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Further Confusion
Posted 7 years agoFurther Confusion celebrates its 20th anniversary.
I've been along for 15 of those years.
Cya there fuzzies.
I've been along for 15 of those years.
Cya there fuzzies.
Patreon is changing its fees to make $1 pledges $1.39
Posted 8 years agohttps://blog.patreon.com/updating-p.....fee-structure/
TC: https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/07/p.....-patrons/?hn=1
YC News: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15872128
I have _alot_* of $1~3 pledges and would have to cut back seriously if they are now gonna cost $1.39 for each $1 pledge.
* $50 ish a month?
TC: https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/07/p.....-patrons/?hn=1
YC News: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15872128
I have _alot_* of $1~3 pledges and would have to cut back seriously if they are now gonna cost $1.39 for each $1 pledge.
* $50 ish a month?
Red Pandas and the Stoic American Indian.
Posted 8 years agoTonight I wanted to do some good and it backfired, so heres some words.
I'm sure that many people think I'm angry all the time, I certainly put off that vibe by my expression. But truly I spend a good amount of my time happy, but its a happiness built on a house of cards. Sometimes something happens and the crack forms in the glue holding up the cards and they all fall away to reveal all the sadness I carry around with me. It may not be obvious at the time, the will to remain stoic is a powerful force that keeps it looking like nothing happened. But later when no-one is looking at all falls apart, but by the next day all is right again, or at least thats what the outside says.
The American Indian has remained steadfast despite a long history of loss, the caricature is of a stoic and emotionless front. But its a veneer on that weighty history of defeat at the hands of the government. The United States took from us our land and people in the name of progress, named things after that which they had tried to wipe out, and ground on to continue the fight elsewhere. The grind of progress pushes on and we take away from the resources to ensure the continuation of the human race are squandered on the very things that will destroy it. Its two and a half minutes to midnight on the doomsday clock.
The Red Panda faces the same quandary, mankind takes from it both its territory and numbers, leaving the population dwindling.
Violence is evil. Every day I question the perpetration of it in the name of good, I feel its an expression of mankind's addiction to battle. We think that some powerful act can achieve our goals of good, but in the end we will only take on the evil we fight and embolden our enemies to lay down more in response. We shouldn't be fighting evil with evil, we should fight evil with good. But our addiction to battle grows strong and the more we get as a society, the more we crave.
Lets do good today, no punching, no kicking, no hateful words.
Lets save the Red Pandas.
https://redpandanetwork.org/get-inv.....red-panda-day/
I'm sure that many people think I'm angry all the time, I certainly put off that vibe by my expression. But truly I spend a good amount of my time happy, but its a happiness built on a house of cards. Sometimes something happens and the crack forms in the glue holding up the cards and they all fall away to reveal all the sadness I carry around with me. It may not be obvious at the time, the will to remain stoic is a powerful force that keeps it looking like nothing happened. But later when no-one is looking at all falls apart, but by the next day all is right again, or at least thats what the outside says.
The American Indian has remained steadfast despite a long history of loss, the caricature is of a stoic and emotionless front. But its a veneer on that weighty history of defeat at the hands of the government. The United States took from us our land and people in the name of progress, named things after that which they had tried to wipe out, and ground on to continue the fight elsewhere. The grind of progress pushes on and we take away from the resources to ensure the continuation of the human race are squandered on the very things that will destroy it. Its two and a half minutes to midnight on the doomsday clock.
The Red Panda faces the same quandary, mankind takes from it both its territory and numbers, leaving the population dwindling.
Violence is evil. Every day I question the perpetration of it in the name of good, I feel its an expression of mankind's addiction to battle. We think that some powerful act can achieve our goals of good, but in the end we will only take on the evil we fight and embolden our enemies to lay down more in response. We shouldn't be fighting evil with evil, we should fight evil with good. But our addiction to battle grows strong and the more we get as a society, the more we crave.
Lets do good today, no punching, no kicking, no hateful words.
Lets save the Red Pandas.
https://redpandanetwork.org/get-inv.....red-panda-day/
Short journal on the election, and all I will say about it
Posted 9 years agoSometimes only a great upset can effect the change that is needed in the world. One that burns down all the structures holding the status quo in place and leaves a fertile field for which we can sow the seeds of a new America. One that is just and balances the needs of the many with the rights of the few. Two-hundred and forty years ago one such upset defined this country, and as we moved through the years that followed strife continued to shape and define this nation. In recent years the great strife has subsided but bubbled below the surface, lesser strifes replaced it, and are touted as great as those of the past.
I am reminded of that famous quote from Thomas Jefferson's letters: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure."
So now we must remember that what is right and just must protect friend and foe alike, for that is what sets us apart from the tyrants. And only though great hardship and sacrifice will it be won.
I am reminded of that famous quote from Thomas Jefferson's letters: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure."
So now we must remember that what is right and just must protect friend and foe alike, for that is what sets us apart from the tyrants. And only though great hardship and sacrifice will it be won.
Popehat Delivers: Election Day Edition!
Posted 9 years agohttps://popehat.com/2016/11/08/pope.....ion-day-guide/
Also, Popehat correspondent and generally badass lawyer Marc Randazza delivers an informative post on the legalities of making porn:
https://popehat.com/2016/11/04/no-p.....re-in-america/
Or, if you just want to cut to the chase and download the article:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.....act_id=2864532
Also, Popehat correspondent and generally badass lawyer Marc Randazza delivers an informative post on the legalities of making porn:
https://popehat.com/2016/11/04/no-p.....re-in-america/
Or, if you just want to cut to the chase and download the article:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.....act_id=2864532
Stranger Things
Posted 9 years agoYou should see it.
