So, realizing people are all posting their 'I'm over here' or 'Updates about what is going on' stuff. Last journal I wrote was a year ago, so I guess if I needed an excuse to post something, then here we go!

1. I'm still around. My re-upload queue is rather large, and I need to come up with a better tagging system to better respect artists' TOS requests, with some having some rules about reposting and others not so much. I may try to post more a bit later.

2. I have a web site! I've had one for awhile, but I keep... not posting on it. Part of it was putting myself to a higher standard I'm actually able to commit to, so I'll have to put up something together for 'default' postings or whatever. Then again, I'm also writing up the inner core... again... so eh...
I do keep my social links updated there at the footer, so in case something happens to FA or whatever, you can always find my contacts there.

3. I have a lot of unfinished tasks. This is the big one. I have a lot of projects started, but not really completed. This isn't helped by a recent adoption of two kittens, even though one of the tasks if making my media room not a total disaster. I have been using some tools to help me better organize my tasks and get things done, but it's slow going.
Some examples are:
* Redoing my entire PC setup. Basically, moving my tower to the left of my desk instead of under it on the right side. This means redoing the cable organization, which then leads to building a table over the PC to expand my desk area... which I then plan to use during the summer to route the heat generated outside via a duct. I did clean out the area, so it's just a case of bunkering down and just moving everything.
* Resuming the Mamagen import. "Just use the UnityPa-" I use Resonite, so that isn't really an option. This one is mostly because I haven't been on VR that much as of late (again, KITTENS), but also because I set the scope pretty broad. I might just focus on making a simple v1 redux and then do a v2 later with the extra, non-essential features I want, like swappable clothing via slots and better UI controls.
* Finishing the imports for other artists. Avatars like the AquaPot were on standby because I just couldn't get past certain hurdles. Sadly, avatars made for one platform without intention of others usually means things get skipped over, and the end result means no standards are really practiced.
Anyway, it also doesn't help that avatars get updated while doing things, meaning I have to apply fixes all over again. This is fine, since it does help me get used to the practice, but it is something that has held me back. The number of imports I was attempting was just too damn high, and the consequence is that nothing got done. Each avatar is a puzzle to reconstruct, and 1000 piece jigsaws take about 4 days for me on and off, so an avatar with unique goodies requires quite a bit of time.
* Record a video. This one sounds weird, but I've had plenty of monologs about stuff going on and responses to various events. No one cares about that, but I have broken down projects I did make a ton of progress with... but never bothered to record the break down. Thing is, certain things just feel like they're stuck in community knowledge, which is based on out of date results. This does stem to the whole 'Resonite is too hard and unusable' argument I hear so often, and I've had several discussions about how it is both true and false, and what can be learned from it. Additionally, I've wanted to break down the process of an 'ACTUAL' import of something, or a fun project like "building an arcade game entirely from scratch using only Resonite" (Meaning, no outside tools; JUST Resonite).


There are other stuff, but I figured I might as well post this before I just don't again. I am trying to get better with stuff, but it's going to be slow going.

EDIT: Oh, right, I should maybe put the updated contact links.
BSky: flamesoulis.com

Realized I haven't updated the journals in awhile.

I've been mostly making tools for VR and what not, and have taken plenty of pics of them and other things. I'm usually not one to post screenshots very often, but eh... maybe just a few times.

Either way, I have a backlog of artwork done by many artists. I'm just reviewing each one's repost rules to ensure I'm not stepping on anyone's toes.

I've done this 3 times now. I keep forgetting to take off my VR headset and fall asleep on my chair in the lean back position. It's not that exiting. If anything, it's confusing on many fronts:

#1 - Is it really Anthrocon already?
#2 - Why does this room look better than mine?
#3 - Are THOSE really mine?

The third one mostly applies to my female crux avatar...

...I just had a trouble ticket finally responded to. It was in regards to stolen artwork.

Over a year and a fucking half ago.

Since then, we had already handled it ourselves and the artist now actually works with their own stuff.

A Disgruntled Therion,
Flame

So I am getting a job. Fantastic (not official, but whatever)!

For awhile I've been wanting to explore just making a suit for appreciation and for experience. I have ideas on what to work with and I really want an excuse to throw an Arduino into a fursuit. I also want to try and make something that is unique and I haven't seen before (feature wise). So I've picked my female crux from Second Life.

This is where a big curve ball comes into play: I'm a guy. Male dimensions != Female dimensions. Creating illusion of such = Ug.

So I decided to tackle the above issue with the only way I know how: throw numbers at it! I first had to find out the crux's actual specs and this made for some interesting information:

Height: 6'3" (not including ears or hat)
Hip Width: 18.5"
Shoulder Width: 10"
Waist Width: 8"

Height is helpful, since that is about my height. Everything else... oh god what have I done?! I'll have to be creative to create the illusion of the avatar's dimensions (or just have the suit eat a few sandwiches).

