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Giving up on it
General | Posted 11 years agoShort of factory-resetting my computer, I've tried everything.
For the time being, I am unable to use Skype or Firefox, nor can I download progam files from IE. I am guessing this is the way it is going to have to be until Microsoft issues an update that fixes these problems.
Not even blowing $30 on a system mechanic program solved the problem. I need to go into safe mode to end these tasks because Task Manager keeps giving me 'access denied' errors, and killtask doesn't work either. I've uninstalled Firefox and will now be removing Skype from my computer.
AIM still works. My AIM is Unkle Raditz. If you normally contact me on Skype and need to get a hold of me, that is where you will need to go. I can try using Skype through my laptop, but I'm not going to fire that machine up every day.
So it's not like I'm completely cut off...just that the two clients I regularly use for socializing are now broken beyond repair. Since IE won't download other programs, I am stuck using what I already have. Trillian supposedly works as an alternative Skype client, but I don't already have it on my machine. I can try transferring stuff like this over from my laptop though, and I am hoping there will be an update from M$ in a month or two that either puts out a new edition of Skype or solves these problems with Windows 8.
Just want to let everyone know that I'm not trying to avoid you or anything, I just really cannot get these programs to work for more than just a few messages/websites.
For the time being, I am unable to use Skype or Firefox, nor can I download progam files from IE. I am guessing this is the way it is going to have to be until Microsoft issues an update that fixes these problems.
Not even blowing $30 on a system mechanic program solved the problem. I need to go into safe mode to end these tasks because Task Manager keeps giving me 'access denied' errors, and killtask doesn't work either. I've uninstalled Firefox and will now be removing Skype from my computer.
AIM still works. My AIM is Unkle Raditz. If you normally contact me on Skype and need to get a hold of me, that is where you will need to go. I can try using Skype through my laptop, but I'm not going to fire that machine up every day.
So it's not like I'm completely cut off...just that the two clients I regularly use for socializing are now broken beyond repair. Since IE won't download other programs, I am stuck using what I already have. Trillian supposedly works as an alternative Skype client, but I don't already have it on my machine. I can try transferring stuff like this over from my laptop though, and I am hoping there will be an update from M$ in a month or two that either puts out a new edition of Skype or solves these problems with Windows 8.
Just want to let everyone know that I'm not trying to avoid you or anything, I just really cannot get these programs to work for more than just a few messages/websites.
Fuck Firefox and Skype
General | Posted 11 years agoI am having repetitive problems with two major programs that I always use breaking so that I can no longer use them: Firefox and Skype.
Skype was the one that broke first. All of a sudden it would start refusing to update with incoming messages, and when I reloaded it, it would say that I was already logged in...only it started telling me I was already logged in every time, even after a full computer shut down and restart. I eventually found a solution on a forum that fixes the problem temporarily:
Start Windows 8 in safe mode, search "%appdata%", rename "Skype" to something else ("Skype_old"), search "%temp%\Skype", delete "Dbtemp", restart computer.
It basically resets Skype so that the program thinks it is freshly installed while keeping all the data associated with the account. The problem is that it invariably goes back into broken mode after a few weeks, and nothing, not even nuking the program and clean installation has deterred it from breaking. I am at my wit's end.
Now the problem with Firefox is a more recent thing, but is so similar that I am starting to think there may be something more at work going on in my system's registry. Basically every now and then firefox would cease to load and I would have to shut it down and restart it. Well, ever since the last update, when I try to restart it, it says "Missing profile" and refuses to open. I have tried everything, including nuking the program completely in safe mode and implementing a fresh installation of the program. Nothing works with any permanence. It should be noted that my other browser, Internet Explorer, absolutely refuses to download FireFox, so I had to get a friend to send me the installer back during the rare occasion I had Skype working.
Now Skype I would like to be able to run since I have a lot of friends that use it, including some that I urgently need to maintain contact with.
Firefox I absolutely cannot live without because it has my login details for Facebook, and that is my only avenue of communication with family members and other people I urgently need contact with.
I am currently typing this on IE, which is not secure enough for me to feel good doing anything on but journals on FA. I will not use Chrome. As a last resort I can stick with IE and purchase additional security, but I would really like for someone with knowledge in program fuckwittery to clue me in on to how I can actually fix these problems.
"Junk the machine and get one running Windows 7" is good advice yes, but one I can't afford if I plan on keeping a roof over my head. So...any help?
Skype was the one that broke first. All of a sudden it would start refusing to update with incoming messages, and when I reloaded it, it would say that I was already logged in...only it started telling me I was already logged in every time, even after a full computer shut down and restart. I eventually found a solution on a forum that fixes the problem temporarily:
Start Windows 8 in safe mode, search "%appdata%", rename "Skype" to something else ("Skype_old"), search "%temp%\Skype", delete "Dbtemp", restart computer.
It basically resets Skype so that the program thinks it is freshly installed while keeping all the data associated with the account. The problem is that it invariably goes back into broken mode after a few weeks, and nothing, not even nuking the program and clean installation has deterred it from breaking. I am at my wit's end.
Now the problem with Firefox is a more recent thing, but is so similar that I am starting to think there may be something more at work going on in my system's registry. Basically every now and then firefox would cease to load and I would have to shut it down and restart it. Well, ever since the last update, when I try to restart it, it says "Missing profile" and refuses to open. I have tried everything, including nuking the program completely in safe mode and implementing a fresh installation of the program. Nothing works with any permanence. It should be noted that my other browser, Internet Explorer, absolutely refuses to download FireFox, so I had to get a friend to send me the installer back during the rare occasion I had Skype working.
Now Skype I would like to be able to run since I have a lot of friends that use it, including some that I urgently need to maintain contact with.
Firefox I absolutely cannot live without because it has my login details for Facebook, and that is my only avenue of communication with family members and other people I urgently need contact with.
I am currently typing this on IE, which is not secure enough for me to feel good doing anything on but journals on FA. I will not use Chrome. As a last resort I can stick with IE and purchase additional security, but I would really like for someone with knowledge in program fuckwittery to clue me in on to how I can actually fix these problems.
"Junk the machine and get one running Windows 7" is good advice yes, but one I can't afford if I plan on keeping a roof over my head. So...any help?
Single and Seeking in all the wrong places
General | Posted 11 years agoThis isn't the first time this has come up, but I'm thinking it will probably be the last. I'm 31 now, and everything I've seen so far has pretty much convinced me that I've aged out of the fandom and am unlikely to find the (straight, female) mate that I am looking for here. I've met some really great people including one person who I feel is something of a soul sister of mine. But the only eligible girls I've met are either too young or already taken...or on other continents.
It is likely that I am going to have to abandon the fandom if I want to become active in online dating and finding someone local to me. So many people don't have a clue what furry really is, and it is bad enough that I'm a cybernetic geek...I don't need any more roadblocks to keep women away.
I am definitely going to FWA. After that, I can't say with any certainty. I will still keep in touch with folks. I will still hang out online and go to the occasional party.
But unless I can find a girl who I can ease into the whole furry thing this might possibly be my last con, and my online presence may very well get whittled down.
After FWA I plan on taking my last stand, updating my OKCupid profile and joining a few pay sites catering to geeks. I'm going to take my most serious crack at it since I now have absolutely nothing standing in my way: Got the car, got a house, got a good job...I figure I will try this for a year or two, and if that doesn't work out, I'll go back to "normal" and stick with my original plans.
