As you guys are probably aware, I did feel bad for not having all of AC 2011's photos posted before AC 2012. And I did get the occasional ribbing at the con this year where a few peeps gave me a nudge and said, "Hey, don't get too distracted by Minecraft/EVE/TF2, we want to see your photos." And it did make me feel guilty about falling behind on my obligations.

I'm happy to report that so far I've gotten into a good rhythm. Right now I'm in the habit of posting about four pictures from Anthrocon 2011, and at least four photos from Anthrocon 2012 every day for most of the week. I give myself a break on Saturday and Sunday to get other stuff done around the house and actually be social with some friends of mine.

I'll still be posting weekly updates here on FA, probably on Saturday sometime, detailing what photos I posted in the past week. But you can always click my flickr link on my profile and see what's new on my Flickr.

So fret not my loyal watchers, I am getting this done slowly but surely. :)


-Ex

I uploaded 12 photos from Anthrocon 2011, and my first four photos from Anthrocon 2012. I spent about a half an hour making a new, nicer signature for the 2012 group. I think the photos this year did come out better so far but I've only just scratched the surface. There's so many more images to go.

Latest images from AC 2011 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/998934.....7629848351766/
The 4 images from AC 2012 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/998934.....7630243613410/

I know it's only a small sampling, but tell me what you think! :) How's the new sig? And how do the images look?

Might as well strike while the iron is hot.

I had an absolutely amazing time at Anthrocon this year. There's a lot I want to say, because so much awesome happened in so few days. In fact, it all feels like a blur. It went by so quickly it felt like I was only there for a day, instead of five.

First and Foremost, you people are freaking awesome

An amazing convention doesn't just happen by itself. A very hardworking staff, volunteers, and security coordinate to put together an amazing weekend. But that's not the whole story. You can have all the programming and the guests of honor and it doesn't mean anything by itself. This year a little over five thousand of you showed up to run around, bounce, play, hug, and generally have a good time. And it's impossible to have fun by yourself, so really, props to everyone to came out this past weekend to party hard in Pittsburgh.

I really felt the love

There were so many people who took a moment to come up to me and give me hug or shake my hand - and I'm not talking about while in suit. You guys recognized me with my camera, running around and doing my thing, and you took the time to tell me about how much you enjoy my work. Really, I felt it in my heart every time someone said that. It's so much more than a favorite statistic when people are coming up to me and hugging me and thanking me for posting hundreds of photos for everyone to enjoy. It makes me feel that I have something real that I can contribute to this amazing fandom despite my lack of any artistic capability.

PCD

In years past, I used to have a lot of fun at the con. At the end, we packed up and went home, and that was okay. It was a lot of fun, but it was like leaving a theme park. It's disappointing that it has to end, but I accepted that. But this year, I really felt an emotional connection to my friends and watchers who came up to me to show me their appreciation. And yeah, this year I had a bit of PCD leaving the con. It wasn't just leaving a fun park, this is where my friends and I had just partied down and created some really fun memories that we'll be telling for years to come. So yes, the PCD hit me this year.

The suiting

I tried to make sure that I fursuited at least once each day. I don't remember if I suited Sunday, because the entire con is a blur and all that, but I hope that I gave everybody an opportunity to see Shockwave. On that note, I have to shout out to  flinters and say that if you're going to Anthrocon again PLEASE make it perfectly clear to your watchers! I normally don't venture around the dealer's den or Artist's Alley area in suit because I don't carry money or anything in suit and I don't really have any business being a speed bump in the business sector of the con. But I'd totally make a trip down there in suit for ya, and I'd even buy mint stuffs before the con to load up my vest with for ya.

The photos

The real reason everyone here watches me, because it certainly isn't for my witty social commentary or emo posts regarding volunteering at the dog shelter. I practiced before the con and discussed photo techniques with my photo-mentor on the drive up to the con. I also employed some advice from people on Flickr. The result is that I truly believe my photos this year will be the best yet. If my photos look as good on the computer as they did on my LCD screen on the camera, I'll be ecstatic.

However, the numbers this year aren't going to be as impressive as last year. I deliberately spent more time fursuiting. And I tried to be more...deliberate in how I took photos this con. I think my pictures are better for it, but there's going to be less of them. I think that's a good thing, because I'm still backlogged from Anthrocon 2011. This way, I should be able to continue posting photos from both years and be done with it before next year.

Anyway, the current photo counts are...

Wednesday - 31
Thursday - 541
Friday - 0 Yes, zero. Between meeting with friends and fans, suiting, and panels, I actually didn't have the time for photos.
Saturday - 152
Sunday - 296 Which includes a few that bled over midnight and were technically Monday but I'm grouping them together anyway.

So this year I took approximately 1020 photos. Keeping in mind my technique of multiple shots and all that, my rough posting estimate is around 3/7ths of the total, so we're looking at around 437 photos that will be posted for this convention.

I still wish I had caught more fursuits. Just browsing my roommate's snapshots, I spotted dozens of suits that I was apparently in close proximity to but never caught on camera. DRATS, is about all I can say. I'll try harder next year.

Speaking of photos - the Roo shoot

This year, due to some conflicts with the time I initially suggested, we had both a primary and secondary photoshoot. At the primary photoshoot, Friday, only one other kangaroo showed up. We bounced around in the DLCC for a bit, and some passers-by took a bunch of photos (I think  blimpwolf has the main grouping of photos, but I'll have to double-check that. It's hard for me to read nametags or anything in suit since I'm blind without my glasses anyway).