I knew I could in no way make the actual bust size match (for common sense reasoning) and I am the last qualified person to come up with a cup size. So I did it anyway!

Band size: 30"
Bust size: 43"
According to some chart: 30M?!

Uh yeah... not going to happen, but looking into that did highlight a few key things that I find hard to explain but were basically missing criteria I wasn't even thinking about (mostly ratios).

All in all, it will be interesting and the feature I have in mind, if I do build the suit... well, you'll see if it happens.

Hey, hey!

I've been a content creator on IMVU for almost 10 years. Does that mean I get priorities on my support tickets finally?

Also, I can't wait to watch FurAffinity require the bullshit adult verification junk IMVU needs. Individuals don't remain individual for long with this situation.

If you have to get in contact with me, here are some tips:
1. A friend request is not an invitation nor a place holder for your question.
2. If your question is "Are you there?", my answer is "never."
3. I work for Kinzart. If your message is for another company, chances are I will make a really funny picture out of your message for my enjoyment.
4. If your question is "I have a question", that isn't a question you tool!
5. Leave the "/me"s at home. I'm here to answer a question, not act as a spooge dispenser.
6. If you read my profile, you should have seen that I'm busy working on stuff and you SHOULD NOT be asking me questions in the first place!

I can be helpful, but abuse it and the number of fucks I have to give will be the same amount of answers you will get!

So back at AC2014, I met up with the crux group and asked about releasing an update pack for the crux avatar on Second Life. Previously, I had asked the Kinzart group and was met with "Why work on that and not KZK related stuff?" I think it is time I sit down and explain:

The crux avatar is fairly aged in the script department as much as our older dragon avatars have. Not to mention, I have been working on a new vendor system for 2 years, a new update to the script system for KZK for 8 months, and the list goes on. I haven't had the time to settle with a smaller, bite sized project in quite some time. I felt the crux was a decent place to start, since the usage of the avatar hasn't declined but the memory cost hasn't done so well in current Second Life standards.

Updating the crux would mean using experimental features and ideas that I normally would not take a risk on a Kinzart script, meaning that while I would be releasing a complete and (as close as can possibly be) bug free, it would help pave the way to newer features that would later be introduced onto a Kinzart avatar (totally not Sergal v2 *cough cough*). This would also give me the small side project I need to help retrain my focal point on other projects.

The reason I haven't released it just yet is because the current scripts I have only work for what I really use on the Crux's already existing feature set, which is to say that the amount is really low. If I am to make an update (even an unofficial one), I need to cover all the bases and ensure that the functionality between an unmodded crux and a modified crux are identical. At the same token, if I incorporated beta scripts into the avatar, it could mark this update being the first to make a non-KZK avatar AUC compatable (AUC is Kinzart's updating system for self installing mods and self updating script sets). Mod makers for crux avatars most likely can rejoice with that in mind.

I will keep an update log on its progress as I continue along.

What's a Nevrean? I have no idea how to explain except classic raptors that apparently go well with soy sauce, depending on who you ask (hint: not me).

So after a few months of development and checking in with  mick39 to ensure we are doing things justice, the next avatar to come on down from Vilous is now out and ready! We'll be having two release parties at the Yiff and Furnication clubs so be sure to stop by (details of the release can be found here). We have made both female and male shapes along with respective traits for each (males have two sets of wings to use while females have more teeth and an extra digit on their hand). We've included a new unpacker so everything will be pre-sorted for you.

Be sure to stop by our main store in Second Life and check them out!

No, it has nothing to do with the whole 'r' thing...

No, it has nothing to do with the whole animal thing (though there are some states where it is still legal, so even if it were true, it could still be legal)...

No, it has (mostly) nothing to do with the site redesign...

It involves the fact that a site administrator will let just about anyone back onto the site if enough begging and paid tribute is done. Said admin knows who they are.

No, this is not some drama fueled story; this is solid fact. This is having to deal with for 8 months of pure punishment and sadly having the misfortune of getting others involved with one part paid expenses and second part empty bank accounts. The person is neither fictitious nor non-existent. The person will not be named. The person knows who they are.

Yes, I am done with that person. No, I am not interested in speaking with them again. Yes, I can most likely tell said person is reading this message. Congratulations, said person has proved that there is at least more than one functioning braincell in the void called their head.

So why do I only now not care about FA?

Because all this drama makes it rather convenient for finding a better excuse to leave this place.

Yes, I still plan to do advertisements with FA but only for a month unless it can prove itself to even be worth it, since other locations offer better prices and better click rates.