Thing is...If I start dating someone who isn't into furries, then I'm very likely going to just disappear. Given how people are here, it could be like trying to explain to your Christian gf that you're a werewolf, and I don't want to be put in that situation. My hope is that I can find someone who is into Marvel continuity or comics, or part of an unrelated fandom like anime, Trek, or Homestuck, and ease them into furry through these angles.
It is likely that I am going to have to abandon the fandom if I want to become active in online dating and finding someone local to me. So many people don't have a clue what furry really is, and it is bad enough that I'm a cybernetic geek...I don't need any more roadblocks to keep women away.
I am definitely going to FWA. After that, I can't say with any certainty. I will still keep in touch with folks. I will still hang out online and go to the occasional party.
But unless I can find a girl who I can ease into the whole furry thing this might possibly be my last con, and my online presence may very well get whittled down.
After FWA I plan on taking my last stand, updating my OKCupid profile and joining a few pay sites catering to geeks. I'm going to take my most serious crack at it since I now have absolutely nothing standing in my way: Got the car, got a house, got a good job...I figure I will try this for a year or two, and if that doesn't work out, I'll go back to "normal" and stick with my original plans.
Thing is...If I start dating someone who isn't into furries, then I'm very likely going to just disappear. Given how people are here, it could be like trying to explain to your Christian gf that you're a werewolf, and I don't want to be put in that situation. My hope is that I can find someone who is into Marvel continuity or comics, or part of an unrelated fandom like anime, Trek, or Homestuck, and ease them into furry through these angles.
On Video Games And Community
General | Posted 11 years agoProbably the biggest reason I got into video games in the first place was because they were games you could play by yourself. You couldn't do that with board games, or with 95% of card games either (the concept of single-player strategy card and board games was not around back in the early 90's; you were limited to permutations of Solitare). This is significant because back then I was usually the only kid who wore hearing aids in my schools, which meant that my peers would have nothing to do with me. For a period of around 10 years, video games were my closest friends. Never mind that I typically wasn't very good at them; I'd play them anyways. I'd use Game Genie as a handicap to experience the story. Each game had its own personality and some were more fun than others. Many games now considered classic for their multiplayer simply passed me by, as I often only had my brother to play with, and he was born normal, so not quite as dependent on games as I was.
Today things are different. Games as a solitary affair are becoming fewer and farther between. Single player campaigns are mere afterthoughts to the main showcase of online multiplayer mayhem, and you can reach out and play with anyone who shares an interest in a game, no strings attached. You would think this would be a good thing, but often the opposite is true: These games often become sociological showcases of the worst parts of humanity. I think WoW was the first example of this to become particularly glaring, but I'm sure there were earlier examples lost to the unrecorded history of the Internet. In more recent times, more and more games are being plagued with entire communities of toxic people. DOTA was probably the first to launch out of the gate with a completely hateful player base, which it quickly became infamous for. What got me thinking about this was a new game on steam called Transformouse or something like that; a multiplayer game about mice getting to cheese in the most chaotic way possible. The game is rated positively, but almost every review recommends against playing it because of how toxic the player base is.
I am reminded of a VGCats comic that placed the blame squarely on games becoming mainstream. Games are cool now, which means that even the assholes and bullies play them. What this does is it leaves people like me with fewer places to go. It isn't that I am particularly thin-skinned; if anything my childhood has taught me how to accept emotional abuse from people in my peer group. The problem is that I play games as an escape. I play them to have fun. When you play DOTA and "veteran" players put immense pressure on you to perform at their level, it ceases being fun. When you log into a game and are assaulted by sexism, anti-semitism, racism, and a bunch of other -ism's while trying to play, it can sour the mood. You can't always tune it out. Text doesn't have a volume switch.
I wonder why people feel so insecure that they have this need to be this way? I can understand the hyper-competitive players that always must win. I can understand the horny teenager saying inappropriate things and trying to press upon anyone he suspects of being female online. I can't really reconcile the mindset of a person who logs into a cooperative game with the goal of being a douchebag to everyone.
It worries me, because consoles, usually a safe-haven from such bullshit, are now online themselves with an increasing number of multiplayer only titles. What happens if we get to a point where the the only means of escape is to wade through a toxic swamp?
Today things are different. Games as a solitary affair are becoming fewer and farther between. Single player campaigns are mere afterthoughts to the main showcase of online multiplayer mayhem, and you can reach out and play with anyone who shares an interest in a game, no strings attached. You would think this would be a good thing, but often the opposite is true: These games often become sociological showcases of the worst parts of humanity. I think WoW was the first example of this to become particularly glaring, but I'm sure there were earlier examples lost to the unrecorded history of the Internet. In more recent times, more and more games are being plagued with entire communities of toxic people. DOTA was probably the first to launch out of the gate with a completely hateful player base, which it quickly became infamous for. What got me thinking about this was a new game on steam called Transformouse or something like that; a multiplayer game about mice getting to cheese in the most chaotic way possible. The game is rated positively, but almost every review recommends against playing it because of how toxic the player base is.
I am reminded of a VGCats comic that placed the blame squarely on games becoming mainstream. Games are cool now, which means that even the assholes and bullies play them. What this does is it leaves people like me with fewer places to go. It isn't that I am particularly thin-skinned; if anything my childhood has taught me how to accept emotional abuse from people in my peer group. The problem is that I play games as an escape. I play them to have fun. When you play DOTA and "veteran" players put immense pressure on you to perform at their level, it ceases being fun. When you log into a game and are assaulted by sexism, anti-semitism, racism, and a bunch of other -ism's while trying to play, it can sour the mood. You can't always tune it out. Text doesn't have a volume switch.
I wonder why people feel so insecure that they have this need to be this way? I can understand the hyper-competitive players that always must win. I can understand the horny teenager saying inappropriate things and trying to press upon anyone he suspects of being female online. I can't really reconcile the mindset of a person who logs into a cooperative game with the goal of being a douchebag to everyone.
It worries me, because consoles, usually a safe-haven from such bullshit, are now online themselves with an increasing number of multiplayer only titles. What happens if we get to a point where the the only means of escape is to wade through a toxic swamp?
R.I.P. Addlesee
General | Posted 11 years agoI have learned recently that an ex fur who was once an important member of the early fandom has died. 
addlesee became a controversial figure in his later years for taking a decidedly confrontational stance with newer members of the fandom, and I was unfortunate enough to be there to witness his break from the fandom entirely.
I never really got to know him or his art, so I suppose I will always remember him for his drama storm...as will most of the other members of this fandom we call furry. To those of you who knew him from before all that, you have my condolences.
addlesee became a controversial figure in his later years for taking a decidedly confrontational stance with newer members of the fandom, and I was unfortunate enough to be there to witness his break from the fandom entirely. I never really got to know him or his art, so I suppose I will always remember him for his drama storm...as will most of the other members of this fandom we call furry. To those of you who knew him from before all that, you have my condolences.
Coon's Yard Sale 2: Broke From The Holidays Edition
General | Posted 11 years agoI honestly probably should have set all this up before the Holidays happened but you know how it is; things get busy and you put stuff off until the last minute.