I case you havent noticed...
Posted 9 years agoI'm trans.
Also Apache.
That is all.
Also Apache.
That is all.
Frustrated with Patreon
Posted 9 years agoSo, for the second month in a row Patreon tried to charge my old card. The one that was cancelled in January because of Hyatt.
Also apparently despite a hold being put on my card at the beginning of March, it didn't actually go though.
Ugh. How come with our newfangled web 2.0 magic wonderland we cant do recurring payments, but Allied Waste can with their might-as-well-be-a-system/360 ancient system.
Also apparently despite a hold being put on my card at the beginning of March, it didn't actually go though.
Ugh. How come with our newfangled web 2.0 magic wonderland we cant do recurring payments, but Allied Waste can with their might-as-well-be-a-system/360 ancient system.
Epic musicmaking and Vancoufur
Posted 9 years agoFirst, one of the few YouTube links your gonna see here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvU.....CQ&index=1
And also, Im going to be a Vancoufur this weekend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvU.....CQ&index=1
And also, Im going to be a Vancoufur this weekend.
Anyone got commission ideas?
Posted 10 years agoI'm just looking to get together a list of commission ideas and whatnot. Toss out whatever you think would be cool, sexy, cute or just downright slutty and maybe I will get it done.
Also, if you have an artist or character to suggest involving, feel free.
I have these characters to use:
Fursonas (primary "these are me" characters):
Kay, fennec vagentleman: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18880995/
"Blondie", red panda: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18881168/
Others:
Lumi, blue cat - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8878431/
Auraia - blue dragoness - https://e621.net/post/show/267888/ (I need to put up my own post of this char)
Unnamed - girl dog - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17689799/
Also, if you have an artist or character to suggest involving, feel free.
I have these characters to use:
Fursonas (primary "these are me" characters):
Kay, fennec vagentleman: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18880995/
"Blondie", red panda: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/18881168/
Others:
Lumi, blue cat - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8878431/
Auraia - blue dragoness - https://e621.net/post/show/267888/ (I need to put up my own post of this char)
Unnamed - girl dog - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17689799/
Go see The Martian (and watch these videos after)
Posted 10 years agoSo, Ive seen it four times and read the book, I can say for sure that you should go see The Martian and read the book...
If you haven't already.
Its 2 hours and 21 minutes of the most realistic near-future space travel movie I have seen so far.*
If your not convinced, go read an excerpt from the book here:
http://andyweirauthor.com/books/the-martian-hc
Or watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3ioOneTy8
I wrote something longer here but my browser crashed.
Once you've seen it and read the book, heres some videos to see:
Andy Weir's talk at NASA Ames Research Center:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBtXuBuZPpQ
All the promo videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA.....ggKTgQlVF88rGw
Adam Savage interviews The Martian author Andy Weir on The Talking Room:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SemyzKgaUU
Andy Weir, Chris Hadfield and Adam Savage talk about The Martian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3xtZ8AjPE
* See the "near future" part??? Yeah, thats how I can say that despite Apollo 13. Go see Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff as well!
If you haven't already.
Its 2 hours and 21 minutes of the most realistic near-future space travel movie I have seen so far.*
If your not convinced, go read an excerpt from the book here:
http://andyweirauthor.com/books/the-martian-hc
Or watch the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3ioOneTy8
I wrote something longer here but my browser crashed.
Once you've seen it and read the book, heres some videos to see:
Andy Weir's talk at NASA Ames Research Center:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBtXuBuZPpQ
All the promo videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA.....ggKTgQlVF88rGw
Adam Savage interviews The Martian author Andy Weir on The Talking Room:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SemyzKgaUU
Andy Weir, Chris Hadfield and Adam Savage talk about The Martian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3xtZ8AjPE
* See the "near future" part??? Yeah, thats how I can say that despite Apollo 13. Go see Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff as well!
For Rainfurrest attendees...
Posted 10 years agoFrom Chairman Rex:
Dear RainFurrest attendees,
We need to talk. This isn’t going to be easy or pleasant, but it’s very important for the convention and for the community. We’re entering a critical phase in RainFurrest’s history. This is our tenth year, a major milestone for any event, and while we’d love to say right here and now that we’re ready to bring the convention to you for another ten years, we need to talk about where we are right now.
By every count, 2015 should have been our best RainFurrest ever. We raised over ten thousand dollars for charity. We hosted eight book launches for members of the fandom. Our registration line never exceeded fifteen minutes during the entire convention. We had so many panel suggestions that we couldn’t fill them all. We had another year of record attendance, bringing together 2,704 attendees to Seattle, almost all of whom who had a wonderful time and had no trouble following the rules.
However, it’s that “almost” that concerns us. We had to pull five badges this year. That’s more than we’ve ever had to pull in any other year of RF’s history, possibly more than every other year. We try everything we can to manage incidents without resorting to ejecting people, but we were forced into our last-resort option five times this year, and that’s not counting the attendees evicted by the Hilton itself.
This alone would be bad news for RainFurrest, but there’s even more.
For the last few years, the Hilton sustained more damage during RainFurrest than it did from every other event at the Hilton the entire rest of the year. This doesn’t even include damage to guest rooms or other incidental wear and tear like the elevators.
This year’s incidents include two plumber calls, a flooded bathroom that soaked the offices underneath, towels stuffed into a hot tub pump, and multiple petty vandalisms and thefts. A final damage report is still being compiled.