Though, while we are thinking, if FA is getting money from advertisements (of which, I can see a rather large variety), why do they still need to ask for money for server repairs? DNS registration costs about $25 a year and server upkeep cost about $250 a year...

Think about it.

First of all, despite what has been happening, my FA account will still exist, despite how much I do NOT agree with how things have been going on. In fact, if that was the only thing that was influencing my reasons of being here, I would have outright gave FA the middle man solute and leave everything behind with a grin.

Overall, this is where everyone (unfortunately) is, and despite the option of having another location, most people tend to refuse. In the future, I have run past people ideas of advertisements and future business ventures with FA due to that fact. If people wised up and put their pride shields down for a few moments to realize what they were hiding from, maybe this wouldn't be the case.

We live in a world where secrets do not remain hidden forever and the skeletons in the closet might as well be made of neon tubes. The more popular you are, the more you get away with. The more stupid it is, the less we look away. I won't say I'm perfect, but even my faults do not go as low from what I've been told.

Bottom line, I'm not leaving FA, but I'm not happy regarding what is happening here.

And let's summarize it:
- Fried my first hard drive. Gets 2 larger ones as a replacement.
- Discovers Raspberry Pi. Builds a wearable computer.
- Bitcoin value skyrockets. PROFITS!
- Gets bored one day. Writes new vendor code in an hour.
- Gets second job. Loses it after 8 weeks.
- Upgraded Bitcoin mining rig. Names it in Latin (Numisma)
- Drives two people to emergency room. Hospital knows me.
- Celebrates birthday. NO ONE DIES! CURSE BROKEN!
- Attended Anthrocon. Doesn't forget scarf!
- Waited at train station for Anthrocon. Screw up = massive freakout!
- Goes for foot surgery and mother calls. Doctor does it one handed!
- Monitor dies. Gets a bigger and better new one!
- Buys Kerbal Space Program. Finally lands on the Mun!
- Year 4 of Kinzart. Doesn't get fired!

So yeah, 2013. It was alright.

Ug.... I've been upt o my neck with issues and have noticed a void in my journals, so lets catch up.

I've had to place a near perminant hold on the eye blink module for fursuits. The reason is because I have gotten so many other projects on my plate for clients that I have little time to deal with the project. At the same time, I"ve since learned a few tricks that would have made my life easier if I had just gone ahead and used the project I had as a final. The newer ideas should improve the next build by a good amount and would even allow for easier installation for fursuit makers, which is something I'd rather have and than sacrifice the easier usability to keep on time.

As for projects, I have been very quiet regarding Kinzart related stuff and with good reason: for the past 2 months I've just been tired. My mother graduated college and her computer powered off for the last time, which has given me a good few real world assignments. My own PC had its own share of problems and required some fixing. Bottom line is the real world sucks and blah blah blah.

Bottom line regarding the Kinzart related assignments is that I've been too busy goofing around that I haven't had time to truely focus on any projects, which has made quite a number of things suffer as a result. Getting out of this loop won't be an easy one and I'm hoping once I get my car's battery in working order, I will be able to get back on track with things.

Speaking of the Kinzart stuff, I have put the vendor system as the priority project. I have come to the conclusion that sales are lowering due to exclusiveness of newer things in the main store and that isn't fair to anyone. I hope to have this resolved soon as I get back on track.

As for what I have learned from goofing off: a lot. I've had quite a bit of time to tinker with Raspberry Pis and see just what they can do, and it gives me plenty of ideas for fursuit stuff, but that will have to wait as sketches and notes because I have catching up to do.

Yay.....

In other news, AIO v2 is showing its balls of power (Okay, 'Boobs' of power for the ladies, and herms, you get the picture (or both)). I've had to set it aside for Nav2, the vendor system we use for Kinzart, since it is in need of upgrades.

In other news, I have finally posted a journal that isn't drama related!

Meanwhile, I used to have the ads shown on FA, but out of curiosity, I turned them off. Now FA loads faster than Google. Than Google. Faster.

FA! Y U NO USE GOOD AD SYSTEM?!

(Save yourself some time and I'd strongly recommend reading the source: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4343379/)

The more I see these posts, the more I shake my head and at the same time feel like I’m watching FA’s demise slowly unfold like a badly done B movie and when I’m out of popcorn, so there is little to no enjoyment in the explosions. I understand that Weasyl is making a break through harder and stronger than the rampaging Kool-aid man (insert ‘OH YEAH!’ quotes here) and that has become a rather tempting alternative, but some people’s reactions to individuals moving over have become as abundant as the is a lack of brain power in the average human being.

