from getting my patronage. I did consider relaxing my rules, but I've been burned too often on commissions in the past to take chances, especially with art going for that kind of money.
All in all, the con was a great time. Looking forward to next year already. Came home to find my closet had torn itself out of the wall while I was away and even that didn't bring me down from my convention high, even though it will likely require replacing the drywall.
Note to future me: Try not to buy so much stuff. Awesome shirts are awesome, but you don't need that many, especially if the weight of your wardrobe is tearing moorings out of the wall.
It was almost more than I could handle at times. The old Carolina group held a funeral/memorial for a fur who recently passed from Covid. I didn't attend since I didn't personally know the person but I saw what was done for it and was deeply moved. This is truly a fandom that really cares about its people, and I was reminded quite powerfully of what a force that love can be. The heartache of watching the "In Memory" board fill up with names and well-wishes was tempered with the absolute celebration of life happening all around. It was truly inspiring.
It wasn't quite like picking right up where things left off, but it came damn close. A lot has changed. Everyone is older. People I expected to see where not there. The Carolina Furs group broke up again into "Old" and "New" factions. The new group is trying to start a con and seem to be coming closer than anyone else has in the past. I may yet get involved in that. Speaking of getting older, it's clear I cannot do linecon any more. I "lost" pretty much all of the first day of the con to standing in line, and the pain in my ankle was quite severe. I've noticed that I am slower physically, under greater duress while hauling around my backpack full of pins. Still, was able to get back into gear for the second and third day, picking some panels, sacrificing others to hangouts and food, the usual.
FWA's biggest problem is that it's too big! I love the energy this brings but it unfortunately means that you meet people in a "there and gone" fashion. Saw some old friends I had sort of lost touch with. Saw some I hadn't. Met some new folks; got an opportunity to do chaotic good. I bought waaaaay too much swag!
There was so much music this year it almost felt like a festival (newsflash: it was! at least one electro festival was happening at the con). It was so diverse! We had a group doing actual Chamber Music, and a grunge band from Arizona. Another guy was doing synthpop, and then we had Avian Invasion, who is just amazing live. Matt's singing fits real well with his new style of music.
It was interesting too to see FWA giving the adult side of the fandom more space for an outlet. There was a "moonlight festival" event where certain restrictions were more relaxed and alchohol was served in a kind of social mixer for adults thing. There was a general audience gala later on that served the same function. Adult vendors were given much more space than usual as well, while also being kept respectfully out of the way from those who aren't interested or not of age. FWA is a party con and the alchohol flowed, but this year there was an especially bad problem with roofie attempts. I gave some advice to the con admins that I hope will help fix the problem without necessitating restrictions on future "adult mixers". It's the first time they've done something like this and there were definitely wrinkles that needed smoothing out, but I feel like it'll be better prepared next year.
The artist situation was a bit disheartening. The artists filled up their available slots very quickly, and the ones who didn't were either so expensive as to be in-affordable or did their business in such a way that my commissioning rules excluded them from getting my patronage. I did consider relaxing my rules, but I've been burned too often on commissions in the past to take chances, especially with art going for that kind of money.
All in all, the con was a great time. Looking forward to next year already. Came home to find my closet had torn itself out of the wall while I was away and even that didn't bring me down from my convention high, even though it will likely require replacing the drywall.
Note to future me: Try not to buy so much stuff. Awesome shirts are awesome, but you don't need that many, especially if the weight of your wardrobe is tearing moorings out of the wall.
I was afraid this would happen
General | Posted 3 years agoCovid is letting up and lockdowns are ending, which means that many large cons are able to meet again. This weekend was Furnal Equinox, which, after their ~amazing~ 2021 virtual con promised to run both a virtual and realspace event in tandem. The promise was only half kept, as the online portion was clearly an afterthought. Only main events were ever streamed and there were no discord events or even VR events outside of wandering the (admittedly very well made) venue space that was carried over from last year.
Now, I get that conventions only have so many resources, and logically ones that started in meatspace are going to want to focus their resources on that, since traditionally that is what has worked best for them. It's amazing that so many of them were able to pivot so well to virtual cons during the height of the pandemic. Not all of them were able to pull it off but most of them made a go of it and some were even quite successful.
I can't say it doesn't bother me, however, that signs are pointing to the virtual con experience falling by the wayside as venues open up. I believe there is something worthwhile in it; that the virtual con opens doors that physical conventions can't. There are a handful of 'online only' conventions that are planning to continue making a go of it, so I know I'm not the only one that sees this...but I am wondering what will happen two-three years out from now, when physical gatherings are once again normalized and people will have their choice of events to attend. Perhaps it may prove that these virtual events are just not sustainable-I hope that isn't the case!
Despite the....greatly truncated experience, I still enjoyed my time with Furnal Equinox. I like the people there and they run their con very, very well. That said, if I had known just how little of the con I would have access to as a 'virtual attendee' I wouldn't have wasted one of my days off on the event. And since the actual con is in Canada and I'm in the southern United States, it feels like the door is closing on my ability to access that community.
Ah well, there are plenty of other events. I am looking forward to FWA in the spring, and may be going back to Bewhiskered in the fall since it looks like Anthro SouthEast is dead. There is still RamCon and CozyCon. Maybe I'll try re-joining the local group, from which I have become distant these past two years? I really don't know. I might just fade quietly from all of it.
Now, I get that conventions only have so many resources, and logically ones that started in meatspace are going to want to focus their resources on that, since traditionally that is what has worked best for them. It's amazing that so many of them were able to pivot so well to virtual cons during the height of the pandemic. Not all of them were able to pull it off but most of them made a go of it and some were even quite successful.
I can't say it doesn't bother me, however, that signs are pointing to the virtual con experience falling by the wayside as venues open up. I believe there is something worthwhile in it; that the virtual con opens doors that physical conventions can't. There are a handful of 'online only' conventions that are planning to continue making a go of it, so I know I'm not the only one that sees this...but I am wondering what will happen two-three years out from now, when physical gatherings are once again normalized and people will have their choice of events to attend. Perhaps it may prove that these virtual events are just not sustainable-I hope that isn't the case!
Despite the....greatly truncated experience, I still enjoyed my time with Furnal Equinox. I like the people there and they run their con very, very well. That said, if I had known just how little of the con I would have access to as a 'virtual attendee' I wouldn't have wasted one of my days off on the event. And since the actual con is in Canada and I'm in the southern United States, it feels like the door is closing on my ability to access that community.
Ah well, there are plenty of other events. I am looking forward to FWA in the spring, and may be going back to Bewhiskered in the fall since it looks like Anthro SouthEast is dead. There is still RamCon and CozyCon. Maybe I'll try re-joining the local group, from which I have become distant these past two years? I really don't know. I might just fade quietly from all of it.
Bewhiskered 2021
General | Posted 4 years agoI know that I've been wanting to go back to a FurCon again; somewhere in the back of my mind.
I guess it's easy to forget why I go to these things when they aren't happening and are once again far out of reach. I had no idea how much I needed this until it was over.
Bewhiskered is a first-year con this year. They aren't the first to return to meatspace operation (I believe that honor goes to Biggest Little in Reno), but I believe they are the first brand new, first-year con to launch post-pandemic in "real life". They are the sister-con to Blue Ridge Furfaire; both taking place in North Carolina. Both cons are run by the same team of people, the NC Anthro Society. As an additional fun-fact, Blue Ridge Furfaire was the very last convention in the fandom to have a normal con year in 2020....which was also it's first year! Crazy right? What a massive challenge for this team of people, trying to run a real convention for the first time! They did not crumple under the weight of the challenge though; instead they rose to it.
The staff's commitment to safety was largely what made the con possible. Proof of vaccination required to enter and a mask policy that is strictly enforced. It sounds so simple but that's all they needed to do and it worked. Because the staff was on it we could focus on the con and not worry so much.
And wow, was it great to see you people again. You all reminded me why I haven't left yet. The people are what make the fandom what it is.
Getting to do the whole con experience...driving somewhere new, staying there for a few days, eating good food, making new friends, buying more swag and supporting another charity...like, it's not easy especially when you gotta drive for four hours...but it's so worth it.
The only problem with the con was that the convention staff deliberately capped the amount of attendees; after all the pre-reggers admission tickets sold out in the early hours of the first day. Unlike what happened with Blue Ridge, they did it on-purpose. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and made the con feel artificially too small (there were only four vendors, for example). So, I don't know the exact details, but I was told in the case of Blue Ridge they were screwed over at the last minute by their hotel. For Bewhiskered I was told that some kind of NC law allows only so many people inside a hotel, even if a portion of those people are only visitors. I was told it was a law related to fire codes but well...this is the only con I've ever been to that has had such a population cap. There's no way a state as backwards as NC has stricter fire codes than the rest of the US. There was also a miscommunication during the charity auction that resulted in my losing a one-of-a-kind piece of con history that I had won...which I'm still confused about. But that's small potatoes.
The con was great. The Carolinas have their own con(s) now, and that is super exciting.
Whatever the case may be, Bewhiskered has gotten off to a promising start. It will be interesting to see how it fares in the future considering its history is parallel with the pandemic's.
I guess it's easy to forget why I go to these things when they aren't happening and are once again far out of reach. I had no idea how much I needed this until it was over.
Bewhiskered is a first-year con this year. They aren't the first to return to meatspace operation (I believe that honor goes to Biggest Little in Reno), but I believe they are the first brand new, first-year con to launch post-pandemic in "real life". They are the sister-con to Blue Ridge Furfaire; both taking place in North Carolina. Both cons are run by the same team of people, the NC Anthro Society. As an additional fun-fact, Blue Ridge Furfaire was the very last convention in the fandom to have a normal con year in 2020....which was also it's first year! Crazy right? What a massive challenge for this team of people, trying to run a real convention for the first time! They did not crumple under the weight of the challenge though; instead they rose to it.
The staff's commitment to safety was largely what made the con possible. Proof of vaccination required to enter and a mask policy that is strictly enforced. It sounds so simple but that's all they needed to do and it worked. Because the staff was on it we could focus on the con and not worry so much.
And wow, was it great to see you people again. You all reminded me why I haven't left yet. The people are what make the fandom what it is.
Getting to do the whole con experience...driving somewhere new, staying there for a few days, eating good food, making new friends, buying more swag and supporting another charity...like, it's not easy especially when you gotta drive for four hours...but it's so worth it.
The only problem with the con was that the convention staff deliberately capped the amount of attendees; after all the pre-reggers admission tickets sold out in the early hours of the first day. Unlike what happened with Blue Ridge, they did it on-purpose. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and made the con feel artificially too small (there were only four vendors, for example). So, I don't know the exact details, but I was told in the case of Blue Ridge they were screwed over at the last minute by their hotel. For Bewhiskered I was told that some kind of NC law allows only so many people inside a hotel, even if a portion of those people are only visitors. I was told it was a law related to fire codes but well...this is the only con I've ever been to that has had such a population cap. There's no way a state as backwards as NC has stricter fire codes than the rest of the US. There was also a miscommunication during the charity auction that resulted in my losing a one-of-a-kind piece of con history that I had won...which I'm still confused about. But that's small potatoes.