Anyhow, I am selling a host of things that may or may not be of interest to you guys:
Last Res0rt Volume 2, Parts 1 and 2, Autographed
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1066210.html
(two small graphic novels, full color)
"Sideways" by DJ Jackalope from DefCon 15
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1066211.html
(amateur print, 45+ minutes of EDM beat)
"Freshman Year" by Overclocked University
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271739661756?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
(First professional physical print by Overclocked Remix's "house band")
"System's On And It's Flashing Red" by Lynx And Ram
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271739601782?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
("Electrofreakout")
ADT Home Security System
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271739640437?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
(General Electric Simon XT, with associated parts)
Anyhow, I am selling a host of things that may or may not be of interest to you guys:
Last Res0rt Volume 2, Parts 1 and 2, Autographed
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1066210.html
(two small graphic novels, full color)
"Sideways" by DJ Jackalope from DefCon 15
https://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1066211.html
(amateur print, 45+ minutes of EDM beat)
"Freshman Year" by Overclocked University
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271739661756?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
(First professional physical print by Overclocked Remix's "house band")
"System's On And It's Flashing Red" by Lynx And Ram
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271739601782?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
("Electrofreakout")
ADT Home Security System
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271739640437?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
(General Electric Simon XT, with associated parts)
Music Charts of 2014
General | Posted 11 years agoThese are my personal music charts for the past year, as composed by Last FM.
Top Ten Artists:
1. Dream Theater
2. "Weird Al" Yankovic
3. Gears Of The Apparatus
4. Linkin Park
5. Rob Zombie
6. Stratovarius
7. Journey
8. Freedom Call
9. Wolfgun
10. Savage Garden
Top Ten Songs:
1. "My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose" by Yoshinori Sunahara
2. "Cyrosleep [Gears Remix]" by Gears Of The Apparatus
3. "Cool Burn [Magma Burning (Magma Man Stage)]" by DarkeSword
4. "After The Sunset" by iamMANOLIS
5. "The Skull Fortress [A Flash In The Dark (Wiley Stage 1)]" by Sixto Sounds
6. "Lt. Havoc's Theme" by Frederick Miller
7. "Mirage" by Perturbator & Lueur Verte
8. "Summer Breeze" by Rain Sword
9. "Cosmic Stream" by Rico Zerone
10. "Sunset En Amoreaux" by James Baker
Top Ten Albums:
1. "F.A. Collection Volume 1: Themes" by Frederick Miller
2. "Class Action Volume 2" by Retro Prominade
3. "Name Your Price" by Rain Sword
4. "Dayte" by iamMANOLIS
5. "Savage Garden" by Savage Garden
6. "2013" by Cougar Synth
7. "Sketches" by 34
8. "The 80's Dream Compilation Tape: Volume 2" by Various Artists
9. "Beyond" by Freedom Call
10. "Projections" by Wolfgun
These are compiled from everything I've scrobbled (played on a computer Last.FM has access to), so they don't necessarily reflect songs and albums that came out over the past year. If you want me to suggest to you three must-see albums that actually came out in 2014, I would point you to the following:
"The Hunting Party" by Linkin Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21NRrQEMfyk ("A Line In The Sand")
"Dangerous Days" by Perturbator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vsf3zYppP4 (full album)
"Fresh As It Gets" by Robots With Rayguns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw5hB2dDXzA ("One More Time")
Anyhow, hope y'all have a rockin' 2015!
Top Ten Artists:
1. Dream Theater
2. "Weird Al" Yankovic
3. Gears Of The Apparatus
4. Linkin Park
5. Rob Zombie
6. Stratovarius
7. Journey
8. Freedom Call
9. Wolfgun
10. Savage Garden
Top Ten Songs:
1. "My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose" by Yoshinori Sunahara
2. "Cyrosleep [Gears Remix]" by Gears Of The Apparatus
3. "Cool Burn [Magma Burning (Magma Man Stage)]" by DarkeSword
4. "After The Sunset" by iamMANOLIS
5. "The Skull Fortress [A Flash In The Dark (Wiley Stage 1)]" by Sixto Sounds
6. "Lt. Havoc's Theme" by Frederick Miller
7. "Mirage" by Perturbator & Lueur Verte
8. "Summer Breeze" by Rain Sword
9. "Cosmic Stream" by Rico Zerone
10. "Sunset En Amoreaux" by James Baker
Top Ten Albums:
1. "F.A. Collection Volume 1: Themes" by Frederick Miller
2. "Class Action Volume 2" by Retro Prominade
3. "Name Your Price" by Rain Sword
4. "Dayte" by iamMANOLIS
5. "Savage Garden" by Savage Garden
6. "2013" by Cougar Synth
7. "Sketches" by 34
8. "The 80's Dream Compilation Tape: Volume 2" by Various Artists
9. "Beyond" by Freedom Call
10. "Projections" by Wolfgun
These are compiled from everything I've scrobbled (played on a computer Last.FM has access to), so they don't necessarily reflect songs and albums that came out over the past year. If you want me to suggest to you three must-see albums that actually came out in 2014, I would point you to the following:
"The Hunting Party" by Linkin Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21NRrQEMfyk ("A Line In The Sand")
"Dangerous Days" by Perturbator https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vsf3zYppP4 (full album)
"Fresh As It Gets" by Robots With Rayguns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw5hB2dDXzA ("One More Time")
Anyhow, hope y'all have a rockin' 2015!
2014
General | Posted 11 years ago2014 really was a year of juxtapositions. How so much good and bad can happen at once, while still defying predictions, is beyond me.
In terms of personal life, 2014 was good, if not excellent.
I made more of an effort to involve myself in happenings with local furs and it is paying dividends. I feel like I've finally made some really great friends who aren't leagues away from me, and while my work scheduling often prevents me from engaging with them as much as I'd like, it definitely has been getting easier to connect with people outside the computer.
I've made some discoveries regarding my need for love and relationships that I feel have made me a much better person by giving me a realistic outlook on sex and romance. Having finally gained some experience with sex, I can affirm that sex itself is almost nothing - It is the relationship itself that is more important. As such, I have stopped looking for love and started building friendships. Now that I know that I don't need to be romantically involved to be happy, I can spend my efforts on other endeavors. This has also been paying off in unexpected ways.
Went to FWA, FangCon, and a number of local fur parties and meets. I hope to do the same again this year, although I believe I may be dialing back on the cons. DragonBall Z the CCG started up again (virtually unprecedented for a card game to have a re-release), giving me something to look forward to in the local geek community.
Speaking of Geek Community...Chris Pratt for person of the year? Between The Lego Movie and Guardians of The Galaxy, everything was awesome this year. Also, Ice Bucket Challenge for meme of the year.
Less awesome: Outside of personal life, 2014 was so fucked up that I have given up on the world. I really and truly no longer want to be alive. The world we live in now is one I no longer want any part of. To paraphrase a popular meme, "I don't want to live here any more." No, I don't intend to kill myself; at least not yet. I am, however, probably going to spend 2015 and beyond trying to distract myself with friends, furry, and video games. Everything else can actually fuck itself. Robin Williams is dead by suicide and Bill Cosby is a rapist. This is what the world has come to. Nope!
Personal highlights:
Met more awesome people like Nyxis and Samson, Rei, Maus, Rasaphane, and a whole host of others!
Turned in my V-Card. Need more Amaretto!
Discovered bourbon (Jack Daniels).
Personally helped the lead singer of Foreigner (Kelley Hanson) over the front row seats during one of his songs at a rainy outdoor concert I was only able to attend because some lady threw away her poncho. (hearing aids can't get wet. Still have the poncho too, so it won't happen again!)
Tore out the seat of my pants at a local anime convention. :( Got Lord Zed's (Power Ranger's) autograph. :)
Met Lou Ferringo, the 70's Hulk.
Finally was able to personally meet a member of Journey and get an autograph. (Former lead singer Steve Augeri)
Finally finished one of the rooms in my house. (Utility room)
FWA, FangCon, NashiiCon, SC ComicCon...
Got ever deeper into New Retro Wave and am starting to refine my tastes in the genre.