To get this out of the way, yes I have a Weasyl account and have had one since the fund raising projects and yes, so far I’m overall happy with their rapid progress, and to be fair, even with the open beta, the community is still in an infant stage. This isn’t to say that it won’t grow up and become a solid work horse of its own, but there is still room for improvement, so all comments aside, I personally am satisfied with Weasyl and am looking towards its future goals.

The moment any big shot ‘popufur’ leaves FA and joins what most people seem to consider an evil entity, a great number of journals are expected to pop up in reaction on the move to Weasyl. While most journals that state the whole series of event are fed by drama, put some logic on that drama lama and reconsider a few things.

First of all, let’s review the current and most recent one of this posting: the journal titled ‘Exodus’. In it, a well known individual watches their friend be stalked by someone they have no idea about on both FurAffinity and the actual world. From sex stories to getting addresses, this person was really keeping the friend on edge. Since part of the stalking was occurring on FurAffinity, the friend does what most people with half a brain cell remaining do: file for harassment through support.

The story would end here, but then we would have a rather stale tale. Not only was the ticket ignored and the original problem creator not banned, but the friend was instead punished for whatever reason they saw fit. Not only were journals removed, but any comments related to that journal were also lost, which hid away any trace of the entirety of the situation. Perhaps the stalker was the Thane of FurAffinity and no one knew, but to double check, Dragoneer had this to say:
“The admin took the right course of action in this case. I don't feel it's something to leave FA over, as if it happened on FA, it will happen on /any/ site. It's unfortunate, but a choice they have made. I'll respect that."

This, in turn, essentially means that the stalker had done nothing wrong and that the disposal of vital data like the staff were part of whole scheme was also a perfectly acceptable action. And so ends the lore of this so called ‘drama,’ so let’s dive right in.

During current times, investigations of any kind cost money to perform, and filing charges for stalking differs from state to state. While almost all are free, filing for damages is a whole other story. To add to this stew of legal protection, you also need to know who the stalker is to file charges, and even the level of detail differs from state to state. With current technology, this is easier said than done, as the stalkers always have the upper hand, since they clearly know more about the individual than the individual often times knows about them. Couple that with lawyers wanting to add to the bill, and even a free filing charge becomes a payday to two lucky money vampires.

Now let’s take a note about the friend’s action: submitting a ticket of harassment. While most people have based their drama text files over this action, reconsider this: If the individual cannot seek out legal assistance yet, let alone also bring out publically one’s involvement with the fandom which is still stereotyped in certain areas, sometimes the best action is the easiest one. Filing a support ticket is completely free and since the individuals involved are all on the same service, this action seems logical. Before we continue on, let’s make up a situation where this was treated more seriously:
Say that the ticket is read and the stalker is banned from FurAffinity. If the person is really wanting to continue, they will typically make another account to continue, since a possible reason for stalking is for attention. Under this assumption, it is only a matter of time before the stalker is identified under the new account. The next form of a ban would be an IP Ban from FurAffinity, which is still bypass-able. The most these actions would have done would hinder the stalker’s actions by a few steps, but if someone is truly being stalked, any few more steps they are away from someone they don’t know, the better.

Placing one foot/paw forwards into the portal of reality and we can see this clearly did not happen, so what damage could have been done by the moderators when they decided to play god with information? Should the friend want to seek out actual legal charges, any pieces of information, even on a social/art website as FurAffinity, would be considered vital. Depending on state laws regarding the use of such evidence, even a simple sentence can mean the difference between a restraining order and more firepower for the online predator. And before the comments about data logs come up, remember that moderators clearly have access to private notes as well, so just how far does their power glove extend? This is a question that cannot be answered, and to assume the worst, it could extend as far as to the logs themselves. Even if the logs exist, they would only contain so much information so the site can perform optimally, so unless the journals just lose a setting that makes them invisible, once a journal is gone, it is gone for good. (That is, unless Google caches it first)

So from all this, what have we learned? Seeking legal assistance isn’t as straightforward as most intend it to be, and performing more simple steps first is often times the best thing to do before moving towards more difficult decisions. Had the moderators taken a more sensible move in how to proceed with the ticket, it would not have completely stopped the stalker at all, but it would have hindered some of his actions temporarily. And now that the journals are gone, so are any pieces of evidence that may have assisted in the filing charges for a restraining order, which most of the response journals posted have pointed out that the person should have done that first. But the biggest discovery of all of it:


Most of you agreed that this is okay.

With what just happened regarding the school shooting in Connecticut, I hold my respect and hope of well being to the families and friends of those who lost someone as a result of the event. It is always a hard thing to consider and to watch unfold, but with the police at scramble and news media with cameras all around the scenes and houses of those effected, the hardest thing is to accept the reality that this is not a dream.