The con was great. The Carolinas have their own con(s) now, and that is super exciting.
Whatever the case may be, Bewhiskered has gotten off to a promising start. It will be interesting to see how it fares in the future considering its history is parallel with the pandemic's.
The Ups And Downs of Online Cons
General | Posted 4 years agoIt's really something isn't it? Before Covid-19 hit I averaged around two-three cons a year, not counting the small local affairs like anime cons and the annual Christmas furmeet that ballooned to the point of renting out a convention center. This was the most I could afford with the limitations imposed by travel, needing to take time off work, and having to budget for things like hotel fees and con expenses so that I didn't end up losing the house or having to cut back on utilities.
Since Covid forced everything to shut down, people have been forced to get creative. VR has been available to the public for about a decade now starting with the Oculus kickstarter, and the Internet itself is over 20 years old. The growth in development of both of these things has been so perfect in regards to timing with the pandemic that one might be excused for thinking that all that innovation was done just for something like this. (Not far off the mark, actually. Younger furs reading this may not know that the internet was originally invented so that chain of command wouldn't completely break down during a nuclear bombardment.)
The fun and somewhat insane result of all of this coming together is that I have gone to more conventions during the Covid Years then I ever did back before the Age Of Reason came to an end. They are all online now! No travel expenses, no overpriced hotel with disgruntled staff, and you know where all of the food is. No longer are physical barriers like distance an obstacle- I have gone to multiple conventions in Canada since Covid; a near impossibility in real life since the towers fell. I no longer have to constantly worry about losing my implant batteries or portable gaming cartridges. Time is also easier to budget for in a way that is chill-multiple panels at the same time? Open new windows! Starving? Eat during the panel, no one will care! I do still have to take days off work for the whole-con experience, but without the need to budget for travel time I am finding myself burning fewer vacation days for every event. Best of all, all the money saved from travel and hotel expenses means I have more to put into swag....supporting the people who actually run the con. Everything moving online has made attending so much easier that I'm now averaging 5+ conventions a year!
Not everything has been great though. There is still no consensus in how an online convention should be run, so everyone has been doing it differently. Because of this, cons have started varying wildly in quality. I've been to online cons that were fantastic and I've been to ones that were as boring as trying to marathon Wind Waker. Some conventions have been very well organized, making all of their vendors, artists and shops easy to find and contact. Others have organized haphazardly with confusing layouts and still others didn't even have vendors at all. Some have embraced accessibility to everyone while others have locked themselves behind the doors of VR. Some offer interactive experiences that are so close to going to a real con that you can suspend belief for a couple of days, others put on more of a variety show like some kind of telethon for charity, and others still half-ass a schedule and create a discord channel.
Some of the best ones I've been to no longer exist. One lost senior staff to Covid and others by virtue of association to real-world events that intend to abandon online offerings when the world is safe to open once again. A few of them plan to stick to their guns, some more tentatively than others, and I honestly commend them for it. It's been real eye-opening seeing the amount of people who are saying these events are their first experiences with conventions and in some cases the fandom in general. There are scores of people who simply can't participate in actual cons because disabilities or other factors make the usual barriers to entry too great. And none of us would have ever known about this hidden group if convention experiences hadn't been forced online. Don't get me wrong, I too yearn for the days when we might once again travel to fun new places and celebrate the fandom together...but I'm holding out hope that some of these cons will take their experiences during the Covid years and grow them out into hybrid events.
So yeah, somewhat paradoxically, the furry fandom might be one of the very few things to actually come out of Covid-19 stronger than it went in. Hopefully Western Civilization will last long enough for us to capitalize on it.
Since Covid forced everything to shut down, people have been forced to get creative. VR has been available to the public for about a decade now starting with the Oculus kickstarter, and the Internet itself is over 20 years old. The growth in development of both of these things has been so perfect in regards to timing with the pandemic that one might be excused for thinking that all that innovation was done just for something like this. (Not far off the mark, actually. Younger furs reading this may not know that the internet was originally invented so that chain of command wouldn't completely break down during a nuclear bombardment.)
The fun and somewhat insane result of all of this coming together is that I have gone to more conventions during the Covid Years then I ever did back before the Age Of Reason came to an end. They are all online now! No travel expenses, no overpriced hotel with disgruntled staff, and you know where all of the food is. No longer are physical barriers like distance an obstacle- I have gone to multiple conventions in Canada since Covid; a near impossibility in real life since the towers fell. I no longer have to constantly worry about losing my implant batteries or portable gaming cartridges. Time is also easier to budget for in a way that is chill-multiple panels at the same time? Open new windows! Starving? Eat during the panel, no one will care! I do still have to take days off work for the whole-con experience, but without the need to budget for travel time I am finding myself burning fewer vacation days for every event. Best of all, all the money saved from travel and hotel expenses means I have more to put into swag....supporting the people who actually run the con. Everything moving online has made attending so much easier that I'm now averaging 5+ conventions a year!
Not everything has been great though. There is still no consensus in how an online convention should be run, so everyone has been doing it differently. Because of this, cons have started varying wildly in quality. I've been to online cons that were fantastic and I've been to ones that were as boring as trying to marathon Wind Waker. Some conventions have been very well organized, making all of their vendors, artists and shops easy to find and contact. Others have organized haphazardly with confusing layouts and still others didn't even have vendors at all. Some have embraced accessibility to everyone while others have locked themselves behind the doors of VR. Some offer interactive experiences that are so close to going to a real con that you can suspend belief for a couple of days, others put on more of a variety show like some kind of telethon for charity, and others still half-ass a schedule and create a discord channel.
Some of the best ones I've been to no longer exist. One lost senior staff to Covid and others by virtue of association to real-world events that intend to abandon online offerings when the world is safe to open once again. A few of them plan to stick to their guns, some more tentatively than others, and I honestly commend them for it. It's been real eye-opening seeing the amount of people who are saying these events are their first experiences with conventions and in some cases the fandom in general. There are scores of people who simply can't participate in actual cons because disabilities or other factors make the usual barriers to entry too great. And none of us would have ever known about this hidden group if convention experiences hadn't been forced online. Don't get me wrong, I too yearn for the days when we might once again travel to fun new places and celebrate the fandom together...but I'm holding out hope that some of these cons will take their experiences during the Covid years and grow them out into hybrid events.
So yeah, somewhat paradoxically, the furry fandom might be one of the very few things to actually come out of Covid-19 stronger than it went in. Hopefully Western Civilization will last long enough for us to capitalize on it.
Retro Games In The Wasteland
General | Posted 4 years agoShould I update this? Idk.
Not much to say. Been continuing the long, slow process of checking out.
It seems like, as the world collapses, the only thing that still consistently brings me joy any more are Retro Games...which is weird because I remember internally debating with myself back in college whether or not emulators were superior and it was worth taking up space with a collection of old cartridges. I'm still not sure what it was that triggered a desire to recover the family's old collection of NES and SNES games, but it's led me on a journey of adventure and discovery that has been pretty amazing so far. It's also been incredibly expensive-I'm well aware that I'm spending money that would be better spent on furniture and home maintenance, but the more time passes and the worse the world gets the less I feel motivated by adulthood. It's like there just isn't anything in it for me anymore.
I went to a gaming convention this past weekend and spent the whole con in the vendor hall. Didn't go to a single panel. Just walked around and browsed games I hadn't seen in over 30 years at every booth, and even picked up a few titles that my collection was missing.
When I was a kid, these games were literally my only friends-the only games I could play without needing someone else to move pieces or draw cards. That's what got me into video games.
As an adult...things have changed, but not as much as I'd have liked.
A family member who doesn't approve of my priorities asked me the other day if I actually played the games. I realized then that I haven't. I've shown off a few of them to my roommate, who doesn't have any historical context with them (few people do any more it seems...as far as for those in this fandom, which trends ever younger)...but I haven't really sat down and played any of them in a dedicated manner like I used to. I'm really not sure what to make of it.
Someday, perhaps soon, the collection will be "complete", and then I'll have nothing to turn to.
Not much to say. Been continuing the long, slow process of checking out.
It seems like, as the world collapses, the only thing that still consistently brings me joy any more are Retro Games...which is weird because I remember internally debating with myself back in college whether or not emulators were superior and it was worth taking up space with a collection of old cartridges. I'm still not sure what it was that triggered a desire to recover the family's old collection of NES and SNES games, but it's led me on a journey of adventure and discovery that has been pretty amazing so far. It's also been incredibly expensive-I'm well aware that I'm spending money that would be better spent on furniture and home maintenance, but the more time passes and the worse the world gets the less I feel motivated by adulthood. It's like there just isn't anything in it for me anymore.
I went to a gaming convention this past weekend and spent the whole con in the vendor hall. Didn't go to a single panel. Just walked around and browsed games I hadn't seen in over 30 years at every booth, and even picked up a few titles that my collection was missing.
When I was a kid, these games were literally my only friends-the only games I could play without needing someone else to move pieces or draw cards. That's what got me into video games.
As an adult...things have changed, but not as much as I'd have liked.
A family member who doesn't approve of my priorities asked me the other day if I actually played the games. I realized then that I haven't. I've shown off a few of them to my roommate, who doesn't have any historical context with them (few people do any more it seems...as far as for those in this fandom, which trends ever younger)...but I haven't really sat down and played any of them in a dedicated manner like I used to. I'm really not sure what to make of it.
Someday, perhaps soon, the collection will be "complete", and then I'll have nothing to turn to.
Vaccination
General | Posted 4 years agoIn a move no-one saw coming, the government was actually able to pass Covid relief in spite of Republican objection. It seems that majority is coming in handy, as we are now poised to throw away the dumb rationing system that most states adopted; you know, the one that keeps people from getting vaccinated until their "category" comes up.
I've received mine already. It was the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, the new one that was only just approved. It's only a single-shot vaccine, so unless a new mutant variant warrants further action I should be good for a while. Normally I wouldn't make a big deal about it but I think it warrants a mention because not a lot of people have gotten access to the shot yet and they might be wondering what to expect. With every other vaccine I've ever had, there were no side-effects. There were with this one. The day after the shot I felt...weird. Not full-on sick, but not quite well either; I felt a kind of full-body miasma...like a case of the chills, but where the shaking never comes. That and joint pain that left me feeling periodically arthritis-y. It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't have worked through it (though I had the day off fortunately). Still though, I wanted to warn people about it, as I have some friends who have poorer functioning immune systems than I, and might need to prepare to put aside some recovery time for their shots.