Come Saturday for the secondary photoshoot, I was rather tempted not to go, to be honest with you. It was just an hour after the fursuit parade (which I hadn't considered when first arranging the time for the photoshoot). There was a dismal turnout for the primary photoshoot. And there was another panel I was interested in attending. But, I also didn't want to be the guy who arranged something then didn't even show up himself to it. So, after showering and doing a quick brushing of Shockwave after the parade, I ran off to the secondary photoshoot. To my surprise, we had a record turnout of five kangaroos for that photoshoot (done by the professionals set up in the DLCC hallway, so we'll have to check their site for the photos when they're posted).

Oddly, because of the split photoshoots and the uneven turnout, this year has the unique distinction of having both a third less attendees than last year, as well as double the attendees from last year.

About the con

There were lots of panels I attended this year, a testament to the awesome staff of Programming and the work put in by the furs who volunteered to take time out of their cons to run panels. Everything seemed to run really smoothly, although it was disconcerting to hear an announcement at opening ceremonies that went something like "Oh yeah, there's been changes to the schedule this year, so check the schedule online to see the changes". Um...what? Most of us don't have smartphones or the time to sit down at the Tigerden for twenty minutes to load up the web page.

The fursuit dance competition just blows my mind, year after year. It is always difficult for me to wrap my head around the incredible talent those dancers have. Not just their moves, but their timing, their ability to choreograph moves, mix their own tunes, just all of it spins me right around and drops me on my head. I don't have the slightest bit of talent in any of those realms, yet these people get up in front of a thousand people and rock hard in fursuit and make it look easy. Just wow. So, for whatever it's worth to you guys, I give big props to everybody who got up on stage this year. You all have my utmost respect for your discipline, your skills, your hard work, your creativity, and having the confidence to get up and do it all in front of a large audience.

And upon returning from AC

Of course, there's a million submissions and journals. Curiously, I had a lot of activity on my Flickr account too. I rarely get any notices from Flickr, perhaps one or two a month. But while at AC, a bunch of my photos (both new and old) were favorited, two people watched me that didn't look like they were furries if their profile were any indication, and a few comments were left too (mostly positive). I'm not sure, but I think that Anthrocon might have been in the news in a few places and some internet searches might have dug up a lot of Flickr results. Whether it was just Anthrocon Flickr photo pool, or maybe people finding the AC forums and linking to my photos from there, I don't know.

I also garnered four watches on FA during the weekend, which was odd considering I haven't posted anything yet.

Also, if you guys remembered the little journal I posted a few days before the con -- I had that abscess and it was a serious pain in the neck. Well, the pain died down about halfway through the con, which made the weekend that much better. Nothing can ruin a vacation quite like dental problems. But anyway, I had a dentist appointment today and had my little root canal done. The novacaine still hasn't worn off, actually. It went well enough, but I have to go back in a day or so to patch up a chipped tooth.

Also, I forgot to call my dad on Sunday of the con, which was father's day. So he's a bit pissed.

In conclusion

Fun times! How did your con go? What did you do this weekend if you weren't at the con? What's new with you guys? I want to hear from you now. Comments, suggestions, catching up, the whole nine yards. So let me hear what you have to say!

If you see me at AC, feel free to come up and say hello! And if you see Shockwave, definitely come by and get my picture ;)

Will be in Pittsburgh around 3pm-ish, tired as all heck due to having worked all night last night. I should be better by Thursday. Anyway, see you guys there!

***IMPORTANT***

Because of scheduling conflicts, the kangaroo photoshoot time and place has been moved. It will now convene in front of the SOP ballroom at 2:30pm on FRIDAY.

I am very sorry about this, but a number of people who wanted to attend the shoot also were going to the dance event happening at the same time. So, we had to reschedule.

And if you can make it to a secondary event, I will be trying to stop by the Marsupial Madness panel on Saturday anyway.

-Ex

sssssssss...........***BOOOOOOOM***

It's that time of year again. The AC schedule has been posted, and now we get a glimpse at what is going on, and where.

Every year I like to take a few minutes out of AC to get all the kangaroos (and their hybrid cousins) together for a photo shoot. Based upon feedback I've gotten, I've decided to go ahead and make this very easy to remember and congregate. The photo shoot will convene at the beginning of the Marsupial Madness panel. Currently that is Saturday of the convention, at 4pm, in the convention center at rooms 317/318.

All kangaroos (and their worshippers) are invited to attend. Especially if you have a good camera, as we will need you to help us out by taking lots of photos of us.

So, mark it on your con notes (you all take notes and plan stuff out, right? :P ), and if you could spread the word as well, that'd be fantastic.

Thanks again, see you guys at AC, and I hope to see a good turnout at the photo shoot this year!


-Shockwave

Details have changed. See update here ---> http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3539796/

This guy apparently specializes in taking everyday music and rocking the fuck out of it.

I have to admit, I'm especially impressed by his ability to turn Zelda's theme into rock. I encourage everyone reading this to at least check it out, because it's insanely awesome. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgefAXTLEwU&ob=av3e

As the title says. I have batch-processed the last of the MFF 2010 photos and uploaded them to my Flickr in the appropriate folders.

Okay, at what point did my daily life become a sitcom? I don't recall signing a waiver to be the next guest of honor on "The Truman Show".