My nomination for game of the year? I dunno, I haven't played any of them; Plans to get an XBONE ultimate failed this year. My finances crashed hard in December simply because FangCon happened too close to Black Friday, and unforeseen computer failure. Because of that, I'm not sure if I'm going to go again next year, even though I have some friends counting on me to host again. :( My need of a washer and dryer means that even attending FWA is in jeopardy if I am unable to save up through the transition from winter into spring. I am cautiously optimistic about FWA, but may very well decide to skip FangCon, unless I am in a very good position when Fall rolls around. I'm not expecting to be; I need to get some damned furniture, and get this house painted if I have to hire workers to do it. The current rate is taking too long.
Spent my first full year on my own in my own house.
Things I'll always remember about 2014 (general highlights):
Polar Vortex causing actual snow to fall in the upstate. Atlanta being in traffic gridlock for two whole fucking days! Seriously, they had humanitarian aid walking up and down the roads leading into Atlanta. Freezing temperatures that can only be described as supernatural.
Republicans flipping their shit over Benghazi.
Ebola.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
The failure of the American Justice System.
The Government Shutdown.
Social Justice Warriors.
Police brutality.
Ferguson.
Chlorine gas at a fur con in Chicago.
Robin Williams, dead by suicide.
Bill Cosby outed as a serial rapist.
GamerGate.
Microsoft's initial XBONE fail and hardcore backpedaling. People got fired over that shit. The two systems are more or less equivalent now.
Stagnant wages.
People in Mexico finally having enough of their narco state.
Legalization of marijuana.
The emergence of cyber warfare.
Obama's drones.
Obamacare succeeding, but people still hate it.
Swatting.
The invention of actual working hoverboards.
Whatever the hell that unidentifiable food was at FangCon.
Unprofessional journalism.
Suppression of journalism.
Landing on a comet and losing the lander shortly after to battery failure.
Despite a rocket explosion, private-sector space exploration appears to be coming into its own.
Folks attempting to build an actual warp drive.
Congress making an act of war against the independent Indian Nations.
The rash of break-ins and thefts around where I live.
The theory that music can effect the physical states of elements such as water/ice (forget what this is called).
A discredited scientist hanging himself.
The death of James Hardiman.
Lonesome George.
Impending chocolate shortages.
Republican sweep after the lowest voter turnout in 70 years.
Do nothing Congress and executive actions.
The invention of a new drug that may prevent a superbug apocalypse from ever occurring.
Bill Nye and Degrassi Tyson.
FA admins hiring people with questionable histories.
Pokemon in full 3D for the first time.
Smash Bros.
I'm probably forgetting things...Some year, huh?
My outlook for 2015 is...mixed. I can't see the cracks in American society doing anything other than getting worse, but I don't think it will all collapse as early as 2015. I see myself doing reasonably well in my personal life this coming year, though I expect money will be more of an issue now that I understand what my yearly limits are. My goal is to get back to where I am comfortable and have a buffer in case of disaster at work; and then keep from having another financial crash in December. Since I have more financial responsibilities regarding the house, It means I may have to cut back on travel, which means one con instead of two. However, that should only last for this year, if everything pans out right. It's also possible I am overestimating how much these costs will cut into my budget, and may be able to do two cons this year as well...we'll see!
In terms of personal life, 2014 was good, if not excellent.
I made more of an effort to involve myself in happenings with local furs and it is paying dividends. I feel like I've finally made some really great friends who aren't leagues away from me, and while my work scheduling often prevents me from engaging with them as much as I'd like, it definitely has been getting easier to connect with people outside the computer.
I've made some discoveries regarding my need for love and relationships that I feel have made me a much better person by giving me a realistic outlook on sex and romance. Having finally gained some experience with sex, I can affirm that sex itself is almost nothing - It is the relationship itself that is more important. As such, I have stopped looking for love and started building friendships. Now that I know that I don't need to be romantically involved to be happy, I can spend my efforts on other endeavors. This has also been paying off in unexpected ways.
Went to FWA, FangCon, and a number of local fur parties and meets. I hope to do the same again this year, although I believe I may be dialing back on the cons. DragonBall Z the CCG started up again (virtually unprecedented for a card game to have a re-release), giving me something to look forward to in the local geek community.
Speaking of Geek Community...Chris Pratt for person of the year? Between The Lego Movie and Guardians of The Galaxy, everything was awesome this year. Also, Ice Bucket Challenge for meme of the year.
Less awesome: Outside of personal life, 2014 was so fucked up that I have given up on the world. I really and truly no longer want to be alive. The world we live in now is one I no longer want any part of. To paraphrase a popular meme, "I don't want to live here any more." No, I don't intend to kill myself; at least not yet. I am, however, probably going to spend 2015 and beyond trying to distract myself with friends, furry, and video games. Everything else can actually fuck itself. Robin Williams is dead by suicide and Bill Cosby is a rapist. This is what the world has come to. Nope!
Personal highlights:
Met more awesome people like Nyxis and Samson, Rei, Maus, Rasaphane, and a whole host of others!
Turned in my V-Card. Need more Amaretto!
Discovered bourbon (Jack Daniels).
Personally helped the lead singer of Foreigner (Kelley Hanson) over the front row seats during one of his songs at a rainy outdoor concert I was only able to attend because some lady threw away her poncho. (hearing aids can't get wet. Still have the poncho too, so it won't happen again!)
Tore out the seat of my pants at a local anime convention. :( Got Lord Zed's (Power Ranger's) autograph. :)
Met Lou Ferringo, the 70's Hulk.
Finally was able to personally meet a member of Journey and get an autograph. (Former lead singer Steve Augeri)
Finally finished one of the rooms in my house. (Utility room)
FWA, FangCon, NashiiCon, SC ComicCon...
Got ever deeper into New Retro Wave and am starting to refine my tastes in the genre.
My nomination for game of the year? I dunno, I haven't played any of them; Plans to get an XBONE ultimate failed this year. My finances crashed hard in December simply because FangCon happened too close to Black Friday, and unforeseen computer failure. Because of that, I'm not sure if I'm going to go again next year, even though I have some friends counting on me to host again. :( My need of a washer and dryer means that even attending FWA is in jeopardy if I am unable to save up through the transition from winter into spring. I am cautiously optimistic about FWA, but may very well decide to skip FangCon, unless I am in a very good position when Fall rolls around. I'm not expecting to be; I need to get some damned furniture, and get this house painted if I have to hire workers to do it. The current rate is taking too long.
Spent my first full year on my own in my own house.
Things I'll always remember about 2014 (general highlights):
Polar Vortex causing actual snow to fall in the upstate. Atlanta being in traffic gridlock for two whole fucking days! Seriously, they had humanitarian aid walking up and down the roads leading into Atlanta. Freezing temperatures that can only be described as supernatural.
Republicans flipping their shit over Benghazi.
Ebola.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
The failure of the American Justice System.
The Government Shutdown.
Social Justice Warriors.
Police brutality.
Ferguson.
Chlorine gas at a fur con in Chicago.
Robin Williams, dead by suicide.
Bill Cosby outed as a serial rapist.
GamerGate.
Microsoft's initial XBONE fail and hardcore backpedaling. People got fired over that shit. The two systems are more or less equivalent now.
Stagnant wages.
People in Mexico finally having enough of their narco state.
Legalization of marijuana.
The emergence of cyber warfare.
Obama's drones.
Obamacare succeeding, but people still hate it.
Swatting.
The invention of actual working hoverboards.
Whatever the hell that unidentifiable food was at FangCon.