It's worth it though. I felt great the next day, and being vaccinated surprisingly lifted a lot of weight from my shoulders. I didn't realize I was harboring such low-key anxiety about the virus until after the jab.
So everyone, please, please get your shots...and maybe we can all see each other this summer.
I've received mine already. It was the Johnson&Johnson vaccine, the new one that was only just approved. It's only a single-shot vaccine, so unless a new mutant variant warrants further action I should be good for a while. Normally I wouldn't make a big deal about it but I think it warrants a mention because not a lot of people have gotten access to the shot yet and they might be wondering what to expect. With every other vaccine I've ever had, there were no side-effects. There were with this one. The day after the shot I felt...weird. Not full-on sick, but not quite well either; I felt a kind of full-body miasma...like a case of the chills, but where the shaking never comes. That and joint pain that left me feeling periodically arthritis-y. It wasn't bad enough that I couldn't have worked through it (though I had the day off fortunately). Still though, I wanted to warn people about it, as I have some friends who have poorer functioning immune systems than I, and might need to prepare to put aside some recovery time for their shots.
It's worth it though. I felt great the next day, and being vaccinated surprisingly lifted a lot of weight from my shoulders. I didn't realize I was harboring such low-key anxiety about the virus until after the jab.
So everyone, please, please get your shots...and maybe we can all see each other this summer.
The Year Without Comfort Or Joy
General | Posted 5 years agoI haven't been around much this year, but really who has? 2020 began the same way 1920 did, with rampant infection, economic disaster, social upheaval, and illegal bars. There was no global war, but if you are reading this as one of my stateside friends, you've managed to survive the deadliest year in US history.
On top of it all, our country is dealing with its first attempted coup.
Personally life has been hell. In February my central air unit burned itself up. After multiple insurance agencies I've been paying to cover it decided not to help me, I turned in desperation to refinancing my home, which the Bank has...Well, they started the process and then they went cold. I haven't heard from them in many months. Not since my agent paid out of her own pocket to get my house appraised. That was last summer. All year I've been without air conditioning, without heat. I've been stressed. I'm probably going to switch banks. Considering getting a second or third job next year just to deal with it.
I've somehow managed to avoid getting sick so far. It makes me kind of angry because I don't want to be here any more. Instead, I'm forced to sit and watch as other people are let down by a system that was never set up to help them in the first place. I'd trade my life for any one of theirs in an instant. I've lost some people that I know, but nobody that I have been personally super close with? Lucky right? pfeh.
One silver lining; such as it even qualifies: I've attended more conventions this year than I ever have in my life. It began with DHFC, which I am given to understand wasn't the first virtual furry con, but was quick to establish a baseline for how it should be done. Next was FWA, followed by Mephit Fur Meet, both excellent online offerings. Then went to Furry Takeover, Furpocalypse (which still owes me swag), and MFF. And to think that the year began with missing out on Blue Ridge Furfaire because the con accidentally overbooked the venue. In 21 they'll be virtual because the government can't be assed to distribute the vaccine with any urgency. I plan to attend. These and Bill & Ted Face The Music improbably beating Wonder Woman and Ghostbusters to even releasing this year have been the only good events of note...though in 21 I'm expecting a cultural renaissance in the music industry as everyone releases what they wrote during lockdown. Oh, and it seems The Mandalorian might have actually saved Star-Wars, which I totally didn't see coming. And I guess Animal Crossing and Doom Eternal releasing at exactly the right time in all of this was kind of cool.
One more thing I suppose...After this year I've finally made up my mind concerning my future, and will be taking steps toward those ends. I've cut off social media and will be evicting my roommate this year. Going to start taking care of things, and in the meanwhile, trying to take better care of things.
None of this is going to turn around immediately in 2021. In fact, many of the same problems that plagued this year will carry over and perhaps compound in the beginning months of the year. But one has to admit, on a year-to-year basis, there has never before been such an opportunity for the following year to be such an improvement over what came before. We have a vaccine now. People are going to spread that mutant strain because people are stupid, but the doctors are saying that the vaccine should still work. Assuming Biden can surmount the coup the Republicans are attempting and somehow cobble the government together enough to do more than object to everything, we might even be able to attend actual cons by this summer. To see our friends again.
But my mind is made up now, and that's one thing that's not going to change.
On top of it all, our country is dealing with its first attempted coup.
Personally life has been hell. In February my central air unit burned itself up. After multiple insurance agencies I've been paying to cover it decided not to help me, I turned in desperation to refinancing my home, which the Bank has...Well, they started the process and then they went cold. I haven't heard from them in many months. Not since my agent paid out of her own pocket to get my house appraised. That was last summer. All year I've been without air conditioning, without heat. I've been stressed. I'm probably going to switch banks. Considering getting a second or third job next year just to deal with it.
I've somehow managed to avoid getting sick so far. It makes me kind of angry because I don't want to be here any more. Instead, I'm forced to sit and watch as other people are let down by a system that was never set up to help them in the first place. I'd trade my life for any one of theirs in an instant. I've lost some people that I know, but nobody that I have been personally super close with? Lucky right? pfeh.
One silver lining; such as it even qualifies: I've attended more conventions this year than I ever have in my life. It began with DHFC, which I am given to understand wasn't the first virtual furry con, but was quick to establish a baseline for how it should be done. Next was FWA, followed by Mephit Fur Meet, both excellent online offerings. Then went to Furry Takeover, Furpocalypse (which still owes me swag), and MFF. And to think that the year began with missing out on Blue Ridge Furfaire because the con accidentally overbooked the venue. In 21 they'll be virtual because the government can't be assed to distribute the vaccine with any urgency. I plan to attend. These and Bill & Ted Face The Music improbably beating Wonder Woman and Ghostbusters to even releasing this year have been the only good events of note...though in 21 I'm expecting a cultural renaissance in the music industry as everyone releases what they wrote during lockdown. Oh, and it seems The Mandalorian might have actually saved Star-Wars, which I totally didn't see coming. And I guess Animal Crossing and Doom Eternal releasing at exactly the right time in all of this was kind of cool.
One more thing I suppose...After this year I've finally made up my mind concerning my future, and will be taking steps toward those ends. I've cut off social media and will be evicting my roommate this year. Going to start taking care of things, and in the meanwhile, trying to take better care of things.
None of this is going to turn around immediately in 2021. In fact, many of the same problems that plagued this year will carry over and perhaps compound in the beginning months of the year. But one has to admit, on a year-to-year basis, there has never before been such an opportunity for the following year to be such an improvement over what came before. We have a vaccine now. People are going to spread that mutant strain because people are stupid, but the doctors are saying that the vaccine should still work. Assuming Biden can surmount the coup the Republicans are attempting and somehow cobble the government together enough to do more than object to everything, we might even be able to attend actual cons by this summer. To see our friends again.
But my mind is made up now, and that's one thing that's not going to change.
Please help a close friend!
General | Posted 5 years agohttps://www.gofundme.com/f/family-o.....use-they-built
Audrey is a dear friend of mine, and if her family loses the house her life will be in jeopardy. She is very immunocompromised, and her family has little in the way of a fallback plan, should they lose the house. Please do what you can to donate or help spread the word.
Audrey is a dear friend of mine, and if her family loses the house her life will be in jeopardy. She is very immunocompromised, and her family has little in the way of a fallback plan, should they lose the house. Please do what you can to donate or help spread the word.
RIP Narka Zirkus
General | Posted 5 years agoEarlier today a fur and fursuiter local to the South Carolina group I hang out with was killed by Covid-19.
He worked as an EMT and caught the virus while transporting sick people to the hospital.
He felt sick just a few days ago and died a few days later, from what I understand. It was very quick and very sudden. The community up here is devastated.
Though Nersa's occupation led to his being exposed to the virus more than the average person, I implore you all to take the virus seriously. Wear your face masks while in public, wash your hands, stand six feet apart from people you must interact with.
There's an empty fursuit in South Carolina. A friend who we'll never see again even after this passes.
As much as anyone has any amount of control over this, take those precautions; don't let your own community go through this tragedy and loss.
He was only 22.
Lance_Draken
He worked as an EMT and caught the virus while transporting sick people to the hospital.
He felt sick just a few days ago and died a few days later, from what I understand. It was very quick and very sudden. The community up here is devastated.
Though Nersa's occupation led to his being exposed to the virus more than the average person, I implore you all to take the virus seriously. Wear your face masks while in public, wash your hands, stand six feet apart from people you must interact with.
There's an empty fursuit in South Carolina. A friend who we'll never see again even after this passes.
As much as anyone has any amount of control over this, take those precautions; don't let your own community go through this tragedy and loss.
He was only 22.
Lance_DrakenChristmas Cards
General | Posted 6 years agoAs usual, I have a ton of these left over. If anyone would like to do a holiday card exchange, just send me a private message with your mailing address, and I'll respond to it with my own.
Anthro SouthEast 2019
General | Posted 6 years agoI normally only do two cons a year for financial reasons (not counting neighborhood anime or comic cons local to my area), but this year I was able to be a +1 to the All Fur Radio crew at ASE. Many thanks to 
Schrix for getting me in on this and buying my ticket. Having previously gone to ASE during its first year, I wasn't quite sure what to expect for its second. I figured it would be a small con again, full of fellowship and fun panels. Instead, it surpassed all my expectations about what cons can do.
For starters, 1004 people showed up. That's insane for a second-year con (our opening year broke 600, a record-breaking opening). The con's location in Chattanooga Tennessee makes it more accessible to midwestern, southwestern, and even northeastern furs than FWA is-There is definitely room to grow too, both in this year's hotel and in the humongous Convention Center. I don't think the con staff was quite ready for their con to take off so quickly, but it's clear they've unleashed a monster. If ASE does not rival FWA some day, I will eat my hat.
What impressed me about this convention was the entertainment. They did not have a music act. Instead, they had an actual burlesque performance (first I've ever heard of at a con), as well as a car show. The burlesque was fun...The performances were really clever and the girls clearly put a lot of work into their routine. Kind of surprised though that there weren't any male performers considering how skewed towards alternative sexualities the fandom is. Still, everyone in the room was having fun and that's the important thing. The car show needed some work...most of the vehicles on display were pretty common, though a few furs brought their street racers to show off. Those rides were the coolest~
Even the panels were really exciting. I went to a Furry Flea Market/Furry Friends panel, which was about a cooperative of TN furs who were planning to make the first ever physical Furry Store to sell art, crafts, and swag that you'd normally only be able to get at conventions. It's exciting that the fandom has gotten to this point, and that I could get this front-row seat to this history-making. Once they get the store going, I plan to make a pilgrimage and share the experience with you guys.