We had to send three people to the hospital and call the police twice.
By Sunday morning of con this year, the hotel was so exasperated that they were threatening to evict attendees for single noise complaints.
RainFurrest is a large event. A few incidents are inevitable, and most of those are no big deal; the Hilton understands conventions and they’ve been willing to work with us. Most of the above, however, were completely avoidable, and they’re beyond the scope of “a good time.”
Right now, we’re in trouble. There’s no sugar coating it. Our ability to hold this event is in jeopardy. The Hilton is not happy with us. Next year’s contract is already signed and the convention will happen, but 2017 and beyond hinges on what happens in 2016. We’re doing what we can to keep the worst from happening, but the convention is going to have to grow, and we’re going to need your help to do it.
We can’t make these changes without you. We can’t be everywhere and we can’t see everything. We’re asking you, all of you, to step forward and help make RainFurrest a better convention. We understand that the problems are coming from less than two-tenths of a percent of the attendees, but they impact everyone who attends, and that’s why we’re asking for your help. If you see damage or vandalism, please tell a staffer and the hotel. If you’re not sure if something’s out of the ordinary, please come ask us. If you’re uncomfortable talking to us directly, you can contact us anonymously. Your voice is important. Con staff and the hotel will listen to you, just as your fellow attendees should.
We know that people come to conventions to have a good time, and we want to facilitate that, but a few people’s fun has gotten way out of hand. On behalf of everyone who comes to RainFurrest, we’re asking you to please help us raise the standards of the convention. Speak up and be a voice for better behavior. If we don’t start taking better care of our hotel, we’ll lose access to it, and then nobody gets to have fun at RainFurrest any more.
— Rex Wolf, RainFurrest 2015 Chair
----
I am a RAIN Board member, AMA.
Dear RainFurrest attendees,
We need to talk. This isn’t going to be easy or pleasant, but it’s very important for the convention and for the community. We’re entering a critical phase in RainFurrest’s history. This is our tenth year, a major milestone for any event, and while we’d love to say right here and now that we’re ready to bring the convention to you for another ten years, we need to talk about where we are right now.
By every count, 2015 should have been our best RainFurrest ever. We raised over ten thousand dollars for charity. We hosted eight book launches for members of the fandom. Our registration line never exceeded fifteen minutes during the entire convention. We had so many panel suggestions that we couldn’t fill them all. We had another year of record attendance, bringing together 2,704 attendees to Seattle, almost all of whom who had a wonderful time and had no trouble following the rules.
However, it’s that “almost” that concerns us. We had to pull five badges this year. That’s more than we’ve ever had to pull in any other year of RF’s history, possibly more than every other year. We try everything we can to manage incidents without resorting to ejecting people, but we were forced into our last-resort option five times this year, and that’s not counting the attendees evicted by the Hilton itself.
This alone would be bad news for RainFurrest, but there’s even more.
For the last few years, the Hilton sustained more damage during RainFurrest than it did from every other event at the Hilton the entire rest of the year. This doesn’t even include damage to guest rooms or other incidental wear and tear like the elevators.
This year’s incidents include two plumber calls, a flooded bathroom that soaked the offices underneath, towels stuffed into a hot tub pump, and multiple petty vandalisms and thefts. A final damage report is still being compiled.
We had to send three people to the hospital and call the police twice.
By Sunday morning of con this year, the hotel was so exasperated that they were threatening to evict attendees for single noise complaints.
RainFurrest is a large event. A few incidents are inevitable, and most of those are no big deal; the Hilton understands conventions and they’ve been willing to work with us. Most of the above, however, were completely avoidable, and they’re beyond the scope of “a good time.”
Right now, we’re in trouble. There’s no sugar coating it. Our ability to hold this event is in jeopardy. The Hilton is not happy with us. Next year’s contract is already signed and the convention will happen, but 2017 and beyond hinges on what happens in 2016. We’re doing what we can to keep the worst from happening, but the convention is going to have to grow, and we’re going to need your help to do it.
We can’t make these changes without you. We can’t be everywhere and we can’t see everything. We’re asking you, all of you, to step forward and help make RainFurrest a better convention. We understand that the problems are coming from less than two-tenths of a percent of the attendees, but they impact everyone who attends, and that’s why we’re asking for your help. If you see damage or vandalism, please tell a staffer and the hotel. If you’re not sure if something’s out of the ordinary, please come ask us. If you’re uncomfortable talking to us directly, you can contact us anonymously. Your voice is important. Con staff and the hotel will listen to you, just as your fellow attendees should.
We know that people come to conventions to have a good time, and we want to facilitate that, but a few people’s fun has gotten way out of hand. On behalf of everyone who comes to RainFurrest, we’re asking you to please help us raise the standards of the convention. Speak up and be a voice for better behavior. If we don’t start taking better care of our hotel, we’ll lose access to it, and then nobody gets to have fun at RainFurrest any more.
— Rex Wolf, RainFurrest 2015 Chair
----
I am a RAIN Board member, AMA.
Because Rainfurrest
Posted 10 years ago- Staying at:
The center of everything (or at least within 20 feet thereof).
- Arrival and Departure?
Im already here.
- Mode of transportation:
All the transportation.
- Rooming with:
They call him mister orca.
- Who will I see you with?
Electronic devices of the radio variety.
- Con Plans:
Sit in a dark room and make the con go well for you.
- How can I find you?
I am everwhere at once.
- Do you do free art?
Depends on the reason.
- Do you do trades?
Depends on the trade.