Today was the day I had planned on going out and getting my driver's permit. The start of this process was actually a month and a half ago, because you have to have medical clearance to get a learner's permit. Hey, I'm cool with that. Sounds like a good idea, to make sure people driving are medically able to drive. Well, my doctor is a busy person and I have to wait a month and a half. That just gives me time to actually find the paperwork for the learner's permit application - because as of last year, PENNDOT no longer has the forms for a learner's permit application on their premises. That's right, the forms that used to be printed into the back page of the learner's manual are no longer there. They changed the printing press and the whole nine yards to exclude the forms, which you now have to find on their web site and download. Which works FANTASTIC for those people who have A: printers and B: enough room in their fucking 1-bedroom apartment with two people living in it to set up a goddamn printer.

I had to download the forms off the PENNDOT web site and go to the fucking UPS store to have them printed off my USB drive. Seriously? Because the fact that the forms were included in the manual made just TOO MUCH FUCKING SENSE.

So, got to the UPS store and paid to have these stupid forms printed off, just so I could get to my doctor and have her tell me I have high blood pressure (which if I didn't before, I certainly do now). So, I walk away from my physical with a prescription for some blood pressure medicine but she signs off on my medical clearance to drive. So far, I'm kinda irritated at the whole forms fiasco, but otherwise I'm good to go.

That was yesterday. I gave myself one day to review the driver's manual before going in to take the test today. I gathered my documents together and headed out to get a money order to pay the fee for the permit. I stop by the drug store I always get my money orders from, and they tell me they're out of paper. *grumble* I go to the drug store across the street from them, and they just don't do them at all. *dangit* Finally I go to my bank so I can pay a nominal fee and get one made up. So, with money order in hand, I walk over to the DMV and go to take my test.

My number gets called, I go up to the clerk, hand him my stuff, and he tells me that he can't process me. APPARENTLY THE NON-DRIVER PHOTO ID CARD I WAS ISSUED BY THIS VERY SAME PENNDOT STATION DOES NOT COUNT AS A LEGAL FORM OF IDENTIFICATION. He tells me this, and I can feel my entire body tense up. I feel this inner rage bubbling. I just give him this intense wide-eyed stare that makes him roll his chair back about six inches away from me.

What the hell do you mean it's not a valid form of ID?

He tells me, "Sir, I need your birth certificate"

"Uh, no, you don't. My ID here, this LEGAL document that YOU people issued me last year, this thing has my date of birth on it because I gave you people my birth certificate LAST YEAR to get this. This is a verification of my date of birth and you people also have my birth certificate on file from that."

He tells me, "No sir, this isn't a valid document to show proof of age. I need your birth certificate, nothing else is acceptable".

There comes a point where if you had the powers of Dr. Manhattan (The Watchmen), and you could just make people explode in a bloody mess, it would be happening right that instant. Not to the man behind the counter, no, he doesn't have control over this sort of bureaucratic bullshit. I'd just seek out the man who decided that the DMV cannot accept it's own paperwork and just make him explode into an ignorant, bloody mess.

They have a poster on the wall behind the clerks, stating that if they suspect a document to be forged or counterfeit, that they will immediately call police and arrest the person. I was very tempted to tell the clerk that I was going to escalate the situation and he needed to call police, because if he felt that my legal ID was not valid, that they issued me, then I needed him to call the police and try to "investigate" me and see if my ID was valid. And once they determined my ID to be valid, then he could go ahead and accept it and get on with giving me my fucking permit test.

But, I just gave him a nasty look, picked up my stuff, and stormed out of there. I walked all the way home, stormed in the door cussing and yelling, tore through my room until I found my birth certificate, and headed back to the PENNDOT station. I got a different clerk this time, gave him my stuff, and he issued me the test. I took the test, passed it, and went back to him to finish it all up. I gave him the money order and he looks it over and tells me that the money order is for too much money.

Wait, what?

On the forms you have to fill out for your permit application, they list fees for whatever you're taking the permit test for. They don't tell you ANYWHERE on these forms that some of these fees are one-time. And apparently, because I held a permit in PA before and that I paid this fee already, I don't have to pay it again. THIS...THIS is the information they have in their computers. Not only do they have my birth certificate scanned in, but they also have the record of my last learner's permit from like 3 years ago where I went through this all before. So, they've seen my birth certificate how many times now?

Anyway, he tells me that I need to go to the bank and get a new money order for a much smaller amount. Good thing, right? Nope. DMV is closing in 15 minutes.

FFUUUUCCCKKKKK

So I RUN from the DMV, back to my bank, explain the situation, deposit the old money order into my bank account, draft up a new money order, and race back to the DMV. I get there before they close. I go up to the clerk, give him the new money order. He processes the paperwork, I sign a few things, and he hands me my permit. Before I go, I ask him what the situation currently is with road tests. I explain to him that last time I had a permit, the system was so backlogged with applications for road tests that I had to wait six months to get a road test.

You know what he tells me? He tells me that it's worse now. He tells me they've been choked up with road tests for the past six months and that my best bet is to try and get a road test over in Gettysburg - an hour and half drive each way.

So, I tell him that's where I got my last road test. He shrugs and says things are about to get even worse. The ONE instructor they have giving tests just got called up for national Guard duty, and they just cancelled hundreds of road tests because of it. "And we're getting a new guy to replace him, but he isn't trained yet and probably won't be for several weeks".