The second panel I was really excited about was the FriskyPaws panel. A gent who got fed up with FA's poor infrastructure and moderation is actually gathering resources and putting time into making a rival site. He seems to really know what he's talking about, so I wish him luck with it.
The only downside to the con was the hotel. The Chattanoogan was the right size for the con, but A) The con rooms were spread out too far, and B) The hotel restaurant had some of the worst service I've ever seen outside of SC. Kudos to them for building a menu specific to the con, but when you have the sous chef out bussing tables you know there's a problem. Wait times averaged an hour+, and it looked like they only ever had 3 people on staff the entire weekend.
For the first time ever I was able to participate in and complete a con scavenger hunt. On the final day, about an hour before closing, I was able to find all of the books that had been hidden around the con! For my efforts, I received a free registration to next year's con, which I'm still surprised at, but certainly pleased with. I usually don't participate in FWA's because it tends to involve downloading external apps and scanning codes into them; all kinds of cell phone fiddling. ASE's just required some simple photos with your badge.
All in all, the con was a great time. It's going back to the Convention Center next year...hopefully will be renting more space too; we'll need it with how rapidly the con's been growing. I'm sort of obligated to go thanks to winning the scavenger hunt but I don't mind! There's a new con in Asheville I'll be attending too, since I can cut the hotel cost out of that completely staying at a friend's house. As much as I would like to visit one of those cons sharing the Cyberpunk theme for 2020, I might just stick with conventions closer to home to build up finances. Though my trip to FursonaCon this year taught me that travel doesn't have to be expensive with proper planning.
Schrix for getting me in on this and buying my ticket. Having previously gone to ASE during its first year, I wasn't quite sure what to expect for its second. I figured it would be a small con again, full of fellowship and fun panels. Instead, it surpassed all my expectations about what cons can do.For starters, 1004 people showed up. That's insane for a second-year con (our opening year broke 600, a record-breaking opening). The con's location in Chattanooga Tennessee makes it more accessible to midwestern, southwestern, and even northeastern furs than FWA is-There is definitely room to grow too, both in this year's hotel and in the humongous Convention Center. I don't think the con staff was quite ready for their con to take off so quickly, but it's clear they've unleashed a monster. If ASE does not rival FWA some day, I will eat my hat.
What impressed me about this convention was the entertainment. They did not have a music act. Instead, they had an actual burlesque performance (first I've ever heard of at a con), as well as a car show. The burlesque was fun...The performances were really clever and the girls clearly put a lot of work into their routine. Kind of surprised though that there weren't any male performers considering how skewed towards alternative sexualities the fandom is. Still, everyone in the room was having fun and that's the important thing. The car show needed some work...most of the vehicles on display were pretty common, though a few furs brought their street racers to show off. Those rides were the coolest~
Even the panels were really exciting. I went to a Furry Flea Market/Furry Friends panel, which was about a cooperative of TN furs who were planning to make the first ever physical Furry Store to sell art, crafts, and swag that you'd normally only be able to get at conventions. It's exciting that the fandom has gotten to this point, and that I could get this front-row seat to this history-making. Once they get the store going, I plan to make a pilgrimage and share the experience with you guys.
The second panel I was really excited about was the FriskyPaws panel. A gent who got fed up with FA's poor infrastructure and moderation is actually gathering resources and putting time into making a rival site. He seems to really know what he's talking about, so I wish him luck with it.
The only downside to the con was the hotel. The Chattanoogan was the right size for the con, but A) The con rooms were spread out too far, and B) The hotel restaurant had some of the worst service I've ever seen outside of SC. Kudos to them for building a menu specific to the con, but when you have the sous chef out bussing tables you know there's a problem. Wait times averaged an hour+, and it looked like they only ever had 3 people on staff the entire weekend.
For the first time ever I was able to participate in and complete a con scavenger hunt. On the final day, about an hour before closing, I was able to find all of the books that had been hidden around the con! For my efforts, I received a free registration to next year's con, which I'm still surprised at, but certainly pleased with. I usually don't participate in FWA's because it tends to involve downloading external apps and scanning codes into them; all kinds of cell phone fiddling. ASE's just required some simple photos with your badge.
All in all, the con was a great time. It's going back to the Convention Center next year...hopefully will be renting more space too; we'll need it with how rapidly the con's been growing. I'm sort of obligated to go thanks to winning the scavenger hunt but I don't mind! There's a new con in Asheville I'll be attending too, since I can cut the hotel cost out of that completely staying at a friend's house. As much as I would like to visit one of those cons sharing the Cyberpunk theme for 2020, I might just stick with conventions closer to home to build up finances. Though my trip to FursonaCon this year taught me that travel doesn't have to be expensive with proper planning.
FursonaCon 2019
General | Posted 6 years agoI think I'm coming to a point where I'm really not sure what I'm doing any more, as part of the fandom and otherwise.
Went to FursonaCon in Virginia Beach, more or less just to see if I could. One of the con chairs,
ArkGullwing gave me a free pass to the con after a mix-up over a con t-shirt at their booth in FWA a few years back. I had to skip the last two years unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances...and the universe came very close to forcing me out of this one! $300 on new brakes, then my transmission cable gave out, and hurricane Dorian all right before the con. It was the first time I've ever driven a distance of 8 hours. I got my buddy Schrix to come with me as a spare driver so the trip was more bearable but still...and we had to make half of the way up driving through a hurricane coming through NC.
It helped that the con had an amazing Retro 80's theme. I think I would have been sorely depressed if I had had to miss out on that. It was a smaller con too so I didn't get as many commissions and such but that's perfectly fine as we've found a way to do Anthro SouthEast on the cheap, so might be attending that one. I don't often work in three cons a year, but ASE is kind of like a gift to me from my friend.
I had fun. The con was a good time. Everyone was friendly and there were lots of interesting people to meet. Spoke with one vendor about salvaging the legacy of some of the older furs who are now starting to pass away. The old out of print comics and the requirements to gather rights and reprint them. It got me thinking that there's really not a lot of archival work being done on some of the oldest parts of the fandom...Someone needs to start doing that before we lose it.
At any rate this con taught me that 8 hour trips are doable, which opens up possibilities like Megaplex and possibly even driving to AnthroCon, which appears to be a 9 hour ride straight through (I still don't know why the last person I went with took the 11 hour trip to pick up friends only to ignore them). So maybe one day I can do that one again and do it right this time? Right now I have no actual plans for next year, aside from FWA. I might pare down and just go to FWA and that small new con in NC, Tarpaw Furmeet. I don't see myself doing something wild like flying out to one of those further away cons. Not just yet anyways.
Went to FursonaCon in Virginia Beach, more or less just to see if I could. One of the con chairs,
ArkGullwing gave me a free pass to the con after a mix-up over a con t-shirt at their booth in FWA a few years back. I had to skip the last two years unfortunately, due to extenuating circumstances...and the universe came very close to forcing me out of this one! $300 on new brakes, then my transmission cable gave out, and hurricane Dorian all right before the con. It was the first time I've ever driven a distance of 8 hours. I got my buddy Schrix to come with me as a spare driver so the trip was more bearable but still...and we had to make half of the way up driving through a hurricane coming through NC.It helped that the con had an amazing Retro 80's theme. I think I would have been sorely depressed if I had had to miss out on that. It was a smaller con too so I didn't get as many commissions and such but that's perfectly fine as we've found a way to do Anthro SouthEast on the cheap, so might be attending that one. I don't often work in three cons a year, but ASE is kind of like a gift to me from my friend.
I had fun. The con was a good time. Everyone was friendly and there were lots of interesting people to meet. Spoke with one vendor about salvaging the legacy of some of the older furs who are now starting to pass away. The old out of print comics and the requirements to gather rights and reprint them. It got me thinking that there's really not a lot of archival work being done on some of the oldest parts of the fandom...Someone needs to start doing that before we lose it.
At any rate this con taught me that 8 hour trips are doable, which opens up possibilities like Megaplex and possibly even driving to AnthroCon, which appears to be a 9 hour ride straight through (I still don't know why the last person I went with took the 11 hour trip to pick up friends only to ignore them). So maybe one day I can do that one again and do it right this time? Right now I have no actual plans for next year, aside from FWA. I might pare down and just go to FWA and that small new con in NC, Tarpaw Furmeet. I don't see myself doing something wild like flying out to one of those further away cons. Not just yet anyways.
FWA 2019
General | Posted 6 years agoTime sure does move forward, doesn't it? I've been enjoying my time in the fandom more these past few years it seems, for the friends I've made in it, and the bonds that have formed with people over time. Never used to be like that. I'm not as much of a wallflower as I used to be.
I went to FWA this year with my "local" friend Schrix, my housemate, and a couple of other local furs. It was my fault we arrived late on Thursday, but miraculously Registration was a total breeze. There wasn't even a line! It seems as though FWA has finally perfected the back-end of the con; everything ran much smoother and more comfortably this year. The original plan was just to stay for two days as my housemate had work on Sunday, but Schrix convinced me to return on Sunday morning. It was a lot of driving, and it exhausted me much more than I was expecting it would, but it was nice being able to close out the con and grab some artwork that I would have otherwise missed.
FWA's theme this year was "Pirates!" It was fun, but not nearly as fun as the camp and college themes. Still, it was nice just to get back together with everyone again. Probably the highlight of the con was the historic set by Mystery Skulls. Unless I am mistaken, I believe this to be the first time a furry convention has ever had a mainstream musician perform at the con. Sure, we've had celebrities appear at cons before, but always incognito, and they always left after rumors began circulating. It was an honor to be there and get to experience it. Also got to meet some members of the old guard like Scappo and J.Bernal, which I totally wasn't expecting. Got to meet Rick Griffin, whose art I've been a longtime fan of.
Festivities were tempered by the death of Schon Howard over the con weekend, and I only learned just recently that Viki Wyman passed last winter. Not much of the old guard left now, but the fandom continues to thrive, built upon their contributions and the contributions of us and those that come after.
Next con I plan to attend is FursonaCon in VA Beach. Also have tentative plans to return to ASE for its second year. We shall see what happens though; money is more of an issue.
I went to FWA this year with my "local" friend
Schrix, my housemate, and a couple of other local furs. It was my fault we arrived late on Thursday, but miraculously Registration was a total breeze. There wasn't even a line! It seems as though FWA has finally perfected the back-end of the con; everything ran much smoother and more comfortably this year. The original plan was just to stay for two days as my housemate had work on Sunday, but Schrix convinced me to return on Sunday morning. It was a lot of driving, and it exhausted me much more than I was expecting it would, but it was nice being able to close out the con and grab some artwork that I would have otherwise missed.FWA's theme this year was "Pirates!" It was fun, but not nearly as fun as the camp and college themes. Still, it was nice just to get back together with everyone again. Probably the highlight of the con was the historic set by Mystery Skulls. Unless I am mistaken, I believe this to be the first time a furry convention has ever had a mainstream musician perform at the con. Sure, we've had celebrities appear at cons before, but always incognito, and they always left after rumors began circulating. It was an honor to be there and get to experience it. Also got to meet some members of the old guard like Scappo and J.Bernal, which I totally wasn't expecting. Got to meet Rick Griffin, whose art I've been a longtime fan of.