What leaves me truly disappointed lies in the reaction of everyone else involved, being of those who watch the events on the news or click ‘Like’ on anyone’s Facebook comments regarding their own ‘liking’ to an article or comment to the event. As much as social media has brought people together by allowing us to shorten the strings of communication between ourselves, it has also made us fall further apart from each other and reality. Where I truly harp at are those who simply sit on their computers or have their eyes glued to their smart phones to watch this unfold and show their support only by ‘liking’ an article or comment. ‘Liking’ something in relation to this is in itself a pathetic movement to state that someone has made a moment in respect of the event. That while mothers that have lost their growing children, while news casters must sit by the scenes and document the events unfold, and while police must witness firsthand the losses and fixed expressions of those that are no more, that the only thing some people can do is just ‘like’ an article in its relation.

Why not ‘like’ someone’s comment to give a moment of silence in respect of those who were lost and follow up by doing it yourself? Why not ‘like’ someone’s post on their donation to a fundraiser to help the families and, in turn, donate yourself? Instead of simply talking about helping, why not actually do it? While things unfolded, all that was done was Google searches on Ryan Lanza’s name and writing up reactions to the event and harping about how society ‘has let such evils exist in this world.’ What I would rather see, and have done myself, is to be proactive about the event and truly make a difference instead of simply being the lemming who follows the next.

I am not here to write about gun regulations and their flaws, nor am I here to state that their support. I am not for talking about something that makes the act of spreading death an easier act nor am I going to talk about how anyone could perform such acts. I am here to state that a humble dollar, pound, or euro can make a stronger difference than simply clicking ‘Like’ and that the respects paid act stronger than observing those who that do.

That is a reality that I hope will not simply remain a dream.

Just a quick question out there for the tech-savy individuals ye' be:

I have been using my Geforce GTS 250 OC for the past 2 years and it's been very effective across 2 systems I've used it in. With my second system, which became a first overclocking system to me, I began to get my feet wet in regards to thermal compounds when I realized that Intel likes to cheap out sometimes. I first used Arctic Silver 5 which worked slightly better but it turns out I didn't apply it right (dot method fail). Then I got Antec Formula 7 and applied it right (hey, it came with the applier in the box), with very impressive results (6-8 C drop avg on full load).

Well, after seeing the success with my CPU (Intel i5 3570K), I am now wondering in regards to my graphics card if I could see similar benefits. On idle, my GPU is around 61C and while doing some gaming on it, it will spike to around 80C (versus my CPU which idles at around 30C and 58C on full load). Would taking apart my GPU and replacing its stock compound make any difference or does it even matter that it is going up to 80C?

-Flame

Yes, I have joined Weasyl at https://www.weasyl.com/profile/flamesoulis

Invites are for friends only, so don't bother asking.

Onwards to business...

Don’t forget to join us at our office hour in Ixen at 12 PM PST on October 11th! Don’t disappoint!

And here is a quick link to our event from Google Calendar for those who want a reminder!

-Flame

Don’t forget to join us at our office hour in Ixen at 12 PM PST on September 27th! That’s an offer you can’t refuse!

Also, remember the Twisted Hunt ends on September 30th, so if you haven’t gotten the Murk Beast yet or have checked out other cool Twited Hunt locations, this is the final week to do it in!

-Flame

Sauce: [url=http://kzkflame.tumblr.com/post/32111485254]Tumblr (includes epic image)

EDIT: No img tag? Damn you, FA!

I often hold it questionable on if I really belong in where I currently am and if somehow I was adopted at birth. Me and a few friends often use the phrase "being adopted" as a metaphor for when something doesn't work. I almost welcome it as a compliment.

Before I can begin, I have to give a bit of background; Ascott is my cat who I adopted from  lunaragk. Originally I was to adopt two cats: Ascott and Shadow. Shadow suffers from being near completely blind and had relied on Ascott to get around. Since they were sent into a shelter, Shadow's vision was partially restored, but he became very stressed to near suicidal. I was able to find someone else to take care of Shadow, and while from last I was told he was not still happy, he was alive.

The reason I couldn't adopt Shadow was due to a last minute change in plans. I live with my father and grandfather, in where I mostly have no control over my own life. Despite my two majors, being self employed, and asking for little to no money from them, nothing seems to please them. We were having mice problems and I had vouched that we should adopt a cat. I was already familiar with both Ascott and Shadow, and knew Ascott was more than capable of dealing with the problem. Adopting them was a bit more than just fixing a household problem; we previously had another cat named Oliver. He wasn't the most friendly of cats, but his presence helped make people more calm. Ascott and I got along well at Lunara's place and having adopted him, while a struggle to get to that point due to family ordeals, has made a big impact on my current life.