Unprofessional journalism.
Suppression of journalism.
Landing on a comet and losing the lander shortly after to battery failure.
Despite a rocket explosion, private-sector space exploration appears to be coming into its own.
Folks attempting to build an actual warp drive.
Congress making an act of war against the independent Indian Nations.
The rash of break-ins and thefts around where I live.
The theory that music can effect the physical states of elements such as water/ice (forget what this is called).
A discredited scientist hanging himself.
The death of James Hardiman.
Lonesome George.
Impending chocolate shortages.
Republican sweep after the lowest voter turnout in 70 years.
Do nothing Congress and executive actions.
The invention of a new drug that may prevent a superbug apocalypse from ever occurring.
Bill Nye and Degrassi Tyson.
FA admins hiring people with questionable histories.
Pokemon in full 3D for the first time.
Smash Bros.
I'm probably forgetting things...Some year, huh?
My outlook for 2015 is...mixed. I can't see the cracks in American society doing anything other than getting worse, but I don't think it will all collapse as early as 2015. I see myself doing reasonably well in my personal life this coming year, though I expect money will be more of an issue now that I understand what my yearly limits are. My goal is to get back to where I am comfortable and have a buffer in case of disaster at work; and then keep from having another financial crash in December. Since I have more financial responsibilities regarding the house, It means I may have to cut back on travel, which means one con instead of two. However, that should only last for this year, if everything pans out right. It's also possible I am overestimating how much these costs will cut into my budget, and may be able to do two cons this year as well...we'll see!
A Merry Christmas and a Goodbye
General | Posted 11 years agoI suppose I should get the bummer news out of the way first.
It has come to my attention that last night, on Christmas Eve, we lost a member of the furry community to a heart attack.
D0C is sadly no longer with us. Please pray for his family and pass the word on so that his friends will be aware of his absence.
That aside, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas/Yuletide/ect. I wish you peace, love, and merriment this season, whether you have someone to spend it with or not.
It has come to my attention that last night, on Christmas Eve, we lost a member of the furry community to a heart attack.
D0C is sadly no longer with us. Please pray for his family and pass the word on so that his friends will be aware of his absence.That aside, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas/Yuletide/ect. I wish you peace, love, and merriment this season, whether you have someone to spend it with or not.
Christmas Wishlist 2014/ Last call for cards
General | Posted 11 years ago"Oh no!" You might say. "Another wishlist post! Oh the commercialism!"
Maybe so but I maintain these wishlists all year round. And you know what, I like having a look at people's wishlists. It's like having an opportunity to see what kind of people they are. Sometimes you discover a shared interest in something you weren't aware of before, or find something on someones wishlist that you want as well but didn't know existed. Some of my friends have posted their wishlists, so I thought I'd post mine here too. I'm not asking for anything from you guys by any means, but if you just want to see what strikes my fancy this year, here you go:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/w.....topnav_lists_2
Bandcamp:
https://bandcamp.com/AmazingAdrian
I am still sending Christmas Cards to those who want them. They will probably arrive after Christmas, but if you want one, now is the time to let me know! Once the holiday is over, I will not be sending out any more until next year.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday! <3
Maybe so but I maintain these wishlists all year round. And you know what, I like having a look at people's wishlists. It's like having an opportunity to see what kind of people they are. Sometimes you discover a shared interest in something you weren't aware of before, or find something on someones wishlist that you want as well but didn't know existed. Some of my friends have posted their wishlists, so I thought I'd post mine here too. I'm not asking for anything from you guys by any means, but if you just want to see what strikes my fancy this year, here you go:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/w.....topnav_lists_2
Bandcamp:
https://bandcamp.com/AmazingAdrian
I am still sending Christmas Cards to those who want them. They will probably arrive after Christmas, but if you want one, now is the time to let me know! Once the holiday is over, I will not be sending out any more until next year.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday! <3
MFF Attacked/ Possibly pranked
General | Posted 11 years agoSo I'm just now hearing the news that someone set off a chlorine gas bomb (what the police described as an 'intentional leak') at the MFF convention in Chicago. I've been dreading something like this happening for a long time now, and it seems it's finally come to pass. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Chlorine is deadly, deadly stuff. In concentrated liquid form it can cause acid-like burns on contact with skin, and as a gas it can induce fatal scarring in the lungs. It is commonly used as an industrial chemical in both forms (you are probably most familiar with diluted chlorine solution being used in swimming pools as a microbial sterilizing agent). Someone dumped Chlorine powder in the ninth floor stairwell of the hotel, and poured a catalyst on it that caused it to emit noxious fumes. It seems to have spread slowly enough that it did little more than irritate people. Some 19 or so people were said to be hospitalized, and after an evacuation the hazmat teams deemed the building safe for reentry after only two hours.
Con security usually doesn't focus on the idea that some person or other might attack the convention itself, but I always felt it was a matter of time. I wonder only if it were someone from within the fandom who held a grudge against MMF, or if it was done by someone outside the fandom acting on some kind of misguided sense of vigilantism against "those depraved furs". Either way, it is a despicable thing to do, and I hope that everyone up there is ok. So far it is sounding like none of the injuries are serious.
Stay safe MMF people. My prayers are with you.
I'm still sending out Holiday Cards to those people here who want one! Just note me with your address (or contact me through other means if you don't trust FA's note system) and I'll reply back with mine! :3
Con security usually doesn't focus on the idea that some person or other might attack the convention itself, but I always felt it was a matter of time. I wonder only if it were someone from within the fandom who held a grudge against MMF, or if it was done by someone outside the fandom acting on some kind of misguided sense of vigilantism against "those depraved furs". Either way, it is a despicable thing to do, and I hope that everyone up there is ok. So far it is sounding like none of the injuries are serious.
Stay safe MMF people. My prayers are with you.
I'm still sending out Holiday Cards to those people here who want one! Just note me with your address (or contact me through other means if you don't trust FA's note system) and I'll reply back with mine! :3
Holiday Card Exchange/Happy Thanksgiving
General | Posted 11 years agoHappy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope you all had as good a one as you can reasonably manage...I consider Thanksgiving to be a dying holiday since no one can have the day off any more and it is becoming increasingly difficult to celebrate. My family split our day in two this year since no one could celebrate due to work obligations. I just had my family meal today.
I would like to do a Holiday Card exchange with my friends and watchers. I love getting Holiday Cards, and use them to help decorate my house by taping them up to the wall in festive arrangements! Besides, it is always nice to get something in the mail other than fliers and bills. Anyhow, if anyone would like to do a card exchange with me, I will need mailing addresses. If you don't trust FA's note system I have other contacts listed on my profile page, such as Skype and Steam that will work just fine, and I can also hand you my e-mail address on request. Going to be doing these right up until Christmas, but if you want yours early enough to decorate with, you are going to want to give me your address asap.
Happy holidays everyone. Stay safe and warm, and enjoy good moments with family and friends!
I would like to do a Holiday Card exchange with my friends and watchers. I love getting Holiday Cards, and use them to help decorate my house by taping them up to the wall in festive arrangements! Besides, it is always nice to get something in the mail other than fliers and bills. Anyhow, if anyone would like to do a card exchange with me, I will need mailing addresses. If you don't trust FA's note system I have other contacts listed on my profile page, such as Skype and Steam that will work just fine, and I can also hand you my e-mail address on request. Going to be doing these right up until Christmas, but if you want yours early enough to decorate with, you are going to want to give me your address asap.
Happy holidays everyone. Stay safe and warm, and enjoy good moments with family and friends!