RRRRAAAAAGGGGGEEEEEEEE

I didn't know it was possible to have this much road rage before even getting on the fucking road. I just want to sit here at my desk and slam my head against it until I bludgeon myself into a bloody death. How is ANYBODY in Pennsylvania licensed to drive?!? I swear now I appreciate all the sitcoms that make fun of DMVs because it's fucking true.

I lost my last baby tooth today.

Yeah, really.

That's the short version. Long version down here ----V

So yeah, I still had a baby tooth until today. Starboard-side canine tooth, upper jaw. When I was in the sixth grade, my adult tooth started growing in, but my baby tooth hadn't yet fallen out. So what happened is the adult canine tooth grew in way up high on my gumline. So, I had this big canine tooth that grew in perfectly straight down, but still elevated above the normal part of the gumline.

It was my fang. I didn't really advertise it much, but I had it, and I thought it was f*ing awesome. Well, with today's development, I expect my adult canine tooth to finally start migrating down towards the proper spot where it belongs, thusly ending the reign of my fang.

FAQ:

Q1: Didn't that hurt?
A: No it didn't hurt at all. I mean yea, technically my teeth were crowded in that area, but I had no pain in that region, ever.

Q2: Are you sure it was a baby tooth? Maybe it was a chunk off a different tooth or this or that...?
A: Yes. I lost my canine tooth on the left side about three years ago. You know, when you've had something all your life, it's pretty easy to keep track of it. Yes it was a baby tooth. And certainly it had seen better days. I need to floss more often.

Q3: Did you keep it?
A: Slightly morbid as it may be, yes, I wrapped it up in clear tape that I had handy at work. Speaking of work, I asked my boss if he'd give me a tooth fairy bonus since it popped out while I was on the job. He said no.

(Stolen from  johnstripedfur )

I happen to really like it and I think it deserves a bit more exposure. :)

https://youtu.be/1QX0K33tdlY

So, as I've told my watchers before, I do go through a process to catalog the fursuiters I catch on camera.

Two of the things I categorize is gender, and whether or not the suit is a fullsuit.

It may be just my imagination, but it seems that female suiters utilize partial suits to a much higher degree than their male counterparts.

So, my imagination, or is this actually so? I suppose that females could be inclined to partial due to...um...space constraints within full suits that could be rather uncomfortable.

Any discussion and/or insights would be appreciated :P

I stand by what I said in my last journal -- that I've made a bit of progress in my personal life and that I hold that as a net positive. But, I also have to admit that I outright failed in every goal I set for myself two years ago. From a journal I posted here back in 2009, I accomplished nothing that I wanted to do, and made no progress in any aspect of my life that I had wanted to advance.

I just finished watching BBF's videos from AC2011, which are exceptionally well done I might add, and it made me realize just how bad it is. One of my big goals was to actually be able to perform in fursuit. I try desperately, but when I'm on the spot, I draw a blank. So, instead of being a performer, I end up just being a guy in a furred suit. I acquired a fursuit because I wanted to perform and have fun with it, but for the three years I've owned my suit, I have yet to learn how to actually use it. I've made excuses for myself, and I've told myself that I'll do better next time, but I haven't. So, with New Year's just around the corner, I'll do it. I'll make this one of my resolutions. Next Anthrocon, I'm going to attend those panels for fursuit performance. I can't learn it on my own. I know I've tried, but I can't. I need help.

I'm also in need of improvement with my photography. Thanks to some upgraded equipment and software, my photos have never looked better. They've also never been more boring. I never challenge my subjects to do a dramatic pose, look cute, or really do anything. I have this "click-and-go" methodology to my photo work and it comes out as junk. I'm like the photo equivalent of McDonald's. I hate that. I push myself so hard to grab as many photos as I can, of as many different fursuits as I can find. And I get precisely what I work for - thousands of photos that are indistinguishable from one another, save for the subject in them. This was also something I swore I'd change last year but I failed in it. There's nothing at AC that can help me there, but it's something I have to keep in mind. I need better photos, not more photos.

This past AC I almost took 2,000 photos (950 on Friday alone). The number of photos I've taken each year I've attended Anthrocon has steadily risen. I think it would be best for me to reverse that trend. Next year I want to take half as many photos, but I want each one of them to be truly memorable.

"Simply because an idea may have merit for some does not mean that we should use the power of government to mandate it for all."

Republican State Rep. Larry Metz

Next time any lawmaker wants to control a social aspect of society by virtue of a arbitrarily-derived belief, remind them of this quote.

Article: http://gma.yahoo.com/florida-lawmak.....155132408.html

Okay, so a friend of mine messages me, asks me to play some TF2 with him. So, I oblige, and I turn on my PC. I boot up, log into Steam, etc etc, whatever. I connect to my friend via Steam's voice chat and he finds a game for us to join. He's European, so naturally he finds a European server. He gets in first, I have to wait to join. While I'm sitting idle and waiting for a spot to open for the auto-join, he starts freaking out.

(Keep in mind all this chat happened on a steam client to steam client chat, so nobody us could hear us)

Him: "Oh my goodness! You're not going to believe this! This...I'm not sure I believe this. Hold on a minute."

Me: "...? The hell are you talking about?"

Him: "It's Notch! Or, at least I think it is. He's here. Dunno if someone just cloned his name though."