- Do you do commissions?
Depends on the commission.
- Will you have Art in the Art Show?
Not this year.
- Will you be going to parties?
Maybe.
- Will you be performing?
Define "performing"?
- Smoke?
No.
- Drink?
Only to excess.
- Gender:
What the fuck is this?
- Can I hug you?
No, the native amercian culture is not to touch each other often.
- Can I talk to you?
Theoretically.
- Will you be at any panels?
Yes, those which I am hosting.
- Can I buy you drinks?
Wouldn't you like to try.
- How old are you?
I remember when Yerf was the Squeeky Clean Furry Archive.
- Single or Taken?
Not playing this game.
- What suits will you have?
Wouldn't you like to know!
- How tall?
6' 2"
- Can I Take pictures of you?
Yes, but be aware a curse has befallen all who have.
- How can I get your attention?
Call conops and ask for Kay.
Otherwise use the specified instant messengers (see my profile).
The center of everything (or at least within 20 feet thereof).
- Arrival and Departure?
Im already here.
- Mode of transportation:
All the transportation.
- Rooming with:
They call him mister orca.
- Who will I see you with?
Electronic devices of the radio variety.
- Con Plans:
Sit in a dark room and make the con go well for you.
- How can I find you?
I am everwhere at once.
- Do you do free art?
Depends on the reason.
- Do you do trades?
Depends on the trade.
- Do you do commissions?
Depends on the commission.
- Will you have Art in the Art Show?
Not this year.
- Will you be going to parties?
Maybe.
- Will you be performing?
Define "performing"?
- Smoke?
No.
- Drink?
Only to excess.
- Gender:
What the fuck is this?
- Can I hug you?
No, the native amercian culture is not to touch each other often.
- Can I talk to you?
Theoretically.
- Will you be at any panels?
Yes, those which I am hosting.
- Can I buy you drinks?
Wouldn't you like to try.
- How old are you?
I remember when Yerf was the Squeeky Clean Furry Archive.
- Single or Taken?
Not playing this game.
- What suits will you have?
Wouldn't you like to know!
- How tall?
6' 2"
- Can I Take pictures of you?
Yes, but be aware a curse has befallen all who have.
- How can I get your attention?
Call conops and ask for Kay.
Otherwise use the specified instant messengers (see my profile).
Curry Tacos....
Posted 10 years agoyou should try making tacos with curry...
I recommend World Spice Merchants "Madras Curry"
Heres approximately what I use:
4 fl oz lime juice.
5 Tbs Madras Curry (ground)
1 Tbs Chipotle Chile (ground)
2 Tbs Cumin (ground)
1 Tbs Garlic powder. (puree of fresh garlic may be preferable here)
1 Tsp onion powder.
1 Tsp salt (sea salt?).
2 fl oz "vegetable" (soy) oil
6 fl oz orange juice.
I dont really measure anything, I toss some stuff into mix bowl and see what it tastes like, and might add and vary stuff... you will want to vary these per your taste and what you can get your hands on...
Prep:
Marinade the meat in this for a while. I generally use beef (really? yes!) and marinade it for about an hour at room temperature.
I cook it on a BBQ at its nominal temp (about 600F) for about 5 minutes per side.
I dibble excess marinade on each side of the meat after 1 minute and after turning.
I don't know what would work for chicken, but must caution about leaving it out unrefrigerated.
I generally use flank steak, and cut each flank into 4 pieces. sometimes I fillet those in half for better cook times
Other notes (read this too!!):
* The curry powder at the grocery store tends to be a mild curry high in turmeric.
* The curry powder at Trader Joes is kinda sweet, more like Madras Curry than others.
* "Hot" curry is not really that hot.
* I haven't tried Thai curry in these recepies. Its probably very hot.
One general observation: Really hot (spicy) food tends to bring out flavors you haven't experienced yet.
Cooking is Kaizen, push the limits, try again and again, you will figure out what works only by study and working at it.
I recommend World Spice Merchants "Madras Curry"
Heres approximately what I use:
4 fl oz lime juice.
5 Tbs Madras Curry (ground)
1 Tbs Chipotle Chile (ground)
2 Tbs Cumin (ground)
1 Tbs Garlic powder. (puree of fresh garlic may be preferable here)
1 Tsp onion powder.
1 Tsp salt (sea salt?).
2 fl oz "vegetable" (soy) oil
6 fl oz orange juice.
I dont really measure anything, I toss some stuff into mix bowl and see what it tastes like, and might add and vary stuff... you will want to vary these per your taste and what you can get your hands on...
Prep:
Marinade the meat in this for a while. I generally use beef (really? yes!) and marinade it for about an hour at room temperature.
I cook it on a BBQ at its nominal temp (about 600F) for about 5 minutes per side.
I dibble excess marinade on each side of the meat after 1 minute and after turning.
I don't know what would work for chicken, but must caution about leaving it out unrefrigerated.
I generally use flank steak, and cut each flank into 4 pieces. sometimes I fillet those in half for better cook times
Other notes (read this too!!):
* The curry powder at the grocery store tends to be a mild curry high in turmeric.
* The curry powder at Trader Joes is kinda sweet, more like Madras Curry than others.
* "Hot" curry is not really that hot.
* I haven't tried Thai curry in these recepies. Its probably very hot.
One general observation: Really hot (spicy) food tends to bring out flavors you haven't experienced yet.
Cooking is Kaizen, push the limits, try again and again, you will figure out what works only by study and working at it.
DEFCON, Rainfurrest, etc.
Posted 10 years agoI will be at DEFCON.