Ascott has adjusted well to the house and commonly sleeps on my bed with me when resting. Like a small dog (which to him, could be easily taken as an insult), he typically follows me around the house or sleeps under the dining room table. He just does his usual sleeping, stalking some mice, and wondering around seeking attention. I also find him in my room or in front of my bedroom door after arguments. I don't understand my family but sometimes I wonder if he has a better understanding than I do.

After a previous argument regarding a new phone I got and financials regarding it, I just laid on my bed and left my $300 paperweight sit on my desk. Ascott, of course, was in my room, waiting. He jumped up on me bed and just stared at me. I looked at him thinking he just wanted attention, but you can tell if that is the case by looking at his eyes. He is a cat, but somehow he just had that look in his eyes that said he didn't want attention. That's Ascott for you.

I gave him a small head rub, but instead of flopping down on the bed, he slowly laid down and, after bringing my finger down for chin scratching, began to lick my hand. I figured it'd only last for a few moments, but after a solid minute and without letting up, I was rather confused. I just continued to lay on the bed, now just watching Ascott licking away like my hand was covered in gravy or whatever.

I guess you get a lot of time to think when you don't move around for awhile (that, or Ascott has somehow found a way to lick time away). I just recalled older short stories I had read in the college where apparently I am doing nothing and recalled a quote from a story involving a worker at a funeral home. Somehow I felt that this quote that came flooding in was from that and left me rather mixed in feeling: "Sometimes the best thing you can do is just wash your hands."

And there laid the hand-licking Ascott, cleaning my one hand just after yet another huge argument. I wasn't sure on what to think at this point except that Ascott was more human than cat if anything. He was more calm than anyone else in the whole house, and still, above everything, he was more happy with how things were. I fell asleep a few times and upon waking up, there was Ascott, sleeping next to me and only waking moments after I did. By the second time I got what he was hinting at; he wanted the air conditioner on.

Sometimes I wonder why I still don't even understand my family, but now I question why I can understand the darn cat better than anyone else. He is someone with just simple needs, and yet is far more accepting than most I know.

But I guess I had to wash my hands hands first to better understand that, even if I needed a little help.

-Flame Soulis

I don't fully get these but oh well...
I'll do it because all the cool and hip kids are doing it.

Where are you staying?
Westin

What day are you getting there?
Wednesday

Who will you be with?
 lunaragk and  w0lfpawpaw, as well as  vincefearne and  taumoonwing

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
No clue. Most likely will just wonder around aimlessly like I usually do, but most likely with Lunara and Vince.

Are there any panels you might be attending?
Fursuiting panels are on my goals this time (as in, actually attending a panel)

Will you be suiting?
Yes (expect the green, fuzzy thing)

What is your gender?
Male

How tall are you?
6'2"

Can I talk to you?
I guess.

Can I touch you?
Um... what? If you mean like hugs or usual suiting stuff, sure. Otherwise...

How can I find you?
Mostly from my suit, which I'll be wearing a lot. My badges aren't 100% helpful due them not being too big, but if you can read them, that is another way.

Can I visit your room?
I'd rather not.

Can I buy you drinks?
Water: maybe. Gatorade/Vitamin Water: perhaps. Soda: have to think about it. Other: no

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs are okay I guess. Snuggles... eh, guess it depends on what kind of degree we are talking about.

Are you nice?
I'm not evil if that's what you mean.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Slight hand wave or direct eye contact. Even then, I may miss (near sighted at an extreme level). AC is typically noisy so sounds... aren't 100% accurate.

Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Not sure. Fernandos maybe when I hunger. Or I'll just be in the main lobby.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
I'd have to know you first (I'm a person, not a wallet).

Can I take your picture?
Lesson learned from last year: don't stand in front of Westin. Results in many pictures. (in other words, I don't mind)

Ug... why FA? Why ruin a perfectly good day?

Now don't get me wrong and close this out assuming I am complaining about the overall design. I am not.

My complaint lies in the coding and designing. It took me only 5 seconds to immediately hate it. This is just another example of the wannabe nerds trying to act all cool when clearly they are not.

So to make reading easier, let's tart with a well organized list:

1) TABLES! To the non-coding readers, remember Microsoft Excel and those spreadsheets? You use that to store information and make graphs, right? In XHTML/HTML, tables hold the same purpose: you hold data in them and use it to help organize it to make viewing it easier.
So how is FA using it? The top bar (I'll just call it the nav bar to save my migraine) is composed and organized with a table, which in HTML standards is heavily frowned upon and more importantly, is the incorrect way of solving the issue. To not get too technical, you all should remember text boxes, right? In HTML, there are two items that work the same way, and in all honesty, has been used everywhere else with no problems and create the same appearance.