Me: "Notch?"

Him: "Yeah, the guy who made Minecraft. You know, Notch!"

Me: "Oh! Okay. Well, that's cool, if it's true."

Him: "Yeah, if it's true. Be right back, I'm going to check on something."

So, I finally get into the game. I end up on the same team as my friend and Notch, apparently. So, I'm playing while my friend is AFK. Apparently, he went around looking for Notch's twitter, blog, some other stuff, confirming what name he uses on TF2. That, and also he apparently has a special headpiece made just for him by the people who made TF2. He has a one-of-a-kind headpiece. Also, my friend said he checked the guy's twitter or blog or something and confirmed that he had recently said he was about to play some TF2, and it named off some servers he normally plays on. The server we're on happens to be on the list. So, we run around and find "Notch" on the map, and yes, he's got that weird headpiece thing. guess that means it's him? My friend starts flipping out.

Him: "Oh my goodness! It's really him! This is so awesome. I've never met a celebrity on TF2 before."

Me: "..."

My friend switches classes to a medic. A few moments after that...

Him: "Look at this! I'm healing Notch! *The* Notch! This is so cool!"

You know that sort of expression in people's voices, the one where you can just hear the emotes? I could tell my friend was totally :D at that point. I just can't help but chuckle at it.

Him: "I wish Notch would get a kill already."

Me: "Uh, why?"

Him: "Well I'm healing him. When he gets a kill, I'll get an assist. Then I can tell people that I helped Notch get a kill! Oh look! THERE WE GO! *SCREENCAP*"

I bust out laughing now. I've never seen anybody act like this before.

Him: "I got a screencap of me helping Notch! This is so cool!"

Me: "I thought you didn't even like Minecraft all that much"

Him: "Well it's an okay game, not the greatest, but this is a celebrity! You just don't understand. I've never met a celebrity on TF2 before!"

The next game, Notch ends up on the other team. My friend continues with his starry-eyed excitement.

Him: "Notch is on the other team now. You have to go medic and help me out because he's a good soldier. I want to kill him at least once. And dominate him if possible."

Me: "Uh, I thought you liked him?"

Him: "I do! I do like him! He's a great teammate. I just want to...ah! We got him! Screencapping this too..."

I just start laughing again.

Him: "I killed Notch! I killed him! This is such a great day! Maybe next round we can both go on his team again and both be medics. You can use the Kritskrieg, I'll use the regular healing gun, and we can cover Notch and help him get lots of kills!"

Me: "Oh boy..."

There was a lot more antics, but that's the gist of it anyway. I've never seen my friend, or anybody for that matter, act like that before. I always thought that sort of thing only happened in sitcoms.

How many of you watched M*A*S*H? That TV series that's bounced around on channels like FX and the Hallmark Channel. Do you remember much about it? Did you ever see the last episode? The last episode was rather emotional to begin with, but there was always one scene that stood out in my mind.

In the final episode, one of the male leads, a character by the name of "B. J. Hunnicutt", laments about having just missed his daughter's birthday. The war was so close to being over, he was so close to being home, but he would still be in Korea for a few days before he could go home. So, the rest of the characters threw him a surprise party. One of the refugee families that was moving through the area had a daughter about the same age as Hunnicutt's daughter. So, the characters got together with the family and threw a party for Hunnicutt, where he could celebrate it with that little girl since he couldn't be home with his own daughter.

It brought such a smile to his face. While he held the girl in his lap and gave her a kiss on the head, he asked how in the world they found a girl with the same birthday as his own daughter. They told him that these families don't own calenders or really keep track of time well, so the girl was around the same age as his daughter, but nobody knew when she was actually born.

With a tear in his eye, Hunnicutt looked at the little girl and said, "I could think of no greater gift in the world than to finally get your very own birthday".

It was a scene that always stuck in my mind. And I had it in my mind when I was planning something.

This morning, about 8:30am, I found out that Banshee (http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6241794) had a "reserve" placed on her by a family very, very interested in adopting her out of the HOPE program. She's going to be adopted within the next few days. I'll never see her again.

I hadn't told anybody this, but I was planning something. One thing refugees and stray dogs have in common is that they don't know their birthday. It gets lost in the chaos from being one of the lost and forgotten. So, on whatever day in the future I was hoping to adopt Banshee, I was going to make that day her birthday. I was going to give her a big, fluffy pet bed and spend all day walking her around her new home neighborhood. It would be her special day, something nobody could ever take away from her. Pet beds get torn up and worn out, doggie treats come and go, but she'd always have her day. The day I'd celebrate every year with her -- the day that she brought all that joy into my life.

When I was having trouble sleeping, I'd pass the time by practicing saying "welcome home", and "happy birthday". I'd practice it so much because I felt like those were the most important words I'd ever say in my life. And I wanted to get it just perfect. Now I know I'll never be able to say those words to her.

The day she was placed on reserve (all but adopted), was yesterday, November 11. 11/11. Seems easy enough to remember. And since Banshee is about 3 or 4 years old, that would make her birthday 11/11/2008. So there you go my baby girl. Happy birthday. I'll never be able to celebrate it with you, but at least now you have one. I hope your new family loves you just as much as I do, and I hope they take great care of you.