Festivities were tempered by the death of Schon Howard over the con weekend, and I only learned just recently that Viki Wyman passed last winter. Not much of the old guard left now, but the fandom continues to thrive, built upon their contributions and the contributions of us and those that come after.
Next con I plan to attend is FursonaCon in VA Beach. Also have tentative plans to return to ASE for its second year. We shall see what happens though; money is more of an issue.
Coon's 2018 Music Charts
General | Posted 7 years agoLet's see what Last.FM has to say about my listening habits for the year, now that it's a pay service.
Looking for new music to listen to? Here's a good place to start!
Top Bands/Artists:
1) Steve Perry
2) Journey
3) Perturbator
4) The Beach Boys
5) Gost
6) Jonathan Cain
7) Air Supply
8) 20Six Hundred
9) Dana Jean Phoenix
10) Neal Schon
Top Albums:
1) "Traces" by Steve Perry
2) "Back To The Innocence" by Jonathan Cain
3) "Dangerous Days" by Perturbator
4) "Le Mirage" by Dana Jean Phoenix
5) "Project X Soundtrack" by Various Artists
6) "Summer '89 Extended Pleasure" by Noizz Factory
7) "Doom: The Dark Side Of Phobos" by Various Artists
8) "Synth Love Affair Vol. 1" by Various Artists
9) "Revelation" by Journey
10) "Evil Dead: The Musical OST" by Various Artists
Top Songs:
1) "No Erasin'" by Steve Perry
2) "Open Arms" by Journey
3) "4th" by Gost
4) "A Song I Once Heard" by VHS Dreams
5) "Alien Attack" by S.P.O.C.K.
6) "All I Have To Do" by John Elefante
7) "Back To The Innocence" by Jonathan Cain
8) "Beating Machine" by Dana Jean Phoenix
9) "Call Me" by LeBrock
10) "Can't You See He's Gone" by Jeremy Frederick
Lots of people seem to be of the opinion that 2018 sucked ass, but I can't really say the same. After a full-on year of solid depression, I began 2018 weirdly chipper, and remained that way throughout. This is very strange given all that's happened during the year. I remember early in the year I became desperately ill with constipation that dogged me as winter changed into spring and cost me more of my sick days than I should have spent that early in the year. I went to FWA with
oceanotter, which was very enjoyable, just like old times. My local friend couldn't make it to the con that year because of his work (he quit shortly after) but i was able to make it up to him in the Fall by letting him use my car to take his driver's test. Unfortunately Karma kept happening to my car over and over again starting that summer, and after a very giving Black Friday that saw discounts on stuff that almost never gets discounted, I ended the year more broke than I've ever been. I still somehow managed to work in a handful of concerts right at the end of the year, discovering some new bands and actually hanging out with one as a sort of 'roadie for the night'.
I remember also going to Anthro SouthEast for the con's first year since plans fell through to go to FursonaCon thanks to a scheduling snafu at my workplace. It was a small con (though big for a first year) but very fun. Work switched back to a 4-10 schedule, which was great for a while with the extra day off and all...but in typical fashion they fucked things up during the holiday roll so now we're working 12 hour days for weeks on end and being required to work overtime on our days off.
Lowest point of the year was when I tried very hard to drink myself to death following the death of Stan Lee. It didn't work.
Highest point of the year was Steve Perry's return. After 23 years he finally released his long-teased-about album.
2018 Honorable Mentions:
"Live Fire" by Vixen (Steve Perry isn't the only musician who made an improbable comeback this year. Vixen showed up from out of virtually nowhere to record their first live concert album in 30 years, complete with a brand new song.)
"Real Thing" by LeBrock (Everyone needs to listen to this album right now. Drop what you are doing and go. If LeBrock continues on its present course, it will most likely replace Journey as my all-time favorite band. That's not something that I say lightly. They haven't even released a full album yet either!)
"The Valiant Fire" by Damnation Angels (Got this for my birthday this year. I've followed and supported Pellek for a while now, but have long suspected that he has trouble writing music for his voice on his own. Listening to him performing with his band confirms my suspicions because this stuff is absolutely fantastic.)
"Controlled Chaos" by Nita Strauss (I kickstarted this album without particularly knowing much about Nita; despite her appearance on "Hired Guns", a documentary about freelance musicians that I also kickstarted. When her album finally came out, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is one hell of a guitarist. And then I unexpectedly got to see her live.)
"Letters From The Labyrinth" by Trans Siberian Orchestra (Parents took me to another of their concerts this year and I snagged a copy of their new album. It was the last work of their chief songwriter before his death last year. It's a great album that furthers their move away from being just a Christmas band, but it also feels like the end of an era.)
"21 Guns" by October (Funny story: My current housemate is their former lead singer. After we went to see Carnach Angren at his behest, we learned his old band was going to be playing at the venue. I promised him I'd take him to it after he told me he was accepted as a guest singer for the gig. The night turned out to be an absolute blast! I'm not normally a fan of this kind of music, but I am discovering that I have a renewed appreciation for death metal when it is performed live.)
"Winterborn" by Wolfheart (One of the bands performing along with Carnach Angren at the aforementioned gig, and about the only one whose music I actually enjoyed. Elaborate symphonic setups with doom vocals and guitarwork that is more virtuosic than anyone I've seen yet...and I've seen both Neal Schon and John Petrucci.)
Looking for new music to listen to? Here's a good place to start!
Top Bands/Artists:
1) Steve Perry
2) Journey
3) Perturbator
4) The Beach Boys
5) Gost
6) Jonathan Cain
7) Air Supply
8) 20Six Hundred
9) Dana Jean Phoenix
10) Neal Schon
Top Albums:
1) "Traces" by Steve Perry
2) "Back To The Innocence" by Jonathan Cain
3) "Dangerous Days" by Perturbator
4) "Le Mirage" by Dana Jean Phoenix
5) "Project X Soundtrack" by Various Artists
6) "Summer '89 Extended Pleasure" by Noizz Factory
7) "Doom: The Dark Side Of Phobos" by Various Artists
8) "Synth Love Affair Vol. 1" by Various Artists
9) "Revelation" by Journey
10) "Evil Dead: The Musical OST" by Various Artists
Top Songs:
1) "No Erasin'" by Steve Perry
2) "Open Arms" by Journey
3) "4th" by Gost
4) "A Song I Once Heard" by VHS Dreams
5) "Alien Attack" by S.P.O.C.K.
6) "All I Have To Do" by John Elefante
7) "Back To The Innocence" by Jonathan Cain
8) "Beating Machine" by Dana Jean Phoenix
9) "Call Me" by LeBrock
10) "Can't You See He's Gone" by Jeremy Frederick
Lots of people seem to be of the opinion that 2018 sucked ass, but I can't really say the same. After a full-on year of solid depression, I began 2018 weirdly chipper, and remained that way throughout. This is very strange given all that's happened during the year. I remember early in the year I became desperately ill with constipation that dogged me as winter changed into spring and cost me more of my sick days than I should have spent that early in the year. I went to FWA with
oceanotter, which was very enjoyable, just like old times. My local friend couldn't make it to the con that year because of his work (he quit shortly after) but i was able to make it up to him in the Fall by letting him use my car to take his driver's test. Unfortunately Karma kept happening to my car over and over again starting that summer, and after a very giving Black Friday that saw discounts on stuff that almost never gets discounted, I ended the year more broke than I've ever been. I still somehow managed to work in a handful of concerts right at the end of the year, discovering some new bands and actually hanging out with one as a sort of 'roadie for the night'.I remember also going to Anthro SouthEast for the con's first year since plans fell through to go to FursonaCon thanks to a scheduling snafu at my workplace. It was a small con (though big for a first year) but very fun. Work switched back to a 4-10 schedule, which was great for a while with the extra day off and all...but in typical fashion they fucked things up during the holiday roll so now we're working 12 hour days for weeks on end and being required to work overtime on our days off.
Lowest point of the year was when I tried very hard to drink myself to death following the death of Stan Lee. It didn't work.
Highest point of the year was Steve Perry's return. After 23 years he finally released his long-teased-about album.
2018 Honorable Mentions:
"Live Fire" by Vixen (Steve Perry isn't the only musician who made an improbable comeback this year. Vixen showed up from out of virtually nowhere to record their first live concert album in 30 years, complete with a brand new song.)
"Real Thing" by LeBrock (Everyone needs to listen to this album right now. Drop what you are doing and go. If LeBrock continues on its present course, it will most likely replace Journey as my all-time favorite band. That's not something that I say lightly. They haven't even released a full album yet either!)
"The Valiant Fire" by Damnation Angels (Got this for my birthday this year. I've followed and supported Pellek for a while now, but have long suspected that he has trouble writing music for his voice on his own. Listening to him performing with his band confirms my suspicions because this stuff is absolutely fantastic.)
"Controlled Chaos" by Nita Strauss (I kickstarted this album without particularly knowing much about Nita; despite her appearance on "Hired Guns", a documentary about freelance musicians that I also kickstarted. When her album finally came out, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that she is one hell of a guitarist. And then I unexpectedly got to see her live.)
"Letters From The Labyrinth" by Trans Siberian Orchestra (Parents took me to another of their concerts this year and I snagged a copy of their new album. It was the last work of their chief songwriter before his death last year. It's a great album that furthers their move away from being just a Christmas band, but it also feels like the end of an era.)
"21 Guns" by October (Funny story: My current housemate is their former lead singer. After we went to see Carnach Angren at his behest, we learned his old band was going to be playing at the venue. I promised him I'd take him to it after he told me he was accepted as a guest singer for the gig. The night turned out to be an absolute blast! I'm not normally a fan of this kind of music, but I am discovering that I have a renewed appreciation for death metal when it is performed live.)
"Winterborn" by Wolfheart (One of the bands performing along with Carnach Angren at the aforementioned gig, and about the only one whose music I actually enjoyed. Elaborate symphonic setups with doom vocals and guitarwork that is more virtuosic than anyone I've seen yet...and I've seen both Neal Schon and John Petrucci.)
Holiday Cards
General | Posted 7 years agoDoing holiday cards again this year! Anyone who wants one, please send me a private message with your address, and I'll send you one with mine~
Coon's Yard Sale 5
General | Posted 7 years agoAfter having a spate of unexpected car problems I find myself short on the money I needed to get through the holiday season. Here is my attempt to remedy that.