I will also be at Rainfurrest, I am ostensibly in charge of Ops/Sec dispatch and also on the board of directors.
I will also be at Rainfurrest, I am ostensibly in charge of Ops/Sec dispatch and also on the board of directors.
Further Confusion 2015
Posted 11 years agoIm at FC2015.
Add me on Skype if you want to meet up.
Add me on Skype if you want to meet up.
F-List...
Posted 11 years agoIf you see my art on F-List, its stolen.
This is the only character I have: https://www.f-list.net/c/kayfox/
And its only there because F-List requires it to submit support tickets.
This is the only character I have: https://www.f-list.net/c/kayfox/
And its only there because F-List requires it to submit support tickets.
No Subject
Posted 12 years agoIm at Rainfurrest, dm me on twitter, thekayfox or text me if you have my number (check my away message on IM)!
deef khan
Posted 12 years agoGoing somewhere absurdly warm for a little bit.
Re: Boston - Captured.
Posted 12 years agoFrom https://twitter.com/Boston_Police/s.....13032110989313 -
CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.- Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police)
CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody.- Boston Police Dept. (@Boston_Police)
Important things you should know about the Boston Bombings.
Posted 12 years agoI'm not going to write profusely about the Boston bombings because it takes me a long time to really decide what it is I'm going to write, if anything. It is a singular tragedy that our nation has in its focus, but I feel we abandon the everyday tragedies for the exceptional. We should bring our collective skills to bear on those wider tragedies, of which I don't feel up to enumerating here.
But, there are two things I think everyone should know about this type of thing:
1. Fear means the terrorists win. Largely from a statistical standpoint, terrorism affects less people than say lightning, it is only because its exceptional enough to be on the news that it seems like a big thing. By and order of magnitude, more people died of car crashes on Monday than from terrorist bombings. I cant say enough that what you should be doing is Keeping Calm and Carrying On.
2. Mr. Rogers used to say, "Look for the helpers. You'll always find people who are helping." You can see this in the video from near the finish line, the bomb goes off and people rush in to help, not just the police, the fire department, the EMTs, but ordinary and extrodinary people rush in to help. Even some of the news photographers abandoned their quest for the perfect shot and became part of the story. I personally think no matter how bad things get people will work towards the greater good.
Its so horrible! But what can I do, you ask?
1. Learn. Learn first aid and CPR, the Red Cross offers these classes for a small fee, or you may be able to get them through your employer, church or put together a group of friends who want to learn. Learn how to avoid the common killers, road crashes, and the like... learn to help people.
2. Volunteer. There are hundreds of organizations out there that could use your help, and I don't just mean homeless shelters and the red cross. But many volunteer organizations, even helping furry conventions helps us all. Help others.
3. Make rational decisions. Out of fear people make irrational decisions, this often leads to even worse outcomes. Do we stop flying because of a plane crash? You are thousands of times more likely to die driving to and from the airport than on that plane. Do we stop running marathons because one got bombed. We are Americans, we should not submit to the whims of some fanatical terrorists, foreign or domestic. We refuse to be terrorized.
4. Read and discuss. Through learning about the threat and talking about it openly, we will all learn more about how it affects us and how we can use it to make us stronger.
Start here:
http://www.popehat.com/2013/04/16/r.....t-our-apology/
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archiv.....l_thought.html
But, there are two things I think everyone should know about this type of thing:
1. Fear means the terrorists win. Largely from a statistical standpoint, terrorism affects less people than say lightning, it is only because its exceptional enough to be on the news that it seems like a big thing. By and order of magnitude, more people died of car crashes on Monday than from terrorist bombings. I cant say enough that what you should be doing is Keeping Calm and Carrying On.
2. Mr. Rogers used to say, "Look for the helpers. You'll always find people who are helping." You can see this in the video from near the finish line, the bomb goes off and people rush in to help, not just the police, the fire department, the EMTs, but ordinary and extrodinary people rush in to help. Even some of the news photographers abandoned their quest for the perfect shot and became part of the story. I personally think no matter how bad things get people will work towards the greater good.
Its so horrible! But what can I do, you ask?
1. Learn. Learn first aid and CPR, the Red Cross offers these classes for a small fee, or you may be able to get them through your employer, church or put together a group of friends who want to learn. Learn how to avoid the common killers, road crashes, and the like... learn to help people.
2. Volunteer. There are hundreds of organizations out there that could use your help, and I don't just mean homeless shelters and the red cross. But many volunteer organizations, even helping furry conventions helps us all. Help others.
3. Make rational decisions. Out of fear people make irrational decisions, this often leads to even worse outcomes. Do we stop flying because of a plane crash? You are thousands of times more likely to die driving to and from the airport than on that plane. Do we stop running marathons because one got bombed. We are Americans, we should not submit to the whims of some fanatical terrorists, foreign or domestic. We refuse to be terrorized.
4. Read and discuss. Through learning about the threat and talking about it openly, we will all learn more about how it affects us and how we can use it to make us stronger.
Start here:
http://www.popehat.com/2013/04/16/r.....t-our-apology/
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archiv.....l_thought.html
We may experience some slight turbulence and then... explode
Posted 13 years agoY'all should see Firefly and Serenity, they are on Netflix streaming. Do it now!
The Weighted Average of Watches + Conventions 2013
Posted 13 years agoSo Ive had a few new watchers over the last couple of months, thank you!