I feel like I've lost a daughter. A daughter I only begun to know. Her time with me was so short, and yet in that short time she showed me so much love and loyalty. There have been dogs that I have certainly known for a longer period of time at the dog shelter. Many have come and gone in the years I've helped out there. But none of them have bonded with me to the degree, nor in the short time of span, as Banshee did. My baby girl. I'm told it's going to be a very loving home. At least she won't be in that filthy prison any longer.

I wanted to say Happy Birthday Tobbes. Even after all these years, I don't forget your birthday because you are still so important to me. I don't know why you disappeared all those years ago. I don't know where you are, what you're up to, or even if you're still alive. But I do know that I still love you. And that I think about you every day, and reflect upon the wonderful time we spent together.

You gave me love, you gave me the strength to face my inner demons and my past. I stood up to the sins of my past because of the support you gave me. It was the best feeling in the world to finally put those things behind me. I mended relationships, I have helped the people I previously hurt. I spent the most amazing few days in Manhattan with Tiggy. Do you remember Tiggy? She's a hundred times more awesome than I had remembered, and somehow managed to show me a side of Manhattan I had never seen in all the times I'd been there when I lived in New York.

I have so many happy memories with you. And I have so many more happy memories because you helped me reunite with people. I owe it all to you.

I just wish I knew where you were, if you were okay, and why you faded away in a pattern that has become disturbingly common in my life. I still love you Tobbes. I suppose some part of me is hoping you'll somehow, someday see this message. I wish you had stuck around longer to see how far I've come along because of you. It's been amazing, and I had wanted to share it all with you.

Wherever you are, whatever you're up to, I hope that you are well and happy. I still hope that you'll come back into my life someday as a friend. I miss you.


-Love,
"Your Little Khanny"

A long time ago, this was posted on the AC forums. I've felt the need recently to re-watch it. It's good. Uplifting a bit. Thought I'd pass it on to you guys. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/xfq_A8nXMsQ

Okay, so I'm heading out to go grocery shopping. I've got my reusable shopping bags that are going to be filled with groceries that have a larger carbon footprint than plastic bags, like a good eco-conscious American. And I'm walking down the road...and there's a small dog just wandering around in the middle of the street. The poor thing is just barely missing the passing cars.

It's a light business district, so I figure I can probably catch the dog, knock on the door of whatever establishment and ask them to call animal control. Sounds like a plan. Well, I start walking over towards the dog, and he sees me, gets this playful look on his face, and starts to run.

Well I honestly don't know what is worse in this case, losing track of the dog, or chasing him around when he obviously doesn't want to be caught. Dogs can run about three times as fast as a standard person. If he doesn't want to be caught, he won't be.

I give chase, because hell I don't know any better. I'm chasing the dog up the road, and this car stops near me and a woman jumps out of the passenger seat and starts running with me. She asks me if it's my dog, and between deep breaths I explain it isn't - just that I'm trying to make sure the thing gets off the street and hopefully into a dog shelter. He's got tags on, so they can call the owner.

Well, now this woman is helping me chase the dog down the street. I've got my superhero-for-the-hour thing going on, and now I even have a sidekick. We're running down the street, but I'm outrunning her because, well, kangaroos got damned good legs. And I still have my glossy re-usable shopping bags in my hand. And the woman is running behind me, whom I'm outrunning. It's dark out because it's 8:15pm (2015h), and we're running down the street.

We lose the track of the dog. I catch my breath for a bit, she catches up to me. We decide that as far as we can see down the main road, the dog isn't there. So hopefully he darted down into the residential areas where there's virtually no traffic. We have no choice but to hope that he'll be caught by some homeowner and brought safety to an animal rescue.

The woman and I start walking back to where the car dropped her off. We're walking, not talking much...a police cruiser turns into a driveway in front of us, lights flashing. The officer doesn't get out of the car, but opens his window and says he wants to talk to us. I'm like, "We're being pulled over? On foot?"

The officer asks us a few questions about what's going on. The woman explains that we were chasing a dog. Cop asks me what's in my hands? So I hold up the grocery bags and explain that I was on my way to go grocery shopping when I saw the dog wandering down the street. The woman chimes in that she saw me running after the dog, so she tried to help.

It was on that note that the cop suddenly asks the woman if she knows me. She says she doesn't. So the cop starts asking her for her name, her phone number, what she was up to, and a couple of other things. Remember the woman was the passenger in the car? Well, the car comes around and pulls up. She excitedly says that it's her husband, to pick her up. The cop goes, "Oh" :|, all disappointed like. We ask him if there's a problem, and he explains that he was called into the area because someone saw me holding glossy bags, running, with a woman running behind me. Good samaritan called the police and reported that a man had snatched some woman's purse and the woman was chasing him down the street.

:|

Cop didn't ask me any questions. Just let us go at that point. I still think it was funny how official he was in trying to get that woman's information until she revealed she was married. But he did say he'd call animal control and have them patrol that residential area.

AUP changes

The new AUP...as far as I can tell, does not effect me because I really just use Flickr now anyway. There's plenty of debate to whether or not the "changes" are good, but I'm not going to voice my opinion nor will I invite discussion on that one because it is irrelevant. Whether or not it is for the best, it is nonetheless done for, and discussion does not change that.