Holiday Card Exchange/Happy Thanksgiving
General | Posted 11 years agoHappy Thanksgiving everyone. Hope you all had as good a one as you can reasonably manage...I consider Thanksgiving to be a dying holiday since no one can have the day off any more and it is becoming increasingly difficult to celebrate. My family split our day in two this year since no one could celebrate due to work obligations. I just had my family meal today.
I would like to do a Holiday Card exchange with my friends and watchers. I love getting Holiday Cards, and use them to help decorate my house by taping them up to the wall in festive arrangements! Besides, it is always nice to get something in the mail other than fliers and bills. Anyhow, if anyone would like to do a card exchange with me, I will need mailing addresses. If you don't trust FA's note system I have other contacts listed on my profile page, such as Skype and Steam that will work just fine, and I can also hand you my e-mail address on request. Going to be doing these right up until Christmas, but if you want yours early enough to decorate with, you are going to want to give me your address asap.
Happy holidays everyone. Stay safe and warm, and enjoy good moments with family and friends!
I would like to do a Holiday Card exchange with my friends and watchers. I love getting Holiday Cards, and use them to help decorate my house by taping them up to the wall in festive arrangements! Besides, it is always nice to get something in the mail other than fliers and bills. Anyhow, if anyone would like to do a card exchange with me, I will need mailing addresses. If you don't trust FA's note system I have other contacts listed on my profile page, such as Skype and Steam that will work just fine, and I can also hand you my e-mail address on request. Going to be doing these right up until Christmas, but if you want yours early enough to decorate with, you are going to want to give me your address asap.
Happy holidays everyone. Stay safe and warm, and enjoy good moments with family and friends!
31
General | Posted 11 years agoI am soon to be another year older.
A lot has happened in the past year. Many more things I've gotten to do and experience, friendships that were budding have become more solid, and I have become more settled into my own house, enjoying my first full year of living on my own.
It hasn't always been fun and games, but I feel like things are moving in mostly positive directions here, and this is such a rare feeling for me that it almost seems alien. I may actually be settling down here, deciding that life can just pass me by as long as no one gives me any shit. Truth be told, I feel as though my interpersonal relationships are growing and taking me places, and maybe I am not so alone as I have typically felt. This year alone I've been to two conventions and a number of fur meets, meeting many new furs in the process including the indomitable Maus and the lovely Rei bunny...people down in the lowcountry who I don't typically get to see because of how far away it is. Going to cons out farther away from me is a bit of a learning process too; recently attended FangCon, the distance of which was actually not that bad, but required driving though the Appalachian mountain range (about an hour of narrow, winding roads). Also lost my V card to a lovely lady who was awesome enough to help me out with it when she discovered I was 30 and had no experience. It was a one time thing, but I'm nonetheless grateful to her; it helped put some things into perspective for me. I can move on with my life now.
And, I am learning what it takes to run a household; there is still so much to be done here, and it is becoming apparent that I need to start being more careful with my money. Hosting a room at FangCon was fun and something I enjoyed doing, but it ended up backfiring on me when the day I had us checking out turned out to not be the convention's actual breakdown day. I had to extend the room and eat the costs (wasn't about to ask my roommmates to pay for another day when I was the one who had scheduled the room like a doof). I'm paying for it now, unable to buy the things I had promised I'd get after the con. (Super glad though that the furry publishing vendor who said they were going to come never did. Buying books and CD's would have made things worse!)
For my birthday I don't really have any plans. Maybe go out to eat at my favorite gourmet Pizza Place. Hooters has their anniversary on my birthday, but this being year 31 for both of us, it probably won't be as good a blowout as last year's, lol! Gonna hang out online, use half of my birthday money to get some CD's or something and put the other half toward my house, enjoy some wine and some good company~
This coming year I hope to make more progress on my house. I am hoping the other rooms will be easier to paint but in the interest of expediting things I may just hire a painting team. I just need to save my cash for a while. I plan to attend FWA for sure; was iffy about it before. Wishy-washy about Megaplex, which is still an option but I have heard so many mixed reviews that I'm afraid it may be a waste of a trip. Hoping to do more, see more, expand my social circles, hang with dear friends and play some awesome games. Having come to accept that this is the way things are going to be, I am now able to look ahead without feeling defeated; if not a feeling of anticipation at things to come in the immediate future. The distant future is still something I dread, but not as much...giving up on the world is strangely freeing like that. I had a similar experience when I gave up on myself in my teens, and started smashing through barriers that I hadn't even realized I had put in front of myself.
The world may teeter on the brink of chaos but things are pretty good for me right now. And I suppose that is the way things are going to be until the point where circumstances dictate action.
A lot has happened in the past year. Many more things I've gotten to do and experience, friendships that were budding have become more solid, and I have become more settled into my own house, enjoying my first full year of living on my own.
It hasn't always been fun and games, but I feel like things are moving in mostly positive directions here, and this is such a rare feeling for me that it almost seems alien. I may actually be settling down here, deciding that life can just pass me by as long as no one gives me any shit. Truth be told, I feel as though my interpersonal relationships are growing and taking me places, and maybe I am not so alone as I have typically felt. This year alone I've been to two conventions and a number of fur meets, meeting many new furs in the process including the indomitable Maus and the lovely Rei bunny...people down in the lowcountry who I don't typically get to see because of how far away it is. Going to cons out farther away from me is a bit of a learning process too; recently attended FangCon, the distance of which was actually not that bad, but required driving though the Appalachian mountain range (about an hour of narrow, winding roads). Also lost my V card to a lovely lady who was awesome enough to help me out with it when she discovered I was 30 and had no experience. It was a one time thing, but I'm nonetheless grateful to her; it helped put some things into perspective for me. I can move on with my life now.
And, I am learning what it takes to run a household; there is still so much to be done here, and it is becoming apparent that I need to start being more careful with my money. Hosting a room at FangCon was fun and something I enjoyed doing, but it ended up backfiring on me when the day I had us checking out turned out to not be the convention's actual breakdown day. I had to extend the room and eat the costs (wasn't about to ask my roommmates to pay for another day when I was the one who had scheduled the room like a doof). I'm paying for it now, unable to buy the things I had promised I'd get after the con. (Super glad though that the furry publishing vendor who said they were going to come never did. Buying books and CD's would have made things worse!)
For my birthday I don't really have any plans. Maybe go out to eat at my favorite gourmet Pizza Place. Hooters has their anniversary on my birthday, but this being year 31 for both of us, it probably won't be as good a blowout as last year's, lol! Gonna hang out online, use half of my birthday money to get some CD's or something and put the other half toward my house, enjoy some wine and some good company~
This coming year I hope to make more progress on my house. I am hoping the other rooms will be easier to paint but in the interest of expediting things I may just hire a painting team. I just need to save my cash for a while. I plan to attend FWA for sure; was iffy about it before. Wishy-washy about Megaplex, which is still an option but I have heard so many mixed reviews that I'm afraid it may be a waste of a trip. Hoping to do more, see more, expand my social circles, hang with dear friends and play some awesome games. Having come to accept that this is the way things are going to be, I am now able to look ahead without feeling defeated; if not a feeling of anticipation at things to come in the immediate future. The distant future is still something I dread, but not as much...giving up on the world is strangely freeing like that. I had a similar experience when I gave up on myself in my teens, and started smashing through barriers that I hadn't even realized I had put in front of myself.
The world may teeter on the brink of chaos but things are pretty good for me right now. And I suppose that is the way things are going to be until the point where circumstances dictate action.