I will gradually check out every one of your pages. Mind you it takes a while for me to go through alot of people and I have a list of some 80 people to check out, as well as about 200 artists bookmarked to check out, so its an ongoing, unending effort. If I watch you back, its because either your a good artist, you get good art commissioned of you, I like your character, or some other reason I may not even fathom myself.
A bit about myself:
I'm one of those computer networking geeks. Im pretty much all about three things: Security, Radio/Electronics and the Arts.
My current projects are roughly thus:
Various lighting up things for Rainfurrest and otherwise. Stuff like LEDs and EL wire and complicated
I have a fetish for (electro-)mechanical computers, its not a -real- computer unless it clicks, clacks, grinds and whirs. On that end, wanted: Wright 2600 Manual Keypunch and/or IBM 029 Duplicating Keypunch... I honestly believe Lady Ada was the first computer programmer and Charles Babbage came very close to revolutionizing the world and bringing us into the computer age 100 years early. Im currently musing about printing a difference engine on a makerbot.
Im working on some digital repeater stuff to be used at Rainfurrest 2013, we'll see just how far that goes and if Im standing in front of thousands of hackers explaining some aspect of it...
I draw sometimes. I dont like showing it to people or talking much about it most of the time.
I am a fan of the film noir, I feel like most films fail to adequately use light and shadow... I also have a thing for detective fiction. My favorite films are Bladerunner, Avatar, Brick and Chinatown.
I have a thing for stagecraft, and a rudimentary knowledge of it, mostly lighting... I have seen a few plays and always have a little list of ones Im going to see... thats probably why Im staying in Vegas a few extra nights this July...
Conventions...
BSides Seattle - Bellevue, WA - Dec 15, 2012 - Security Conference - Probably going, it coincides with a RainFurrest meeting, so I will be ducking out of that.
Further Confusion - Jan 17-21, 2013 - San Jose, CA - Furry Convention - Going, I have rooms booked, reg paid for, etc.
Furry Fiesta - Feb 22-24, 2013 - Dallas, TX - Furry Convention - Not going unless something changes.
Vancoufur - Mar 1-3, 2013 - Vancouver, BC Canada - Furry Convention - Committed.
Mike and Key Swapmeet - Mar 9, 2013 - Puyallup, WA - Ham Radio Swapmeet - Probably.
NorWesCon 36 - Mar 28-31, 2013 - SeaTac, WA - Sci Fi and Fatesy Convention - I am an IT Ninja!
Califur - May 31-Jun 2, 2013 - Southern CA - Furry Convention - I reserve the right to show up at this convention unannounced, but I probably will be going to...
SeaPac - May 31-Jun 2, 2013 - Seaside, OR - Ham Radio Convetion - Under consideration.
ConComCon - Jun 7-9, 2013 - Federal Way, WA - Convention runners convention - Probably.
Everfree Northwest - Jul 5-7, 2013 - SeaTac, WA - My Little Pony Convention - They are not using Convention Master, so probably not.
Black Hat Breifings - Jul 27-Aug 1, 2013 - Las Vegas, NV - Security Conference and Training - I won a pass (and hey, its not a cheap con) to this for sucessfully cracking a substitution cipher, I will be there.
DEF CON 21 - Aug 1-4, 2013 - Las Vegas, NV - Hacker Convention and Parties - Yes Hello, Kay here, where is my alcohol intoxication status?
Eurofurence - Auguest 2013 - Magdeburg, Germany - Furry Convention - Plans are being proposed.
PAX - Early September - Seattle, WA - Gaming Convention - Why not?
Rainfurrest - Sep 26-29, 2013 - SeaTac, WA - Furry Convention - Considering the rest of the year this convention seems to be constantly milling about my house... yes.
Howloween - October or November - Vancouver, BC, Canada - One Big Furry Party - Yes.
Chaos Communication Congress, 30c3 - December 2013 - Hamburg, Germany - Hacker Convention - Plans are being reviewed.
ShmooCon - Feb, 2014 - Washington, DC - Security Conference - Under consideration.
I will gradually check out every one of your pages. Mind you it takes a while for me to go through alot of people and I have a list of some 80 people to check out, as well as about 200 artists bookmarked to check out, so its an ongoing, unending effort. If I watch you back, its because either your a good artist, you get good art commissioned of you, I like your character, or some other reason I may not even fathom myself.
A bit about myself:
I'm one of those computer networking geeks. Im pretty much all about three things: Security, Radio/Electronics and the Arts.
My current projects are roughly thus:
Various lighting up things for Rainfurrest and otherwise. Stuff like LEDs and EL wire and complicated
I have a fetish for (electro-)mechanical computers, its not a -real- computer unless it clicks, clacks, grinds and whirs. On that end, wanted: Wright 2600 Manual Keypunch and/or IBM 029 Duplicating Keypunch... I honestly believe Lady Ada was the first computer programmer and Charles Babbage came very close to revolutionizing the world and bringing us into the computer age 100 years early. Im currently musing about printing a difference engine on a makerbot.
Im working on some digital repeater stuff to be used at Rainfurrest 2013, we'll see just how far that goes and if Im standing in front of thousands of hackers explaining some aspect of it...
I draw sometimes. I dont like showing it to people or talking much about it most of the time.
I am a fan of the film noir, I feel like most films fail to adequately use light and shadow... I also have a thing for detective fiction. My favorite films are Bladerunner, Avatar, Brick and Chinatown.
I have a thing for stagecraft, and a rudimentary knowledge of it, mostly lighting... I have seen a few plays and always have a little list of ones Im going to see... thats probably why Im staying in Vegas a few extra nights this July...
Conventions...