I put quotes around "changes" because, to me, it all just seems like clarification of previously existing rules, albeit with a slight bit less leeway behind them. There is also a very fine line between order and absurd totalitarianism, and newsflash: right now we're nowhere near that line. Can't even see that line from here. Everything we hold dear in our lives is due to three things. 1: Rules. 2: People generally taking it upon themselves to comply with those rules. And 3: people willing to force the rest of them to comply or remove them from the equation so the remaining peoples can enjoy what has been established. So I think people should just sit tight, relax, and enjoy this site with its rules. Rules are necessary, bitching isn't.

TOS

 TOS is a sweet man and a good friend :3

So my photo editing software, Nikon Capture NK 2, arrived two days earlier than expected.

I'll admit, I'm impressed by some of the features of it. One thing they tote with wild abandon on the back cover of the box is a new "retouch" tool. They show it in screenshots taking an errant piece of flint out of a photo that had been on the camera lens at the time the photo was taken.

So, I'm thinking to myself, "Yeah, they always make things look good in ads, even on the box of the item. It probably doesn't even work".

Well, I found myself with an opportunity to test it out. One fursuiter I had photoed happened to have an errant magenta thread embedded in his fur on his face. This area of the photo was heavy with glittery reflections from the fur, the color and pattern of the fur itself, as well as shading and what-not. For kicks (and since the software allows very easy removal of edits), I bring up the retouch tool and smear it across the area of his fur with the string.

The magenta string just fucking VANISHED, with the texture and highlights blended right in. This auto edit tool worked so well that I sat there staring at that area of the photo...and I outright could not tell there had been any editing there. I was like, "fucking sweet!"

That said, there's a lot that the program can't do. So, I'll be keeping Gimp and using that to supplement my editing for wherever NX2 falls short.

I have three photos up from Anthrocon in my Flickr account, edited primarily with NX2. I really like the results so far, and even though my photography early on in the con was coming up a bit short, the editing software worked marvelously at making the photos the very best they can be.

So take a look and let me know what you think. Also, any constructive feedback or advice is always welcome.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/998934.....7627163707630/

Okay, so I wanted to throw my hat into the ring here and say a few things about my experience at AC. In general, it was a very pleasant experience, and I had a lot of fun. I want to start off by mentioning some of the good things.

"Oh you're that guy"

Those of you who have followed my journals for the past year might remember that I resolved to "step out of the darkness", as it were, and be more open and friendly towards other people. To that end, just before I departed for AC I invited people to come up and say hello to me. And on my side of that, I also went out of my way to introduce myself to a few people I recognized either from FA or the Anthrocon forums. The results were overwhelmingly positive. I met a ton of really cool people, and I lost track of how many hands I shook in the process. I was overjoyed with how many people went out of their way to say hello, and it really made me feel like I've done a little something that a lot of people seem to enjoy. It was also nice to put a face on familiar names, names that have followed me around forums and FA for so long. There were smiles, there were hugs, and there was one line I heard again and again as I ran around the Westin and the DLCC.

"Oh...you're that guy. The one who takes all the photos!" Or some variant thereof. People said that, that I didn't think followed me on FA. People said that, that I thought had vanished from FA. So, apparently, my photos get around. I guess it's a bit funny to be recognized as a spammer of photos on FA. At least now I've moved my galleries to Flickr, but yes, I'm that guy. Or...no, I'm one of many guys. A lot of people take photos and post them to FA nowadays. Some of them even do it much more professionally.

Specifically speaking,  abrahm . The man doesn't just take photos, he makes it into a true art. He took a photo of me outside the Deaddog party Sunday night. But to put it so plainly as "took my photo" is to really undercut the sort of work he does. He pulled me aside with a smile on his face, told me he'd like to take my photo, and asked for me to pose. I decided to bend over atop the piano behind the escalators. Having decided on my general location, Abrahm looked over my fursuit, taking mental notes of my colors, the bright/dark factor, and my shape. He then looked at my chosen background and foreground objects, the lighting, the color of that lighting, and the surrounding area. After analyzing every minute detail with a surgeon's precision, he placed me near the piano in the best possible lighting for the area. He made sure I was under the ceiling lights properly, helped me pose considering the ambient lighting, and after everything was set up just so, he stepped back and found the position he wanted to take the photo in. He looked over his camera's settings, checked his speed flash. And trust me, the man knows exactly what his camera can do, what the limits are, and he pushes it right to that point. He adjusted his camera settings, compensated for the white-balance, adjusted the angle of his flash, and checked the power of the flash. He looked over the distance between himself and I, himself and the ceiling point where he wanted to bounce the flash off of, and between that point and I. After looking over everything, carefully measuring everything out, he started setting up the frame of his shot. He made sure it was exactly what he wanted....

And then people were walking through the area constantly, so we had to move over to a wall area that had less foot traffic to take the photo, but hey, either way he took my photo.

When it comes to con photography, by contrast, I just stop fursuiters, ask them to pose, snap a few pictures, and be on my merry way. So anytime I talk about con photography, I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment and tip my hat to  Abrahm who does an incredible job and sets the par for mobile fursuit photography.

The numbers

Now that it is all said and done, I have 2,560 photos from AC. Of course, not all of them are worthy or necessary to post. If my past is any indication, I'll be posting approximately 2/7ths of the total photo count, resulting in a final count of about 731.

Yes, that's quite a lot. This was my first con with the new camera, and I wanted to make sure my investment was worthwhile. I still have to buy the appropriate photo editing software from Nikon, because I want my photos to be the very best that they can be. I've been previewing them and noticing many of them came out darker than I had hoped, and that's something I'll have to work on for next year.