You might want to start backing up everything you have on FA
General | Posted 11 years agoBecause it sounds like Neer just gave the website over to a hacker who has a history of sabotaging projects.
http://www.reddit.com/r/furry/comme....._is_important/
http://www.reddit.com/r/furry/comme....._is_important/
FangCon Post
General | Posted 11 years agoWhat a nice three day weekend spent up in Knoxville, TN. Here are some of the highlights:
Took
VitaminR up to the con with me. I had previously taken him up to his first con at FWA and he seemed to like that a lot so I thought it would be cool to get in with him at FangCon. He had his first fursuit too, which was pretty awesome, and I was happy to see him debut it.
Met
KwiPie who stepped in to be our roommate when everyone else fell through. She was a lot of fun to have around and was glad to have been able to help her have this experience too.
Finally got to meet
Keefur who had been trying to coax me into coming to this since last year! lol, he's an awesome gentleman to talk to and I'm glad I was able to get to know him better. He definitely knows his stuff re: the fandom.
Also free beer, and not just from the
frozenoasis. Keefer had a few keggers brought in from local breweries. Frozen Oasis' party was great too, and I love what they did with the blacklight. The slushy mix seemed to be endless.
Niic the singing dog was...bad. Baaaad. It turns out my initial assessment of his music was correct: He is great at singing in that rapid fire vocal style reminiscent of hip-hop or rap. His song "Paws To The Wall" is done entirely in this style and is really and truly excellent. But when he tries to sing outside of his range, which he does often and which many of his new songs call for, he chokes. It sounds like really bad karaoke. He's supposed to be a really big deal up north too, and getting him down here was supposed to be a big draw for southern furries. I guess the furs up there just have lower standards.
The other acts were pretty boss though. Rhubarb the bear wandered around the con playing music and Husky In Denial not only ran a ton of promotions for the release of his album "Kung Fu", he also played a score of material both new and old incredibly well with just an "acoustic" guitar and a few effect pedals.
ADDF also rocked out the show with a loose, off-the-cuff feeling set performance that included a broad range of covers (Hendrix to Disturbed) as well as some original material from their EP, of which I was able to get a signed copy at the charity auction. They were totes badass.
Epic rounds of Cards Against Humanity with my friend
skarskitsune and his lady 
Nikada. They had a ton of hilarious card sets and expansions, including epic custom cards that really made the game unpredictable and fun. It was great getting to actually spend some time with them, especially since I only barely ran into them at Anthrocon the year that I went.
Speaking of which, this was a very small con. A very small con. We had some 300 something people show up, which broke the previous record of 200. It is only the con's third year though, so some of it was expected, but when I got there I was a little afraid that there wouldn't be much to do over the weekend. I was wrong though; it being such a small con actually made it easier to meet people and socialize with them. You ended up running into the same folks over and over and could always be involved in whatever was going on at the time; it was really great! I think if I can I will try to work it so that I make one large con and one small one each year.
It was great. I relished being able to host a room instead of being a guest for a change. I remember in my early FWA days when I used to get a room by myself and get frustrated at not meeting anyone...things seem so different now.
Watching Graye at FangCon made me consider perhaps volunteering at FWA. I am getting older and more experienced at the whole con thing, so the time will soon come anyways, I feel. It's a way I can give back to the community since I'm not an artist or anything, lol. Something to think about...
Good times. I had fun meeting everyone there and would definitely consider returning another year.
Took
VitaminR up to the con with me. I had previously taken him up to his first con at FWA and he seemed to like that a lot so I thought it would be cool to get in with him at FangCon. He had his first fursuit too, which was pretty awesome, and I was happy to see him debut it.Met
KwiPie who stepped in to be our roommate when everyone else fell through. She was a lot of fun to have around and was glad to have been able to help her have this experience too.Finally got to meet
Keefur who had been trying to coax me into coming to this since last year! lol, he's an awesome gentleman to talk to and I'm glad I was able to get to know him better. He definitely knows his stuff re: the fandom.Also free beer, and not just from the
frozenoasis. Keefer had a few keggers brought in from local breweries. Frozen Oasis' party was great too, and I love what they did with the blacklight. The slushy mix seemed to be endless.Niic the singing dog was...bad. Baaaad. It turns out my initial assessment of his music was correct: He is great at singing in that rapid fire vocal style reminiscent of hip-hop or rap. His song "Paws To The Wall" is done entirely in this style and is really and truly excellent. But when he tries to sing outside of his range, which he does often and which many of his new songs call for, he chokes. It sounds like really bad karaoke. He's supposed to be a really big deal up north too, and getting him down here was supposed to be a big draw for southern furries. I guess the furs up there just have lower standards.
The other acts were pretty boss though. Rhubarb the bear wandered around the con playing music and Husky In Denial not only ran a ton of promotions for the release of his album "Kung Fu", he also played a score of material both new and old incredibly well with just an "acoustic" guitar and a few effect pedals.
ADDF also rocked out the show with a loose, off-the-cuff feeling set performance that included a broad range of covers (Hendrix to Disturbed) as well as some original material from their EP, of which I was able to get a signed copy at the charity auction. They were totes badass.Epic rounds of Cards Against Humanity with my friend
skarskitsune and his lady 
Nikada. They had a ton of hilarious card sets and expansions, including epic custom cards that really made the game unpredictable and fun. It was great getting to actually spend some time with them, especially since I only barely ran into them at Anthrocon the year that I went.Speaking of which, this was a very small con. A very small con. We had some 300 something people show up, which broke the previous record of 200. It is only the con's third year though, so some of it was expected, but when I got there I was a little afraid that there wouldn't be much to do over the weekend. I was wrong though; it being such a small con actually made it easier to meet people and socialize with them. You ended up running into the same folks over and over and could always be involved in whatever was going on at the time; it was really great! I think if I can I will try to work it so that I make one large con and one small one each year.
It was great. I relished being able to host a room instead of being a guest for a change. I remember in my early FWA days when I used to get a room by myself and get frustrated at not meeting anyone...things seem so different now.
Watching Graye at FangCon made me consider perhaps volunteering at FWA. I am getting older and more experienced at the whole con thing, so the time will soon come anyways, I feel. It's a way I can give back to the community since I'm not an artist or anything, lol. Something to think about...
Good times. I had fun meeting everyone there and would definitely consider returning another year.
FangCon
General | Posted 11 years agoYep, Going up to Tennessee this weekend for some groovy fun times with furry friends. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun, and I'm hoping to meet more awesome furs! Not really planning on anything specific other than hopefully finding a copy of Matthew Ebel's book and DJ Ear's new album. Oh, and hanging out with 
scarskitsune because he's super awesome and we couldn't really hang out at Anthrocon two years back.
got two roomies squared away, it's gonna be awesome.
Once I get back from FangCon, things are going to get interesting. I'm going to start hoarding my money and investing it in home projects and furniture. Currently I have tentative plans to attend FWA and tentative plans to attend Megaplex, but it may happen that I'll have to sacrifice FWA so I can attend the latter. I must visit Universal Studios in 2015 and eat at the 80's Cafe. However, I don't want to be there just for Future Day, since that's a long ways to go just to hang out by myself. If Elliot does something for it I might skip the 'plex to go to that, but I don't think he's going to go off schedule for such an obscure event.
Anyhow, yay. Going to pick up Graye here in a few hours. I'll see those who are going at FangCon!
scarskitsune because he's super awesome and we couldn't really hang out at Anthrocon two years back.got two roomies squared away, it's gonna be awesome.