BSides Seattle - Bellevue, WA - Dec 15, 2012 - Security Conference - Probably going, it coincides with a RainFurrest meeting, so I will be ducking out of that.
Further Confusion - Jan 17-21, 2013 - San Jose, CA - Furry Convention - Going, I have rooms booked, reg paid for, etc.
Furry Fiesta - Feb 22-24, 2013 - Dallas, TX - Furry Convention - Not going unless something changes.
Vancoufur - Mar 1-3, 2013 - Vancouver, BC Canada - Furry Convention - Committed.
Mike and Key Swapmeet - Mar 9, 2013 - Puyallup, WA - Ham Radio Swapmeet - Probably.
NorWesCon 36 - Mar 28-31, 2013 - SeaTac, WA - Sci Fi and Fatesy Convention - I am an IT Ninja!
Califur - May 31-Jun 2, 2013 - Southern CA - Furry Convention - I reserve the right to show up at this convention unannounced, but I probably will be going to...
SeaPac - May 31-Jun 2, 2013 - Seaside, OR - Ham Radio Convetion - Under consideration.
ConComCon - Jun 7-9, 2013 - Federal Way, WA - Convention runners convention - Probably.
Everfree Northwest - Jul 5-7, 2013 - SeaTac, WA - My Little Pony Convention - They are not using Convention Master, so probably not.
Black Hat Breifings - Jul 27-Aug 1, 2013 - Las Vegas, NV - Security Conference and Training - I won a pass (and hey, its not a cheap con) to this for sucessfully cracking a substitution cipher, I will be there.
DEF CON 21 - Aug 1-4, 2013 - Las Vegas, NV - Hacker Convention and Parties - Yes Hello, Kay here, where is my alcohol intoxication status?
Eurofurence - Auguest 2013 - Magdeburg, Germany - Furry Convention - Plans are being proposed.
PAX - Early September - Seattle, WA - Gaming Convention - Why not?
Rainfurrest - Sep 26-29, 2013 - SeaTac, WA - Furry Convention - Considering the rest of the year this convention seems to be constantly milling about my house... yes.
Howloween - October or November - Vancouver, BC, Canada - One Big Furry Party - Yes.
Chaos Communication Congress, 30c3 - December 2013 - Hamburg, Germany - Hacker Convention - Plans are being reviewed.
ShmooCon - Feb, 2014 - Washington, DC - Security Conference - Under consideration.
Howloween and California Proposition 35 (Libertarian Rant)
Posted 13 years agoIm going to Howloween in Burnaby, BC, Canada. See some of you there!
Onward. Unedited stream of consciousness rant ahead. Warning: Contains libertarianism.
I feel the need to state right here at the beginning that I believe that sex offenders should be punished as they deserve, I just don't like tacking on more punishment as time goes on.
Our libertarian friend Ken from Popehat summarizes the issue with Prop 35 pretty well:
http://www.popehat.com/2012/11/08/c.....-common-sense/
Basically, it will require all sex offenders to do the following:
"(4)A list of any and all Internet identifiers established or used by the person.
(5) A list of any and all Internet service providers used by the person."
And do all this within 24 hours of any such changes.
I have two issues with this:
1. Is this not ex post facto lawmaking? I know that the whole sex offender registry thing is based on regulatory law and status offenses, but really, when will it end?
2. This is a logistical nightmare, I dont know about everyone here, but I have a few hundred identities online, everything from that login for Adorama to my bank login to LiveJournal. Do they mean IP addresses? Does this mean you have to report your IP addresses? Just how are the police going to deal with this? How is the state going to deal with this?
It just seems like a good deal of do-good legislation that is not going to do any good. It might very well bury the police in updates to where the registries will not be updated in time and updates will get lost. It will encourage sex offenders to lie, omit stuff and generally shy away from these requirements. We will catch some of them, they will get locked up. And well, whats going on now.
The EFF and the ACLU have filed suit to block, and have been granted an injunction to block this requirement on First Amendment grounds. Basically, having to tell the government all of your secret and not secret identities and possibly every time you comment on anything anywhere on the internet, may be an infringement of the First Amendment. As much as some people want to think, the First Amendment does apply to sex offenders, and thusly they get all of the protections of it. For this I support them (Im a member of both), and I think everyone should support them.
This has the potential to force the subject of the ever growing requirements and restrictions imposed on sex offenders. Mind you sex offenders includes people who got convicted of: having sex with their boy/girlfriend when they were teens, streaking, urinating in public (think drunk in an alley), taking nude pictures of themselves when they were under 18 (yes, you can be convicted of producing child porn of yourself), hey, even receiving those nudes is illegal and people go to jail for it... So this category is not all bad people even if we don't count people who screwed up somehow and got nailed with the worse offenses.
I just don't see how this is improving the situation for everyone, we have made it so that sex offenders cant live in apartments, houses or anything in any place where children might be (mind you, a significant portion of these people were convicted of crimes that didn't even involve children). To the point where in Florida there is a colony of sex offenders who can only live under a freeway bridge, and in ... I think it was Georgia, they have to live in some state wildland park...
This is not fixing the problem, if anything its making it worse, we are actively rejecting these people from society and making their chances of recidivism higher. Personally, I wouldn't mind if society wanted to punish these people for life... but I very strongly believe that this should be imposed from the onset, you send these people to prison for life. Thats what needs to be done. Thats the only way people will realize just how crazy this is, once you start sending 16 and 17 year olds to prison for life for going to bed with their teenage sweethearts, people will notice and suddenly the whole thing will be different.