FursonaCon 2017 XL T-Shirt ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107334.html )
Midwest FurFest 2016 XL Sponsor T-Shirt ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107338.html )
"Hypersymmetry" by Gojii Signed CD ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107335.html )
Sabrina Online Trade Paperbacks 6, 7, & 12 ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107336.html )
Walt Disney World 25th Anniversary Collector's Tin ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273600399413 )
The 1975 Abiior Promotional Poster ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273600446450 )
Furry Calendars by Miles DF [Autographed] ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273600420546 )
DragonBall Z Movie Collection Krillen Figurine, Unopened Box ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602583762 )
Unmarked 2006 Marvel Calendar ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602600098 )
Green Lantern: Dark Days Volume 4 by Robert Venditti [Autographed] ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602679743 )
"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy Cassette Tape ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602818617 )
"Portraits Of Blue & Gray" by Charleston Symphony Orchestra Cassette Tape ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602830993 )
Star-Wars Solo Movie Promotional Collectible Cup ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273603181851 )
League Of Legends Convention Swag ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273603247625 )
I'm missing some stuff so will probably post another one of these later in the season or next month. That one should have some seriously good stuff on it.
FursonaCon 2017 XL T-Shirt ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107334.html )
Midwest FurFest 2016 XL Sponsor T-Shirt ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107338.html )
"Hypersymmetry" by Gojii Signed CD ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107335.html )
Sabrina Online Trade Paperbacks 6, 7, & 12 ( https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1107336.html )
Walt Disney World 25th Anniversary Collector's Tin ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273600399413 )
The 1975 Abiior Promotional Poster ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273600446450 )
Furry Calendars by Miles DF [Autographed] ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273600420546 )
DragonBall Z Movie Collection Krillen Figurine, Unopened Box ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602583762 )
Unmarked 2006 Marvel Calendar ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602600098 )
Green Lantern: Dark Days Volume 4 by Robert Venditti [Autographed] ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602679743 )
"Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy Cassette Tape ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602818617 )
"Portraits Of Blue & Gray" by Charleston Symphony Orchestra Cassette Tape ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273602830993 )
Star-Wars Solo Movie Promotional Collectible Cup ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273603181851 )
League Of Legends Convention Swag ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/273603247625 )
I'm missing some stuff so will probably post another one of these later in the season or next month. That one should have some seriously good stuff on it.
ASE 2018
General | Posted 7 years agoFinally done with the week-long excursion that AnthroSouthEast became. It was the first time I was able to attend a con's opening year (had the chance with FangCon but financial uncertainty got in the way). I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and kind of figured it'd be similar to the aforementioned FangCon's 2nd and 3rd years...it ended up having much higher attendance, and subsequently much better quality in its vendors. It was actually quite a fun con, and I could tell that they were looking at what other cons were doing right and trying to implement that. More than any other con I've been to, it had an almost family feel, which was neat. Lots of older furs there too, which is a nice change of pace from all the tweens running around FWA....I didn't feel too out of place there.
Originally I had intended to go to FursonaCon this year, but when I requested that week off at work, they made a mistake in scheduling it due to the schedule change we went through after it was made. Much to my dismay, they actually put me down for the wrong week of vacation, but after doing some research it just-so-happened that ASE was having it's first ever convention during that week and that it was within reasonable driving distance in Chattanooga, Tennessee! It was touch and go trying to schedule this however, almost right up until the con; a "local" fur I was going to go with spontaneously quit his job a week after I started setting things into motion and was unable to attend the event with us. I had to source roommates from the ASE Telegram chat, but I was lucky enough to get in with a group of some really great people. We all had a great time, and I even unexpectedly met some SC locals there!
Next year, unless things radically change or life does another switcharoo on me, I plan to attend FWA and FursonaCon...Although I hear the NC furs finally got something going with their Tarpaw meets, and that might be even closer to me than FWA...
I still have lots of conventions to scratch off of my bucket list, but I must say it was an honor that ASE was my "Year 1" achievement. It has plenty of room to grow, and I've no doubt that it will stick around for a long time. If anything should ever happen to FWA, ASE will be the one to watch.
Originally I had intended to go to FursonaCon this year, but when I requested that week off at work, they made a mistake in scheduling it due to the schedule change we went through after it was made. Much to my dismay, they actually put me down for the wrong week of vacation, but after doing some research it just-so-happened that ASE was having it's first ever convention during that week and that it was within reasonable driving distance in Chattanooga, Tennessee! It was touch and go trying to schedule this however, almost right up until the con; a "local" fur I was going to go with spontaneously quit his job a week after I started setting things into motion and was unable to attend the event with us. I had to source roommates from the ASE Telegram chat, but I was lucky enough to get in with a group of some really great people. We all had a great time, and I even unexpectedly met some SC locals there!
Next year, unless things radically change or life does another switcharoo on me, I plan to attend FWA and FursonaCon...Although I hear the NC furs finally got something going with their Tarpaw meets, and that might be even closer to me than FWA...
I still have lots of conventions to scratch off of my bucket list, but I must say it was an honor that ASE was my "Year 1" achievement. It has plenty of room to grow, and I've no doubt that it will stick around for a long time. If anything should ever happen to FWA, ASE will be the one to watch.
FWA 2018
General | Posted 7 years agoFWA was great this year. A return to the no-expectations, low-key kind of con I enjoyed in the past. Despite nearly not making it thanks to my first roommate having to back out (not his fault though), I was able to hook up with another friend of mine who had overbooked his room and somehow lucked my way into getting one of the last rooms available in the hotel, which my new roommate filled with his overflow and somehow arranged to be right next to his.
I get the sense it very nearly didn't work. I'm very grateful that it did.
Ordinarily, I probably would have sit this con out, but both the theme and the GOH made coming a requisite. There isn't much I can say about the con itself other than it was wonderful and I bought too much. FWA is trying new things, some for better, some....well, some things need the kinks ironed out. Exponential growth (5k+ this year in attendance) and a chronic ghosting problem in previous years have led to the con trying RFID wristbands instead of traditional badges. This was neat, but not executed in the best way perhaps. I was surprised to find that we had a sponsor again this year in Jones Soda similar to how Monster Energy sponsored the con at one point in the past, but this awesomeness was counter-balanced by the complete and total lack of music event. (besides the typical after-hours DJ sets)
Everything was great otherwise though. Went to a few panels, bought lots of stuff, made new friends...It was nice seeing people who were usually quiet and demure sort of come out of their shells more in our various group meets. Room parties generally sucked this year though; Really regretting the Carolina Furs one right now.
Now back to regularly scheduled programming, I guess. I am considering going to FursonaCon in the fall and may need a roommate and/or travel partner for that. If I decide to drive (probable) the trip will be a difficult one because of my ankle.
I get the sense it very nearly didn't work. I'm very grateful that it did.
Ordinarily, I probably would have sit this con out, but both the theme and the GOH made coming a requisite. There isn't much I can say about the con itself other than it was wonderful and I bought too much. FWA is trying new things, some for better, some....well, some things need the kinks ironed out. Exponential growth (5k+ this year in attendance) and a chronic ghosting problem in previous years have led to the con trying RFID wristbands instead of traditional badges. This was neat, but not executed in the best way perhaps. I was surprised to find that we had a sponsor again this year in Jones Soda similar to how Monster Energy sponsored the con at one point in the past, but this awesomeness was counter-balanced by the complete and total lack of music event. (besides the typical after-hours DJ sets)
Everything was great otherwise though. Went to a few panels, bought lots of stuff, made new friends...It was nice seeing people who were usually quiet and demure sort of come out of their shells more in our various group meets. Room parties generally sucked this year though; Really regretting the Carolina Furs one right now.
Now back to regularly scheduled programming, I guess. I am considering going to FursonaCon in the fall and may need a roommate and/or travel partner for that. If I decide to drive (probable) the trip will be a difficult one because of my ankle.
FWA [Emergency] Need A Room
General | Posted 8 years agoSo my cheif roommate was denied time off work to go to FWA, leaving me out of a room entirely. So now I need to find someone who has some extra space in theirs, if I am to go at all.
Any help please?
Any help please?
FWA - Looking For Roommates
General | Posted 8 years agoMy friend and I have a room for FWA in reserve. We are looking for no more than two roommates to save money.
If we can get one more person, we will all be paying $300 for the room.
With four, the share drops to $225 per person.
This would need to be paid in advance, as we need to have the money at registration.
The following breakdown provides details of the room and its rules:
*Alchohol will be available in the room for leisure enjoyment, but we will NOT be hosting any room parties. We may be taking it to some, but our room is being used as an escape and for relaxation, so we don't want it to be used for partying.
*A twin-size air mattress will be available, so you needn't worry about sleeping on the floor. I can try to bring extra bedding, but it might be wise to bring your own if you can manage it.
*Our room is fursuit friendly, and there should be ample space for one or two suits as neither of us own one.
*For everyone's convenience, the bro code will be in effect: If someone wants private time in the room, don't just lock everyone out; send a quick text. This will prevent embarrassment and confusion and is the respectable thing to do.
*This should go without saying, but please be respectful of other people's things.
*An electric kettle will be available for use. My roommate and I will probably be bringing some ramen and foods that can be made easily with just boiling water. You are welcome to use the kettle, but please bring your own food.
And I think that's about it. If you are interested or want more details, let me know in the comments or private message me here on FA. I will probably also be cross-posting this to the facebook roomshare thread, and we will be reviewing requests in the order we receive them, so please don't wait too long.
If we can get one more person, we will all be paying $300 for the room.
With four, the share drops to $225 per person.
This would need to be paid in advance, as we need to have the money at registration.
The following breakdown provides details of the room and its rules:
*Alchohol will be available in the room for leisure enjoyment, but we will NOT be hosting any room parties. We may be taking it to some, but our room is being used as an escape and for relaxation, so we don't want it to be used for partying.
*A twin-size air mattress will be available, so you needn't worry about sleeping on the floor. I can try to bring extra bedding, but it might be wise to bring your own if you can manage it.
*Our room is fursuit friendly, and there should be ample space for one or two suits as neither of us own one.
*For everyone's convenience, the bro code will be in effect: If someone wants private time in the room, don't just lock everyone out; send a quick text. This will prevent embarrassment and confusion and is the respectable thing to do.
*This should go without saying, but please be respectful of other people's things.
*An electric kettle will be available for use. My roommate and I will probably be bringing some ramen and foods that can be made easily with just boiling water. You are welcome to use the kettle, but please bring your own food.
And I think that's about it. If you are interested or want more details, let me know in the comments or private message me here on FA. I will probably also be cross-posting this to the facebook roomshare thread, and we will be reviewing requests in the order we receive them, so please don't wait too long.
Coon's 2017 Music Charts
General | Posted 8 years agoSo here is what I had on rotation in 2017, according to Last.FM!
If you are looking for new music to listen to, this isn't a bad place to start!