2) Poor designing! I'll be uploading a snapshot to help explain this, but to make things easier, notice the two ads at the top of the page. If you see only one or none and only the FA banner, then you should already be seeing the problem. This cheats the people who do pay for ad support (who are most likely paying on a per viewing rate) and also those may be interested (since the ads here are based on common interest). This has also had some people have mobile operation issues but it also means if you are not using the maximum resolution on your PC, you will not be able to see everything. This is a heavy abuse of not listening to the users by not observing what the MOST popular resolution is.
Think trying to put a movie poster onto a normal piece of paper without scaling at all and that should give you an idea on a more general explanation. The technical solution: find the smallest this site was designed for and set it as the min-width in the CSS styling. That isn't even HTML!

3) Positioning of the Nav bar! Seriously, it's scrollable? Just lock its position to the top of the browser and make the bottom part scrollable. It isn't that hard. That or at the very least include a BACK TO TOP link at the BOTTOM of the page! The purpose of a nav bar is to help you navigate around a site, and this one on FA requires you to navigate to it first!

4) Site is only navigable via JavaScript! This is a major design flaw. Your site should be navigable without the JavaScript, which is not hard to do. For instance, the My FA 'drop down' should at the VERY LEAST link to a master page where the options are already present, especially for the support links where in order to access them REQUIRES that the JavaScript is working properly!
Think customer support on other businesses where there are no touch tone options and is strictly voice operated only. Wait until you come across someone with a strong accent or can't even speak and already the service is doomed.

Over all, I am disappointed beyond relief with FA's performance and their progress has been like Facebook's stocks: Sounds great at the beginning, is looking good at start, but ends up being total crap in the end for a service we had high hopes in. As someone who Aced Web Design, has written a few sites and web tools, fully working on many platforms and conditions, I am not even sure I can wish FA good luck on this one considering previous let downs.

-Flame

I come home after a rather exhausting experience from my preparation for my Finals and head to my room to quickly update on what is going on and return to finishing my studies. My grandfather is busy moving stuff from his car to the hallway where my door is for my room. We have a chest there and on one half of it has my stuff on it from earlier that was placed there by my folks that I haven't gotten to due to being busy work work and studies. I have only 2 weeks left of college and barely any time left for goofing around.

"Why haven't you been on ME3?" "Because the ending sucks and the multiplayer left a bad taste in my mouth." "Why haven't you tried TERA?" "I don't have time for MMOs." "A new update for Minecraft came out! Why isn't the server updated?" "Because I didn't know there was an update, I haven't logged in."

I had to drop Calculus due to my professor being... not a professor, and not wanting my GPA to take a tumble. Work has been a painful endeavor where me and my boss have occasional sparks on how the company should be operated given recent events that I won't go into detail about. The Hyena release was difficult to get going with due to having to compose a new set of scripts quickly (which added about 12kb of unneeded memory, sorry!). Now my team for Introduction to Business have disappeared into the unknown and left me out in the dark by not checking their F***KING emails (it states they are unread). Web Design is laughable as my project for it is done and from how I got my Introduction to C++ assignment completed and beating a broken test (I'll explain that later), I am not concerned about those two classes.

My concern is with my Introduction to Business class and the final project, which has been worked on since the beginning of the semester. Now I have to recreate all that work in forming a business operation in less than a few days while still balancing my other work.

Jump back to the resting in my room, where I hear the lovely sound of things crashing down with my name being called out like it is a summoning spell. I walk out and sure enough, my grandfather managed to knock over the small pile of clothes that I was eventually going to deal with on the one half side of the chest that almost completely blocks my door. He then complains on how I have left that there for weeks (when really they were put there by himself months ago) and how I use my Finals as an excuse for EVERYTHING like I have all the time in the world as though every day is the near end of college. Oh how I wish...

One rage moment later and the chest is as clean as can be. So now I am back here using Finals as my excuse once again while trying to not fuel the sensation of strangling something. I still question why I bother with half the stuff I do.

And I still have my Final project to be concerned about while still exhausted.

-Flame

I’m a moderately active person when it comes to petitions. Originally, as a kid, I didn’t really care for it that much. Politics wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, and that could be due to the fact I wasn’t into tea as a child either. With the mentioning of Bill S.978 through Notch’s tumblr blog, I soon learned more about our government’s actions and ways to have a bigger voice in the debates. This was my real introduction into politics and the importance of petitions.

Shortly after the current time victory over SOPA, I soon got another email from a different petition service called CREDO. The email was stating its ties with my original petition source, DemandProgress. I believe this was due to signing the NDAA petition, but I wasn’t really bothered by it at all due to the ties with DemandProgress, who helped fight a strong battle with SOPA along with many other important sources. I continued to get petitions for various things, but soon I began to run into some I actually decided to not sign.