And don't get me started on how we're adding things like spousal abuse and all that to the sex offender registries.
So, yeah, thats how it is.
Edit to add: I think my biggest problem with this whole thing is the way we are lead to categorically think about this issue. Most people have never really been friends with a sex offender, and don't realize that these people can be human too, and sometimes they really got screwed. Thats kinda why I don't like how we are going back and adding punishment to their crimes...
Also, yeah, categorical thinking has always worked out for us...
Write me angry comments!
Onward. Unedited stream of consciousness rant ahead. Warning: Contains libertarianism.
I feel the need to state right here at the beginning that I believe that sex offenders should be punished as they deserve, I just don't like tacking on more punishment as time goes on.
Our libertarian friend Ken from Popehat summarizes the issue with Prop 35 pretty well:
http://www.popehat.com/2012/11/08/c.....-common-sense/
Basically, it will require all sex offenders to do the following:
"(4)A list of any and all Internet identifiers established or used by the person.
(5) A list of any and all Internet service providers used by the person."
And do all this within 24 hours of any such changes.
I have two issues with this:
1. Is this not ex post facto lawmaking? I know that the whole sex offender registry thing is based on regulatory law and status offenses, but really, when will it end?
2. This is a logistical nightmare, I dont know about everyone here, but I have a few hundred identities online, everything from that login for Adorama to my bank login to LiveJournal. Do they mean IP addresses? Does this mean you have to report your IP addresses? Just how are the police going to deal with this? How is the state going to deal with this?
It just seems like a good deal of do-good legislation that is not going to do any good. It might very well bury the police in updates to where the registries will not be updated in time and updates will get lost. It will encourage sex offenders to lie, omit stuff and generally shy away from these requirements. We will catch some of them, they will get locked up. And well, whats going on now.
The EFF and the ACLU have filed suit to block, and have been granted an injunction to block this requirement on First Amendment grounds. Basically, having to tell the government all of your secret and not secret identities and possibly every time you comment on anything anywhere on the internet, may be an infringement of the First Amendment. As much as some people want to think, the First Amendment does apply to sex offenders, and thusly they get all of the protections of it. For this I support them (Im a member of both), and I think everyone should support them.
This has the potential to force the subject of the ever growing requirements and restrictions imposed on sex offenders. Mind you sex offenders includes people who got convicted of: having sex with their boy/girlfriend when they were teens, streaking, urinating in public (think drunk in an alley), taking nude pictures of themselves when they were under 18 (yes, you can be convicted of producing child porn of yourself), hey, even receiving those nudes is illegal and people go to jail for it... So this category is not all bad people even if we don't count people who screwed up somehow and got nailed with the worse offenses.
I just don't see how this is improving the situation for everyone, we have made it so that sex offenders cant live in apartments, houses or anything in any place where children might be (mind you, a significant portion of these people were convicted of crimes that didn't even involve children). To the point where in Florida there is a colony of sex offenders who can only live under a freeway bridge, and in ... I think it was Georgia, they have to live in some state wildland park...
This is not fixing the problem, if anything its making it worse, we are actively rejecting these people from society and making their chances of recidivism higher. Personally, I wouldn't mind if society wanted to punish these people for life... but I very strongly believe that this should be imposed from the onset, you send these people to prison for life. Thats what needs to be done. Thats the only way people will realize just how crazy this is, once you start sending 16 and 17 year olds to prison for life for going to bed with their teenage sweethearts, people will notice and suddenly the whole thing will be different.
And don't get me started on how we're adding things like spousal abuse and all that to the sex offender registries.
So, yeah, thats how it is.
Edit to add: I think my biggest problem with this whole thing is the way we are lead to categorically think about this issue. Most people have never really been friends with a sex offender, and don't realize that these people can be human too, and sometimes they really got screwed. Thats kinda why I don't like how we are going back and adding punishment to their crimes...
Also, yeah, categorical thinking has always worked out for us...
Write me angry comments!
Legal pot and gay marriage, best birthday present ever!
Posted 13 years agoWashington, after privatizing its liquor sales, thus removing finite control over what gets sold for how much in this state from the government, has made another progressive move.
Tonight the results are in, and they say legalize pot and and same-sex marriage. I can only hope this will push us in the right direction, even if there may be issues with the laws themselves.
Also, its my birthday.
AS of 11:50PM Pacific:
Referendum Measure No. 74 Concerns marriage for same-sex couples
Candidate Vote Vote %
Approved 977,369 51.79%
Rejected 909,725 48.21%
Total Votes 1,887,094 100%
http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/.....x-couples.html
Initiative Measure No. 502 Concerns marijuana
Candidate Vote Vote %
Yes 1,056,355 55.44%
No 848,919 44.56%
Total Votes 1,905,274 100%
http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/.....marijuana.html
Discuss the ramifications and the rest of the election!
Tonight the results are in, and they say legalize pot and and same-sex marriage. I can only hope this will push us in the right direction, even if there may be issues with the laws themselves.
Also, its my birthday.
AS of 11:50PM Pacific:
Referendum Measure No. 74 Concerns marriage for same-sex couples
Candidate Vote Vote %
Approved 977,369 51.79%
Rejected 909,725 48.21%
Total Votes 1,887,094 100%
http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/.....x-couples.html
Initiative Measure No. 502 Concerns marijuana
Candidate Vote Vote %
Yes 1,056,355 55.44%
No 848,919 44.56%
Total Votes 1,905,274 100%
http://vote.wa.gov/results/current/.....marijuana.html
Discuss the ramifications and the rest of the election!