Top Bands/Artists:
1) Darren Hayes
2) Bit Brigade
3) Richard Marx
4) Technomancer
5) Zircon
6) Basshunter
7) Casey LaLonde
8) 20Six Hundred
9) Bart Graft
10) Perturbator
Top Albums:
1) "CastleBandia" by Bit Brigade
2) "Going Somewhere" by Colin Hay
3) "Secret Codes And Battleships" by Darren Hayes
4) "Dreamakes Volume 2: Summer Love" by Vincenzo Salvia Feat. Chrissy Valentine
5) "Re:Sync" by Technomancer
6) "System Failure" by Technomancer
7) "Blue" by Bart Graft
8) "The Tension And The Spark" by Darren Hayes
9) "Borderline" by Duett
10) "LOL <(^^,)>" by Basshunter
Top Songs:
1) "Boss Fight" by Bit Brigade
2) "Escape For Summer" by Deathray Bam!
3) "Star Roads" by E.S.P.
4) "Lush" by Bart Graft
5) "Summer Love-Mooginizer Remix" by Vincenzo Salvia Feat. Chrissy Valentine
6) "The Wanderer" by Casey LaLonde
7) "Anything Goes" by Hollywood Rose
8) "Beautiful World" by Colin Hay
9) "Black Out The Sun" by Darren Hayes
10) "Cosmo Black" by Dynatron
2017 sucked for me in most ways in general but it certainly was a good year for music. In early spring, I finally got a hold of Darren Hayes' last album and it is hands-down, the most amazing album I've discovered all year. I loved it to death, and listened to it while traveling to and from Atlanta, as I did on several occasions this year. Bit Brigade I improbably met at Furry Weekend Atlanta, as they were the performing musical act this year. I bought out most of their discography, but their CastleVania album struck a particular chord with me. Bart Graft is the only artist who made this year's chart who was also in the Top Ten of my chart last year. He's had some real hits and misses. I spent most of the early part of the year trying to figure out whether or not I liked his ambient "Blue" album (I didn't; it's easily his worst), but then he released the stellar "Go For Broke" album, which isn't on here. Good old Technomancer came into rotation over the summer, and the heat in my car actually melted the jewel case for "Re:Sync". I still need to find a replacement. I've had a love/hate relationship with Colin Hay's solo works. After Men At Work disbanded, he's mellowed out a lot, which means most of his music has lost that poppy hook it used to have. It doesn't help that "Going Somewhere" is all accoustic versions of his "hits" (plus some exclusive new songs), but he manages to work melody well on some of the songs on that album and his voice is still interesting to listen to (He has the heaviest accent of any singer I've ever known). Perturbator earns his rightful place on this list; in the fall I saw him perform live as he went on tour to promote his new album "New Model". It was one of the best concerts I've been too, and from it I discovered both Gregorio Franco (who was the opening act) and Vampire Step-Dad (who was in the crowd). The rest of the stuff on here can be explained by the synthwave portion of my collection having its turn to flow through my radio; I also played a lot of stuff I was uncertain of, since I wanted to burn more physical copies after having my computer die unexpectedly a few weeks after the eclipse.
2017 Honorable Mentions - These bands/albums were important to me this year but for whatever reason did not make the list:
"One Light" by Linkin Park (Easily their worst album, and I still suspect it to be the catalyst for Chester Bennington's suicide. Both the album and the death happened this year.)
Vampire Step-Dad (The only band/musician I've met in a crowd who was part of the audience and not performing. His stuff turned out to be excellent, fresh, and exactly what I was looking for in Synth. Think Michael Jackson + Jan Hammer. Both "Love Bites" and "Night:Shift" released this year.)
"The Dark Beyond" by Gegorio Franco (This guy was the opening act for Perturbator's concert. A local Atlanta musician, I got to talking to him and man, his stuff is great. His synth is dark and heavy...heavier than Gost's. Absolutely face-melting live.)
Doc Holiday/ 7 Year Witch (Doc Holiday are local boys from Pendleton. A southern rock act with hints of Tom Petty fused with Aerosmith. I saw them live shortly before Petty passed and predicted they could fill his shoes...also before Petty passed. They had to change their name this year because Doc Holiday is already the moniker of some rapper. Frankly, I think these boys bore the name better.)
7-10 Split (This was an old 'Vans Warped Tour' rock/alternative/punk band from way back in the late 90'/ early 00's. I just-so-happened to be at their reunion concert; the first one in over a decade. It was strangely thrilling watching a bunch of grown men hammering out that kind of music. I sincerely hope they stick to their guns, as most of those bands all vaporized. If nobody carries it forward, this sound is going to disappear for future generations to enjoy. As far as I'm aware, very few of them ever actually had their music published outside of Vans style compilations)
Master Sword (In late December of this year, an album I kickstarted finally saw light of day. Master Sword is a Legend Of Zelda inspired female-led heavy metal band based out of Washington. Awesome? Awesome. I got this album shortly after receiving my tentative diagnosis of Glaucoma and listened to it while running errands and going to doctor's visits.)
Revolution Saints (Their new album came out this year, and while I still don't have a copy of it, their single "Light In The Dark" was exactly what I needed to hear and exactly when I needed to hear it.)
Also Steve Perry's new album, rumored to come out this year...never materialized. If vaporware applied to music, I would nominate this one for the lifetime achievement award.
If you are looking for new music to listen to, this isn't a bad place to start!
Top Bands/Artists:
1) Darren Hayes
2) Bit Brigade
3) Richard Marx
4) Technomancer
5) Zircon
6) Basshunter
7) Casey LaLonde
8) 20Six Hundred
9) Bart Graft
10) Perturbator
Top Albums:
1) "CastleBandia" by Bit Brigade
2) "Going Somewhere" by Colin Hay
3) "Secret Codes And Battleships" by Darren Hayes
4) "Dreamakes Volume 2: Summer Love" by Vincenzo Salvia Feat. Chrissy Valentine
5) "Re:Sync" by Technomancer
6) "System Failure" by Technomancer
7) "Blue" by Bart Graft
8) "The Tension And The Spark" by Darren Hayes
9) "Borderline" by Duett
10) "LOL <(^^,)>" by Basshunter
Top Songs:
1) "Boss Fight" by Bit Brigade
2) "Escape For Summer" by Deathray Bam!
3) "Star Roads" by E.S.P.
4) "Lush" by Bart Graft
5) "Summer Love-Mooginizer Remix" by Vincenzo Salvia Feat. Chrissy Valentine
6) "The Wanderer" by Casey LaLonde
7) "Anything Goes" by Hollywood Rose
8) "Beautiful World" by Colin Hay
9) "Black Out The Sun" by Darren Hayes
10) "Cosmo Black" by Dynatron
2017 sucked for me in most ways in general but it certainly was a good year for music. In early spring, I finally got a hold of Darren Hayes' last album and it is hands-down, the most amazing album I've discovered all year. I loved it to death, and listened to it while traveling to and from Atlanta, as I did on several occasions this year. Bit Brigade I improbably met at Furry Weekend Atlanta, as they were the performing musical act this year. I bought out most of their discography, but their CastleVania album struck a particular chord with me. Bart Graft is the only artist who made this year's chart who was also in the Top Ten of my chart last year. He's had some real hits and misses. I spent most of the early part of the year trying to figure out whether or not I liked his ambient "Blue" album (I didn't; it's easily his worst), but then he released the stellar "Go For Broke" album, which isn't on here. Good old Technomancer came into rotation over the summer, and the heat in my car actually melted the jewel case for "Re:Sync". I still need to find a replacement. I've had a love/hate relationship with Colin Hay's solo works. After Men At Work disbanded, he's mellowed out a lot, which means most of his music has lost that poppy hook it used to have. It doesn't help that "Going Somewhere" is all accoustic versions of his "hits" (plus some exclusive new songs), but he manages to work melody well on some of the songs on that album and his voice is still interesting to listen to (He has the heaviest accent of any singer I've ever known). Perturbator earns his rightful place on this list; in the fall I saw him perform live as he went on tour to promote his new album "New Model". It was one of the best concerts I've been too, and from it I discovered both Gregorio Franco (who was the opening act) and Vampire Step-Dad (who was in the crowd). The rest of the stuff on here can be explained by the synthwave portion of my collection having its turn to flow through my radio; I also played a lot of stuff I was uncertain of, since I wanted to burn more physical copies after having my computer die unexpectedly a few weeks after the eclipse.
2017 Honorable Mentions - These bands/albums were important to me this year but for whatever reason did not make the list:
"One Light" by Linkin Park (Easily their worst album, and I still suspect it to be the catalyst for Chester Bennington's suicide. Both the album and the death happened this year.)
Vampire Step-Dad (The only band/musician I've met in a crowd who was part of the audience and not performing. His stuff turned out to be excellent, fresh, and exactly what I was looking for in Synth. Think Michael Jackson + Jan Hammer. Both "Love Bites" and "Night:Shift" released this year.)
"The Dark Beyond" by Gegorio Franco (This guy was the opening act for Perturbator's concert. A local Atlanta musician, I got to talking to him and man, his stuff is great. His synth is dark and heavy...heavier than Gost's. Absolutely face-melting live.)
Doc Holiday/ 7 Year Witch (Doc Holiday are local boys from Pendleton. A southern rock act with hints of Tom Petty fused with Aerosmith. I saw them live shortly before Petty passed and predicted they could fill his shoes...also before Petty passed. They had to change their name this year because Doc Holiday is already the moniker of some rapper. Frankly, I think these boys bore the name better.)
7-10 Split (This was an old 'Vans Warped Tour' rock/alternative/punk band from way back in the late 90'/ early 00's. I just-so-happened to be at their reunion concert; the first one in over a decade. It was strangely thrilling watching a bunch of grown men hammering out that kind of music. I sincerely hope they stick to their guns, as most of those bands all vaporized. If nobody carries it forward, this sound is going to disappear for future generations to enjoy. As far as I'm aware, very few of them ever actually had their music published outside of Vans style compilations)
Master Sword (In late December of this year, an album I kickstarted finally saw light of day. Master Sword is a Legend Of Zelda inspired female-led heavy metal band based out of Washington. Awesome? Awesome. I got this album shortly after receiving my tentative diagnosis of Glaucoma and listened to it while running errands and going to doctor's visits.)
Revolution Saints (Their new album came out this year, and while I still don't have a copy of it, their single "Light In The Dark" was exactly what I needed to hear and exactly when I needed to hear it.)
Also Steve Perry's new album, rumored to come out this year...never materialized. If vaporware applied to music, I would nominate this one for the lifetime achievement award.
Christmas Cards
General | Posted 8 years agoIt's kind of late, I know...but anyone want to do an exchange? I have a ton left over!
Just shoot me your address in a private message and I'll respond with mine.
Just shoot me your address in a private message and I'll respond with mine.