The Roo photoshoot

First pic found is here

This year, there were precisely three roos that showed up, myself included.  Daverab (sodaroo - livewire), and  mangusu (sodaroo - Monster). I'm going to have to take the blame on this one failing, with half the turnout of last year. I thought I got out the word enough, but apparently I hadn't. Shortly after the shoot, I ran into a roo wandering the halls of the DLCC whom apparently didn't know there was a roo shoot. So, my bad on that.

Later on that day, I ran into Daverab again in the "Marsupial Madness" panel. He asked me a good question, which was "Why do we have our roo shoot separate from this panel, when we could really knock out both at the same time?"

I gave him a short answer, and I'll elaborate further for everyone else. Last year when I organized the roo shoot, it was before the Anthrocon 2010 program was released. I didn't know if the "marsupial madness" panel was coming back, nor would I have been able to know when or where it was. Plus, last time I attended the panel (which was 2009. I forgot to attend in 2010), it was held in a dinky little room in the Westin, which was packed with chairs and neigh impossible to really maneuver in. I was the only kangaroo fursuit to show up to that one anyway. Plus there was piss-poor yellow lighting because it was a Westin conference room instead of out in the DLCC which is rich with natural sunlight. So as far as I knew, it wasn't optimal for a photoshoot for multiple reasons. This year, the "Marsupial Madness" panel actually was in the DLCC, and if it continues to be hosted out there, then yes it will make sense to merge the kangaroo photoshoot with the Marsupial panel. So next year we will be doing that, and I'll make a reminder announcement when we get close to that con.

Are we a tourist attraction now?

I have to wonder what is going on in the general area near the DLCC. Because for the past few years, Friday at around noon, the lobby of the Westin gets flooded with business people from around the district who are here to see us. Not that I'm complaining, either. Anytime I have a highly-educated, very attractive, and very successful woman under each arm just dying to hug me and take a photo with me...yeah, I'm a happy roo. Hey, it's superficial, but it's still nice :)

But it wasn't just women, although woman seemed to be the majority. There were plenty of guys in suits that came down, wanting photos, hugs, and just to see us. So I'm left to wonder if we're becoming a little tourist trap of own now.

And at least this year nobody mistook me for a rabbit.

Solitary

Before I went to AC, I made a list of about fifteen people I was interested in meeting up with, hanging out with, grabbing some lunch or dinner with, etc. Total number of people I was able to hang out with? One. Just one. Everyone else told me they were busy, pushed back plans indefinitely, or I simply never saw them at the con and I can only wonder if they really went or not. It was really disappointing.

In conclusion

It was a great experience overall, although I'm still suffering from con crud that I may have to see a doctor about. At any rate, I had a lot of fun, but I have a lot of work to do to improve my photography for next year. I'm also very bummed about not being able to see most of the peeps I went out there to see.

An open-ended question in regards to my photography.

With Anthrocon rapidly approaching, I felt that now was the appropriate time to field this question. I am in the process of familiarizing myself with my new equipment, but photography comes down to more than lenses and f-stops.

So now I ask all of you what do you want? What do you want to see more of from me? Where do you think I can improve? Do you have any tips you feel would help me in my pursuit of all things fuzzy and cute?

The answers I'm looking for can be almost anything related to photography. If you want to see certain poses, or an emphasis on a type of framing of the subject, or anything, please speak up! I do this all for you guys, so your opinion is important to me. I can't promise that I can act upon each idea or request submitted, but I can try.

It is my hope and desire to continue improving what I deliver. But to do that, I need to know what my audience wants. So speak up! Like I said, just about anything related to photography, from framing, equipment, props, or whatever, now is the time to let me know so I have a decent amount of time to consider your idea or practice upon it.

This is a public service announcement

At Anthrocon, I am seeking to do a photoshoot of all kangaroo fursuits. Right now I have these as the preliminary details...

When: Friday at 1pm (1300h). I chose Friday because I wanted something close to noon, and the parade is on Saturday now, and people have too much to do/are leaving Sunday. Midday because I wanted excellent lighting for this event.

Where: the concourse in front of the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom.

Why: Kangaroos, do you really need another reason?

Who: Any photographers who want to capture this event are invited to. Any kangaroo fursuits or kangaroo hybrids are welcome to be a part of the photo session.

Other questions...

Hey I'm not a kangaroo but I want to be in the photoshoot! Can I please?
I certainly do not want to exclude anyone from having a fun get together, BUT, the purpose of this is to get all the kangaroo fursuits together. However I would say that AFTER we have the group photo taken, anyone can join in!

I want to get photos too.
Please do! Just post them to FA, tag them appropriately, and let people know! Note the participants and the kangaroo groups on FA (Like Sodaroos, Kangaroo_Mob, etc) so that we can then, in turn, let everyone else know :)

I'd appreciate advance notice of anyone intending to show up in fursuit for the group photo - just so I have an idea of how large this is going to be. But by no means is it necessary. Any roos that want to show up, can.

Hey this time and place conflicts with my schedule!
I'm sorry but there is no way for me to please everyone. There are only so many times and places that are really opportune for an organized photoshoot. Opening this up for debate would just needlessly complicate things so I'm sticking with a set time and place.

Hey I'm a 'roo hybrid, can I be in the photoshoot?
So long as a casual observer can see that you are roo-ish.



So there you have it. Spread the word :)