It started when I received this petition involving a statement from Rush Limbaugh. I’ve heard quite a few good things about him and have listened to his show on a few occasions. Political talk isn’t really my favorite subject but from what I do listen from time to time, they are always interesting. This is where the petition gave me an impression of overreaction; the petition was to push his supporting advertisers into pulling back after Limbaugh’s recent statements regarding a Georgetown Law Student (for more details, read the petition’s information yourself). I understand the actions of human decisions and know that mistakes happen, and ultimately from the quote they are basing their petition on, I can see it as just a quick statement that does prove some points, though in a negative way. They go as far as to state his apology and admitting his “choice of words [were] not the best.” (See source below)

My reading of this petition came from after receiving this petition for going against the use of ‘pink slime’ meat for school lunches. As a graduate from Sussex County Technical School, I know how good food at schools can be; we had it lucky that the culinary class was next to the cafeteria so sometimes their meals were also the lunches. From my elementary school experience however, I know how bad it can also be. At this very moment, I am remembering when my classmates would take the cheese off their cheese burgers and use them as rubber balls to bounce around the place. I would like to also add they were also rather effective at that.

There have been a slew of other petitions that have popped up that have given my inbox a few gifts, and some that were just local and ‘social’ propaganda like the Invisible Children event. As a tweet received from one of my favorite music artists, C418, he stated that ultimately, it is you who should do the research about something before simply signing a petition or joining the crowd. For most petitions I’ve received, I agree with them and do sign them in support, but sometimes it’s better to be the sheep who left the herd than part of a pack of lemmings running off the side of a cliff.

-Flame

Sources
Limbaugh Sorry for Attack on Student in Birth Control Furor, New York Times, March 3, 2012

Link to mah tumblr post

edit: Fuck, Fuckity, Fuck Fuck! Damn you FA text parsing! Y U NO LIKE HTML?!

I've got a bit of an interesting observation I have spotted while doing some work on my LED module and trying to tweak my fume extractor. For awhile, I've never really had a SOLID fursona. I've always sorta jumbled about but never found something I had a true solid footing on as the top ones always had a strong connection to certain aspects of myself.

When I first came into the fandom, I traditionally was observed as a blue fox. This was just a stencil thing at the time, so it was mostly for visual reasons. Old Teen Grid residents might remember me with an arctic fox with a sky blue secondary color. It is the very same thing.

Soon afterwards, but before transferring, I came up with an eastern dragon that was a very pale blue with a black and red color combination. The idea involved a ying and yang approach towards the design and concept. Split down the body, each had an inverted approach towards the other side, which a splotch marking on the eye indicating a connection between each half. It was a design that never met outside the mind due to constraints of my abilities to represent it visually.

Jump a bit of time ahead and I am now in the Main Grid. I decide it is time to retire the old fox like the plaque and invest in a few new avatars to try goofing with customization. I eventually mod the EXL Therion to a green shade with some markings to help understand placement on sculpties. At this time, this was one of my more prized avatars that didn't have a fursona meaning behind it. This soon began to change once EXL had begun a rampage at myself for having customized an avatar of theirs. I had done nothing wrong, but the actions they took made me lose total respect for them and gave me a hard swan dive into an old conspiracy behind the company. I stood my ground and eventually got a fursuit made, which pinned the end of the whole feud. The avatar and now the suit soon became a fursona on its own simply due to the struggle of just having it be made and for that, it had grown on me quite a bit.

With the introduction of Mesh, I gave an older avatar, a rubber crux, a meshed body to allow it to be completely shiny, which before the changes done to Second Life, looked simply amazing. It showed mesh and sculpties combined can do amazing things, and I wear both the crux and the therion almost as much as the other. Both I've become attached to due to some kind of success, small or big.

I sorta began to compare it to the old dragon fursona who never got to see the day of light, and I soon began to notice that the two BOTH the crux and therion incorporated something from the dragon in various traits:

-The therion and eastern dragon both have canine like features (a therion is also sometimes referred to a dragon/wolf hybrid)
-The crux's eyes are black in where there would normally be white, which mirrors the 'dark' side of the dragon's features.
-The crux also has a long muzzle, looking also caninish, but not as much as the therion.
-The therion and dragon are fuzzy, though the therion has fur and the dragon simply has fur covered scales.
-The crux and dragon are very thin (but not lithe)
-All have strong leg muscles (damn you thighs!)
-Both the therion and dragon have horns and are almost identical in overall shape.
-The dragon and crux both have long tails.

The list goes on, but many of the physical traits between all 3 are very interesting, as if the crux and therion the whole time were the dragon in disguise, so I find it very funny in that they are both my most commonly used avatars as well. So in a way, having the therion and the crux as the two primary fursonas (with the therion being more dominant in comparison to the crux), it's like having the dragon anyway.

Just something I found rather interesting.

-Flame