Coon's Yard Sale 4
General | Posted 8 years agoClearing out some stuff I no longer have room for; stuff that some of you people may be interested in. I also kind of need some cash to clear some outstanding debts, so here we go:
Autographed in-box Dragonball Z figure & vehicle set (In box)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Irwin-Toys.....x/272955116994
Loose Dragonball Z Movie Collection Lord Slug figure
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lord-Slug-.....s/272955134495
Dragonball Z Movie Collection Krillin figure (In box)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IF-Labs-Dr.....x/272955143267
Dragonball Boss Rabbit And Goku Collectible Figure Set (In box)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IF-Labs-Dr.....x/272955157700
"The Country Rap King" by Mikel Knight Autographed CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Countr.....d/272955179554
"Urban Cowboy" by Mikel Knight Autographed CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Urban-Cowb.....d/272955186717
"Denim & Chrome" by Duke Boyz (Mikel Knight) Autographed CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Denim-Chro.....D/272955195386
Nintendo 3DS original run Aqua Blue model
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-3.....m/272955209403
The Walking Dead Season One (Autographed)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Walking-De.....t/272955225006
Green Lantern Dark Days Volume 4 by Robert Venditti (signed)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Green-Lant.....d/272955244229
Unmarked 2006 Marvel Calendar
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Unmar.....r/272955257993
2016 Furry Calendar by Miles DF, Unmarked
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1099963.html
Skunk Plush with Woopie Cushion Inside
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1099964.html
Autographed in-box Dragonball Z figure & vehicle set (In box)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Irwin-Toys.....x/272955116994
Loose Dragonball Z Movie Collection Lord Slug figure
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lord-Slug-.....s/272955134495
Dragonball Z Movie Collection Krillin figure (In box)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IF-Labs-Dr.....x/272955143267
Dragonball Boss Rabbit And Goku Collectible Figure Set (In box)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/IF-Labs-Dr.....x/272955157700
"The Country Rap King" by Mikel Knight Autographed CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Countr.....d/272955179554
"Urban Cowboy" by Mikel Knight Autographed CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Urban-Cowb.....d/272955186717
"Denim & Chrome" by Duke Boyz (Mikel Knight) Autographed CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Denim-Chro.....D/272955195386
Nintendo 3DS original run Aqua Blue model
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-3.....m/272955209403
The Walking Dead Season One (Autographed)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Walking-De.....t/272955225006
Green Lantern Dark Days Volume 4 by Robert Venditti (signed)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Green-Lant.....d/272955244229
Unmarked 2006 Marvel Calendar
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Unmar.....r/272955257993
2016 Furry Calendar by Miles DF, Unmarked
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1099963.html
Skunk Plush with Woopie Cushion Inside
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1099964.html
Not Everything Has To Be Political
General | Posted 8 years agoI occasionally enjoy talking about politics and I occasionally regret that enjoyment.
But guys, when I come to FA, it's because I want to enjoy furry art, not politics.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about people conflating the two, and y'all have the right to say whatever the hell you want.
But like...everyone is doing all this bullshit to make some political statement, and I'm over here like..."Okay?"
Maybe I just want to enjoy furry art?
Real talk though: Do alt-right groups and Antifa really have presence here? Because if they do, I find that hilarious. Like, not for their political leanings, but for the fact that they will actually stoop to baiting each other on a furry art repository. I don't like extremist groups from either end of the spectrum, since they invariably seem to miss the boat by glossing over the nuances of the issues that bug them. But if they really want to come here and duke it out, it doesn't bother me any. Like, I have 0 affiliation or desire to affiliate with either group, so i just kind of skip over them the same way I skip over the hardcore guro art. And the football fans! Oh man, everyone going crazy over the bent knee thing, lol. No one who is really bothered by it seems to have the foggiest idea what it's really about. Meanwhile, the football season marches on, and your favorite team is 3-0. What do? Hilarious.
Like, you just know everyone is going to look back and say "That was my proudest moment guys! Protesting against bent-knee protestors at football games/ protesting against political groups on a furry art gallery!"
Now, that having been said, people should not be attacking other people here, for political reasons or otherwise. If there is a problem, the mods should be taking care of it. Realistically speaking though, the moderation of FA has been shit for decades, and this isn't the first time they've been caught not being impartial or even obeying their own rules. We've dealt with that in the past, so what is the problem now?
But guys, when I come to FA, it's because I want to enjoy furry art, not politics.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about people conflating the two, and y'all have the right to say whatever the hell you want.
But like...everyone is doing all this bullshit to make some political statement, and I'm over here like..."Okay?"
Maybe I just want to enjoy furry art?
Real talk though: Do alt-right groups and Antifa really have presence here? Because if they do, I find that hilarious. Like, not for their political leanings, but for the fact that they will actually stoop to baiting each other on a furry art repository. I don't like extremist groups from either end of the spectrum, since they invariably seem to miss the boat by glossing over the nuances of the issues that bug them. But if they really want to come here and duke it out, it doesn't bother me any. Like, I have 0 affiliation or desire to affiliate with either group, so i just kind of skip over them the same way I skip over the hardcore guro art. And the football fans! Oh man, everyone going crazy over the bent knee thing, lol. No one who is really bothered by it seems to have the foggiest idea what it's really about. Meanwhile, the football season marches on, and your favorite team is 3-0. What do? Hilarious.
Like, you just know everyone is going to look back and say "That was my proudest moment guys! Protesting against bent-knee protestors at football games/ protesting against political groups on a furry art gallery!"
Now, that having been said, people should not be attacking other people here, for political reasons or otherwise. If there is a problem, the mods should be taking care of it. Realistically speaking though, the moderation of FA has been shit for decades, and this isn't the first time they've been caught not being impartial or even obeying their own rules. We've dealt with that in the past, so what is the problem now?
FWA 2017
General | Posted 8 years agoWhat can I say? It feels like it gets better every year!
The theme this year was Video Games, which I've honestly been waiting for for quite some time! Got in with my roomie and his friend the day before the con after driving through two states worth of tornado weather. Luckily we didn't encounter much more than heavy rains, and it cleared up by the time we got to Atlanta. We did happen to drive right by where the Interstate collapsed; already they had some pretty heavy construction going on, so if nothing the city mobilized quickly!
The con itself was much improved over the previous years in terms of how it was all arranged. The Artist's Alley was moved to conference rooms on the upper floor, which meant it was a smidge smaller...but this was a worthy tradeoff considering the Alley now had internet access (it didn't when it was on the lowermost floors). The panels had also been moved to the series of presentation rooms on the other side of the hotel, adjacent to where the skybridge to the mall was. The Dealer's Den was in the same spot as it was previously, and had a little bit of a better selection over last year. The con itself went all out with some nice custom dice and dice bags, and a custom playing mat for the god level guests.
The con itself was great. Some highlights: A non-furry author had a panel discussing his books and world building. The NC furs held a panel in which it was announced that they are starting their own con - Tarpaw Fur Meet will evolve into it if it successfully gets off the ground. The guest musicians were also from outside the fandom - the master video game cover artists Bit Brigade; this made for a welcome change of pace. The Charity Auction had a wider variety of goods; no longer just fursuits and fursuit parts. Unexpectedly running into some old hands in the fandom and hanging with old friends. I also made a ton of new ones! The announcements made at the closing ceremonies this year also count as a highlight. Oh yes~
The Not-So Great: Some asshole was going around stealing things. Unlike the last year when the problem was mostly outside Atlanteans, this year the thief was a con attendee. He yanked a few buttons right off my and another fellow's bookbag and tore someone's god tier ribbon right off their badge. I did eventually get one of my pins turned into the lost and found, so it wasn't too big of a loss but still kind of shocking. There were rumors that some of the people that got Rainfurrest shut down were now coming to FWA. Someone grafiiti'd a swastika on one of the elevators, and staged a photo of a diaper left in a stairwell that was released onto social media. There was also a drug bust and a rape, but both incidents were handled in cooperation between con staff and local law enforcement. Also, had more vendors tell me they weren't coming back; apparently FWA continues to be a difficult con to break even at. Another thing that sucked was a bunch of people started howling at like 2AM, which apparently pissed off enough of the non-fur guests that some of my friends were worried FWA might not be welcomed back next year.
Every con is an adventure, and I'm already looking forward to undertaking it again next year.
PS: Also updated some contact information on my profile.
The theme this year was Video Games, which I've honestly been waiting for for quite some time! Got in with my roomie and his friend the day before the con after driving through two states worth of tornado weather. Luckily we didn't encounter much more than heavy rains, and it cleared up by the time we got to Atlanta. We did happen to drive right by where the Interstate collapsed; already they had some pretty heavy construction going on, so if nothing the city mobilized quickly!
The con itself was much improved over the previous years in terms of how it was all arranged. The Artist's Alley was moved to conference rooms on the upper floor, which meant it was a smidge smaller...but this was a worthy tradeoff considering the Alley now had internet access (it didn't when it was on the lowermost floors). The panels had also been moved to the series of presentation rooms on the other side of the hotel, adjacent to where the skybridge to the mall was. The Dealer's Den was in the same spot as it was previously, and had a little bit of a better selection over last year. The con itself went all out with some nice custom dice and dice bags, and a custom playing mat for the god level guests.
The con itself was great. Some highlights: A non-furry author had a panel discussing his books and world building. The NC furs held a panel in which it was announced that they are starting their own con - Tarpaw Fur Meet will evolve into it if it successfully gets off the ground. The guest musicians were also from outside the fandom - the master video game cover artists Bit Brigade; this made for a welcome change of pace. The Charity Auction had a wider variety of goods; no longer just fursuits and fursuit parts. Unexpectedly running into some old hands in the fandom and hanging with old friends. I also made a ton of new ones! The announcements made at the closing ceremonies this year also count as a highlight. Oh yes~
The Not-So Great: Some asshole was going around stealing things. Unlike the last year when the problem was mostly outside Atlanteans, this year the thief was a con attendee. He yanked a few buttons right off my and another fellow's bookbag and tore someone's god tier ribbon right off their badge. I did eventually get one of my pins turned into the lost and found, so it wasn't too big of a loss but still kind of shocking. There were rumors that some of the people that got Rainfurrest shut down were now coming to FWA. Someone grafiiti'd a swastika on one of the elevators, and staged a photo of a diaper left in a stairwell that was released onto social media. There was also a drug bust and a rape, but both incidents were handled in cooperation between con staff and local law enforcement. Also, had more vendors tell me they weren't coming back; apparently FWA continues to be a difficult con to break even at. Another thing that sucked was a bunch of people started howling at like 2AM, which apparently pissed off enough of the non-fur guests that some of my friends were worried FWA might not be welcomed back next year.
Every con is an adventure, and I'm already looking forward to undertaking it again next year.
PS: Also updated some contact information on my profile.