Once I get back from FangCon, things are going to get interesting. I'm going to start hoarding my money and investing it in home projects and furniture. Currently I have tentative plans to attend FWA and tentative plans to attend Megaplex, but it may happen that I'll have to sacrifice FWA so I can attend the latter. I must visit Universal Studios in 2015 and eat at the 80's Cafe. However, I don't want to be there just for Future Day, since that's a long ways to go just to hang out by myself. If Elliot does something for it I might skip the 'plex to go to that, but I don't think he's going to go off schedule for such an obscure event.
Anyhow, yay. Going to pick up Graye here in a few hours. I'll see those who are going at FangCon!
Vote
General | Posted 11 years agoIt is difficult sometimes to keep from speaking about politics. Politics are not for polite conversation; they are too often inflammatory, and it will get you banned on message boards. That said, I had my eyes opened by a ferret I know (a very intelligent man, who probably does not use this site) and have been involved in politics an activism for some time now.
Up for grabs is the Senate, and depending on who gets it either nothing will happen or we'll see lots of change, probably for the worse. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, though I personally have not seen any redeeming qualities in the Red party for over a decade now. I'd rather vote Green or Lib on the big ticket elections, as wasteful as that may seem.
Whatever party you decide to vote for, please do go vote on Election Day, the 4th of November. You may feel disenfranchised (hell, I know I am), but not participating is an act of submission, not defiance.
Up for grabs is the Senate, and depending on who gets it either nothing will happen or we'll see lots of change, probably for the worse. I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, though I personally have not seen any redeeming qualities in the Red party for over a decade now. I'd rather vote Green or Lib on the big ticket elections, as wasteful as that may seem.
Whatever party you decide to vote for, please do go vote on Election Day, the 4th of November. You may feel disenfranchised (hell, I know I am), but not participating is an act of submission, not defiance.
Smash Bros.
General | Posted 11 years agoI got the game. For those who want to team up or challenge me, here's my friend code again:
0044-2960-7030
Got several other games in my collection too, so there's more to use that for aside from just Smash Brothers. :3
0044-2960-7030
Got several other games in my collection too, so there's more to use that for aside from just Smash Brothers. :3
Hoverboards Invented [not a hoax this time]
General | Posted 11 years agoHoverboards are real and THEY ARE HERE NOW!!
A team of engineers in California going under the company name Hendo have figured out a way around Earnshaw's Theorem of magnetics that results in a stable equilibrium between magnets...in a way that is commercially viable for transport of weight. Basically, they use the architecture of the magnetic field that their engine creates to balance things out. Existing mag-lev systems don't even come close to this kind of precision, which is what makes smaller scale hover applications possible.
Don't believe me? Here is their kickstarter. They have videos. https://www.kickstarter.com/project.....ef=nav_search#
It is important to note that they are not running the kickstarter to make these things...they have already been made, tested, prototyped, and confirmed to work. The purpose of the kickstarter is to get the commercial side of product application off the ground and to fund further R&D that could make this new technology really revolutionary. I strongly suggest checking it out!
A team of engineers in California going under the company name Hendo have figured out a way around Earnshaw's Theorem of magnetics that results in a stable equilibrium between magnets...in a way that is commercially viable for transport of weight. Basically, they use the architecture of the magnetic field that their engine creates to balance things out. Existing mag-lev systems don't even come close to this kind of precision, which is what makes smaller scale hover applications possible.
Don't believe me? Here is their kickstarter. They have videos. https://www.kickstarter.com/project.....ef=nav_search#
It is important to note that they are not running the kickstarter to make these things...they have already been made, tested, prototyped, and confirmed to work. The purpose of the kickstarter is to get the commercial side of product application off the ground and to fund further R&D that could make this new technology really revolutionary. I strongly suggest checking it out!
FangCon Roomies
General | Posted 11 years agoSo FangCon is in a few weeks. I have space for at least two more people if they want to room with us. I have two beds and a queen-size air mattress. I have (confirmed but unpaid) Graye and his date, and myself.
Room style is casual, booze may be on hand but no room parties. Considering I already have two people (in addition to myself) room share will probably be less than $60 for the duration of the con.
Cutoff date is first week of November. I'm not exactly hurting for roommates here but we had two other people who were uncertain of their FangCon prospects back out; thought I'd give the opportunity to others who might be thinking about going.
Room style is casual, booze may be on hand but no room parties. Considering I already have two people (in addition to myself) room share will probably be less than $60 for the duration of the con.
Cutoff date is first week of November. I'm not exactly hurting for roommates here but we had two other people who were uncertain of their FangCon prospects back out; thought I'd give the opportunity to others who might be thinking about going.
Hotel hidden fees getting worse
General | Posted 11 years agoI found this news article on the front page of MSN Money, and figured y'all might want to read it, since many of our conventions happen at these higher end hotels. Doing this is a practice we might want to change if we can find some convention-ready lower-end lodging, given how dishonest many of these practices are:
http://money.msn.com/business-trave.....6-9436341bfff3
There are ways to mitigate these fees but you have to be diligent. In past cons I've surprised people by telling them not to even open the mini-fridge; they have door sensors and charge you for stuff inside even if you just open the fridge. Also before you check in, ask for a comprehensive list of fees associated with the room and see if you can make arrangements to avoid services you aren't factoring into your hotel budget; for example, you can probably get away without a change of sheets or fresh towels if you are only staying for a quiet weekend. Make sure you aren't paying for things you aren't using if you can help it, and if you are staying at a tourist trap, assume there will be extra taxes and "resort fees".
http://money.msn.com/business-trave.....6-9436341bfff3
There are ways to mitigate these fees but you have to be diligent. In past cons I've surprised people by telling them not to even open the mini-fridge; they have door sensors and charge you for stuff inside even if you just open the fridge. Also before you check in, ask for a comprehensive list of fees associated with the room and see if you can make arrangements to avoid services you aren't factoring into your hotel budget; for example, you can probably get away without a change of sheets or fresh towels if you are only staying for a quiet weekend. Make sure you aren't paying for things you aren't using if you can help it, and if you are staying at a tourist trap, assume there will be extra taxes and "resort fees".
Auction for unopened Fox Amoore CD
General | Posted 11 years agohttps://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1061437.html
I've got some ideas as to what to do with it if the auction doesn't go through, but this is essentially the general public's last chance to buy it from me. If this doesn't get any bids, I'll take it with me to FangCon and try to swap it with a vendor for DJ Ear's new album. Lastly, if that doesn't work, I'll give it to a buddy of mine who's expressed interest in it.
I'd rather sell it if I could though. Between FangCon coming up and stuff I need to get for the house, any extra income will help a lot.
I've got some ideas as to what to do with it if the auction doesn't go through, but this is essentially the general public's last chance to buy it from me. If this doesn't get any bids, I'll take it with me to FangCon and try to swap it with a vendor for DJ Ear's new album. Lastly, if that doesn't work, I'll give it to a buddy of mine who's expressed interest in it.
I'd rather sell it if I could though. Between FangCon coming up and stuff I need to get for the house, any extra income will help a lot.
R.I.P. James Hardiman
General | Posted 11 years agoRIP James Hardiman, creator of Skunkworks.
You were one of the "originals" doing furry in the late 80's and early 90's. It's so disheartening to see you go, especially so close to finally having your classic series published.
You were one of the "originals" doing furry in the late 80's and early 90's. It's so disheartening to see you go, especially so close to finally having your classic series published.
Fur In Need!
General | Posted 11 years agoA fur is stuck in an abusive homeless shelter; one of those places that trap people rather than help them. She needs money to help get her out.
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6034988/
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6034988/
